“ROSE MARIE”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 131, 4 June 1937, Page 10

“ROSE MARIE”

CLASSIC LIGHT OPERA MAJESTIC ATTRACTION The gifted quartette who piloted “Naughty Marietta” to unprecedented success Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, Director W. S. Van Dyke and Producer Hunt Stromberg have, again turned their talents to a giant enterprise, the production for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer of the classic light opera “Rose Marie,” to commence to-morrow at the Majestic Theatre. “Rose Marie” has been made into a talking picture, one of the outstanding productions of the year. Furthermore, it was filmed almost entirely out-of-doors, in the gorgeous mountain-lake settings of the Sierra Nevadas. Such world-famed songs as “The Indian Love Call,” “Rose Marie. I Love You,” “Song of the Mounties,” “Pardon Me Madame,” and others are sung by the romantic team against the majesty of glimmering lakes, tall pines and superb mountain vistas. The Totem Pole number alone will set a new high level in photographic beauty and screen entertainment. Filmed at Emerald Bay, on Lake Tahoe, scenic spot of America peopled with more than seven hundred Indians in a setting of towering, grotesque totems, it is as spectacular as it is rhythmic. Briefly, “Rose Marie” is the story of an opera star who, travelling incognito through North Woods in search of her brother, an outlaw, falls in love with the Northwest “Mountie” whose inflexible job it is to capture the criminal. The climax of the story is as dramatic as the finish is romantic. Supporting the co-stars is a fine cast of seasoned players. James Stewart, featured in many New York stage hits, plays the role of Miss MacDonald’s brother. Reginald Owen, sterling character actor, is cast as the singing star’s harried manager. Allan Jones, who scored recently as the singing juvenile in “A Night at the Opera,” has the part of Romeo in a musical sequence from “Romeo and Juliet.” George Regan plays the half-bred, Boniface, who is Rose Marie’s guide. Other prominent players include Robert Grieg as the hotel proprietor, Una O’Connor as a maid, Lucien Littlefield, Allan Mowbray, David Nivens, Herman Bing, and the sensational Gilda Gray of Ziegfeld Follies fame, who sings and dances to the kind of music she made popular cn the stage. Herbert Stothart, who, with Rudolf Friml, wrote the score, has written several nem numbers for the 'screen nroduction. He personally conducted the symphony orchestra in the recordings. While the great outdoors provides most of the settings, | many also were constructed by Cedric | Gibbons, and his associates. E. B. Willis and Joseph Wright. These inI elude whole Canadian towns, fishing | wharfs, lavi h hotel lobbies and suites. “STOLEN HOLIDAY’* I KAY I R NCIS STARRED Although not unnaturally, no mention of the fact is made, the plot of “Stolen Holiday,” which will start on Saturday next at the Regent Theatre, is an almost exact parallel to the story of the sensational Stavisky scandal which caused such a sensation in France and indeed throughout Europe some years back The plot is dressed up with a wonderful background of Paris fashion salons. Kay Francis playing the part of a manneouin who becomes an innocent tool in the hands of the adventurer whose giganticswindle rocks Franco. Claude Rains, who stole the acting honours in “Anthony Adverse.” gives another polished performance as the swindler, while lan Hunter, a rising young star who was soon in “The White Angel” recently. is also featured. As would be expected in a film about fashionable | Paris, "Stolen Holiday” is a sunerbly-dres'-.c'l nroduction. while a vivid contrast is afforded by the adventures of Claude Rains and lhe excitement of Paris street riots. GUY KIBBEE LATEST APPEARANCE Guy Kibbee entered the portals of the Hollywood film colony by the way of “The Torch Song.” His performance in this Broadway production was so outstanding that he was signed up by Warner Bros. Born in El Paso. Texas, March 6. he began work on the stage in stock. Kibbee has appeared in I scores of pictures, his more recent bei ing "I Married a Doctor," “Captain j Blood” and “I Live for Love.” His curi rent production is “The Big Noise.” which comes to the Regent. Theatre | next Wednesday. A London Record. “The Two Bouquets” was seen oy 7106 people last week, a record for the Garrick Theatre, says a London paper. This musical play is to be done by the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company (recently in New Zealand) in Melbourne shortly. “Our Fighting Navy.” News has been received by British Empire Films that “Our Fighting Navy,” the film recently completed by Herbert Wilcox at Pinewood Studios, London, is on its way to New Zealand by air mail. This film depicts in vivid and authentic fashion the work done by the British Navy in peace time; this has been made possible through the c-operation of the Admiralty, which has helped in every way possible to make this film which is indeed of “Our Fighting Navy” a success. This could never have been accomplished had they not given permission for their ships, machinery, etc., to be utilised throughout the production, and in many other ways. H. B. Warner and Richard Crowmell. who has been brought over from Hollywood to play a young lieutenant, have joined the cast, which includes Hazel Terry, Noah Beery, Robert Douglas, and Richard Ainey.