SONGS YOU LOVE

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3287, 12 July 1943, Page 5

SONGS YOU LOVE

“DANNY BdY” AT REGENT GOOD COMEDY-DRAMA A FILM YOU’LL NEVER FORGET “Danny Boy,” which will show at the Regent Theatre, .'Tuesday and Wednesday, is comedy-drama with large helpings of sentimental, evergreen songs and heart-cheering- humour against a topical war-time background of “blitz” night-life. Story is about a famous cabaret star s search' for street musician husband and’ little son, complicated by schemings of her manager to keep them apart for reasons of self-aggrandisement. ' The settings are eye-filling and the acting highly competent. With a simple story, easy to follow—-endowed with plenty of robust, earthy hunfbur, moments of sentimental pathos that are never overdrawn and embellished lavishly with songs, old and new, “Danny Boy” provides entertainment, of unaffected honesty, chasing the tears , away with a laugh and giving aud- ; iences the opportunity to revel in the melodies they ,love. Ann Todd is-a cabaret star who returns from success in America to war- ■ ■ torn London to find her John Warwick, and -her little son, ’ . Grant Tyler; from whom she has been separated by ’ a misunderstanding. Father and son are eking out a pre-., carious livelihood qs street musicians, but a lucky, break gives them the opportunity of appearing at' the same' ■ hotel in which Ann Todd is the star . _ attraction. An unscrupulous ageht, superbly. ■ played by Wilfrid Lawson, learning of their relationship, purposely prevents 1 - ? their meeting through fear of adverse publicity. A colleague, however, re- . places the hotel’s dance orchestra by a band of street musicians, led by- • John Warwick, and the family are reunited. . David Farr provides complications to the theme in -the role of a theat- - ri.cal producer, who, unaware of herquest, presses the heroine to -marry him. ' ■ A'i} The background of London' nightlife in the :“blitz” is well conveyed in- - - a series of impressive cameos of cabmen’s caffes, crypt air-raid shelters, ; and restaurants. . . . . Music plays a large part in the en- ■ tertainment, with 'well-staged novelty and spectacle in- the detail of the street musicians’, band. Danny is no mean hand with the piano, accordionand his father, John Warwick, scores ' heavily with his 'Violin version of ' ■ “Liebestraum.” Ann Todd rounds 'off ■- the considerably musical appeal with her charming rendition of' “ Danny Boy.” Wylie Watson and Albert Whelan take good care of file robustly- / patterned humour as a lodging-house- ■ keeper a’nd his comic Scottish' star- - boarder, respectively . . . Chubbyfaced Grant' Tyler in the name role, . is a real juvenile discovery and destined to make a place for the film firmament.

FINALLY to-night \ “PARDON MY SARONG” q “ Pardon My Sarong,” will show finally to-night at the. Regent Theatre.