NEW REGENT

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 327, 12 April 1928, Page 15

NEW REGENT

DIVING FINAL TO-NIGHT Great interest attaches to the grand final of the ladies’ diving contest, which takes place in the stage pool of the Regent Theatre to-night. For two weeks past heats and semi-finals have been held. and a carefullyjudged elminiation leaves eight finalists who will compete to-night for the championship of Auckland. The contest has been held under the auspices of the Auckland Centre of the New Zealand Swimming Assocition. which lias appointed the judges each evening. The eight finalists selected who will dive to-night are:—Miss D. Hay so n. Miss E. Champion, Miss M. Bell, Miss K. Lcgge, Miss E. Tilslev, Miss Bevidge and Miss J. Bell. Goid medals will be presented to-night to the three winners, and a silver cup to the winning club. Exhibition stunt dives will be given by Mr. Harry Withers and Mr. Victor Connell. “Natural drama” is introduced to the screen by “Chang.” which will be shown at the New Regent Theatre tomorrow. It is the fear of the producers. Messrs. Cooper and Schoedsack, that the public will look upon the film, before seeing it, as a travelogue. Merian Cooper insists that it is straight drama, with suspense, comedy moments and a story.

“Natural drama.” explains Mr. Cooper, “is drama produced with natural actors in their own environment, living the story of their lives, and their struggle for existence. The story which we have set in the jungle, is the story of people surrounded by a super abundance of food. There is constant menace that this teeming vegetable and animal life will overwhelm the humans struggling against it. On this is our story built. “We chose a family living in the jungle for out' central characters, and the drama of their life is the drama of the picture, stark, real, tense. In photographing the lives of these people, we always kept the dramatic values in mind, and believe that we have made a picture equalling in drama anything made in the studio. A special musical score has been arranged by Mr. Maurice Guttridge and Mr. Leslie A r . Harvey.

Titles of a truly inspirational nature were written for Fox Films newest Frank Borzage production, “Street Angel,” by Katherine Hilliker while “on the wing” between Fresno and Hollywood, California. In company with the director, Sol M. Wurtzel, general superintendent of Fox Films, H. H. Caldwell and officials of the Aero Corporation of California, Miss Hilliker travelled via air route in a Fokker monoplane to preview the picture in the northern city. Following the exhibition of the pictuire several title changes were suggested by Mr. Wurtzel. Miss Hilliker, thrilled by the mile-high ride, decided to do her writing while speeding at I*2o miles an hour more than 5,000 feet above terra firma.