STRAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 371, 4 June 1928, Page 14

STRAND

“THE MERRY WIDOW” An ideal holiday programme is being offered at the Strand Theatre in “The Merry Widow,” a gay. glittering super-production with the most fascinating of all “Merry Widows.” Erich von Stroheim has produced “The Merry Widow” on a magnificent scale, and the star is the handsome John Gilbert, foremost of the screen’s “matinee idols.” Mae Murray has the title role. She appears as the dancing star of the “Manhattan Follies,” a troupe of theatricals who find themselves in a beautiful town of Monteblanco. Sally, the dancer, finds herself attended by princes and barons, but she rightly suspects them all. She denies Prince Danilo the love of a moment and succeeds in arousing in him a life-long affection. The prince’s family points out that he has a duty to his country, and poor Sally is left on her wedding morning. But she has her revenge through marriage with a baron and through the inheritance of his millions. She leads a dance through the European capitals as “The Merry Widow,” and has a following of kings and princes. A very attractive prologue precedes the screening of the photo-play, in which Miss Ina Bosworth is the solo violiniste, and Mile. Valeska and Mr. Ben Wilson present the entrancingly beautiful “Merry Widow” waltz. A musical treat is presented by Eve Bentley’s Strand Symphony Orchestra, who accompany the picture with the original “Merry Widow” score. Another attraction to Aucklanders is the appearance on the stage of Miss Bale Austen, who relates her unique experiences in Hollywood, and presents her first film, “ ‘Miss New Zealand’ in Hollywood,” a film which fully depicts Miss Austen’s adventures at the studios, her meeting with the stars, and her screen test.