NATIONAL

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 572, 26 January 1929, Page 15

NATIONAL

“THE FIRST KISS” PREMIERE The suspense of river piracy and the romance of a young man of poor estate and a rich girl make up the fine Paramount picture, “The First Kiss/' which will be shown at the National Theatre for the first time this' evening. The story tells of the Talbots, once one of Maryland’s first families. Now “Pap” is a sodden drunk; his four sons are oystermen; their fine old house on Chesapeake Bay is a dilapidated ruin. Three sons, William, Carol, and Ezra Talbot, are lazy, shiftless. The fourth. Mulligan, (Gary Cooper), does all the work, from the oyster fishing to the cooking. The village citizenry despise‘the whole family. Anna Lee (Fay Wray) is the town’s richest girl, but she loves Mulligan. She sails in his oyster boat against her father’s orders. And one day Mulligan kisses her. When she flares up and cries: “White trash!” he realises the difference in their positions. Though she apologises, Mulligan smarts under the insult. “Pap” dies in a drunken stupor. Mulligan determines to force his family up. He thrashes William, and farces all three brothers to learn professions. He finances them. They believe he is getting the money from their rich grandfather. Actually Mulligan gets the money by robbing ships. In six years William is a minister, Carol a lawyer, and Ezra a doctor. Despite a forced trip to Paris, Anna Lee still loves Mulligan faithfully. She reads of the brothers’ success and comes home. She finds Mulligan still an oysterman, still smarting under her rebukes. He has one possession, a fine schooner, a dream ship he has built for her. The brothers demand more money. Mulligan has to sell the ship. The money meets their demands and pays back every cent he stole. But by these payments, Mulligan is detected, arrested. At his trial, Anna Lee creates a sensation by testifying for him. “We have been engaged for six years,” she lies. Then she sends for his brothers, revealing to them how Mulligan has paid for their education. They spring ; to his aid. The lawyer-brother de- j fends him. He is paroled in Anna 1 Lee’s charge and finds that she \ secretly has bought his own dream | ship. In it they sail away to a greater ! happiness. The film is intensely dramatic < throughout and was filmed amid the j old English settlements on the Atlantic coast of America. An excellent supporting programme j will, also be presented, and new musical selections played by the wellba.anced National Orchestra under the direction of Mr. F. Bartlett. Sound production is under way at j the Long Island studios of the Para- i mount organisation which were re- ♦ opened recently. According to recent j reports, six short features, completely j sound synchronised, have been com- 1 pleted, and the first all-talking produc- ; tion to be made at the studios is in ; production under the direction of Jean • de Limur. Jeanne Eagels, stage fav- , ourite, is starred in the picture, which i is titled “The Letter.”