“THE SPARKLERS”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 584, 9 February 1929, Page 16

“THE SPARKLERS”

Roond the Show* j

MORE WALLACE FANTASY ST. JAMES NEW SHOW Beginning -with a dirty piece of business down by a Parisian dock. “The Sparklers,” George "Wallace s new show at the St. James Theatre gave promise of again combining the hair-raising methods of the illustrious Edgar with the clever fooling of the inimitable George. However, though there is at least one murder and a liberal sprinkling of villains, male and female, the piece never allows its drama to over-ride its comedy. The plot flits here and there, giving a scene in the “Prince's Palace,” a travesty of ship-board discomfiture, a comedy of Customs red tape, and finally finishing up in an artist's studio. George Wallace is “The Nuisance,” the bofie-headed accomplice of English Jim and Lady Lou, and the sureness with which he wrecks their schemes and justifies his name is most amusThere is a liberal allowance of snappy musical numbers and colourful ballets. The shapely “Rascals” are lightning change artists and highsteppers. and they have a great deal to do with the success of the production. “Monte Carlo” is the opening chorus, and it is followed by "Cabarabia,” by petite and pretty Maida Jones and the Rascals, Thelma Buxton, Sybil Budd, Stella Stewart, Olive Partridge, Alma Rowe, and Ivy Moyle. Marshall Crosby, in paternal mood, sings, "Be a Man,” with his big bass voice, and George Wallace tells of the merits of “Mabel.” Marie Nyman lias a successful number in “Camille,” and another in “Aussie Home,” a musical trifle composed by George himself. “Beautiful” goes over well, through the efforts of Maida Jones, Jack Scott and the Rascals.

Most of the fun is made by George, but the company is not short of people with a sense of the ludicrous. There are few dull patches in “The Sparklers.” The first half of the programme is almost as ambitious as tlie revue proper. It begins with the brewing of jazz. Father Time, deserting his scythe to become the chef. He mixes in his cauldron the dancers of the different nations. When the pot boils over jazz is the froth. Continuing, the sense of the idea, Marshall Crosby and assistants sing “That’s How We Got Jazz,” and big Bert Tucker, backed up by most of the company, demonstrates "Saxophone Madness.” One of the most successful numbers of the half is Marshall Crosby’s “King For a Day,” a good song, well-sung. “The Woop Woop Railway Station” is a Wallace sketch, concerning the train which is always a day late, and parts of it are delightful. Wallace is the station porter, and Jimmy Romaine the crimson-nosed driver of the locomotive. “The Dudleys” amuse the audience with song, dance and patter for a period.

“The Flaming Youths” are in good form with their myriad of instruments. Beginning with an American medley, they carry on with melodies ancient and modern. Most enjoyable, and all too short, is the novelty dance by the “Two Cuties,” who step it flambuoyantly against the background of the band. Miff Myers again shows he is an artist with the trombone. “On With the Motley” being a splendid solo. A saxophone trio is a first-rate bit of harmonising. “THE MAN WHO LAUGHS” BIG PICTURE FOR PLAZA If Victor Hugo were alive to-day he would be -working for one of the big lAotion picture companies as a scenario writer, and he would be getting a salary of fully £IOO,OOO a year, says Paul Len, motion picture director. Although Hugo was dead long before the motion picture was anything but a toy, his style of writing, his colourful characterisations and above all his dramatic stories are unequalled as screen material. A visit to the Plaza Theatre next Thursday, jtvhen Victor Hugo’s great romance, “The Man Who Laughs,” is to be presented as a screen play will give local Hugo enthusiasts a chance to prove this point for themselves. “The Man "Who Laughs” has been made into a super-picture by the Universal Pictures Corporation. At a cost approximating £350,000, the mighty Hugo story has been transplanted to the screen in all its majesty and detail.

The great settings such as Southwark Fair, the House of Lords, Queen Anne’s Court, various London streets, the docks and other scenes, so carefully and aptly described by Hugo's facile pen. have been reproduced for the camera with remarkable fidelity. The story, even more so than his other two masterpieces of writing, brought to the screen by Universal, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and “Les Miserables,” makes excellent photo-play material. Hollywood experts say that if he actually had written “FYie Man Who Laughs” for the screen, it probably would not have differed one bit from the original version. Love, intrigue, human interest, strife, despair, gilded hopes, glittering society, exotic scenes, and all the other agencies and events which interest the human mind are there. Conrad Veidt, Europe’s greatest screen actor, plays the role of the “Man Who Laughs.” Lovely Mary Philbin, a beauty of screendom, is Dea, the blind heroine. Others in the cast include Olga Baclanova. Brandon Hurst, George Siegmann, Cesare Gravina, Stuart Holmes. Josephine Crowell and many more. Paul Leni, a master-craftsman of the cinema, directed the picture. ROYAL SHOWS “OH, KAY!” A series of humorous situations of a most unusual type makes “Oh Kay,” now at the Royal Theatre, Kingsland, t * le mos t successful comedies of the year. The versatile Colleen Moore is seen to advantage in the leading role, that of Lady Kay Rutfield. a young member of the British aristocracy, and is well supported by a large cast including Lawrence Gray and Alan Hale. In order to avoid marriage with an elderly and insipid nobleman, Kay leaves England in her tiny yacht, and at the height of a storm is rescued by a . rum-ship bound for America. The girl becomes involved in the activities of the smugglers, and the ensuing complications force her to pose first as the wife of a young American, and then as a J?jJ ld 'S erv ’ant in the same house. „ Poppies of Flanders,” the second xeature, is a fine story of English youth and the war. starring Jameson Thomas and Eve Gray. “In Line of Duty,*’ fifth in the Forest Ranger series of Edmund Cobb tp 1 ’ Universal, is now under production. Bruce Mitchell is directing under the supervision of William Lord Wright. Bill Patton and Lotus Thompson are in the cast.

MUSICAL TUITION STUDIES RESUMING Dr. Phillips resumes the teaching of singing and the piano, at the utudic, Bank of New Zealand Buildings, Newton, and 16 Shelly Beach Road, on Monday, February 18. Ethel Hammond, L.A.8., resumes the teaching of the pianoforte on Monday next, at 8 Esplanade Road, Mount Eden. Gladys Searell, L.A.8., A.T.C.Lresume on Thursday, February 14, a: the studio, 7 Tirohanga Avenue, oVictoria Avenue. Miss Vera Hutchinson has cor.' menced the teaching of singing a® l the Cochran games method of pianoforte playing, theory and musical preciation, at the studio, RoOB ? Lewis Eady, Ltd., and at Birkenbeaa. Miss Catherine Sale, L.A.8., 1 sume the teaching of piano and tv**; on Monday next at 9 Cromwell Dominion Road. The students ination successes include the n - marks in Auckland in all grades sociated Board examinations. Miss Florence V. Mandeno, t»*f of pianoforte, violin and tion, has resumed teaching. The is at 63 West Street, Newton. Miss Ada Yates, teacher of forte, will resume teaching on ~ day next, at 59 Park Road. Madame do la Roche, pianoforte, theory and ooun ‘jg It resumes teaching on pe ~ , * u f"7 northe studio, 303 Queen 'studiohunga. The successes of her » includes L.A.8., L.T.C.L.. LX-CJJ- 8 piano championship of felling* Kathleen O'Leary, teacher of pianoforte, *iaßemUeralessons at 3 Ingram Road, Re lll T. Grief, Stanley Poi £f’ * harmony and of the rno ? e , l 71 RO ng fro© method, has commenced beginners to advanced. Miss Amy Ilansar & A.T.C.L., has resumed BoiKiing and piano at the Aca ings, or at 102 Park Poa ' c . s cfco©are required to form a women* Mr. R. H. Bretnall. ■ ctioll e! teacher of the correct m for *5 technique and interpretatl at playing, has resumed lee Mount Eden Road. Mr ‘,~. tra d tra**' special attention to orch -i./*Mr. Arthur E. Wilson, piano and organ, has a lmi Iftof vacancies for the new tij Wilson caters for young one pupil last year tf*** marks in the Associated inations for 1928. TEACHER OF E looll^ I Miss Elfrieda Hail, F *5 oC elocution, pianoforte ““ sto ai«. " ! resumed teaching at tn - gjv I at 68 Sarsfield Street, H frl