REFORMATION

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 668, 21 May 1929, Page 17

REFORMATION

“THE SHOPWORN ANGEL” REGENT’S VARIED OFFERING A pathetically-appealing story with the reformation of a bad little chorus girl as its themv is “The Shopworn Angel,” screened at the Regent for the first time last evening. It was that theatre’s third feature talkie, heading a programme of eight new “units,” as the items are known under the new regime.

The latest. Regent offering is a varied combination of talking and sound synchronised pictures. Throughout, it was capably presented, and a bigaudience was given further demonstration of talkie qualities and possibilities. At all times the sound projection was clear, crisp and singularly devoid of scratch and the unwanted etceteras which are the talkies’ particular brand of “static.”

After the overture, playing from beyond the rainbow curtain, came a good issue of Paramount news items —a silent film with projected orchestral accompaniment. Views of the recent costly motor show fire in Los Angeles were among the shots. The first talkie of the evening was a Chinese song scena, presenting Anna !hang and Matsu Kuma, two pretty little Orientals. It was a dainty, tuneful, interlude, though the highpitched Chinese voices provided the microphones with -a difficult task. In particular was the photography be 1 1 er than that of previous short subjects, while more

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««.jr greater subtlety of setting were introduced. Next Path© demonstrated the importance of the advances made in the realm ot colour films. The review in Path© colour was a gem, artistically polished and beautifully set. “Sea and See” was a luscious parade of My Lady’s latest bathing apparel, “Rug Making” gave a glimpse of an exquisite art practised under conditions centuries old in Spain, and “RumRunning” supplied amazing proof of Uncle Sam’s difficulties in keeping his family within the bounds of the Volstead Act. A Jack Duffy comedy rounded off the first portion of the programme, and when the curtain rose again Ruth Etting, a gramophone recording star, late of the ’•Follies,” sang “My Mother’s Eyes” and "That’s Him Now.” It was a cleverly presented talkie “short.” enlivened by an attractive if decidedly American personality. ‘The Shopworn Angel,” a Paramount sound-synchronised and part talkie picture, served to present Nancy Carroll in easily the best role of her motion picture career. Apart from her brief but pleasant talking lines and her attractive singing of the haunting theme song which is introduced throughout the film, she acted excellently, never exaggerating her work, yet never allowing one’s attention to waver for an instant. {She plays the port of a little wayward chorus girl, mistress of a producer, who falls in love with a private soldier because he worships her and knows not what she is. To make him happy she marries him on the eve of his clenarture, but collapses at the close of the ceremony. When he lias gone she faces the fact that she lias lost both protector and husband. So she returns to the chorus and starts adresh—in the back row. Supporting Miss Carroll are Gary Cooper, who plays the soldier, and Paul Lukas as the producer. Colourful theatrical scenes are shown, while gripping dramatic heights are reached by the talkie’s aid, in the marriage scene.