STRAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 732, 3 August 1929, Page 15

STRAND

SUCCESS OF “SHOW BOAT” Accompanied by the gay, spirited notes of a calliope and the melodious minors of negro singers, “Show Boat,” a super talking picture made from the famous Edna Ferber novel, last night steamed into the Strand Theatre for its first regular showing. An enthusiastic audience greeted its coming—an audience thrilled by the beauty of its story, the gripping qualities of its drama, by its glorious music and singing and by the general entertainment qualities of the production. It is without doubt one of the finest pictures ever made. Carl Laemmle, head of Universal, may well call this a super picture. It is magnificent in its sweep, in its settings, in itis characterisations and in the tuneful interpolations that make it great entertainment for the ear as well as for the eye. In fact, it really is a mammoth combination of stage and screen. The audience gets the full benefit of a big screen show plus a big stage musical show. By special arrangement with Florenz Ziegfeld, who produced “Show Boat” as a New York musical extravaganza, Universal includes, in the talking picture version of the story, many of the high-lights and popular music of the Ziegfeld version, with songs and choruses sung chamingly by the Ziegfeld stars themselves. Ziegfeld, in a personal movietone appearance, introduces the interpolated numbers. Laemmle. in movietone, introduces the picture. One of the revelations of the production, which was directed with great artistry by Harry Pollard, is the work of Laura La Plante as Magnolia, the heroine. This pretty Universal comedienne proves she is a first-rate emotional actress, who can act. sing and read her lines with all the verve of a seasoned trouper. Judging from her work in “Show Boat.” she is destined to be one of the most pleasing and popular talking picture stars. Also, Joseph Schild kraut. as Gaylord Ravenal, the romantic hero, shows that he is an ideal star for the audible films. His long success as a stage star, plus his experience in the silent drama, stands him in good stead in the new art of cinematic dialogue drama. The spoken scenes of “Show Boat” are as gripping as those of any stage play. The cast of “Show Boat” also includes . Otis Harlan, Alma Rubens, Emily Fitzroy, Elsie Bartlett, Jack McDonald and many others. It is combined with the music and high-lights of Florenz Ziegfeld’s musical comedy “Shot Boat,” with the Ziegfeld stars, Helen Morgan, Jules Bledsoe, Aunt Jemima and the Plantation Singers, seen and heard in songs and choruses.