STRAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 733, 5 August 1929, Page 15

STRAND

“SHOW BOAT”

The most gorgeous and colourful romance ever filmed —that’s Universal’s super talking screen version of Edna Ferber’s great novel, “Show Boat,” which is now at the Strand Theatre. It is an enthralling picture from start to finish and brings the novel to the screen with a faithfulness which gives the finished product all the charm and verve of the book, only instead of reading the book you see it acted out before you in a vivid way by a powerful cast amid settings of great beauty. “Show Boat,” as a motion picture, will go down in screen history as one of the truly great pictures. It is a picture of such splendour and sweep that no one can afford to miss it. Most of the action takes place on a show boat, one of those floating theatres which play the various landings along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. These full-sized theatres built on boats still actually play the small river towns. This is the first time they have ever been brought to the screen. The everchanging panorama of the Mississippi as the boat floats down it, the beautiful moonlit nights, the negro melodies wafted from the shore, the entrancing life on board the Show Boat—all are captured and presented with amazing beauty on the screen. in the starring role as Magnolia Hawks. Laura La Plante gives a performance of great dramatic depths. As the little star of the Show Boat, protected from life and the influence of the troupers by her mother, Parthy Ann Hawks, played by Emily Fitzroy, Magnolia elopes with her leading man, the river gambler, Gaylord Ravenal, played by Joseph Schildkraut. Schildkraut gives a notable performance as the gentleman gambler, who turns Show Boat actor because of his love for the star, and yet, while an actor, he never loses his love for the gambling table. Trcyuble and unhappiness result from this weakness, but the story goes ahead through adversity and triumph to a powerful denouement. Miss Fitzroy is the cause of much of the unhappiness through her strictness in rearing her child, yet she is a sympathetic character, for it is plainly seen that a great love binds mother and daughter, despite their quarrels. Little Jane La Verne, who plays Magnolia as a child, and Kim, Magnolia’s child, gives a wholly delightful performance. Otis Harlan ns Captain Andy Hawks, owner of the Show Boat, gives a strong characterisation. Alma Rubens as Julie, the Show Boat actress, gives another outstanding performance. Several of the actual musical-comedy players from the New Yoj-k show sing in the course of the story.