STRAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 742, 15 August 1929, Page 15

STRAND

“SHOW BOAT” Carl Laemmle, the personality behind Universal Pictures, realised, upon reading Edna Ferber’s great novel of theatrical life along the Mississippi, “Show Boat,” that the story, with its bizarre and colourful setting, would make an ideal motion picture. He paid a handsome price for the screen rights.

Sound and dialogue had not become general to the screen then, but later, while the picture was in production, he laid out another big sum for the dialogue rights, and for the rights to the “Show Boat” music made popular by Florenz Ziegfeld’s stage adaptation of the Edna Ferber story. Thus, “Show Boat,” which has already delighted thousands of patrons at the Strand Theatre, is really an elaborate combination of a super picture and a successful musical extravaganza. Ziegfeld stars, as well as Universal stars, are seen and heard in the popular song hits from the stage production. Laura La Plante. Joseph Schildkraut, and Otis Harlan head the cast, which numbers such screen favourites as Emily Fitzroy, Jane La Verne, Jack McDonald, Alma Rubens, Neely Edwards and a score more. Helen Morgan and Jules Bledsoe are the outstanding Ziegfeld stars included. The production, replete with dialogue, music and songs, was directed by Harry Pollard. Laura La Plant© is said to be a revelation in the dram atic dialogue scenes and in the colourful songs. The picture is a faithful adaptation of the book story, with its intense drama, its delightful romance and its quaint characters.

As a result of his exceptional success with "The Bridge of San Luis Rey.” film version of last year’s best selling novel, Charles Brabin has been given another important production on the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer schedule. He will direct “Ordeal” an all-talking picture based on Dale Collins's thrilling and unusual story of adventure on the high «ea©.