FINE TALKIE DRAMA

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 784, 3 October 1929, Page 17

FINE TALKIE DRAMA

“THE YOUNGER GENERATION’

AT ROXY AND CRYSTAL PALACE The human note of the new 7 talkie, “The Younger Generation,” is its great claim to distinction. This element, so seldom found in motion picture productions, stamps the production as be- | longing to a class by itself. Iso effort i has been made by the author, director :or cast to force drama. The charac- | ters are true to life. They perform the | most natural acts in the simplest manner; but the very simplicity becomes an art and the audience leaves the Roxy and Crystal Palace Theatres feeling that they have witnessed a photoplay that is really worth while. The charatcers cease to be creatures of fiction and actually live upon the screen. You feel that they are your friends. Their trials and triumphs are : shared with you and you go away with i the impression that you are parting j from old acquaintances. I The director has shown rare judgj ment in the selection of a’ cast for so ! fine a story. The list is long, and i every name is .familiar. Commencing I with Jean ITersholt, who has the stellar role, the cast includes Lina Basquette, Ricardo Cortez, Rex Lease, Rosa Rosanova, Julanne Johnston and Julia Swayne Gordon. In the list are names that have been starred in other productions. Individuals who have risen to the highest pinnacle of their art. Frank Capra givbs his name to the production. This young director is responsible for “The Donoval Affair,” another outstanding production. He has that rare faculty of understanding human nature and dramatic values. He gives to his pictures that certain something which is so often lacking in cinema productions. It is an elusive, indescribable element; but it is the one thing that distinguishes a masterpiece from an ordinary programme feature.

The story 7 is by Fannie Hurst. It relates the adventures of an East Side New York family, .struggling to bring up two children, a boy and a girl. The boy* develops a business genius and rises to great heights. He brings wealth, power and affluence to his family: but fails to provide for their happiness. Mother, father and sister pine away like birds in gilded cases. The

girl breaks loose and marries the man of her choice, a childhood sweetheart, who is still on the East Side. She gives her parents the one thing that the brother, with all of his money and influence, failed to provide. At the Itoxfr- Theatre the large audience was shown an excellent programme of short talkie features. These include Hawaiian songs »y the three Bronx Sisters; . “Memories, a singing attraction by Lucy Marsh and Lambert Murpliy; “An Alpine 1.0-mance,” mance,” a novelty singing quaitet. and flnallv a talkie comedy entitled I allin"- Stars," introducing Henri Lehman and Marcia Manning. The latest edition of rathe synchronised nets completes the programme.