PLAZA

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 801, 23 October 1929, Page 17

PLAZA

“THE RAINBOW MAN” One of the prize juvenile roles of all time in pictures is that of Billy, orphaned son of a vaudeville acrobat, played by little Frankie Darro, the child-marvel, in Eddie Dowling's premier musical romance smash-hit “The Rainbow Man,” now at the Plaza Theatre. In this human interest story, in which tears are freely mingled with the rainbows of success, Frankie is adopted by Eddie Dowling after the lad’s father dies in an accident in the theatre. There is much difficult emotional acting, and a balance of surefire comedy for the 12-year-old youngster to do, and he does it all with charming eclat. Critics extended high praise to the youngster as a result of his splendid work as seen when “The Rainbow Man.” premiered in 2s ew York last April. Toung Frankie has some of the prize bits of action and snappy dialogue of the picture. An example is when he and Rainbow Ryan, played by Dowling, are out of work in New York, and he is seen in the rooming house saying his prayers with Beans, the dog, at the bedside. In another sequence, the one in which Rainbow’ leaves him and the girl. Marian Nixon, the boy’s intelligent handling of the highly dramatic episode is nothing short of arqazing. The programme also includes the following shorter talkie items: —Novelty numbers by the famous jazz band, ‘'Waring's Pennsylvanians,” a comedy burlesque, “Amateur Night,” and some excellent. not to say outstanding, singing by the well-known artist, John Charles Thomas, who sings the prologue to “I Pagliacei” in his rich tenor