PLAZA’S BIG TALKIE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 857, 28 December 1929, Page 14

PLAZA’S BIG TALKIE

LONG “COLLEGIANS” STORY

BRIGHT PROGRAMME The sheer exuberance of youth upon the screen spread to the audience in most satisfying fashion during the opening last night of “College Fun,” the feature length talking collegian picture at the Plaza Theatre. The same film was also shown at the Tivoli Theatre. “College Fun,” the “graduation” of the justly popular two-reel series of

collegiate pictures conceived and produced by Carl Laemmle, jun., is the first feature length production to be made with the familiar characterisations of college life, and the first to be synchronised in sound. That the feature

length film will even George Lewis excel the exceptionally high jnark of popular favour attained by its shorter predecessors is a foregone conclusion. It has all the collegiate appeal which can possibly be packed into one picture, a “crackajack” story, and a stimulating punch. Football, the world’s most popular non-professional sport, is the theme of the story, into which the producer has put an appealing love interest, and the thrilling competitive spirit of the game itself.

George Lewis, as George Wilson, the “Hey, boob!” hero of the game, is superb in his characterisation of the player who makes possible the flashing grandstand plays of “Flash” Thomas, the captain, equally well done by Eddie Phillips. Only when the “interference” player is making the way for him can the star do his stuff, which fact, by clever plot delineation, leads to the stirring “end run” climax of the picture.

Dorothy Gulliver, as the sweetheart of the campus, distinguishes herself in “College Fun” even above her lovable portrayals of the charming young coed of the earlier series.

Nat Ross directed the picture. Story, photography, and sound effects are all excellent, bringing to the audience as a whole a remarkably realistic reproduction not only of an exciting foot-, ball game, but of American college life at its best.

At both theatre, excellent supporting programmes were presented, composed of varied short talkie, items, together with a sound gazette.

Clara Kummer is .writing the scenario and dialogue for the Fox Movietone all-talking, singing picture, “New Orleans Frolic.” The highlight of this picture is a minstrel show played by some of the screen’s greatest actors. They include Will Rogers, Tom Patricola, Stepin Fetchit, Victor McLaglen, Walter Catlett, William Collier, sen., Charles Farrell, George O’Briien, Nick Stuart, Richard Keen, J. Harold Murray, Clifford Dempsey, John Garrick, George Jessell and Joe Wagstaff, in fact as stated before, nearly every important player on the Fox Movietone roster.