ROXY AND CRYSTAL PALACE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 872, 16 January 1930, Page 15

ROXY AND CRYSTAL PALACE

TWO BIG TALKIES There is still another entrant for the “mammy” championship, out to beat A 1 Joison—if possible. In this case, Morton Downey is the latest "singing fool” to be lined up for stellar honours, and, having an agreeable personality, he manages to play his part successfully. His picture, “Mother’s Boy.” was shown last evening, at both the Roxy Theatre, Queen street, and the Crystal Palace, Mount Eden. Possessed of a well-modulated tenor voice, he presents many tuneful numbers, with a satisfactory absence of jazz effects. "What is more, they drift naturally into the general action of the story, and are never unnecessarily dragged in for effect. The plot is similar to that of the “Jazz Singer,” but we have a dying mother, whom the hero is expected to visit post haste on the very night he is to step into a big role in a leading Broadway musical comedy-—his big chance, never to come again. Such a dutiful son cannot be passed over so cruellv by Dame Fortune, so the scenarist sees to it that he conies off better than ever in the end. Downey has a pleasant and goodnatured personality, speaks well, and, for variety, introduces a whistling refrain into a song sequence which goes over so well as to bring comments from the audience on its excellence. Beryl Mercer, continuing her triumph in mother roles, is particularly good. The second big attraction at both theatres was “Square Shoulders,” a tale of love’s young dream at a militarv school for boys. Junior Coghlan, aged about 13, makes a fine young hero and looks well in tne smart boy's uniform. Bouis Wolheim is seen as his father.