NEW REGENT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 873, 17 January 1930, Page 15

NEW REGENT

“FAST COMPANY” “Fast Company,” an all-talking version of a famous Ring Lardner story, comes to the New Regent Theatre as the main feature today. This is a fast-moving comedy romance containing all the brilliant humour originally injected into the story by the author, a good deal of interesting baseball playing, and all the additional glamour which the camera alone can contribute to a play of this thrilling type. Jack Oakie, the young comedian who has risen to movie prominence in little more than a year, plays the blundering, boastful small-town boy, who makes good in “Fast Company.” He is the hero of the play. Richard “Skeets” Gallagher, another comedian whose success in films is commensurate with Oakie’s, plays the part of Oakie’s personal manager. Evelyn Brent and Gwen Lee, as a pair of teamed actresses, provyle the feminine side of the love interest. The original Lardner story was called “Hurry Kane.” A Broadway stage play, based on the story f and called “Elmer the Great,” brought unstinted praise to Lardner and to Walter Hutson, who is now acting for Paramount with great success. “Fast Company” is the film version based on the original story and the play. The new programme will also include new songs by Jack Lumsdaine, “the whispering baritone,” a number of enjoyable selections on the Wurlitzer by Ewart Lynne, and, in addition, talking and singing featurettes.