MAJESTIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 881, 27 January 1930, Page 15

MAJESTIC

“STREET GIRL” If “Street Girl," which Is now at the Majestic Theatre, had been a stage play. It probably would have, been preceded into town by notices of an extended run on Broadway or Drury Dane. Indeed, If the current stage overseas had been presenting as entertaining stuff as that from which this all-musi-cal, all-talking Radio Picture is made, it is doubtful if the managers of the legitimate houses would wear such worried looks. For "Street Girl” is one of those shows that has an appeal for every theatre-goer; there is a captivating plot. There is a generous share of line music, and there is a wealth of personality in the talented cast headed by Betty Compson. Wesley Ruggles has made an appealing picture from an original story by w. Carey Wonderly. It tells of the struggle of a little group of musicians —four boys and a girl—to win fame from an unpromising start in a small cafe in the Hungarian quarters of New York. , How the chance visit of a prince to their restaurant influenced their careers and led them finally to a night club of their own, comprises the plot In which are woven several remarkably fine characterisations. Betty Compson, in the role of a little Hungarian violinist, brings a new charm to the screen. Her talent on the violin is particularly impressive for one whose reputation has been built outside the musical world. John Harron, who has the leading male role opposite her, will undoubtedly climb high in the ranks of the new leading men of the talkies by virtue of his sincere performance. In addition an entertaining supporting programme is shown. The items include songs by “The Revellers Quartet," views of England and a sound gazette. BIG SUCCESS AT GRAND Paramount’s latest team of co-stars went over for a big success when “Manhattan Cocktail,'* with Nancy Carroll and Richard Arlen, opened at the Grand Theatre last night. It has sound and music synchronisation. Th© sparkling story of backstage life is one of the best melodramas shown here in some time and the prologue, in which Marian Morgan’s dancers relive some classic scenes, adds a note of distinguished beauty. The vivacious personality of Nancy Carroll flashes through the stirring sequences. She is beautiful, she is clever and she is, above all, an actress. She wins her audiences and holds them. No less an asset to this, or any other picture, is Richard Arlen. He has a power, a forcefulness, a sincerity in his acting which brings his roles close to the heart of any audience. CRYSTAL PALACE, MT. EDEN “Under the Southern Cross," the specially synchronised Maori production, continues to delight audiences at the Crystal Palace Theatre. All the actors are Maoris, and the film shows in a most interesting and realistic way the old Maori life and one of their most dramatic legends. The second big feature is “The Fall of Eve,” a delicious talkie comedy of matrimonial troubles, starring Betty Farrington, Patsy Ruth Miller, Jed Proutjr and Harrison Ford. The story revolves around the tribulations of a New York business man, who tried to • pass off” his secretary as his wife. “CHINATOWN CHARLIE” AT LYRIC Hilarious adventures on a sightseeing bus and a trip to the mystic mazes of Chinatown form the background for “Chinatown Charlie,” Johnny Hines's latest comedy, which is at the Lyric Theatre. The action of this typical Hines comedy evolves about a girl who is one of the sightseers, and who possesses a Chinese ring of mystic power. It seems everybody in Chinatown wants the ring—Johnny would rather have the girl. And after a series of fast-moving sequences in which laughter takes a crack at exciting melodrama, he wins her. The Lyric programme also includes the dramatic film, “Stairs of Sand,” with Wallace Beery, Jean Arthur and Chester Conklin.