NEW REGENT

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

NEW REGENT

“THE VIRGINIAN” Three oC Paramount’s most active and most powerful actors are seen and heard in “The Virginian,” all-talking classic at the New Regent Theatre. They are Gary Cooper, Richard Arlen and Mary Brian. Each has had phenomenal success In the new medium of talking pictures and each is a great favourite. Cooper plays the role of the Virginian, Arlen is Steve and Miss Brian Is cast as Molly Wood, the school teacher with whom the Virginian falls in love. Walter Huston, veteran of the Broadway stage, and a great movie favourite since his outstanding talkie appearances, is heard in the featured role of Trampas, the ring-leader of the cattle rustlers in the play. “The Virginian,” a novel by Owen Wister, was first published in the ’Bo's, and it was acclaimed at that time as the great American novel. Many American leaders in literary circles maintain that it iis still the greatest American novel ever written. It was rewritten for the stage by Wister and Kirk La Shell€> and as a play it earned widespread renown, bringing immortal fame to a number of actors who played its title role to packed houses all over America. The talking picture brings “The Virginian” to the public in a new and more engaging medium—-a medium that gives this romantic theme a fuller scope and a much more realistic treatment. All the authentic sounds of the cattle range, the dialogue of the principals; the third dimension, one might say, is brought to the screen in this New Show World production. The remainder of the New Regent programme includes an all-talking comedy, a musical cartoon, songs by Perle Barti, selections on the Wurlitzer by Ewart Lyne and a Bathe Sound News.

Irene Brodoni, international stage star of France and America, will be seen and heard for the first time on the screen in Paris, which tells the story of a Parisian stage favourite. Many new musical numbers will be sung by the star as well as a few of the song hits from the original stage production.