“THE TRESPASSER”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 887, 3 February 1930, Page 15

“THE TRESPASSER”

GLORIA SWANSON’S TRIUMPH CIVIC’S ALL-ROUND PROGRAMME Seeing “The Trespasser” with Gloria Swanson at the Civic Theatre on Saturday evening, it is easy to understand the hit it was in London—a success that will be repeated in New Zealand—for it is one of those really big pictures. The chances are that after English audiences saw “The Trespasser” they realised, in part at least, what their trouble is as picture producers. Aside from Miss Swanson with her glorious speaking voice and rich, trained soprano, this talkie is an elegantlymade and thoroughly “finished” production. Theer is possibly no picture on record with so many anti-climaxes as “The Trespasser” contains. At least four times the film goes to a finish, as one might think, to take another interesting angle. That is one of the novelties of the story. Three others are Miss Swanson’s wonderful acting, her voice, and her gorgeous, smart gowns. Singing two songs, “Love, Your Spell Is Everywhere,” and Toselli’s “Serenade.” Miss Swanson surprised and delighted the large audience at the Civic on Saturday. She sings like a prima donna. In this story of a mother and her baby deserted by the son of a finanthere is a pretty fair leavening of throat catches and sobs. The boy had married a lawyer’s typist, but his father convinced him within a few days of the elopement that his wealth and social standing would be worth more than the trouble he had stumbled into.

But the girl walked out first, fighting her rich father-in-law then, as she did at all times, while holding on to the growing son. She becomes the favourite of her former employer, supported by him in luxury, and only at the last turning to her relatives to save her little “cuiTey-head’s” name from the breath of scandal.

Many little scenes, many big scenes. One of the biggest of the emotional parts is the second wife the boy married (who became an invalid after a motor accident on her honeymoon) wheeling to the home of the first wife, seeing the child, and telling her husband she wants a divorce so that the boy and his mother may have the father back again. Y'es, “The Trespasser” is a great picture, with excellent acting by the whole cast, especially Gloria Swanson. Wonderful backgrounds and settings of Chicago’s smart set, comedy, and through it all, the tragedy. Big as “The Trespasser” is, it is given an adequate setting in the splendid programme of dancing and music which makes up the first half of the evening. Perhaps the best of these features was the item by two new girls known as “The Melody Maids.” One at the piano, the other at the violin, they played “Deep In My Heart,” from “The Student Prince,” then gave an artistic vocal accompaniment. They received prolonged and well-deserved praise. Quite a number of well-known musical selections were played by Ted Henkel’s Symphony’ Orchestra and Fred Scholl on the Civic grand organ. The beautiful “Blue Danube” waltz by Strauss was played as an overture. While “The Blue Danube” is not an overture, the unusual arrangement by Mr. Henkel was most interesting, preserving all the haunting melody but with some modern innovations. At the organ Mr. Scholl played sympathetically “In a Monastry Garden” (Ketelby) and another of his most amusing sketches, “Where Did You Get That Name?”

Another brilliant entertainment is presented on the stage under Ted Henkel’s capable guidance. His Stage Band, in a novel and colourful setting. played a rhythmic arrangement of Tannhauser, with the famous “Pilgrims’ Chorus” splendidly rendered by the brasses; also “The Pagan Love Song.” The Civic Ballet, as exquisitely costumed as ever, danced a charming old-world minuet, also a breezy eccentric dance, “Stop and Go.”

A Fox Movietone News with interesting scenes of Prince Umberto’s wedding in Home, and a T7.F.A. gem dealing with Persian life and manners, complete a long and most enjoyable programme*