SCENE FROM TALE OF WARTIME FRANCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 902, 20 February 1930, Page 17

SCENE FROM TALE OF WARTIME FRANCE

“MARIANNE”

TO SHOW AT REGENT TOMORROW Six new song - hits from the peijs and pianos of popular composers make their debut from the talking screen in "Marianne,” which is to commence its Auckland season at th« Wtew Regent Theatre tomorrow'. In this new Metro-Gold wyn-Mayer musical talkie, in which Marion Davies is starred, tuneful melodies play an important part, having been written as an integral part of the dialogue and plot motivation. These numbers are “Just You— Just Me” —the love ballad—and “Hang On To Me,” written by Greer and Klages; “Sugar” and “Oo La yLa La La!” by Turk and Ahlert who also wrote the theme song, “Marianne,” and “Blondy,” by Brown and Freed. Brown and Freed were responsible for “Doll Dance,” “Wedding of the Painted Doll,” “You Were Meant for Me,” and the recent song hit, “Singing in the Rain.” Miss Davies sings “Just You— Just Me” in French as well as English in the picture and Lawrence Gray, who plays opposite her, voices it a§ his love song in the tender moments of the picture. “Marianne” also is sung by Miss Davies and Gray. Cliff (Ukulele Ike) Edwards sings “Sugar” and “Hang On to Me,” and “Blondy” and “Oo La La La La” is used to advantage in novelty scenes. The picturisation of the romantic comedy-drama is Miss Davies’s first talking feature and marks a new achievement in the production of sound films. Robert Z. Leonard, who directed the feature, handled his story w-th a rare appreciation of the value of the musical interpolations, each song number fitting perfectly into the dialogue and action and adding dramatic emphasis to the spoken lines. Included in the suporting cast of the picture are Benny Rubin, Robert Edeson, George Baxter, Emil Chautard, Scott Kolk and others of note.