“THE HOLLYWOOD REVUE”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 904, 22 February 1930, Page 14

“THE HOLLYWOOD REVUE”

HUGE SHOW FOR NEW REGENT For the first time in the history of the stage—or the screen—the cities of every country are to be afforded an opportunity to witness a gigantic revue, staged a la New York, in the all-musi-cal, singing and dancing sensation, “The Hollywood Revue,” Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s screen triumph coming next week to the Regent Theatre. With a galaxy of stars in the largest assemblages ever gathered together for one motion picture, abundant tuneful melodies, comedy skits, many gorgeous settings to ravish the eye as well as a huge dancing chorus, “The Hollywood Revue” is the first big screen revue. It follows closely in the wake of “The Broadway Melody.” Marion Davies makes her bow as a song and dance comedienne, in a skit called “Tommy Atkins on Parade,” in which she is supported by a male ensemble of six-footers as a dancing bodyguard. Norma Shearer and John Gilbert costar in a modernised “Romeo and Juliet” skit.

Bessie Love sings and dances and is otherwise most entertaining. Conrad Nagel makes his singing debut in a comedy skit, singing one of “The Broadway Melody” numbers to Anita Page in imitation of Charles King. King himself introduces several new song hits. Joan Crawford makes her singing and dancing debut before the talking screen, and William Haines appears with one of his famous “gags,” nearly wrecking the screen aspirations of a stage headliner. He appears with Gwen Lee in support.

Buster Keaton, frozen-faced comedian, takes one of his longest falls to introduce his sausage dance, a feature of this wonderful entertainment. “Ukulele Ike,” king of the instrument which gave him his name, does his turn generously and becomes a screen comedian: Gus Edwards, author of four of the revue’s song hits, appears in sev-

eral numbers. Marie Dressier and Polly Moran, famous screen comediennes, are teamed together with Bessie Love in a riotously funny number. Their male attendants are Charles King, “Ukulele Ike” and Gus Edwards, in a comical burlesque of an old-time vaudeville skit. Karl Dane and George K. Arthur, the famous laugh team, do their stuff for the first time before the sound camera. The Brox Sisters, singing harmonists from Broadway, blend their voices in several melodies; Natacha Nattova, famous Adagio dancer, startles her