STRAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 906, 25 February 1930, Page 15

STRAND

“RIO RITA” A convincing demonstration of the manner in which a musical comedy may gain by its transfered to the screen is given in “Rio Rita,” which is now at the Strand Theatre. All the traditional characters of melodrama are present, including a Mexican bandit, a gallant captain of the Texas Rangers, a beautiful senorita, and a suave and smiling villain. There are traditional musical comedy situations with the mask of misunderstanding covering the eyes of hero and heroine, only to be torn off in time by a satisfactorily happy ending. The music is admirably suited to the tempo of the story, and combines with the lavishly-produced settings to provide exactly the right atmosphere. Bebe Daniels, who appears in the leading role, gives a fine performance, her histrionic ability being only equalled by her musical talent. She is ably supported by John Boles, Robert Woolsey, Bert Wheeler, Dorothy Lee and Helen Kaiser, who are responsible for most of the humour, while Georges Renevan and Don Alvarado give admirable portrayals as the villain and the heroine’s brother respectively.

A 1 Jolson, Eddie Canter, Florenz Ziefeld, George M. Cohan, Arthur Uammerstein, Irving Berlin, Louis Bromfield, Stephen Vicent Benet, Rudolph Friml, William Anthony Maguire and Walter Huston are now personalities aligned with the various producers of United Artists’ Pictures for 1930.