“HIGH SOCIETY” AT CIVIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 997, 13 June 1930, Page 15

“HIGH SOCIETY” AT CIVIC

CHARLES FARRELL AND JANET GAYNOR l ! DELIGHTFUL PROGRAMME 0 i r ; "Winsome-little Janet Gavnor laughed k - and sang her way into the hearts of t the audience at the Civic Theatre last evening, where her latest picture, “High Society,” was shown for the 3 first time. And of course Charles Farrell was j there, too, looking as handsome and cheery as ever. Cinema-goers owe ahearty vote of thanks to Hollywood for i this famous pair of young lovers is 5 still going strong—and continuing the , long chain of film successes that started with “Seventh Heaven.” “High Society” tells of a very C homely family, the Grangers. “Pa” ; Granger had a small grocer’s shop, t then a bigger one, until one day he : sold out l'or three million dollars. The 1 family was rich and must go in for t “society.” Alas, they found out it was not so easy. “Ma” Granger’s , homely and neighbourly way of baking pie for her acquaintances in their - new aristocratic locality did not meet with a warm reception. The family’s distinctly amateurish knowledge of card games, of. formal dress, of, in fact, everything, ended up in their getting very -severely snubbed. But it was all done so cleverly, so discreetly, that the audience at the Civic revelled in it. ’ Meanwhile, as these things do hap--5 pen even in the best story books or films, Bddie Granger fell in love with ■ Eleanor Divine. He taught her to 5 play the ukulele. They had long motor drives and happy talks, and sang two - or three sweet little songs that quite captured the hearts of everybody last night. Such songs as “I’m in the Market For You," “Eleanor,” and “Just Like a Story Book.” There is no doubt that everybody thoroughly enjoys the charming romances that Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell fall into. The producers of the films know this, too, and see that most of the story centres round their romance. Of course there are difficulties—the French count Eleanor is engaged to, the feud between the two fathers over money matters, the socially ambitious mother, and so on—but that is all straightened out before the end. and the audience leaves with the memory of the delightful little romance and of the happy little songs. SUPPORTING PLAYERS One must not forget the acting of the chief supporting players. Quite the best was Louise Fazenda as “Ma” Granger, warm-hearted, newly-rich. but never grown out of the mental habits of the grocery business of a provincial town. .V good second was Lucien Littlefield as “Pa” Granger. Mr. and Mrs. Divine were played by Hcdda Hopper and William Collier, and Pearl Granger by Joyce Compton. I S At the Civic one can always de- ; pend on an interesting supporting j programme. The chief item last evenj ing was the film dealing with Amy I Johnson s arrival and welcome at | Mascot, Sydney. Jn addition to the { general views, there was a short ad- ■ dress, direct to the audience, by | “Johnnie,” who thanked everybody, in !