LOVE AND ADVENTURE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1009, 27 June 1930, Page 16

LOVE AND ADVENTURE

FINE PROGRAMME AT STRAND

“LITTLE JOHNNY JONES”

“Little Johnny Jones,” the Vitaphone film version of George M. Cohan’s famous musical comedy hit, is now on the screen at the Strand Theatre, and should not be missed. Despite the fact that this picture is based on a musical show and is

full of song hits, it possesses a thrillingly dramatic plot and a love story that is novel and appealing.

Eddie Buzzell, one of Broadway’s favourite comedians, took time off from his New York shows to play the title role of “Little Johnny Jones.” Alice Day, as heroine, and Edna Murphy, as vamp, Donald Reed. Robert Edeson, Wheeler Oakman, Raymond Turner and other stage and screen favourites make up the supporting cast. The director showed a consciousness of the faults of many cinematised musical comedies in directing “Little Johnny Jones.” Pie leaned strongly away from these faults, giving the picture every asset that the film medium is so able to supply in varied background, colourful settings, sweeping action, closeups of love scenes and emphatic drama, and physical thrills.

As a result, “Little Johnny Jones’* is first of all a capital screen offering, brimming with action that runs the emotional gamut from laughter to tears. It is only secondly, but very effectively at that, musical. Of course, snappy dialogue abounds. Buzzell does most of the singing, and various orchestras play. Chorus girls aplenty appear, as well as many other elements of New York night life. Three thrilling horse races form the physical centre of interest in the three principal episodes and locales of the film. One is a bush track race; another is at a big New York track, and the third is the famous Epsom Downs m England, where the Derby is run. New York night life in cafes, night clubs and actresses’ apartments, and a glimpse of Liverpool and London waterfront slums, add colour and variety. All in all, “Little Johnny Jones” is a brave, gay, thrilling motion picture with all the trimmings of sound, dialogue and music—a picture that is well worth while.