CIVIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1019, 9 July 1930, Page 15

CIVIC

“HOT FOR PARIS” Fifi Dor Sky, vivacious -French ma’mselle, made her first screen appearance in “They Had to Sec Paris,” with Will Rogers. She sang one song and the only regret expressed was that the talking screen has yet provided no means of a singer taking an encore. This is remedied in part in Miss Dorsay’s current production which is Raoul Walsh’s Fox Movietone “Hot For Paris,” now at the Civic Theatre, in which she is featured with Victor McLaglen. Polly Moran and El Brendel. “Hot For Paris” chronicles the amatory exploits of two seagoing Don Juans on shore leave in France. McLaglcn, unaware that he holds the winning ticket of the Calcutta Sweepstakes, eludes officials of the sweepstakes who seek to present him a fortune. Victor, it appears, suspects they are police prefects bent on gaoling him. The story develops into a riot of comedy and' suspense which reaches a ludicrous climax at a provincial wedding. The supporting cast includes Charles Judels, Lennox Pawle, George Fawcett and many other favuorites. The musical section includes the splendid overture, “Merry Wives of Windsor,” by Ted Henkel’s Civic Concert Orchestra, as well as a number of orchestral pieces between 7.30 and 8 o’clock, and a symposium of classical numbers on the grand organ by Fred Scholl. ST. JAMES “NO, NO, NANETTE” Settings of amazing richness are* seen in “No, No, Nanette,” the exceptionally lavish production screening at the St. James Theatre: Greater lavishness is possible in a film production than in the stage success, and the musical score, while retaining the favourite song numbers of the play, has been augriiented by several songs written especially for the picture. Even in these days, when picturegoers are accustomed to the spectacular and the tuneful, “No, No, Nanette” is a revelation. There are many beautiful scenes filmed in technicolour. Scenes take on the naturalness of life and one forgets one is looking at a reproduction. * The big colour numbers are the Mars, New Holland and Japaji ensembles, each with appropriate music. They are featured by brilliantly colourful settings, such as the really startling trip tc Mars in a rocket-plane. A full programme of talkie featurettes is also being presented at the St. James Theatre. Karl Dane, the character comedian, is an inventor in his spare time. He has invented an autmatic lock for a front gate that is now being manufactured by a Los Angeles concern.