NEW ‘REGENT

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

NEW ‘REGENT

TWO TALKIES A splendid programme*, consisting of two big talkies is delighting audiences at the New Regent Th<cutre. The main attraction, “Honey,” is the adaptation of the successful stage comedy, “Come Out of the Kitchen.” .Possessed of a vivacious personality, Nancy Carroll, the principal in the screen version, has a long list of successes to her credit. In “Honey” 4 she appears as the daughter of a proud but impoverished Virginian family, which is forced for financial reasons to lease the beautiful family home to a wealthy widow. Difficulties with the servants lead to the daughter and son of the impecunious family assuming domestic duties, one as cook and the other as butler. When the arrive complications begin "at once. The wealthy widow’s daughter, and a friend of the family develop an affection for the “butler” and “cook.” and this produces many hilarious situations. The production is enriched by many delightful songs, as well as a scene of a negro jubilee gathering. The second attraction is “Children of Pleasure.” a dramatic romance of the song writers o£ New York. Lawrence Gray and Benny Rubin are the leading players. Romance and big business, love and Wall Street, mingle in William Haines’s latest nil-talking comedy, “The Girl Said No," coming to the New Regent on Friday. The picture tells the story of a young man facing the early stages of business life. It shows him taking over the responsibilities of a family and then winning the girl of his dreams, despite stiff competition. In ths cast of “The Girl Said No" are Leila Hyams. Polly Moran and Marie Dressier. Francis X. Bushman, junr., Clara Blandick, William Janney, William V. Mong, Junior Coghlan and Phyllis Crane. Sam Wood directed the picture. ROXY “THE MELODY MAN” Charming in tempo, appreciative .in treatment and dignified in performance. Add to these fundamentals in talkie making, a dramatic story bolstered up by a high-grade direction and the result is an approximation of the all-talking Columbia picture, “The Melody Man.” Here is a film which represents the high-water mark in talking picture production. Its motive revolves around a rhapsody and how its lovely melody hews a path of hardship and eventual tragedy along which the composer is forced to wend his way. There is a rare charm and sense of freshness pervading this production which makes it an entertainment that is not only rare, but exceptionally appealing. Adroitly handled, excellently acted and handled always with appreciation and just regard for the powerful story, “The Melody Man” fully deserves the praise which it has brought forth wherever it lias been shown. The season of “The • Melody Man” will commence at the Roxy Theatre today. The Roxy’s new programme will include a number of bright talking and singing items. LONDON SHOWS “BLACKMAIL” The talking picture at the London Theatre, “Blackmail,” was one of the' first talking productions from the famous stree sound studios in England. It is thoroughly English in theme, and in treatment, the background being set in London, and the characters portrayed by leading English artists. “Blackmail” has been acclaimed by critics throughout the world as the most brilliant and most artistic talkie yet made. Prominent among the experienced screen and stage players in the cast are Anny Ondra and Donald Calthrop. At all times the voices of even the humblest players are exactly right ft r their part. The supporting programme at the London Theatre includes a Bransby Williams Dickens sketch, and other fine features.