THE IMMORTAL BARD

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1027, 18 July 1930, Page 15

THE IMMORTAL BARD

FINE BRITISH OPERETTA AT MAJESTIC “LOVES OF ROBERT BURNS” The romance and tragedy of the life of Scotland’s immortal bard, set amid the glamorous atmosphere of the wild Highland scenery, is wonderfully revived in the “Loves of Robert Burns/* which delighted a large audience at its Auckland premiere at the Majestic Theatre last evening. It was a notable triumph for Joseph Hislop, the noted English tenor, who made the farmer poet live again. r first British screen operetta, *■ which was produced by the British Dominions Films, in conjunction with H.M.V. Gramophone Company, does not follow the historically correct story but its variation permits the introduction of a splendid libretto of the beautiful ballads that enjoy almost as great a popularity today as when they were written.

The silent beauty of the .Scottish j lochs, the music of the sparkling J streams, and the grandeur of the great ' peaks around Loch Lomond form a j remarkable setting for the amours pf j the poet, whose name is now treasured at the shrine of Scotland. The whitewalled “auld hoose” with its eversmoking chimney, the cattle wandering quietly by and the old tavern are al! intertwined, in this graphically moving j story. The poet’s love of animals of the j field is strikingly depicted in his find- j ing of the field mouse while plough- ! ing, and which inspired his now his- ! toric lines. There cbmes the meeting ' with his passionate first love, Jean, an j ardour which brings disgrace upon . himself and the girl. Barred from ; taking her in marriage by the girl’s dour Scottish father, and denounced in the kirk and disgraced for his actions. Kobbie Burns seeks consolation in the arms of his second and true love. But the path does not run smoothly, and while lie is royfetering with cronies at the tavern, he is stricken with news of the girl’s death. Even the news of the publication of his poems fails to soften the blow. Burns jumps to fame and to the court, but dejected, he returns to his old home, where he meets again and is reconciled to his first love. But the end is near, and but a short j passes before his end. NOTABLE TRIUMPH John Hislop scores a notable triumph l in the principal role, delivering h’s spoken lines of many of the more prominent passages of the bard’s work with exceptional clarity and skill in maintaining the Scottish accent. His portrayal of Burns as the passionate wooer of Jean, and the more tender lover of the second girl was marked with deftness and ardency that left nothing to be desired. His subtle wit in thrust and ripost were always on the tip of his tongue. Hislop’s beautiful melodious singing of the famous native songs, “Cornin’ Through the Rye,” “Annie Laurie,” “The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond” and “Auld Lang Syne,” greatly enhanced the merit of his performance. The roles of Burns’s loves are admirably filled by .Misses Eve Gray and Dorothy Seaconibe, botli of whom distinguished themselves bv their acting, while their speaking voices were far above the ordinary. Both the female leads had extremely difficult tasks allotted them, involving the capturing of the Scottish accent. which was splendidly reproduced by both of them One of the most striking scenes of the production was the Hogmanay celebration, in which the skirl of bagpipes played l>y four kilted Highlanders, and the flying feet of Scottish lassies executing • national dance, lent an extremely realistic atmospheric touch. The supporting programme is a particularly attractive one, including several talkie featurettes and a Mickey the Mouse cartoon. IT. B. Warner will appear in two Fox pictures, the first with Ir#ne Rich in “On Your Back,” and the second in . ‘Road House.”