TWO BRITISH TALKIES

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1052, 16 August 1930, Page 14

TWO BRITISH TALKIES

COMING TO THE ROXY Provided that the British producers continue to make talkies after the manner of “Blackmail” and “Atlantic,” thpn all good Imperialists need not fear anything, and the Californian men may need to look to their laurels. The latest British all-talking productions to come before the notice of Dominion audiences are “The Hate Ship” and “Harmony Heaven.” coming to the Roxy Theatre on Wednesday next. Jameson Thomas, for so long favourito with pre-talkie audiences, has the lead in “The Hate Ship,” and although playing a role of a most unsympathetic character, quite dominates every scene in which he plays. The story is clever and ingenious, rather after the crime club school, yet never deteriorating into the plain detective story class. All the action takes place on a pleasure yacht, and there is just enough quiet humour of that essentially English kind to balance nicely the grim drama. The action of the play is so timed as to leave the audience in doubt as to the actual trend of the plot until the end is in view, which is the mission of all good dramas, but a mission which few achieve. The comedy is good, the Jove story is unruffled, the surroundings luxurious., The theme song as sung by Miss Jean Colin, the leading lady, is one of the most haunting trifles which the talkies have featured, and to crown all, the primary story is a full, vigorous, mysterious affair. “Harmony Heaven” is the first British all-colour production. It is a revue type of show, with nearly all of England’s best-known vaudeville artists in the leading role.