STATE THEATRE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 December 1938, Page 2

STATE THEATRE

“LILY OF LAGUNA.”

Tonight there will be presented at the State Theatre a noted picture which has been a favourite wherever shown —“The Lily of Laguna.” Based on the famous Leslie Stuart song, the film tells a story of theatrical versus home life, with touches of emotion, humour, tragedy and misunderstanding. Seven songs, all of them tuneful, some famous, are sung with Percival Mackay’s band and John Payne’s negro choir assisting, Dudley Rolph’s singing of “The Lily of Laguna,” being specially successful. Nora Swinburne sings three songs, one — Herman Darewski’s “If You Could Care for Me,” particularly well. Every song is sung in the right place in the film, including Talbot O’Farrell’s “When Flanagan Went to Spain.” Well produced, with regard to finished settings, the film offers to patrons popular entertainment in which the whole cast give of their best. The picture has competent staging, the atmosphere of a popular theatre being especially good, and may boast of telling all-round portrayal. Nora Swinburne, for instance, makes an appealing figure of the an- ; guished Gloria, Richard Ainley is a j composed yet assertive Roger, and Jenny Laird contributes a most appealing portrait of the immature Jane. In smaller roles, Claire Arnold is very good as Gloria’s sympathetic dresser, G. H. Mulcaster makes the most of his chance as the dour professor, and Rir chard Newton is effectively repellent as the murderous Miguel. A stage star gives up the stage to marry an Edinburgh scientist. A few years later, when her baby girl was three, she returned to the London stage against the wishes of her husband, who divorced her. Fifteen years later this girl, friendly with a radio producer, is introduced to her mother, not knowing who she is, after a broadcast of her song. There is a sensational climax.

The second feature on the programme is “A Romance in Flanders,” starring Paul Cavanagh and the new dramatic discovery, Marcelle Chantal.