REGENT THEATRE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 November 1940, Page 2

REGENT THEATRE

“BALALAIKA.” Nelson Eddy’s magnificent baritone voice which has thrilled millions, has full expression for the first time on the screen in “Balalaika,” M-G-M’s screen version of the famed London musical success, which will be shown [ tonight at the Regent Theatre, with the star singing a group of songs which range from Russian folk tunes to musical masterpieces familiar the world over. The brilliant picture, offering a colourfully dramatic story of Old Russia, the revolution and the exiled Russian nobility in Paris, also importantly introduces Ilona Massey, one of the loveliest of Hollywood’s new singing stars, opposite Eddy. Placed under contract eighteen months ago after her beauty and rich soprano voice had created an over-night sensation at the Vienna Opera House, her glamorous blonde personality made an instant hit in a brief test singing role in “Rosalie.” Since then, she has been carefully groomed for stardom, with voice lessons, dramatic instructions and schooling in English, and now emerges a star in her second film. Eddy is seen as Prince Peter Karagin, officer of the Cossack Guard. Miss Massey plays Lydia Marakov, beautiful singer at The Balalaika, popular cafe. Because Lydia detests officers, Peter courts her disguised as a student not knowing that her father is a leader in the revolutionary movement. Separated by the World War and subsequent revolution, the lovers are later re-united as Russian exiles in Paris. One of the most impressive numbers in the picture is the re-enactment of an incident in the World War, when Russian and Austrian soldiers faced each other across No Man’s Land on Christmas Eve and joined in singing “Holy Night.” This is done by Eddy and a male chorus of a hundred voices. Another outstanding musical incident is the operatic adaptation of Rimsky-Korsakoff’s dance suite, “Scheherezade,” for Miss Massey and a group of operatic stars, including Sigurd Nilssen, Irra Petina and Douglass Beattie. The featurettes include an excellent “Our Gang” comedy, a gorgeous allcolour Fitzpatrick Traveltalk, and the. latest Cinesound News. Plans are at' Messrs Steele and Bull’s shop and at the theatre. Early booking is essential.