Twentieth Century Marches by in Coward's "Cavalcade"

Radio Record, Volume VII, Issue 6, 18 August 1933, Page 45

Twentieth Century Marches by in Coward's "Cavalcade"

Private Screening In Wellington With New Wide Range . Reproduction What does "Cavaleade" mean? What is the message behind it all? . Is it spurring us on to deeds of war, or is it preaching pacifism-a British Empire held together by the bonds of trade and friendship, honoured by other countries, and an exiunple to the world? These questions, and thany others, New Zealanders will pe able to answer for themselves very shortly, when the Fox masterpiece, "Cavalcade," ‘adapted from Noel Coward’s record-breaking play, is generally released in the Dominion. mo But, for the people’who githered at Wellington’s St. James Theatre for a private screening of the talkie, the other evening, there were two. thrillsthis great picture and Western Wlectric’s new wide range reproduction, quite mghtly heralded as the greatest advance since talking pictures were introuced. . :

» "QAVALCADD" brings to us some- | thing that we are inclined to joke about in our self-consicous English way-a tremendous pride in being British, From the moment it opens af a minute or two before midnight on the last day of the nineteenth century. to the last-scene of the present day, one lives-and..féels the joys and sorrows of the Marryot family-a decent Hnglish family, God-fearing, conventional, trying desperately hard to hold its head aloft in the succession: of bewildering events that have marked the first 33 years of the twentieth century. One of the most impressive moments of the whole play is the passing of Queen Victoria’s funeral, and it is here that Nocel Coward’s genius is shown. The family is gathered on the balcony. watching the cortege pass. There is a sense of sorrow-of personal sorrowthat is imparted to the audience.in an almost uncanny way. The younget son, Joey, looks up at his mother-"She must. haye been a very little lady. mummy." Just. those words, simply spoken, but the moment was the most dramatic of the whole story. . Another fine scene-a musical comedy of 30 years ogo is in progress, The theatre is crowded. but there is a feeling of oppression hanging over the audience. The theatre manager comes on to the stige, and silences the or, chestra aygd singers-"Ladies and gentlemen, Mafeking bas been relieved."

A moment of silence, and then wave after wave of cheering and a delirious crowd joining hands and singing "Auld Lang Syne." The night before the Great War. London in August-~a hot,silent nightthe doors of the Marryots’ drawingroom thrown open to admit the muffled sounds of the traffic in Piccadilly Circus. Big Ben strikes the midnight hour-a swelling sound of cheering in the Moill-nearer, nearer, louder, louder -we are at war with Germany. "Cavaleade" leaves one silent-a sense of pride, a sense of shame, perhaps, bit an overwhelming feeling that here, in our own lifetime, we have lived the most stupendous page of history that has ever been written. And, in hringing ourselves back to the realisation that "Cavaleade" is "just a picture," we must offer the heartiest congratulations to the Fox Company which has produced one of the greatest motion pictures yet made -and that’s a genuine opinion. And the gathering at the private screening in Wellington must count itself fortunate that it heard "Cavalcade" under the most perfect conditions obtainable in the talking picture world --with the new wide range reproduction, A "test" reel was first played over, and the method explaiued. An orchestra played under the, old condi-tions-quite good, we thought it, being aecustomed to the usual talkie clarity. The wide range was switched on--the

instruménts stood out (in fact, one might be forgiven for leaning over to discover whether there really was an 80-piece orchestra in the orchestra well), and the blur that is often as~ sociated with "canned" music had entirely disappeared. Sound is the’ trembling of a violin’s string, of a human note, of one body meeting another-and it is the capturing of these in correct synchronisation ‘that has made talkies possible, But, by the translation to the screen many of the finer tones have been lost. Wide range has brought them back, and all the delicacy and power of the dramatist’s art have been translated to: the sereen. The most emotional moments of "Cavalcade" were high-lighted by the new reproduction---a product of Western Wiectric.: When -Jane Marryot lifts her glass to drink to England, "this country of ours which we love dearly." it becomes a personal toasther voice is thrown back with all its lights and shades, its. emotions and strength, and we feel that we have established a definite bond with the people on the screen. Wide range reproduction is just being installed in American theatres, se New Zealand is well in the advance guard so far as this amazing new invention is concerned.