Love In A Broadcasting Studio

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 18, 9 November 1934, Page 16

Love In A Broadcasting Studio

"Twenty. Million Sweethearts" is a Musical Talkie With -4. Radio ~ Background — Manager of Wellington’s Majestic Theatre Has Some Bright Ideas — "Strike Me Lucky" Opens.

kk "THERE'S a story told of a ‘ ‘girl who: introduced ‘her boy friend to het father thus: "Dad, I want "you.to méef Jack. He croons over the \ ain’ "Replied: -the father: "You. coward; yout" ‘But’ then’ éveryoné @oegn’t feel the dime’ way. . abotit crooners (or why ‘ would Bing Crosby be earning umpteen thotisands a wéek?), and "Twenty Million . Sweethearts," the new Warner Brotliets’ talkie that was privately screened’ iff Wellington last week, proves that a radio crooner can set a million hearts fluttering . madly in all sorts of places. But then perhaps Dick Powell is more than a crooner-he has rather a fit@ Voice and this film gives him plenty of opportunity to use it. "pwénty Million Sweethearts" sets a new récord-it is a musical talkie with scarcely: a. chorus. girl in. it,.and not a: sign of Mr. Busby. Berkeley’ s staggering. . Stage spectacles. Most.of the action takes. place in a New York broadcasting studio where .the Carlotta Soap . hour rubs shoulders with the. ToastiesWeeties cereal hour, and Uncle Pete talks to- the’ children, through the courtesy of the Stickfast Chewing Gum Company. Pat O’Brien plays the part of a seeker of talent for the broadcasting company, and the picture opens with him in Hollywood, very much in. dis‘favour for having engaged a. tight-rope walker and: a sword-swallower for radio turns, In Hollywood he comes across ‘Dick Powell as a singing waiter in'a cheap restaurant, Powell sings "The Man on the Flying Trapeze," and ‘O’Brien decides to hustle him across to New York, ‘where he feels certain the broadcasting company will engage him. Powell sings his song in the studios, and is such a complete "washout" that both he and O’Brien are given unceremonious marching vrders. ‘Into the scene comes Ginger Rogers, the "Carlotta Soap Girl," who is a big success on the air. She falls for Powell, and between them they stage a stunt which gets Powell on the air in a successful number, From that moment his fortune is made, and soon he finds himself with the twenty million sweéthearts that give the film its "name, .(To avoid disappointing the. prospective picture-goer it is only fair to point out that only the veriest frac_tion of that number is shown on the screen!) But with Powell’s success his love affair with Ginger Rogers runs into rough waters, and it takés the rest of the film té straighten matters out. But "Twenty Million. Sweethearts" iS good entertainment, not the least contributérs to the evening's fun being the Four Mills. Brothers, who sing and ‘play in the niost amazing manner. The setting is novel and the songs, especially "Yl Swing Along With . You," catehy, ;

WELLING TON'S Majestic Theatre has broken with the "all-shadow" tradition, and now presents a bright stage act half-way through the programme. This new form of éntertainment came into beihg when. Mr. Ian _Donald, the Majestic’s bright young manager, came down from St. James in Auckland. "New Zealand. theatres can’t. afford to put on the elaborate stage presentations that one sees in other parts of the world," said Mr. Donald to a "Radio Record" representative, "but at the same time a flesh and blood act on the programme does give that personal touch that audiences like. It is sometiities difficult to get just the right act, and picture-goers nowadays ate pretty critical as they have come to expect a lot after seeing so

many super-musical spectacles on the . screen. We've managed-to put on a. Stage aet every week since Jute, and now our patron$S have come fo look forward to them. Of course,: I’ve been very luéky in-having Fred Webber and his ‘band. to. call on." Mr. Donald has also concentrated on improving the appearance of the somewhat barn-like entrance: to the Majestic. He has had "several colourfil "sets" made, and these, with varied lighting, have helped to make the lobby of the theatre par- . ticularly bright and attractive. When "Wild Cargo" was screening there, the lobby was arranged with cages of birds, and their songs and chatter attracted interested passers-by for many days. During the school holidays in August, Mr. Donald turned on a children’s revue in connéction with the screening of "Alice in Wonderland." There were more thin 40: children in this show, ‘which was one of the most elaborate and successful staged in New Zealand. Its popularity, too, was reflected in the box office takings. [t will be interesting to see how . "Strike Me Lucky,’ Australia’s latest enterprise in the film industry, is received by the New Zealand public. Mo, Roy Rene, a Jew, said to be "Australia’s greatest comedian’ in the movies is certainly not great, but the bright young film fans may fiiid the film worth while, if only to gaze in rapture upon the Bondi surf sheiks. Instead of cdncenttating on’ one or two Phases of Australian life, thete ig a miscellaneous collection of Australia’s

"trade marks," including the 4abovetientioned Bondi attractions, and also bush steres with kangdroos and initation aborigines. The héro and heroine give the most natural pertorinances. The interior scenes aré worth secing,* especially the ones at the party ‘(some patty!), where the classi¢al ballet is a feature. Australia nebds évety eéncouragement to help her alone in her film industry, which is well on the road to success. . A CASTING director’s life (like a policeman’s’ is not a happy oiie, says an English, jourtial But éven the job of casting director has its eompensations. Mal Ballerino, for example, who holds the position of casting divéctor at the Patamotint studios, is said to possess the téléphone numbers of ag many as 500 girls-all of Which le ean. memorise "withont a miss." Casanova wotld havé — been envious of Billerino (apparently a fellow-countryméan),; for; in addition to the phOne statistics, hé cin tél you Without hesitation the height, weight, temperament and colouring of all these girls. EUNITED for the first tithe since théir initial co-statring venture, "State Fair," Janet Gaynor and Lew Aytes will be seen again’as the gay yotng sweethearts of "Servants’ Bntrance," STORY of imprisonment of the spirit, of the body, and of the soul. is "The Fountain." starring Ani Haréing. In this R.K.O. Radio version of the literary classic, by Charles Morgah, Miss Harding is seen as a Germin countéss whose love for an Enzlish aviator is handicapped by her spiritual love for her husband. Brian Aherne and Paul Lukas have the male romantic roles with the star, Sones for R.K.O. Radio Pictures’ new musical comedy, "The Gay Divorce," with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, famous dancing team of "Flying Down to Rio," are being provided by five internationally. known music makers. ALBERTO VALENTINO, brother and héir of the late Rudotpli, has returned to major films as ani Italian opeta singer in Paridivount’s "Mnter Madamé," a story that features Blissa Landi; Cary Grant .and others. For the past féw years Valentino has been starring in independent pictures and foreign versions. 4 M80) success of Jan Kiepura in "Tell Mé To-night" invests his. latest Gaumont picture with more than ordinary interest. "My Song For You" is a worthy suécessor to the ecomedyiiusical which tan so successfully in Australia and New Zealand, An additional point of interest in "My Song For You" is the fact that Sonnie Hale is again associated with Kiépura.