"Surprised And Grieved"
| "RECORD" CRITICISM ALLEGED TO BE UNJUST
E have received from Mr. B. Vinsen, New Zealand manager of Columbia Pictures, a copy of a letter sent him by Alec Grant, manager of the Plaza Theatre, Napier, on the subject of his audiences’ reaction to the Grace Moore picture, "I’ll Take Romance.’ at that theatre. Mr. Vinsen expresses himself as being surprised and grieved to read our review of "Yl Take Romance" in the ‘‘Record" of April 22, and voices the opinion that publication of Mr. Grant’s letter will be sufficient to convince readers that our criticism of the film was unjust. We are pleased to reproduce the most pertinent portions of the letter, as follows :- Dear Mr. Vinsen, You hold the record now for the greatest gross this theatre hag ever taken in any one day.... My warmest thanks to yourself and Columbia for the splendid "box-office" winners you have furnished me with, and in "I’ll Take Romance" you worthily follow up your grand record, The whole proof of the pudding is in the eating, and many of my patrons are coming not once, but three or four times.
The operatic excerpts are magnificent, the recording equally so, and many of my patrons have remaried, "They were so carried away that they have forgotten where they were, so great was the effect of those magnificent scenes and numbers." Regarding the critics, well, I saw the "Radio Record" and have felt sick ever since. The young man writing was obviously conscientious and doubtless knew dramatic construction, but in matters operatic may Le Bon Dieu forgive him. Alee. Grant. We should like to congratulate the manager of the Plaza Theatre, Napier, on having seld a Grace Moore picture so well to his publie that it was able to do such excellent business in Easter Week. In our review we suggested the fact that "Vll Take Romance" would possess box-office appeal. Nor did we dispute its operatic excellence, which Mr. Grant apparently believes is of such importance that it outweighs all other aspects of the picture. This is what our eritie said on the subject: "In the first place, the musie is excellent, ... Grace Moore’s duet with Frank Forest in a ‘Madame Butterfly’ aria is far and away the best bit of film opera { have heard ... very rich food for music-lovers." in view of this we fail to see the necessity for forgiveness, either. by Le Bon Dieu, or Messrs. Vinsen and Grant. THE EDITOR.
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Radio Record, 6 May 1938, Page 30
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414"Surprised And Grieved" Radio Record, 6 May 1938, Page 30
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