"SPEAKEASY." ALL-TALKING MASTERPIECE AT MAJESTIC.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 246, 18 November 1929, Page 2

"SPEAKEASY." ALL-TALKING MASTERPIECE AT MAJESTIC.

• Easily tlie most convincing and realistic dialogue picture yet made, the F05 Movjetone masterpiece "Speakeasy" had its premiere before a wefl filled howse at _ the popular Majestic on Saturday night. The fame of the picture had spread from 9^1ie^ ceiitres wliere it was such a striking success so that most of those in Satr urday night' s audience kiiew that they were to witness an exceptionally fine picture. Certainly they witnessed what was in many respects tlie finest 100 per tent, talkie production yet seen or heard within the four walls of this popular house of entertainment. "Speakeasy" was a story of New York, typifying the hurry and bustle of life in the great American nietropojis, acted by a brilliant caste of American stage plaj'ers. Aside from_ the performances of the principals, this niaster photoplav was filled with mirnerous novel eftects, never before introduced on tlie talkies. _ The pieture opened amidst the whirr and hum of the great newspaper presses in the publishing department of New York' 5 leading daily, whence the audience was carried into tlie reportepK room, where Lola Lane, the lieroine, was discovered as a j*oung reporter, anxious to get her first "scoop." Her chance came at last and accompanied by"one of the drollest characters that has yet reached the talking screen in the form of the newspaper man .who told his editor that he couldn't wrjte a great story because he hadn't a pencil, went down into an East _ Side speakeasy to interview the middleweight hoxing champion of the world. From then 011, the situation developed with a rusli. Paul Page, a New York stage favourite, was excellently cast as the chanipion, a product of one of America's most exclusive educational establisliments, forced into the figliting ganie by lack of fuuds. Needless

to say a niutual affection sprang np between the two characters and it was round this affection that the principal and strongest pliase of the plot was laicj. Healism was the kevnote of the production. Amoug its otlier attractions Saturday night' s audience was given the tlirill of watching and hearing a crowd of some 2(1,000 enthusiastic boxing fans on the tip toe of ©xcitement in the famous Madison Square Garden, houie of_ the fistic art m America, of hearing the _ thunder and boom of the subwav trains as they rattled into the station and of seeing and hearing the jostling and busy crowd s that thvonsed tlie Grand Central Railway Station. "Speakeasy" was in every i-espect an entertaining masterpiece and the manner in which the dramatic tliread of the storv was moulded with the spoken lines reflected nothing but credit 011 the producer. An excellent selection of all talkie supuorts. inclnded another popular instalment of the Fox Movietone News. ten minutes of lilting harmopv and attractive daticing by thp Roval Hawaiians and a most anmsing comedy sketch "T11 Holland." With eacli sueceeding •orogramme tbe renutation of the Paeent reprodueer increases witb tbe audience and no possible fault conld be found witb tbe veprodnction 011 Saturday night, wbicTi was all but perfect.