"THE DESERT SONG," A TRIUMPH AT THE MAJESTIC.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), 13 December 1930, Page 3

"THE DESERT SONG," A TRIUMPH AT THE MAJESTIC.

A picture tliat will live for ever m ycur memory ! A supreme achievement of the motion picture art presented with boundless magnificence and unparalleled beauty. A staggerihg succession of bewitcliing song extravaganza held together by the most beautiful story ever told. Such is "The Desert Song," the supreme triumph of the talking and singing screen, which will be shown at ^the Majestic Theatre to-night. Never before has the screen been glorilied by such a galaxy of taleut nd rapturous melodv — a staggering succession of bewitching songs tliat pour from the - screen m throbhing colourful scenes, capturing your enthnsiasm and spontaneous. wliole-hearted applause. With John Boles, Carlotta King and 132 male and female singing voices, 116 exotic dancers, and an opei'atic orchestra, of IQ9 iristrumentalists, you witness the greatest theatrical acliievethat has ever visited or is ever likely to visit Napier. • The supreme achieyement of rapturous sound and pictonal beauty ! Your henrt will tingle with the thrilling renditon of the throbhing raelodies and sondrous grandeur of this famous stage play biought to the screen witli boundless magmhcence! "The Desert Song," Warner Bros'. • latest Vitaplione noveltv— a complete screen operetta, with music, songs, choruses, dances, dialogue.^ It is a liovoltT, but an enchantmg one, and points the way to still _ greater trnnnphs for talking and singmg pictures — -the production of 'jcri re £rand 0Peras upon the screen. Ihe Desert Soiig'_' retains all the ciiarm, colour, action; romance and tropic love of tlie stage production, but greatly enhanced by the motion picture camera's power of motion. Ihe desert scenes were made m a desert and not in front of painted backdrops. The desert castle of the Caid, with the splendors of its Orientai arciiitect.ure, would fill severa] stages. Ihe story gains "-n dramatic power and picturesqueness because of the natural backgronnds, "The Desert Soim" on \ ltaphone closely follows the sta'o-e production in tlxai? the songs, plot and characters, are practieally identical, the Y itaphone adaptation contams iar greater enteftainment value tlian the stage version. The settings and scenery could not be duplicated on tlie stage under any circumstances no •rriatter' how^ big or pretentious the .theatre. The exterior scenes in the rea] desert and dune cQuntry, yasfc mtenors of palaces, cafes, and other scenes far excel anything . that .could be bmlt; on the stage. In addition. also, to -the singing and talking of the prmcipals, a chorus of over one iiundred tramed voices is heard in "Tlie Desert Song1' cn Vitaplione. As a v ltaphone talking and singing tiirture the all-star cast of "The Desert Spng contains artjsts who have had experience in reading dramatic lines in correct character as well as traiuing ■and ability in smging. They are Oohn Boles, Louise Fazenda, Carlotta lviiig, Myrna Loy, John Miljan, Johnny Arthur, Marie Wells, Jack Pratt, Edward Martindel, Robert Guzman, Otto Hoffman. and many others. Sigmund Homherg's greab score is.playeiju pts entirety by the Vitaplione . Syniphony Orche'stra. With tlie supporting alltalking "feature" which * accompany this 12,000-foot masterpieee, • an eveu. nig's entertainment never to be forgotten is presented, one that must draw record-breaking audiences niglitJy.