“Say it With Music”, a Really Delightful Talkie

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7284, 11 October 1933, Page 5

“Say it With Music”, a Really Delightful Talkie

JACK PAYNE AND HIS BAND REACH THE SILVERSHEET

The opening on Saturday at the Palace of the latest British and Dominions’ film, “Say It With Music,” featuring London’s popular Jack Payne and Ms hand, should undoubtedly prove an interesting occasion. This film Is not merely a jazz music recital, as it contains a richly human story, written by William Pollock, fictional, but using as its theme the dramatic Irving Berlin number, “Say It With Music,” which is famous throughout the world as Jack Payne’s signature tune.

Percy Marmot plays the part of Philip Weston, tho composer of “Say It, With Music,” and a war-time pal of Jack Payne’s. The story goes that one day, in the Air Force mess, Jack is thumping out some . popular war-time melodics, and Weston requests him to stop making such a horrible noise. Jokingly, Jack makes a bet that Weston cannot, on tho spur of the moment, compose and play anything more “catchy.” Weston sits at the piano and slowly picks out a tune that eventually all the boys hum or whistle. Realising that there is a worthwhile melody in Weston's composition, Jack dots the notes down on the back of an old envelope. A zeppelin raid puts a stop to their playing and in the ensuing battle Weston’s ’plane crashes. He suffers concussion and loss of memory.

Ycuts pass before “Say It With Music” becomes famous and Payno cannot trace Weston.

The eventual meeting between Payno and Weston is dramatic, particularly as the latter remembers nothing about his war-time melody and the post-war result. How Payno brings about Weston’s completo recovery and gets him recognition, makes splendid entertainment.

Jack Payne has an engagingly natural personality and a diffident, humorous turn of speech that is delightful in this film. The sincere direction of Jack Raymond cleverly knits together the splendidly staged scenes of Jack Payne aurl his band playing before theatre audiences; when broadcasting, and the simpio story of family lifo that is a human document.

Original numbers, that, are aestined to become best sellers, have been composed by Ray Noble. One is particularly outstanding, “Love Is the Sweetest Thing,” put over effectively by Jack Payne himself.