Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-04-04

The picture is Broadway Mel
ody," described as a musical ex-
travaganZa based on the life Of
show people on Broadway in New
York City. The picture is playing
in HQSfton and San Antonio this
week For the first time in the
South.
First showing of the picture Is
scheduled for 2 p. m. Saturday,
Rcording to John G. Tanning, city
manager Of Dent Theaters, Inc.
1T was very fortunate for
Brownsville that we had the Vita
phone equipment on hand and
eould rush its installation as we
Are doing" said T. B. Noble, Jr.,
general manager Of the Dent CT
~ganiZation, who is here superin-
tending arrangements for the
l opening.
Ordinarily it takes about 90
lays to get shipment on a Vita
phone and Movietone after the or
der IS placed, and then two are
three weeks usually are required to
Install the equipment. This equip
nent, the latest model built, was
aging in Jul warehouse at Dallas
waiting to be installed in a new
sheater we are building at Waco.
That house was not ready and we
have ordered a new Vitaphone to
20 there"
With the big picture win be
Known a talking news reel and one
Dr two Vitaphone vaudeville acts by
noted performers.
For Broadway Melody" its first
talking film, Metro-G CT Mayer
took a specially written story with
a theatrical Broadway background
by Edmund Goulding; gave it to
Harry Beaumont to direct with a
cast headed by Charles King, Anita
Page and Bessie Love; goto James
Gleason, author Of rs Eat SOP" and
"The Shannons Of Broadway" and
Norman Houston to write The
sophisticated dialogue; secured
lyrics by Arthur Freed and music
by Nacio Herb Brown; and dashed
In a bit of Technicolor in order
not to lose the beauty of sets and
costumes.
If any credence is to be given to
the assertions Of those who are re-
%sponsible for this particular film
and those who witnessed its SEN
Eational debut at the Aston theater
In New York City, where it car
ried the motion picture critics and
the huge first-night audience by
storm, it deserves special attention
rs the most brilliant all-talking,
a~ll-singing, all-dancing motion
picture yet screened.
Another item speaking we'll for
NThe Broadway Melody" is the fact
hat Metro-G oldwyn-Mayer decid-
that it was the best vehicle o.
nable for breaking the ice with
~all-talker, largely because there
20 much music in It,. They have
ne Trial Of Mary Dugan" and
er all-talking pictures on the
J, but elected to open the cam-
gn wit a singing and dancing
5ertainrh56t.
IN order to let the music into
q situations as naturally as pos
bic, the author wrote Of two sis
srS who come to New York to go
On the stage and of their adven-
lures in Tin Pan Alley and on
The stage, back and front. Oppor-
.tunities that this sort Of theme
gives for songs are obvious. THE
Broadway Melody" has the en-
chanting air of a musical comedy
and all the drama of a serious
story. A full musical comedy
chorus is used and the music in
cludes THE Broadway Melody"
you Were Meant for Me" and
Love Boat"
The cast is a notable one, in
GLIDING besides the three princi-
GALS, Jed Prouty. Kenneth Thorn
on, Edward Dillon, Mary Doran,
Eddie Kane, j. Emmett Beck, Mar
shall Ruth and Drew Demarest.