September 13, 1930
Beautiful Building Views With Screen and Sound Attraction for Attention of Audience
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El Paso was “Plaza-minded” last night as one of the most representative audience ever assembled here celebrated a premier performance by filling the most beautiful and modern theaters in the Southwest, The Plaza.
Long before 6:30 p.m., the hour for the doors to be thrown open, the waiting crowd stretched almost around the block, and at 9:30 when the “first nighters” poured out of the theater they found another throng eager to get a glimpse of El Paso’s new center of amusement.
“The theater, which seats 2,400, was completely filled for both performances, and shortly before 10 o’clock when the doors were closed there was still a large crowd waiting to get in.
Evening of Surprises
Those who were fortunate enough to be a part of last night’s celebration wee treated to an evening of surprises – surprises at the beauty of the new theater from the dazzlingly lighted entrance through the moonlit patio, the lobby, the artistic foyer into the spacious and glowing auditorium where, under the stars twinkling through lazily drifting clouds, they sat in a great Spanish garden, flower decked and with evergreens and Lombardy poplars overhanging.
Surprise No. 2 came with the presentation itself – splendid projection which brought out every detail and sound effects registered distinctly in the most remote corners of the auditorium.
Rogers congratulates City
The national anthem brought the audience to its feet; Buddy Rogers stepped upon the screen and in a little speech congratulated El Paso upon its new theater and introduced with a bang the stars of Paramount who will entertain many an El Paso audience.
The news reel with remarkable clearness brought incidents from all parts of the world including the first-shown and vivid depiction of the sinking of the ill-fated steamer Tahiti.
The feature film, “Follow Thru,” rollicked through its story. Entirely in Technicolor, it is a beautiful production. Centering about the efforts of Nancy Carroll to keep the country club golf tournament cup from an outside female competitor. It has just enough plot to weld it together and serves to introduce some tuneful music, good dancing, sparkling episodes, clever liens and a wealth of comedy.
Good Acting
Jack Haley as Jack Martin, the terrorized woman-hater; Zelma O’Neal as his pursuing nemesis and Eugene Pallette as the rotund girdle salesman, bear the brunt of many funny situations, while the romance is safely left to the seasoned art of Buddy Rogers and Nancy Carroll.
A comedy, “Brat,” featuring the old-time favorites, Oliver Hardy and Stanley Laurel, brought the performance to an end in a burst of merriment.
Publix officials from all parts of the Untied States stood in line last night with John Paxton, city manger, and Carlos Frias, manage of the new Plaza, to greet the great crowd as their guest.
An efficiently trained corps of ushers guided the audience with quietness
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