STAGE AND SCREEn

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 103, 3 May 1934, Page 16

STAGE AND SCREEn

"Affairs of a Gentleman." : Universal will release the Edwin and Edith Ellis play, "Frailty," under the title, : "'Affairs of a Gentleman." Paul Lukas will ; be starred and eight beautiful actresses ' will be featured. The story, as its title indicates, deals with the dramatic events which bring to an abrupt and mysterious conclusion many romances in the life of a well-known rogue. "Canal Boy." . Alison Skipworth, Paramount's leading character actress, will have a featured role in "Canal Boy," which Charles R. Rogers will produce for Paramount. Dorothy Wilson, heroine of' "Eight Girls in a Boat," has the feminine lead. Ralph Murphy will direct. "The Love Life of a Sailor.' Dore Sehary and Lewis Foster have been engaged by B. F. Zeidman to script their own play, "The Love Life of a Sailor." This comedy will be the fourth Zeidman production for Universal, and will star Chester Morris with Slim Summerville. Andy Devine is the only other member of the cast so far selected., "The Love Life of a Sailor" will go into production as soon as Chester Morris returns from New York, where •„ lie is starring in "Frankid and Johnnie." ■ ' "The' Bowery." .. Carrie .. Nation, famous. Prohibitionist who, in the,'gay nineties, used to march into, saloons with an army of ardent "dries" and wreck the "dens of iniquity" with hatchets, is seen in the act of destroying in "The Bowery," United Artists release, starring Wallace Beery, George Raft, and Jackie Cooper. Lillian Harmer impersonates the famous anti-saloon crusader. "Odd Thursday." ," " ; Rosemary Ames; the Chicago girl who had to go to London to achieve theatrical recognition, took her second step.to screen fame when she was assigned to the leading feminine role in "Odd Thursday" for Fox Film. She completes the cast that already includes Warner Baxter and Rochelle Hudson. ; ■ , ■ '"Horrors for' Health." Dame Sybil Thorndike is a firm believer in the home-to-goodness melodrama that gives audiences a dose of the horrors. "It is," she. told an interviewer after her performance in "Double Door" at the Globe Theatre, London, "just a sign of a vigorous, healthy outlook on life—and I am speaking now as a playgoer myself and not merely as an actress." Dame Sybil thinks-it a sign of physical healthiness when people like to be thrilled horrifieally, and that it is natural to appreciate "strong meat" drama because 'it is fare of a kind one can get one's teeth into. She was delighted, from the first night of "Double Door," at the definite manner in which, •to judge by . Hie first-night reception, the full-blooded .'school Of "drama-has come back into its ;■ own. Slie has always been an unashamed :idevotee_ pf_ good, Jipnest melodrama, she told Harold Conway; the "Daily Mail" critic, who. expected to find Dame Sybil tired after her wearing performance, but found Her instead brimful of energy and appreciation. Her part in the play is a Grand Guignol one, and the was delighted to find women, as well as men, enjoyed the thrills and excitement. Dame Sybil had the part of Victoria Van Brett, the wealthy New York spinster, who in one scene locks up her charming sister-in-law in the safe. American papers found a resemblance in the character to Ella Wen-' del, the recluse who died a year or so ago worth £20,000,000. In the play the scene .is laid in 1899. The company includes Carol Goodner, Owen Nares, Christine Silver, and George Elton, and Henry Oscar .i 3 producer. Young Players. /Cutting-room." previews having indicated screen'popularity for Larry "Buster" (i'rabbe and Ida Lupino after the release of "The Search,for Beauty," Paramount has prepared a second story for this pair of youngsters. They will be- featured in "Lovers in Quarantine," from a play by F. Tennyson Jesse. Jane Hinton and Harry Ruskin are writing the screen play. Amateur Cameramen. ' Amateur motion picture cameramen are going to receive recognition in Hollywood. nearly 1,000,000 amateurs' taking footage in America alone, the film capital and the newsreels will recruit more from this source in the future, it is asserted by - Leon Shamroy, one of the few. cinematographers at the studios who is under a long-term contract. Shamroy has been' tigned- by B^ P. Schulberg and is photographing; Claudette Colbert, Richard Arlen, and Mary Boland in "Three-Cornered ■ Moon." . . . ; ' Nursery of Stars. 'During the past few years many actors and actresses have soared to stardom after their appearance in films made at the British-Lion Studios. George Gee, after making two films for British Lion, "Clean-ing-Up" and "Strike it Rich," was hailed as England's leading screen comedian. Another product of the "nursery" is Binnie Hale, the famous stage comedienne, who made her screen debut there in "This is the Life," which was directed by Albert de . Couvville. Her performance in this comedy earned her a £10,000 a year screen contract. Jessie 'Matthews, one of England's leading stars, made her name in ' her1 first'film of importance, "There Goes the Bride," also directed by Albert de Courville. She will next be seen in "The Man from Toronto," with lan Hunter and Fred Kerr. "Keep 'em Rolling." RKO-Radio Picture's film version of .Robert Nason's."Rodney" .has been '■- adapted to the screen under the title of "Keep 'em Rolling." : Walter Huston and Frances Dee are cast inthe leading roles in a story of a military private and his love for his horse.-,- This is the kind of ;: role that Huston revels in and his characterisation further proves him as an actor of outstanding ability. "Nana." Anna Sten in "Nana" marks the film debut of the blonde young actress from Soviet Russia. Samuel Goldwyn brought her to Hollywood a year,ago last May and spent eighteen'months and a fortune preparing her for her first picture. Lionel Atwill, Richard Bennett, Mac Clarke, Phillip Holmes, and Muriel Kirkland appear in support of Miss Sten in the story of the rise and fall of a lady of the boulevards and the music halls of the gas-lit Paris of 1870, suggested by Zola's famous" novel and freely adapted to the screen by Willard Mack and Harry Wagstaff , Gribble. Dorothy Arzner directed the picture, and Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart wrote the song "That's Love," which Miss Sten sings in the title role of this United Artists release. Nellie Barnes in J.C.W. Success. The sprightly little Melbourne blonde, Nellie Barnes, whose aspirations^ end with her desire for the ease and affluence of a marquis in the successful "Dubarry". playing at the King's Theatre, Melbourne, started as a child performer in pantomimes. She is a great lover of dancing, reading, tennis, fishing, and surfing. She aspires to do light comedy work, and will shortly try the "talkies." The scene in "The Dubarry" which calls forth the most admiration is the one in which the men predominate. Seated round ' a gleaming table, candle light falling on the group of old roues who discuss their light o' loves, these actors by their experienced art claim full measure of applause; chief among them are Leslie Holland and .Cecil Kellaway. Reunited. For Otto Kruger and Isabel Jewell, the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture, "The Woman in His Life," has served as a sort of "Reunion in Hollywood." Kruger won his M.G.M. contract through his performance in "Counsellor at Law," the stase play. Miss Jewell was the telephone operator in the production. And now both are together again in "The Woman in His Life." Kruger as Attorney Kent Barringer; Miss Jewell as Cathie, his loyal girl friend.

'ouishnoff-Stevens N. 2. Tour. Mr. Maurice Ralph has received advice torn Mr. Hugo Larsen stating that at the performance of "Elijah" in the Melbourne ?own Hall on Good Friday night, at i-hich Mr. Horace Stevens, the famous lasso, who is visiting New Zealand shorts', sang the name part, thousands were urned away, and the Press reports of this lerformance were the most eulogistic ever eceived for an oratorio in that city. The ifew Zealand tour of Leff Pouishnoff, famius Russian pianist, and Horace Stevens, minent bass-baritone, commences in Auekand this month; Wellington will be visitid at the end of June. Pouislmoff has been lescribed as a genius o£ the first rank, vhile Horace Stevens has earned the sobri[uet of "an aristocrat of the voice." Russian Offer. _A Russian committee is en route to iollywood ,to buy American pictures find icting talent, gain first-hand information >n picture production, and to make lefinite arrangements for signing a Hollyvood directorial nucleus, it was revealed ecently. Boris Petroff, stage director for Paramount in New York for ten years, md associated with Mac West in her pieces, has been approached with a Russian iner. The Russian Government has deailed a woman representative, how in Tollj-H-ood, to arrange things for the comnittee en route here," Petroff said. "An ifheial offer has been made to mejto take i company to Russia to introduce Ameri'an production arid directorial methods nto picture companies there. If the deal rocs through I would insist on taking an ice_ cameraman, sound technicians, and script assistants, the entire group to >perate as a unit." /arnel. In line with their policy of brin"in»' ivcr from Hollywood well-known film tars to play in their British films, 8.1.P. ire now importing more Hollywood film lirectors and scenario writers to work lor hem. Marcel, Varnel, the Frenchman who hrected "The Silent Witness," "Chandn ho Magician," and "Infernal Machine" or Fox in Hollywood, is already at ilstree, where he has been preparing for :he screen the well-known Walter Hackett Jlay Freedom of the Seas," on which ie will begin direction in the vei-y'near lu'ture. Mr. Varnel was educated partly it Charterhouse, London, and partly in Paris, where he afterwards became a distinguished play director. "Stingaree." Irene Dunne and Richard Dix are costarred in the RKO Radio picturisation af E. W. Hornung's "Stingaree." The ?tory deals with a bandit and his love For a beautiful opera singer. The supporting cast is interesting because George Barraud, one of Australia's first movie idols, is. cast with Conway Tearle, Henry Stcphenson, Reginald Owen, Una O'Connor, and Billy Bevan. "The House of Rothschild." George Arliss has made, a big hit in America in his latest picture, "The House :>f Rothschild." The "New York Times" reports that Mr. Arliss outshines any performance he has contributed to the screen, not excepting his expert and highly revealing interpretation of Disraeli. In an engrossing story the film records with an effective combination of reverence and showmanship the foundation of the Rothschild fortune. The picture is to be released by United Artists. ,

Harmonic Society and Apollbs.. The first concert'of the 1934 season of the Harmonic Society will be held on Tuesday, May 22, when the principal feature . of the programme will be Sir . Edward Elgar's choral suite "From: the Bavarian Highlands." The assisting artists will be Miss Helen Gardner and Mr. Claude Tanner. Elgar will also be represented at the Apollo Singers' concert on June 5, when his "Reveille" will be featured.1 The Apollos will be assisted byi Miss Jeanette Briggs, soprano, and Mr. Paul Yinogradoff, solo pianist and accompanist. "Day of Reckoning." The plot of "Day of Reckoning," a Metro-Gokhvyn-Mayer production centres on the conditions' within a man's home while he is confined in prison. The efforts of a wife to maintain a family by plunging into the economic struggle are shown leading to a dramatic climax which destroys a man's happiness only for him to find faith and beauty and security at the finish; Richard Dix is in "Day of Reckoning," with Madge Evans, Una Merkel; Conway Tearle, and Stuart Erwin. His. best friend stole his name, his happiness, but to every man there comes a day of reckoning. . , . . "The Human Side." It has been . announced that Lowell Sherman will be the star as ■well as the director of' "The "Human' Side," which is due to go into production at Universal City very soon. It will be released, however, under another title. "The Human Side" is a play produced in.Los Angeles. Negotiations have already been undertaken to produce it in New York. No other members of the cast have as yet been chosen. "Ten Minute Alibi" in Australia. An important theatrical event will be the first production in Australia of the famous London dramatic success, "Ten Minute Alibi," which .J. C. Williamson, Ltd., staged at the Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, on April 28. This remarkable play, written by. Anthony Armstrong, is London's outstanding dramatic success. It has been running at the Theatre Royal, Haymavket, since February 8, 1933. The cast has been selected with great care, and will introduce to Australian audiences George Thitlwell, a well-known London actor who will make his first appearance in Australia. Thelma Scott, the brilliant young Australian, will have a part that will fit her perfectly; and thore. will also be Arundel Nixon, Frank Bradley, Russell Chapman, and others. The play will be produced by Frederick Blaekman. Taiiber Film. Everyone has heard of the golden voice of Richard \Tauber, famous tenor, who started oft' the phenomenal vogue of "You Are My Heart's Delight," but how many people realise that he is also a- clever composer of music, and has often sung his own compositions in public? Herr Tauber is to make a film for British. International Pictures at Elstree—and he has already written specially for this film several fine new musical numbers which he will sing. The film, which will be directed by Paul Stein, will be based on an entirely new version of "The Life of Schubert," and some of Schubert's-original work will, of course, be used. The film is to be planned on a big scale and work is already begin--ing on the script.

Newcomers. Anticipating a production schedule of some twenty-five feature pictures to start within the next three months, the Paramount studios today have seventy-two players under contract—the greatest number in the history of any Hollywood film production organisation. Of these, thirtytwo are comparative screen newcomers, which is in itself a unique situation in studio annals. Speaking for the company Emanuel Cohen, vice-president in charge of production, explains the reason: "It is obvious that Hollywood must develop its own talent and build up its own stars. PotentiaVstaining talent is needed constantly, year in and year out, and in great number. Before any studio can afford to invest time, effort, and money in any young player, it must be assured of that player's services not only through the period of development, but afterwards as well: The investment must be protected." Actress to Designer. Lady Mendl (formerly Elsie de Wolfe) lives in Paris, and is counted among the ten best-dressed women in the world. From amateur theatricals she became professional actress, making her debut in 1890 in Sardou's "Thermidor"; she then appeared in plays under her own management, most of them by the late Clyde Fitch. Hiss de Wolfe designed her own settings, and in 1905 her theatre interest was replaced by a penchant for interior decoration, a career she has since followed as a hobby, and profesion?"v. She was commissioned to decorate th? Colony Club in New York (she spends much time in New York, where she is a big social light), since which she has developed a style known as "the Elsie de Wolfe period." Fields Will Star. W. C. Fields has become a member of Hollywood's "Authors' Club," a recent report from the Paramount studios mentions. He has just sold to that company an original story, "Greasepaint," and will star in it himself, thus gaining billing as both author and player, and making him a club member along with Mac West, who writes her starring pictures. "Spitfire.": New Zealand audiences will soon have the opportunity of seeing Katherine Hepburn, famous for her interpretation of Jo in the RKO-Radio picture "Little Women," in a picture adapted from the Lulu Vollmer play "Trigger." "Spitfire," the title of- the new film, introduces Miss Hepburn as a mountain girl in love with an engineer. The film provides excellent scope for this dynamic actress and should be one of the big film hits of the year. Robert Young and Ralph Bellamy are also cast. "Sorrell and Son." Warwick Deeping's famous story takes on a new entertainment value in its new screen form, and there can be no doubt as to the irresistible power of H. B. Warner's sensitive delineation of the principal character. The, success of the silent version of this film will still be within the recollection of most filmgoers, who will remember that the narrative deals with \an ex-captain who devotes his life to the upbringing of his only son. Hugh Williams as young Sorrell plays with admirable restraint, while Margot Grahame, Donald Calthrop, and Peter Penrose, who takes the part of, the younger Sorrell in childhood, all give fine performances.

Lucille Lislo's New Role. Lucille Lisle, the ex-Wellington actress, has the leading, part in the London production, at the Piccadilly Theatre, of Joan Temple's latest play "Flowery Walk." It .Was played by the Repertory Players, and tells of a modern-yet serious type of girl of eighteen, who makes it her business to try to induce her mother to return to her'husband and give-up her lover: The London correspondent of "The Post" writes that Miss Lisle created the character; it was her good fortune to deputise for Edna Best a little over a year ago, and she then had the further good fortune to "be allotted a part in the St. ■James's great success, "The Late "Christopher Bean." Mr. E. A. Baughan, the '"News-Chronicle" critic, wrote of the New Zealand girl's part that it \v»s brightly played by a young actress, Lucille Lisle, who has decided talent. lanthe, the girl, follows her mother to the villa of her lover, a novelist, and attempts to shock her into respectability by staging a love affair with the man herself; pretends to drink too much, and even prepares to go all the way down "Flowery by inviting Julian to her room at night, in the- hope that her middle-aged mother will return to a deserted husband.1 A good deal of trouble ensues with little good result, until the doctor-husband himself turns up at the psychological moment to prevent his lady from making a public fool of herself by running away with Julian. Lucille Lisle made the character of lanthe live, being young and fresh, and employed a variety of moods during the progress of the play.. Amy Venness played the part of an outspoken American visitor to Julian's villa. The play is described as light and bright, and on the -farcical side of comedy. Diana Hamilton, Hilary Pritchard, Ronald Ward, Basil Radford, and James Raglan were also in the cast. Both Mr. Ward and Mr. Radford have played in English companies in New Zealand; Mr. Radford will be remembered for his excellent work in "The Ghost Train." "Sing and Like It." Zasu Pitts, one of the most popular comediennes of the present-day screen, will be seen in a new RKO-Radio picture, entitled "Sing and Like It." Misa Pitts is seen as a would-be concert singer who specialises in a sentimental mother song. The plot is woven around the effect of this song upon a number of gangsters and provides many hilarious moments. Nat Pendleton, Pert Kelton,. Edward Everett Horton, and Ned Sparkes are other members of the supporting east. "Wharf Angel." The title of Paramount's "The Man Who Broke his Heart," featuring Victor MeLaglen, Dorothy Dell, Preston Foster, and Alison Skipworth has been changed to "Wharf Angel." The production was directed by William Cameron Menzies and George Sofnnes. ; "Here's to Love." ■ ' Stanley Bergerman, who produced "Moonlight and Pretzels" in New York, has' decided to produce another musical at Universal City. It will be entitled "Here's to Love," and will have many of the craftsmen who worked on "Moonlight and Pretzels." Jay Gorney and Sig. Her- . sog are already at- work on the story and the music for "Here's to Love." It is due to go into production soon.

"Glamour." ' With the borrowing of Philip Reed to play the role of Lorenzo, the cast of "Glamour" was completed. "Glamour" is a novel by Edna Ferber which B. F. Zeidman is producing in a musical setting with songs especially written for the production. Paul Lukas and Constance Cuminings have the featured roles. William Collier, sen., who was to have played an important role was suddenly overcome with dental trouble. His place was filled by Joseph Cawthorn. Others in the cast include Doris Lloyd, Jessie McAllister, and OlafHytteni 'the sereej* play for "Glamour" was written by Doris Anderson. 3arbo. • ' "Queen Christina," Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's nineh-discussed .historical epic that lerves as the reunion of Greta Garbo and rohn Gilbert after a screen separation of ive years, received an ovation befitting ;he queen that Garbo portrays when it >pened at the St. James Thea.tre, Sydney. L'he picture contains a story that Garbo jas had in mind for several years, and or which she explored' deeply into the irchives of Sweden's museums upon her ast visit to lier homeland. John Gilbert, ,vho, plays .the. role of Antonio, appears ipposite Garbo for the ftrst time in five rears in this production. Baby Le Roy. . Born a little more than a year ago in Lbs Angeles,' little Le Hoy became filmJoiu's.most famous baby as the result of i search instituted by Paramount studios to.find an infant with screen personality for a leading role in Maurice Chevalier's •A Bedtime Story." Baby" Le Roy won when, he refused to be frightened during an 'interview" -ivith Chevalier. His delighted gurgle upon beholding the French star enter his room could not be denied. Le Roy's last name is Winebrenner, but lie can forget about that for the seven years during which his~ initial contract lUns'<,^ ls other Pictures for Paramount "a 6,- Torch SlnKer," "Til]ie and Gus," Alice in Wonderland," and "Miss Fane's Baby is Stolen." News About People. Miss Evelyn Laye has returned to Lonm™, w York t0 play in British hlms but will return to America later to star in a play being written for her by Louis Blomfield. - ; Miss Mar R ot Grahame, the blonde English girl who has succeeded in her film ivork. as well as stage,parts, has- returned to London as the bride of Francis Lister, the well-known British stage" star who jvas m,\Australia with the ' VanbrughBoucicault Company.' Mr.'Lister was playing in America and Miss Grahame went to iNew.iork, where they were married, the trip being a holiday and honeymoon combined. - Kyrle Bellew, wiose name will be remembered, by, theatre-goers a few years back, has been playing in a most unsavoury play at London Strand, taking the part of the. tragic wife in William Hurlbut's play "The Bride." The story is of a minister who seduces a woman and cads her. to poison her drink-sodden husband. Dorothy Bouchier, well known for screen aF PT? ar,ane^f' has been Playing the part of Bella AVinberg in the Adelphi Theatre production of "Magnolia Street" in London. Phyllis Konstam, the wife.of one of England's most famous tennis stars, also lias a part. ' .. George Grossmith has taken over the part of Mr. Homer in the Ambassadors production of ",The Country Wife" in London. Paul Farrel, the Irish actor, had been playing the role. Fay Compton was Ophelia in the Sadler's Wells presentation of "Hamlet" on April 23 in celebration of Shakespeare's .birthday. Sybil Thorndike played the Queen, Wilfrid Walter the King, Ralph Richardson and Andrew Leigh the ; grave-diggers, and Ernest Milton, one of the best Hamlets of our time, the. title role. ,Fay Compton played Ophelia. :to John Barrympre's Hamlet at the Haymarket in 1925. The delightful 'Italian comedy "The Mask and the Face" was revived at London Royalty on April 9 with Jeanne de CaSalis as the wife, the part first played by Athene Seyler, .wife of Nicholas Hannen. Franklin Dyall played the role of Mario again, the jealous husband, and Ivan Samson was Georges, the aeulpter in the triangle. Elizabeth Bergner, star of "Catherine the Great," was offered the part of the sixteen-year-old girl in the Criterion production "Sixteen" (by Aimee and Philip Stuart), but she had to refuse owing to her engagement with Cochran. Antoinette Cellier is playing the part under Alan Limpus's direction, giving a remarkable performance. Godfrey Tearle is in the cast, too. .-."'■' . Gordon Daviot, who is in real life a woman (she wrote "Richard of Bordeaux") has written a new play "The Laiighin£ Woman," which was presented in London recently. She attends most of the rehearsals of her'plays, but slips away n-hen.the curtain falls on the premier performances. Gregory Stroud has returned to London irom his three years' absence in Australia. This well-known G. and S. baritone was formerly a member of the DOyly Carte Company. , i ■ ' Pierre Fresnay' has replaced Noel Coward in the London success "Conversation Piece," another Coward triumph, at Sydney Howard. Admirere of Sydney Howard's distinctive style of comedy will welcome the appearance of his latest British and Dominions film "Trouble," a breezy extravaganza of incidents in the course of a pleasure cruise. The star plays the role of a steward on a liner, the development of the plot landing him in a heap of trouble ovef a stolen pendant, which he is finally able to recover and restore to its rightful owner. His "trouble" involves a series of clashes with his most superior officer; making the most hope: les hash of a conjuring act in which he is the willing assistant; a series of■ hectic adventures ashore in Morocco, and finally a weird impersonation of Britannia at the ship's fancy dress ball, where he finally restores the lost pendant to its owner.- - ■■ .'' ' - '- ' ■ "Flying Down to Rio." "Flying Down to Rio"; is a musical extravaganza staged partially in the clouds. The film is strongly, offset by three grand song hits and a cast of first magnitude, including Dolores Del Rio, Ginger Rogers, Gene Raymond, Fred Astaire, Raul Roulien, and Blanche Frederick Some of I the remarkable ballet sequences show girls in scenes actually filmed on the wings of giant aeroplanes in flight over the city of' Rio de Janiero. ! Curiosity.' After his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales had seen the new Britisli International film of Lady Eleanor Smith's "Red Wagon," which opened, with a Royal Charity Performance, he asked Miss Greta Kissen, who plays the role of a tiger tamfr in the filing exactly how the thrilling circus scenes in which she is mauled by tigers, were filmed. These exciting incidents are so realistic that Miss Nissen was tempted to tell his Royal Highness that "there aie some studio secrets which film stars do not even reveal to a Prince." The Prince persisted, however—he discussed the film throughout like a trained critic—and at last she is said to have told him. "Crime Doctor." Israel Zangwill's "Crime Doctor," which RKO-Radio Pictures are adapting to the screen, has in the leading role, that of a Scotland Yard detective. Otto Kruger. Karen Morley is opposite Kruger. Neither a gangster nor a mystery story, the film offers novel treatment of crime—the impulses "which cause it and the scientific methods by which its perpetrators are detected. In "Crime Doctor" the audience is taken into confidence from the beginning—a murder J9 traced from its inception in the killer's mind to- the final solution by the authorities. Supporting Otto Kruger and Karen Morley will be J Farrell McDonald, Nils .Asther, Irving Pichel, Judith Wood, and Samuel Hinds, all of whom, are under the direction of John Robertson. ■ ■ ■ ■ •