TALKING PICTURES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 137, 22 March 1935, Page 3

TALKING PICTURES

CHATS ABOUT THE CINEMA. (By “Spotlight.”) 1 ‘Transatlantic Merry-G o-Itound,” Reliance’s sparkling new comedydrama with melody, mystery and romance, staged aboard a palatial ocean liner, comes to Ashburton next week. A great cast of screen and radio stars, headed by Jack Benny, Nancy Carroll and Gene Raymond is seen in this Harry M. Goetz-Edward Small production, which Benjamin Stoloff directed for release through United Artists.

Benny is seen as a genial master/ of ceremonies, broadcasting from the high seas, while Nancy plays >Sally Marsh, the star of his troupe, and Raymond is seen as a young Raffles who falls in love with her.

Among the famous screen and radio personalities who take part in Benny’s broadcasts are Alitzi Green, in her first grown-up role; Frank Parker, The Boswell Sisters, Patsy Kelly, Jean Sargent and Jimmy Grier and his orchestra. Benny’s famous satire, “Grind Hotel,” is a high point of the programme. The passengers aboard the liner include Sydney Howard, who is known as England’s Chaplin, playing a happy, harmless drunk; Sid Silvers as Raymond’s comic confederate -working as a steward; Sidney Blackmer as Lee Lother, a scoundrelly Broadway racketeer who is pursuing Sally; Shirley Grey as a married woman who is infatuated with 'Lotlier; Ralph Alorgan as her suspicious husband; and William Boyd as an escaped gunman who is stowing away aboard the liner. The mystery develops when Lother is found dead in Sally’s cabin. Suspicion falls on each in turn, and it takes a second murder to solve the first. Four tuneful song hits are introduced in the production. Sidney Clare and Richard Whiting wrote “It Was Sweet of You,” “Rock and Roll” and “Oh Leo!” while Mercer and Alalnick contributed “If I Had a Alillion Dollars.” Sammy Lee and Larry Ceballos directed the dance and musical numbers.

The following is the cast of the New Zealand film, “Down on the Farm,” which has now been completed and which is said to he a complete success: Gwenda Burt, John Stuart Dick, Sydney Lock, Daphne Alurdock, Angus Gorry, Erina Newbold, Joe Lee, Bobby Simpson, Ernest Griffin, Elsie McPeak, Audrey Watson, Bert Nelson, George Claridge Roegairn Gare, 11a Hould, Joy Grey, Eron Reid, Leila Murdock. The film, which was produced by New Zealand Feature Productions, was directed by Mr Lee Hill, Wellington, and Air Stuart Pitt, Dunedin; Air Hill was also the photographer. “Down on the Farm” will be released by British Empire Films.

Unorthodox musical comedy will be tho attraction in “Student Tour,” newest production of Aletro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios. While it combines music, comedy and beauty, “Student Tour” is not built along “orthodox musical comedy lines. It has a tender love story that takes place in New York, China, Java, India, Monte Carlo and other spots around the world visited by a group of college athletes and their co-ed girl friends under the chaperonage of Jimmy Durante and Charles Buttenvorth. The cast also includes Maxine Doyle, Phil Regan, Alonte Blue and others of note.

Mae West and her one-time devoted bov friend, James Timony, had not spoken for weeks until Alae’s fathei died. Mae was so heart-broken and Timony was so upset, for lie thought the world of Alae’s dad, that the two made up and Timony took the body east. Alae and Timony see each other (occasionally now, hut just as friends. Their romance is a tiling of the past.

Frank Lawton, young actor who made his American screen debut in “Cavalcade,” is to be seen again opposite Diana Wynyard in “One More River,” Universal’s picturisation of the John Galsworthy novel. Born in London, England, on September 80, 1904, Lawton was educated at Langley Hall, and at the age of 19 made his lirsti appearance in “Yes,” to be followed in succeeding seasons by important roles in such plays as “The Last of Mrs Cheyney,” “Interference,” “Young Woodley,” and “Chance Acquaintances.” He also played in many English film productions. 'Lawton was brought to America to appear in and others o'f liis recent pictures are “Young Woodley,” “The Outsider,” “Michael and Mary,” and “After Office Hours.” He appeared on the New York stage this season in “The Wind and the Rain,” and went directly to Universal City from its cast. It is planned to feature Lawton next season iu several Universal productions.

With Robert Montgomery in the leading role, “Hide-Out,” the new M-G-M romance, is heralded as one of those wholesome film productions which leave a lasting impression upon those who see it. It deals with a happy-go-lucky racketeer who, believing ho has everything one could wish for in life—money, without working for it, romance and pleasure —comes to his senses after lie has been driven from New York by the police, only to find a real love and happiness in a rural environment. “Hide-Out” has a supporting cast headed by Maureen O’Sullavan, Edward Arnold, Elizabeth Patterson, ’ Whitford Kane, C. Henry Gordon and Mickey Rooney.

The most amusing part of “Granddad Rudd” is the cricket match, which is well done and leaves the audience helpless with laughter. This cricket match makes one wonder why more is not made of the Englishman’s national game on the screen. Of eouise, one would not expect to find it featured in American films, but the English studios have no excuse to offer.