TALKING PICTURES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 10, 24 October 1935, Page 4

TALKING PICTURES.

CHATS ABOUT THE CINEMA. (By “Spotlight.”)

Miss Constance Collier, the eminent English stage star who was chosen by M.'G.M. to fill the roles assigned to the late Marie Dressier, makes her first appearance in one of thesb roles in “Shadow of Doubt,” the screen version of Arthur Somers Riche’s 'baffling murder mystery. Miss Collier will .-later appear in further roles originally intended /or the beloved .Marie. Miss Moncrieff’s Tribute. A splendid, tribute to Miss Moore was paid by Miss Gladys Moncrieff, the popular Australian soprano/alter she attended the preview of “Love Me Forever” in Christchurch recently. “Grace Moore is delightful in this film, especially in the .show scene and in the duct with the tenor Michael Bartlett,’’ said Miss Moncrieff. “Her singing of the beautifully orchestrated ‘II Baeio’ and her dancing at the sumo time, with the accompaniment of a chorus, forms a splendid opening, to tho film. .Later, when, in imitation of the song of another member of the case, she sings a- much lighter number, she reveals tho difference between opera and light numbers and demonstrates the wide range of her powers. I'or an opera singer Miss Moore displays marvellous vivacity and her acting is of high standard.” , “The furs and the glorious chinchilla cape Miss' Moore--'wears will certainly make all women envious,” added Miss Moncrieff. , ,

“Love Me Forever” opens at the St. James Theatre on Saturday next.

Joan Crawford will be next starred in “Claustrophobia,” a story by Abbie Carter Goodioe. The film version of the story will be directed for Metro-G'oldwyn-Mayer by W. S. Van 1 Dylke. Miss Crawford is now completing work in “No More Ladies.” A WeiircJ Story.

Boris Karloff, who will be remembered for his interpretation of the role of Frankenstein’s monster, will be seen at the Majestic Theatre 01/ Saturday next in “The Black Room.” This is distinctly a “thriller.” Karloff is seen as a fiend'who preys on beautiful •women. Once they have fallen into his power they disappear. \Thc element of mystery which figures so largely in this picture centres about “the black room;” and the events which take place keep the audience in a state of continual nervous apprehension.

The picture has been produced with a view to making the most of the eerie situations, and the theme of the picture allows of the introduction of huge awe-inspiring sets, against which weird shadows crawl. Karloff can be relied on to make the most of tho atmosphere of the'picture, and he has the support of a east which includes Marion Marsh, Robert Allen, and Katherine De Mille. New Zealand audiences will be particularly interested in this film owing to the fact that Colin Tapley has an important role, and is said to give the finest character portrayal of his screen career.

Wallace Beery is going to Europe for a, two months’ holiday as soon as he has finished “O’Shaughnessy’s Boy.”

He will then return to Hollywood under a, new contract calling for four pictures a year.

Tom Walls and Ralph Lynn. With their associate author, Ben Travers, Tom Walls and Ralph Lynn have established a definite reputation with their highly popular brand of farce-comedy, and “A Cup of Kindness,” their latest effort is cast in the same happy, hilarious mould.

The story-, concerned with, the enmity between two suburban families, is filled with complications which load to riotous fun, with dialogue witty in tho extreme.

• Tho snobbery of the suburbs has been a theme for many pens, but none cleverer than that- of Ben Travers. Tho Tutts consider the Ranisbotluuns inter-’ ior beings and their reaction when one of the younger Tutts woos a gift of the Ramsbotham family leads to many complications which bring in their train happy laughter. Tho Tutts are represented by Tom Walls, Ralph Lynn, Claude liulbcrt, and Eva Moore, the Ramsbothams by Robertson Hare, Marie Wright, Dorothy- Hyson and Gordon James. Fox Film is distributing this Gau-mont-British -picture - which will be screened at the St. James Theatre on Thursday next.

A 1 Jolson is Rubyi Keeler’s husband first; after that be is an actor. That explains why, during the filming of the First- National picture “Go Into Your Dance,” A 1 plays a character named “Al” in the picture, and that made dialogue easy- for- Ruby. She just had to address him as she always docs. Jolson, however, had a problem on his’bands. Ruby was Ruby- only so long as she remained behind the cameras. In front of it she was “Dorothy,” for that is her name in the picture. On several occasions Al addressed Ruby by her own name and thus ruined the scene, much to the amusement of the other players on the set and the exasperation of the director.

A team of young stars who were swept to fame by the sensational- success of the picture “Society Doctor./

come' again to the screen of the St. James Theatre next week, where “Times Square Lady,” a new lastmoving comedy-drama from the MetroGold wyin-May or studios, is the attraction. The stars are Virginia Bruce, who played the nurse, and Robert Taylor, who played the young interne in “Society Doctor.” With them now is a. third new figure. Pinky- Tomlin, the gangling Oklahoma farm boy who rose to fame when lie wrote “The Object of My Affection” and “What’s the Reason I’m Not Pleasin’ You?” two of the country’s sensational song hits. Pinky sings both songs in ' “Times Square Lady.” The picture tells the story of a young lowa girl who suddenly falls heiress to her father’s wide interests in the demi-world of New York and matches wits with his rebellious henchmen.