Screen Stars and Films

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 136, 11 June 1927, Page 26

Screen Stars and Films

John Barrym<sre, whose latest picture, "The Beloved Rogue," will be released here shortly, has finally decided to make the "Cellini" picture, originally intended for Valentino.

. Douglas Fairbanks has at list decided on his next picture. It is l to be called "The Gaucho," and is to be one of those .romantic Southern pictures'in which he excels.

Marceline Day plays the leading feminine role in support of Jack Hoxie, who has started in the Universal Western attraction "Looking for Trouble." Marceline Day has made meteoric strides as a film star, and since the making of this particular attraction has been chosen by the famous Eric Von Stroheim for the principal feminine lead in one of his most outstanding attractions.

James Oliver Curwood, that prolific writer of action novels, has provided the inspiration of another motion picture. It is "Prisoners of the Storm," the Uni-versal-Jewel, starring House Peters. The picture is based on Curwood's novel, "The Quest of Joan." It was adapted to the screen by Charles A. Logue, and directed by Lynn Reynolds. The cast •includes Peggy Montgomery, Walter McGrail, Harry Todd, Clark" Comstoek, Fred De-Silver and others.

Evelyn Brent has completed one of the featured roles opposite Thomas Meighan in "Blind Alleys," his latest Paramount starring effort. Her next assignment is oile of the principal roles in the picturJjsation by Arthur, Rosson, of Ben Hecht's "Underworld," a story of gang life in •"which Ricardo Cortez has the male lead. This will be Miss Brent's fourth consecutive Paramount picture since September, when she began work in "Love 'Em and .Leave 'Em," the second being Edward Sutherland's production, "Love's Greatest Mistake."

. John Barrvmore, who is starring in €he role of Francois Villon in "The Beloved Rogue," United Artists Picture, has just been given a presentation copy •of a new John Barrymbre edition of William Shakespeare's complete works. The frontispiece dedication of this edition, published by a London and Glasgow firm, reads as follows: "To John Barrymore, who, by his fine intellect and splendid accomplishment, has illuminated several of the great plays of Shakespeare, this volume is,' by permission, as a. token of appreciation of his magnificent interpretation. of, England's greatest dramatist, respectfully dedicated."

The character of the st6ry of "The False Alarm," lends' itself especially to the family group, because 'it /contains all the elements of > human; ■ ; . and domestic felicity properly in addition to the thrills beloved yf picturegoers everywhere. The "Are scenes in this picture are exceptionally -well done and realistic. In assembling them, care Eas been taken to sustain a continuous thread of suspense, and there is also 'great sincerity apparent in the work of the players. The cast includes Ralph Lewis, Mary Carr and Dorothy Revier as featured members, and gains excellent support from John Harron, George CHara, Priscilla Bonner, Maurice Costello, William Franey. The picture tells the story of how a youth dismissed from the fire department and froiit his home for apparent cowardice, finds himself and establishes his right to be called a hero.

Adolphe Menjou, Paramount star, once left the motion pictures, convinced that they held no future for him,-.and went into business. But the war ; came along, business went to Menjou went back to films in desperation to launch on. the career that has made him tp-day tone-of the most popular and highest; salaried stars in the film firmament.

United Artists is becoming more and more a family affair. Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, two. of the founders and owner-members, are, of course, Mr. and Mrs. Fairbanks in private life. Norma Talmadge is the wife of Joseph M. Schenck, producer and chairman of the board of directors of .United' Artists. ButterKeaton is Norma Talmadge's brother-in-law Natalie Talmadge .being his wife. And, just to complete the cycle, the Duncan sisters, Rosetta and Vivian' are busy making "Topsy and Eva' 5 for United Artists.

In "Love's Greatest Mistakes," Paramount claims to offer one of the most entertaining. screen dramaa of the year. Briefly, this picturisation of Frederic Arnold Summer's Liberty Magazine story of the same name, is the romance, of a beautiful girl who comes from a, small town to New York, seeking adventure in its gay night life. She falls in with far more adventure than ahe bargained for, finds herself nearly involved in a blackmailing plot against a wealtiiy; admirer' of hers, and redeems herself with an heroic display of coUrage, in . the end attaining a true valuation of■ : life. Josephine Dunn, as Honey McNeil, the girl in the case, is here cast -in her first feature role and carries it off with remarkable ease for such a newcomer on the screen; "more than vindicating her training in the Paramount nchool. William Powell, as Dqn Kendall, furnishes another j of ; his priceless bad men characterisations. Evelyn Brent is perfect as Honey's elder sister, Jane, married, but with a flair for youthful *nd peppy masculinity. Edward Sutherland who demonstrated his directorial ability so clearly with. "Behind the Front," and "We're in the Navy f lOW '" shows with this picture tha.t he is capable of directing serious dramas as well as the comedy that made him 'toit OUS ' Sis. penchant for the lighter n 8U ?K iln certain slyly humorous add greatljr to the

Norma Talmadge's leading man in "The Dove," her first United Artists picture, is Gilbert Roland, young Spanish actor who came into prominence when he was chosen by Miss Talmadge as her leading , man in "Camille." - Jloland's father was a celebrate'. bull fighter.

Harry Depp, one of the Jeading comedians in the Master picture, "When the Wife's Away," was recalled from his personal business to play the role. Far years he was noted as a stage comedian, playing with Elsie Janis, "The Pink Lady," and with several of Ziegfeld's Follies. Then he went into pictures, and recently retired to enter business in Hollywood. Unable to find a player who could impersonate a woman, the producers went to Depp and proposed that he take the part. He declined. They asked him to read the script. He consented, and when he finished it, Depp laughed and agreed to accept the role because it was so funny.

"The Magician," starring Alice Terry, will be released shortly. The story of the picture is that of a girl caught between the forces of a magician, whom she is unable to resist, and the love for a young surgeon who saves her from being a helpless cripple through an operation he performed upon her spine. The entire production was made in Europe on the original locations described by the author, Somerset Maughan, in his book. The Latin Quarter of Paris, the Grand Boulevards, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Monte Carlo, and the interior of the gambling rooms of the Casino, the famous tower of Switzerland, and many other places of historical and pictorial interest in France, Italy, and Switzerland -were utilised as the backgrounds for "The Magician."

'The tone Wolf Returns," which is an adaptation of the famous Joseph Vance novel, treats the reformation of the master crodk, Michael Lanyard, through an accidental meeting with Manna Mayfair, a New York society girl, while he loiters behind portieres in her room in an effort to evade the authorities. It will be - remembered .that Bert Lytell created the character of the "Lone Wolf" for the screen several years ago, and he-is seen again in the role of "The Lone Wolf Returns." BiUie Dove is charming as Marcia Mayfair. Gwen Lee can also be complimented on the talented performance of the role of Liane Delorme, associate of Morphew and Mallison, arch enemies of the man who persisted in cutting . loose from their profession and going straight. Gustav von Seyffertitz, as Morphew, Alphonse : Ethier as Detective Crane, and Freeman Wood as Mallison,: give performances of merit. . ,

Imagine the situation in which a young man sits down at a piano and remains there all night composing a Tove ballad to his sweetheart—not knowing that in a room less than ten feet Ifiway lies the body of a friend who has been murdered! That's one of the punch situations contained in Paramount's production "New York." Ricardo Cortez is the musician; Lois Wilson, his fiancee, and Estelle Taylor, the victim. Briefly, the story is that of four Bowery boys who have shown a "gang spirit" since childhood. All four attain maturity and branch out to make their own way in the world. One becomes a politician, two join a jazz band, and the fourth develops into a professional mob leader. Then a shadow in the form of a woman comes between them. Miss Taylor finds it hard to hide her love for Cortez, but his mind is enraptured by a society belle. Cortez spurning her, she marries William Powell so that she may stay near his friend. A NEW FILM WAR. ? Germany is making a serious attempt to wrest from America the predominant position she holds on the British screen. The gigantic and bizarre German film, "Metropolis," has now arrived in London, where it has made its British debut at the Marble Arch Pavilion prior to its general release.

The story is by Thea von Harbou, the Jules Verne of Germany, and the film has been produced by her husband, Fritz Lang, who will be remembered for his previous productions, "The Nibelungs," and '*The ; She-Devil." In "Metropolis" we see the author's prophecy of what Capital and Labour may come to in A.D. 2027, unless'they co-operate in mutual sympathy. Capital 'lives in a fantastic city of palatial skyj scrapers and aerial traffic, while L&bour exists in rancour in a subterranean city of its own. Thirty-seven thousand people appear, in the picture, including 1000 mep whose heads are as bald as an egg, 100 Negroes, and 25 Chinese, and it is evident that Germany is making a serious attempt to capture the British screen, says a London critic. Brigitte Helm, the nineteen-year-old leading actress, has the difficult double role of the saintly heroine and an evil "Robot" woman. She was only sixteen at the beginning of the production.

Mile-a-minute entertainment is promised picture patrons when Hoot Gibsop's latest picture, "The Denver Dude," opens its local engagement. It is Gibson's latest picture, and all the comedy and thrills of his other productions are promised with some additional ones added for good; measure. "The Denver Dude" is a Universal-Jewel production, directed by Reaves Eason. Blanche Mej hafifey plays the lead opposited Gibson.

Sir. Carl Laemmle has gone out of his ■vtay to. make Universal pictures of outstanding merit during 1925. Universal are now controlling 450 theatres of their own in the United States, and have just purchased the Colony Theatre in New York, which is one of the leading theatres on Broadway. Universal must live up to the standard of "A" grade productions, by virtue of the fact that they have to supply their own theatres with first-class pictures.

Eva Novak, the star of "For the Term of His Natural Life," is returning to Australia sooner than she expected. She received an urgent cable to sail immediately, and is already en route to Honolulu, to connect with the Vancouver boat for Sydney. Her next Australian picture is to be "The Romance of Runnymede," and is laid mainly in the Australian bush country. This time Miss Novak expects to be in Australia for at least a year, as six stories have already been selected for her.

A significant addition to the all too meagre ranks of screen comedians is given the public in Little Billy, who plays the leading role in "Oh Baby," a Universal-Jewel picture. Little Billy, the tiny actor who forgot to grow up, measures forty inches in height, and is 28 years of age. At the age of twelve his well-developed talent at dancing, impersonations and monologues, attracted the attention of vaudeville managers, who promptly booked him. For many years now Little Billy has been a great favourite on the principal American vaudeville circuits.

That Britain can make a truly valuable picture is proved by the filming of 'Mons," the official film of which has been purchased by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer at the highest price ever paid for an English picture. The quality of "Mons" is said to stand higher than any motion record of the kind ever made in any country. It will be showing throughout New Zealand later in the year.

After an absence of three months, Greta Garbo has at la6t patched up her difficulties with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. and returned to work. Under her new contract, Miss Garbo becomes a star in her own right, so that her quarrel with the organisation has netted her quite a considerable return. Her first picture under her new contract will be "Anna Kar§nina," which was the last picture offered to her previous to her refusal to continue under her earlier contract. At originally scheduled, Victor Varconi was to have been her leading man, but the delays in production necessitated Mr. Varconi being assigned to other work. So now Ricardo Cortez has been secured, whilst in addition the cast includes Lionel Barrymore, Helene Chadwick, Leo Carillo, and Dorothy Sebastian. Following "Anna Karenina," it is rumoured that Miss Garbo will make a story based on the life of Sara Bernhardt.

Some of the most unusual war scenes ever filmed are shown in Pola Negri's next Paramount production, "Hotel Imperial." "In this drama of love, war and intrique, which g|ves Pola the finest vehicle of her career, greater even than 'Passion,' an entirely new conception of drama has been combined with the most extraordinary camera technique ever used. Having as its fundamental purpose the portrayal of the reactions of war upon individuals, the battlefields are suggested rather than pictured. Through the unusual methods employed, Erich Pommer, former head of Ufa, has given a swift mental picture of the inferno of conflict, with a sweep of limitless fighting fronts, that leaves an indelible impression—one that is retained throughout the drama. As a result, 'Hotel Imperial' is unlike any war picture ever attempted," said a critic.

Jack Holt's career has been as picturesque as the parts he plays in the motion pictures. He has lived the life of the open air, and was well acquainted with the broad vistas of the far West long before he even faced a camera lens. If early environment:is any. indication of a man's future life, Holt's career should have "been a quiet one, for he was a Virginian born, the son-of an Episcopal clergyman. The paths of learning led him, however, to the Virginia Military Academy, from Which he was graduated with a civil engineer's degree and an incipient restlessness. ■" He worked at his profession for a railroad and gave this up in,favour of cattle punching in Oregon. To this experience, he owes his expert horsemanship. And then one day* he found himself in San Francisco with £6 in his pocket and no job in sight. He took, a chance. The chance consisted of jumping a horse off a towering cliff into a river several hundred feet below while

the camera registered the 6cene. That little stunt cost him four weeks in the hospital, but when he came out a motion picture contract was waiting for him. Today he is .considered the typical Zane Grey hero, being picked by Zane Grey himself to play in his picture. His latest screen appearance is in "T he Mysterious Eider,'* the Para-mount-Zane Grey picture soon to be released, ■