THE ANSWER CORNER.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 279, 24 November 1928, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE ANSWER CORNER.

READERS' INQUIRIES ANSWERED. I.T.L. (Takapuna)—Gilbert Roland is twenty-four years old, FAN (Mt. Albert).—Mary Astor played opposite John Barrymore in "Don Juan."

X.C. (Kingsland)—Richard Arlen is at * present playing in "Dirigible." Write him at the Paramount studio, 5451, Marathon Street, Hollywood, California. Mary Brian is playing opposite Charles Rogers in "Just Twentyi One." Write her at Paramount also. E.A.K. (Epsom)— Ronald Colman will be seen next in "Two Lovers," which will be his last picture with Vilma Banky. Following that he will appear in "The Rescue," in which Lili Damita, a newcomer to the screen, brought especially from France, will play the female lead.

BLUEBIRD (Te 'Kauwhata).—Rudolph Valentino died on August 23, 1926, at the age of .31. At that time he was not marriefl. Renee Adoree was born in Lille, France, in 1902. That is Fred Thomson's right name. Charles Chajlin is not married. He was. born inJLondon on April 16, 1889. G.J.K. (Newmarket)— Billie Dove, Jack Tilulhall and Colleen Moore at the First National studio, Burbank, California; William Powell, Clara Bow, Wallace Beery and Eaymond Hatton, Paramount (see N.C.); Dolores Costello at the Warner Studio, 5842, Sunset Blvd., Holl., Cal.

Baclanova, Paramount's Russian featured player, has been added to tbe cast .of the new George Bancroft starring picture for Paramount. "The Wolf of Wall Street." She recently completed a role ■with Bancroft in "The Docks of York."

Montagu Love has the "heavy" male lead in Colleen Moore's new vehicle, "Synthetic Sin." He has just completed roles in First National's great superspecial for Corinne Griffiths, "The Di™e Lady," and a mystery story, The Haunted House."

Cecil B de Mille has made his final .choice for his first picture to he produced in affiliation with Metro-Goldwyn-•jMayer. This will he a strictly modern story with a society background, from an original by Jeanie MacPherson. It is understood that De ilille will create many novelties for this picture.

"The Veiled Woman," an absorbing story of Paris life, will he the first production made by Emmett Flynn since his return to the Fox studios after an absence of about two years. During his earlier association of eight years with Fox Films, Flynn directed "A Connecticut Yankee," "Monte Cristo," "The Man Who Came Back," "The Untamed,' .and other big hits.

Norma Talmadge officially becomes a United Artist wjth the release of "The Dove." In her debut as a United Artist, her role is that of Dolores Romero, a. heroine of many moods. "The Dove" is a colourful narrative of a virtuous dance hall girl, a courageous young American, and "the bes' cabalerro'in all Costa Roja," Don Jose Maria y Sandoval. Noah Beery and Gilbert Roland play opposite Miss Talmadge.

The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer actors, William Haines, Karl Dane, and Tully Marshall, appear as the three crooks in "Alias Jimmy Valentine," and attend the village church in one of the funniest sequences of the picture. "Now, Karl," said the director, "just pretend you haven't been to church for ten years, and everything will be 0.K." "Karl has all the "breaks,"' commented Haines, bitterly, "he always gets the roles where ,-all he has to do is to be natural."

■'At the conclusion of the premiere of Betty Balfour's latest production from British International pictures, "Paradise," at the London Hippodrome, an enthusiastic ovation was given by the huge audience to Miss Balfour, who, to the persistent cries of a speech, had to say ■a few words. When Mjss Balfour emerged into the vestibule of the theatre some time later, hundreds of people were waiting for her and loud cheers greeted her appearance. Miss Balfour was lifted shoulder-high and carried across the vestibule to her car. "Paradise" is scheduled for release by Cinema Art Films.

As a soldier and as a private, Victor McLaglen is believed to have contributed his two best screen roles to date. Some months ago, as the illimitable Captain Flagg of Eaoul Walsh's epic of the screen, "What Price Glory," Mr. McLaglen gave the outstanding portrayal of the year, and won the acclaim of millions. Just recently he has completed another equally colourful role as Sailor Frink in Fox Films' picturisation of Charles Francis Coe's story, "The River Pirate." This super-production is expected to be classed as one of the ten leading pictures for the coming i season.

From the pen of one of the most -widely read authors of fiction ("Sapper") a story of beautiful memories and a noble heritage, and set in the sacred fields of Flanders, will be the first big British International picture to be released during the coming year by Cinema Art Films, entitled "Poppies of Flandert,." The "Daily Mail" states after viewing this picture: "'Poppies of Flanders' can stand comparison in every respect, technically, dramatically and artistically with the finest American production, and come out of the ordeal with success." An all-British cast plays in the picture, including Eve Gray, the .Australian actress, Jameson. Thomas, "Malcolm Todd t»d '&&>" l&cbmglSm

An original story, "The Haunting Melody," written by the young Australian playwright, John Farrow, will form the basis of the next Paramount picture co-starring Pay Wray and Gary Cooper. The picture will be made with dialogue and music.

Robert Julian, who directed "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Three Faces East," has been added to the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer roster, and will make a mystery melodrama for that organisation. No further production details have been announced*.

Claire Windsor will play the feminine lead opposite Victor McLaglen in a new Fox picture, temporarily titled, "The Wastrel." J. G. Blystone, who recently completed "Mother Knows Best," from Edna Ferber's popular novel, has been assigned to direct this production.

The famous jockey, Tod Sloan, plays an important role in Universale "Hot Heels," the race track comedy, starring Glenn Tryon. Patey Ruth Miller enacts the feminine lead, while the supporting cast includes Gretel Yoltz, Lloyd Whitlock, James Bradbury, sen., William Craft directed.

A new story, "Marquis Preferred," has been purchased by Paramount for the next Adolphe Menjou starring production to follow "His Private Life," at present filming at the Paramount studios. Frank Tuttle, who is directing the latter picture, will also have the charge of "Marquis Preferred."

Harry Beaumont will direct "Broadway Melody" for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The new story, an original by Edmund Golding, is highly dramatic, dealing with life along New York's great White Way. It will contain dialogue sequences. Bessie Love and Anita Pago will play the leading feminine roles and other selections for the cast will be announced later.

The latest addition to the Paramount picturisation of the famous Mason novel, "The Four Feathers," is Clive Brook. Others in the cast are Richard Arlen, Fay Wray, Noah Beery, Arnold Kent, Noble Johnson, and Theodore von Eltz. Merian Cooper and Ernest Schoedsack, the makers of "Chang," are directing the studio scenes. -

Albert Gran, a brilliant character actor, who came into prominence for his role of "Papa Bool" in "Seventh Heaven," gives a great performance in the Fcx Film, "The Farmer's Daughter." He almost steps out of the character, one might say, in his portrayal of an American man of business and wealth, but every detail that characterises the artist is there in his every move and every bit of business. Miss Marjorie Beebe has the leading role in the production.

Coincidental with the release of "Four Devils," an F. W. Murnau production for Fox, in \tbich she is featured, Janet Gaynor will be hard at work on "Street Fair," based on an original story by Tristram Tupper, author of "The River." In this picture the little star of "Seventh Heaven" and "Street Angel" will be directed by William K. Howard. Charles Morton will supplant Charles Farrell in the love interest, Farrell currently playing in "Our Daily Bread." Rudolph Schildkraut heads the supporting cast.

"Secrets of the East," the Ufa spectacle which was recently shown privately in London, is, in the opinion of all those who have seen it, the greatest entertainment that has been seen in London for many months. Apart from its colourful pictorial value, its dramatic thrills, romance and skill, make it wonderfully entertaining through every fool. Ivan Petrovitch, who appeared in, "The Garden of Allah," with Alice Terry, plays the handsome Oriental Prince. The film is listed for release by Cinema Ari Films during 1929.

"Adam's Apple," the British International picture starring the well-known comedian Monty Banks, is one of the most amusing comedies yet made in England. Among the many laughter raising* situations one which strikes the spectator as being the funniest is the idea of a honeymoon trip in Europe by an American couple. The hectic rush round Paris fn a taxi, the humorous situations on the top of a London house, and the sight-seeing of London during one of its dense fogs, has made this comedy one of the outstanding of the year.

Paramount have signed Jeanne Eagels, noted star, to appear in Somerset Maugham's play, "The Letter."

Gary Cooper and Nancy Carroll are co-featured in "The Shop Worn Angel," recently put into production at the Paramount studios. Paul Lukas is to play a heavy role in coming scenes. Richard Wallace is directing.

"Brass Band," an original story of modern society, by Josephine Lovett, who wrote "Our Dancing Daughters," will he Jack Conway's next directorial assignment at the Mctro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios. Conway has just completed "Alias Jimmy Valentine," William Haines' new starring vehicle.

First National's sea epic, "The Exploits of the Eniden," which was made with the co-operation of the German and Australian navies, is shortly to be released in New Zealand. Dealing as it docs with the adventures of the German raider Emden, which was responsible for two million pounds' worth of damage to British shipping, the film depicts with remarkable realism the career and ultimate destruction of this pestiferous little foe. The battle between the Sydney and Emden off Cocos Islands, is one of the most spectacular ever filmed, a thrilling climax to an inspiring production.

Accurate and convincing settings are one of Norman Dawn's numerous fetishes. It was his thirst for realism that took Australasian Films' company of players to the Fijian Islands to film "The Adorable Outcast." the screen adaptation of Beatrice Grimshaw's novel, "Conn of the Coral Seas." There, Mr. Dawn knew, lay a field of glorious tropical locations. There against the splendour of palmed hills, mighty waterfalls, the lazy tapestry of island spangled lagoons, and sunny stretches of cocotree fringed beaches many of the scenes of the story were taken. The services of hundreds of natives, whoso natural knowledge of all island details in dress, custom and history materially helped in the avoidance of mistakes in the action of the film, were used.

Edward Sloman, actor, writer and director, is responsible- for the splendid direction of the new Universal drama, "Heart of a Nation." Sloman made a location trip to Now York, ■where he collected considerable data concerning the lives and customs of America's adopted eons and daughters, for use in his heartstirring drama of a foreign'family passing Ellis Island to take out naturalisation papers. As Sloman pointed out, there is often stark tragedy underlying this Americanisation process. The children so easily absorb the atmosphere and language of their adopted land, but the old folks live, think and act just as they did in the Old Country. The situation of misunderstanding which is created between the older and younger generation of the foreign-born people forms the theme for "Heart of a Nation."

Dolores del Rio has completed her latest United Artists' picture, "Revenge." "Revenge" is the third picture Miss del Rio has completed for United Artists under the direction of Edwin Carewe. It is a picturisation of Konrad Bercovici's "The Bear Tamer's Daughter."

Jewish films have been a vogue in Hollywood of late, and the casts have been recruited from all over America. A number of kosher restaurants have sprung up in the vicinity of the studios specialising in this work, and are doing a thriving business.

The sound-synchronised version of the Paramount picturisation of Anne Nichols' "Abie's Irish Rose" is now completed, and Nancy Carroll and Charles Rogers will be heard singing several songs during the course of the production. Sound effects were also added to the various sequences of the production. Jean Hereholt has an important featured role in this picture.

Conrad Nagel has been signed by Pox Films to play the lead with June Collyer in "Husbands are Liars," which Ray Cannon wrote and will direct. Sharon Lynn also will have an important part in this production. Cannon, who has been best known as a scenario writer, having written some of Douglas McLean's funniest farces, was signed byPox officials after they had seen his personally produced, "Life's Like That."

Billy Butts, a clever nine-year-old boy, has a prominent role in "None But the Brave," featuring Charles Morton and Sally Phipps. Billy Butts gives promise of outstepping Jackie Coogan. _ His performance as an orphan waif in "None But the Brave," stamps the freckledfaced youngster as an artist in pantomime. The photo-play tells the story of the evolution of an egotistical college youth into a man of the world.

Mary Odette has been playing in the Indian film, "Emerald of the East." The exterior scenes have been made in India. Mary Odette takes the leading role_ of an Indian princess. The other leading role, that of a young English girl, is played by Gillian Dean, for whom a brilliant screen future is prophesied. When this production is completed, Gillian Dean is to take the role of the heroine in Norman Walker's production, "Widdi-j combe Fair."

Now that Joan Crawford and Doug. Fairbanks, jnr., have announced their engagement, they are busy denying the persistent rumour that they were married some five months ago. Some of this insistence is due to the fact that Joan Crawford wears a slim diamond band on her finger. And in her home, photographs of Doug., jun., autographed to "my dear wife," are said to be greatly in evidence. The life of a star is continuous denial. Denial of food and denial of rumour. In between attending to' these two matters, there are the necessary gestures of doing eight' to twelve hours before the camera; doing the daily stint with the beauty expert; getting in the daily six dozen every star must do to keep the figure just right. Of course autographing pictures and answering important letters is great fun. And all the spare time is simply wasted by these idle creatures.

Production lias commenced at the Paramount studios of "The Tong War," the second picture of the year in which Wallace Beery appears in a dramatic role. Florence Vidor is playing the contrasting part of a concert singer .under the direction of William Wellman, the young Paramount director who was responsible for the production of the air epic, "Wings," "The Legion of the Condemned," and "Beggars of Life."

Camera work on Fox Films' "The Case of Mary Brown" is completed, and the story is now in the process of editing. "The Case of Mary Brown" features Lois Moran and George O'Brien, and .promises revelations in camera wizardry. Maria Alba and Don Terry, youthful Fox Films' "finds," will be seen in the picture. Others in the cast include Earle Foxe, Craufurd Kent, Fritz Feld, John Kelly, Andy Clyde, Phillip Smalley and Robert Homans. The story Avas written by Charles Francis Cob, the author of "The River Pirate" and "Me, Gangster," both Fox Films productions.

British Dominion Films have received advice that "Chick," the second of the Edgar Wallace films, was most enthusiastically received by the London exhibitors at a trade screening recently. "Chick" shows this famous author in a gay mood, and is something different from his usual thrilliug stories. It is the romantic story of a young London clerk (played by Bramwell Fletcher, the new film find) who suddenly inherits a peerage. A remarkable set is'that of the House of Lords. Trilby Clark, the beautiful Australian actress, has the leading feminine role.

Because of Alaska's inability to meet the housing demands of the three thousand men and women who appeared constantly during the filming of "The Trail of '98," the famous Chilkoot Pass sequence of' the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer production was filmed at the crest of the Continental Divide, as the mountain tops above Colorado are known. Location scouts from the Culver City studios traversed more than a hundred thousand square miles of territory before locating a topographical duplicate of the famous pass, over which thousands of prospectors struggled' towards the land of gold in the most fambusstampede inhistory.

Crighton Hale, noted as a screen hero, plays the oddest kind of a villain —a man with good qualities, swayed to treachery by jealousy, in "Anne Laurie." It is a dramatic tale of Scotland, based on history.

_ William Austin, the well-known English screen comedian, has an important featured role in the second Charles Rogers' starring production for Paramount, "Just Twenty-one." Mary Brian has the feminine lead.

With the addition of Delorcs Brinkman, the cast of "The Mysterious Island" is now complete. Others in the cast are Lloyd Hughes, Jane Daly, Montagu Love, Lionel Barrymore, Harry Gribbon, and Gibson Gowland. Lucien Hubbard is directing for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer from Jules Verne's novel of the same name.

Next year the Auckland 'branch of Paramount will sell on an open market. In the past Paramount have always let a contract to one of the Queen Street exhibitors, hut this year they have changed their policy completely. Mr. E. Kirby, the Auckland manager, says there are some excellent films for release in the new year.

Among the many United Artists coming attractions is a new Henry King production entitled "She Goes To War." The principal character is to be played by Eleanor Boardman, supported by Gertrude Astor and Al St. John. The picturo deals vividly with the mental and moral strain of war on the character of a young society girl.

With the entire film industry acclaiming the Fox Film "Mother Knows Best" as nothing short of a sensation, John G. Blystone, who directed it, is centring all his attention on "Life's a Gamble," which shortly goes into production, featuring Victor McLaglen. The cast is practically complete, and will have Clairo Windsor in the leading feminine role with a typical Blystone all ■ star support, the personnel of which includes Clyde Conk, Kobert Sanborn, Albert Conti and Earle Foxe.

First National Studios arc facing another period of activity, six important pictures bonis: in various stages of production. Colleen Moore is making lier next special, "Synthetic Sin," with Antonio Moreno, and Billy Dove lias almost completed "Adoration." Richard Berthelmess is busy on the interiors of "Scarlet Seas," with Betty Compson as his leading woman, while Dorothy Mackaill and Milton Sills have returned from making several sequences of "Stranded in Paradise," a glamorous story adopted from Donn Byrne's "Changeling," which is to have dialogue as well as sound effects. Alice White is well on the way with "Ritzio Rosie" with Jack Mulhall and Thclma Todd heading the supporting east. In addition Ken Maynard lias just completed "The Lawless Legion."

Space is at such a premium at motion picture studios in Hollywood that the buildings of Paramount Studios themselves are so designed that they may be used as exteriors for certain pictures. The big dressing room building is constructed so as to appear as a row of apartment buildings. For instance, when Clara Bow enters her dressing room she appears to be walking into a brown stone front. What appears to bo the main entrance to a largo hotel is really the door of Emil Jannings' dressing room. The end of the executive building that houses the office of Jesse L. Lasky, vice-president of Paramount, is of old English architecture. The.middle of the building is French, and the other end Spanish stucco. Certain scenes which were part of the Nancy Carroll-Richard Arlen production, "Manhattan Cocktails," were filmed in the square of lawn in the middle of the studio grounds, which has the appearance of a park. The wardrobe building, the electrical shop,' everything in the studio plays a screen role. Even the entrance jjates were used recently as the entrance to a royal castle.