THE ANSWER CORNER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 69, 22 March 1930, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE ANSWER CORNER.

replies to inquiries. N.M.— Evelyn Brent is oft 4in tall and weighs li2lb. W.G.—The picture you refer to was called "Beau Geste." jW.—Marion Da vies was born in Brooklyn, on January 1, 1900. jj.W.—Sally O'Neil was born in Bayonne, New Jersey, 21 years ago. H.M.—-Nancy Carroll was bom on ' November 19, 190ti, weighs 1181b, and is sft 4in tall. A.S —Dorothy Hall played the lead opposite Richard Dix in "Nothing But the Truth." KM. —Monte Blue and Rod Laßocque are not related, although there's a striking'resemblance between them. D.G. —Besides "The Letter" and "Jealousy," the late Jeanne Eagels played in a picture called "Man, Woman and Sin." H.J. —Chester Morris was born in New . York City on February IG, 1902, is sft 9in tall, weighs 1481b and has dark brown hair and grey eyes, is married and has a small son. B.L.—Josephine Dunn was married to William Cameron. Paul Page was born in Birmingham, Ala., in 1903, and was on the stage before entering the movies. The little Gaynor is 23. Clara Bow is one of the Brooklyn girls. N.J.—Nils Asther was married and divorced in Europe several years ago. He is at present optimistically studying English at the University of Southern California. William Powell is divorced and has a son. Lola Lane's latest is "The Girl From Havana." Ralph Forbes is married to Ruth Chatterton. Richard Arlen is cast as a "lead foot" in "Burning Up." It is the title given racing pilots who step hard on the throttle and take plenty of chances. Mary Brian plays the feminine lead. Dorothy Mackaill, beautiful blonde screen heroine, has been signed to play the leading feminine role in Ben Ames Williams' "A Very Practical Joke," which Dr. Berthold Viertel, noted European stage and film craftsman and former associate of Max Beinhart, will direct. Strange tricks of spiritualists, such as table tilting? and spirit rappings, are exposed in "The Thirteenth Chair," a vivid talking screen version of the famous stage play. Margaret Wycherly, as the medium, performs and then exposes several famous mysterious tricks in the play, which Tod Browning directed.

"And do you think that actresses should have lived roles to enable them to play them properly?" an interviewer asked Norma Shearer. "Not at all," smiled Norma, recalling "Mary Dugan," "Mrs. Cheyney" and similar parts she las played. "But if the actress doesn't happen to have imagination perhaps a little real life experience might be useful!" . A link to past history is among the players appearing in "Hallelujah," in the person of Harry Grey, wh oenacts the parson. Gray was born in slavery before the Civil War, which freed him. He was for a number of years a travelling evangelist, then editor of a negro newspaper in New York. He is 86 years of age. hallelujah" is a vivid drama of negro Kfe in the South, and in it are heard original negro spirituels and "blues," •fflig by a negro chorus. following criticism from the '©diibitors' Herald World" on "Disjjjaeli" shows what a fine portrayal Mr. .George Arliss gives of England's famous statesman, Disraeli: "I make brave to fessert that 'Disraeli' will be shown yhen most, if not all of the contemporary productions are forgotten. . . _• Jjike the Magna Charta, the declaration Of independence, and documents in kind, Mr. Arliss' 'Disraeli' is a thing to be put J®der glass and preserved. ... so long the English language is spoken and English history is considered important."

In "Honey," a new musical romancc, Nancy Carroll will speak, for the first ill the broad Irish brogue of hei C°Tinty Clare ancestors. "Honey" was v jd&pted from the stage comedy success Out of the Kitchen," and set to ®iuaio for production as * musical } comedy.

For the first time a talking motion picture is to be made with every foot of film recorded at the exact location of the story. With a cast headed by Warner Baxter and Mona Maris, and a company and staff of close to 200, Director, Alfred Santell has left Hollywood for a "ghost city," 30 miles from Rockville, Utah, to make "The Arizona Kid." The story, written directly for the screen by Ralph Block, is a glamorous tale of the old West. The gorgeous scenery of Brice Canyon, Zion National Park and other nearby spots will be included among the natural backgrounds. Baxter appears in the role of a devil-may-care caballero.

Nils Asther, whose fad is playing with animals at the zoo, has a new pet. It is a dog that boasts nine-tenths wolf blood, and looks exactly like a timber wolf. Strange to say, the animal, which rejoices in the name of "Stupid,' is exceedingly gentle despite his dangerous appearance.

Chester Morris has won the title role in "The Case of Sergeant Grischa." Every leading man in Hollywood who felt he was a "Grischa" put his talents to a test for Herbert Brenon, the director, but the search did not end until Chester Morris, a product of the stage, came along. Practically every member of the cast —Betty tlompson, Alec B. Francis, Paul McAllister, Gustav von Seyffertitz, Rudolph Schildkraut and others—had been selected before Brenon found his "Grischa."

"Many thousands of ex-soldiers who knew the old 'Bra Sat Theatre' in France, in the brief moments they spent out of the trenches, will recall with gratitude the cheery entertainments that were given by the Houge et Noirs' concert party, afterwards known as 'Splinters,'"' writes the critic of the "News of the World." "Formed at the instance of the late Lord Home and organised by a Lancashire comedian named Hal Jones, who worked miracles with crude material and under tremendous difficulties, 'Splinters' became an institution and did much to brighten the lives of the troops in those dreary, monotonous years of sacrifice and suffering. Now, thanks to the talkie, the spirit and romance of 'Splinters,' and the atmosphere of those far-off days have been recaptured. 'Splinters' is unique. It is not merely a first-class musical show, it is a page of history true in every detail. One sees as actually happened a bewildered Tommy hauled out of the front line and ushered into the presence of august personages at Army headquarters, there to be given instructions to organise a concert party. There were many trials and tribulations, but 'Splinters' at last trhirr>Vj°d."

Reginald Denny has been signed for the chief male role in Cecil B. De Mille's new production, "Madame Satan." May Boley, famous vaudeville and musical comedy star, has been chosen to play tlie part of Fannie Kaye, the jazz queen in "The Song Writer," epic of Tin Pan Alley, which Marshall Neilan will direct, with Lawrence Gray and Merna Kennedy in the principal roles. John ■Barrymore's most interesting production since "Beau Brummel" and one which marks his debut on the talking screen is "General Crack." At last John Barrymore has been given the opportunity to display his talents through the medium of the talking film, and dialogue has given him that something that was lacking in his silent screen portrayals. The production is lavish, and one colour sequence, the coronation scene, is as brilliant and as massive as anything that has yet been seen on the screen.

Tlie demand for capable linguists for talking motion pictures is becoming greater every <lay in Hollywood. Used at first to lend a foreign atmosphere to talking pictures, as groups in. European cafes or street crowds, and _ in small character parts, bi-lingual artists are now being sought for important supporting roles in which they may be called upon to speak two languages fluently. An actress of that nature is now being sought to play ons of the chief supporting roles in "Ladies Love Brutes." The woman must be capable as an actress as well as a finished linguist. The role is' that of George Bancroft's screen mother, who starts the picture as an Italian immigrant and later, having mastered English while her son grows wealthy, endeavours to enter society.

With the increase in the scope of the stories presented on the talking screen, the depicting of events in past centuries, and of life in foreign countries, greater care than ever before must be exercised in the ..presentation of realistic detailb. In silent days scenery was sufficient to obtain the required atmosphere, but tho picture-going public now demand realism in the introduction of the characters as well. That is the opinion of Richard Wallace, the director of "Seven Days' Leave." War-time London forms the atmospheric background, and many of tha quaint Cockney characters so wellknown to English people are realistically depicted in the production. One of the characters presented is that of a musichall "busker," a vendor of sheet-music, "who marches along tlie waiting lines of patrons singing the 6ongs featured in tat theatre.

"Broadway Scandals," a bright, snappy all-talking, dancing musical revue, is shortly to be presented m Auckland. Of the picture the critic of the London "Cinema" writes as follows: "Criticism of this familiar story is disarmed by the prodigality of its staging, for m this latter connection it certainly goes one better than any of the predecessors. Such is the aggregated appeal of chorus girls, tuneful songs, clever dancing, and at least one hearty splash of burlesque that its narrative ceases to matter. It may be recorded that this latter deals with a humble double act, which breaks up to allow the man to take a Broadway engagement and the girl to become a chorus girl in the same At the height of the season the latter interpolates a burlesque of the leading lady and is dismissed. Her old-time partner also leaves out of sympathy and the lovers resume their. partnership. The role of the hero is played by Jack Egan, who sings his "blues" numbers plaintively and dances expertly, and opposite is Sally O'Neil, who scores a personal hit in her burlesque of Valeska, a Broadway stage star. The latter is cleverly played by Carmel Myers, complete with French accent, and her oldtime flair for vamping."