THE ANSWER CORNER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue LXI, 12 July 1930, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE ANSWER CORNER.

REPLIES TO INQUIRIES. B*M. —It was John Barrymore and not Lionel who had the lead in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." O.N. —Norma Shearer is 25 years old and Robert Montgomery is 26. Bob is still single. Clara Bow's next picture will be "True to the Navy," and she has seven leading men. P.C. —To settle all disputes, Loretta Young was born on January 6, 1913. Her mother has withdrawn her annulment suit and Loretta and her husband, Grant Withers, are living happily together. S.G. —Ken Maynard is married to a very charming lady. She is a nonprofessional, and her maiden name went into complete oblivion when she took the name of Maynard. Arthur Lake, who reaches 6ft, was born in 1905. The lad has light hair, blue eves, and is still single. S.B. —Here are some Kentuckyites: Robert Agnew, Joyce Compton, D. W. Griffith, Norma Lee, Mary Nolan, Sally Rand and Francis Mac Donald. John Holland was born in Kenosha, Wis., on June 11, 1599. He is 6ft 2Jin tall, weighs lSolb, and has brown hair and blue eyes. AJ). —Lew Ayres was born in Minneapolis on December 28, about 20 years ago. He is sft llin tall, weighs 1551b, and has dark brown hair and dark blue eyes. For three years prior to his movie debut he played and sang with various dance orchestras. He is under a five-year contract to Universal, and plays the lead in "All Quiet on the Western Front." L.J.—Morton Downey is in his late twenties and is married to Barbara Bennett, sister of Joan and Constance. Ruth Chatterton was born in York York. Barbara Kent was born in Gadsby, Alberta, Canada, on December 16, 1909. Her real name is Barbara Cloutman. In "Flight" Jack Holt played the part of Panama and Ralph Graves was Lefty. "Charlie's Aunt" is to be made into a talking film. '•The Front Page" will be Howard Hughes' next production, following the release of "Hell's Angels." Lovers of beauty, dancing and music filould be more than satisfied when the all-colour production "Sally" is shown. , This picture has lavfsh colour and clever eomedy. There are more than eighty prominent speaking characters in "Abraham Lincoln," now nearing completion. The film also contains 95 different settings —a record number for a motion picture. Douglas Fairbanks proposes to make ft picture against a background of ancient Athens and glorifying the Olympiad. He hopes, to set forth the ideas of the early culture of Greece in a story dealing with the athletic triumphs of its youth.

•Alice White will shortly be seen in h«r first technicolour picture, "Show Girl In Hollywood." In this production the real Hollywood, with all its tinsel and heartbreaks—its comedy and its tragedy—is presented.

"Son of the Gods," Richard Barthelmess' latest picture, is adapted from the Hex Beach novel, and contains a more startling theme than that of his beat known picture, "Broken Blossoms"—jto say nothing of a flaming love story with a crashing - .

The detective and mystery story is the most widely read of all types of literature. This is because mystery fiction meets the recreational needs of all classes, from the college professor, the scholar, the diplomat and the scientist, all the way down to the most primitive and untutored readers. That is the contention of Florence Ryerßon and Lloyd Corrigan, film writers. "There are several other reasons why this type of literature is closely followed," the writers state. "For one thing, mystery tales appeal directly to the intelligence and are a source of mental stimulation. Still another reason lies in the fact that mystery stories are outside the realm of everyday life. One reads tales of domestic unhappiness or true-to-life stories mitfl these come too close to home. Then the reader hurries to a mystery story because it does not, as a rule, touch on ftuigs which might happen to him."

'•'Eyes of the _ World," Harold Bell Wright's novel; is being filmed under the- direction of Henry King, who directed the same author's "Winning of Barbara Worth." Arthur Hammerstein, the New York impresoario, proposes to devote his activities exclusively to the production of motion pictures after presenting "The Bird of Paradise," and "Madeline," on the New York stage. -These are busy days for Loretta Young. Besides being cast for the role of Mrs. Newlywed, in real life, opposite Grant Withers —she has just completed a leading part in "The Man From Blankleys"—a riotous comedy, with John Barrymore in the starring role. Mr. Herbert Wilcox, the director of "Splinters," has decided to produce "Splinters in the Navy," with the original screen players. Mr. Wilcox has already gathered a great libretto of popular songs that will be mingled with the old naval songs, with which every Britisher is conversant. Lionel Belmore, an outstanding stage and screen player, has been signed for an important role in "Hell's Island," an attraction featuring Jack Holt and Ralph Graves. Belmore was first on the stage in support of Henry Irving, Lillian Langtry, Olga Nethersole and William Faversham. He deserted the footlights in 1911 for a film career, and has been in almost constant demand ever since.

Hollywood has a small army of men and women who live in evening clothes. Most of them are young, the men good looking and the girls attractive. Some of them have grey hair and specialise in dignity rather than beauty. They are the dress suit brigade of the film extra division. Dinner coats and evening gowns are their working clothes. • Ball room, night club, house parties and other scenes depicting social life are those for which they are called.

Horses, as well as human players, must pass rigid camera tests before they can qualify for motion picture euccees. Just as eome human beings photograph much better than others, such is the case with animals, necessitating that they be tested with equal care. This interesting information "comes from Otto Brower, a director of outdoor films. "Many animals that look beautiful to the eye do not appear so to the camera," he says. "White, sorrel and black horses are the ones that photograph best. Sorrels or blacks with white spots are almost certain to pass all camera teste."

Stage experience with a small stock company is the best training for a young actor or actress ambitious for a talking picture career, and in the future, practically all of the picture players will come from this source, asserts Miss Elsie Janis, former stage star. "Stock training is invaluable," she explains, "because it keeps the actor and actress working during practically every waking hour. When you are not playing in the theatre you are rehearsing for the next week's performance. This continued training of voice, body and mind is the ideal foundation upon which to construct a successful screen career."

Atmospheric music, used in the old days of silent pictures to put into proper mood the players in intensely dramatic scenes, has been introduced into the talkies. The stimulation of love scenes by pipe organ is the innovation made by Edmund Goulding, director, writer ■ and composer. He states: "I had the love scenes enhanced by organ music, because this puts players on a religious bask. AH religion which has survived the ages is built on love." Fifty per cent of the value of pipe organ music is that it subconsciously reminds an audience of a church. They remember a wedding, a funeral or the church days of their youth. The music calls to their hearts, and they register the proper response."

A famous author and a famous playwright are' responsible for the story of "Condemned!" Sidney Howard, Pulitzer prize winner with his play, "They Knew What They Wanted," adapted the story to screen form from "Condemned to Devil's Island," last year's best-selling novel of life in the French penal colony by Blair Mies. Wesley Ruggles was director of the picture. The feverinfested swamps which make escape from Devil's Island practically impossible, the sordid horrors of prison ships and squalid cells, combined with the growth of a pure love between a convict and a beautiful girl, give "Condemned!" unique and picturesque qualities. Its settings, designed by William Cameron Menzies, are said to be the most striking work ever done by this world-famous artist in picture settings.