THE ANSWER CORNER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 85, 11 April 1931, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE ANSWER CORNER.

replies to inquiries. The part of the sisters' brother in "Holiday" was played by Monroe Owsley, Broadway stage favourite. Ann Harding, who is 24 years old, was last under contract to Eos Films for '•East Lynne." gj). Charles Farrell was married recently to Virginia Valli. rX— Nancy Carroll's next film is "Stolen Heaven." Phillips Holmes heads the supporting cast. VAN. —James Hall was born in Texas, October, 1900. He is sft llin tall, has brown hair and blue eye». His real name is Brown, and he is divorced from Irene Hamilton. Latest films, "Hell's Angels" and "Millie." NE.—The Auckland release of "One * Heavenly Night" has been postponed for one month. "Cimarron" was written by Edna Ferber and adapted for the screen by Howard Easterbrook. The excellent work done by Robert Ames in "Millie," now in the final stages of production, plus his previous popularity, won for him the male lead in "Behind Office Doors" (formerly titled "Private Secretary"), opposite Mary ißtor. It will be remembered that Ames also played opposite Mary Astor in "Holiday," which scored one of the current season's greatest hits. Three noted comedians are featured iii "Big Money." Eddie Quillan, James Gleason, and Robert Armstrong head the cast.. Any one of them in a cast is sufficient guarantee that the comedy situations will be well taken care of, and with the three of them together it is predicted that "Big Money" should prove a first-class comedy. Others featured in the cast are Miriam Seegar, Dorothy Christy, Robert Gleckler, Margaret Livingston, Robert Edeson, and Charles Sellon.

Sidney Fox, one of tie most promising of the younger stage stars, was signed (in a five-year contract recently. Miss Fox was last seen in New York in the Broadway production "Lost Sheep," the comedy hy Belford Forrest. Carl I.&emmle, jun., saw her play in this production while he was in New York, and the present contract, which will eventually make Miss Fox a star, was the result. The signing of Miss Fox completes a quartet of four New York stars to whom Carl Laemmle, jun., has given their first screen opportunities. Genevieve Tobin went to the Coast from tlie cast of "Fifty Million Frenchmen," and made her film debut in "A Lady Surrenders," in which she scored a great hit. Rose Hobart, following her great success in "Death Takes a Holiday," made her screen debut in "A Lady Surrenders," and has now returned temporarily to the stage to star in "Trade Winds." The fourth New York stage celebrity is Margaret Adams. _ Her latest stage appearance prior to joining Universal was in "Three Little Girls."

A military band of 50 pieces, trained to play the Btirring march of the French Foreign Legion, was placed under contract for work on "Morocco," the adven-ture-romanc® in which Gary Cooper and Marlene Dietrich co-star. The band added its inspiring tempo to the quickstep of 1200 troops marching across the desert. Josef von Sternberg directed, with Adolphe Menjou heading the cast. Frederick Lonsdale, English dramatist ftnd author, was one of the privileged few to view Charlie Chaplin's "City Lights" before it was placed on public exhibition. "It is magnificent," declared Lonsdale. "It has everything. A riot °f wit and broad comedy, shot through with pathos. In my judgment, I think it is the best thing Chaplin has ever done, I believe that future generations will resurrect Chaplin's tattered comedies and study them as reverently as they Dow study Italian primitives. He will be spoken of as people now speak of Grunaldi, only Ms :taine will be a hundred-fold greater than Grimaldi's, because the film audience is universal." Chaplin's "City Lights" will be shortly released throughout New Zealand. As stated by Frederick Lonsdale, it is the very best screen presentation the comedian genius has <jver offered. The story runs true to life in a big city. Chaplin plays the part of a tramp, and the other prominent members of the east are Virginia Cherrill, a newcomer to the screen, as a blind flower girl, and Harry Myers, as an eccentric millionaire, chief foil to the star. There is no dialogue in the production, but the picture is fully synchronised with music a nd sound effects.

"Cimarron," Howard Esterbrook"B great story outlining the growth of a town in the Middle West, will open a season at the Plaza Theatre shortly. The character of Yancey, pioneer and dreamer, who champions the cause of right in the new town and fights his way to the bitter end, is brilliantly portrayed by Richard Dix. The cast also includes Irene Dunne, Estelle Taylor, Nance O'Neill, and William Collier, jun. Wesley Ruggles was responsible for one of the most artistic film productions in the history of the screen.

Although "Beyond Victory" has war as its background, battle scenes actually take very little part in the production. It features for its theme the great work done by the women during the war, having four different episodes, which are in turn linked by a fifth and final episode. In order to make each episode the essence' of perfection, E. B. Derr has assigned a separate author to each, whilst the cast assembled is headed by William Boyd, Helen Twelvetrees, Lew Cody, James Gleason, Fred Scott, and Robert Gleason.

"Body and Soul" features Charles Farrell in the leading role, opposite new leading lady, Elissa. Landi. larrell, recently voted the most popular male star of pictures, needs no introduction to fans of this country. Miss Landi, however, is a newcomer to American films. She scored triumphs on both stage and screen in Europe, and then repeated her success on the Broadway stage before signing with the films. Critics are hailing her as the most sensational screen "find" for years. Myrna Loy, famous screen siren, and Humphrey Bogart, former Broadway star, arc the other featured players in this production, which-is based on "Squadrons," the stage play by Elliott White Springs and A. E. Thomas.

The bare leg fad has been denounced by all of the stage's foremost producers of musical comedies on the grounds that a leg encased in silk stockings is far more beautiful than the nude limb. Laurence Schwab, who directed the technicolour screen mu6icale, "Follow Through," stated that all chorus girls appearing on Broadway have been required to wear hosiery. "Hosiery gives the leg a distinct and sharp outline," says Schwab. "The sheen and lustre of silk hosiery enhances the roundness and form of the leg. In contrast, a bare leg looks flat. An ankle appears slimmer in hosiery than bare, and then there are blemishes that no amount of powder can effectively cover. Bare tanned legs look healthy, but not as pretty as those encased in silk. Even if you want to give the effect of bare legs, it is better to wear flesh or tanned colour stockings." During the filming of "Follow Through," in which Charles Rogers and Nancy Carroll are co-starred, Schwab permitted bare legs only in scenes where sports costumes were worn. The cast includes Zelma O'Neal, Jack Haley, Eugene Pallette, Kathryn Givney, and Claude King.

Seven more players have been selected to support Claudette Colbert and Fredric March in "Another Man's Wife." In addition to Charlie Ruggles and Ginger Rogers, the cast will include Monroe Owsley, Ralph Morgan, Leonard Carey, Jules Epailly, Janet MacLeay, and John Kearney, all well- known on stage or screen.

Another Australian has achieved success on the talking screen. He is Leon Errol, former Sydney University medical student, who is featured in* the leading comedy role of the amusing mysteryfarce, "Social Errors." He plays a similar role in, "One Heavenly Night." Errol, whose natural stage ability caused him to forsake medicine and eventually led him to New York, was for many years 6tar of the famous Ziegfeld Follies, and recognised as the funniest comedian on Broadway. During the height of his stage popularity he appeared in silent films with some success. However, it was necessary for the screen to become audible before the full scope of Errol's comedy could be appreciated. He appeared in a short skit, and his success in that led to the leading part in "Social Errors." That this film is perhaps the funniest ever to be produced on the screen is largely due to the wholesome, refreshing fooleries of Errol. "Social Errors," which was originally known as "Only Saps Work," will be released shortly in New Zealand. Appearing in other featured roles are Richard Arlen, Mary Brian, and Stuart Erwin.

"The Bat Whispers," Roland West's new film, has been . photographed on wide film for the mammoth screen, the 65 millimetre film version having been completed simultaneously with the standard 35 millimetre film. Robert H. Plauck was cameraman for the giant screen version, Ray Juue for the standard film picture. West, following the making of "Alibi," expressed his belief that natural progress of screen •entertainment would usher in the giant screen as a permanent theatre fixture. Accordingly, special equipment was ordered, including cameras, sound mechanism, and a projection machine. West ordered a 38-foot screen built on one of the huge stages at the studio, since no projection room there was large enough for showings of the magnified film. Then he made "The Bat Whispers" entirely at night, the cast reporting at 6 p.m., and being sworn to secrecy. The daily "rushes" were shown only at night. Chester Morris, star of "Alibi," now returns to the direction of the man who discovered him. Una Merkel is leading lady, and others in the cast include Gustav Von Seyffertitz, Grayce Hampton, Maude Eburen, Ben Bard, William Bakewell, Hugh Huntley, and Richard Tucker.