THE ANSWER CORNER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 189, 12 August 1933, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE ANSWER CORNER.

REPLIES TO INQUIRIES. ©EE. —Laurence Olivier takes tlie rolo of Nicholas Randal, nephew of Lord Portleigli. iu " Perfect Understanding," with Sir Nigel Flayfair as Lord Tortleigli aud ' Michael Farmer (Gloria Swanson's husband) as George Drayton. Genevieve Tobin has the role of Kitty Drayton, while Nora Swinburne has a part as Lady Stephanie Fitzmaurice. Gloria Swanson has the central role of Judy Rogers. K.M.S. (Mount Eden).—l cannot tell you who played the author's wife in "Her First Affaire," having 110 information on the film whatever. The lady you refer to in "For the Love of Mike" was Mrs. liees (portrayed by Renee Macredy). The twins in "Wedding Rehearsal" were: Lady Maryrose, Wendy Barrle; Lady Rosemary, .Toan Gardner. The address from which to obtain photographs in New Zealand of 8.1.P. stars is British International Pictures, Guthrie Bowron Buildings, Albert Street, Auckland. H.B. (PonsonbyL—Tlie addresses you nsk for are as follow: Evelyn Daye, BritisliGaumont Studios, Shepherd's Bush, London : Gracie Fields, c/o Basil Dean, Associated Radio Pictures, Ealing. London; Gloria Stuart, Universal City, Hollywood, U.S.A.; Fay Wray, Radio Pictures. SSO, Gower Street, Hollywood; Joan Marsh, Columbia Studios, 1438. North Gower Street, Hollywood; Marion Davies and Nora Gr.egor, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Culver City, Hollywood; Ann Dvorak and Nance O'Neil, Warner Bros.' Studios. 5842, Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood ; Miriam Hopkins. Sylvia Sidney 11 nd Frances Dee, Paramount Pictures, 5451, Marathon Street, Hollywood. .

Constance Bennett and her husband, the Marquis de la Falaise de la Coudraye, are forming a motion-picture producing company called Bennett Productions. The first film will be made in the Eapt Indies.

A clause in Bette Davis' three-year contract has caused much comment in Hollywood. By this clause Bette undertakes not to sue her husband for divorce or legal separation during the terms of the contract.

The highest honour the United States Bavy can bestow on any civilian was conferred on Wallace Beery recently when he was made a lieutenant-com-mander in the U.S. Naval Reserve Force. This means that Wallace is classed as ft specialist, and is permitted to fly any pavy aeroplane. Aviation has been Beery's hobby for years.

Threo years ago a Hollywood studio made "The March of Time" while musicals were at their height. When the musical cycle ended abruptly the 600,000 dollars' worth of film was placed in the vaults, and pieces of it have been released from time to time as short subjects. Recently Moss Hart, of "Once in a Lifetime," hearing of the fabled production, suggested a treatment for it embracing several generations of the theatre, and this week the studio began working on a new version. Some 1500 dancers wero used in the original, and stars of yesterday, such as Weber and Fields, de Wolf Hopper, Barney Fagen, Josephine Sabel, Fay Templcton, Louis Mann, William Collier, sen., Marie Dressier and Edgar Smith, appear. Although with the added cost of tlio new story the studio will probably not get its investment back, it is believed that ■with the present popularity of musicals a. portion of the money can be salvaged. The new version wil] have Jackie Cooper, Alice Brady, Frank Morgan, "Russell Bardie, Madge Evans 1 Eddie Qui "an.

Prince Sigvard, second son of the Crown Prince of Sweden, has been busily at work in Berlin studios for some months. He is known as "Mr. Holgers," and specialises in miniature "sets" and effects —aircraft crashes, fogs, Atlantic storms and cloud arrangements. He starts his day's work at seven in the morning and seldom leaves before midnight. A considerable expense in production is saved when he brings off his clever photographic tricks successfully. Later he plans to carry on his cinematic work in liis native Sweden.

The war in the air, from the cockpit of Germany's greatest ace, Baron von Riclitliofen, is soon to become what promises to be one of the greatest motion pictures of thrill and spectacle ever produced. This was assured with the purchase of Floyd Gibbons' story, ' The Red Knight of Germany." The studio plans to make of this saga of the war in the air the* same stirring and notable record-breaking type of screen entertainment as "All Quiet on the Western Front" proved to be from the standpoint of the war on the ground.

"Cyrano de Bergerac" has found the fountain of youth. The lovable hero of Edmund Rostand's play, whose nose was so long that he found it most difficult to kiss the ladies of his heart—and there were several —has bridged the gap of time from the French war with Spam in IC4O, in which his swashbuckling escapades were originally experienced, to the World War of 1914. The modernisation of "Cyrano" will be effected by Merian C. Cooper, the executive producer. Strangely enough, the story of "Cyrano" is as ageless as Hamlet, which was successfully presented in modern dress, and it finds an equivalent in the modern times for every location and situation written so many years a<*o by Rostand. The play is intended as a stellar screen vehicle for John Barrymore, who seems to be going in more and more for colourful charaetei roles, as witness his charming professor in "Topaze."

When Eoscoe ("Fatty") Arbuekle died suddenly in New York on June 29 from heart trouble at the age of s_, lie lay in state" in the large funeral parlour on Broadway which, in 192G, was almost wrecked by the thousands who struggled to obtain a last view of the face of Rudolph Valentino. A tremendous favourite in the silent Slapstick era Arbuekle is remembered chiefly as the central figure in one of the most sensational scandals of the film colony. In 1921 Virginia Eappc, a minor actress, died after a drinking party, and Arbuekle was tried for manslaughter. He was acquitted after three trials, which cost him £25,000. Adolph Zukor, president of the Famous Players Lasky Corporation, then announced that his latest film would be released immediately and that on its reception would depend Arbuekle 6 future. What happened was that vehement protests were made by the Purity League and a number of other women's organisations; cowboys in Wyoming riddled the screen with bullets when Arbuckle's face appeared, and the film was hissed in Paris and London. Cancellation of the contracts involved a loss of £500,000. After 10 years of obscurity, durinw which lie ran a night club and appeared in vaudeville, Arbuckle's friends attempted to stage his "come-back, an<i lie did a number of short comedies.

Louise Fazenda (Mrs. Hal. Wallis) lias a . a^ ; V boy. Robert Montgomery and his wife announce the arrival of a baby girl. *

One of the major enterprises being contemplated in Hollywood at the moment is a talking picture of Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities." Warner Baxter will be featured in the production. Edwin Burke, whoso dialogue in "Bad Girl" won liim a prize from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, has been assigned to write the screen play and dialogue for the picture. Back in 1917 there was an earlier version of "A Tale of Two Cities," in which William Farnuin played the principal role.

Arrangements have been made by Sound Films Productions (N.Z.), Ltd., tho producers of the first weekly NewZealand newsreel, "Soundsceucs," to make a special film of the Grand National race week. Six cameras were detailed, and the staff cameramen from Wellington, Cliristcliurcli and Duncdin cooperated. Similar arrangements are being made to cover the Canterbury v. Southland Ranfurly Shield match. The newsreel now has camera reporters spread over New Zealand on the lookout for subjects worth filming.

In the British film version of "Britannia of Billingsgate," Mrs. Bolton, a fishporter's wife and keeper of a fried-fish shop, is terribly nervous that her first appearance on the screen will be a failure. Violet Loraine, who plays the part, was quite as nervous when making the film as the character she imperson-" ates. In the end the staff of the company did not believe in the film, and yet it has proved one of the most successful British pictures. Like Mrs. Bolton, Violet Loraine, whose first picture it is, has at oneo made a name for herself as a film actress.

"Monsters of the Deep," a thrilling story of whale hunting, will be Richard Dix's next starring production after the completion of that virile star's current vehicle, "The Public Be Sold." Adventure on the high seas, exciting conflicts with giant denizens of the deep, a vessel attacked and battered to bits by a school of whales, and a mutiny aboard ship are the "highlights" of the film. Dix, as a two-fisted whaling man, is said to have a rugged characterisation of great foreo and power. Eric Linden and Helen Mack, two young players who are "flirting with stardom," will also be seen in important roles.

The Britigh-niade film "Tell Mc Tonight," featuring Jan Iviepura, in his second film (the first was "City of Song"), lias now completed 13 weeks at the Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne, with the "house full" sign at the door every evening, according to "The Graphic." It seems certain to reach the 19 weeks of "Sunshine Susie," or even the 23 weeks of "Jack's the Boy," says the journal. These three pictures, all British, are the only films to have run for four months during the depression in Melbourne. "Cavalcade," with its British theme, has now completed eleven weeks at the Plaza Theatre, Melbourne, with no sign of diminishing favour.

Is there room for two brothers in pictures? Hollywood in the past has said "No!" Brothers themselves, or at least those who arrive second on the scene, reply, "Why not?" Victor McLaglen and'his brother quarrelled and went to Court. The brother accused Victor of making derogatory remarks which ( kept him from finding studio employment. Adolphe Menjou's brother tried to find a niche in Hollywood, but failed. Syd Chaplin put in years trying to gain recognition, but remained "Charlie Chaplin's brother." Harold Lloyd's brother fared similarly. Now William Cagney, brother of James, has signed a contract. His first assignment is with Bruce Cabot in "The Balloon Buster."

The latest news about Greta Garbo is very interesting, but hardly believable. It is reported that under her new contract she will receive SOO,OOO dollars for two pictures.

Mario Dressier, whose health lias not been too good for some time, may retire from the screen after she finishes the picture on which she is now engaged— "Tugboat Annie"—with Wallace Beery.

Sir Guy Standing, who is now playing his first screen role in "The Story of Temple Drake," played Hannibal in Jane Cowl's "The Road to Rome" on the stage.

Mary Pickford, the famous film star, has inherited over £200.000 from the estate of her mother, Mrs. Charlotte Smith. In addition the will directs that three trust funds of £50.000 are to be created for the benefit of Lottie Pickford Forrest, a daughter; Jack Pickford, and Charlotte Pickford, a granddaughter. The mention of Jack Pickford has tragic significance, for he died after the will was made. Sensational testimony was given in court by Tom Mix during the 50,000dollar suit brought against him by his former wife. He testified that nine years ago Victoria Forde, liis wife at the time, shot him in the arm during a quarrel, and that at the time he gave out that he had accidentally shot himself in order to shield his wife. The suit brought against him by his ex-wife is for the collection of five 10,000-dollar promissory notes, which the actor refuses to pay, claiming they were signed by him because lie had no alternative.

Did you know that Lilyan Tashman owns the only ounce of a certain perfume in tlio world, an ounce of scent that is supposed to represent the work of a man's lifetime? There ,is an interesting story behind it. When she and her husband, Edmund Lowe, were in Paris last year, they entertained a Parisian perfume-maker. This man had worked to achieve a unique perfume, and had at last completed one ounce. In a moment of generosity ho presented it to the charming Lilyan, and afterwards destroyed the formula. Miss Tashman says that only one drop of tho perfume is necessary to make the cdour linger on a garment as long as there is any fabric left.

"Secret of the Skies," a new Australian film, is rapidly nearing completion. Since the return of the company from location some weeks ago, work has been steadily proceeding at the new St. Kilda Studios, Melbourne. "Secret of the Skies," an adaptation of the story by Brewer, will be the first Australian air drama. It is the story o: a marooned air liner, and the main action takes place in the Australian Alps. The intricacies of the chief mechanist's job will be apparent when it is pointed out that the original air liner used in this production had to be duplicated both on location and at the studio. The passengers are shown leaving the aerodrome in the original 'plane, then seated in the studio replica, and, lastly, they aro seen in the mountains with a further model of the 'plane, which, incidentally, is the largest exterior property ever constructed in Australia. Both the interior and exterior models were built to full scale, and on the screen it is impossible to distinguish replica from original.