THE ANSWER CORNER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 307, 28 December 1935, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE ANSWER CORNER.

REPLIES TO INQUIRIES

CASTOR'S DAUGHTERS (Auckland).— The live daughters of Eddie Cantor are : Marjorle. 1!): Natalie, 17; Edna. 15; Marilyn, 14 ; Janet. S. r.A.H. (Epsom).—l remember the passage, out for complete accuracy you would be well advised to write to the distributors, Messrs. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (N.Z.), Ltd., Hope Gibbons Building, Dixon Street, Wellington, C.I. BOW WOW (Three Kings).—You will find "The Hangover Murders" under general release in New Zealand as "Remember Last Night?" A virtual sequel to "Hopalong Ciissid.v" has been filmed, under the title of "The Eagle's Brood." William Boyd is again cast as Hopalong, with Jimmy Ellison as Johnny Nelson. PATRIOT (Gisborne). —George Arliss will be sure to send you a photograph without cost to you If you ask in a letter addressed to him c/o Gaunvint-British Film Corporation, Shepherd's Bush, Lime Grove, London, where he is at present making "The Mind of Mr. Reeder," to be followed shortly by "Samuel I'epys." Am extremely pleased to hear about Son. He will never regret the training. BEVEREX (Mount Koskill). —Cast of "Marry the Girl" : Wally Oibbs, Somite Hale- Doris Chattaway, Winifred Shotter; Hugh Delafield, Hugh Wakefield; Mrs. Chattaway, Amy Vencss; Cyril Chattaway, Kenneth Kove; Jane Elliott, Judy Kelly; Mrs. Elliott, Maidie Hope; Bunks (valet). Denier Warren; Judge, John Devercll; bookie. Wally Patch. Yes, David Torrance was in "Black Sheep," in the role of Captain Savage. Cast of "The Guv'nor" : Mister Hobo Rothschild, George Arliss; Flit, Gene Gerrard ; Barsac, Frank Cellier; Paul, Putric Kuowles (of "The Student's Romance"); Madelaine, Viola Keats; Dubois, George Hayes; Mrs. Granville, Henrietta Watson ; Mme. Barsac, Mary Clare.

Lily Pons' household is a regular league of Nations. The petite prima donna, now making her screen debut in "Love Song," is French. She has a Spanish singing teacher, an Italian secretary, a German maid, a Filipino houseboy and a Japanese chauffeur.

Tullio Carmlnati is the latest of HollyWood's celebrities to succumb to the lure of making a film iii the rapidlyexpanding English production world. Tullio's warbling will be presented in "A Neapolitan Love Song," and lovely Anna "Neagle will play opposite him. Production is scheduled to start on the film on January 27.

"Adventure stories have provided the most successful pictures in the history of the industry," stated Jack L. Warner, vice-president" in charge of production for Warner Bros.' studios. "Other cycles come and go, but the real adventure story is a perennial success on the screen. This material is scarce and we welcome every opportunity we have to get it."

Edith Fellows, child star of "She Married Her Boss," played truant from the studio while making "One-Way Ticket." Director Herbert Biberman was frantic when she didn't turn up for several hours. When finally she did arrive, hQwever, she had a good excuse. Nonchalantly she informed the director that" she had been for a walk with President Roosevelt. It was true. The mascot of a. Los Angeles C.C.C. camp, Edith had •walked with the President when he went on an inspection tour of the Federal Camp.

One very definite result of the current presence in Hollywood of a veritable army of grand opera stars will be the ■widespread improvement in what now passes for acting on the operatic stage. At least that is the prediction of the first Metropolitan Grand Opera star in films, Lawrence Tibbett. who is starred in "Metropolitan," which Darryl F. Zanuck recently produced. Most of the acting now exhibited on the operatic stage is bad, Tibbett confesses. With such illustrious vocalists as Lily Tons, Gladys Swarthout and Nino Martini now appearing in screen productions, and the possibility of many others to follow, Tibbett forsees a change in acting technique which may yet amount to a revolution. "An opera star can learn much by acting for the screen," says Tibbett. "I know I did." He maintains that histrionism on the singing stape is too undisciplined. There are stock gestures and postures, mannerisms which help the singer's _ vocal apparatus, but which mean nothing so far as helping audiences to understand the story. "Operas are sung in French, Italian and German, therefore the singers should do something to let that Part of the audience, not familiar with those tongues, know what it is all about." says Tibbett. "Their gestures should have the value of pantomime. By ■WatchintT a great dancer perform it is Possible to visualise the story the dancer is interpreting. It should be possible to do this in opera. . But singers have been taught to think of nothing but their voices. They use their hands and arms as crutches to brace and support their voices."

Katharine Hepburn was recently injured at Los Angeles in a sea rescue scene for her latest film.

Charles Boyer will soon start work in a modernised version of "The Arabian Xights," which Walter Wanger is making. Boyer will play the part of Haroun al Rasehid "the just," Caliph of Bagdad at the beginning of the ninth century. It was around the Caliph's adventures that the famous "Thousand and One Nights" were originally told and later written. Several leading screen actresses are being considered for the role of Scheherezade, whose tales were told nightly to delay her execution.

Kay, Francis and George Brent spent a whole week in gaol during the production of "The Goose and the Gander." The prison selected for the film scene was a modern bastille in Burbank, California, where the two are incarcerated on suspicion of burglary. They were given the freedom of the place between shots, and spent their time hobnobbing with the prisoners. They left their autographs with the bona Jide inmates. "Not such a bad place at that," remarked Miss Francis. "N T o," said Brent, "not if you get out when you want to."

Billie Burke played her first role fast asleep. The star of stage and screen revealed how she made her auspicious debut in the world of theatrics as the sleeping beauty in a Christmas pantomime. "I was told to fall asleep if possible," Miss Burke said, "but i was much too nervous to even think of sleep, and to tell the truth I almost lost that part because I opened my eyes once during that performance just to see what was going on. There was no crashing of cymbals or beating of drums at my debut," Miss Burke said, "I was just told to keep as quiet as possible—and go to sleep." Miss Burke will shortly be seen in "A Feather in Her Hat" and "She Couldn't Take It."

Paul is to recreate iiis Drury Lane stage role in Carl Laeminle's "Show Boat." Irene Dunne has been allotted the leading feminine role of Magnolia, and it is stated that John Boles will play Gaylord Kavenal and W. C. Fields Cap'n Andy. James Whale, the young English director of "Frankenstein," "The Invisible Man" and "The Bride of Frankenstein," is to direct. New songs are being written for the film by Jerome Kern, composer of the original music, while some of the favourites will be retained, notably Robeson's "01' Man River." "Show Boat*' will be Robeson's third appearance in a talking picture. The others were "Emperor Jones," in Hollywood, and "Sanders of the River," in London.

How many taps per second does a tapdancer tap," when that tap-dancer is goiug at full speed? Ruby Kcelcr, perhaps as speedy a footshaker as there is, hits the floor with her sole and heel 14 times a second. 840 times a minute and 2520 times in a two and one-half minute dance she does in "Shipmates Forever." There may be dancers who get more taps to the second than Miss Keeler. Possibly the famed negro expert, Bill Robinson, may. Maybe Fred Astairc. "Shipmates Forever" is a thrilling drama with catchy airs, treating with the exciting life of Annapolis cadets. The cast includes Dick Powell. Miss Keeler, Lewis Stone, Ross Alexander, Joseph Crehan, Richard (Dick) Foran, Robert Light, Johnny Arledge and hundreds of others.

A film of the life of Leonardo da Vinci is planned by Walter Wanger. The picture will be filmed in technicolour, and Charles Boyer will take the title role. Sylvia Sidney may take the part of La Gioeonda.

Director William Setter's personal nomination for the peppiest young lady in Hollywood is none other than "Ginger" Rogers. Many of the shots for her latest film, "Tamed," were taken beside a lake 7000 ft above sea level —an altitude which forced many of the crew to resign. The script called for "Ginger" to swim across a three-acre lake.''' This she did several times, using both back stroke and crawl. The next day she spent diving off a rock, plunging 10 to 14 feet into, the water and swimming up to face the camera. In her spare time she went swimming.

With a notable cast surrounding Jean Harlow and Spencer Tracy, cameras have begun work on "Riff-Raff," a story from the pen of Fiances Marion. This is the picture which is to bring Miss Harlow to the screen, with her platinum blonde hair turned a soft brown. It is the first time she has appeared as a brunette. The picture has the sea for background. The story is of the mea and women of the tuna fleet that courses the eastern shores of the Pacific off the coast of California. Scenes are to be filmed on the waterfronts of San Diego and San Pedro, the principal ports of southwestern America.

For the first time In more than half a century the wild abandon of a California "fandango" has been staged in a rambling hacienda in a sweeping grove of live oak trees not far' from Los Angeles. It was staged for "Robin Hood of El Dorado," a new outdoor spec, tacle which stars Warner Baxter in the role of Joaquin Murrieta, the laughing boy who became the dreadful terror of the "days of gold." For its setting the producers obtained and reconditioned one of the great haciendas that remain as mute memenlos of the glory of the Californias. True to history, the fandango is to continue several days. A century ago these events attracted all the countryside and often lasted a week. They were held to celebrate a bumper crop, the first winter rains or the summer equinox.

Portraying a centenarian has its disadvantages along with its possibilities for unusual characterisation, according to Jessie Ralph, who has won a contract as a result of her performance as "Granny," 100-year-old matriarch of the Whiteoak clan in "Jalna." All the wrinkles that a woman ordinarily wants to keep out of her face have to be accentuated." she explained. "In squinting and twisting my face as the ancient granny, I've deepened and added many a new wrinkle beneath my make up. And I'm sure I'll have to see an osteopath to get the kinks out of my back. The stoop I've acquired for this role has become almost natural. ' On the other hand," Miss Ralph contiuued, "Granny Whiteoak is one of the strongest and most interesting characters I've played in all my acting experience. It's seldom indeed that one can be 100 years old, even in a drama."

In "Remember Last Night?" there are three murders and thirteen this—"l don't remember last night." A group of socially prominent young people —the faster set on Long Island— wako up after staging a gay party to find that a murder has been committed. Chief among the players is Edward Arnold and those in support include Constance Cummings, Sally Eilers, Robert Young, Robert Armstrong, Gregory Ratoff, Reginald Denny, Louise Henry and a number of other stage and screen favourites. The story opens with Constance Cummings and Robert Young as husband and wife, awaking in a vast Long Island mansion to find that during the party the night before the host of the party has been They begin making their own investigations into the killing and discover that there are grounds for suspecting everyone, including themselves. Edward Arnold, an ace detective, is called in, but before he gets on the track of the murderer two more murders have been committed. It is only through the clear deductions and herculean efforts of the detective that the killer is apprehended under unusual circumstances.