THE ANSWER CORNER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 301, 19 December 1936, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE ANSWER CORNER.

HEPLIES TO INQUIRIES. FIFI (Oneliunga).—Bing Crosby sang "June in January" in "Here is My Heart." QUIZZY (Ellerslie).—Arthur Tracy's next British film is "Interval for Romance " with Margaret Lockwood. H.V. (Levin). —Verna Hillie is Michiganborn, stands sft 2£in high, has blonde hair and grey-green eyes, -weighs 1051b, and gives her hobbies as horseback riding, swimming and—cooking! Her debut was made in "Madame Butterfly " followed by "From Hell to Heaven," "Duck Soup," "Under the Tonto Rim," "Six of a Kind," "Princess O'Hara" and "Mr Dynamite." ALL IX (Three Kings).—l can give the films and descriptions of all players technicians, authors, directors, etc., in both England and America; executives of the various studios ; large numbers of cast roles, future films and marriages of players; details of famous London or New York stage plays and players, also producers: lengths and other details of all films for 1035-3G and many back to 1929 (American figures), etc. Does that satisfy you ? , MEMORY LANE (Morningside).—Pauline Frederick's baptismal name was' Pauline Libbey. She comes from Boston, Massachusetts, and is 51 years old—if it is polite to mention a lady's age. Her silent pictures include : "Zaza," "Madame X," "La Tosca," "Fedora," "Bella Donna," "Mrs. Dane," '••Slave of "Vanity," '"The Lure of Jade." "Paid in Full," "Resurrection" and "The Eternal City." Her talkies include: "On Trial," "Evidence," "The Sacred Flame," "Social Register," "My Marriage" and "Ramona." Her fifth husband died exactly two years ago. CICELY HULBERT (Remuera).—Your favourite liusband-and-wife combination have been seen in "Elstree Calling," ,'The Ghost Train," "The Woman in Command," "Happy Ever After," "Jack's the Boy," "Falling For You," and the yet-to-be-released picture, "The Count's Livery." Hulbert's other films were: "Sunshine Susie," "Love on Wheels, "Jack Ahoy," "Bulldog Jack" and 'The Two of Us" (coming). Cicely's other films were: "Soldiers of the King," "Night and Day," "Aunt Sally," "Things Are Looking Up," and "The Perfect Gentleman." Brother Claude's films included: "A Night Like This," "Thark," "Let Me Explain, Dear," "Wolf's Clothing." "Radio Parade," "Heads, We Go!" "The Song You Gave Me," "Their Night Out." "The Girl in Possession," "Bulldog." Two of these were not shown In Auckland—"Wolf's Clothing" and "The Girl in Possession." "The Woman in Command" and "Night and Day" were also not shown here. DISAPPOINTED FAN (Devonport).—The M.G.M.'s appeal in Melbourne against the decision of a Melbourne court in favour of 'Messrs. J. C. Williamson's suit for £27,000 in Australasian royalties for "Rose Marie" has not yei been heard and probably will not be until the New Year. In any case the film will be held up in New until January or February, possibly later. Cast of "Rose Marie" is as follows:' Marie de Flor, Jeanette Mac Donald;. gergeant; Bruce, Nelson Eddy; Myerson, Reginald Owen ; Romeo, Allan Jones; John Mower, James Stewart; Premier, Alan Mowbray ; Bello, Gilda Gray; Boniface, George Regas; hotel manager, Robert Greig; storekeeper, Lucien Littlefield; Anna, Una O'Connor ; Teddy, David Niven ; Mr. Daniells, Herman Blng. Jeanette sings several excerpts from an operatic version of "Romeo and Juliet," and she and Nelson Eddy, sing together the famous "Indian Love Call" and "Rose Marie" numbers. The Indian totem pole dance gave Hollywood its chance—never missed yet—to , show the world how to do a big musical "spectacle."

'«■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■■ m mmm m W■ The most popular actor in Hollywood, «ay\ Sheilah Graham, is Robert Cumminga, who recently inherited over 1,000,000 dollars. Margaret Sullavan plans to retire "permanently from the screen and , devote her future to Broadway, where she. is now appearing successfully in "Stage Door," the George KaufmanEdna' Ferber Hollywood-deriding play. England has finally lifted its ban on the all-negro "Green Pastures." The author, Marc Connolly, now in London, is reputed to have had something to do witli the decision of the British Board of Film Censors that it is not necessarily sacrilegious to portray the Deity on the screen. According to a Hollywood report, Joan Crawford will make her stage debut in the provincial theatres of. England. The star, who has been threatening for some time to take a leave of absence from the screen for a year, announced her plans last. week. "Which," she said, 'are as definite as they can be at this time." With three pictures yet to be ®ade for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and "Love on the Run" and "Parnell" set for «arly production, Miss Crawford's amnition for a theatrical career will be delayed at least until next summer. "I Wan t stage experience, and realise that stage and screen technique differ 'widely," the star said. "My first thought was to play for a season in small American stock companies with Franchot, and then perhaps do a show yith him in New York. Leslie Howard interested me in going to England for first attempt. He pointed out that ®niall companies are to be found throughout England, and that the audiences are not so exacting." Her husband, Franehot Tone, who will accomP&ny the star abroad, has an offer to 'play in London. 1

The next Dionne quintuplet picture following "Reunion" will be shot in Technicolour. The famous five are difficult to photograph together. Immediately the cameraman starts "shooting" they scatter in all directions, "like a bunch of quail," according to their photographer, Daniel Clark. The Ontario Government is said to be worried because the quintuplets cannot speak coherently. They are getting to be such big girls now! Leslie Howard will probably return to the film city in the near future, following his Broadway "Hamlet" flop. Surprisingly few picture people make good on their return to the legitimate stage. Margaret Sullavan, now appearing in the New York production "Stage Door," is the only filmite within recent years to give a better performance in the flesh than in celluloid. Incidentally, Katharine Hepburn is leaving nothing to chance in her determination to wipe out her stage defeat in "The Lake." Katie is taking dramatic lessons prior to her near-future departure for New York and the stage presentation of "Jane Eyre."

Messrs. J. C. Williamson Ltd.'s forthcoming comic opera season has now been limited to 13 nights, but' during that period no less than nine operas are to be staged, beginning on Monday, December 28, with a revival of "The Gondoliers," which will be staged for two nights. It will be' followed by "Princess Ida," which will be presented for two nights and one matinee. During the holiday week- "The Mikado" and "Ruddigore" will also be staged, and they will be followed by "Paul Jones," "lolanthe," "The Pirates of Penzance," "The Yeomen of the Guard" and "Lilac Time." Miss Strella Wilson is making lier reappearance in New Zealand after ab absence of seven years. The popular soprano will assume the role in the opening opera of Casilda, which she has undertaken on former occasions. The new contralto, Miss Evelyn Hall, scored a decisive success in the role of the Duchess of Plaza Toro in the recent successful revival in Sydney of "TliC Gondoliers." Mr. Ivan Menzies will make his reappearance here as tlu. Duke of Plaza Toro.

Paramount will shortly produce Kipling's "Light That Failed," with Ronald Colman in the lead. Following his current untitled comedy, Harold Lloyd plans to appear in "The Walls of Jericho," by Francis and Marion Cockrell. ' ———— It took just one picture to make 8-year-old Bobby Breen a star. Following his triumph in "Let's Sing Again" he was signed for three more, the first of which will be an adaptation of the child's classic, "Toinette's Philip," to be entitled "Rainbow on the River." Marlene Dietrich was buying hats in a London store, one of them fashioned of mink. As she was trying on the latter she turned languidly to the assistant and said,. "Call up the International Fur Store and ask them to send along a mink coat to match!" Jeanette Mac Donald and Gene Raymond are telling friends that their wedding, scheduled for June 17, 1937, will be very quiet and a complete antithesis of the recent Dick Powell-Joan Blondell honeymoon circus, when everyone in New York was invited by Warner's publicity department to join in the fun. Errol Flynn and his wife, Lili Damita, have decided on a trial marital separation, to begin on November 18. They will be apart three months, during which time Flynn will visit San Francisco, New York, Tahiti and Borneo. Miss Damita probably will appear in a Broadway play. At the end of the trial period, the couple will "get together" and decide whether their marriage shall continue or end in divorce.

Francis Lederer is asking Frank Capra to give him Greta Garbo for the George Sand, role in "Chopin," with Lederer playing the part of the composer. Photographs of the Swedish country house recently purchased by Greta Garbo reveal an exact duplicate of the mansion occupied by Garbo in "Anna Karenina." Louise Bea-vers is the lirst of the negro race to be put under long-term contract with a starring guarantee —by Sol Lessor, in appreciation of her work in "Rainbow on the River," the second Bobby Breen film. Cary Grant has been signed to play opposite Grace Moore in her next picture for Columbia. This is entitled "Interlude." Robert Riskin, the famous writer, collaborator of Frank Capra, has written the adaptation for "Interlude," which he will also co-direct with Harry Lachman. The next production scheduled for Nova Pilbeam, 16-year-old actress, is likely to be "The Lady of La Paz," a screen version of a successful West End stage play, in which Miss Pilbeam is appearing with Miss Lillian Braithwaite. "The Lady of La. Paz" is by Edith Evans, based on a novel by Elinor Mordaunt. It has provided Miss Pilbeam, who appeared as a child actress in "Little Friend," "The Man Who Knew Too Much" and "Tudor Rose," as a juvenile actress, with her first adult part. Screen comedians are usually unhappy gentlemen in real life. To wit: Ned Sparks recently was sued for divorce by his wife. Stan La-urel was taken to Court by Mrs. Mae Laurel, who wants 1000 dollars a month, pending trial of a maintenance suit (Laurel is already committed to pay Mrs. Virginia Ruth Laurel 750 dollars a month). Oliver Hardy is also in the throes of alimony fighting with his wife, ditto silent picture comedian, Buster Keaton. Even the lady laugh-makers are not exempt. Polly Moran recently registered a complaint against her husband, Martin Malone, alleging that he threatened her with a gun.