CINEMA FLASHES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 49, 27 February 1937, Page 5 (Supplement)

CINEMA FLASHES.

NEWS IK PARAGRAPHS. Fred Mac Murray has fought 12 battles in the 14 pictures he has made. Like all screen fighters, Fred in real life is as gentle as a kitten. Fredric March quotes (iloria Swanson as saying. "When a woman reaches a certain age —arour/d 40 —she should give up all forms of outdoor sport." Her reason is that middle-aged women do not look attractive when heated and "mussed up."

Errol Flynn demanded —and received —a 20.000* dollars' bonus for cutting short" his European reconciliation trip with wife Lili Damita. returning instead to Hollywood for the leading role in the kiddie story, "The Prince and the Pauper."

Paramount has bought "The Last Train For Madrid," a revolution-inspired story by Paul Hervev Fox. Carv Grant, on the verge of signing a long-term contract with the studio, gets the lead. The 6torv sounds exciting—about a couple of tourist honeymooners who take the last train to Madrid before revolution plunges the city into a hell on earth.

Following publication of the separation plans of the Errol Flvnns, the pair have decided to waste no further time planning a possible continuation of their marriage. The divorce case will be heard shortly in the California Courts, and now that his excuse for a trip to Borneo has been removed, Flynn will go to New York and Europe instead.

Inability to find a suitable Josephine and the simultaneous offer of a long term contract have persuaded Peter Lorre. Europe's famous "one man chamber of horror," to postpone his Broadway presentation of "Napoleon" for one year and return to Hollywood for an important role in "Nancy Steele Is Missing" with Victor McLaglen. Walter Connolly, June Lang and Robert Kent.

Following a recent successful preview, the famous producer slapped the famous director on his back and said, "Well, what do you think of our picture?" "It's all right." replied the director. "What do you mean, it's all right?" bellowed the producer. "It's colossal!" "Well, I like to let the audience decide that," said the director. The producer was now very angry. "What do you mean, let the audience decide?" he exploded. "What have they got to do with it?"

A certain executive at M.-U.-M. will never again be considered a bright boy. During the recent economy wave at the studio, it was decided to drop several players from the contract list. According to precedent in such matters, lowsalaried actors and actresses only were blue pencilled. Among them, 14-year-old Deanna Durbin. who received" the insignificant film salary of 150 dollars weekly. After her spectacular success in Universale "Three Smart Girls." M.-G.-M. would willingly pay the singing starlet 1 .">OO dollars a week, if Universal would release her. but tho latter studio has hung out the "nothing doing" sign.

The Karl of Warwick, now in Hollywood, is proving a sad disappointment to socially minded hostesses. He has attended only one party given in his honour. His agent arranged that one for business reasons. Xiglit club, theatre and dinner parties have been secretly planned for him hy stars of the film colony, but he has evaded them all. "tact is," he explains, "I'd rather sleep." Lord Warwick, who will act under the name of Michael Brooke, has felt tired ever since he arrived, and blames it on the climate, but some of his friends wonder if his distaste for night life lias as much to do with his fatigue as is suggested. Thev remember that the earl played 'golf on virtually every course between Beverly Hills and the Pacific Ocean.