Kipling's Turn

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 300, 18 December 1937, Page 7 (Supplement)

Kipling's Turn

There may or may not be validity in the claim that motion picture producers in the past have been slow to recognise literary genius. No one would deny, however, that when the gentlemen who supply the world's cinematic fare become aware of the towering talent of some great author, they pursue (lip old master in great style, greedily snatching armfuls of his works from the library shelves for immediate production. David 0. Selznick's memorable "David Copperfield." "A Tale of Two Cities," I lie Mystery of Kdwin Drood." "(irea'. Kxpecta t ions." "The Old Curiosity Shop ' and "Scrooge" were anio'ig the fruits of l.iic Dickens' cycle. I hen there was the Shakespearean cycle that burst into fuTl (lower after Max Reinhardt exposed "A Midsummer Night's Dream" to gaping multitudes of t'alifornians in the Hollywood Howl. The brothers Warner hired Herr Rein hardt to transfer into gelatine form thio charming fantasy. Norma Shearer in "Romeo an.i Juliet" subsequently ineriased the heartbeat »f all nations, with Leslie Howard nigh swooning with love beneath the balcony. Then a little later on Elisabeth i-er::ncr brought Rosalind to life in "As Viu Like It." And. in tlie film producer* pounced upon the works of a t.h ni illustrious Rritish man of letters, ami are industriou-1 y m-.-tanun -pho~i 10 |u~ masterpieces into motion pictures. I'lntime, however, the great author is a modem, the late Kudyard Kipling.

ByJEAN SPAULDING

ft all slarfed witli one of (hose seemingly impossible of accomplishment (Ironins of Alexander Korda's. ITe sent (lie sujier-dreainer of all cinema producers. Tri*h Robert Flaherty—who luul {riven (he world such lovelv screen <*enis as "Moana of the South Seas." "Tabu." "Xiiuook of the North" and "Man of Aran —to India with a complete Eujj-lii-h filming unit, introductions for the goodwill of the autocratic and fabulously wealthy Maharajah of Mvsore. and carle ldanche in what to "shoot." Halier(y cnme back with two thinjjs— the film "Klephant I»ov" and the film star Sabu. 14-year native stable lad from the mijrhty Maharaja's elephant stables. Rut the point in all this is that "Klephant ltoy" was none other than ;rood old Kipling's immortal "Toomai of tile Elephants," and as such it swept the film-goinj; world. Kiplinpr haviii" suddenly come of movie a fie. "Wee Willie Wiiikie" became fir>t-rate Shirley lemple fare. Then the authoi s ( aptains C ourap'eous" was completed and released bv M.tl.M.. and preparation-; are now under way for the filming of "Kim." It is also understood that Hen Hecht and ( harles Ma' Artl'lir are scripting ''■iiniia Dili. the Kipling poem which I tide Albert wat- wont to recite with h"ro:c yotures at parlour partie.- "ill years and more a{jo. I litis it would seem tlmt the Kiplin.iT eye! ' i» upon ii-- -and not hard to take, either. consMcriiiji the v:j-oiou~. •'tilling adventures that that jrreat author always crammed into liis books.