Why Do English Actresses Lack CHALLENGE?

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 99, 29 April 1939, Page 7 (Supplement)

Why Do English Actresses Lack CHALLENGE?

Screen Page

•THIS wicked world of fil ms Js 1 as full of rackets as a tennis champion's trunk, only y ou sDell 'em differently; and among the most successful of these rackets is It. Minor Glyn invented it, and Clara Row rode to stardom sitting astride the cross of its "t" • only she didn't hold on firmly enough, and slipped off before the end of the journey. The joke lies in the fact, that. one hit' ever known exactly what "if was. T s 11 s, '- v :l I'i"' 11 1 • Mrs. <; 1 VII has denied this. Mil' Slivs ii lias not liiiiLr to ,1,, will, f'X ;| - I" t . it lias ON l-I, I), Til hkciir-rl lo ill,. «|uict. cont em pt ikhis irnl i llereiice of a. <-at. Iho i,no.-t i.m i-. tli.ii -ulili mo cont,'t njll. the much \aunted "'l Or is "it.'' persona lit v Or is •■ji" in a not i- rn Or what, the dickens is "it 7" 111 h ii y case, like most, rackets, "it'' has had ils d«i y. As always, something has '' 1 t'ike i(s place. I hat soniethiu" is .li.i 11. niro. 1 'i I ike "if," challenge is definite ami fl"tin;i Me. It is mnde up of a little and ticiiy. a. little impudence, a little s ( >\ FriolHlU'HS, a lit 110 clll'insit V, ;i l)t tlf mriii-emont at. life, a little provocation, a lot of vitality. There is gaiety in it, and charm, and self confidence. "Challenge." though based on sow is ( so only by rlianep. as it were. It, is f perl not ive not intent ionallv, but incident- ! ally. 1 In l ii T with elm Ile n ire reacts innnedb ntclv t< > t lie me 11 she meets. Her attitilde -a \ s ill effect : "My wise old Mother k\c knew a {rood cranio—the jiame of I advance and retreat, sortie and skirmish. I jrive ami take, (an you pltiy it ?" 1 The challenge yirl waxes a (la-. She I doesn't, necessarily do this openly in I private life. She is subtle about it; but | lior iml on t ion is unmistakable.

On the screen she must. lie much ]e*s public for her intention is to "Lrot over" to the and ience ; and this is where the English <rirl so often fails. She is so well hred mid ladylike that she fails to ronvinee yon that unv young man woulrl ho immediately attracted. She is the kind of p-irl whose excellences would convince a num. after some months' acquaintance, that she would he a desirnhie wife; hut. there isn't time for that on the screen. The whole film lasts only 7f> minutes. Nine films out of 10 are hased on love at first sight. A girl TTltlsf, he a quick starter. Most British screen girls luive to he cranked up. I could name a hundred Hollywood stars with challenge. Tliev are of nil shades, shapes, sizes, styles, and stations, and they mine from everr corner of the globe—including England.

In 1066 Challenge meant " a summons to a contest" In 1939 it still means "Come on, jvhat about r/P Challenge is as old os r-vc, as nerv as the Nerv year, and in this article John Kobmson explains what it is and shows \,ou some of its happy possessors.

-el" Iciiici don't nccc-arilv prefer 'l" M 'les it the I.runette has el,a lleii'je. , y , '*l"iidf »et- a flvin- -tart i-u.-ualiy lilmide to make her-elt more attractive to men. and men know ,t. MU( [ j Mt , , ' "" >l "' hrunet te a-ain. for e -aiue lea -on. <1 ml men know that too.

"ill ot the I test Holly examples of ' 'e""e |s "in-or |{o^,. rs . s |„. is "">• " nauvhty little liu-sy the screen

hut you <iui always appreciate whv the hero t lis heavily fur her. Hedy Laiimrr is iinother: Lupe Velc,< ianot her: .I. mil ( r;i wfunl i- h,.,- : Norma Slk'm rer—on. you can take 1:1. t ho reeita t ion your-olf. V\ hen it. conic- to Urili-h j; 1111 - M'm. -Tlic rccit ;i lion - - down ■ . . mill sloik. -1 ( - - i < ■ Mm 11 hew - — ves. Anna Xeaulc V e-. Aium l.ee — vi'Vi\ien \w-. An.l t !'cn --The <■ flinty iin-ucr -;unl t !h»ii U ' llr " 'he 1 heme. iM i<l -11, Men ' ,n '' ' ha I. ; 1 n<l tin' hero ha- In have a - 11 I u ,l " u i'l conic h> i r u a v to meet liini Kii" la ml'- limit.m| i ~ • Whore arc the -i,|- nv it 1, cha ll'en-e ? 'I here mu-t l.e thoii-and- of them, all up ami <low 11 the country; there is room for I hem on the screen—hut they never =ecm to eet there. For some reason British producer- and director- will not. in the hackneyed but proved Hollywood style,

nmri.-i'" their stars, preferring, as it "ere. (limit y tn celanese. It cannot Wo the fault of British girls, ladylike and .-till' though they be. for Hollywood made them into intricruin;r and morons personalities. Witness the trail-formation of Ida Lupirio and Pat Paterson. of Benita "Hume and Madeleine Carroll, of many other emigrants from Kn»land. (•illy Anna seems to wax more ta minis with each film made ,'m pjnprland. .Jessie -Matthews is almost finished at present writing, chiefly because ?he in-ists on Hollywood's sipninjr up her liu-band. Sonnie Hale. before she accepts tlieir flntterinpr offers. Sonnie won't stand aside—which is foolish of him. because it will soon lie too late. Hollywood will not be forever interested in his love]v and talented .Tessie. Once more it l»oils down to—wliere are ihl's ]lon<ro prirls?