FILM NOTES

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21707, 14 February 1936, Page 5

FILM NOTES

Herbert Marshall is .likely; to change his well-known porttayalof the harefbitten, sufferjng-in-rsilence, Englishman for something more lively. He is being considered lor. the-permanent hero of a new-seriesbffflms built round Philo Vance, S< S. ,Van-Dine!s detective. The first, will be A “The Garden Murder ,Ca*e.” , ;* PReston. Foster is beginning to take a high place;.in. the competition for. the position sought-after leading man. He 'is' about- to b’s seventh, pidture r without a, break. It will be; a murder mystery, “The Green Shadow,” .Don Briggs is-a newcomer to films. He has been playing the character of . Frank. Mprriwell .Qn,,.the radib; and is to repeat his ' performance for the i screen. Frank-Merri well, is.thq athletic herp ol a famous American series of weekly paper-backed yarns.. * As a result of.Mr.-C, .B) Cochran’s - decision that .bare legs • are to be banned in his , new revue, “Follow the Sun,” 312 pairs of ’stockings will be required lor the opening night, and replacements willbri at the rate of 80 pairs a week: “Only-.perfect legs can pass the test of nudity,” Air Cochran is reported to have said, “arid there'is no doubt that even then they look far more graceful in stockings. The Dolly Sisters were, I think, the first artists to appear in bare legs. They used tri whiten - the flesh, so that people laid bets on whether they wore stockings or not, The best thing Birmingham ever, did was to ban bare legs—although they went too far in forcing Pavlova to wear stockings in Grecian dances.” Warner Brothers will make another version of "The Desert Song,” and are negotiating with Carlotta King to play the lead. Carlotta King'played opposite John Boles in a film of ‘The Desert Song” several years ago, but did not continue screen work. Shirley Temple’s playroom at her ■ home at Santa Monica is filled witn every kind of toy under the sun, including 300 dolls of all shapes and sizes, all of them sent by the young star’s admirers, “The Walking Dead” is the suggestive title of a new scientific horror thriller. Boris Karloff has the lead. •. * • A miniature-zoo is beirig used in the production of “Uncivilised,” - by Charles Chauvel, at the National Studios, Sydney. Pythons, crocodiles, wallabies, kangaroos, and emus are being used for this film. Leo Qracknell, who has charge of them, contemplates starting a motion picture zoo where producers could obtain almost any animal they require at a moment’s notice, as they can in Hollywood. Dennis Hoey, the English actor, is the star of this, film. Kipling, Dickens, and Arnold Bennett are among the famous British authors whose works are being drawn on for new film suojects. Kipling’s “Soldiers Three” is being made by Gaumont-British, with Victor McLaglen and . Gordon Harker, the British comedian', in the cast. Metro-Goldwyri-Mayer’s new British studio is expec-

ted to make films pf other stories by Kipling,'as well as by Dickens and Benntett. Robert Montgomery is .expected to be among the' American stars.to be taken to England by, this studio. » % «... . • • •• ■ . Victor McLaglen, whose fine playing in "The Informer” is expected to bring him a Hollywood - Academy award, maintains an association football team which plays' ' regularly at the ‘‘McLaglen Stadium." After expenses are paid, part of the receipts go to buying boy scout uniforms for a troop McLaglen sponsors. •■ • • ’ Betty Grable, the screen star actress, and Jackie Coogan, former child star of the films, will not be married for at least two years, although they recently announced their engagement. This is because of- a clause which was inserted in the new 'contract Miss Grable has/ just signed with RKO Radio. The clause stipulates that Miss Grable, who is now 19 years of age, must not marry before she is 21. >,: •• * *.; " t Joan Bennett has been' signed by Paramount for the feminine lead opposite Fred Mac Murray in “13 Hours by Air.”' Gertrude Michael, who was previously announced for the rple, is Pifts arid David Holt are others with important roles in “13 Hours by Air.

DEFENDING THE CLASSICS

American universities and high schools have become self-appointed defenders of the classics and Hollywood’s most acute critics, says a writer in the Melbourne "Herald.” They are keeping a watchful eye on the Film Metropolis. . That Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is not adhering strictly to the lines of George Eliotfs story in its screen version of “Silas Marner” as at present outlined has brought the studio a batch of academic protests. The changes in "Silas Marner,” in which Lionel Barrymore will play the lead, have been dictated by what Hollywood calls “story strength." Many a novel, as Hollywood experts point out, would be unsuccessful if translated literally for the screen. Hollywood’s critics, however, . believe there is a limit. Silas Marner. in the present version of the story as produced by the scenario writers* is shown not simply as a miser, but as a miser with a purpbse*-bd hoards his money in order to pay a debt. By the time it reaches the director’s hands many changes may be made in the script, of course, to the satisfactiori of Hollywood's hew tattles:’

KORDA TO PRODUCE HUNGARIAN FILMS

Alexander Korda, .who has achieved so phenomenal a’* success in British Aims, is to make a number of films in his native Hungary. All will be for world release. The first is to be “Tragedy pf Man," on which £250,000 will be spent. As a play it has been performed in many European cities .with great success. But, so far, no film company has; been able to .face the expense of putting it on the screen. , , 10 __ The olay was' written • between 1850 and 1860 by Imre Madach. It is only now beginning to attract widespread attention, although critics compare it with Faust. . . Its chief characters are Adam, Eve, and Lucifer. It has immense filmic possibilities. Lucifer to show Adam and Eve the futility of human happiness, leads them through scenes in Egypt, Greece, Rome, and Byzantium, in the time of the Crusades. Then they are taken to industrial London, to the Paris of the French Revolution, in a sort of survey of history. Charles Laughton, it is understood, will play Lucifer, and Leslie Howard and Merle Oberon will .be cast as our primitive forefathers.