News of the Cinema

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21939, 13 November 1936, Page 5

News of the Cinema

“SWING” MUSIC EXPLAINED

ROBESON’S MISSION

ITALY’S AMBITION Aiming at European Leadership /' CO-OPERATION OF AMERICA SOUGHT

jtaly will make a determined effort fo wrest the European motion picture jddership from Great Britain, accordjjj to an announcement by Carlo Haicoroni, who is known as the Italian Aim tsar. Roncoroni, who is head of the Cines Motion Picture Company, said that Italy will adopt Hollywood methods in the operation of the £2,000,000 studios to be erected by Cines near Rome early next year. The Mussolini Government will support the project Roncoroni explained Italy’s plans at • dinner given in his honour in Hollyffood by Walter Wanger, the American producer, who will be responsible for the first Italian production in the new studios. It will be the “Arabian Nights,” in Technicolour. The cast will include Charles Boyer, Sylvia Sidney, Madeleine Carroll, Joan Bennett, Henry fljjida, and Alan Baxter. Bemarking that Italy again desired to play an important part in the produc-

tion of films, Roncoroni said that his country did not propose to take second place to England in the European field. Italy thought that the best way to accomplish its object was to regard Hollywood as it§ pattern. He added that Italy wished to receive all the cooperation possible from American film companies.

In an effort to draw American aid more easily, Roncoroni offered all talent from the States freedom from taxation.

“The artists in Italy do not , pay taxes,” he said. “Should taxes be levied on American artists they need not worry. Cines will take care of them.” He also said that the lowest transportation rates possible and great reductions in hotel expenses would be offered American artists and producers. Distribution of Italian pictures will be through the usual American channels.

While Walter Wanger has already signed to produce a picture in Italy, King Vidor has entered into negotiations. Vidor wants to produce “Julius Caesar” in that country.

definitely experiencing an amazing bocm. The advent of talking films and the depression combined to reduce it to a very low ebb three and a half years ago. But we have always maintained that audiences demand flesh-and-blood people. and cannot be fully satisfied by shadows on the screen. This vogue for combining the two forms of entertainment seems to bear out our contention.” NEW FILMS AT CITY THEATRES State—“ Mary of Scotland,” with Katharine Hepburn and Fredric March. Historical drama. R.K.O. Radio. Avon—“ The Three Maxims,” starring Anna Neagle, Leslie Banks, and Tullio Carminati. Circus romance.

THE CASE OF THE NEGRO Paul Robeson is going to be busy on films for a good while. He has begun to work on “King Solomon’s Mines,” in which he plays the part of Mbopa. and when that is finished he has to star in a film which will be made partly in North Africa. The second project interests him particularly, because Robeson has a mission in life—a very serious one. It is to show the negro as a human being, and not just a savage survival. He put something of the idea into “The Swig of Freedom.” a new film at the London Plaza, in which he has the part of a negro who becomes a great singer and spends all his money in an effort to bring his peoole in Africa to a better state of civiXation. “I want to disillusion the world of the idea that the negro is either a stupid fellow or a superstitious savage under the spell of witch doctors,” Robeson said recently. “The film is an excellent medium for this purpose, and I hope to go on Persuading the producers to let me play parts in accordance with this plan.” Robeson is a very serious man, and Is well versed in many subjects besides singing and acting. Like the hero of ‘.‘The Song of Freedom,” he has an ambition to find out where his people came from in Africa. The North Africa film will, he hopes, give him a chance to go south to Dakar «r Liberia, which he has never seen. “VARIETY” ENJOYS BOOM. appeal of flesh and BLOOD “Variety” to-day is enjoying such Prosperity as it has not known since {he days before the war, says an Eng"Sh paper. The principal factor in {his revival, which many believe to a permanent one, is the rapid growth of “cine-variety"—variety mcorporated in cinema programmes The growth of cine-variety dates from five months ago. At that time it :> a stand-by in a small number of fiema theatres. Now many hundreds e using variety turns regularly, and Buns are in hand which will increase number. While three years ago toe variety profession was facing one to the deepest depressions in its history, to-day almost every performer, Whose work is up to a reasonable *tondard, is in work. .Almost all the large cinema circuits «Ve appointed special booking managers to engage variety acts for .their Stomas. Of the Union Circuit—to *®«e an example—which at present Ptoprises some 150 completed cinemas, between 50 and 60 are now playing *toiety. And of 74 new cinemas Jiiich are to be opened by the owner wthe circuit, 71, it is announced, win acts. Variety experienced a return to prosperity during the last 18 months, wt it was not until the popularity of -Wie-variety five or six months ago the “boom” began. BroadcastMi and work in talking pictures have 9Bf> helped the profession. , iBPr A. V. Drewe, secretary of the iipiletv Artists Federation, said reHilpy: “There is no doubt variety is*

Civic— “ The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo,” with Ronald Colman and Joan Bennett. Romantic drama. Return season.

Mayfair—“The Poor Little Rich Girl,” starring Shirley Temple. Musical romance. Second week. Crystal Palace—“ Star for a Night,” with Claire Trevor, Arlme Judge, and Jane Darwell. Musical. Also The First Baby,” starring Johnny Downs and Shirley Deane. Romantic Comedy.

“The Garden of Allah,” the Selznick International Technicolour production co-starring Marlene Dietrich and Charles Boyer, has passed through the final stages of editing and will be ready for %-elease this month. The supporting cast includes Basil Rathbone, C. Aubrey Smith, Joseph Schildkraut, and the dancer, Tilly Losch. • • •

Lewis Milestone has been signed on a one-picture deal by Walter Wanger to direct the next Madeleine Carroll picture. Milestone recently directly Miss Carroll in Paramount’s “The General Died at Dawn.”

NEWS FROM STUDIOS

Richard Tauber, the tenor, will astonish the musical world very soon by singing the Prologue to “Pagliacci,” one of the best-known baritone numbers. He has just completed a film of “Pagliacci” at Denham, in which he plays the part of Canio. As well as “putting on the motley” he will “ring up the curtain.” The prologue has been transposed for the tenor’s use. • • 9 Boris Karloff has returned to Hollywood to begin work in Twentieth Century-Fox’s “Charlie Chan at the Opera,” in which he will be co-starred with Warner Oland. Karloff has been away from Hollywood for the last 10 months. He did picture work in England during his absence.

The comedian, Robertson Hare, is to make a film of “Aren’t Men Beasts?”, the merry farce which goes on without any decline in popularity at the London Strand.

Henry Ainley is lending his engaging voice and fine acting to the screen again. He has been cast as the father of the hero of “Fire Over England.” Thereby hangs a tale. Some years ago a boy ,of 15 who worshipped Ainley's acting ” stole away from a country holiday and went to London to see his idol in a play. Afterwards he plucked up courage and went to see Ainley in his dressing-room. Despite the actor’s kindly reception, the lad looked depressed. He explained that he had no money for his fare back to the country. Ainley lent him ss. The lad is now the production manager of “Fire Over England”—W. H. Burnside, of London Films.

Zasu Pitts, whose mournful face has established itself as a funny feature, though there are those who wish she could bp taken seriously as a tragedienne, will visit Teddington, England, ..this year. The idea is to cast her opposite Claude Hulbert.

“Dreaming Lips,” Elisabeth Bergner’s newest production, is now before the cameras at London Film’s Denham studios. Raymond Massey will play the masculine lead opposite Miss Bergner. The picture is being directed by Dr. Paul Czinner, Miss Bergner’s husband, and will be release through United Artists.

Merle Oberon and Brian Ahern have leading parts in an Irish rebellion picture, “Love Under Fire,” which Samuel Goldwyn is making. Merle|s real-life young man, David Niven, is in the company.

"I, James Lewis,” a romantic epic of the Lewis and Clark expedition to the Pacific North-West, will probably serve as Claudette Colbert’s next starring vehicle, following her current picture, “Maid of Salem.” Frank Lloyd, who is producing and directing “Maid of Salem,” will be responsible for the production of “I, James Lewis.”

“Dombey and Son” will soon go into production at the Warner Brothers studios. William Ullman, who wrote the new play of “The White Rajah,” is at work on the adaptation of the Dickens novel.

RKO-Radio has purchased the screen rights to the I. A. R. Wylie novel, “Vivacious Lady,” as a solo starrer for Ginger Rogers. • • •

“Murder With Music” will be Boris Karloff’s second film for Grand National.

Inspired by Mussolini’s plans for a great revival of the Italian film industry, and the snatching of the European lead from Great Britain, Greece is ambitious to produce moving pictures. M. Stavrostrian, director of the Royal Theatre of Athens, is studying production methods in Hollywood, and has offered Houben Mamoulian a contract to make the first big Greek talkie.

One of the leading comediennes on the screen, Louise Fazenda, has been signed for the principal comedy role in the new Warner Brothers’ production, “Ready, Willing, and Able.” This musical picture will star Ruby Keeler and Ross Alexander. FILM BANKS FOR ENGLAND GERMAN FINANCIERS’ MOVE A new move, this time from Germany. is being made to provide finance for the production of films in Britain. German financiers want to establish in England an organisation similar to the German film bank which finances German films. Representatives of these financiers have sounded opinion in London. They have held conversations with the general managers of banks and insurance companies and with various groups already engaged in film finance. If the negotiations succeed the bank will be established in London with privately subscribed capital. Producing companies would be able to approa'ch the bank with plans for the production of a film or programme of films which the bank would examine.

If the examination was satisfactory the bank would advance funds for production, at a small rate of interest, making repayment of the loan a first charge on the net takings from the film.

At present one such organisation is operating. It already has advanced sums amounting to £1,500.000 to the British film industry. Many producing companies who have insufficient liquid capital to finance a production from their own resources are receiving help from insurance companies. Others receive backing for particular productions from private industrialists who are interested in the film business more as a hobby than as a profession.

CHAPLIN TO DIRECT FILM

«A SERIOUS GENERATION,” HE SAYS Charlie Chaplin is to direct a film called “Regency,” based on the English novel by D. L. Murray, says an exchange. His fiancee, Paulette Goddard, will take the leading part. Mr Chaplin says that he Will direct and produce the film, but not act in it himself. Production will begin when Paulette Goddard’s first solo picture, known as “Production No. Six,” is completed. By buying a scenario in England, Mr Chaplin is setting a precedent for himself, as his invariable custom has been to write his own scripts, or, in earlier days, just to make them up as he went along. Mr Chaplin, in' an interview, showed that he is maintaining his reputation as a philosopher. “A few years ago everyone went jigging on the floors of night clubs, with a vacuous look on their faces,” he declared. “That has been supplanted by an expression of serious endeavour. “This is a much more serious generation ’than the last one. Children know they face a harder future than their parents did.”

TEMPTS THE FEET TO DANCE NEITHER JAZZ NOR CLASSICAL During the last 30 years many attempts have been made by dance music composers to introduce new rhythms and tempos with the object of enticing dancers to dance and to make dancing itself more delightful. The liberties taken with the old rhythms and tempos by modern dance composers have naturally aroused the criticism of those who in music, as in most other things, bemoan the passing of the “good old days.” In spite of this opposition, however, syncopated music has survived, and the ingenuity of syncopaters in securing novel effects independent to the air itself has done much to wear down the antipathy of the “medium-browed,” if not the “highbrowed.” One has only to see the reaction of the average family to a cleverly syncopated number on the radio to realise that modern rhythms and tempos have a definite place in the heart of the average music lover, and while the ultra-conservative lover of classical music may still prefer to listen with the lights out and eyes closed to the majestic symphonies from the classics, it will be hard to convince the growing generation that there is not real music even in the saxaphone, if properly played. The latest addition to dance music of the modern variety is known as “swing” music. There is a peculiar rhythm about “swing,” as it is termed overseas, which tempts the feet to dance. It has been said by one critic that “swing” would make a cripple want to dance.

' The origin of “swing” music is uncertain. On the one hand it is said to have originated, like many other modern rhythms, in the impromptu movements of melodies associated with the negroes of Africa, while on the other hand critics have claimed to find traces of Beethoven and other German composers in the lilting phrases of “swing” music.

It is certain that in its present form it has a distinct German flavour, and the folk dance music of Germany is the closest approach to it. A good band can “swing” at any tempo provided the number and arrangement are suitable to that tempo. Most of the popular songs written today are sweetly flowing melodies—modern slow foxtrots, for instance, while pleasant to the ear in themselves, lack the incentive to “swing.” The popular vocal number, “Alone.” is a good example; the tune is melodious, but the time unrhythmic. By a few simple changes, and without in any way spoiling the melody itself, it is possible for the orchestra to give to a number like this the additional quality known as “swing,” and greatly to enhance the pleasure of dancing. True “swing” music has a tempo of about 46 bars to the minute, and when the number itself meets this requirement or can be adapted to meet it, the improvement from the point of view of dancing must be experienced to be understood. From the orchestral point of view much depends upon the ability of the individual players as well as that of the orchestra as a whole to feel the music as it is played. A mere mechanical playing of the score will not suffice.

One of England’s most famous dance music critics—“ Spike” Hughes, has said that “iWing” is the difference between tempo and rhythm, or, in other words, that “swing” is what you play and rhythm or “swing” is what the

OSCAR HOMOLKA

CONTINENTAL STAR IN BRITISH STUDIOS WAR MADE HIM SERIOUS Oscar Homolka was born in Vienna in 1898. He studied for the stage at the Viennese Dramatic Academy and made his professional debut in an Austrian folk-play. But if you ask him to what he attributes his present stage and screen success he will answer “the war.” The fact is that, until the war came along, Homolka had always specialised as a comedian! Homolka found there was nothing funny about war. He came out of the army determined in future to portray only the serious things of life. Shakespeare and Shaw “I appeared many times in play ß by Shakespeare and Shaw. In Berlin I played in ‘Emperor Jones’—produced by Berthold Viertel, who directed me in my first British film, “Rhodes. And, of course, I made many films. One ox these, a French version of the famous Dreyfus Case, gave me what I still consider my finest screen role. “The more films I made,” says Homolka, “the more I liked them. So last year I came to London simply because I felt that British studios could offer me greater scope than Continental ones.” _ It was because of his fine work in “Rhodes” that Homolka was given a long-term contract with Gaumont-Bn-tish. The parts that he has played since then (in “Everything is Thunder” and the recently completed “Sabotage”) are totally different from the one in which he made his British debut. But Homolka revels in both of them. “I don’t care whether I am a good man or a bad one in pictures,” he says. “All I want is conflict between my character and at least one other person in the film.

“In ‘Rhodes’ it was a conflict of ideals. In ‘Everything is Thunder’ it is a conflict of impulses and emotions. In ‘Sabotage’ I am the unwilling accomplice of a terrorist gang. That is excellent. It brings me into conflict with almost everybody!” Homolka’s principal enthusiasm at the moment is Alfred Hitchcock. “Sabotage” is the first film in which ne has been directed by the dedoubtable ‘Hitch.’ And he likes it.

“I know that some people regard Hitchcock as a sort of arch-enemy of all actors and actresses,” he said. “That isn't true. “I should describe him as the enemy of ‘personalities.’ By that I mean onetrack personalities. Hitchcock isn’t in-

terested in ‘stars’—no really great oirector is. He is interested solely m telling a good story in his own way. “To such a man, these limited star personalities are just a nuisance. Hitchcock has a job to do, and does it. He is critical, but in a constructive and not merely argumentative way. He is willing to collaborate with you—meet you half-way—and quite rightly expects you to do the same. If you won’t, or can’t —well, that’s just too bad.” It isn’t surprising to learn that Oscar prefers studio work to the stage. He belongs essentially to the “modern” school of acting. In other words, he gets his effects with very little movement—by facial registration rather than by the older method of exaggerated theatrical gestures.

orchestra itself contributes to the number. Those who have heard “swing” music have expressed the opinion that it is the happiest solution to the present world-wide controversy regarding “modern” music. It is not “jazz,” nor, on the other hand, classical. It is true music, because it rouses an instantaneous response in the listener and achieves the real purpose of all good dance music in inspiring joyful feelings and tempting the feet to “tike, the floor.” • • A

MUSIC AND DRAMA

November 16—Michael Head, noted song composer, will give a lecture recital at Begg’s. November 17. 18 and 19—Morality Play, “Everyman.” in Christchurch Cathedral at 8.15 p.m. November 21 —Laurian Club recital in Radiant Hall.

London’s Fleet street provides a background for a scene in a British picture called “Song of the Road,” featuring Bransby Williams. Mr Williams plays an old carter, whose horse and dray are being driven off the road by the competition of motor vehicles. He comes to town, and, in one scene, is seen driving up through the surging traffic of Ludgate Circus.

YOUNG DRAMATIST CRITICISED

“ENEMY OF ART AND TRUTH” New York critics hasten to defend Clifford Odets, author of “Awake and Sing” and “Till the Day I Die,” against St. John Ervine’s estimate of him in the London “Observer,” says the “Melbourne Age.” The English dramatist and critic was concerned when Brooks Atkinson hailed Odets as “a new dramatist of exciting potentialities,” and a writer in “The Times” Literary Supplement described him “as exciting a figure as the younger Eugene O’Neill.” Mr Ervine is impatient of the American habit of excessively adoring things youthful. He finds O’Neill’s “Ah, Wilderness” worth a dozen “Strange Interludes” and “Mourning Becomes Electras.” But while neither O’Neill nor Odets has a sense of humour, the latter possesses none of the poetic quality found

in the young Mr O’Neill, but has. instead, moral fury, sectarian indignation, party bias and an earnest, humourless prig’s self-sufficiency. The EngUsh critic dreads earnest young men who are assured of their own impeccability. They become Hitlers, Stalins, and Mussolinis, and are prompt to suppress all who dissent from their dictation.

Like Brieux (who wrote “Damaged Goods”), Mr Odets trades on the horror of his subject, concealing his artistic poverty in the sheer revolting nature of the thing itself. In one Of bis glays, “Till the Day I Die,” he shows a group of communists and Jews being brutally beaten by Nazis, a scene which must stir anger and passion in all hu-mane-minded men, no matter what their politics. But that scene would be just as horrifying if the prisoners beaten w r ere Russian Royalists and their persecutors members of the O.G.P.U. “A passionate propagandist, sure of his own virtues and of the vices of all who differ from him, is not only a bad dramatist but is actually the enemy of art and truth,” is the London writer’s conclusion.