Films and the Stage.

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 68, 13 December 1930, Page 25

Films and the Stage.

Filming has been completed on “Along Came' Youth,” Charles Rogers’® new Paramount 'all-talking production. It is an adaptation of Maurice Bedell’s “Molinoff,” and features Frances Dee, Stuart' Erwin, William Austin, Leo White, and Evelyn Hall in the cast,. Lloyd' Corrigan and Norman McLeod handled the direction.

George - Grossmlth, noted English actor-producer, will bring P. G. Wodehouse’s famous English earl character to life in the part he plays in “Those Three French Girls,” being' filmed for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer by Harry Beaumont. Reginald Denny and Fifl D’Orsay are featured in the Comedy film for which Wodehouse supplied the dialogue. '

“Strictly Business” will be the title of Claudette Colbert’s next Paramount all-talking film, now in production at the New York studios. It is from an original story by Austin Parker, a wellknown ilctionist: Dorothy Arzner is directing and Fredric March is playing the leading male role. Other cast selections will be announced shortly. H. B. Warner is an English acto_r who came, to the United States in 1905, and starred in many outstanding productions' of the ten years that followed, including.“ Salome Jane,” “Alias Jimmy Valentine,” and “Danger,” before lie entered motion pictures in 1914. Lois Moran first, came Into screen prominence for her splendid performance in “Stella Dallas.”

“Laughter," a Paramount all-talking picture starring Mary Carroll, has been lauded by preview critics as the surprise production of the year. Filmed unostentatiously as a regular picture, “Laughter,” in its finished state, is declared to be a ! masterpiece oj dramatic handling and acting. Fredrlc March plays opposite Miss Carroll and D’abbadie D’Arrast directed. < ,

A gang of men who laid waste £6,000,000 worth of gold-mining claims, under cover of the law they mocked, gave Rex Beach the name for his story that has become one of the great outdoor romances of literature, “The Spoilers.” Practically every situation in Beach’s novel is based on fact Even the fight scene' between Glenister and McNamara was real, a terrific battle waged between Chris Swanson and Alexander MacKenzie having furnished Beach with his inspiration. Swanson, a huge, powerful man, was a leader among the miners whose claims had been ■(despoiled. MacKenzie, outwardly the representative of the Government in the district, was the head conspirator. The fight between Swanson and MacKenzie was the turning point in

the affairs at Nome; from that moment onward saw the breaking up of the MacKenzie gang and the return of their own property to the miners whose claims had been jumped. Paramount has. refilmed “The Spoilers” on a large scale as an all-talking picture. Gary Cooper is featured in the leading role, with Kay Johnson, William Boyd. James Kirkwood, Betty Compson and Harry Green in prominent parts. "The Spoilers” will shortly be released throughout Australia as an extended season attraction, and will arrive in New Zealand in the near future. Frank Albertson made his stage debut in motion pictures as an extra on the Paramount lot in 1922, and has risen to the front rank o£ juvenile actors in all-talking pictures.

“New Morals,” William Powell’s current Paramount all-talking film, is nearing completion at the Hollywood studios, where it is in production under the direction of Victor Schertzinger. Juliette Compton is featured in the feminine lead, and William Boyd and Skeets Gallagher head the large supporting cast. It is an original story by Bartlett Cormack.

Clara Bow has started work on her next Paramount all-talking picture, tentatively titled “No Limit,” at the New York studios of the company. Norman Foster, Stuart Erwin and Harry Green have been assigned to the film, which will have a gambling background, and was written by Viola Brothers Shore. Frank Tuttle will again direct Miss Bow in the new production.

Charles Bickford and Lewis Stone have been selected by William De Mille to play the two leading male roles in “The Passion Flower,” an adaptation of the novel by Kathleen Norris which he will shortly put into production at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios:

Carrie Jacobs Bond, one of the bestloved of modern composers, is to make her debut in talking pictures. The first song she has ever written for the screen will be sung by Grace Moore, Metropolitan Opera star, in her first talking picture at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios. “Lovely Hour” is the title of the new song, and it is a smooth-flowing melody-after the style of Mrs. Bond’s popular “End of a Perfect Day.” Michael Vavitch has been signed by Metro-Goldwyn-M.ayer for the role of chief surgeon in “War Nurse,” which Edgar Selwyn is directing after an adaptation of the popular best-seller. Vavitch will be remembered for his character roles in “Call of the Flesh” any many other films.

A much-discussed play, “Common Clay,” played here some years ago by Miss Muriel Starr, has recently been produced as a talking film, and was screened privately in Wellington a few days ago. Only a few people were present, among them being three well- ■ known clergymen who had been specially asfeed to attend the screening. “Common Clay” is a Fox production and is handled with that thoroughness and attention to detail for which this company is noted. The star is Constance Bennett, easily one of the most brilliant, of the younger generation of screen actresses. “Common Clay” is not .a very pleasant story, and few of its characters can be said to have lived decent lives. There is, however, one thing that the picture does do, and that is it strikes at the root of a great social evil—the lack of proper parental control and supervision in many homes. “Common Clay” tells the story of a girl who liked a good time and who found life in a somewhat questionable dance hall very much to her liking. The place is raided, and -Helen, the girl, is arrested with everyone else. She is terrified, but, in order to have proceedings shortened, she pleads guilty to the charge of vagrancy preferred against her. The judge, struck by her youth and apparent innocence, advises her to give up her old life and to get a decent position. She takes tne advice and goes into service in the house of one of America’s oldest families. To her dismay she finds that at heart even the wealthy people are not all they should be. Her dance hall friends did things openly—the people in the wealthy home were not quite so open in their actions, but that was about all that could be said for them. Hugh, the son of the house, returns from college and straightway makes overtures to Helen and is egged on by a young bounder who knew her in her dance hall days. Helen has a heart-to-heart talk to Hugh, who apologises for his conduct, and the two, unknown to Hugh’s parents, become great friends. Hugh returns to college, and later a child is born to Helen. Hugh’s father refuses to allow him to recognise paternity and determines to buy .Helen's silence. Helen does not want : money. She wants Hugh, and when she is insulted by the father she verbally rends him to pieces. From this point onward the picture is nothing short of brilliant. Miss Bennett as Helen gives a performance that should make history in the world of sound pictures. Her hysterical outburst against the modern code of morals and against her treatment by those to whom ■ she was advised to look for protection and guidance is undoubtedly one of the most brilliant and convincing scenes that has ever been enacted either behind the footlights or on the screen. Miss Bennet was completely carried away—she was the unfortunate Helen—and her clear voice, cold and hard, simply tore her persecutors to pieces. In the entire cast of characters there Is not one weak actor, every member of the company having been specially chosen to support Miss Bennett.

A treat in store for Wellington picture enthusiasts is “Whoopee,” the gorgeous First National Technicolour film that will be screened in Wellington in about a fortnight’s time. It is one of the most elaborate productions that have ever been, screened, and is bound to be an outstanding success. For one thing, it has the advantage of having been personally supervised by the famous Florenz Ziegfeld. Another factor in its favour is that the music for the show was written by Walter Donaldson, whose melodies are always so popular. Thirdly, it has for its star Eddie Cantor, the Broadway comedian, who played the part for two years in the New York stage production. The picture was screened privately in Wellington recently, and was an instantaneous success. There were so many good points' about the film that it would be hard to single out any particular one. The sound was perfect, the music catchy, the dancing a revelation, the ensembles and settings wonderful, and the colouring marvellous. Nothing to equal this new type of technicolour has yet been seen in New Zealand. There ■ was no blurring of any description, and, : above'all, no strain on one’s eyes. The technical brilliance of the Goldwyn and Ziegfeld staffs combined were used to make each detail breath-taking in loveliness. Scores of beautiful girls selected from among five thousand applicants by Mr.' Goldwyn and Mr. Ziegfeld personally, the expenditure of nearly two million dollars, and months of careful preparation, make “Whoopee” mark a new era in pictures spectacle. Colour is used lavishly throughout to enrich these unparalleled effects. “Whoopee” is a comedy with plenty of gags and laugh situations and sequences—with an auxiliary story to hold things together logically, plus only six songs and about three ensemble dances. Of the . song numbers, three are comedy renditions by Cantor himself: “Making Whoopee,” “The Girl Friend of a Boy Friend of Mine,” and “My Baby Just Cares for Me.” Nothing to equal the dance ensembles has so far been seen in pictures. Instead of using large numbers to put these across, a group of only 24 girls was used, the various dances were kept to minimum footage. The 24 girls were said to have been selected from about 500 of the prettiest girls in Hollywood and New York, and they are the last word in pulchritude. The finals, an Indian tableau, surpasses anything yet produced on the screen. The “Stetson” ballet is worthy of mention, for it was both original and brilliantly carried but. Also it gave the audience an opportunity of seeing what beautiful girls Florenz Ziegfeld chooses for his productions. Eddie Cantor carries practically the entire picture on his own shoulders, and makes an excellent job of it. The balance of the cast is unknown to picture audiences, but nevertheless is satisfactory. Ethel Shutta is the comedienne opposite Cantor, while Paul Gregory scores with his singing of the love theme song. Chief Caupolican, noted Indian singer, renders “The Song of the Setting Sun” effectively at the finale.

One of the most distinguished casts ever assembled for the making of a motion picture was collected for “Little Accident,” Universal’s uproarious com-edy-drama. Douglas Fairbanks, jun., Anita Pake, Sally Blane, Zasu Pitts, and Joan Marsh are featured. Other famous players included in the cast are Roscoe Karns, Slim Summerville, Henry Armetta, Myrtle Stedman, Albert Gran, Nora Cecil, Bertha Mann, Gertrude Short, and Dot Farley. The picture, based on the famous stage play of the same name, was directed by William James Craft. Frances McCoy was a Christmas present to her family, having been born on Christmas Day.

Unable to find a swimming pool and garden big enough in all Southern California, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer went right ahead and built one of their own for the fashion revue and ballet spectacle in “Our Blushing Brides,’’ Joan Crawford’s new starring talkie. The huge setting, for which towering concrete pillars were especially moulded, was erected on an outdoor stage covering more than an acre of space. It included terraces, pools, fountains and babbling brooks. Kenneth Thomson played the role of “Lazarus” in the silent film “King of Kings,” and he has been leading man for such well-known screen personalities as Jetta Goudal and Marie Prevost?

“Josephine,” monkey actress, is no respecter of persons when her jealous nature is aroused. Playing in a scene with Greta Garbo for Ko* mance,” the monkey, angered at the stars attention to another animal, and promptly nipped her hand. Garbo ignored the wound until the scene was finished.

“Africa Speaks,’’ the remarkable Columbia Pictures’, production, is a stirring romance centred among the eight hundred odd tribes in the Central Africa sector. The lives of the natives are accurately pictured. Their struggle for existence and the continual battle for supremacy between human beings and the wild beasts that infest the country, are recorded in native dialect and sound effects, with a synchronised explanation of the wonders of the mysterious country. Paul L. Hoefler, noted explorer, and Walter Futter, under the sponsorship of the Colorado African expedition, are responsible for this jungle masterpiece. The expedition spent fifteen months in and travelled more than eighteen thousand miles through darkest Africa.

George Hill, movie director, boasts a set that sets the world record for economy in space per person in his new picture, “The Big House,” for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The set is a tiny cell, six feet deep by four wide, and in it are housed Wallace Beery, Chester Morris and Robert Montgomery in opening scenes of this feature. The cell represents one originally built for one man and then equipped with two more bunks, as is done in many prisons where overcrowding makes it a necessity. It was built to scale from an actual cell in a certain American prison. Joyce Compton has the reddest hair of any film star in Hollywood.

William Adams, Universal cameraman, has just returned to Universal City after having completed a trip to Hong-Kong, China, for the purpose of obtaining a number of atmospheric “shots" of the waterfront, for inclusion in the newest all-talking screen production, “East is West,” featuring Lupe Velez, Lewis Ayres, and Jean Hersholt Since it was found impossible to secure in this country or China any recent views of the kind desired, Universal officials decided some time ago to send Adams from the local studio. Herman Rosse, art director of “East is West,” will pattern “sets” for the picture in duplication of some of the views which Adams has brought back, and the production is thus assured an authentic background.

Owen Moore, who plays a featured role in the thrilling crook drama, “Outside the Law," has one of the finest speaking voices on the screen. Moore plays the role of a clever crook, “Fingers O’Dell,’ who plans the robbery of a large metropolitan bank. Mary Nolan has the principal role and Edward G. Robinson is featured in her support. Both do remarkable work in this unusual production, which is one of Universal’s twenty big specials of the year. Tod Browning directed the photoplay and himself wrote the story. ' J. Harold Murray’s earliest ambition was to be a sailor.

Harry Green, Paramount’s dialect comedian, owns the Lyric Theatre, in London, England. Frank Tuttle, one of Hollywood’s first-rank directors, is a Yale University graduate and former associate editor of “Vanity Fair. He is under contract to Paramount.