FILMS and the STAGE

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 34, 3 November 1933, Page 16

FILMS and the STAGE

News From The Studios And Theatres

Talking Filins and Speech

PHILLIPS HOLMES, according to an overseas message, looks forward to the time when the public and the actors of the screen will speak the same language. There should be no difference between the two, he maintains. Not that he believes the screen players should ape public usage, but that the. public should pattern after the screen. “But first,” says Holmes, “screen players themselves must ' reach some unanimity in speech. There are as many accents as there are regions from which the players come.” Holmes is a student of languages. He studied at Princeton, America, at Oxford, in England, and at Grenoble, in Erance. "Sooner or later,” he says, “the screen is bound to .evolve a style of speech for the country at large—a.speech that will be typically American. At present it is an admixture of geographical accents and the accents of the New York ' and London stage. Out of this will come something definite. Although it is the English tongue we speak, it would be

“nifiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiimiiiiiHiHuiiiiMnimuHiiiiiUiiiitniiiiiiiin simpler to set a standard, in America than in England. Here we do have variations, but they are’ not so marked as they are throughout Britain, where within a comparatively small area they really talk several different languages. “Hollywood can give this country a single ‘language’; can discover for the rest of the country a speech in which it will find charm, just as the poet Heine proved to Germany that its thick gutturals could be turned into music.” Ruth Chatterton’s Latest A REMARKABLE transition in character, both physical and spiritual, is developed by ■ Ruth ■ Chatterton as “Frisco Jenny” in the First National picture of the same title. This transition covers twenty-five years of Frisco Jenny’s life, from the time she is an innocent girl of seventeen until she becomes a woman of maturity. There is no rapid change from innocence to crime, but the character of Frisco Jenny is shown to grow gradually harder as she fights her way through life.

Ida Lupino Goes to Hollywood

Miss ,IDA LUPINO, the 16-year-old daughter of Stanley Lupino, the comedian, has arrived to take up a contract with a major studio in Hollywood. For the first three years she will receive £l6O a week ,>n the basis of a 40-week year, and after that the studio has an option on her services for a further two years at £3BO a week. “She is leaving for America because British film producers failed to recognise her worth,” said her father.' “One British company offered her a contract twelve months ago at £lO a week.”

| H. B. Warner arrived in Don- = = don recently to take up the part = = of “Sorrell” in the talkie version = | of Warwick Deeping’s “Sorrell = = and Son,” which Jack Kaymond = = is to direct at Boreham Wood = = almost immediately. Mr. War- = = ner created the role in the silent = 1 version of the story.. |

Fairbanks Junr. in England

FAIRBANKS, junior, now in England with his father, will appear in a London Film Productions film based on the life of Catherine the Great. He will play the part of the young Tsar, Peter 111, called by many “the Russian Hamlet,” because of his moody, cruel, suspicious and amorous character. ’ Elizabeth Bergner, noted European actress, will appear as young Fairbanks’s leading woman in the role of Catherine. Critics hail. her .as one of the greatest natural actresses on the screen, and her work has been compared with that of Eleanore Duse and Sarah Bernhardt. The supporting cast includes Flora Robson, George Grossmibh, Joan Gardner, Clifford Heatherly, and Lawrence Grossmith.

Infants on the Screen

rpHE law in America will not allow x an Infant to remain exposed to bright lights for more than 30 seconds at a time.

No child may work more than 20 minutes in one day, and two hours constitute a working day. A rigid physical examination must be passed by the in fant before It can make its picture debut.

• The studio must sign a liability agreement, which remains in force for six months, thereby assuming responsibility for any eye injury which may develop within the half-year. The liability includes payment of all medical attention required and additional funds in payment of compensational damages in the event of permanent injury.

George Arliss THIS popular actor’s pictures will in future be distributed by United Artists and produced by 20th Century Pictures Ltd. The first, picture scheduled under this new arrangement is ‘‘The Great Rothschild,” a sweeping epic of the five brothers Rothschild who cornered the money market of the world and built an Empire of gold that flourishes to the present day. It will be followed by “Red Tape,” a modern comedy drama. Eddie Cantor Again J7.DDIE CANTOR’S latest musical comedy “Roman Scandals” is nearing completion at the United Artists’ studios. The pop-eyed comedian will be seen as a crashing charioteer, burning up Rome under his own horsepower. Throwing the bull in “The Kid

from Spain” was nothing to keeping the chariot from. throwing him as he thunders down the arena. The picture is being designed to make a Roman Holiday for film audiences the whole world over. Janet Gaynor’s Wardrobe TANET GAYNOR, who recently V left for a vacation at a camp in the Wisconsin woods had some smart but exceedingly comfortable clothes with. her. One lounging costume was in yellow Shantung silk, with trousers, a jacket and a blouse of loose linen mesh. The jacket sleeves were ent midway between shoulder and elbow, giving the ensemble a girlish feminine touch. Another dress that Janet expected to wear a lot was of blue and white striped pique with the skirt buttoning on the blouse with white pearl buttons. Inverted pleats in the front and back of this frock make it comfortable for walking.

New Role for Elissa Land!

YVITH the signing of Elissa Landi to ’’ play the leading feminine role in “By Candlelight,” Universal has added another of the most popular reigning stars of pictures for this picture. “By Candlelight” will havo Paul Lukas as its star. Lukas just recently renewed his long-term contract with Universal, and this production is the first in which he will appear under the terms of the new contract. “By Candlelight” is a delightfully audacious Continental comedy, with a Viennese background, with roles for the two principals exactly suited to their own European personalities, and the background in which they were reared. “By Candlelight” was played in Wellington by the Repertory Theatre some months ago.

= For her next screen production, = = Marlene Dietrich will star in = = “Her Regiment of Lovers,” a = | story about Catherine the Great = | of Russia. | jhiniiiiniiiiiiiiiiuiiuniiiiimnnimniiiinuinimnnmMumrS

Kent Taylor, former extra, who was signed to a term contract by Paramount a year ago, will get his first important chance in Mae West’s new Paramount picture, “I’m No Angel.” Taylor will play the secondary romantic lead, to Gary Grant.

Claude Bains, noted English actor, plays the leading role in Universal’s “The Invisible Man,” the story of a man who invented a &eans of making himself invisible. Gloria Stuart and William Harrigan have leading supporting roles.

Fay and Her Nineteen Dresses TpAY WRAY dropped in at the Colx umbia Studios recently to see about her nineteen wardrobe changes for "Men of Steel,” in which she will be seen opposite Jack Holt. While at the studio she dropped in on Speucer Tracy, who is starring in “Man’s Castle.” Fay and Spencer recently completed “Shanghai Madness” on another lot, and struck up a close friendship. But there’s no romance afoot, for Miss Wray is happily married to John Monk Saunders, and there’s a very charming Mrs Tracy. Wallace Popular in England PRANK MELBOURNE, a successful Australian vaudeville artist who is just back from England, tells how he went to see the Efftee film, “His Loyal Highness” (as it was called iu England) screened at the Camberwell

Palace, and the crowded audience yelled its head off at George Wallace. Eyeryone was talking about the new comedian, and it is net surprising to learn that both George Wallace and Pat Hanna already have an English admirers’ mail. R.K.O.’s Short Subjects AMOS ’n’ Andy, Ely Culbertson, Ruth Ettlng, Charles Chaplin and Clark and McCullough will head the star list of R.K.O. Radio’s 106 shorts scheduled for 1933-34. The list is divided into two-reel comedies, two-reel specials, single-reels, and Pathe News Reels.

TO'HN BOLES has been signed for a w second Universal Pictures on completion of his role in ‘‘Only Yesterday.” For years John Boles’s admirers have wanted him to sing again in a picture. In this picture he will sing. The production is tentatively titled “Love Time.”

Short Musical-Comedy Films

JJOLLYWOOD will introduce some-

thing entirely different in musical comedy short subjects with “ ’Tis Spring” as the first of the new series of technlcolour musicals. The usual methods of turning out shorts have been altered to the extent that the film is logical and not a miscellaneous assortment of song and dance numbers. John Francis Dillon directed the first technlcolour production, which will be released as part of the “‘Broadway Brevities” series. The cast will include Patricia Ellis, Hugh Herbert, Allen Jenkins, Ruth Donnelly and Frank Albertson.

’iiitniiititiiiiiiniiinitiitiiiiiiiitiiiiiirniniiiiiittiiiiiiriiitiinm : A group of well-known radio = E and screen stars will be seen in E E B.l.P’s. “Radio Parade.” Fore- | = most among them is Florence = E Desmond, who will present her E | famous “Hollywood Party.” =

Beautiful Blonde Australian JJ”P to the present no Australian girl of any great photographic possibilities has been given a chance to star in Australian films. Many Australian girls have become famous in pictures from British International Studios at Elstree England (Nancy Brown, Betty Stockfeld and Judy Kelly, for instance), and Cinesound have actually blazed a trail for Australian youth, eager to win through in our own pictures. Jocelyn Howarth, who plays the title role In “The Squatter's Daughter,” is a very beautiful blonde who is certain to be a great favourite. The rest of the carefully selected cast, headed by Grant Lyndsay, Fred MacDonald, John Warwick, and Dorothy Dunckley, also reveal histrionic ability. “The

Selected from Several Players

AFTER weeks of tests and conferences, Fox Film executives have decided upon Preston Foster, one of their contract players, for the role of “Nifty” in “Hoopla,” which goes into production shortly at the Movietone studio. More than a dozen actors had been tested for. the role; first one and then another was eliminated from consideration until, at last, Foster stood alone. With the selection of Foster the cast is now complete. Clara Bow has the role of “Lou,” Richard Cromwell is to play “the boy,” Minna Gombell will do “Carrie,” Herbert Mundin will be “Hap,” and Roger Imhof will play “Col. Gowdy.” Florence Roberts plays “Ma Benson.”

Film King Defiant

MR. HOWARD HUGHES, the American film millionaire, who, because he intends to lay bare intimate secrets of Hollywood’s “stars” in an ! amazing film, “Queer People," has been boycotted and even threatened, was recently in London. He told the “Sunday Chronicle” the story of the gigantic task before him. I “When the film is completed,” he said, "the public will be told for the first time the innermost details of the lives of those they worship on the screen.” ........

Actors, actresses, film chiefs, and producers have persuaded, cajoled and threatened. Howard Hughes has been metaphorically thrown out of Hollywood. But threats don’t disturb this tall, slim, young millionaire, who talked convincingly about his new venture to a “Sunday Chronicle” representative.

“Each member of the cast,” he said, “will be the definite counterpart of an actor or actress who is known to almost every picturegoer. The names, of course, will be slightly different from those of the people portrayed.

“When I wanted to film the story ‘Queer People,’ and show Hollywood as it really is, I was rebuffed by nearly everyone in that city. I was told that it would do considerable harm to the film industry. “Film chiefs came to me and said that if the picture was made ( they wouldn’t allow it to be shown in any of their theatres in America or abroad. It was out of the question to secure the services of the necessary players. I couldn’t hire a studio for love or money. “But I mean to make that picture and will get ahead with it after I return to America. As regards actors and actresses, if I don’t get them in Hollywood I will get them elsewhere, probably New York. • Hollywood can shout and threaten as much as it likes; that picture is going to be made —yes, sir, and shown to the world.” Mr. Howard Hughes is a man with determination and sufficient money to back it up. He is one of the cleverest voting men in the film industry, and made “Hell’s Angels,” which cost him 3,000,000 dollars, and “Scarface.”

“Bella Donna” to be Screened

f’ONRAD VEIDT, whose performance in the title role of “The Wandering Jew,” made at the Twickenham Studio, has been highly praised in England, is to be starred in a spectacular talking picture version of “Bella Donna,” to be made at the same studio. “Bella Donna,” which was originally adapted for the stage by J. B. Fagan from Robert Hichen’s well-known novel, was first staged at the St. James Theatre, London, in 1911, by the late Sir George Alexander, with Mrs. Patrick Campbell in the role of Mrs. Shepstow. It has twice been made as a silent film, first in 1918 and again in 1923.’ Conrad Veidt, who will have the role created in Australia by Hugh Buckler,. is to appear opposite a famous American actress.

“Kiss Me Again,” Warner Brothers’ version of Victor Herbert’s “Mdlle. Modiste,” stars Bernice Claire, Edward Everett Horton, Walter Pidgeon, Frank McHugh, and June Collyer.