From Britain and America

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 70, 15 December 1933, Page 18

From Britain and America

PEORGE BRENT will play the lead in "Headquarters,” a drama of scientific crime detection, as soon as he has finished his present picture, "Female,” in Which he is partnering his wife, Ruth Chatterton.* ■' Herbert Marshall heads the strong cast assembled for. "The Solitaire Man,” a startling drama of Continental crookdom, which M.-G.-M. are releasing. The casting of Marshall in another role as a sophisticated “gentleman” crook brings him to the screen in a vehicle that has all the appeal of "Trouble in Paradise.” Beaumont Smith’s “Hayseeds,” produced at the Cinesound Studios, Rushcutter’s Bay, Sydney, had a » brilliant premiere last week. Heading the cast are Cecil Kellaway, as "Bad,” Sylvia Welling and John Moore, all of them stage stars. “The Hayseeds’” will be one of the Christmas attractions for Wellington. Universal’s “Invisible Man,” with Claude Rains, and “Only Yesterday, with Margaret Sullavan, and John Boles and Billie Burke, are two of the finest and most perfectly-acted shows ever released. * - * , Sound City’s next ambitious undertaking is “White Ensign,” which is bein" made with the co-operation of the navy, and will be on the largest scale yet attempted in Britain in any picture whose story is centralised in naval doings. - . v/ ♦:.<>. * ! The well-known tenor, Richard Tauber, is to make a film in England for British International Pictures. It will be based on the We of Schubert, the composer, and exterior scenes will be taken in Vienna. Owing to copyright difficulties it is impossible to film “Lilac Time, and a new scenario and musical score are consequently being prepared. Mae Marsh, star of the screen in the days of “The Birth of a Nation, has been .signed by Paramount for the 'role of the Sheep in “Alice in Wonderland.” Mae Marsh has been in retirement for .several years, living In California with her husband and three children. * » , Betty Blythe, who reigned iii “The Queen of Sheba” and in other glamorous roles at the Fox Film studio ten years ago, will return there to play the part of Mary Brian’s mother in “The Heir to'the Hoorah,” which features George O’Brien. Miss Blythe was one of the most popular “it’ actresses of the silent screen. f « » ♦ Zasu Pitts has completed negotiations with RKO Radio to make another film in addition to Iter recently signed four pictures agreement with the studio. Terms of the added onepicture deal call for the comedienne to play a featured role in “Wild Birds,*’ the film version of Dan Totheroh’s play which will serve as a starring vehicle for Dorothy Jordan. In course of production in England are two musical features, “Priiice Charming” and “Chu Chin Chow,” the latter a well-known and immensely successful light opera, produced by Oscar Asche. Mr.-Asche will. again take.an important' part in the Gaumont-Brit-ish filming, which will be directed by Walter Forde. ... * * * The demand for Lilian Harvey pictures. following her American debut in “My Weakness,” has caused another postponement of the actress’s proposed trip, to Europe. She has been assigned to the principal role in Al Rockett’s production Of “The Lottery Lover,”.for Fox Films, on which she will liegin work immediately after the completion of “I Am Suzanna!” a Jesse L. Lasky production. « » ♦ “Yes. Mr. Brown,” a British Dominion’s release, with Jack Buchanan and Vera Pearce, the Australian actress, in the leading roles, will be one of Wellington’s Christmas attractions. It is a bright musical comedy. Seventy thousand pounds was lavished on the production of British International Pictures’, sparkling comedyromance, “Heads We Go.” Charming Constance Cummings was “stolen” from Hollywood for the starring role, Frank Lawton (of “Cavalcade” fame), Binnie Barnes, Gus McNaughton, and Claude Hulbert selected to head the great supporting cast, and the result is Britain’s biggest and brightest com-edy-romance, radiating laughter and romance.

Considered to be one of the most intimate stories ever written about Hollywood, “365 Nights in Hollywood,” a book by James A. Starr, Los Angeles newspaperman and scenario writer, has been purchased by Fox Films. Scheduled for production in the near future, it will feature Claire Trevor.