THE PICTURE WORLD

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 72, 26 March 1931, Page 18

THE PICTURE WORLD

Winning • the, West

Jeanette M'Donald. Jeanette M'Donald sang her way through in three pictures, and thereby won the leading' role in .-Arthur Hamuiersteiu's first screen operetta, "'The Lottery Bride." Hammerstein, with the most pretentious musical film venture of the year, wanted a leading lady-who could do justice to the melodies expressly written by Rudolph Friml. Miss MacDonakl was his choice of all the screen prima donnas and plays opposite Jim ' Garrick. He was the star in "Rose Marie," which toured the Dominion a few years'ago under J. C. Williamson.- ■ • Fairbanks. Douglas Fairbanks appears as a New York stockbroker, Bebe Daniels as a society aviatrix,-in "Reaching for the Moon," but Mr. Fairbanks • answers those. of his fans who. .have. asked if he sings during, the film. He does not.'. Nor is his picture a musical; it is a modern comedy drama during which two musical numbers ,that; are- part of the .story construction are lieard. ■ Irving Berlin, composed these numbers, and selected them from :i group of twenty songs he composed in Hollywood. During one of the scenes in "Reaching for the Moon" Fairbanks tackles seven ship stewards and Edward ..Everett Hortdn and Claud Alister in a rough-and-tumble reminiscent of the high old days o£ "The Americano."

■•East Lynne." "East Lynne," a play which has had 'many years of theatrical life, and has been .played in America, England, and Australia, is now being offered with a big cast as a Fox production for the audible screen. lAnn Harding, Clive Brook, Conrad Nagel, O. P. Heggie, Cecelia Loftus, Beryl Mericer, and J. M. Kerrigan—every member lof that cast has been a star in his or her own right" and "in important screen arid stage productions. Bradley King has prepared the audible screen play, Tom Barry has written the. dialogue, Frank Lloyd, a several times winner for outstanding productions, will direct, and Joseph Urban will create the settings. •"MiHie:" Millie, "the right girl who met the man," has, however, met up with jthe right motion picture producer. For Charles R. Rogers, producing "Millie" from the novel by Donald Henderson Clarke,' says that he has players working under the direction of John Francis Dillon, and Helen Twelvetrees of "Her Man," "Swing High," and "The Cat Creeps" fame, heads the. all-star cast in the role of Millie. Lilyan Tashman is portraying the part of Helen; Robert Ames that of Tommy; Joan Blondell, !Angie; John Halliday,' Jimmy Damier; Uames Hall, Jack Maitland; and Charlotte .Walker, Mrs. Maitland. This is a Radio Ipicture.

Coquette. A versatile cast, all of whom possess the talents of acting and singing, make up the list of players in "Sweet Kitty Bellairs," Warner Bros, and Vitaphone's talking, singing romantic comedy of eighteenth century England. Claudia Dell and June Collyer have the leading roles in "Sweet Kitty Bellairs," which is an adaptation of the stage success of .David Belasco, and is built'around the conquests of Kitty Bellairs, one of the world's most famous flirts. ■ Michael Arlen Talkie. So impressed was Michael Arlen, the novelist, with Madeline Carroll's performance in the British Dominions Film comedy "French Leave"' from the Reginald Berkeley play, :that he has offered the screen rights of one of his most, popular novels to Maurice Elv'ey, the film director, on the condition that Miss Carroll plays the leading role: The offer has been, accepted. The name, of the novel has, however, not yet been divulged. "The Squaw Man." ;Cecil B. De Mille's sound production of . "The Squaw. Man" . will go, intr production shortly at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios, with an all-star cast. It- will be a De Mille film. The cast includes Warner ' Baxter, Lupe Velez, Eleanor Boardman, Charles Biekford, Mitchell Lewis,. J. Farrell Mac Donald, Raymond Hatfon, and Julia Faye. ■

Noel Francis. Broadway holds no further allure for Noel Francis, former Ziegfeld beauty and musical comedy player. The actress affixed her signature to a term contract which will insure her remaining in Hollywood as a Radio Pictures'' featured player. Since joining the. film colony, Miss Francis has appeared in three feature productions— "Up:, the. River," and. "Lightnin'," for one studio, and "Resurrection" for another. . ■ Barry Norton. Barry Norton, plays an Australian lieutenant in Josef yon Steruberg's new production ■ fob Paramount, "Dishonoured." Marlene Dietrich and Victor M'Laglen are co-starred with Lew- Cody, Warner Olarid, Gustav yon Seyffertitz, and Davidson Clark in supporting roles. The film story, by yon Sternberg, deals with the adventures and romances of spies in the Austrian army. ■ Barthelmess. A big cast supports Richafd Barthelmess iv his latest First Nationaland Vitaphone picture, "The . Dawn Patrol." It is .an all-masculine cast, and the plot is. a story of tlie friendships of men v/ho daily faocd death in the .Royal Flying Corps in the Great War. "The Dawn Patrol" is a romance of heroism, and bolds no false sentimentality.. Douglas Fairbanks, jun., Neil-Hamilton, and Frank M'Hugh support Barthelmess in. ."The Dawn Patrol."

Tons of Money. , Both Torn Walls and Frederick Lonsdale must be. literally exhausted with patting each other ' on, the back. The energetic . English director is now . directing the opening .'"scenes-'of-one- of Lbndon's niost famous farces,' "Tons of Money;" with Ralph Lynn and-Vyonne Arnaud in'roles in which they, established their special brand of, histrionic "hilarity.' . ■ ' . , "Danger Ahead." ■ • ' Dorothy Sebastian ■ has returned to the Columbia lot,- •after,--a. .brief honeymoon, following jher to William Boyd. She has been awarded the feniinine role in "Danger Ahead;"'action drama depicting .the adventures .of .those engaged in work on one of America's great .railway systems. .-'William "R. .Nigh :is directing.

"Subway Express." . Jason Robards .and Alan :Rosqoe .have . been, added- to--the', cast \of Columbia's. "Subway' 'Express,", adapted from ' the mystery drama,, which', created a' sensation during its record run.on; Broadway. 'Jason Robards -is'-a -graduate -of the legitimate stage, and has ■ played.:on Broadway in such hits as "Lightnin'". and "Seventh Heaven." .Mr.' Rbscoe, has -many ■ outstanding "screen' characterisations --to-his. credit, among'which are featured roles in. "Hurricane" and '.'Rain or Shine." "Working; Girl.",.. . : Clara '■ Bbw!s',first Paramount starring picture, after- her' return; from, a,1 month's' rest ordered -by .her.- physician will be' "Working .Girl," • from .'the 'Broadway stage .production,- "Blind Mice." -Edward Sloman will?direct.- •

While the recent proclamation of President Hoover/asking for.a general and fitting observance of -the Centenary of the Conquest of the Oregou Trail, recalls how some 350,000 men, women, and children crossed the mountains and helped so much to win- the West, Raoul -Walsh's "The Big Trail," the ■movietone produced by Fox Film Corporation, re-creates and echoes the trials 'and .hardships of those hardy pioneers. "The Big Trail," a reenactment T of the march of the pioneers westward over. the. many trails, is a tribute to the bravest folk in American history, .the men, women, and children who went-over the Oregon, the Santa Fe, the Overland and others and .. who contributed flesh, blood, and courage to the winning of the west: "The1 Big Trail," which opens at the De Luxe Theatre in the near future, is a production which Eaoul Walsh, of "What Price ■ Glory" fame, has wanted to make for years. .He bided his' time until talking- pictures >became a. reality. His .selection of players entailed many weeks, of arduous ...work and testing. There are ninety-three actual featured players in the cast, said to be .the largest cast ever assembled in the history of motion pictures. More than 20,000 extra players were.used, 1800 head of cattle 1400 horses,, hundreds of mules, 185 covered wagons—Walsh claims that research of a careful nature ' revealed that the greatest number of covered, wagons in any one train was 150-^725 real Indians, and a production staff of two hundred experts. John- Wayne, a youthful discovery of Walsh, plays' the leading male role, that .of Breck Coleman, a youth- selected to lead the wagon ti'ain because of his knowledge of trails, Indians, and the country in general. ■ Marguerite Churchill plays the leading feminine role, that-of Ruth'Cameron, daughter of the South, who comes to join the wagon train with her brother and little sister; the brother played by David Rollins. Tyrone. Power, , former stage star, plays the role of the brutal Flack, bull whacker, of the ' train. tEI Brendel plays Gussie,'said to be his' top' comedy characterisation to date. The story was written by Hal G; Evarts. Lukas, Again.',''. - Another leading role opposite^ Ruth Chatterton has been given Paul Lukas, who was opposite that star, in "The Better Wife", and "The Right to Love." He will play one\of the three leading male roles in '.'New'Morals," which film is from an original story by John van Druten.