Comedy

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

Comedy

My Old China. Will Kellino has. resumed; production on the Gainsborough "musical ''extravaganzas'' series of talkies, arid is engaged 'on "My Old China," which but the adventures of a young English couple who fall into the' hands 'of • a . Chinese ' bandit Kellino's :cast consists of Clifford Heather ley, Frank Stanmore,- Gibb M'Laughlin Reg Gardiner,- Win Richmond, Set! Egbert, and. Gracie Keat. . His First. "Madame. Julie,"-an. original, stage plaj by Irving. Kaye .Davis, will 'be Victoi Scliertzinger's first, production as a Radic Pictures', diuectorl ' Schertzinger, whc joined ( the Radio .organisatibnl recently as a 1 contract director,' has' been- conferring over the selection 'of-'his 'initial 'story and ;"Madame Julie"1 was' the .ultimate selection. ' ' ' ' '• ■

An Easter egg to the talkie public will be another picture by that versatile sUr, Norma Shearer. This production is smarter and more dramatic than any other Shearer film, and the story has been taken from the spicy Rachel Crothers stage hit of the same name, "Let Ds lie Gay." Robert Z. Leonard, who directed the star in "The Divorcee," again is responsible for the filming of this new talkie, which is a drama of ultra-sophistication. Rod La Kocque is the husband-Lothario, "and Marie Dressier the eccentric dowager who keeps things moving. Others in the cast include Sally Eilers, Gilbert Emery, Raymond Hackett, aud'Hedda Hopper. The new Norma Shearer production presented by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer presents the situation of a wife who, when she discovers that she has become too dowdy to retain her husband's affections, goes to Paris for a three-years' training course'in acquiring "it," and returns to-make a come-back. The scenes are laid in the wealthy home of a dowager whom' the. wife has met in Paris. Adrian, the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer stylist, has designed many gowns for Miss Shearer in this production. "Unfaithful." Jack Richardson, one of the first screen menaces, and Douglas Gilmore have been assigned to important roles in Ruth .Chatterton's current Paramount picture, "Unfaithful." They become members of a cast including Juliette Compton, Paul Lukas, John Loder, Paul Cavanagh, Donald Cook, and others. John Cromwell is directing from a • story by John van Druten. "Ladies' Man." A society fancy dress ball forms one of the highlights of William Powell's recently completed production . for Paramount, "Ladies' Man." Costumes of all nations and historical ages appear in the scenes, with Powell appearing as Potem : kin and Olive Tell as Catherine the ■ Great.: Others in the cast'are Kay Francis, Gilbert Emery, Carol; Lombard, John Holland, and Martin Burton. Again. Marion Pavies' and Robert Z. Leonard have started their sixth picture together, opening the production .at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio on "It's a Wise Child," which Laurence E. Johnson adapted from his own stage hit. Sidney Blackmer plays opposite Miss Davies in the picturisation of the.farce, produced in New York by Belasco in' 1929.

Versatile Bloodhound. Michael Ba'lcon, who is now engaged with casting arrangements for the Gainsborough Pictures all dialogue version of the late Sir Arthur Couan Doyle's "The Hound of the Baskervilles," is experiencing considerable difficulty in securing a canine star to portray the name part. Not only must the bloodhound be able to sustain the eerie atmosphere of the story, but he must be. of a.patient, disposition, and submit .to having. his jowl smeared with luminous paint. Herbert. , . Hugh Herbert has been added to the cast of Radio . Pictures'' "Assorted Nuts," featuring Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey. He is to be • co-featured soon in a two-reel comedy with Roscoe Ates, stuttering comedian. ' ,

British. i C. Aubrey Smith, the English stage. ' and screen ■ star, has been assigned to ' Ramon Novarro's "Daybreak," ■an adapta- ■ tion 'of Dr. Arthur- Schmitzler's comedy' I. drama. C. Aubrey Smith won his greatest • success in "The Bachelor Father," and for ' years he was one of Great Britain's out- > standing stars in "The Morals :of Marcus," 1 "Caroline," "The Bill of Divorcement," and "The Creaking Chair." Drama, Now. ' "Sweet Mama," Alice White's latest " First National and Vitaphone picture, is > not at all the kind of picture that the ' title suggests, but a drama. Alice White ' lias moved out of the flapper class in this I picture, and emerged into a emotional > actress. She is supported by David Man- '■ ners, Kenneth Thomson, Rita Flynn, and ■ a notable cast of players:

"Fighting Patrol." Buck Jones, who has just completed Columbia's "Phantom. Hoofs," will begin work immediately on his new ; fllm, "Fighting Patrol," under the direction of Ross Lederman. Carmelita Geraghty has been awarded the feminine lead.opposite him in this production which is . seventh 'in the series of eight outdoor Specials that- Buck Jones series, as she played opposite him marks Miss Geraghty's return to the Buck Jones serwies. as she played opposite him in "Men Without Law." Denny. Reginald Denny has been signed on a new long-term contract by M'etro-Goldwyn-Mayer as a. result of his recent work for that organisation. : Denny has appeared for Leo the Lion in Cecil. De Mille's "Madam Satan," Grace Moore's* "A. Lady's Morals," ."Those 'Three ■ French Girls," "Parlour, Bedroom, arid Bath." . . » , ■ ■ •

Frank Morgan.■ and Charlie Buggies make the wager in Paramount's comedy, "Queen High," which will be released in Wellington shortly. ,

Forgot. A little amnesia is a dangerous thing. The husband who suffers an amazing and eventful loss of memory in "The Matri- . monial Problem," a sophisticated comedy offering by Warner Bros, and Vitaphone has the misfortune to remember at the most embarrassing moment. "The Matrimonial Problem," which boasts an all-star cast, is fun, with a touch of drama in the final denouement. Lily an Tashman, Florence Eldridge, James Gleason, and Beryl Mercer escort the hero, Frank Fay, through this comedy. Sylvia Sidney. Sylvia Sidney, former stage star now under contract to Paramount, has been given, the feminine lead opposite Gary Cooper in "City Streets," replacing Clara Bow, previously announced for the part. Miss Bow is on holiday, recuperating. Others in the cast of "City Streets" are Paul Lukas, Kay Francis, Stanley Fields, and Guy Kibee. Kouben Mamoulain is directing. "Scandal Sheet." To ensure authenticity of settings and scenes for George Bancroft's newspaper tilm, "Scandal Sheet," Paramount engaged fifty former reporters and writers to play parts in the production.

Damita. Samuel Goldwyn, the United Artists' producer, tells the following story of how. he first discovered Lily Damita. I found Lily Damita in Paris in 1928. Mrs. Gold- . wyn and I were dining in a restaurant when she came in with a party of French people. I stared. Mrs. Goldwyn stared. The recollection of that vivacious, charming girl remained after we had returned to the hotel. "I'm going to look her up," I remarked. Miss Damita did not want to come to America. She had won success as a dancer in the Paris opera. She had replaced Mistinguette as star at the-Cas-ino. She had played in eight pictures and was called "the darling of Paris." 1 "They know me here," she replied when I 1 made her an offer. "They do not know me ', in. America. I think I should remain in ' Paris." Damita is a wise little head." I made her a good business • prosposition, , one which called for more ' money ' than '. " ever she could have earned 'in France. I And she figured it all out by herself.' . . His Hobby. John Barrymore, who is starring in his third talking picture "'Moby Dick," for Warner Bros, and .Vitaphone, has one of i the most novel and interesting-of hobbies. • He is a collector of rare and ancient ■ Chinese snuff bottles. Sonu of these 1 bottles are over six hundred years old, i and were in popular use in the Orient iat that time. Of elaborate design, ' the ' bottles are made of ivory, glass, and hard woods.

"Charley's Aunt." . An accurate replica' of. Oxford University was constructed during the filming of "Charley's Aunt," the Columbia talking version of Brandon Thomas's play. The set, which was one of the most .pretentious ever built by the company, covered a full block, and represented'exactly qna of the quadrangles at the famous English University with its characteristic-architec-ture, chapels, and gardens. Charled Ruggles plays the title role, and is supported by June Collyer, Flora -Sheffield,Doris Lloyd, Halliwell Hobbes, V Rodney; M'Lennon, Hugh Williams, and Flora XL* Breton. Al. Christie directed. "Ladies for Hire." ;: "Ladies for Hire" has supplanted "Chil* dren of the Streets," as the next Radio Pictures' vehicle to feature Betty: Compson and H. B. Warner. Margaret Livingston, John Darrow, and Edgar .'Norton! have been signed for supporting-roles. Rehearsals are now going on, with produce tion starting shortly under the direction; of George Archainbaud. New Contract Anita Page has been signed to.a newj long-term contract by Metro-Goldwyn* Mayer. Her last work was- with John! Gilbert in "Gentleman's Fate," and several new assignments, will begin her work un< der the new contact. . . .

"77, Park^Lane." Albert de Courville, producer of soma '. of London's most original and elaborate [ stage revues and musical comedies, is now; . trying his hand at talking picture direc- ; tion. He is directing tri-liugual versions , of Walter Hackett's thriller "77 Park Lane," in English, French, and: Spanish. ! Dennis Neilson-Terry, "Hanaud" of "The House of the Arrow," is cast in the star ' role. Ben Weldon and Cecil Humphreys p are in the supporting cast, with - Betty , Stockfield as the feminine, lead. British. ' Dominions Films, Ltd., may' release th& | 'picture in New Zealand towards the mid* |. die of the year. "Royal Bed." '. The "King's Guard" of thirty stalwart i six-footers used by Lowell Sherman in "The Royal Bed," which he is directing . for Eadio Pictures, was a King's Guard, composed entirely of former English.officers, none of whom was less than a major. One of these men, Frederick Coppins, is a holder of the Victoria Cross. He won it for routing 17 machine gun nests and capturing 24 prisoners single-handed. . "The Conquering Horde." "The Conquering Horde". has been selected by Paramount as the title for Richard Aden's. story of old Texas. The story, written by Emerson Hough, '. tells of a brave Texas girl who drives several ,' thousand cattle into a stampede to frtis* : trate. the designs of outlaws. Fay-Wray, Claude Gillingwater, George Cooper, and lan MacLaren head the supporting cast.