Disraeails Voice

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 95, 23 April 1931, Page 18

Disraeails Voice

The voice of Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield, will again be Leard iu-British ■politics. At the next General Election, probably in the spring, three short talking pictures will be shown by the Conservative Party as campaign propaganda, each presenting the great Victorian Premier as impersonated by George Arliss. _ They were made recently in London, just before Mr. Arliss sailed for the United States.

Mr. Arliss was chosen to represent Lord Beaeonsneld because of his interpretation of the role in Louis N. Parker's play, "Disraeli," on both stage and screen. His make-up in the three pictures was the same as that used in the film, but he speaks only Lord Beaconsfieid',s own words, Conservative Party leaders believing that these extracts from speeches delivered long ago will be found to express with surprising force the Tory viewpoint on current issues.

One of the films, Mr. Arliss reports, has for its background the Crystal Palace in London, which was built with great ceremony in Disraeli's time. Another shows a section of the House of Lords, with Lord Boaconsfield leaning buck in his seat, his hat tilled over his eyes—a characteristic pose. , He rises as though to reply to an opponent, and delivers an oration on liberty and Imperial responsibilities. The third film presents Disraeli as though on a political platform irf the midst of a hotly contested election.

Another Beauty. Susan Fleming, former Ziegfeld beauty, has been signed on a long term contract by Columbia Pictures and will soon appear in one of the'company's outstanding productions. Miss Fleming is the second girl to be selected from the applicants who were given screen tests in Columbia's recent search for new faces. The first was Loretta Sayers, Larchmont society de-; . bntante. ■In addition to being a featured /'show girl" with Ziegfeld and George White, Miss Fleming is a specialty dancer and singer. She appeared in several editions of the "Follies" and in "Manhattan Mary." Paul Lukas. "The Vice Squad/ inside story of the secret operations of metropolitan detectives 111 combating crime, will be produced by Paramount as a starring picture for Paul Lukas. Fay Wray will portray a society girl and Kay Francis a lady of the underworld. Oliver H. ■P. Garrett wrote the story, and John Cromwell will direct. Lulias is now at work on Gary Cooper's "City Streets," , .

Denny. , ■ ' . , Reginald Denny's life is replete with romantic highlights. Talking pictures have given his career a new impetus due to his long experience on the legitimate stage. His latest role is opposite Mary Piekford in her-new United Artists picture, "Kiki," a Sam Taylor producton. In his youth, Denny was an amateur boxer attracting considerable attention in British sporting circles. His patron was the late Lord Lonsdale. When the World War broke out he enlisted in the Overseas Royal Flying Corps.' ■He became a second lieuten-. ant and won the boxing championship of the Second Corps. He was born at Richmond Surrey, England, in 1891, and,was educated at St. Francis Xavier, in Sussex. His father;was an actor, and Denny made his first appearance at the ~age of. six. Denny, himself, first visited America when'he was seventeen, appearing in "The Quaker Girl," with Ina Uaire. After the war he toured Africa and the Orient as the baritone with the Bandmau Opera Company.-On his second visit to America, he appeared in various stock companies and New York productions, including "Twin Beds"-and "Richard the Third," with John Barrymore.. In 1020 he switched to the films, making ,lus. debut with the Triarfc Company. John Rob-. ertson, a director, gave him' the male lead in "39 East," with Constance Binney. Great popularity followed his appearance in "The Leather Pushers" series, PJI] 20; Tight films produced by Universal. Carl Laemmle signed him to a contract, and Denny became a star iq romantic comedy features. The Tear Voice. Edwin Carewe, who made "Resurrection" for Universal, has been credited with the discovery o£ many stars oEthe screen. Now he has* discovered something else. It is the "tear voice." And its possessor is Lupe Velez, who plays Iyitusha Maslovit in the Tolstoy story. . Carewe had been sounding Lupe's . emotional talents ao strongly that' the little actress responded with what was likened to "a tear in the voice." Those who have seen and heard her enact the more dramatic scenes in "Resurrection" claim that the tonal qualities of her voice in certain episodes are like the vox-humana reed of a pipe organ. Johu Boles and Lupe are co-starred in the production. Others in the cast are Nance O'Neill, William Keighley, Rose Taplcy, and Grace Cunard. An Enemy. That common pest known as the "house fly" is one of the worst enemies of sound motion picture recording. .Many good scenes have had to be retaken because of a fly buzzing around the microphone—particularly a fly buzzing within a foot of the "mike," registers like an aeroplane flying low in the air. A ily exterminator liquid was sprayed over the entire setting, and sometimes the actors, prior 1,0 taking scenes for "Outside the Law," the Universal "crook" drama, with Mary Nolan. Talented Family. Charles Ruggles, who plays the title role of "Charley's Aunt" in the Columbia comedy, which has just been released in. New Zealand, is the brother of Wesley Ruggles, the motion picture director*

Will Rogers. Will Rogers, who has been touring the south-west and middle-west of the U.S.A. in the interests of the Red Cross'drought relief fund, has returned to Hollywood to start work on his next starring picture, "Cure for the Bluo6," written by George Ado. Will, Eogers's recently-completed "A Connecticut-.Yankee"-will make its.appearance on the.screen shortly. It is the Oklalioinati's favourite story,, and. playing the character created by Mark Tvvain was the realisation of a cherished ambition. Evelyn Brent. • Evelyn Brent, featured in Columbia's "Madonna of the Streets,". is married to. Producer Harry J. Edwards. The star is interested in the collection of rare first editions. She also collects perfumes—exotic odours. She plays sonic bridge, and reads a great deal.

.Famous Play. ■■ ' ' . , Metro-Goldwyn r Mayer -announces that Adolphe Menjou will play the leading role in an.all-talking production of "The Great Lover." • This will be an adaptation of the Leo Dietrichstein stage Buccess of the same name. Quick Work. On Saturday,. 14th February, Carl Laemmle, jun., was given a copy of Fannie Hut-fit's latest novel, "Back Street." At 3 o'clock Miss Hurst had. agreed to sell it to'him, though she had on her desk telegrams from several producers and directors telling her not to do anything until she saw them. "Back Street jumped into phenomenal popularity. It has. been on the market less than a,month, and has sold over 80,000,.placing"it as-No. 1 among the best-sellers. - - *

A Feat. Nine different microphones were used to record a single scene in "Strangers May Kiss,". Norma Shearer's new •Metro-Gold-wyn-Mayer starring vehicle directed by George Fitzmaurice from the Ursula Parrott novel. All of these microphones were connected to a single recording channel, into.which air the sounds and voices were "mixed." the most^ important being accentuated by expert dial manipulation. Pioneer Struggles. Paramount's "Fighting Caravans" shows the struggles of a huge freight- caravan journeying for nine months over mountains, rivers, plains, and desert, through nil kinds of weather. Neatly woven into tlie action is a stirring love-story, with Gary Cooper and Lily Damita playing the romantic leads. Heading the featured cast are Ernest Torrence, Tully Marshall.

"It Pays to Advertise." . Filming has just been completed on the Paramount comedy "It, Pays to Advertise," in which Carol Lombard and Norman Foster play the leads. It is a romantic' comedy farce of big business, and features Eugene Pallette, Skeets Gallagher, Louise Brooks, Lucien Littlefield, Junior Coglan, and Helen Johnson in the cast. Frank Tuttle. Paramount's ace comedy director, handled the filming. "Man of the World." "Man of the World" has been chosen to replace "Gentlemen'of ■ the Streets" as the title for William Powell's latest Paramount picture. This production, based on a novel by Michael Aden, deals with a gay wayfarer of the boulevards who blackmails a woman, saves her from scandal, and then falls in love with her.