STAGE AND SCREEN

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 146, 23 June 1938, Page 21

STAGE AND SCREEN

Youthful skaters at the local skating tink in' Coronado, California, , were treated to an unscheduled thrill a few weeks ago when Errol Flynn, the Warner Bros, star, walked into the place, put on: a .pair of racing skates, and proceeded to wheel around the rollerdrome/ The unannounced appearance of a moyie star in a place so unaccustomed to visits by famous personalities ended in ai near riot when the 200-odd skaters made a concerted rush for Flynn's autograph. After signing his name on everything, Flynn fled to his yacht,: which was anchored in Coronado Harbour.

Nineteen-year-old June Johnson, who ■» made her. film debut in a light comedy X role in RKO-Radio's "Double Danger," is so tiny that she has to stand on a " lour-inch plank for close-ups with' I', Preston Foster, who is 6ft lin tall. June «• is slightly under sft.. Miss Johnson is £ the daughter of Chic Johnson, of the 2£; Hote4 comedy team of Olsen and John- -» aon, and made'her first stage appear'Z fence when she was carried on as a -*PK>p M by» her father when she was ~ five weeks old. She was raised "on the., ~ iToad," had trunks for cradles and £3 tjjjmuaing-zooms for-playrooms. After «•*■» *SBpearing in two New York musicals, j — lugs Johnson was signed hy RKO; and ; ~- is starting out on a film career "on her ~ ©wn."

Gordon Jones is doubling on his ftudio activities and has prepared two Mreen plays for RKORadio studio. Two originals, -one- titled "Lightship" tod.the other "Pro. Player," were submitted to Producer Robert Sisk while "Jones was appearing in the latter's production. "Night Spot." Sisk has promised that both stories will have consideration of the studio story department, and has indicated that;he is particularly interested in one yarn dealing with professional football business. "Lightship" is an adventure of an east coast lightship attendant who invents an apparatus to disperse .fog. In writing about professional football Jones capitalised on his experience in the play-for-paygame following his graduation from the University of California at Los Angeles, where he was a Star guard.

One of the screen's most immacu-lately-groomed heroes, William Powell, hates to wear clothes. Lest the impression arise that he is concealing nudistic tendencies, it should be .ex-, plained that what William Powell doesn't like to do is wear "dress up' clothes. ■ Co-starred with Annabella in "The Baroness and the Butler," a 20th Century-Fox production which marks the American debut of Europe's most fascinating screen star, Powell gets a brief respite from tails and morning coats when he appears as a butler.

In order to perfect her Cockney accent for the picture, "Pygmalion," in which she plays the flower girl to the professor of Leslie Howard, Wendy Hiller (a youthful actress who captured; the eye of no less a distinguished critic'than Bernard Shaw) studied the language under ' Professor Edmund . Teeley, professor of phonetics at Lon--don University, and also spent much of'her time in Covent Garden and London's East End, listening to people :jtajking, imitating .them, and .generally making herself au' fait with their atecent peculiarities. So often is it the other way round—the Cockney actress learning to talk decent English.

When the script of RKO-Radio's "The Joy of Living" called for Douglas Fairbanks, jun., to escort Irene Dunne on an evening of sightseeing and merrymaking for a total expenditure of 10s both Miss Dunne and Doug. 'Junior doubted that it could be done. Director Tay Garnett insisted that it was possible. To settle the argument the trio embarked one night on a spending orgy, Miss Dunne and Doug. Junior to do the spending, Mr. Garnett to audit the research. And the 10s stays in the script. Here is the audited list of the Dunne-Fairbanks expenditures for the evening:—Roller coaster, Is; concessions (including knife throwing ■and salt water toffee), 4sJ coffee and doughnuts, 6d; dancing, 2s; movie, 2s; 2 sacks popcorn at 3d, 6d; total, 10s.

SETTINGS OF "ROBIN HOOD." The most magnificent of the settings for "The Adventures of Robin Hood are not man-made. They are the products of Nature. More than six weeks was spent by the Warner Bros.' troupe in the loveliest natural forest in America, in historic Bidwell Park at Chico, California, where all the Sherwood Forest scenes were filmed. Tremendous oaks, hundreds of years old; giant sycamores and black walnuts, interlaced with wild grape vines which in many cases grow clear over the tops of the trees, provided fairy-like settings that could not be duplicated by even ' the most clever studio artisans. Several Hollywood touches were added to the gorgeous natural scenery, however, in-.the form of imitation trees used for stunt work and rocks placed about to break up the too-perfect symmetry of the woodland settings. A crystal : clear, ice-cold brook flows through this setting, adding the one touch needed to make it perfect. Many other settings have-been built for the picture, including a tremendous Norman castle duplicating the historic Nottingham castle erected on the Warner Bros, ranch at Calabassas. It is complete with air the story-book trimmings— moat and drawbridge included. A complete village of the twelfth century period is another triumph of the art director's and scene constructionists craft, with streets and taverns reproduced in accurate detail. The magnificent interior of Nottingham castle occupies all of gigantic Stage Two at the studio and is the scene of much of the dramatic action of the picture. It required .efforts of a hundred men, working night and day for six weeks, to erect this huge setting. Several twelfth-century inns have been accurately reconstructed, and a large, spectacular .outdoor setting, the scene Of the great archery tournament, has been provided in famous Busch Gardens in Pasadena. Carl Wyl, ,one •of Hollywood's leading artists and architects. is the art director, for "The Adventures Of Robin Hood." j which stars Errol' Flynn. and Olivia de Havilland. A huge supporting cast is.headed by Basil Rathbone, Claude Raines, Patric Knowles, Eugene Pallette. Alan Hale, Melville Cooper, lan Hunter, and Una O'Connor. ' SHORT TITLES. Movie titles, even more than, types of movie storks, come in cycles. Just now, observers at Warner Bros.'.studio say the tendency throughout the industry is to pare down the length rf nicture labels. Few and far between &e the one-word titles but.Kay .Francis's latest picture started out as "Mazurka,!.' was renamed briefly One Hour of Romance*" smd then went back to a one-worder again, this time "Confession." Basil. Rathbone lan BSS' s^r^^^i in the supporting cast. . NEW VIENNESE FIND. - The greatest aid any actress ca;n have is a husband who can criticise her teuthfully. So declares Rose;Steadnei; Viennese stage actress and latest film difcovery. Miss Stradner says that honest criticism is the hardest thing m the world for .a player to obtain. "People simply won't tell an actress the truth about herself and her work," remarks the beautiful Viennese star, soon to be seen with Edward G Robinson and James Stewart; uv"TheLast Gang, ster." "It is true that most of us probably resent the truth if it belittles our work. Personally I welcome it. Miss Stradner relies on the criticism of her director, Edward Ludwig, and the reactions of the stage crew, m lieu of watching her audiences on the stage. "I don't look at the rushes," she says, '''because it's bad for me. I see many things I could have done, perhaps, and realise that it's too late to do them. Once on the film the scene cant be changed at the next performance. And when one sees oneself one becomes selfconscious." For this reason, she says, truthful criticism is necessary. "As a rule one can only get it from someone close enough and interested enough to understand, hence a husband, if he has the right understanding, is the most logical person. The director is perfect if the actress understands that he is trying, to help her. Only too often resentment can destroy this understanding, whereas the ideally married couple can be perfectly frank." In her brief experience in Hollywood, Miss Stradner has observed that American men are more direct in speech than in Vienna. But both, she says, have the same trick of flattering an actress rather than truthfuly criticising anything in a performance .they don't like. ROBERT BENCHLEY. Robert Benchley, featured in the.new Robert Montgomery-Rosalind Russell co-starring romance, "Live, Love, and Learn," holds the record of having made the first all-talking short in the history of- motion pictures. Adapted from the famed humourist's comic essay, "The Treasurer's Report," the short was made in 1928. It ushered in the wave, of all-talking shorts which today are a commonplace part of every theatre programme. Executives were dubious about making "The Treasurer's Report" short. Sound was a brand-new invention. All-talking short subjects of any kind seemed like a radical innovation in • those days. "They told me later," Benchley recalled, "that the all-talking short policy was decided on the basis of just that one picture. If I were you, though, I woudl think nothing of it..Such incidents are commonplace in the lives of us pioneers." The inimitable Benchley adds hilarious interludes to the romantic story of "Live, Love, and Learn," which tells of a Greenwich Village artist who is lifted from poverty to unexpected fame and whose success goes to his head. Helen Vinson has a v leading role as the "other woman," and others in prominent parts include Mickey Ro'oney and Monty Woolley. NEW HUSTON PICTURE. Placed in the stirring days of Lincoln, and in America's pioneer settlements in Ohio, "Of Human Hearts," the human drama of a circuit-riding preacher and his family, brings Walter Huston to the screen for the first time since his triumphs in "Dodsworth." In the new picture James Stewart and Beulah Bondi are teamed with Huston as his son and wife. "Of Human Hearts" is based on the story, "Benefits Forgot," by Honore Morrow, and deals with the struggle of beliefs between father and son, and the everlasting love of a mother who worships her boy and also blindly adores the father.- Dramatic high lights include the bitter quarrel between father and son, the dramatic moment in which Lincoln sets the boy's erring feet on the right path, the reunion of mother and son after the Civil War. and other dramatic moments interspersed with human interest and comedy. Clarence Brown, who filmed "Ah Wilderness!" directed the picture, his first since "Conquest." Much of it was made in a village specially constructed on location at Lake Arrowhead. The cast includes Guy Kibbee as the village grocer, Charles D. Coburn as the local doctor, Gene Lockhart, Ann Rutherford, Leatrice Joy Gilbert, daughter of the late John Gilbert, who makes her screen debut, Arthur Aylesworth, Clem Bevans, Charles Grapewin, Gene Reynolds, Sterling Holloway, Charles Peck, Robert McWade, John Carradine, Leona Roberts, and Minor Watson.

TRUER THAN FICTION. ' Behind the announcement that Richard palace, ace Hollywood director, has been signed by David O. Selznick to direct "The Young in Heart," starring Janet Gaynor, Douglas Fairbanks, jun., and Paulette Goddard, is a story. Just over a year ago Wallace was involved in an aeroplane crash which resulted in the death of seven persons. Wallace was among the injured and lay in hospital for many months in a critical condition. At one time it was feared he would never work again. But he defied the hospital doctors and recovered. "The Young in Heart" is his first picture after the accident. Wallace first saw service in the film industry with Mack Sennett. Passing through nearly all the departments in the studio, he finally emerged as a writer and director. WELLINGTON REPERTORY THEATRE. An immeasurable gulf divides the brilliant, competent stagecraft of The Second Mrs. Tanqueray" —which the Wellington Repertory Society is to produce for five performances starting on July 12 in the Town Hall Concert Chamber—from the clumsy technique which preceded it. Pinero made quite clear the purport of the play by the grip of the opening scene. Without in the least spoiling the interest by letting the audience anticipate what is going to happen, the author gives the feeling that the marriage between Aubrey Tanqueray and Paula Ray will be a failure, creating thus the true atmosphere of tragedy. Aubrey, a widower of 42, good-looking, rich, still youthful in figure, tells his three closest friends that he is going to marry again. Paula has a past; but Aubrey is an idealist. He has a temperate, honourable affection for her and believes he can redeem her. Paula shares this belief. Two months later they are beginning to be disillusioned. She and Aubrey and her step-daugh-ter are living in their country house in Sussex. Paula is bored. No one calls. Ellean, the step-daughter,.seems not to care for her. Aubrey is kind but cold. The pangs of despised love make Paula more angry, more wilfully furious when a neighbour, a Mrs. Cortelyon, an old friend of Aubrey s, offers to take Ellean to Paris for a few months. Ellean falls in love, and when she presents her lover to her step-mother it is disclosed that they have kept house together in days gone by. Many powerful situations follow and the play closes on a tragic note. Miss Pauline Shotlander will have the title role, and her associates will include Dr. P. B. Benham (as Aubrey), the Misses Florence Penny, Pat Green-field-Brown, Nancy Potter, and Messrs. Norman Hannah, TV. Anson,„C. A. Burgess, Hugh Herd, F. R. Wooldridge, C. R. Davidson, and James Crawford. Leo du Chateau will produce. THE FARJEONS AGAIN. The success of that charming operetta, "The Two Bouquets," inspired its authors, Mr. Herbert Farjeon and his sister, Miss Eleanor Farjeon, to write another. This should be seen in London about September. At present the title is "An Elephant in Arcady," but this may be changed before production. "The Two Bouquets" is about to be produced in New York under the direction of Marc Connelly, with Leslie French and' Gabrielle Brune in the parts played over here by George Benson and Gertrude Musgrove, writes "The Post's" London correspondent on June 4. Herbert Farjeon's revue, "Nine Sharp," at the Little Theatre, is one of the London season's successes. The talented Farjeon family—Herbert, Harry, Jefferson, and Eleanors-have a New Zealand background, their father having been B. L. Farjeon, the writer, many years ago, of thrillers. PLAYWRIGHTPRODUCERS. Dramatists of New York wh6'have formed their own producing group include Elmer Rice, Robert Sherwood, Maxwell Anderson, S. N. Behrman, and Sidney Howard. These ' prominent playwrights have for some time been studying the producing and directing professions along with the writing of many hits for the stage. They now plan to share other than the mere author's royalites in their Broadway plays. For instance, there are the sale g rices of stage successes to the movies, fitherto the producers shared the sale prices with the author on an approximate fifty-fifty basis. In the group just formed, the author will not only get his percentage, but will also share in the producers' fifty per-cent. Not only will the five playwrights get their usual percentage of stage royalties, but they will also share equally in the producer's profits. The royalties of an author usually fun from 5 to ■ 10 per cent, of the gross box office receipts. Men such as George Barnard Shaw, Eugene.O'Neill, and the five members of the new organisation have often received as high as 15 per cent, of gross receipts. ALONG CAME FAME! Stephen Courtleigh, as the beardless, 22-year-old Abe Lincoln, of "Prologue to Glory," has been delighting New York audiences with one of-the finest, most thoughtfully exultant .performances in the current Broadway season, according to Broadway critics. It was a Federal Theatre production composed of unemployed actors and the choice of Mr. Courtleigh was a most fortu-, nate discovery. On the strength of his excellent characterisation, two movie companies went after the actor t.o sign contracts—a twentieth century fairy story come true. "Prologue to Glory" is by Dr. Conkle, who set.his .play in and about the unfortunate community of New Salem, Illinois,-the scene of Lincoln's'earliest disasters and earliest emergence into public; consciousness. It plunges headlong into a. rapturous affair between Lincoln and Anne Rutledge, who died in girlhood of typhoid. It is a play of mood, not of fact, a transport into the warm, rude youth of a man touched by destiny. It shows Lincoln loving Anne, becoming engaged to her, halting his first campaign for the Legislature to lush to her deathbed, and suffering extreme despair. Young Courtleigh gave an inspired performance, and along came Famel POPULAR ABBEY PLAYER. One of the most interesting personalities of the famous Abbey Theatre Players of Dublin is Barry Fitzgerald, the great comedian. He is short, cleanshaven, sun-tanned, and in his early fifties; and looks more like a well-to-do' business man than an actor. He takes the long point of view—that the theatre is only a very small part of existence, and, therefore, refuses to attach much importance to it. He just drifted, as it were, into the Abbey Theatre. It was in 1915 that a friend invited him backstage in Dublin when he was in the Dublin Civil Service. He had no dreams of being an actor, but being mildly interested in the Irish literary revival, he became imbued with a sneaking desire for a part, so got a mob scene opportunity which led to his forsaking the Civil Service for the stage. Now he is acclaimed as one of the greatest actors of the Irish stage. DISTINCTION FOR MISS NEY. Miss Marie Ney is" one of three adjudicators for the British Drama League. She is at present in Glasgow, judging for the finals, writes "The Post's" London correspondent on June 4. In this interesting and important work Miss Ney is associated with Mr. James Bridie and Mr. Herbert Marshall.

AUSTRALIAN FILMS. Two Cinesound feature films ! are awaiting release and a new picture will be put into production in a week's time, according to Mr. Norman B. Rydge, chairman of directors of Cinesound Productions, Ltd. Those ready are "The Broken Melody," starring Lloyd Hughes, and "Let George Do It," featuring George Wallace. "The fact that we have two important pictures ready for release places us in a unique position," added Mr. Rydge, "and is certainly indicative of increased activity in local production. I would like to point out that the restrictions placed upon Australian pictures under the new English Quota Act have actually quickened, rather than retarded, production/ as far as Cinesound is concerned. While we feel these restrictions will eventually be lifted, we are in the meantime adapting qurselves.to the new conditions by making films with bigger appeal to Australian audiences. Cinesound's next feature will be titled 'Dad and Dave Come to Town,' and will star Bert Bailey." Commenting on Mr. Rydge's announcement, Ken G. Hall, producer-director of Cinesound Productions, stated that "Dad and Dave Come to Town" would be a streamlined version of the activities of the popular Australian characters. % "OWD BOB." The sensational characterisation of the film year is Will Fyffe's performance of "Adam McAdam" in G.B.D.'s special "Owd Bob," the grey dog of Kenmair. For once American and British critics are in absolute accord — all agree that Fyffe's acting is among the finest ever seen in a talking picture. "AIR DEVILS," Universal's "Air Devils," a dramatic thriller of love, battle royal, adventure, and comedy on a South Sea island, comes here shortly. Larry Blake, Dick Purcell, Beryl Wallace, and Mamo Clark have the featured roles, .supported by Minerva Urecal, ' Charles Brokaw, Forbes Murray, 3oy Mason, Paul Sutton, Al Kikume, Billy Wayne, and Michael Visaroff. Blake is the actor who made such a sensational debut in "The Road Back." Purcell is one of Hollywood's outstanding young leading men. Miss Wallace, playing her first film role, was featured for four years in all of Earl Carrots Broadway stage shows, while Miss Clark is the native Hawaiian. beauty who was .featured in "Mutiny on the Bounty" and "Hurricane.' Air Devils" tells of the fights and frolics of Blake and Purcell as two exmarines. The picture, a Trem Carr production, was filmed against the picturesque Monterey Bay .country in Northern California, and near the United States marine base at San Dieao It was written by waroia Buckley and George Waggner and directed by John Rawlins. "THE WIND AND THE RAIN." The Paris correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph" reports that the French translation of. Merton Hodges comedy. "The Wind and the Rain, Produced in Paris at the Theatre des Arts, had an excellent reception, writes "The Post's" London correspondent on June 4. The dramatic critics in the leading Paris papers are unanimous m praising its qualities and predicting its success. The "Excelsior" critic writes: "This English comedy is charming ana distinguished, charming for its freshness and delicacy, distinguished in the way it is written and in its qualities of observation.". The "Petit Journal" says: "It will surely have a very great success." The play has been adapted by M. Georges de Warfaz. "GOLDWYN FOLLIES." Two complete ballets, the first ever created directly for the screen, are presented in Samuel Goldwyn's Technicolor, musical film, "The Goldwyn Follies." They are interpreted by Zorina, two years-a premiere ballerina of the Ballet Russe, and the dancers of George Balanchine's famed American Ballet. Vernon Duke composed the music for both ballets. Balanchine supervised the choreography. The first ballet, woven' around a novel Romeo and Juliet, is a symposium of the classic and syncopation techniques and pits ballet dancers against tap ' step- . pers." The second, called "The Water Nymph," is pure classic ballet. Both are true ballets in that they tell complete stories. The Romeo and Juliet creation runs seven and a half minutes on the screen, "The Water Nymph eight minutes. Producer Goldwyn is presenting this fifteen and a half minutes of an entertainment form which has proved of universal popular appeal in a production which includes in its cast Adolphe Menjou, The Ritz Brothers, Kenny Baker, Andrea Leeds, Helen Jepson, Phil Baker; Ella Logan, Bobby Clark, Jerbme Cowan, the Gorgeous Goldwyn Girls, and Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy. "The xJpldwyn Follies" is released through United Artists. "GONE WITH THE WIND." David O. Selznick has assigned to William Cameron Menzies tee 'designing" of "Gone With the Wind," the most comprehensive task of its kind ever undertaken in motion pictures. Menzies, who is a production assistant ■ to Selznick and an artist of note, will trace on paper, in water-colours, every scene in the screen play, sequence by sequence—working in collaboration with Selznick, George Cukor, who will direct the picture, and with Sidney Howard, on photographic conceptions of each scene. When the project is completed the sketches will form an "art gallery preview" of the Picture itself. The process might be called the "blue printing" in advance of fa motion picture. Chief value of the "designing," according to Menzies, is the saving of the time and. effort in actual production. Also, it is pointed out, the sketches afford a visual story plan, augmenting the typewritten descriptions of the script. Beginning his career as a pioneer film art director, Menzies has been a writer, . director, and producer. Selznick brought him back to Hollywood from England, where for three years he was associated with Alexander Korda. RUTH DRAPER COMING.' Thene is extraordinary interest in the approaching season in New Zealand of Ruth Draper, the American actress in her remarkable . onewoman" performances. The distinguished American is scheduled to commence her tour at Wellington on July 30, the short season enaing on August 4. - When Miss Draper plays leading part in a play, she peoples the stage with invisible presences, giving actuality to them all. She goes about the stage shaking, hands and saying a few words to each, so that in Australia during her season, audiences found it difficult to believe their eyes. Surely the stage was crowded! But there remained only one character—the petite Miss Draper. She shakes gusts of irrepressible laughter from her audiences, brings tears to their eyes with the poignancy of her dramatic moments, and astounds them with her quick changes of personality. New Zealand audiences are indeed fortunate in seeing the famous American lady who has a Continental, British, ■ and American reputation seldom excelled by any performer on the stage today. Owing to the unprecedented success of her Australian tour, the New Zealand season had to be delayed, and Miss Draper now opens in Wellington.

NEW LENS. A new advanced technique in studio photography will be used for the first . time during important scenes for "The Rage of Paris." The picture now is m production at Universal with Danielle Darrieux, Douglas Fairbanks, jun., Mischa Auer, and Helen Broderick in the top roles. Developed after tireless experiments by Joe valentine, direptor of photographry, the revolutionary method will feature spectacular close-ups of Miss Darrieux s eyes. To heighten the dramatic effects of certain scenes, the French star's eyes, three times voted the most lovely in Europe, will be photographed so that they will fill almost the entire . theatre screen. "By use of these dra.natic close-ups, her thoughts and emotions can he more forcefully conveyed to the audience," Valentine explained. In ordinary life and conversation, we watch, a person's eyes while he is talking. The eyes reveal a person's mood, feel- s ings, and much of their thoughts. Why < not the same thing from the screen.' s Both Henry Roster, the director, and i Valentine, declare that Miss Darrieux s i eyes have excellent photographic ( quality-and are highly expressive of ] emotions. Valentine has photograph- t ed most of Hollywood's top-flight film -, actresses." and is a specialist in femi- t nine photography for the screen Ho t was the cameraman on al lof Deanna < Durbin's pictures. 1 { FLASH GORDON. J "Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars," as i a result of being described by critics 1 as one of the finest serial pictures ever made. has been booked by theatres which have never before Played a serial. The picture is a Universal production based on the famous "Flash Gordon" newspaper carbon strip. ■ It stars Buster Crabbe in the title role and.shows Jean Rogers as Dale Arden. Charles Middleton portravstheTevil Emperor Ming. All oAhe fifteen chapters will be shown, fcacn chanter willplay all performances, ! ta S? n?s Ck hlrSc P b« to K destruction in an interB Seles but am 'In many other: key cities. HAROLD LLOYD PICTURE. Paramount starringP lct f £ ollywo od Smartest seen*.under XtfwdSi who, though young has wfn nltable* success on f the. g ßroadwa| «d a a n rt KreVes^nd'ghtb^wn Id for* a season. Miss Welch appear1a In <w>veral other plays and won the beginning of production and Lloyd wm b! r"aly P to start. camera work; within a few weeks. "JIGGS" PASSES ON. Jiggs, the 80-pound .chta!P/n»w *fj receiveda salaryof £20 for each day he worked for several years. Like £™ ftta starve had a stend-i^ try him seven years o«V, w*> lived in the Geatry home, ate wl?h the family, used silverware like Thuman. stFin parlour chairs, rode in the family auto, and bathed m the femily tab and shower He never, S be persuaded M«|inaW. when the family retired. He always went out into the yard and slept in his ca«: In recent months, Jiggs had . working almost constantly in two prrarrfount productions with Dorothy T amour Ray Milland, and Kk in the pretentious Techni coto production "Her JuM* >£< and with Bing Crosby and Mary Carlisle in "Dr. Rhtyhm. WITHIN THE LAW. There are always new ways to overcome old obstacles, arid resourcefutaess .continues to remain one of the, chief , assets of a. good movie director R* cently the ingenuity of Director Kurt ] Neumann was put to a severe test wnile he was shooting location scenes , fo? Joe E. Brown's newest, Columbia : comedy, "Wide Open. Faces." produced i by David L..Loew. Scenes ,m the . sequence which Neumann was shooting i were being taken at a drawbridge near . the San Pedro waterfront. The action . demanded that the bridge be hoisted at., periodic intervals, and Neumann tried . Fo make.a deal with the bridge-tender . to have 'the structure raised on cue. . The tender refused, however on the eround that it was against the law,to rai ? se the bridge except to permit a boat to pass underneath. After several mtauSs of debate agreed that the law must be observed. He went quietly* to a dock .and hired a boat. On cue this boat sailed back and forth under the bridge, and thus was it opened each time Neumann needed it open. The bridge tender was satisfied the law was satisfied, the boat ownerwith the day's rent for his craft in his Docket was satisfied, and the , entire company which.includes such nprformers as Jane Wyman, A" s °n Ikipwolth. Alan/Baxter and Lyda Roberti,' was more" than satisfied. "THE BLUE LAGOON." In the shape of a. reward for the sterling performance which he gives as the belligerent old sheep farmer in "Owd Bob," the talking version of Alfred Ollivant's famous tale set in tne Cumberland Fefls, Will nowned Scots comedian and character actor, has been assigned to the jole oi Paddy Button, the kindly old sea-salt, in the forthcoming Gainsborough production, "The Blue Lagoon," whichjs being adapted from H. Des Vere Stacpoole's famous romance of. the same name. Michael Redgrace and Margaret Lockwood, the newly-formed British love-team, will be, seen as the central characters in this modern version of Adam and Eve, which was penned nearly-thirty years ago, been translated into many tongues, and has sales in excess of a million. The Blue Lagoon" is perhaps the best-known love-story of the last four decades, and in an endeavour to capture the full beauties of the natural scenery described by the author, Gainsborough are to film the entire'story in Technicolor. In December a full production unit will travel to either Jamaica or Bermuda and will probably remain on location for two months or more.

TIMELY TOPICS. Subjects of timely interest will play an important part in the next season's Columbia Pictures' short subjects schedule. Two new series, "Great Moments of History" and the "Washington Whirl," have been added to the Columbia schedule for the 1938-39 season. "Great Moments of His-i tory" has been planned for over a year. The production department is taking pains so as to turn out an unusual series filled with historical and entertaining facts. . "The Washington Whirl" will go behind the scenes to capitalise the current interest in political and Governmental activities, and will be based on the inner functions of administrative work such as the making of laws, the minting of coins, and the duties of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

CLOTHING IN QUANTITY] V Much has been said about style and Hollywood's clbthes, but little has . been revealed about the quantity of ; garments which must be kept brushed J and up .to the minute for players to , wear fil their, various roles before the ( cameras. Film industryVstatisticjians figure -there is clothing mate- ' rial in studio~Such as\Para- i mount's to outfit 500,000 people. From : this right now.the studio re- ; ports fiOO supporting players in "Stolen i Heaven," which' introduced Olympa i Bradna, as a star, are drawing cos- ' tumes for Tyrolean village scenes. • i

England, Scotland, Russia, and Italy are among the foreign-countries represented in the cast and staff of 'Columbia's "You Can't Take It With You." Two players, Halliwell Hobbes and Mary Forbes, were born "''.and' reared in England. Scotland is represented by Donald Meek. Mischa Auer came from Russia. Producer-Director Capra was bom in Italy. , Other principals in the cast, however, are native Americans. These include Jean Arthur, .James Stewart, Lionel Barrymore, Ann Millar, Spriiig Byington; Dub Taylor, Edward Arnold, Samuel S.i Hinds, Eddie Anderson, and Lillian Yarbo.

LAWRENCE TIBBETT. Lawrence .Tibbett,' noted American baritone,. will make his first appearance in New Zealand oh August 9 when his season commences '.at Wellington. The great singer, has been enthralling. Australian audiences with his complet* musicianship,-lingual versatility, and a rich voice thatds a joy inall registers. His humour has been described as of the Mark Twain .brand; *i§ prevailing note is cheery good .fellowship. • Australian music lovers find in Lawrence Tibbett the soloist, for his programmes are so well'balanced-that all shades of musical ;tast ( e"are satisfied. Opera, ballad, burlesque, and folk songs find a place on his delightful programmes, which are further enhanced by the faultless pianoforte accompaniments of Stewart Wille, who also gfaf solos while Mr. Tibbett is resting.

' IN THE FAMILY. The talented English actress, Miss Fay Compton, who was in New Zealand recently, ■ has a very clever." son, Anthony Pelissier, who is something, of a playwright. The son of a distinguished father {the late H. G. Pelissier); he has turned his talents to writing and has had some of his works performed. "'Talk of the Devil" to mention one of his productions, is quite an excellent little comedy in its;way. The young playwright should go {agin his chosen profession.

Sheila Donfethorpe's comedy. "Gailj* We Set Out" when presented at th« King's Theatre, Hammersmith, preparatory to production in London, promised well. It was'presented at Hammersmith as the first venture of Mr. Jevan BrandoncThomas, who is fostering a scheme for presentation of several plays at a chain of suburban theatres. "Gaily We Set Out" follows the fortunes of two families in that period immediately after the war when most people were confident that they were on the threshold of a brave new world. Their subsequent story: of disenchantment and unhappiness-is a little depressing, 1 ' '