STAGE AND SCREEN

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 150, 22 December 1938, Page 28 (Supplement)

STAGE AND SCREEN

TELEVISION CELEBRITY. One of the best-known radio performers in America at the present is charming Helen Lewis, who has become one of the foremost television actresses in New York. Miss Lewis, in 1934, took a leading part in the University of Nevada annual variety show; she was a junior in the college. After the show she was called out to meet an '/important man"—a dark, $hick-set, intent-looking Austrian, who thrust a volume of Shakespeare into her hands, and commanded her to read all the feminine parts in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." When she had finished an hour later, he said: "Good! [am Max Reinhardt. You shall play ilermia" Travelling incognito, the .amous Austrian director" proceeded to iiollwood with his find and she was cast as the understudy of Olivia de Havilland in the Reinhardt stage version. After four rehearsals, Miss de Havilland left the company and Helen Lewis took her part as feminine lead in the Shakespearean .fantasy. Since then she has played leading parts on several American stages; turned down Hollywood offers, and is now the leading television actress in America.

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THE WAY OUT. The theme of W. Chetham Strode's play "Heart's Content" (Diana Wynyard was starred in the London production early this year), concerns Anne, the daughter of a rich lawyer She celebrates her birthday by going to a restaurant with a crowd of raffish friends who return with her to her home. Anne is followed by a young Austrian who turns out to be an aristocratic politician in his own'country. He is a waiter at the restaurant, as he is studying European conditions. The society girl and the waiter become engaged, and when yon Roden is summoned to return to Austria, he does so, in spite of his fiancee's entreaties. Too single-minded an idealist to handicap himself with a wife when his political opportunity comes, though he genuinely loves her, he leaves Anne. Years pass and the girl marries a dull out worthy husband. On yon Roden's return to London in a diplomatic post the pair meet and declare their love, but decided to continue without complicating their lives. Back to her husband goes Anne and yon Roden continues as a celibate politician.

"MARCH OF TIME'" BANNED. The issue of the film "The March or Time," called "Britain's Dilemma, which dramatises the background and cause of the Czechoslovak crisis, has been banned by the British Board of Film Censors. The film arrived in October and was submitted to the censors. The distributors were informed the reel would be passed only if drastic cuts were made The contract called for the film's release almost at once, so it was withdrawn No reason was given by the censors beyond the statement that the reel was "dangerous" and "likely to make trouble. Similar action was taken at the instigation of the Foreign Office against a Paramount film on the Czechoslovak settlement. The Foreign Office _ap pealed to the American Ambassador. Mr Joseph P. Kennedy, who asked that the reel be suppressed, which was reluctantly done. There have been seven similar cases in the past few months and "The March of Time" has figured in four of them. Reels similarly treated dealt with the crisis in Algeria the arms race, the "threat to Gibraltar, and the resignation ■of Foreign Minister Anthony Eden. The film just suppressed starts with a dramatisation of Chancellor Adolf Hitler s book "My Struggle," and then recalls the nrst Sino-Japanese war, the occupation of fhe Ruhr the wars in Ethiopia and Spain, the seizure of Austria, and finally the Czech troubles. The film ends 2 Munich before the settlement there and after saying Herr Hitler's policy fs based on thl theory that Britain will not fight and ends with the question: "Is he right or wrong? MELVYN DOUGLAS. Melvyn Douglas wanted to be a poet His parents wanted him to be a lawyer So he compromised by becoming an actor. He attended grade school in Nashville, Tennessee, and preparatory schools in Lincoln, Nebraska and Toronto. Canada. It was while he was at school in Lincoln that he obtained his first taste for dramatics, Playing leading rcles in school plays- When the United States entered the World War, Douglas exaggerated his age sufficiently to enlist and was assigned to the medical corps, stationed at Fort Lewis, Wash., where he remained until the Armistice was signed. Then he thought seriously of taking up medicine as a profession. But in Chicago he met ,an actor named William Owen who was convinced that the youth had theatrical talent So for eighteen months Owen coached him, then took him on a tour of the Middle West with a repertory troupe." The first school play in which Melvyn appeared was "The Little Princess," in which he was cast as a Hindu. For his professional debut he played Bassanio in Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice." That was in 1919. In January, 1928, 'he reached Broadway in the role of Ace Wilfong, the gangster, in "A Free Soul," later played by Clark Gable on the screen. A series of important plays followed: "The Silver Cord,' 'Jealousy," "Recapture," "The Command to Love," "The Comeback," and 'Tonight or Never." The star of . 'Tonight or Never" was the singing actress, Helen Gahagan, whom he married on his birthday, April 5, 1931. This was a lucky production for him. The final effort of the late David Belasco, it brought Douglas to the attention of Hollywood, where he was called to play in the screen version of "Tonight or Never" opposite Gloria Swanson. During the first nine months in Hollywood, Douglas was featured in as many pictures, including "Prestige" with Ann Harding, "The Wiser Sex" with Claudette Colbert, "The Broken Wing" with Lupe Velez, and the picture that really iistablished him, "As You Desire Me,'" opposite Greta Garbo. ADVICE TO GIRLS. If Maureen O'Sullivan, featured in 'The Crowd Roars," had to start her career all over again, she would do it differently. JNot that she is dissatisfied with her present lot. Far from it. But times have changed since Frank Borzage picked her out of a Dublin hotel ballroom crowd for a part in "Song o\ My Heart." And whenever a struggling newcomer asks her for advice, she tries to imagine what she would do to obtain a hold now. At least three-quarters of her fan mail requests that advice. How to get into pictures! How to obtain that first 'break." "If I had to begin again," Miss O'Sullivan declared, "I would first iearn to do everything that could have any possible bearing on my career. 1 would take drama lessons in the best possible school, train my voice, learn to dance, store up all the knowledge I could gain. These days, it's difficult to learn these things after you get into pictures. There is so much competition that only the really exceptional ones are chosen. If you happen ■to be selected from a crowd the chances, are that you won't get more than a decorative bit unless you can display real talent, and I. don't mean just superficial charm." To the girls who write to her asking for her recommendations, Miss O'Sullivan urges particularly that they take an interest in a variety of sports, and that they obtain a working knowledge of music, art, and the cultural subjects. "For the more interested you are in a variety of subjects, the more interesting you become to the people with whom you must associate. The better all-round woman you are the more interesting you become for the screen. The day of trial and error in pictures is fast passing. Either you deliver or you're left behind." HARRY LANGDON'S COMEBACK. Harry Langdon, famous "baby face" comedy star, returns to the screen after four years in Hal Roach's "There Goes My Heart," in which Fredric March ■ and Virginia Bruce are co-starred. And it was Nancy Carroll, who is also staging a comeback in this comedy romance, who brought it about. Langdon, who has been working on the Roach lot as a gag man for the Laurel and Hardy unit, made his last screen appearance with Nancy Carroll. When the pair met again at the Roach studio Nancy suggested that Langdon should be tested for the role, of the minister who marries Fredric March and Virginia Bruce. He was and the role was his. LONDON "FLOPS." It is stated by "Cavalcade" that of the fifty-five productions staged1 in the London theatres between September, 1937, and March, 1938, thirty-three flopped. It is further stated that since that date, however, several notable hits had established themselves. Record money-loser was the Drury Lane stage spectacle, "The Sun Never Sets," which lost its backers £30,000 during its four weeks' run. Next biggest loser was the coliseum ice-show, "The Engadine Express," which lost £15,000 in its three weeks' season. The Savoy musical show. "No Sky So Blue" flopped to the tune of £12,000 after a fun of five weeks. Another loser was the Saville Theatre show, "Follies of 1938," which tallied a modest £6000 Another piece that failed to attract business was the musical play "Maritza." Withdrawn after a sensational opening was the Cochran show. "Happy Returns," despite the appearance in the cast of Beatrice Lillie and Flanagan and Allen. Other casualties included "Plan for a Hostess," which took £1200 at the St. Martin's Theatre for some weeks; "The Island," which had a good run at the Comedy Theatre before dying a natural death after making money for its backers; and "Give Me Yesterday," which was withdrawn after four days only at the Comedy.

THREE STOOGES RETURN. With the return of the Three Stooges to Columbia Studios following their c summer season of personal appear- f ances in the East and Mid-west, their £ first two-reeJ comedy will go into pro- t duction The picture, to be co-produced € by Charley Chase and Hugh McCol £ lum, witr Chase directing: concerns t some fierce difficulties encountered by t the trio when they become city fire- [ fighters The film as yet is untitled t . l NEW BRITISH COMPANI. t A new coiiioany has been formed m £ L,ondon under the name of "Capad. I This company will bring about a close l working arrangement between various \ British studios and production concerns J The directors ar- Messrs. Anthony Havelock-Allan, Reginald Baker. ■ Michael Balcon Stephen Courtauld. Richard Norton, and Arthur Rank. Mr Baker states that "the company is bemg formed with a view to sponsoring the production of economical British tilms at any of the major film studios for release through A.B.F.D. (Associat ed British Film Distributors, distribut ing unit for A.T.P.J The machinery of Capad will be available for all ap- , proved British productions. Capad is < an abbreviation of Co-operative Asso j ciation of Producers and Distributors.' ( The general idea is. to get a certain , amount of co-operation between the | studios and the personnel, to inter- j change what is available, so as to avoid. , "lag." Some of the pictures will be made on a co-operative arrangement as : well. At the moment Pinewood and < Ealing are the . o studios involved. . but we are informed that the new t company is 'dickering" with another j major studio Stephen Courtauld, who . built Ealing Studios, if the world- . famous artificial silk manufacturer and c is considered one of England's j wealthest individuals; R. P Baker, a , Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, is managing director of many English companies; Michael Balcon was for years producer-in-chief of Gaumont British, Gainsborough Films, and latterly M.GM. ("A Yank at Oxford"); Anthony Havelock-Allan has < produced twenty-four pictures in three '<■ years; Arthur Rank, multi-millionaire < flour merchant who built Pinewood J Studios: Capt. Richard Norton is a I producer of high standing in England < at Pinewood. j i MODEST MARKSMAN. ] • \ •'l'm a poor shot." Strange words, j those, from "Bill Crane," screen detective, portrayed by Preston Foster in three Universal Crime Club productions, latest of which L "The Dead ! Don't Care." However, Foster refer- ' red not to his cinema marksmanship, ! which never fails, but to his off-screen 1 firing eye. He-is one of Hollywood's 1 most avid huntsmen, and despite his '<■ denial, is considered a crack shot. Be- i tween pictures Foster makes regular i treks to Mexico for duck-hunting, and I a week before starting "The Dead f Don't Care" he came back with c the t limit. ( . i GWENN'S YEN FOR THE SEA.- \ Edmund Gwenn's forbears had been J in the King's Navy for generations, so i it was only natural that the famous ( English actor, who is at present ap- 1 pearine in Alexander Korda's "South I Riding?' should have decided to go to 1 sea at an early age. Dissuaded by his ( mother, he turned to the theatre and | won fame on the London stage in the ] plays of Bernard Shaw, Sir James Bar- ( rie. and John Galsworthy. He played < on Broadway in "The Voice From the | Minaret" and "Laburnum Grove." then | scored an instantaneous hit in "The , Bishop Misbehaves" made in Holly- j wood. "South Riding," his latest film, , is a Victor Saville production, released ) thrdugh United Artists. In it he shares \ featured honours with Ralph Richardson, Edna Best. Ann Todd, and John \ Clements. J ■ . < OLD MAKES WAY FOR NEW. ] The last of the famous old Holly- . wood settings in which Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, D. W. Griffith, and others made their most famous silent pictures are now being demolished onthe back lot of the United Artists studio to make room for Samuel Goldwyn's setting, reported to be the biggest ever built in Hollywood, for "The ( Last Frontier." Many of the Holly- ] wood old-timers, when they heard these , sets were being demolished, rushed out , to the back lot and had their last look J and feel of them.. Goldwyn, hearing ' that they were there, went on to the ; sets too, and there was much re- , miniscing. The setting for "The Last ' Frontier," for which they must make • room, will represent a scene on one \ of the Philippine Islands. The picture ] will star Gary Cdoper and will go be- J fore the cameras as soon as Cooper 1 completes his current role in Gold- " wyn's "The Lady and the Cowboy." ; HAZEL ASCOT HONOURED. \ Hazel Ascot, the new British child ' star, referred to as "England's Shirley Temple," has been given a unique hon- \ our. A famous toy firm has placed on the market this Christmas a new doll, a replica of Hazel herself. Hazel will shortly be seen in her first starring production, "Stepping Toes" in ■ which Alfredo Campoli and his orchestra make their initial screen appearance. It is an Action Pictures release. CONRAD VEIDT TO STAR. Production at Alexander Korda's Denharn Studios started on the second Columbia British Quota picture, "The Spy in Black," with Conrad Veidt as star, is announced by T. A. McConville, general foreign manager of Columbia Pictures. Vivien .Leigh, who has been Conrad Veidt's former partner, plays the feminine lead in the picture, which is directed by Michael Powell. Screen play by Roland Pertwee. Columbia's first British Quota picture, entitled "Q-Planes," has just been completed. DAILY VISIT FROM STARS. The kindly Providence that sometimes makes the dreams of small girls come true helped twelve-year-old Suzanne McGinnis, of Pitcairn, Pennysylvania, recently when she fell ill at Lone Pine, California, en eoute to Hollywood to see the movie stars. Her father, J. L. McGinnis, was devoting his two weeks' vacation to helping Suzanne, recently recovered from an almost fatal illness, to realise a longcherished ambition to see the film capital and its famous people. But after riding nearly 3000 miles Suzanne had a relapse just 250 miles from her goal, and the doctor forbade any more travelling until she was ready to return to Pitcairn. Marooned in the tiny village, the worried father left his daughter's bedside to send a telegram to her mother. Things looked pretty black. Five minutes later Suzanne opened her eyes, rubbed them disbelievingly, looked again to see—her two favourite screen idols—Gary Grant and Douglas Fairbanks, "jun., right beside her bed! It was true. In the hotel lobby her father had encountered the two stars, come down from a nearby location to telephone Hollywood When he introduced himself, told them his problem. Cary and Doug, volunteered to help. During the three days the doctor kept her in bed little Suzanne McGinnis had two faithful callers nightly. Each evening with the doctor's permission a big car called for Suzanne, took her the seven miles to RKO-Radio's location site for "Gunga Din," where she watched her favourite heroes work before the "am eras.

CORKIGAN' Of HIS DAS. Donald Macßride was the 'Corngan' f his day for he went to a motion icture studio twenty-five years ago s a visitor applied at the wrong enhance and was given a ticket as an xtra This launched Him on a stage nd screen career, when he previously ad been all set to go into business It appened at the old Vitagraph Studio i Brooklyn, New York, just after ne ad left college ana Macßride has been i the theatrical profession ever since lurrently Macßride is playing a feaured role in RKO-Radio's "Room Serice," in which the Marx Brothers re starred. By a strange coincidence r was with the Marx Brothers that lacßride started his screei, career four ears ago, playing a minor role at that ime Several important Broadway oles followed and then came an enagement with "Room Service in irhich Macßride appeared for sixty /eeks before commf to Hollywood to nact the same role in the film version f the play. STAGE TECHNIQUE. Falling back on his old stage iraur ng, during which he always used full cenery for rehearsals. W. C. Fields fas his house littered with sketches or his new Universal picture. You :an't Cheat an Honest Man, with Jdgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy wrote the original story for the •icture and he and Edgar Bergen are lersonally working out many of their oint comedy situations with Director Jeorge Marshall. This is being done t Fields's home with the aid of ketches of all sets and the action eauired for each situation. With the id of these sketches, they hope to save t least a week's time on their shooting chedule The picture will soon go beorl the cameras with Lester Cowan •roducing. ORIGINAL "THRILLER"? Most people today are no doubt inlined to accept stories of the "thriller nd gangster variety as products of our wn time. Yet mysteries and thrillers re old. And Gordon Harker can irove it. Harker, who is co-starring nth John Lodge in an Air Raid Preautions film thriller called Lightning Jonductor," is something of an authorty on crime-fiction history. He lossesses a fine library dealing with he subject. As an actor, he has probbly appeared in more plays and films f the thriller type than any other Jritish star. "Today is the day of he mystery thriller," he said. Never iefore has the thriller in fiction and a fact enjoyed such a widespread lopularity. But I wonder how many ealise that mysteries and thrillers /ere being retailed centuries ago. I ma bit of a student of these things lyself, and I think I have found what 3 probably the oldest story of the hriller type." Mr. Harker produced com his drawer in his dressing-room able a large volume entitled "Travels f the Russian Mission through Monolia." He showed me an extract rom it which he thinks may be the riginal thriller. "The Kingdom of Chu, founded by ieou Chin or Lieou Pei, having been nvaded by the enemy, King Ming rdered a stone statue of a man, of he ordinary size, to be set upon the tigh road, by which the hostile army must advance. The statue held in me hand a sword and in the other a iopk, the leaves of which were imiregnated with poison. The general f the enemy's army, coming to this pot, and seeing the book open, began p read it and found it interesting. As ie frequently put his fingers to his nouth in order to moisten them, to urn over the leaves more easily, he oon felt the effect of the poison. He ttempted to retire, but could not, his oat of mail being attracted by the ledestal, which was composed of lodetorie. Enraged at this, he seized the word which the statue held in the ther hand and struck it. This action iroved still more fatal to him. The troke having caused sparks to fly they :indled the . combustibles enclosed in he interior of the statue, the explosion f which killed him!" ROBIN HOOD'S DAYS. Robin Hood is said to have split the haft of another arrow at 100 yards. ioward Hill, noted archer of today, vho doubled for Errol Flynn as Robin lood in the shooting scenes of "The Adventures of Robin Hood," probably ould outshoot him. Hill holds the vorld's record for distance of 391 yards 3 inches with a five-foot bow with a 721b pull. Some of Hill's feats in the >icture are to shoot men from gallopng horses and snuff out a candle at ifteen paces with an arrow, which irobably would have taxed the skill of he original Robin himself. The averige run of archers in the old days >robably would outrank those of oday because for them the bow and irrow was their one weapon of defence it long range. When a man's life lepends on his accuracy, he usually ries to make sure of hitting pretty :lose to the bull's eye with eve*ry shot. Chere is considerable doubt whether 2ing Richard could read and write, and t is certain that he couldn't speak even he mongrel English of that day. He vas a Norman and spoke French. Hobm Hood, while a knight and a Saxon and as well educated as almost myone of his day with the exception 3f the clergy, would have a bad time ordering a bowl of soup if he were suddenly whisked into the twentieth century. The Sheriff of Nottingham, so far as records show, never had a force of more than 300 men and there were almost that many electricians leeded by Warner Bros, to man the luge arc lights^for the big scenes of their great Technicolor production. LIFE OF DE LESSEPS. The women of France built the Suez ~anal. So said a cynical English jourlalist, reviewing the great work of Ferdinand de Lesseps. And actually ;here was some truth in the strange assertion, for there was a glamour ibout de Lesseps that appealed irresistibly to housewife and noble lady alike, causing them to pour their noney into subscriptions for shares to ;he Canal Company, thus making the jreat waterway possible. And that glamour and romance still clings to the figure of de Lesseps, making him ihe ideal subject for screen biography, a man of real accomplishment and universal magnetism at once. Small wonder the scenarists of "Suez" got more and more excited about their assignment as they found out more and more about their central character. And small wonder that the producers af "Suez," 20th Century-Fox, should tiave been lavish with time, money, and effort in creating a spectacle that would do justice to de Lesseps the man and de Lesseps the canal builder alike. For his career was full of just the stuff that films are made of— romance, action, and stirring spectacle. Selecting a cast of twenty-seven featured players, including Tyr.one Power as de Leseps. Loretta Young as the Empress Eugenic, Annabella, Henry Stephenson. Joseph Schildkraut, Sidney Blackmer. Maurice Moscovitch. and Nigel Bruce. 20th Century-Fox also employed more than three thousand extras. Not only that, but they actually dug a canal —a great trench half a mile long, 150 feet wide, and 100 feet deep—in the Arizona Desert near Yuma. The greatest spectacle of all, however, was the simoon sequence, in which a gale of seventyflve miles an hour intensity whipped across a twenty-acre desert.

SWISHING GOWN PROBLEM. Swishing silk, which came into tnt microphones like machine-gun fire, recently disrupted scenes for RKO Radio's "Smashing the Rackets," iij which Chester Morris, Bruce Cabot and Frances Mercer have the top spots The silk was in a gown worn by Miss Mercer, and as she walked about the set, the rustle of the silk was picked up by the "mike" and exaggerated to a point where it drowned out the dialogue Sound technicians and Edward Stevenson studio costume designer, solved the problem by lining the silk skirt with soft satin and shostening it so that it just cleared the floor. A "RAKE" THAT'S MUSICAL. Some of the younger generation may not know it, but a "rake" is not necessarily something that a boy should dodge studiously on Saturday. A "rake," as their parents can tell them, is a one-string fiddle. It still can rake leaves if necessary, but it is much more happily at home in the hands of the Weaver Brothers and Elviry, hillbilly act that endeared itself to thei American nation in .wenty-five years' of vaudeville headlining, The Weaver Brothers and Elviry, originators of the. avalanche of rustic and hill-billy music that has come rolling down the mountain, retired from the stage several years ago Now they have come out of retirement to appear in "Swing Your Lady," a motion picture version of the recent Broadway comedy that Warner Bros, will release shortly. The "rake" that sings is. only one of a dozen musical curiosities that. the Weavers invented during their stage career. "It jes' growed on us," Abner Weaver explains. "There was a prop jes' cluttering up the stage and settin' around dressing-rooms, so we jes' figgered out how we could use it." The jazz band that Cicero Weaver plays came to life the same way. It includes a banjo in which are incorporated a pie-plate back, a pistol, a ratchet noisemaker, and automobile horns. The musical saw was a creation of the Weavers back in 1916. It still is one of their favourites over the radio and on records. MERTON HODGE ADAPTATION. The announcement that "The Story of an African Farm," Olive Schreiner's famous novel, which has been adapted for the stage by the New Zealand ' dramatist, Merton Hodge, is to be pro- \ duced at the end of November, has aroused considerable interest in Lon- } don, writes "The Post's" London cor- ; respondent on November 14. It has been recalled that directly after the ] publication of the book 50 years ago, ; the authoress was inundated with re- J quests for theatrical rights. But she ; was a retiring woman, dreaded any ; further publicity, and rejected all \ offers. After her death a series of muddles arose concerning the rights. It was cleared up only a few weeks , ago. On her death, Olive Schreiner , left most of her property to her hus- , band. There was, however, a clause : in the will which read, "I desire the ; rights of my book to go to my favour- , ite niece." The husband died at the age of 90, leaving a daughter, aged 11, . by a second wife. The rights of the ] book were disputed, and being valu- ; able, the case ,.. was taken to court .; Subsequently, t^ere was an appeal. . After months of costly argument, the verdict was that the clause in Olive ] Schreiner's will should have read "I ( bequeath" instead of "I desire," and . the rights reverted to the husband's estate. No sooner was this cleared up than it was discovered that the husband had left his property to be divided between his young daughter and a South African University, not specifying who should have the rights of the book, as he had not realised they were his to dispose of. Mrs. T. C. Dagnall, widow of a well-known theatrical manager, had read the book as a child and had cherished a desire for many years to see it produced on the stage. The rights were extremely difficult to secure because of the muddle caused by the wills, but eventually it was decided that the "favourite niece should act as a "referee," and after protracted negotiation Mrs. Dagnall secured the rights. This was not before Miss Ruth Rogers, acting on her instructions, had gone to Africa to discuss the position with lawyers. Difficulty seemed to follow her, too, for on arrival she contracted, fever, and the talks had to be postponed. In spite, of all these difficulties, however, the play is to be produced after efforts to secure the rights have lasted over 50 years. The first night on November 30 should be a great occasion! JEWEL FORTUNE. With armed guards keping watchful eyes on the rare jewels, silver, and. antique china with which the set is dressed, many scenes of . Columbia s "There's That Woman Again," co-star-ring Melvyn Douglas and Virginia Brace are being filmed in literally a Son dollar jewellery store/Director Alexander Hall, a stickler for reals°m decfded against paste imitations^ As a consequence a stock otgeavme emeralds, diamonds, star Brubies, and other jewels has.been rented from one of Hollywood s most exclusive iewellers. The Dewels are SghtlJ takJn from the sound stage in an armoured car and locked up in the cVinn vault They are retutrned to the Sf Peach morning. Paul Armstrong, former lieutenant of the.lndiana State ponce, who helped to imprison the Dillinger'gang and who is an expert pistol shot is in charge of the jewei from England, and dozens of sets Of genuine Copenhagen china. SUCCESSFUL SHOWS. Of West End shows running within recent months, the well-known theatrical journal "Variety" mentioned the following money-makers:— Banana Ridge "at the London Strand; "Comedienne," at the Haymarket; "French Without Tears," at the Criterion; Golden Boy," at the St. -James's; "Idiot's Delight," at the Apollo; Me and My Girl," at Victoria Palace, "Mar tza," at the Palace Theatre; "Nine Sharp," at the Little Theatre;."Robert's Wife?' at the Globe; "Poison Pen, at the Playhouse; "Spring .Meet. in|' lav a* the Ambassadors; "The Insect Play, at the Duke of York Theatre; 'Wild Oats," at the Princes. Other plays that went well were Tolstoy's "War and Peace," "Good-bye, Mr. Chips, Jack Waller's "Heaven and Charing Cross. C B. Cochran's "Father Malachys Miracle," and "Bird on the Wing. PLAN FOR "GOLDEN BOY" LEAD. In its search for a "Golden Boy" among Hollywood's aspirants to film fame, Columbia has discovered the Unique plan of a thespian to secure the leading role by fair or foul methods. During the past few weeks several hundred letters began pouring into the studio urging the selection of a certain youn<* player. The letters came, from practically every section of America. But it so happened that he had been interviewed by the studio and informed that he lacked the physical requirements of the prize-fighting violinist. Nevertheless there was a persistent widespread movement to have him cast for the leading role of Clifford Odets's successful stage play. Studio investigation revealed that this player had organised a "fan club" whose enthusiasm many a film luminary might envy.

UNDERNEATH THE ARCHES. Tucked away underneath the arches tear Charing Cross, Villiers Street, .■ondon, is the tiny Gate Theatre vhich has done yeoman service for he British theatre since its inception. 7he journal "Cavalcade" describes the york of the Gate Theatre as similar o that performed for Moscow by Jtanislavsky; for Berlin by Reinhardt; md for New York by the Guild and Jroup Theatres. Among its biggest uccesses may be listed "Victoria Re;ina," "Parnell," and "Elizabeth." It s the Mecca of the playgoer who seeks nore than the average play; and its lirector-in-chief is Norman Marshall, vhose code is to encourage the author vho has something to say Its current ieason opened last month with "Serena 31andish," a dramatised version of a >est-seller, in which the leading role vas played by Vivienne Leigh, that alented young lady who is fast becomng a force to be reckoned with on the rtage and films. Others to be preen ted included a "School" play on 'Maedeheh in Uniform" lines; Francois i/lauriac's new play, "Asmodee," and rames Layer's American success, "Of klice and Men." The Christmas fare if the Gate is Revue, or "High Jinks imong the Highbrows."

ABOUT THE CASTLES. Many older theatregoers will remem* ber the exquisite dancing of the Ve>> non Castle duo»—lrene Castle and net husband—and their all-too-few film appearances in the days before the talkies. The incredibly slim Mrs. Castle was a joy to watch in thei-in» tricacies of dances that were poems of motion compared with the ; catcb.-as-catch-can, dot-and-carry-qne steps of thes. modern crazes. It is interesting therefore to note that their lives are to be made a feature for talkie, production with Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire following, as closely as they can, the autobiography of the talented pair who made dance. history before the days- of the rhumba, tap-dance, Lambeth Walk, and Big Apple. The film will make an earnest attempt to present the lives of the Castles in the period between 1911 and 1918 when they were the greatest entertainment figures in America. Mrs. Castle, who remarried and retired from public life, is sponsor of a ,big animal hospital in the United States and seldom comes into social or public life, preferring her useful retirement to publicity and Hollywood