BEHIND THE CAMERAS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 133, 8 June 1939, Page 22

BEHIND THE CAMERAS

bow on the film. She is also a cannibal queen, though you may not believe it. For it has been found on the film that the most delightful colours present their trials to the movie-makers. They are cannibalistic to the core. If you incautiously place pink near red, for instance, you will be exposing it to destruction. The red ■will eat up the pink, draining all the colour out of it. If you must have a pink near a red then you must make it a "blue pink," they say. * * • * It was in 1922 that Mrs. Kalmus, her husband Herbert, and a man named Comstock began their experiments on colour films in an abandoned box-car. Here Mrs. Kalmus became the world's first Technicolor star, acting in onereelers," developing the film, cutting it, and being camera lady. And now that she has brought colour to the screen she spends a lot of time chasing it off again. In the early days of the colour film the movie panjandrums insisted that they were paying for colour, and were going to have it in plenty. The result was that they drenched the screen with it until the bemused observer came to the conclusion that it was too garisß for him. And the result of that was to be seen in/ the pastel effects of "The Mikado." The studio rulers, learning by bitter experience, made not a single protest. For this production Mrs. Kalmus had the final say on all backgrounds, settings, and camera-angles. She passed judgment on make-up. She feels that there is a colour for every mood, and also for every character, and that the decisive and the gay should be clad in pink; red, warm browns, tan, and orange. Accordingly she put the Mikado into gold brocade pyjamas. Accordingly, she dressed Kenny Baker in white silk and brown for his romantic scenes, and steel grey when

he became a wandering minstrel, and accordingly a mousy soul. •c, v * Bringing the film to completion was not easy. On her first day's work on "The Mikado" she received a script printed in large type. It contained not only the scenario, but camera and timing instructions, camera filter, the total amount of negative to be used, shooting dates, a developing date, and allied data. From this report she worked out her colour chart for the entire film. She and Dr.. Kalmus were brought together by a common interest in photography. They then attempted to invent something which would eliminate film flicker. During this work they became interested in film colour, they hired their own abandoned box-car, and the result today is "the flowers that bloom in the spring" brought to the screen ia all their varied hues. It seems that the movie fans are growing tired of the same old faces and that the film companies are looking around for new ones. Two examples of this are to be found (if you will pardon the references to these films again) in the casting of Vivien Leigh in "Gone With the Wind," and of the unknown William Holden in "Golden Boy." Today the names that Warner Brothers are bringing before the notice of departments such as ours are Ann Sheridan, Jeffrey Lynn, and John Payne. R.K.O. is building up Lucille Ball. Universal is beating the drums for Frances Robinson. And M.G.M. is paying more attention to youngsters of the vintage of Ann Rutherford and Alan Curtis. In the last two years there' has, been any amount of evidence of the same thing in the Foreign Legion which was brought to Hollywood under such, names as Franciska Gaal, Sigrid Gurie, and Simone Simon. if ff $ * Frank Freeman, of Paramount, who is new in his post of studio boss, is

NEWSREEL NEWS ! Paramount British News, at the Regent Theatre, Today: > Halifax win Rugby League Cup Final at Wembley . . . Albanian j Royal Guard take oath of allegiance at Rome . . . Queen Wilhelmina J reviews Dutch Navy .. . Their Majesties drive through London to Water- j 100 Station, where they are met by Queen Mary and other members ' of the Royal Family; on arrival at Portsmouth the King and Queen J embark on the Empress of Australia for Canada. I Pathe News, at the St. James Theatre, Tomorrow: . Return of Discovery II from Antarctic . . .New York World's Fair I opened . . . French officers visit H.M.S. "Victory at Portsmouth ... J Mounting the King's Guard in London .. . Boys' football, London v. [ Glasgow, at Fulham .. . Wedding without a bride in India .. . General * Weygand and French officers visit Sandhurst Military College .. . New | ' Mauretania nearly ready for service .. . The, Kentucky Derby .. . New * plane on show at Heston. j Metrotone News, at the Majestic Theatre, Tomorrow: I President Roosevelt opens New York World's Fair .. , Dutch defence I measures ... Rome takes over King Zog's Guards .. . .Thrilling speed- J boat racing .. . King of Sweden is an athlete at 81 .. . Destruction of [ war-time British submarines .. . French reserve officers visit England •" ... Tanks and infantry at Aldershot. - | Fox (Australasian) News, at the King's and Plaza Theatres, Tomorrow: | Departure of Australian Davis Cup team for U.S.A. .. . Governor- J General reviews troops at Ennoggera Military Camp .. . Girls at Mcl- | bourne Technical College weave modern gowns on old-world hand looms ' . . . Movietone visits Bathurst- Island, Utopian home of aboriginees J where missionaries labour . . . Midget car races provide thrills on [ Sydney Sports Ground . . . Kui Kong Young's return bout with Joe J Hall attracts big crowd at Sports Arena. | Fox Movietone News, at the King's Theatre, Tomorrow: | First pictures of King and Queen in Canada .. . Movietone records J important speech by Mr. Neville Chamberlain at Albert Hall .. . French j Officers visit Sandhurst to make acquaintance of British Army ... ' R.A.F. holds mock air raid at Duxford .. . President Roosevelt opens J New York World's Fair .. . Japanese attack and capture Nan Chang, i Cinesound News, at the Majestic Theatre, Tomorrow: I Cinesound cameraman rides with the horses and hounds .. . Aus- y tralian Davis Cup team departs .. . Farewell to Zane Grey, famous i writer and sportsman .. . Blind Sydney man takes his place in the world J as musician . . . New home for Sydney's Taronga Park tigers ... a Peter Dawson, world-famous singer, arrives at Fremantle .. . Cinesound J visits the bears at Koala Park, Sydney. I

taking the decision that the public want fresh names, and, as a result, that company is going to have a Golden Circle of new faces, and thirteen people have been admitted to it already. The sunset of Mac West, in Paramount's own studio, and the decline of such names as Kay Francis, Joan Crawford, and Norma Shearer rev&al the same trend. These new players will not be pushed along too quickly, as Darryl Zanuck apparently pushed Simone Simon when he made a trailer which told audiences they had just seen a new star and the audiences resented it, and declined to spend their money at the box office. William Holden is one of this Golden Circle, and others are Ellen Drew, Janice Logan, and Louise Campbell. The most advanced in experience are Patricia Morison and Robert Preston. Another example of the same trend is the choice of John Wayne, by John Ford, for the leading role in "Stagecoach."

SANDY POWELL. According to the British film trade papers, Sandy Powell's "I've Got a Horse," a G.B.D. release, is :a comedy success. "I've Got a Horse" is very different from the previous films in which Sandy Powell has starred. For instance, there is no romance for Sandy Powell —he gets married in the first reel and most of the story,, apart from a few slight marital differences, is devoted to Sandy's adventures with his wild, weird, and wonderful: racehorse. Thus the plot is free from the usual romantic, interludes, and is able to move unhampered on comedy lines. The climax comes when Sandy is sued by the previous owner for the return of the horse. Sandy decides to contest the- case, which' he does with ■ a hilarious mixture of Yorkshire wit and philosophy and a complete disregard for the usual standards of court \ procedure and etiquette. Sandy as a s K.C. is said to be a riot. j RATHBONE ON HOLIDAY. I While 1938 saw Basil Rathbone shoot * from featured ranks to stardom, the | film actor agrees that his present posi- » tion was attained at a great price in | intense mental strain. For that reason < he will enjoy a well-earned rest of I more than a month before starting his | next Universal picture, ' "The Sun I Never Sets." According to Rathbone, his busiest year was ended with his I most difficult assignment—an immedi- ' ate switch from the almost hysterical [ title role of "Son of Frankenstein" to I the portrayal of the complacent, witty * Sherlock Holmes in "Hound of the | Baskervilles." He completed his t eight-week Frankenstein part at 8 p.m. I on Wednesday, December 28, and , started the detective role at 9 a.m. on I Thursday, December 29, playing the ] latter five weeks. For the next few I weeks, Rathbone will devote his time ' exclusively to landscaping his new Bel ! Air home. I "STAGECOACH." J The "Film Daily" reports as follows I' on Walter Wanger's" latest picture ' "Stagecoach." "It has one of the ! strongest groupings of fine characteriI sations ever to be brought to the ! screen. The film contains great I thrills, action scenes, ad breathless ' suspense, and over all, a vastly mov- | ing story of human beings facing their < individual problems with courage and [ fortitude."A Ten Best film that stands , out as one of the greatest human I action dramas ever produced." John | Wayne and Claire Trevor head a big I cast of players in this film, which is ' shortly to be released by United Artists. y