NEWS of the FSLHS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 5, 6 July 1939, Page 21

NEWS of the FSLHS

"HEART OF- THE NORTH."

MAHONEY FILM,

* "Heart of the North," the Warner Bros, production in Technicolor, is described as a thrill-packed and authentic tale of that famous law enforcement body of the Canadian northwest, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Produced on the lavish scale characteristic of Warner Bros. Technicolor specials, the picture has adventure, action, suspense, the beauty, and interest of unfamiliar landscapes, and a large cast of popular players. Heading the list are such well-liked performers as Dick Foran, Gloria Dickson, Gale Page, Janet Chapman, Allen Jenkins, Patric Knowles, and James . Stephenson, and the chief character roles are in. the capable hands of actors like Russell Simpson, Joe Sawyer. Joseph King, Anthony Averill, "and Arthur Gardner. The first thrilling episode1 in the story is the holding up by a band of outlaws of a little river steamer that is carrying priceless furs and miners' gold from the trading •post to civilisation. From then on the 'story details • the clever identification ■by. Foran, an officer of the "Mounties," of the "master mind" behind the hold-

CORRIGAN, HELPS.

Douglas Corrigan's certification that Eddie • Quillan resembles his brother Harry; in. height, weight, walk, and features was instrumental in Quillan being cast as Harry in R.K.O.'s "The !"Flying Irishman," The. role is an important one, as Harry- appears throughoutvthe picture which portrays Corrigan's own life and career. It was for ■ the purpose of saving money with which to put Harry, a year younger, through technical school that Corngan trained himself to go without breakfast It was with Harry, then-a graduate technical engineer of the University or California, that Corrigan "barnstormed" his second-hand plane •from New York, where he bougnt it. west to Los Angeles. Now employed in the Martin aircraft plant in Baltimore, Harry was:not available for comparison when BJtO. set about casting an actor to play his role. But Douglas Solved the problem by advising with Bob Palmer, studio casting director Quillan came closest to. filling the bill -physically and got the job. \ SMALL PURCHASES BEST SELLER. v "My Son, My Son," Howard Spring's T>est-selling novel, has been bought by producer Edward Small for the sum of £10,000. Published in England under the title of "Oh, Absalom," this book has sold 5000 copies weekly. Dealing with two fathers and their <sons and the rising fortunes of the fathers" the story is laid-in the last half-century. A newspaperman of the "Manchester Guardian," Spring became famous with the success of this unusual novel. Small has cabled him an-offer to come to Hollywood to adapt his story to the screen. RETURN OF THE WALTZ. ' "Eleanor Powell, America's foremost dance star, predicted that within six months the new dance craze will be the old-fashioned waltz. As Grand Trouper of the Young, Dancers of America, an organisation of more than twenty-five thousand dancers, the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer screen star advised these terpsichorean enthusiasts to prepare .for this new wave of dance popularity that is to sweep the world. "Don't desert your jitterburg and Lam-, beth Walk and those other tricky dances completely," says Miss Powell, "but learn to waltz and waltz gracefully. I think I can ferret out the new dance trends as well as anyone because dancing is my business, and I can safely say that the waltz is coming back stronger than it ever was in the days of our grandfathers. This is always the case in dancing. One style reaches an extreme in popularity and the public immediately, in one swift reversal, goes to the other extreme." Miss Powell, whose newest musical picture, "Honolulu," comes here soon, is the outstanding spirit of America's young, dancers.- Fifty-two troupes of these youthful steppers have been named after her and the organisation is probably theVlargest individual force in building dance trends that exists. "I want to make it perfectly clear that 1 am not opposed to the jitterbug, the Lambeth Walk, and the Limpy-Dimp," explained, Miss Powell. "They are all part of-;dancing. They express the paoderh*trend'"-and dancing is a form of expression.> I know these dances and I like to r do them. But the main reason why I foresee the return of fhe waltz is that it is the one step that will preserve romance in the dance." ■

Cinesound was to begin filming its next production, which will star Will Mahoney, at the end of June. Supporting Mahoney in the film, so far untitled, is a well-known cast, including Jean Hatton, Shirley Ann Richards, Evie Hayes, John Fleeting, and Sidney Wheeler. Players for other principal roles have yet to be chosen. It is expected that camera work will take - six weeks, after which Mahoney leaves for a vaudeville tour of Britain. The new film casts Will as "a little man with a big punch," whose temper overrules his judgment at the soilnd of bagpipes? It was prepared for the screen by Mr. William Freshman, recently arrived writer from British International Pictures' Studios at Elstree, England. Whilst Cinesound builders are constructing sets for the Mahoney film, editors are piecing together the sequences for "Gone to the Dogs," starring George Wallace, which has just been completed.

RATOFF IS AMUSING

Gregory Ratoff is probably the only

man in Hollywood who can be just as

entertaining behind a megaphone as before a camera. Even when he is surrounded by stars like Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, and Al Jolson, as he is in "Rose oi "Washington Square," the 20th Century Fox production, Ratoff achieves a high rating He has a way of doing things in the grand manner and. then suddenly staging an abrupt about-face. For instance, when working on a set with Hollywood's only titled property man, Count Phil de Escp, he rose to the occasion, speaking only French, the international language .of gentlemen, to him. He was the very soul of dignity. But on the same afternoon he had his tailor come on to the set to fit him for a new suit and convulsed the east by standing by the camera in odd pieces of the garment, lustily giving directions, while the

HOT AIR FOR STORM.

Hot air is one of' Holly wooers most prevalent commodities; one finds it in great quantities without the asking. But when 'Paul' ; Widlicska, special effects man for - Samuel Goldwyn, set about generating two entire sound stages full 'of it, some comment w.\s forthcoming. It was no idle prank of Widlicska, but a very necessary adjunct to production of Goldwyn's picturisation of Emily Bronte's "Wuthering-Heights," a United Artists release. Close-up scenes were being shot in which Merle Oberon and Laurence Olivier stand on a rocky pinnacle, buffeted and whipped by the ever-pre-sent Yorkshire wind. Widlicska trundled out his wind machines and filled stages 1 and 2 with hot air to keep the stars warm.

"ATLANTIC CABLE."

Important among new season announcements is the information that Douglas Fairbanks, Jun., has been signed to star in "Atlantic Cable." The Denison Clift story is to be produced on a big scale by the newly-formed Famous Productions under the guidance of Harry Edington, for release by Universal. In "Atlantic Cable," Fairbanks is declared to have been given an assignment which may surpass his current success, "The Sun Never Sets," in which he is co-starred with Basil Rathbone.

With searchlights searing the sky, specially erected grandstands crowded with people waiting to watch the arrival of film stars, and late-comers perched on ,top of huge hoardings '.o be sure of a good view of everything that happened, the premiere of "Goodbye. Mr. Chips" was staged at the Four Star Theatre, Los Angeles, in May.

There was intense interest in this, the second of Robert Donat's starring films made in England for, Metro-Gold-wyn-Mayer. The King and Queen were in the small audience which first saw "Good-bye, Ittr. Chips" when it; was screened, at the home :of the; United States Ambassador in London,* Mr. Kennedy, the evening before' their Majesties departed for Canada. ■

Batteries of Kleig lights cut a pathway across the pavement and film stars attended the premiere in numbers to satisfy- the heart of any glamour-starved young woman.. But James Hilton, author of the novel from which the film was made;-> arrived- at the theatre - almost unnoticed. He was accompanied by his father, John Hilton, a former schoolmaster, generally credited with being the original inspiration for Mr. Chips. "Author's Dream Fulfilled:' James Hilton, who Is at present on the Warner - Brothers' lot adapting another of his novels, "We are Not Alone" for the screen, said .that ths M.G.M. presentation of "Mr. Chips" is an author's dream fulfilled—"a picture that does for him practically all that he .would' like to do for himself if he owned a studio and had a million dollars to spare." 'Alexander Wool!----cott, the-well-knowri. columnist and author of "While Rome Burns," was one' of those who hailed the novel when it was "first published, and he says of the film "In my own experience the most moving of all motion pictures is the one called 'Goodbye, Mr. Chips.'" The film is a triumph for Robert Donat, who portrays Mr. Chips at the ages of 24, 40, 60, and 87. The allBritish cast -has 156 speaking parts, and Donat alone survives the action from beginning to end. The make-up

FORTY AND UNASHAMED.

Memories of that immensely popular favourite, the late Marie Dressier, are revived by the fact that Francis Marion, who wrote "Molly, Bless Hei\" and prepared it for the film for Marie Dressier, the story being part of Miss Dressler's own life, has handed the play over to Gracie Fields. "I have vlways wanted to play this part," s\ites Miss Fields, and now Robert Kave, just back from America, brings the news that we shall begin work on this piece early in August." Gracie has a role as an old, tired, variety star of the film who gets so weary of waiting for work that she takes on a job as a housekeeper to a curmudgeonly millionaire. "I'm rather tired of playing young heroines of twentyeight or so in pictures," Gracie says. "I'm forty and not ashamed of it, and I'd like to be my age."

"THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS."

Shocker No. 1 in Universal's new season list of major attractions will be "The Invisible Man Returns," according to the company's programme announcement. The story is heralded as a sequel to H. G. Wells's "The invisible Man" which is remembered as one of the most ingenious pieces of fiction ever to reach the screen. Joe May, the distinguished Continental director, will make "The Invisible Man Returns." Kurt Siodmak, prominent scenarist, is preparing the screen play.