NEWS OF THE FILMS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 1, 2 January 1941, Page 10

NEWS OF THE FILMS

BASRA PALACE.

One of the most unusual scenes ever photographed for the screen appears in Alexander Korda's great Technicolor spectacle romance, "The Thief of Bagdad," a United Artists release. This scene is set in the great forecourt of the Basra Palace and displays the toys of the Sultan of Basra. All of these Tanusual toys were modelled on the Pantheon gods and goddesses in the Eoyal and ' Victoria and Albert Museum. Here is shown the first clock, a swinging pendulum suspended from a highly^coloured ball. The ; Sultan, portrayed by Miles Malleson, receives a visit from Jaffar, the evil magician, played by Conrad Veidt, who has brought him the Flying Horse to trade for his beautiful daughter, the Princess,'played by June Duprez. The horse, made up in six parts, each carried by an attendant guard, is full ot clockwork and winds with a key. When the; Sultan mounts it, it takes him tor a flight into the sky and returns to the spot whence it started.

RACHEL FIELD NOVEL

EELEN DREW SUBSTITUTED

"All This and Heaven Too," the novel Due to an eye infection, Barbara by Rachel Field which has been one Stanwyck has been withdrawn from of the best-selling books of the decade, the feminine starring role in Paracomes to the screen in all its drama- mount's "Reaching for the Sun," and tic essence with Bette Davis and Ellen Drew has been given the part. Charles Boyer in the starring roles. This shift in cast merely postpones Miss Warner Bros, have produced, "All This Stanwyck's arrival at Paramount, since and Heaven Too" on a lavish.., scale, she has been assigned the title role From the brilliant co-starring team of in "Pioneer Woman," American fronMiss Davis' and Charles Boyer down tier epic which will be produced and to the smallest character "bit", player directed by William A. Wellman folthe film has been cast with care. The lowing his completion of "Reaching for story .of Mademoiselle Henriette the Sun." \V

Desportes was news in the European Press of 1847. Its repercussions helped

to remove a French,King,from his tot-

tering throne. Henriette (Bette Davis) comes to the luxurious Paris home of

808 CUMMINGS, RANCHER

the Due de Praslirv (Charles Boyer) to Latest addition to Hollywood's growact as governess to his four children, ing colony of ranchers is Robert Cum To them she gives the love and under- mings, who celebrated the start of his standing they have never had from role with Deanna Durbin in ''Spring their mother, a hysterical, neurotic Parade" at Universal by acquiring a woman, whose only interest is in her complete farm in Van Nuys. Bob and husband. Her wild passions and.utter his wife become "nearby neighbours of disregard for the children have Andy Devine, Billy Gilbert, Clark estranged him, however, and in.the Gable, .Charles Winninger, Harvey quiet, intelligent little governess he Stephens, and other well known sees all that he wants of life. Casey "ranchers" as a. result of the purRobinson has woven Miss Field's book chase. It is a four-acre affair with a into a screen play that never falters house, stable, corral, and about every in interest. kind of fruit tree.

JOHN CARROLL

John Carroll has been . borrowed from M.G.M. by Universal for one of the most important roles in "Hired Wife," which co-stars Rosalind Russell, Brian Aherne, and Virginia Bruce. Carroll recently attracted considerable •attention with his portrayal oi the young actor in "Susan and God." In "Hired Wife" he wil] play the role of a Latin Romeo who ngures prominently in a quadrangular romantic mix-up. Carroll augments the supporting cast which already includes Robert Benchley, Hobart Cavanaugh, Richard Lane, and William Davidson.

PETER LORRE.

Peter Lorre, famed for his gripping, sinister portrayals, has been signed to a two-picture commitment by RKORadio. First of the two films will be "Stranger on the Third Floor," in which Lorre will be featured with Margaret Tillichet and John McGuire. Following completion of "Stranger on the Third Floor," which is expected to start filming soon, Lorre will be assigned an important part in the new Kay Kyser starring feature, "You'll Find Out," to be produced and directed by David Butler. This will be a sequel to "That's Right, You're Wrong," which Butler also produced and directed for RKO-Radio. Lorre, who created the character of "Mr. Moto" on the screen, has many other successes to his credit, including brilliant character portrayals in "Strange Cargo," "Dead . Man's Island," and "I Was an Adventuress."

SINGING FOR PENNIES

The spectacle of a fourteen-year-old Child without one iota of dramatic training enacting a'feminine lead opposite Fred Mac Murray in Paramount s %angers of Fortune," has been observed with curiosity by Hollywood. The child is Betty Brewer who was "discovered" by Director Sam Wood while N singing for pennies m front of a Hollywood night club. A screen test proved the child to suit the screen role perfectly and she moved directly to the sound stages. Not the least concerned about' Betty's lack of dramatic training is Director Sam Wood. Shes perfect the way she is," he declared "Giving her dramatic training would destroy the very naturalness, sincerity, honesty I want to come over in the picture.-She has it now, naturally, and her performance in "Rangers of Fortune" is going to be from her heart, rather than from a mental understanding of the role she's playing." In the production,' Betty is a fourteen-year-old girli who lives with her aged grandfather. in a small town in the south-west in the early seventies, and, because:-the grandfather is not well, is the head of.the household, literally.

<XHE' BERIOD^TYLE.

THE REAL THING,

John Ford had the satisfaction of knowing that the types he chose for seamen roles in his Argosy production, "The Long Voyage Home," which United Artists will release, were the real thing. While on location at Wilmington aboard a tramp steamer, several of the principals were loafing on the deck between scenes, when they were approached by an agent of a seamen's union. It took considerable argument on the part of the men to convince him that they were not sailors, but Hollywood actors. The agent wasn't convinced until they produced their Screen Actors Guild cards.

ENACTS SHAKESPEARE,

Gary /Grant;: who \ ; - finds himself ;indrama after^many years devoted" to comedy,"isn't5 ,V certain that lie- likes, th^v, change. , : -He .has been -leading-iarYfc anguished getting' irito "and out of tight trousers, moulding himself into waist bands. Grant, for the first time in his film career is playing-a strongly dramatic role in Frank Lloyd's "The Tree of Liberty" which the-producer based on Elizabeth' Page's novel of the same name and which Columbia will release. In this, he characterises a romantic gentleman of the revolutionary period, which meant that for two months he got in and out of the things worn by the in those-days. He complained that in the first place it took most of an hour to get into an 18th century costume, plus a good half-hour-io get the boots on. You don't dare go out to a public clace to eat for fear something will rip and snap and leave you' unprotected. .

"PENNY SERENADE."

John Barrymore, as Hamlet, will live on for time immemorial. Twentieth Century-Fox's production chief Darryl Zanuck has preserved several reels of film taken of Barrymore in his famous roles which may, later on, be made available for educational groups. In one of the comedy scenes in "The Great Profile" the picture which stars Barrymore, he appeared dressed as Hamlet. At Zanuck's request, Barrymore performed some of the high lights of his Shakespearean portrayals. He had not played the roles for years but he reeled them off as if he had been rehearsing for weeks.

Cary- Grant will throw open the doors to a newspaperman's temptestuous home-life in his next starring role for Columbia Pictures. As a definite contrast to his managing editor role in "His, Girl Friday," Grant will portray a news reporter in "Penny Serenade," which producer-director George Stevens will finish at Columbia in the New Year. Departing from the drama of .a' newspaper " city room, "Penny Serenade" teams Cary Grant and Irene Dunne as reporter-husband and wife in" a-comedy, based upon domestic difficulties arising from assignments that take him to faraway places.

N.Z ACTRESS IN AUSTRALIA

The New Zealand actress Miss Marie Ney has been having a very successful season in Australia, where one of her latest vehicles was S. N. Behrman's "No Time for Comedy." Described as possessing a "comprehensive arsenal of expressions and emotions," the exWellington actress has been delighting audiences in Australia, her extensive repertoire greatly pleasing the theatregoing public. The theme of "No Time for Comedy" is that of the double triangle, in which the reshuffle is avoided by wholesale desertion. As her romantic vis-a-vis Miss Ney had Hal Thompson, in the part of the playwright torn between "Bacchus, Venus, and the Muses," as one critic put it.

WILL HAY,

KAY FRANCIS SIGNED

POPULAR PLAYS,

The: New 20th Century-Fox film "THe.Man I Married" is a dramatic revelation of a beautiful girl's experiences with the husband she thought she knew. Based on Oscar Schisgall's story, in "Liberty Magazine," "The Man I Married" is rich in possibilities. The film's characters are played by some of :the top names on Hollywood's horizon, including Joan Bennett, Francis Lederer, Lloyd Nolan, and Anna Sten. Joan Bennett's performance as the young and beautiful wife who suddenly finds her husband a stranger has received much favourable advance comment, while Francis Lederer, in his portrayal of the husband, is said to provide one of'the film's outstanding high lights.

_ ,v , An Will Hay was born in Scotland 49 years ago, and spent his early life in Manchester. His father took a keen interest in music and the theatre, which probably influenced Wills later career, although he began with engineering ambitions. During-, his training and work in engineering he spent most of his spare time between amateur theatricals and astronomy his enduring hobby. He had achieved fame for his talent in Manchester long before theatrical agents realised his enormous potentialities. His effort? raised "large sums of money for hos pitals in and around Manchester. Fron the beginning he has written his owr material—songs, monologues, dialoguesketches, but not his films. -Flying has always been one of his greates' enthusiasms, and, as far back as 1910 he constructed a glider. His next pir ture will be "Where's That Fire?"

TCav Tfvannic ctnr nf a inner list Kay Francis, star ot a long list successes, comes to RKO-Radio shortly O n a two-picture commitment arranged by Execut i ve Producer Harry E. EdingFirst of the two films selected ton. First of the two films selected Miss Francis will be tne next Towne and Graham Baker production -Little Men," screen version 01 Louisa May Alcott's famous novel, which before the cameras soon with NormanMcLeod directing. On its completion Miss Francis will go into "Debutantes [nc » now being prepare d by - lucer cliff Reid for later shooting isg F ranc i S) wno co-starred ja^e Lombard and Cary Grant "In Name Only," recently ippe ared with Deanna Durbin in £) a t e ." Her other successful ;nc i U( j e "My Bill," "First Lady," 'Women Are Like That," and "I Found :te n a Parrish."

0 j Recently at the Strand Theatre, ~ London, a witty farce by Vernon y Sylvaine, "Women Aren't Angels," was ed produced to the delight of large audiig- ences. It is riotous fun throughout and ; or came as a happy relaxation for Lonn donders, despite air- raids. Another successful " production—at the Q 3n Theatre —was Evelyn Glover's play isa 'Time to Wake Up." This tells all ►c. c about a mother in the last war, who. an- declining to believe in the War Office >n telegram, sets out for the base hospitals es in a search for the son she believes •o- still living. She finds the boy and then lg the play takes a turn as a spy drama ith with excitement and thrills. Louise in Hampton played Mrs. Scattergood in tly the Q production, and John CaroJ the t's son. In the Strand farce, "Women _ns Aren't Angels," Alfred Drayton and j," Robertson Hare played the fool merrily nd in and out of skirts, petticoats, kilts. and trousers.

"THE MAN I MARRIED."