SCREENLAND JOTTINGS

Evening Star, Issue 19894, 16 June 1928, Page 18

SCREENLAND JOTTINGS

Sydney folk are all vying with each other as to who will nave the most spectacular set and most gorgeous costumes at tho movie men’s frolic, tho Movie Ball. This great event in the social and dancing season of Sydney is to take place on Juno 20 at tho Palais Royal. John Gilbert’s latest production ‘ Man, Woman, and Sin ’ will be released shortly. Miss Jeanne Eagles, the celebrated stage actress of Now York, will appear opposite Gilbert. Nils Aster ngs been signed to play the leading male role oppo'site Miss Marion Davies in her new starring picture ‘ Her Cardboard Lover.’ This is tho screen version of a play which recently achieved great success in New York. Copyright in all languages, including the Scandinavian, is right about ‘ Abie’s Irish Rose,’ that drama of tolerance that delighted New Zealand playgoers a little while back. Now the world-famed ‘ Abie ’ will be read and hoard in the Russian Nufski. The play is also being translated into the Cliinese and Japanese. Nancy Carroll and Charles Rogers are cast in the Paramount picture as those mentioned in tho title, Abie and Rose. Herbert Brenon, who was recently placed under contract to United Artists by Samuel Gpldwyn, is to direct Ronald Column in his first solo starring picture. Tho story lias not yet been decided upon, but owing to the English nationality of both star and producer it will not be surprising if the story and locale are essentially British. F. W. Mnrnau, the noted Fox director, has started production on his sound American picture, ‘ The Fom Devils,’ with Miss Janet Gay nor in tho leading role. In addition to Miss Gavnor are Charles Morton, Nancy Barry Norton (the “ mother’s" boy ” of ‘What Price Glory’), and Miss Mary Duncan. Mr Mnrnau is confident that ‘ The Four Devils ’ will prove an even more popular production than his first American picture, ‘Sunrise,’ which is to have its initial screening iu New Zealand shortly. Some sensational intubations are promised at the opening of ‘ Wings,' the Paramount epic of the air, which had its premiere at the Regent, Sydney, on May 19. In this mighty drama of the skies, which Paramount claim is tho greatest picture made since the * Ten Commandments ’ are Clara Bow, Charles Rogers, Richard Aden, and Jobyna Ralston. Miss Corinno Griffith is well under way with her latest First National production ‘The Divine Lady,’ which is based on the romance of Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton. Victor Varconi and Miss Marie Dressier have been assigned important roles, and as tho enchanting Lady Hamilton Miss Griffith has a role which calls for great charm and personality. One of the features of the film will bo the reproduction of the great admiral’s fleet. Miss Griffith’s next picture will bo ‘ Outcast,’ a screen version of the play which was so successful on Broadway. Florence Vidor sailed on Saturday, May 5, on tho Leviathan on vacation to Europe. The popular and beautiful Paramount star has just completed * The Magnificent Flirt,’ whilst her previous picture, ‘Honeymoon Hate,’ has just started the circuit of tho New Zealand theatres at Dunedin. Sue expecte to start at London and journey across Europe through the principal cities to tho Near East, from whence she will return to take up her starring contract with Paramount. Picturegoers tho world over will note with regret the announcement that Mary Pickford intends retiring from the screen. Mary has been a teal screen personality. Her name is still good enough to draw crowded cinema houses, yet she has been taking part in films for nearly twenty years. Other artists have risen to the pinnacle of fame and they have dropped again, but Mary’s name and fame will yet remain awhile in the memories of her millions of admirers. Although _it is popularly supposed that Mary is an American, the supposition is wrong. She was born at Toronto, Canada, and is to day thirty-five years of age. When five years old little Mary took .ip a stage career in a stock company in Toronto, and at the ago of nine she starred in ‘ Tho Fatal Wedding ’ Mary Pickford then adopted a screen career with tho Biograph Company, under tho direction of Griffith, when she had her first lead in ‘ The Violin Maker of Cremona.’ She returned to the stage for Belasco’s ‘ A Good Little Devil,’ but later jained Famous Players to make 1 Tess of the Storm Country,’ the film nhich made her famous. From that time Mary Pickford never looked back. She was successively with Artcraft, First National, and United Artists, and later she formed her own company in conjunction with her second husband', Douglas Fairbanks, tho athletic star. Mary Pickford’s last husband was Owen Moore, whom she met and married while starring with Famous Players. Mary Pickford is always visualised as the little girl with the curls down her back. When she decided to grow up and play adult parts, such as those in ‘Rosita’’ and ‘Dorothy Vernon,’ sho was not very popular, Sho was still a great box office attraction,, but there was a feeling that this was not the real Mary Pickford, tho appealing little figure that was unique. Miss Dale Austen, fresh from her four_ months in the big American studios, is to play lead in_ Mr Rudall Hayward’s forthcoming picture ‘ The Bush Cinderella.’ With her own natural artistic skill sho has all the tricks of the trade and the latest in “make up ” literally at her finger tips. Tho pioneer of New Zealand film produc- , tion now takes up the megaphone on his seventh New Zealand picture. Those who remember ‘ My Lady of the Cave,’ ‘ Ilewi’s Last Stand,’ and ‘ The Te Kooti Trail,’ Mr Hayward’s period pictures, will bo interested to hear of j this,, his first screen venture to havo 1 a modern setting. For some of the . i scenes ho has evolved new’camera an- , i gles and effects, _ which bring further ’ I technical aid to his undoubted dramatic , sense. Mr Lee Hill, of Commonwealth ! Film Laboratories, Sydney, has joined , Mr Hayward’s staff in tho capacity of general assistant and camera man. Mr ] I Thomas M'Dermott is in charge of tho ’ interior settings, which are being erected at Luna Park. Ho also plays tho * part of a New Zealand farmer, with 1 a fine touch of the soil. An English .comedian, Mr Jack Do Rose, contri- j ! butes speed and some excellent “ heavy ■ stuff.” Cecil Scott, the leading man, * plays the part of a young naval officer, » who meets Cinderella, on a fishing ex--1 pedition. Feminine hearts will flutter * at tho first flash of Cecil. The story ' of ‘ The Bush Cinderella ’ might be ' that of any New Zealand family. It is ! filled with laughter and touched with 7 tears. Tho prologue takes us back to 5 1900, when we get a first glimpse of 1 our own Dale in flowered wide-brimmed | - hat and ground-length frock with spaced and tiny bows—an almost “old r world” charm about her, so far it r seems from now. In striking contrast, - in tho second part sho jplays a truly i modern Cinderella. New Zealand’s -1 first real film star is supported by a 3 f well-chosen cast. The scenario is from 3 , tho pen of Henry Hayward. It is a - dramatic presentation, in every sense 3 a true picture. He has brought to the 3 screen incident and feeling alight with 1 the spirit of the pioneers in a swiftrinining drama of to-day. It has the f atmosphere of tho bush ; dear to us all. 1 the scent of manuka is upon it and h the incense.of the camp lire rising, and through it all the tui’a note caita.

Miss May Bain, who was born and bred in Dunedin, well known in musical circles, a member of the Dunedin Operatic Society under the baton of G. B. Laidlaw and Mr Wolf, also a member for several years of the Dunedin Shakespearean Society, and very well known as a prize-winner in the Dunedin Competitions, is again going to do her home town credit on the films, by being associated with another Dur-.edinite in a film to be released shortly in New Zealand —‘ The Bush Cinderella,’ written by Mr Henry Hayward and directed by Rudolph Hayward. May Bain is the “ mother” of the play, which is a real New Zealand story, full of humour and drama. Dunedin audiences are to bo favoured with some big film production during the nest two months. So far as can bo ascertained, ‘Surrender,’ with Mary Philbin of ‘ Phantom of the Opera ’ fame, and Jean Mosjukine, featured in ‘ Les Miserables,’ will be screened next' programme at the Octagon. This picture is to be succeeded by a Lon Chaney film, ‘ After Midnight ’; ‘Cohens and the Kellys,’ starring George Sidney and J. Farrell MacDonald; ‘The Student Prince’; ‘La Boheme’; and ‘Love.’