SCREENLAND JOTTINGS

Evening Star, Issue 19942, 11 August 1928, Page 15

SCREENLAND JOTTINGS

Paramount Week (held from September 2 to 8) marks the culmination of another year of motion picture development, and on the screens of a thousand theatres throughout New Zealand and Australia Paramount stars and players of tho new generation will bo seen. Syd Chaplin will shortly bo seen in this country again, this time in an adaptation of Fred Niblo’s stago success ‘The Fortune Hunter.’

Metro-Goldwyn-Maycr have purchased the screen rights to the book ‘ The Bridge of San Luis Roy,’ a bestseller, which is estimated to have been read by a million persons since it wa-s first published in the early part of this year. 'lno Melbourne premiere of ‘Wings,’ Paramount’s epic of the air, on Satur. day, July 7, was a brilliant function. Group Captain Cave-Brown-Cave and two other officers from tho British supennarine boats were among the audience. In the Paramount short feature ‘ Knights of the Air,’ screened in conjunction with ‘ Wings,’ the history of aviation from the days of the pioneers to tho culminating achievements of Kingst'ord Smith, Hinkler, and others is traced.

Lionel Barrymore, who is famous alike on the stage and screen as a character actor of no mean ability, has signed a new long-term contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. J. T. O’Donohoe, tho screen author of ‘ What, Price Gloryi” ‘The Noose,’ and other successes, has been assigned to writ© tho adaptation of ‘ Show Girl,’ which is to he Miss Alice White’s first feature vehicle for First National Pictures.

Miss Virginia Gray, who jplayccl Little Eva in the screen version of ‘ Uncle Tom’s Cabin,’ lias been signed for a role in First National’s ‘ Heart to Heart,’ featuring Miss Mary Astor and Lloyd Hughes. George Bancroft_ plays the part of a detective, forsaking his usual semivillainous role, in ‘ The Dragnet,’ his latest Paramount picture. It is interesting to note that ten detectives from tho Los Angeles police force were used as extras in the production. Following ‘The Dragnet,’ Bancroft will star in, another Paramount picture, ‘The Docks of New York,’ an original screen story by John Monk Saunders. Josef Von Sternberg will direct. A London message to 'Everyone’s’ (Sydney) states that remarkable booking figures'for ‘Dawn’ were revealed at the general meeting of British Dominions Films. Daring its first four weeks of release contracts _ totalling £48,000 were made in tho United Kingdom, while foreign rights brought in another £30,000.

The second of the Australasian Films Austrnlian-mado masterpieces lias arrived in Now Zealand, and those who have seen this attraction aro very enthusiastic about it. Almost entirely taken in Fiji, it provides a wonderful wealth of tropical splendour for picture crowds. The cast includes Edith Roberts. Edmund Burns, and Walter Long, all from American studios, while practically the whole of the Australian cast in ‘ For tho Term of His Natural Info ’ was sent from Sydney to Fiji. The story is from Beatrice Grimshaw’s well-known South Seas tale ‘ Conn of tho Coral Seas,’ and deals with beachcombers, missionaries, and all types of humanity. The next Beho Daniel’s picture to follow ‘Hot News ’ will bo titled ‘Take Me Horae.’ It will bo going into production at tbe Paramount studios shortly. Noil Hamilton, who recently signed a further contract with Paramount, and who appeared with the star in ‘ Hot News,’ will again bo the leading man. .

The British International film studios at Els tree, which are already as largo as any in tho world, will soon become considerably the largest. Recently Miss Betty Balfour, tho British International star, cut tho first sod for two new studios which aro to adjoin tho existing buildings, and an army of workmen is now digging tho .foundations. In conversation with a Press representative, Mr Wilfrid Pippet, architect, who has specialised iu film studio construction and has been responsible for the planning and designing of tho British International premises from the beginning, gave tho following details; —Each of tho new buildings will occupy ground space of 325 ft hy 2-10 ft, with actual studio space of 275 ft by 100 ft, and cadi will be 38ft high. Each studio will contain 32 dressing rooms, 7 offices, 4 bathrooms, green room, and art room, etc. All dressing and bathrooms wilt bo served by hot and cold water. Tho heating will be by hob air system, which will bo so arranged as to cause free ventilation both in studios, dressing rooms, offices, etc. It is also designed so rhat each studio and its complement of rooms may be worked as an independent unit. The temperature of tho studios will bo TOdeg, tlio dressing rooms Godeg, and offices and other rooms GOdeg, when tho temperature outside is 30deg. A complete air change will bo effected ono and a-balf times per hour, which will give some indication of the purity_ of tbe atmosphere in which tho artists will work. This air Will actually lie drawn from tho spacious fields adjoining the studios.