SCEENLAND JOTTINGS

Evening Star, Issue 20374, 4 January 1930, Page 4

SCEENLAND JOTTINGS

‘ The Laughing Lady,’ Ruth Chatterton’s latest talking picture, was recently completed at the Long Island .studios. ‘ The Laughing _ Lady ’ features Clive Brook in the leading male role. Dorothy Hall, Dan Heaiy, Hubert Duco, and Nedda Harrington are included in the supporting cast. Raymond Hatton plays the comedy role of a gangster in George Bancroft’s ■next starring picture, ‘ The Mighty.’ Esther Ralston plays opposite the star. Warner Gland and 0. P. Heggie are cast in prominent parts. At last John M’Cormack knows what he is going to be in his first alltalking picture. A cable received from Ireland, where the picture is being filmed, states that M'Cormack will portray the role of a srhool teacher instead of a blacksmith, as had been announced. Finding a suitable story for the great singer was something of a problem. The one which had been decided upon before the trip to Ireland was found to be inadequate for the marvellous opportunities pwsented by the Irish country as a background. ‘The Lady Lies,’ an all-talking drama featuring Walter Huston and Claudette Colbert, will be released shortly in New Zealand. Charles Rugglesy, James Seely, and Virginia True Boardman play prominent roles. James Whale, who originally produced R. C. Sherrif’s ‘Journey’s End,’ at the Savoy Theatre. London, has now definitely completed all the production and casting arrangements for the talkie version of the play. British Dominions Films have been informed that the cast will be exclusively Bri'ish.

Norma Shearer, the star of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s all-talking production, ‘ The Last of Mrs Cheyney,’ is a notable example of an established screen star who has achieved meteoric fame as a talking picture star. Always profoundly admired by motion picture patrons everywhere for her individuality. her beauty, and her finished talent, still not one could have suspected, the flashing brilliance she would reveal when the talking picture fell to her lot. But in ‘The Last of Mrs Cheyney,’ which will be seen at the Regent Theatre next week, slie docs not only add to her fine dramatic gifts and charming personality, a beautiful voice perfectly reproduced—she achieves a tremendous triumph in one of the most interesting roles the drama lias ever given us. Without a doubt, she places ‘ The Last of Mrs Cheyney ’ amongst tlve greatest talking pictures so far seen in New Zealand.

The first attempt to record an alltalking motion picture on the open sea will be made by Paramount. The story selected is Joseph Conrad’s ‘ Victory,’ and the picture will be titled ‘Flesh of Eve. Miss Nancy- Carroll will bo starred. To facilitate the recording of the picture, a complete sound recording laboratory was transferred hy boat to the location camp, on an island off the coast of Southern California, along with an elaborate electro-generating outfit and power unit. Regulation portable recording machines will be used for tire filming of the ship board scenes on a specially chartered schooner. ‘ Flesh of Ere ’ is being produced under the direction of William Wellman, the maker of ‘Wings,’ and the story will be closely adher 1 to. Richard Arlen plays the leading male role<s Warner Oland, Gustave von Seyffertita, Clarence Wilson, Francis McDonald, an ’ Miss Evelyn Selbie are included in tho supporting cast. . One hundred feature productions, photographed entirely or partly in Tedinicolon'r are .scheduled for 1930. All leading producing companies have signed contracts with Technicolonr for the use of its cameras and technical experts, for more than fifty features, which, when added to those pictures already completed or now in production at Hollywood, brings the aggregate to the I 0(). The supply of cameras, of which there arc twenty-five in use day and night, is being increased at the rate of one a week. The office of United Artists has received a cable stating that tho Douglas Fairbanks-Mary Pickford picture, ‘ The Taming of tho Shrew,' opened at the Tivoli Theatre, New York, on a recent Friday. All records for the house were smashed on the opening night, and at the Saturday and Sunday screenings. The film, as well as being tho first Shakespearean “ talkie,” marks the first occasion on which Mr Fairbanks and Miss Pickford have appeared together. William Powell, who will star for Paramount in ‘ The Colour of Money,’ will portray a notorious metropolitan gambler in the production. ‘The Colour of Money ’ was adapted from an original story of Oliver H. P. Garrett. Kay Francis plays opposite tho star. Filming will commence shortly at the Holljv wood studios.

Early release is set for ‘ Speedway.’ Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s spectatular drama of the auto race track, filmed at the famous Indianapolis races, in which William Haines, whimsical comedian of the screen, turns to thrills, heart throbs, and romance. Anita Pago is the heroine, and wears some very fetching outfits in the scenes where she is shown flying an open model aeroplane. Karl Dane, who will be remembered for his excellent performance in ‘Alias Jimmy Valentine ’ (with William Haines), is again responsible for many laughs in this racy, peppy attraction. John Barrymore’s first vitapbone talking picture will be an elaborate production based on the novel 'General Crack,’ by George Preedy. This romantic story gives Barrymore colourful backgrounds and vigorous action. It is concerned with the adventures of a soldier of fortune in the \ustrian army during the eighteenth century.

Lewis Stone, who in the past year has played many outstanding roles of the screen, is the hero of ‘ Wonder of Women,’ » drama of modern Europe, which will be released shortly, with sound and dialogue. It is the first role since his outstanding triumph with Ruth Chattertou in ‘ Madame X.’ Wood, a stage star, and Leila Hyains appear opposite Stone in this picture. The story depicts the life and loves of a temperamental German composer. There is pathos and tragedy in the play, as well as humour and romance.

Scores of stars from the stage, who have formerly charmed hut a few thousand people with their histrionic ability, and have only been known to the public at large through gramophone records, have now the opportunity of making themselves known to the whole world, through the medium of the talkies. Moran and Mack, the Two Black Crows, are cases in point. Millions have laughed at the records at the Two Black Crows, but only a few thousands have actually witnessed their performances. With the world-wide release of * Why Bring That Up?’ their first all-talking comedy for Paramount, Moran and Mack become more than gramophone personalities, they become almost flesh and blood. That the Two Black Crows liavo lived up to every expectation on tho screen, and that they have won new friends in their picture, is proved by tho enthusiastic audiences which have crowded tho Prince Edward. Theatre, Sydney, at every performance since tho release of ‘ Wbv Bring That Up?’ at that theatre.