Flashes From FILMLAND

Evening Star, Issue 25927, 19 October 1946, Page 10

Flashes From FILMLAND

PERTINENT PARS ABOUT PI CT URE S' - ft;-'PEOPLE

CRIPPLING ACCIDENTS SEES STARS 1 COURAGE SOAR

It is hard to picture an ordinary person thankful because she came within an inch of losing her life. Not so in Hollywood. The movie capital has quite a few famous names which became that way in spite of a deadly threat by accident. Ann Blyth is getting her health back right now from a broken back that, has kept her off. the screen a year. Ann, loaned to Warner’s by Universal, had just completed ‘ Mildred Pierce,' when she went to the Californian mountains for winter sports in March, 1945. A sharp curve on a toboggan slide, a crack-up—Ann had three broken vertebrae. As she healed, steel braces replaced her plaster cast and happily, Ann will start another film, ‘ Swell Guy,’ at Universal shortly. Googie Withers, beautiful British brunette also suffered a broken back, during acrobatic dancing. Told at the hospital that she would dance no more, Googie decided to try straight acting. After two years of bit parts, she got a small role in the London stage play, ‘ Nice Goings On.’ One night the star fell ill, and Googie, her understudy, took over, and success was in sight. Bette Davis was attending a New England girls’ school when a Christmas tree. caught fire, burning her badly about the head and face. Doctors said she would have lifelong scars, but her mother’s long and careful nursing brought Bette through unmarked. Bette’s latest is Warner’s ‘ A Stolen Life.’ An automobile accident temporarily floored Lucille Ball. She was just getting started on the New York stage, when a car erack-up left her with a broken back. Surgeons decreed six years in bed, but Lucille forced herself to get well iu" three years. Now she is starring in Universal’s ‘ Lesson In Love.’ Ella Raines came to Hollywood to enter movies, but she was badlv burned in an explosion at her small apartment. Luck, plus courage, and devoted care healed her, and sent her on to stardom. Hollywood is filled with girls who have gritted their teeth and said “ Thanks, fate, I’ll take it from here.” And they did. Elephant's Nervous System Reacts to Vacuum Cleaner Aristophanes, an elephant who plays a supporting role to Irene Dunne in ‘ Anna and the Ring of Siam,’ lias suffered a nervous breakdown, his keeper reported to the studio, as a result of having been cleaned with a vacuum cleaner each morning. Director John Cromwell insisted that Aristophanes, who had a habit of rolling in the dirt, prior to his important scenes, be swept.. The mahout used a broom, which was all right with 'Aristophanes. but the production department, /wanting to save every*possible minute of precious time, furnished him with a vacuum cleaner. As a result Aristophanes has become a nervous* wreck, the niahout said, and will need several weeks of rest. Phyllis Calvert As Ambassadress For British Pictures When Phyllis Calvert completes her part as Jackie, the farmer’s daughter, in the current Gainsborough film, ‘ The Root of All Evil,’ at Shepherd’s Bush, she plans to have two mouths’ holiday before setting off for Hollyood as the aecoml of Gainsborough’s lease-lend stare to America. She is to star there in Rachel Field’s fine novel, ‘ Time Out of Mind,’ a period story set in the 1850’s Phyllis Calvert has refused several offers to go to America, believing thatBritish films have a far greater future. She now takes the view, however, that by going to America as an ambassadress for British films and playing in an American film, audiences over there will get to know British stars, and so want to see them in future British pictures. .She intends to stay in Hollywood for one film only. Her husband. Peter Murray-Hill, who is an actor as well as a dealer in rare books ? plans to go with her to carry on his business in America while she is there. If the housing shortage, which Hollywood shares with England, permits them, they will take Ann Aunol. their three-year-old daughter, with them. Wedding Cake On Third Anniversary Greer Gareon has finally had her wedding cake recently—three yea rs late. . Celebrating the, third anniversary of her wedding to Richard Ney, Miss Gareon was presented with a wedding cake by the cast 1 and crew of her current M.G.M. picture, ‘ Sacred and Profane'.’ During the party, she confessed it was her first wedding cake.. There was none at her marriage, and, in the intervening years, husband Ney had been in the service. She even took a piece of the cake home to put under her pillow at night. As a sentimental gesture, Miss Gareon wore her three-year-old bridal, suit to the party. Gifts to one another were a gold key chain inscribed from the star to Mr Ney, who presented his wife with a pair of antique lamps for her personal sitting room.

• Smithy ' To Be Given World-wide Distribution

The first Australian picture to be guaranteed world-wide distribution, Columbia’s ‘Smithy,’ was received with great enthusiasm by that company's New York and' Hollywood executives. It goes into immediate release in America. .In .its recent world premier in the Sjydney State Theatre. ‘. Smithy ’ equalled the run of any previous picture released in tha't theatre, with the sole exception of ‘ A' Song to Remember.’ / - Interviewed. ’Mr Ken. G. Hall, of Cinesound, director of the ‘ Smithy ’ film, said thajt he had received cabled advice from America telling of the picture’s reception there, and he was naturally delighted as ‘ Smithy ’ represented Australia’s first serious hid for recognition on the screens of the world. “Backed by Columbia’s resources,”, stated Mi* Hall, “ 1 Smithy ’ cannot fail to reach millions of people, and. .become. _a great ambassador for this country.' Its/success is also, assured by virtue of the preferential treatment it will receive.” ‘ Smithy ’ automatically will go into 15,000 theatres in the United States alone. Outside America the film. will , go wherever English is spoken— and to many countries where it is not. ‘ Smithy ’ will 'be dubbed in Spanish for the South Americas, and it will be shown in the Middle East, China, Burma, and other oriental nations with super-imposed language titles. Warner's Ambitious Plan In Britain Warner Brothers is spending £1,000,000 in modernising its Elstree studio and in rebuilding the bombedout Teddington studio. , The company will spend £350,000 rebuilding Teddington. - One sound stage is ready and two more are to be built, thereby doubling pre-war production. The remodelling is alorm the lines of Hollywood’s studios, ana when- completed will provide the most, modern facilities outside of America.. Production is expected to be running in full swing before the end of the year. A total of £650,000 will be spent at Elstree, now . being reconstructed and newly equipped. Work is expected to be completed early in 1947. The plans call for at least four independent production units within; the Associated British Pictures Corporation ambit, to be headed by Anatole de GrUnewald, Roy and John Boulting, Anthony Asquith, and Harold French. Warners has guaranteed to distribute a minimum of three A.B.P.C. pictures in America, and will make its full roster of stars available to- the producers.

As Here, So In Hollywood Gene Kelly is a screen actor again, after three years in the United States navy. His initial scene for M.G.M.’s ‘ For the Loving,’ a post-war comedy, which Gregory la Cava is directing from his own. script, is in a men’s clothing- store. Kelly plays a recently discharged soldier on a shopping spree for. his .first civilian suit of clothes. The salesmen are showing him their best selection—three suits. “ I don’t think /this scene rings true.” Gene points out to la Cava. “What do you mean,” bristles the director. _ „ “ I have three suits to choose from, says Kelly. “ What’s wrpng with that? ” asks la Cava. -_ " “What’s wrong?” wails Gene. “ I’ve been out of. the navy for six months, and 1 still can’t find one suit.

Casting Proceeds on New Zealand Story Further stellar names have been added to-the cast of ‘ Green Dolphin Street,’ which goes into production at M.G.M. almost immediately. In addition to Lana Turner, Richard Hart, Donna Reed, Edmund Gwenn, and Gladys Cooper. Van Heflin has been cast as Timothy Haglarn, the mill- ' owner who befriends William Ozaune when he first arrives in New Zealand; Reginald Owen is to portray Captain O’Hara of the sailing ship Green Dolphin, and Linda Christian will portray the Maori girl.

Now that her daughter is well established on the road to stardom, Peggy Cummins’s mother plans to turn screen actress. Known professionally in Dublin by the name of Margaret Tracy, she plans to use the 6ame name in American pictures. Her. well-defined Irish brogue. will suit her for the playing of Irish women. .