NEW FILM STAR

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 July 1939, Page 11

NEW FILM STAR

KORDA’S CHANCE FIND.

LONDON, May 27

Alexander Korda, the man who discovered the screen possibilities of Charles Laughton, Merle Oberon, Binnie Barnes and many others, is convinced that he has found another star.

His name is John Justin, he is 21, he was born in Knightsbridge, and he spent his early youth in the Argentine, where his Argentine father owned a ranch.

Mr. Justin gained a little acting experience in repertory, returned to the Argentine, and worked his way back to England as a deck hand. He secured his first London stage part in “Dear Octopus.”

“Shooting on ‘The Thief of Baghdad’ was held up for months because we could not find a-young Princess and Prince,” Mr. Korda said yesterday. “In the end June Duprez was given the role of Princess, but we still could not find our Ahmed. “Just as work was ending one day, Dr. Berger tested John Justin. Everybody was tired, so very little lime was spent on the test; but when we met in the projection-room on the following day we knew at once that our search was at. an end. “The lest, was still raw, but from the screen there radiated a personality such as none of us had ever seen in an actor so young. Mr. Justin will do great things for British pictures.” Mr. Korda has put Mr. Justin under contract for seven years.