The SCREEN STARS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11768, 15 October 1932, Page 11

The SCREEN STARS

URGENT theatre. To-day. 2 p-m.. p.m. and S p.m. and Monday. —'‘Unashamed’’ Drama, starring Helen Ttvtd vet roes. Lewis Stone, IJobert Young and John 'Mi] jan; also Lattyl and Hardy remedy. ‘'County Hospital.” Tuesday and Wednesday.—‘The Tirohen l.ulhihy.” Drama, starring Lionel Harry more. Phillip Holmes. Nam.y Carroll, Zasu Pitts and Tally Marshal. Thursday arid Friday.—“ The llonorahlo Mr. Wong,” Drama, starring Edward C. Robinson and Loretta Young. 1 THE "MACDAD OF BALLYHOO”. Hollywood is still striving to keep up the pretence Hud '-everything's gonna he all right'' (writes Cedric Belfrage in the “'Sunday Express"), hi suite of the presence of those two old bores. General* Depression and Overhead, the brave little pontile who make talkies for the world have .just managed in stage what is described as “the most brilliant, picture opening in Hollywood history.” Granman’s Chinese Theatre, the scene of these festivities, is the only remaining “Li'sCrim” cinema in the '’Ragdad of Ballyhoo.” For the first public screening of the talkie version of Eugene O’Xeill’s five-hour dramatic niaratlion. “Strange Interlude,” ••Sid.'' (Iraumnn. Hollywood's pet 'super showman." put forth every ■'ballyhoo” device in his repertoire. .Never has the American muli been worked into such a lather m the surer cause of hint publicity. Although all. aval table policemen were ori the spot the crowds were so great that they were unmanageable. Dozens ot people were crushed, clothes were term shop windows were broken. Policemen laid about them with clubs, and a hoy was run Over. Impoverished stars got their ermine wraps out of “hook” for the occasion. Norma Shearer the star of tlm picture. rolled up in a ' ‘flesh-toned lnonsselUiie de soie with a deop border of tinted ruffles.'' Marion Davies sported a letching ''shell pink ensemble with pebble crepe .jacket, while Jean Harlow was attired m ‘“maize crepe." One alter anothoi the girls spoke their little, piece into the microphone —the celebrated ‘>,o glad to be here, it’s just too -marvellous” stuff. Then up spake Mary Pick ford, while Norma Shearer -stood near by smiling sweetly at her, “'1 know," said Mary, "'that alter this picture the Academy "'til annul Dm trophy for the best acting of Lht: year to Norma ialmadge. I'XY EXTOL OF FILM I'HO.I EC'i'OH DIES POOR. Jean Leroy, who is credited with having invented the Idm piojcctoi which made the motion-picture industry possible, died in New Noils in poor circumstances, aged 7? years. Failure in patent his invention MS veal's ago lost Leroy untold wealth, and during Ids later years lie made Ids living at a small camera repair •shop within a stone rs throw l, f Broadway’s immense picture palaces where fortunes have been made i'r"m his invention (says the •'.News-Chron-icle''). Leroy sail 1 before ho died: because I did not realise what I bad and was ignorant oi the patent lav.-. Like the ‘average inventor I cent red mv interest on the solution oi me problem which I bail in mind. VALENTINO’S VOICE AGAIN. The voice of the late Rudolph Valentino, the film star, was heard again ia London singing aj. Hie Forum Cinema, Villiofs .street, Strand. It was reproduced from a record owned by Miss M. C. Elliot, of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. secretai\ ll i the Valentino Association. Kept between. two pieces of plate glass and wrapped in red velvet, this record is. Miss Elliot told a “Daily Alai!” reporter, “without price, and probably the best existing record of the first perieej) screen lover’s voice m Dm world.” Valentino died on August. LI, EL’S, and the Valent inn Association exists to keep his memory green. Tit is * recital, which was hoard by an audience composed equally of men and women, was part of the arrangements made for tills year’s celebration of the anniversary of his death.

MIN ICR’S DREAM .'REALISED. FIRM OF FIT PER IRS. Behind. ‘‘Black Diamonds.” ( )> c Him which wilt be shown before the Duke and Duchess of York at the Regal Cinema, lies a. real Lie romance; of almost- unexampled ingenuity, perseverance, and courage | ." lltl - s Campbell Dixon in the London Daily Telegraph). [t’ s producer is a Yorkshire on ini, Charles Hamner, and the origin <' ],is film is host described in the words he himself used: — “The British miner is not diseon-fent-od—lie laughs if you toll h*'n us job is unduly clangorous, b ut l discovered that a thousand men a.e killed in. tho pits every year, an that every day 000 are injured o such an extent that they have to apply for compensation. “'phis turned my thoughts to hrstaid' work, and iu due course 1 became <v rescue Header. As I statu iu looking over the green trees f Park, my mind goes back to __ Cadcby disaster of 191.2, when 1 sin down amongst a batch of coffins. 'J 1 ,. “t dreamed then of a tiDai putvni o these men, their work, and their Hives before t}ie world. Now, twenty

(By the Movie Fan).

serration of films too good t.o ho lost. The specialised cinema .is no novelty now, in London at any rale; and, since there seems to he liitlc doubt that idm cultivated and critical filmgoing public is rapidly increasing in. numbers and in influence, a repertory cinema might he a very good specula! ion.” .NOTES AND NEWS Owing to the temporary closing o! Ihe Majestic Theatre. three, programmes will lie preen icd at the Regent' (his week, changes being made to-day. Tuesday anil Thursday. Neil 11 ami 11 on has been added lo the cast of “Payment Deferred”, n pict in'isation ol Ihe Gilbert .Miller stage success of ihe same name. 'lhe cast includes Charles Laughton, star of the original st.age production; Veiroo Toasdalo and Alaureen O’Hulli-

Mats later, my dream lias come true.” All. Hamrier had experimented ■Hit l a Jnao;ic .Inn torn ami a r-a-Jiiorn ln ln ' s yuritli; ,iu 11)12, with the aid 01. \\ ell-wis'hei's and his own. lifesavings, || ( . bought movie camera. oi king praetienHy without money, and witji volunteer labor, he slowly pot together a silent film which bn called “The Toilers.” Most of it was Falcon at Whitehaven, ] 000 IT. !Il| d two miles from the pithead, ai,< l :| l t h(v Aspnlria Mine, in ('umherhnid. I lien, came one of his countless sol hacks. The talkies came, amt it seemed as it his work had gone for nothing. Doggedly fie set to work ••mow, and at last all difficulties— Jack ot money, technical ignorance, lighting problems in the pii. scenes, and finally sound—have been overcome.

Ilie talkio version is finished. and lor the first lime tip. world is given a pictorial record, by a miner, of the miner's life.

RI X -TIX-T | X A XI) RERERTOR V. “Bualis artit'ex pereo! Kin-Tiii-.tin was so clever that lie may Imve known Norn’s famous remark and have thought of it as .his eyes closed in his last -sleep,” says the Loudon 'limes editorially. “An artist indeed; and the veteran died, as many a good artist has wished to die, while actually at. work. Rut one thing is certain.——that lie did not s|>onk his hist dying words, as the more selfconscious bm possibly less artistic user of them did. If in-Tin-T'in was not a great talker. Mo was not of the kind i hat talks big about being an artist, and claims exemption on that plea from l lie ordinary obligations of decent behaviour. Ho had at! the old, simple virtues. He did his work with the best of bis very remarkable ability, and with no fuss. Fie had to- kill a gigantic vulture on the edge of a cliff: he killed if. Tlad he to jump terrifically upon iho shoulders of Hie villain, he jumped. Had he to appear heart-broken at an injustice. heart-broken he appeared. Am.l all this in a noble silence —not only in private life, where he never showed rdf, lint also in the practice of his art. And the expressiveness of the dumb animal was such that many who saw without hearing .him must have wished that. all. film-stars were as dumb as he.

“That wish is not likely to ho fulfilled. although it is said that the “talkies’ are yielding back a little ground t'o the silent films, and that Riu-Tiii-Tiii’s son and successor in Hie profession will have fair opportunities of following in lather’s footsteps. But if this passing of a great figure could be marked by revivals of some of tlie films in which he was seen at Lis best, those who had seen them before would tie as glad to see them again, as those who have never seen them would he glad to see them for the first time. The cinemas which give their patrons what are called ‘l'crpicst weeks' will certainly be asked to provide the opportunity. But the occasion suggests that it.' would he a great advantage to have a regular repertory cinema, corresponding to a repertory theatre, where the programme could lie changed often and at; short notice. For many years now the repertory of films (which includes many very good films) has been increasing i o enormous mimhers ; yet', there is no means of drawing on that repertory for the special needs of lam moment or for the repetition and pro-

Lord I a Young, is an aviation enthusiast, and recently (lew lo Fan Francisco from Los Angeles and back. On the return trip the plane had engine trouble, and Miss Young lost -more than an hour while the ship spluttered and stuttered. However. the experience did not lessen her zeal for living and she hopes ( o own a plane soon. * * * Ralph Morgan plays the superstiti<niis Czar, husband to Ethel Barrymore, in ‘•.Rasputin”, starring John, Ft hoi and Lionel Barrymore. Charles Bra bin is di reeling Uie new production a vivid drama of .Russia, before the revolution, centred about the activities of the ‘‘Holy Devil”, the role 'Lionel Barry more "plays. Ethel plays I lie Empress and John the young Grand .Duke. *. •» * Among other roles, .Henry B. Walihrail, veteran actor of the screen, well remembered for bis Little L°l" one! in “The Birth of a Nation, ’> has just been signed by Warner Bros. First National Pictures lor an important part in “The Cabin in tho Cotton,” in which Richard .Barthelmess is starred. Their joint appearance in this picture will mark the first .time these two have played together since the old Griffith clays. The -Story is of the Louisiana cotton plantation country,