The SCREEN and its STARS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 12140, 30 December 1933, Page 10

The SCREEN and its STARS

MAJESTIC THEATRE -To-day, 2-p.m., 5 p.m, 780 p.m., : and TO P,m., Monday and Tues- . day— “King v Kong” Cinema sensation, starring Fay Wray, 7 Robert Armstrong! and Bruce Cabot. Wednesday,7 Thursday, .and Friday—- . “jCojunspl’s ppinioji’’- British comedy, afeirring'■ Cyiril Maudfe; Hfenry Kendall ■ and Bannie Barnes; and “Our Fighting Navy”—British Admiralty ‘him. REGENT THEATRE To-day, 2 p.m., 5 p.m, 7,30 p.m., and/10. p.m.—“Ann Carnei;’;-> Profession 7 ’—■ Melodrama, featuring Fay Wray, Gene Bay- , mond 1 and- Claire Dodd. Monday, ": Tuesday,' ,Wednesday Thursday, .■ and Friday —“Tell Me' To-night”— Sensational mnsicall opera, featuring Jan Kiepura, 'Sonnie Ilale, Edmund Gwenh, Athene Seyler,, Betty Chester and Magda Schneider-

GRETA GARBO AND HER. OLD FRIFjNt). SHE BII.YS AN ESTATE NEAR HIS Miss Greta Garbo, may return t° Sweden to iget married sooner than wa§| expeoted|. ■ Miss Garbo, who owns several houses in. Stockhplm, has mow, through her brother, bought one of the ipveliesit estates there! It epnsists of 115 acres, and is at Dyvilc, where her old • friend, Mr Mas Gumpel, tlie engineer—who has been mentioned frequently as her future husband—is going to build a stately mansion. Miss Garbo is also negotiating about the. purchase of two farms with many hundreds of acres of for. es|t land near Dyvik. HAIRDRESSING FASHIONS SET . BY HOLLY WO 0D ' STARS Clara Bjoiw has set more hair fashions than any other actress on the screen. Her flapper shingle in “Red Hair”, sw.ept America. Later, when this, yivaoious star appeared in “True to the Navy,” with her famous- harip shoulder-length, the longbob fashon was elected by the younger seit. Clara’s newest coiffure, which, she.used for a, recent picture-, comprising soft curls over the entire head, will set another style. Ruth Chattertan. adheres to two simple styles of.- hairdressing, both are .the perfect selection fca- her ttype, A slightly long, softly-waved hob is. 'Miss'. Chatterton’s- selection' for informal occasions, while a chignon is added to the bob for important evening events. Kay Francis made her picture debut wearing her hair brushed severely off forehead and ears. She. believes that the same qojiffure becomes standardised and uninteresting when used too long. For her dramatic roles, she created a novel style of coiffure that blends well with her striking features as well as the softer mode of the moment. Having permitted her hair to grow long enough ■ to- form a. slight roll ait the back of the -head, Miss Francis parts her . hair ,in the middle, presses it into two loose waves over the temples, and pulls the sides back to meet the roll sol that the lobes of the ears are visible.

KIDNAPPED! “CHAPLIE?’ CHAPLIN. The arrest early in November at Los Angeles of “Red” O’Riorden, a :. noted Detroit gangster, under an in- : dictment for . murder and on suspicion of being " involved' in the tragedy xrf fho • Lindbergh baby last year, has brought to light the fact that among ihe recent victims of. kidnappers- is Mr Charles Chaplin. The; comedian , according to a statement made by a Department of Justice Investigates wa® kidnapped on < night, of August 25, held for 12 hours, and then released on payment of £4,000 ransom. He made no complaints to the police, hut hired pri- , .rate detectives to run down his abductors. After the detectives liad paid a visit to the Rogues’ Gallery arid had ,< searched the records, they' subrnitted (to the coriiedian . photographs of three men believed to he associated withvO’ißiorderi: ina sbriesf of crimes. Though- they , resembled liis kidnap- ; pers, the actor was unable to identify ;; them- positively. TAKEN FROM HI9 CAR. Mr Chaplin’s story, as quoted by tho Department of Justice investigator, Is that he was returning Lome late at night after escorting Miss Paulette Goddard, the leading lady in his forthcoming film, to her Beverly Hills residence. Etis- car "was '• crowded \t'o the . kerb, and he [was seized hy a number of ’ men. They placed hirii in their own car and drove him to_un outiof-way ' spot, .: where they kept him.-all night. In the mjorri-. . Sngallowed hirii %o . get: in touch bytelephone with an attorney, who ! in due courts©, arrived with £4OOO in 60-d.ollar notes. Though' he ' has absolutely refused ( to disquss the incident, Mr Chaplin . is reported to be noiw working collaboration \ wijthl-' the Department of Jusiee- ; agents; who believe that “ O’Riorden. was the leader of. the gang by -whom- ho . was , kidnapped. - Ever since.. his release Mr Chaplin ' and Miss Goddard) have been strongly guarded), by- private detectives-. ■: ‘ A Senate-committee in ‘Washington

(By the Movie Fan).

is to investigate in the pear future 1)110 - (kidnapping P?;ob|ein.. It will listen. to the (testimony of a number of other Hollywood actors, 14 of whom besides Mr. Chaplin, it ls sjtated,, have been similarly victimised, have paid ransom ranging from £2OO to £3OOO each for their freedom

“TELL ME TO-NIGH,T” SENSATTONAL RECORDBREAKER. Tire most picturesque and beautiful film that has. eyer graced -the screen of 'any. theatre, i ; s breaking all records in Australia; seven . months, in Melbourne, six months, in SyJhoy.. and is stalk running, “Tell Me To- ' night”, ,has a quadruple appeal, and bias, as a consequence, an appeal to, a wide public.. The lover of the, operatic will find, its. concerted numbers impressive; those whose taste, is more in the direction of, individual vocalism have in Jan Kiepura $ tenor who has won fame and .adl|(leved success i(n imainv countries.

He is the man who has created a furore on Nie Continent in the Continental! versions of tlie picture “Song of flip Night,’ 7 and is l an excellent actor' as well. , But “Tell Mo To-night” does not depend even upon such admirable vocalism as l his for its entertainment qualities. The picture has a story to fell, one in which such excellent 'delineators of comedy as Sonnie Hale, Edmund Gwenn, Betty Chester and Athene Seyler have a share, not to forget Magda Schneid'er, the Continental actress who could not boast of a word of English before she trained for this Gaupicture. The story is ctrtedible »§i well as witty, and the constantly occurring amusing situations are handled! with the skill that marks the work iqjf these wellknown. stars.

“KING KONG.’’

“King Kong,” is a sensational admixture of the prehistoric and the modern in a story of fantastic imagination. As a production, “King Kong” was two and a half years in the making. Early in 1929 the first research inquiry was sent to leading paleontologists throughout the world. The studio had a vital interest in the appearance and habits of such primitive monsters as the pterodactyl, the brontosaurus, the tyrannosaurus and tlie dinosaur. Did these formidable creatures, now extinct, run. bop, or fly when in fast pursuit of their prey? What exactly were their proportions ? Active recon- - strnations of such monsters were to enact, roles in the motion picture. It took a year and a half of tremendous work to eolicet the data, -assemble it for practical purposes, and construct dozens of reptilian and.. other monsters in exact scale. “King Kong,” the giant ape, captures, Fay Wray in the jungle, and, instead of destroying her, as he does almost jtjhe entire group of explorers with her, he preserves her life and treats her with a. clumsy sort of tender-. ness, despite thefact that he could crush her between hi§ thumb and forefinger. Finally, in the climax of the picture, he attempts to devastate New York City in. a misguided blundering effort to assist her.

FILMED BENEATH THE SEA Mr E. Williamson, producer of “With Williams,on Beneath'- the Scia, the popular thriller believes the time is nob far distant when the incalculable resources of -the ocean .will be made available to man, and in addition to its other offerings the sea will become the great food source of the world above' it. “Goal, petroleum, gold, preeiops stones, chemicals and other products of the earth will be found on the floor of the ocean or below.. Tile exploration of the ocean’s depths has, just begun, and a world far greater than that which man lias known will ope clay yield its treasures and _ secret®,” he assented. Mr Williamson has been working ,a.t depths of "from 100 to 200 feet; but ho expects to be able to double or triple that , depth. The. film is ©xpeqtied to be one pf the most amazing recordist of submarine, activities ever made.

BECAUSE HE WAS BROKE. When an actor or actress- crosses, the Atlantic from the English studios. flo Hollywood) or vice versa., he (or -she) usually has a fine story to tell the newspapers about either a wan.derlu.st “loye. of travel” or a desire for the. bid home-country”— ((whichever is . most • apt)..' Not . s,o Edward Everett Horton! '

This fine comedian arrived at Southampton recently together with his) mother and his spare collar. Were you to ask ' him “Why,?” . 'he would blandly and unblushingly tell you that'the American Bank'holiday dec'lared 1 in. the .period of crisis had hirii . without the cash - necessary to keep body arid' soul' together! If you! didn’t ask him he’d probpbly tell you, anway, because that," same Edward Eyefesitt thinks.it “a swell j.bke. ’ Some .men have marvellous sense of humour!., . .. 1 -■ It hits been mentioned In the foregoing .paragraph that hisi mother accompanied. him—it wpuld he nearer mark" to say that -this VB-year- ; 9,1(1. girl was taking care of him, for she is his, ever-hqndy' men,tpr"noiy as in-the daysi o.f lbs youth. 1 f - “I; had j(ust had ‘to come along to look after my hq'y.” she said ’ on landitOgV

NOTESI AND' ) NEWS'

F ( our of: Lewis- Oarroll’gi ; poenls,-are being sefi to inusio by Dimitri Tib'mkin,: noted composer, to be; sung in . paramount’& production of “Alice in Wonderland. 7 ’ Charlotte Henry, as Alice, will 'shig two of- the numbers, “You Are 'Old,' F'aitjier Wlilliam,” and. “Tweedledum and Tweedledee,” Alliispn Skipworth will croon flic lullaby, “Wowl Wow'! Wow!’ 7 and Bing Crosby will warble 'the - soup number “Soup, Soup, Beautiful Soup,”

** , * One of London’s most colourful figures is 80-years-old Missi Violette Melnpht'e, who is again taking over tlie ■ control and active management of -the Duke of York’s . Theatre. Since making. her debut in Hull in pantomime in tho ’seventies she has been cons tartly on or about.' the stage. It) its now fifty-seven • years Ago- thaiti London first, saw her in “Blue Beard”. A few years later she became manageress of the old! Avenue Theatre, where the. Playhouse now ajt'ands facing the Embankment.

“The Lost Patrol” is now neaping completion, and final scenes arp being filmed °n the desert location where tho cast, headed by Victor McLaglen, have keen for. sey.era.l weeks. Adapted from Phijip MacDouald’s novel, this fl-K-O;. Radf 0 picture centres round the adventures of a Briltiisli military squadron! lost in the Arabian ' deserii,': uu.d ■-the. stellar cast which supports McLaglen includes Boi-is Karloff, Reginald Denny, Wallace Ford and Alan Halo, Some years! ago a silent version of tlie story was 'screened, Victor MeLaglen’s brother, Cyril, taking the leading role.

Tragic mysteries of London’s, underworld are revealed in what promises to be an unusually interesting film just completed at Sliepperton. It is sound cilty’s “D.oss House,” and its main setting is cine of the common lodging houses of London. The story—written by an author wlio> is said to. have lived in a doss house himself— pictures the characters . and. gives an insight into- the Tivesi of the denizens of a typical “down-and-outs” hood. It is acted entirely by men, many of them oldtimers of the London theatre, with Frank Collier in a leading role as a journalist.

In “Summer Lightning,” Ralph ■Lynn has a characteristic part as Hugh Gaavnody, a rather hapless young man who is obliged fos various reasons to steal! a pig in order to get the girl he loves. flrhe; story is by P. G. AVodehonsp. Ralph Lynn is supported by an all-star cast which includes Winifred as the girl .for whose sake '-the- pig is stolen, .and Dorothy Boucliier as. a eboru s girl out of Hugh’s past.

Deep down dn the make-up of us all! there is a soft spot for a. really good celebrity vaudeville entertainment,. but the opportunity to see and hear this ouce-famous type of, amusement comes far too inf-re-quest. For these reasons alone “Radio Parade,” the British International Picture should be assured of an enthusiastic reception. For “Radio Parade” is celebrity vaudeville at its -best- Fifty big variety stars selected from -stage, screen and radio are beard, in the most diversb fied and delightful bill ever presented on stage or screen.

Madge Evans who has appeared Tvith most of the notable players of tlie screen in the past several years, has a role opposite James Gagney f°r the first time i.n the Warner .Bros, melodrama, “The Mayor of Hell.” A lot of film has gone through the cameras since Madge Evans entered the. business sixteen years ago. The director who gave her her first chance is now a Hollywood extra. Very few of the stars, with hom she played, shine on the screen any longer, excepting John Barrymore whose leading lady was in ‘Petter Ibbefison’’ when she was. thirteen, and Richard Barthelmess with whom she appears in “Class Mates.” Some of the other stars of yesteryear with whom she played were Robepti Warwick, Enhel Clayt°n, Pearl White, Herbert Raiwlinson, Holbrook Blind, Montagu Love and many others. ’

Familiarity with .the free and easy companionship of travellers will mist certainly need no contempt for the characters of J". 33 Priestley’s novdl “The Good Companions” whether you meet: them ’between the covers of his bp,ok or on the screen. “The Good Companions” are ten varied people; six pierr.ots' of a stranded concert troupe, a. Yorkshire carpenter, ;a, young Cambridge graduate, an American banjo player and a charming' spinster of thirty. To this- variegated as-sprtment of people comes the true happiness that rises from helping ' onb" ‘ another, from sinking all thought of self into the greater; thought ;-of. Unity, and from the good companionship from whence came their, inainej—that is inherent in all people, and • brought to light by the necessity-. of joining forces, TJieip story will be' ,a -tale, of pleasure to all who . see it in its, screen formalready! unnumbered thousands have read the. novel, . for it i’s. even mow in .its thirteenth edi<tion and nveii past the three: hundred thousand copies mark. .