The SCREEN and its STARS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXX, Issue 12263, 26 May 1934, Page 8

The SCREEN and its STARS

PROGRAMMES FOR Tim WEEKMAJESTIC THEATRE-To-day, 2 p.m., 5 p.m., 8 p.m., Monday and Tuesday.—“ ‘The Torch Singer”— Grama - starring Claudette Colbert, David Manners. and 13 aby .Leroy; and “Laughter in the Air” —Starring America’s radio cpieens. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. “Rio Rita”.—Musical comedy, starring John Roles, Bobo Daniels. and Wheeler and "Woolscy, KING’S THEATRE.

To-day, 10.30 n.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m , £ p,m., and Monday and Tuesday.—“ Hips, Hips, Hooray” Comedy featuring Whec.de>' and Woolsey. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.— “Six Hours to Hive”—-Melodra-ma featuring Warner Baxtei, Miriam Jordon and John Roles.

.REGENT THEATRE To-dav. 30.30 aim., 2 p.m., 5 p.m., and 8 p.m., and Monday and Tuesday,—« “Cradle Song” Drama, starring Dorothea Wieck, Evelyn ' Venable and Sir Guy Standing. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday “Design for Living” —Drama, featuring Fredric March. Gary Cooper and Miriam Hopkins

HUGE CAST IN “RED WAGON.”

Some small conception of the magnitude of the £BO,OOO screen adaptation of “Red Wagon,” Lady Eleanor Smith’s epic romance of circus life, may be gathered from the- following production details. Covering a period of roughly thirty years from IS9G onwards, “Red Wagon” introduces a leading cast of twenty-five, headed by Charles Bickford, Greta Nissen, .Raquel Torres, Anthony Busliell, Don Alvarado, Trank Pettingell, Alexander Field, Paul Graetz, and Amy Veness. There are also over thirty smaller speaking parts. The crcus sequences of this film called for the exclusive use of Champan s circus and ! menagerie for a period of several weeks, during wdiich time over 50 regular tentmen lived in their caravans inside the studios, and in addition, there were employed some thirty of forty Romany gipsies, many of whom had never slept in an ordinary bed. Two complete “Big Tops” were used, and for scenes of circus performances specially staged for the film, crowds numbering 2,000 were used. The animals east in the picture included six lions, five tigers, three elephants, twenty liberty horses, ten ponies, six Llamas, five zebras, and a number of monkeys, mules, donkeys, and performing dogs. In addition to a number of fine English scenes filmed in Herts, a special camera unit travelled nearly two thousand miles through. Scotland Ireland, and Wales to film scenes of circuses on the road, and the famous Rostock circus figures m some of these.

HOW THEY KEEP FIT

William Powell relies on frequent swimming, occasional tennis and a careful diet-. His tendency toward surplus poundage is effectively kept under control by those activities. A 1 Jolsom plays golf. It is less strenuous than the other methods of maintaining a straight silhouette, but it is sufficient to keep him fit. He also swims often and, according to his own statement, gets much additional exercise “following the ponies.” For many years George Arliss has kept' his good health and his spare figure by means of long walks. Ho averages at least five miles \a day. George Brent, Will Rogers, Robert Montgomery and a host of others play polo strenuously enough to need little other exercise. Warren William prefers fencing to all other sports and has a. robot opponent against which he works with foils when no other candidate for the position is available. His other favourite exercise is tennis. When Paul Muni moved to his newly acquired ranch north of Hollywood, he installed a punishing gag in a- sheltered corner near the swimming pool. Above this same pool hangs a trapeze and a pair of rings. The combination “playground equipment” will keep this actor fit. Riding, walking, and boxing keep Richard Barthelmess’s figure within camera limitations. Edward G. Robinson’s professed laziness extends to sports as well as to work. Yet Robinson has lately become a golf addict and has taken the game more or less seriously. Guy Kibbee, whose figure is past redemption, is also' a golf enthusiast. Deep sea fishing, which is more strenuouns-than it sounds, interests many film stars, John Barrymore in particular. He also golfs. Joe E.-Brown has been an athlete all his life. He still keep his hand in at almost every known kind of exercise -except golf. He is still handy with the “swinging trapeze.’’ Joe E., when he was in his ’teens, used to be a qircus man himself.

CHILDREN AND THE CINEMA.

That children take little.-harm, from cinemas is. the considered ; view of Mr H., Ramsbotham, Parliamentary secretary.,.to- the Board of Education' in England. Mr- Ramsbotliam was addressing the North, Essex Educational Fellowship at Saffron Wialcleii on

(By the Movie Fan).

the influence of the cinema on children. He said that when ho heardi gloomy foredoings of tho dire result that mi gilt he a nticipated when boys and girls went to see a “gangster" film he remembered that the same sort o,f forebodings were uttered by Dr Johnson about “Tho Beggar’s Opera,” though lie confessed that ho dlid not believe that any man was ever made a. rogue by being present at its representation. [lnstruction, said Mr Ramsbotham, was perhaps the most obvious use of the cinema, and he thought that mechanical and scientific processes could be illustrated by means of the film better than any text-book. None of Us had been taught to use eyes sufficiently. Me bpd learnt more by reading than by looking, and we preferred the written pngo to the moving tiling. But by means of tho cinema we could do a great deal to stimulate the power of visual perception. He felt that a historical film could not fail to bring home to children the significance of the period they were studying, and tlie silent' film, he thought, was better for .the purposes ef teaching than tho talking productions.

GEORGE ARLISS IN HIS FIRST DUAL ROLE. “THE HOUSE OF ROTHSCHILD.” Hollywood is preparing to welcome hack the veteran Mr George Arliss, who is returning from an extended vacation in England to start his new starring contract with an American film company. His first production will be “The House of Rothschild,” based on the history of the famous European money barons. In the huge cast that will support Mr Arliss, there will be 86 characters representing actual figures who made Europe what it is to.-day, all woven into a story which reveals their family secrets, their loves and their plotting for emprie. Amonfi these historical figures will be the Duke of Wellington, Napoleon, and the whole Rothschild family. Mr Arliss, himself, wil], for tho first time, play a. dual role. He will portray both the patriarch who founded* the Rothschild dynasty, and Nathan, the eldest son.

SATIRE ON SOCIETY

DOWN TO THEIR LAST YACHT.”

Sidney Fox has been signed for the leading feminine role in a new musical film entitled ‘Down to Their Last- Yacht,” which will get under way shortly. The picture will be a society satire, and while preponderantly musical comedy, the story will also contain a decided strain of human interest and sympathetic quality. The depression must be definitely on the wane when producers feel that the screen can begin to poke fun at it without the story taking on the aspects of a tragedy to a large percentage of the people who comprise theatre audiences, particularly if the fun is directed at the wealthy classes.

GRETA GARBO MARRIED ?

While on the subject of marriage let us read what- an overseas journal -says re Greta Garbo’s reported plunge into the sea of matrimony. It says, inter alia: “America is still intrigued by persistent rumours that Miss Greta Garbo married her film director, Mr Roulien Mamoulian at California. Two people claim to have witnessed the ceremony. In the meantime the glamorous Swedish star, whoso reticence has become traditional, is credited with giving a four word interview in Los Angeles. ‘I am not married,” she said. The two witnesses, says the Central News, are Mr Russel Griffen, a cotton rancher, and Mr William Wilson, an oil rector. They state they met Miss Garbo and Mr Mamoulian whilo touring the Grand Canyon. All were making for Fresno, and they struck up an acquaintance. Miss Garbo asked them to act- as witnesses at her wedding and asked them to keep the fact secret. Since making his name Hollywood as a producer Mr Mamoulian is believed to have been receiving £20,000 for each picture lie makes. He has a flair for turning out box office winners. He is 07 years older thata. Miss Garbo.”. .

Apropos Garbo, according to a questionnaire issued by a motion picture journal to New York editors her name has greater news value than that of any other film star. “HUMAN SIDE” OF DIVORCE. Divorce dramatised to show the human - side of family differences is the theme of ‘‘The Human Side,” Chistine Ames’ play, which Carl Laemmle, jun., has purchased for production as a film. It concerns a divorced man, and the wife who leaves with and supports three children. Learnitg that his wife intends to marry a man more for the protection of herself and the children than for love, the former husband, with the help of the children, wins the wife back. But not before the story has shown the human side of divorce, its effect on husband, wife, and children

NOTES' AND NEWS, i - Loretta Young will be Mr George Arliss’s leading lady in “The House of Rothschild.” * * In “Up to the JSjeek,” the latest Ben Travers farce, R[alph Lynn is in his element as a budding stage actor. :

Margaret LindsaT, who is recovering’from an operation of appendicitis will he Richard Barthelmesa’s reading lady in. “The Doll's Hoitse”,

Peggy Simpson, “baby star,” is accompanying Jack Hulbert and Anna Lee to Egypt to appear in the exteriors of “The Camels Are Coming.” She made her screen debut m “Sunshine -Susie,” and lias also played in “Sleepiug Car” and “It’s a Boy.”

Georgo Raft, at one time in his career a dancer, again has an opportunity to display his skill in hia new picture, “Tho Trumpet Blows,” Ho does an intricate tango with Frances Drake. & * georgo Arliss is to appear in “Sentenced,” a version of a play, when lie lias completed “The House of Rothschild.” * * & Clark Gable’s'next screen assignment will be an original story, hearing the tentative title, '“Manhattan Melodrama.” • * -# Sf. There will be 6S speaking parts m. “David Oopperfielcl”—seven short of the record .sot 1 up by 1 ‘Rothchild” with 75. In ‘Jew Suss’ there will ho at least 50 speaking parts, * =» Mae West’s fan mail—the greatest in Hollywood—has leaped from a few letters from personal friends to 2500 a day since the commencement of her first starring picture, “Sho Done Him Wrong.” *5: * Anna Neagle, who, with Fernand Graavey, scored such a success in “Bitter Sweet,” will appear opposite the famous Belgian actor again in “The Queen’s Affair,” and also in “The Bohemian Girl.” ip # It 1 lias been announced that Lilian Harvey will bo starred in “365 Nights in Hollywood,” to be adapted from stories in James Starr’s book of the same name. * * * Greta Garbo is reported to bo “not entirely averse” to a suggestion that she shall make her stage debut in New York in a play by Eugene O’Neill, author of “Anna Christie” and “Emperor Jones.” * Rosemary Ames, tlie Chicago girl who had to go to 'London to achieve theatrical recognition, took her second step to screen fame recently when she was assigned to the leading feminine role in “Odd Thursday.” She completes a east that- already includes Warner Baxter and Rochelle Hudson. # Snub Pollard, famous comedian of the silent days, is returning to the screen in ‘Stingaroo” with Richard Dix and Irene Dunn. An Australian by birth, he gained his first film experience with Broncho Billy Anderson in tho pioneer Essanay Company, and subsequently appeared in over 200 comedies. * « Though a pioneer star of the silent screen, it was not until recently that Gladys Huletto acted before a studio microphone. She was assigned the role of the forger’s wife in “Fugitive Lovers,” dramatic story of a trans-continental bus-made dash across the country, in winch Robert Montgomery has the starring role.

Carmine Gallone, who brought Jan ICiepura to the-screen, made a new find for British films in Franco Foresta, the American-Italian tenor, whom lie discovered while ■ directing outdoor scenes in Venice for the film, “For Love of You.” The director -heard Foresta singing at the Opera House, and arranged an immediate screen test, with the result that the tenor now has a longterm -contract, Sind makes his screen debut in “For Love Of You.”

Walt Disney has produced another anti-depression story in his latest Silly: jSymphony “Grasshopper 'and the Ants.” Just as the timely philosophy of “The Three Little Pigs” was judged to bo one of the outstanding reasons for its phenomenal popularity, so it is stated that in his latest film, Disney has again hit upon an angle that will have an equally .strong appeal for the “man in the street.”

ilu the opening scene of “The Cat and the Fiddle,” Roman Novarro is called upon to play the piano. Director William Iv. Howard intended filming the scene silently, with the music being recorded later. But Ramon, who taught piano playing for years, soon convinced the director this was unnecessary, and played the number himself. It is the firsttime in his long career that the film star has used this talent- in his screen work.

In determination to acquire story material that does not conform to the familiar Hollywood pattern, Carl Laemmle, Jm\, recently announced the purchase of Thorne Smith’s bestselling fantasy, “Night Life of the Gods.” The story is unlike anything else in contemporary literature, relating as it does the adventures of a group of gods and goddesses, statues in the Metropolitan Museum, who are miraculously brought to life and cut -capers on Broadway after dark. The hook created a sensation when first 1 published by Doubleday, Doran in 1931, and has since become a best seller in both Engl on d and America. It is now in its twelfth edition.

Warner Baxter is taking a short course in how one acts when • introduced to a member of the Royal Family of England, in preparation for a vacation trip he intends to make to Europe this summer. Madeleine Carroll, beautiful young English star, now in Hollywood playing the lead in “The World Moves On”, will be hack homo by the time Baxter visits across' the Atlantic and with her husband, Captain Philip Astlcy, has promised) t'o show, the American star around. As the Astleys have a wide circle of friends, it is entirely within.the realms of possibility that Baxter will encounter a prince or two: Hence liis concentration on etiquette as it concerns royalty.