The SCREEN and its STARS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12252, 6 April 1935, Page 10

The SCREEN and its STARS

PROGRAMMES FOR THE WEEK. OPERA HOUSE. To-day 2 p.jn., and 8 p.m., Monday and Tuesday. ‘'Manhattan Melodrama”—Starring William Powell, Myi'na Loy and Clark Gable. REGENT THEATRE. To-day, 10.30 a.m., 2 p.tn., o p.m., and 8 pm., Monday and Tues- ' day.—“We Live Again”—Drama, featuring Anna. Sten and Fredric March. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.— “She Loves Me Not” — Comedy,; with music, featuring Bing Crosby and -Miriam kinsMAJESTIC THEATRE. To-day 2 p.m., 5 p.m. 8 p.m.; and Monday and Tuesday.—“ Sing As We Go”—Comedy, with music, starring Grade Fields and John Lcder. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. — “Night of the Garter”—; Comedy, starring Sydney Howard, Winifred Shatter and Elsie Randolph; and “The Man from Toronto"— Comedy, starring Jessie Matthews, lan Iluntcr, and Fred Kerr. KING S THEATRE. To-day, 10.80 a.m., 2 p.m., .3 p.m., and 8 pm., Monday and Tuesday.—“ Charlie Chau in Paris” —Melodrama, featuring Warner (Hand and Mary Brian. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.— “Romance in Manhattan” — Melodrama, featuring Ginger Rogers and Francis Leclerer. •NOTES AND NEWS. “The Red Rider,” the first German talking film in natural colours, features: Camilla. Horn, ‘Friedrich Ulmer, Mariclyise Claudius and Veit Harlan. a * m The most popular American male' star in France is Gary Cooper, judging by the number of picture postcards of him sold in that country, (dark Gable comes next. K w 4 From the Sydney “3luil” anent the picture “Lives ol : the Bengal Lancer”; “Colin Taploy, the New Zealander, who won a contract following his work in 'Search lor Beauty,’ iui;> a substantial role and acts it extremely well.” # 9 * Philo Vance is to change shape again. William Powell was the original Vance in the films of the S. S. Van Dine yarns. When lie left Warners the role was assumed by Warren William, who .did not tare very much for the detective. Powell was to have made a. come-back aw Philo in ‘‘The Casino Murder Case,” but plans were altered and Otto Kruger got the nomination. Before lie had a chance to accept or refuse Paul Lukas, was placed under contract and the role was switched to him. So Philo, while ho remains as suave as over, will approach his next crime with a slight accent which may tend the better to uisguise him. m ae. •» Grade Fields, the Lancashire comedienne has just signed a. contract which by the end of next year, will have netted her at least £120,000. This sum is for three pictures; the amount will be proportionately increased if Grade maker* a- fourth film. “It worries me to think of the responsibility,” Grade told a fiim writer when she signed on the .dotted line, “and I am sure 1 shall not sleep. . . Grade’s first film will portray her as a Yorkshire working girl. The picture Avill be directed by Basil Dean and Tommy Fields, Graeie’.s 'brother, will have a part. “Grade ldelds’s salary,” the company declared “h comparable with the money earned by Greta Garbo. It is the biggest contract over signed by any film star in England.” m • m Francos Day, the beautiful and talented. octrees who played opposite Curl Brisson in “Two Hearts in Waltz Time,” has soared in an incredibly short space of time, to fiim stardom. Miw.s Day was an American cabaret star before she went tQ England two years ago. She starred in several musical productions, including “Little Tommy Tucker” and “Out of the Bottle,” and was playing lead in the CTvanbT revue, “How D’You Do?” when Archibald Nettlefold, the film producer offered her the role of Helene in “Two Hearts in Waltz Time.” Misij Day’s work in this picture was so striking that Nettlefold “bought out” her theatre contract so that sho : could devote all her time and energy to the films an experience, inciden- j tally, which is unique in the cinema j industry. m * * Samuel Goldwyn gives Norma Shearer pride of place in his list ol twelve outstanding stars in motion pibturo history. Goldwyn states that Norma Shearer represents the average woman’s idea of what she herKelf would like to be. “She has the appeal that, almost every woman wants to have—a combination of physical allure, daring spirit and mental brilliance.” Incidentally, when Norma Shearer announced that she would retire from the screen for a year in order to welcome her second child, studio officials estimated that the cost of the child to Norma Shearer and the studio would total .3,000,000 dollars. This figure was probably reached by adding the star’s‘salary for a year to the delaying and the pushing ahead of schedules for hel’ coming pictures. ; ; -

(By the Movie Fan).

Lawrence Tibbett, a leading baritone of the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, for ten years, is returning to films. A few years ago lie made some notable pictures, but recently has kept to operatic and concert work. He has contracted to appear in “Sing, Governor, Sing,” and will appear before cameras for the next five years.

After completing a survey of Hollywood motion picture production hv playing roles in several productions, Robert Loraine, noted British actor, has returned to England where he will embark on a film production venture, starring in films of his own making. Loraine, who is well-known to the American stage, having introduced the plays of George Bernard Shaw to Broadway a number of years ago, arrived recently to learn Hollywood production methods. He lias finished a role in “Father Brown, Detective,” playing with Walter Connolly, Gertrude Michael and Paul Lukas. Prior to that iiec appeared with George Raft in “Limehouse Blues.” also two other films. During this time he learned not only the actor’s technique before the camera, hut never left the set during production studying the methods of direction, camera work, lighting, set dressing and costuming.

EDGAR WALLACE TALES

‘SANDERS OF THE RIVER’'

Having a** its theme the genius of Englishmen for governing native peoples, the British film, “Bosambo,” or “Sanders of the River,” is to he presented at a gala performance in aid of the Newspaper Press Fund at the Leicester (Square Theatre. London, on April 12. Baaed on Edgar Wallace’s famous African adventures and produced by Alexander Korda, the film has been hi production for neariy a year. For authentic detail a company of players and technicians ,spent four mouths in central Africa securing scenes of native tribes never before filmed.

In all 20,000 African natives will be seen in this film. The leading players ai'e Leslie Banks, Paul Robeson, Joan Gardner, and Nina Mae McKinley. Paul Robeson has agreed to appear at the gala performance and to sing in aid 'of the Newspaper Press Fund.

“Sanders of the River” has been selected for this occasion not oniy because it represents the most praiseworthy effort yet made by any British studio l to produce a film of Empire (significance, but also because it is based on a'work by an author who was closely identified with the newspaper world.

HOLLYWOOD HAS GOLD INDIAN. ANOTHER SCREEN CYCLE HAS LEG UN TO REVOLVE. The success of “Bengal Lancer” as a Look and of ‘‘Clive of India” as a play has had its inevitable result. The screen Las gone Indian. “Bengal Lancer” is being shown in London. “Clive” is nearly finished, and “Kim” and others are to come, writes Campbell Dixon in the “Daily Telegraph.” In “Clive of India,” starring Ronald Colman, we shall see the .BlackHole of Calcutta; .Clive’is. greatest victory, the Battle of Plassey, with its charges of elephants, horses, and 2000 men; and the trial of Clive before Parliament. “Bengal Lancer” (to be shown under the less euphonious American title. “Lives of a Bengal Lancer”) has been four years in the making. The producers began by discarding Major Yeats-Brown’s story and commissioning a team of scenario writers to do a new one. An expedition was then sent to India under Ernest B. Schoedsack, the director who made those remarkable pictures, “Grass,” “Rango” and “Chang,” to obtain action shots of the Bengal Lancers (described by the producers as “the mos.t heroic fighting regiment in history”), of 'Spectacular charges, fights with Atridi tribesmen, the sport of tent-pegging, and views of the wild Khyber Pass. RED INDIANS. TOO. Whole tribes of Pathan and Afghan warriors were brought into use. and eight months were spent in the region of the Khyber Pass, and 20,0004 of film were shot. The cast includes 500 Hindus, Afghans, Sikhs and Afridi*s, three generals (Russian), 'four colonels and 17 captains (nationality no.t designated), three regiments, several thousand Hollywood extras, ana only 12 Nautch girls. By way >of atmosphere the producers threw in 150 Piyute Indians., “all the available cowboys in the Hollywood sector,” and “a company of military riders known as the California Light Horse, headed by Colonel Victor McLaglen.” The shooting of the film in India and in American scenery held to resemble the North-West Frontier, such his Death Valley j Colorado, was not accomplished without mishaps. Gary Cooper wrenched liis back. Franchot Tone fell twice from Ills horse and once from a machine-gtih, 25 horsemen Caine down in a huddle in the midst of a charge, all injuring themselves, and Sir Guy Standing, who plays the O.C. Bengal Lancers, was bitten by a black widow spider. The Secretary for India, Sir Samuel lidaro, and the Secretary, tor the Domifltems, Mr J. 11. Thomas, have accepted an invitation to the first showing, of jjhe picture.

GREATEST SUCCESSES.

SEVENTY-THREE FILMS SHOWED MILLION-DOLLAR; PROFITS,

Of all the world's film players, dashing or glamorous or funny, Janet Gaynor is the biggest money-mak-er, according to a Hollywood accounting. Seven of her pictures have each earned more than £200,000. In five of .them —“Seventh Heaven” is the best remembered—she was teamed witli Charles Farrell. Hollywood’s explanation is that Janet Gaynor more than anybody gives the public what it wants. Next ooine.s Harold Lloyd, with five films that earned more than £200,000, Charlie Chaplin, the late Rudolph Valentino and Warner Baxter—although Baxter was not the only star in his successes—made three £200,000 pictures, and Edmund Lowe has appeared in Tour. In only ■two of them, however, was he a principal, and in each ease lie had as a partner Victor M’Laglen. Other principals with two pictures that have earned £200,000 or more for their producers are Richard Barthelmess, Wallace Beery, Lon Chaney, Ronald Column, Bebe Daniels, Dolores Del Rio, Richard Dix, Marie Dressier, Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, Lilian Giidi, A 1 Jolson, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Will Rogers, Norma Talmadgo and Mae West. Four principals—Mary Pickl’ord, Douglas Fairbanks, Katharine Hepburn and Constance Bennett—have made one apiece.

The phrase “million dollars” is so freely used in the'film industry that one might suppose productions that make £200,000 profit for the producers to be as numerous as blackberries Actually, according to a news statistical survey, there have been only seventy-three in Hollywood’s history. The leaders are:— “The Singing Fool.”—£1,000,000 “The Four Horsemen of the Apecalypso.”—£9oo,ooo, “Ben Hur”.—£Boo,ooo. “The Big Parade,” “The Birth o 1 a Nation,” “Cavalcade,” “The Covered Waggon.” and “The Jazz Singer.” —£700,000. “Sunny Side Up.”—£650,000. “Broadway Melody. ’ ’ —£570,000. “The Cock-Eyed World.”—£sso.000. “The Gold Rush,” “The Kid.” “The Ten Commandments.”—£soo,000. Of the tsevcnty-tliree pictures, twenty-seven were highly dramatic, twenty-one romantic, eighteen funny and seven comedy-dramas. Twentynine were adaptions of popular plays or novels, thirteen came from literary classics, and the rest were originals tor adapted Trosn sjhort stories. Afore than .half the seventy-three—thirty-seven to be exact—were silent. Analysing the seventy-three further,. one finds that thirty-two presented huge spectacles (including eleven musical, ten war stories, four Western ahj three Biblical subjects), that “Passion” is the only European picture that ever earned a million dollars in America, and nine out of ten liad a happy ending. “LOVE WITHOUT WORDS.” “Love Without Words,” based on incidents in the life of Xschaikowskv, the famous Russian composer will be produced by Enrich Pommor. The story was written by Marx Magnus, iormerly a dose associate of Pomiuer at UIA in Germany, and tlie producer plans to film it as a special on the current year’s programme. Much of the gorgeous Tschaikowsky music will be incorporated in the production and although Pominer plans an all-star cast, ho has not yet settled on any of his principals.