The SCREEN and its STARS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 12804, 7 March 1936, Page 10

The SCREEN and its STARS

" UNSOLVED MYSTERIES

CURSE OF HOLLYWOOD

When mystery darkens the TTolly•vroaeVC.scene it darkens deeply. Quite apparent was this -during the present of- the death of the glqipdrous . Thelma Todd. Sudden dkixth ukMramntised in the film colony asUltfis'; muvhcro else in the world today. 'This, is partly due to the widcof the celebrities and lSo;iact thflti manoeuvres, either concealing or revealing the true facts inlthdionse, are so often linked to the 'preservation of stellar names and fames and business investments. fThci’o is nothing that- Hollywood drepds than such a tragedy, it. upsets the'colony for days, sometimess for months. Circumstances surrounding the suicide of. Paul Bern were peculiar and several attempt? to reopen the caste have been made, disturbing greatly the life of the star .Tran Harlow.

When the celebrated British director William Desmond Taylor was found dead in his apartment Hollywood was literally torn apart for Weeks while attempts were made to solve the strange crime. One noted personage of that day alter another was quizzed concerning even remote knowledge he or she might have of the tragedy. Several times that ease, too, has been resurrected. The Roscoe Arbuckle case in San Francisco, while not strictly mysterious in character, caused another storm of excitement- Rumours recur from time to time concerning the death of Thomas H- Ince on a yachting trip. The sudden passing of Olive Thomas in Paris way the subject of comment over a long period of time. CHAPLIN’S AMBITION Charlie Chaplin, in a telephone talk from America to London, told a “Daily Mail’- interviewer that he does not object to playing in talkies provided he had a different character from the little man with the howler haf., baggy trousers and cane with which the world is familiar. He confessed that he would like to play Napoleon, whom lie conceives as n great romantic figure, but not as a god among men.

Charlie Chaplin’s first film in five years “Modern Times.” was given its. world premiere in New York on February 5. In many respects, the critics report, it is his most ambitious film. It is a- social satire of which the machine age is the object. The best moments consist- principally of his old familiar tricks. There is very little dialogue, although he breaks his rule and sings a song, the words of which, however, are gibberish. He composed the music, wrote, produced and- directed the production, which whs ■'■well. received by critics and lie'C ’ . * : : FEW WOMEN STARS One of the most remarkable things Shout the film industry in England and one giving. cause for some concern, is'that during the seven years since talking pictures came in. it has discovered almost no really’ import-, ant women stars —except, of course, those it has found already famous on the. stage, wrote an English critic recently. The isolated exceptions have la.rgly been the work of foreigners, ns in the case of Merle Qbe r on, who was found by a Hungarian trained in America.. This failure has not been for lack of effort; numerous young women have been put under contract and advertised as great discoveries, but few seem to have fulfilled the

promise. There were for example 12 “baby stars” placed under contract about- three years ago by GaumontBritiish; a number of young women chosen to play opposite Tom Walls; and similarly with other companies. Yet how many of them are widely known to-day ? HUMAN LOVE STOBY Pre-eminent as a human love story is “Next Time We ’Love,” starring Margaret Sullavan. Adapted from the . Ursula Parott novel, this ' story, adbci’s/as strictly as is possible in the transfer from one medium to another to the original theme of the book. Miss ‘Sullayan,as the modern Cicely Tvler who marries .her husband, 'Christopher Tyfer, newspaper report- ■ er, just as site was about to set-out [for school, ris; made fim the parti On this'performance no limit can be set -to) hen . fixture " personalities. She Js pseeiian many! varying 'moods and-.cir-"cumstonces-, ’• ana yet retains consls * .'.'tency 1 ' throughput. It d a periorVmaiice on - which the usual adjective? of the publicity men are not nfees,'sary to Tbe placed. It speaks for itself. .'Janies ' Stewart and Ray Mdlancr play the parts of Christopher 1> ei and Tommy Abbott respectively, and they, too, : as ,the reporter and the. -showman, fit ; their- parts like a gUHi..

(By the Movie Fan).

PLAYERS FEAR COLOUR

Hollywood i.s trembling with dread. Established -stars are terrified at the thought- that colour motion pictures ■may abruptly end their careers justas- the introducton of- sound -several years ago brought- a revolution into the ranks of public favourites. State-, merits to this effect issued by motion picture executives are completely “off the track,” assured Henry Hathaway, who is responsible for direction of “The Trail of the Lonesome Pine,” a forthcoming all-colour picture. “The present screen stars need have no fear of not being able to survive the influx of colour pictures.” the director declared. “The change is entirely different, ancl it- is one that will overthrow n-ot more than a very few players. This will be entirely due to the makeup necessary for technicolour. The make-up should be very thin and light, virtually the same as most women wear on the street. More than that- presents a greasy impression in colour. The ©lily players who. will be unable to survive this greatreduction in the amount of make-up will Ire those who have had complexions and scars that- cannot be covered-

“The east of the ‘Trail of the Lonesome Pine” will attain greater popularity in my opinion. The photography of Sylvia Sidney, Henry Fonda, Fred Mac Murray and Fred Stone, is such as to bring out all their good features, their eyes and hair and fhfei r healthy complexions. Colour will bring a. revolution only in costume designing, set building and other technical phases of productions.” HOBGOBLINS WANTED Hollywood easting offices '.vide them selves on being able to provide any type or character on short notice or no notice at all. The production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” almost upset, the men whose business it is to find types. They know the names- and records of all the men, women and children in. pictures; the sort of role best suited to each one; the part previously played. ‘‘Tell us the part and we will find people who have played similar ones” they say to the- production department.

"All light.” said Max Reinhardt, producer of the picture. “(let me one dozen elves, a dozen imps, a couple of hobgoblins and a score -of .sprites-”

Even in Hollywood there are. not many players who can point to a long list oft successes in playing an elf. an imp. hobgoblin or sprite. These fantastic characters live only in imagination, and only a Reinhardt can bring them to life. It was lie who described minutely the- requirements for these roles as well as the hundreds of fairies who- dance in the elaborate ballets.

“A Alidsummer Night’s Dream'’ is a mighty epic of the screen directed by Reinhardt in association with AYilliam Dieterle. It is set to the- strains of -Mendelssohn's beautiful music ns arranged by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. GARBO CHANGES A hen Greta Garbo does eventually “return to Hollywood from Stockholm - —she was due back several weeks ago to begin work on her two new films —it will be found that she has changed, writes a London corespondent. Here is the Greta" Garbo of to-day—a Greta Garbo evolved during her holiday in her native Stockholm : Hair; A new style resembling-Kath-arine Hepburn’s, carefully dressed instead of being just Garbo-ish and trouble-free. Young' Swedish girls are now learning to do their hair in. the new Garbo-Hepburn way. Expression: No longer tired and blase but free and happy, with -eyes wide open.

Clothes: No old, go-as-you-please tweeds, but- beautifully-cut tailormade costumes. Brinks: Garbo, used to love cocktails; now she prefers wines, especially champagne. The new Garbo seems full of life, despite the throat trouble from which she is still suffering. She recently told a friend: "When in Stockholm I j like to be just .Greta—not Garbo.” If I the new Garbo—not the old Garbo—returns to Hollywood she will sot the , whole world of film-goers talking and j imitating. “STRIKE ME PINK’.” Eddie Cantor makes only one film a year, which is, 'of course, very largely the reason f-or his nevechanging popularity. Everybody knows from experience that these Cantor films are worth .seeing; each hew one’is' much more than just another picture—it is an annual screen •event! For the past 12 months CanI tor has been at work selecting a story |' beautiful girls- tuneful music, and all j the other ihgedients which make his 1936 production outshine "all its prede--1 cessor.s. ’Originally entitled “Shoot the Chutes,’’’'’this film” has now'been renamed “Strike Me Pink,” and it I will begin its New Zealand season shortly. It is said the audiences have never’-seen Eddie Cantor in a picture like this before- Produced by Samuel Gbidwyn, ’ with all the famous GoldAvyn lavishness, with the’ Goldwyn girls looking more gorgeous than ever anti. with Eddie Cantor right’at the top of his fdfrh, anc¥ with Ethel'Merman and (Sally Edei-s at the bead of

the huge supporting cast, and'with'a , host of ’ hew song-hit's, “Strike'Me "i Pink” is- "rightly described' tis" “two I hours of delirious' Fun ’ and' frolic.'” 1 Eddie’s new role suits' hint perfectly, i lie is h' timid ''little tailor" who be--1 comes a giant amongst men after si correspondence course 'on how; to “be brave ! Even that very brief outline of the plot should, give an indication !. of the .entertainment in “Strike Me Pink.”

EDUCATIONAL FILMS. SUGGESTION OF CIRCUIT FOR SCHOOLS. CHANGE TO SOUND. Tn view of the developments taking place in the production of educational films, the Wellington Colleges’ Board of Governors has decided to withhold the question of purchasing a cinematograph machine. A suggestion that a circuit of educational films should be established was accepted enthusiastically, and it was decided to make representations to the Education Department asking for its co-operation. Developments -were taking place to produce 16-millimetre sound films for educational purposes, said the chairman, Air G. Mitchell. Silent, films in future would all be withdrawn. In view of that it was useless spending £IOO at- this stage on silent equipment.'

Mr L. McKenzie said that shortly they would be unable to obtain silent films. He suggested that they should make representations to the Education Department that a- library circuit of films should be established. Films could he purchased hv the department and hired out to the schools. That was being done in England. If it were done in New Zealand it would eliminate the possibility of films becoming stale. The chairman commented that British and Continental films were being made with the sound track on the opposite side to those produced by Americans.

Mr McKenzie: That means that- in this country we will never see American films educationally. The chairman said that it was expected that the Director of Education, who had just returned, would have something definite to report on developments in educational films in England .

“These films are now becoming absolutely part of the educational system. and we will have to come into line,” declared Mr McKenzie. LATE7)7r~iEGGTE. TALENTED AUSTRALIAN PLAYER. Mr O. P. Heggie, the actor, whose death was reported from Hollywood recently, had many friends in New Zealand. He was a clever character actor, was horn in Adelaide on September 17, 1579. and was educated at Win ham College and the Adelaide Cons’ervatorium of Music. Me made his first- venture on the stage at the Theatre Royal. Adelaide, in .1890. in the play “Stolon Kisses. ’ and later played in “The Three Musketeers” and “Secret Service” under .T. C. Williamson. He then joined the companv headed by Air "William U. Hawtrev. playing throughout Australia and New Zealand in “A Message from Mars,” “Tom, Dick and Harry,” “The Two Air Weiherbys” and “Saucy Sally.”

Thirty years ago Air Heggie jour rieyecl to London,' and after several appearances there toured the United States in support oT the late Dame Ellen Terry, in 1908 and 1909 Air Heggie figured" prominently in London casts, notably in “Strife,” “Madame X,” and “The -House of Tcmperly,” and. later! in “The Speckled Band,” “The Lower Depths,” “Pass-ers-By,” and “The Admiral Speaks.” He played Androcles in “Androeles and the Lion” in 1913. Fateful 1914 saw him back again in New York, and from then until '1928 he played important roles either in New York ol on tour with various managements. Of late years he has figured frequently in the “movies.” AIOVIE STARS. WOAIEN OUTNUMBER, MEN. HIGHEST 1936 HONORS. HOLLYWOOD (Calif.), Feb. 7. Clark Gable. ' Charles Laughton, Franc-hot. Tone and Victor AlcLaglen were nominated last night for ihc .best actor’s performance for the eighth annual awards of merit of the Academy of Motion" Pictur'd Arts and Sciences. Actresses nominated were Elisabeth Bergnerj Claudette Colbert, Bette ' Davis, jVferle 'Oheron, Katharine Hepburn and ‘.Miriam Hopkins. Covering performances and productions released during 1935; the nominations will be voted upon by the academy membership during the coming month,;the final winners to 'be announced at the annual neadem> ban quest on March o. Pictures, nominated' for the “best production” were Alice Adams, RKO-Radio .studios; Broadway Melody of 1936, AIGAI; “Captain Blood,” Warner Brothers ; “David" Copperfield,” AIGAI; “The' Informer,” RKO-Radio; “Les " Misernbtes,” Twentieth Century-Fox; “Lives of a Bengal Lancer,” Paramount; “Midsummer Nigtat’s Dream,” Warner Brothers; “Mutiny on the Bounty;” MGM; '“Naughty."Marietta,”' AIGAI; “Buggies of Red Gap,'” Paramount; and “Top I;Iat,’’ RKO-Radio.’ Three 'directors were nominated for the award of merit: John Ford, for “The Informer”; Henry Hathaway for “Lives of a Bengal Lancer”"; and Frank Lloyd, for ‘‘Mutiny on A-lie Bounty.”

An arrangement has been concluded between Charlie Chaplin and the JC Williamson Picture Corporation. Ltd.V whereby the Williamson concshi’ will screen in iU theatres throughout New Zealarid this. • .5 C^ 1 Chaplin’s new film “Modern Times. This arrangement is an'example or Chaplin’s habit not only of supervising every detail in the actual making of his films, but also of attending, to the business side.