The SCREEN and its STARS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 12905, 4 July 1936, Page 10

The SCREEN and its STARS

.WHEN THEY .HAN A policeman walking along Hatton Gordon, London, heard a. shout. It came from a Basement. He stopped. A man wild-eyed and yelkng, rushed, out;, caught him by the arm, and (dainglied a. small object bet or© his eyes. “I’ve got it, lie: shouted, “I’ve got ■at.” The man was W. Uriesc-Green. He had, 'after' years of labour, perfected his Idea of putting consecutive photographs on a, strip of celluloid film and running them through u machine, so that a beam of light threw the image* in rapid .succession on a screen some "feet. away. That is how the modern cinema, now attended nineteen times a year by every member of Britain’s fifty minion population, was, horn. But Friese-Grtcne had beggared himself withe bis experiments. and vt was another man who brought the invention t'-j the public. ■ The fortieth anniversary of that' event —the first film show at which the public paid for admission—was celebrated in London'recently. The man who gave the show was a Frenchman. Louis Lumicre. H was in London for the celebration.

The Ed Non “perp*how” gave Lumicre the idea of improving on it. 11 s first show was held in a Pa 1 is ec!lanadmission 10:1. He took 325. At the London Polytechnic on that famous day forty years ago ndnyss’on was Is. The show lasted *2O minutes, and ft consisted of 12 “shorts’’—all reallife scenes. When .a train was photographed coining towards the camera, people fainted or roue and .ran from the hall. A nurse was kept in attendance. After a week at the Polytechnic the •show was so popular that, it was transferred, to the Empire Music Hall . It ran three months. The original programme was shown at the anniversary celebrations. .VOTES AND NEWS

Shirley Temple has taken up draughts and threatens to become champion of the Fox lot. Her mother gave her a tiny hoard, on which she industiiously plays with .anyone she can inveigle into a game.

Robert Montgomery’s little daughter, Elizabeth, wdl soon he Hollywood’s youngest polo player. Her father recently bought her a Shetland pony, and he is teaching her the rudiments of tire g'amc.

-Mickey Mouse has started the “back-toi-nature” movement ahead of time as usual. The feeding of spring iin the air lures Mickey and Ins friends to the great outdoors in the latest Wait Disney product ion “Orphans-’ Picnic." Mickey, Donald Duck and. the little orphans speni a da. gambolling about the countryside. Uncle Donald ; .s still wondering whether the picnic iva's 1 a fight or a frolic.

None other than Tgmicc Paderewski. cx-Prcsidcnt of Poland and worldrenowned pianist, ha-s consented to lend, his art to the balml.’shm'.nts of tho cinema. He .is to appear tinder

the direction of Lothn-r Alerides—who made “Jew Sus.ri’ and the yet-to-lx?-slicw.il “Afan Who Could Wo- k Miracles’’-—in a picture made, at tho now famous Korda -studios at Donham, by Air. Aliendcs’ new company, Pall A Fall Films. It wa.s a difficult task to persuade.the 75-ycar-old master to become a cinema, hero and film •star. His finger wizardry will be incorporated into a -romantic story. .

Tn -a speech to the girls of a C'alifornian. college, May I? oh soil saul. ‘•Education is a prime factor in stage or screen success. Girls,” slve added, “who enter the acting profession with 'beauty alone will soon find their careers limited to a. few years before their beauty fades.’’ Mis'; Robson has maintained her success in the theater for more than half a. century, for 50 years ago sho was one of the most iboautilul of tho stage's engenues. Today she :s 71 years old, and • more successful in her profession then ever before. Miss Robson, who is a'grandmother, was horn in Melbourne. She received her education in. England, France and Belgium.

Merle Oberon lias filed a suit for damages against Selznick Pictures Incorporated. She declares that her professional reputation was impaired ns the result of the substitution of Marlene-Dietrich in her place to play tho lead in tho coloured film version of Robert Hiehens’ famous novel. “The-Garden of Allah.” She demands •£25,000 on the ground that the company, had agreed to pay her £I2OO a week for 10 weeks and £2OO a day after that if the picture was not completed.' within the stipulated period. Leslie Howard is not the only one who has experienced a mishap during a« fencing joust. Basil Rath bone recently was carrying his band in a sling following a duel before the cameras which proved much to realistic.'

Indications are that Mussc-lin i’-s next major encounter may be with Cecil B. de Mille. Before embarking •on the Ethiopian matter, the. Dieta- ' tor -had -requested;' the 'Government- ’ (subsidised Garibaldi Film Company to engage Frederic.'.-‘March for a. picture based on. the life of Columbus. The war postponed the venture for a time, hut it is 'again being discussed. In the meantime,’ publication in' London of' Charles Duffs “The Truth About Christopher Columbus” , engaged the, attention’of de'Mille, «anu The is (reported to be bidding oil the ' film rights. It is “Mussolini’s desire to invade the world market wjtli hi'.,-‘ ve-r----'-tsion, hut slioul-d" do/Mille T-eaeh; production first, it is improbable that the Italian edition will he 1 shown extensively;' • : ’.•• ••”

(By the Movie Fan).

SCOTS FILM STAB Jack Buchanan is tli-e* hero, of many musical comedies. His mother, wife of -a, Glasgow auctioneer, thought she had an infant dancing prodigy and took him to an expensive instructor. But Jack stood mute, toes turned in, eye-s modestly lowered. The instructor coaxed, mother remonstrated, Jack howled and howled, and refused to tap out even a tiny step. Leaving school, father bid him 30;3 a, wt-ok to follow parental footsteps. Bait Jack was unable to distinguish between: a nod and a wink. He made his stage debut in a small Glasgow music bailGlasgow booed him off four times a day for a week. Jack retired chastened. but came back strongly in the .some year (1912) in bis first legitimate part at the Grand Theatre. Intoxicated by suecc-'.-s lie packed his trunks and came to London. He gave himself five years to make good, and loomed into prominence just in t'mo in 1017, on tour'with “To-night’s the Night.” Then oamehis big London chance. Jack Halbert stepped

out of “Bubbly” and Buchanan stepped in at £25 a week. Since then ho has become producer, film star, tb;.ivic owner, and one of the biggestbox office names in the entertainment weld; .Tack Buchanan began his-film career in. 1932. His best known pictures are “Pad's-” “Monte Carlo,” “Good-night, Vienna,” “Brewster's Al:,lkons,” and now “Oonic Out of the Pantry.” In private life Buchanan adores his mother, shuns marriage ' and publicity. FILM FASlilO.vc; WONDERFUL DRESSES FOP JESSIE MATTHEWS

It took 15 girls seven weeks of 40 working hours each to make the gorgeous costumes that Jessie Mathews ■wears in her now Gaumont-Bi it.rili Filin, “It's Love Again.” add the h.'addresses she will wear gave seven works’ employment- to nine \xpert milliners and embroiders. Thus Jessie was instrumental in giving nearly 8303 hours’ employment, to the girls working for one firm alone excluding dyers, .shoemakers, etc.

No iewer than half a million heads were embroidered by hand on one lovely dance frock, which alone took : ox girls two weeks to complete.

A pair of tights, which sparkle and glow like a j.we!, embroidered with '.-crpciis and mirror-glass weighing several pounds but so cleverly is the weight distributed that .Miss Alnttew*. is ' .abm to perform th.* most intricate banco skj;.s without tiring. With this .sue wears a glistening boater — a very mundane straw boater in reality but so thickly strewn with tiny mirrors that not a suspicion of straw shows. All the materials used in the costumes were .specially dyed, and in one frock there are 40yds. of shell-pink chiffon in the underskirt and 10yds. of white crepe over that, with sequin embroidery -measuring riycls. limin'! the ii in. A flowing veil of royal purple held tv a narrow circlet of pearls covers an exquisite Oriental robe of purpleromc.ine over gold tissue . This has a -'in. wide edging of gold embroidery measuring 12yds., in the- me t intricate design. Four strands of gold thread were required to make a strand I-Sin. thick, and each of those threads was sewn on separately, consequently the. embroidery totalled 48yds.

With an elaborate, though scanty, costume for a temple donee, there is a magnieent headdress of Burmese inspiration which took five flirts tour weeks to mnire-

Another -delicate creation is composed r/f diamante sprays of : leaves mounted on net. There are 21 diamonds on each leaf, all put on by band .and 17 leaves in all! Other headdresses, eqnaly intricate, are sewn with pearls gold eabuohous. turquoise, topaz and coral. And the .star herself? -lassie -Matthews- stood for Do hours for fittings! But, as she thinks those are the most lovely costumes she has ever worn, sho considers- it time well spent.

“The biggest- picture I ever ma.de” is the way director Frank) Lloyd recently characterises 20th Century’s immense drama-spectacle, “Under Two Flags,” which -stars Ronald. Colman, Claudette Colbert, Rosalind Russell and Victor McLaglen. These are big words to come from the. director who made the two most ma.ssivo photoplays of recent years, “Cavalcade” and “Mutiny on the Bounty.”

Richard Tauber, the singer, and his fiancee, MUs Diana Napier, the actress. had to he rescued by the police from' a. crowd of admirers and autograph hunters at Brighten recently. They were walking in the -sunshine- on the undercliff walk between Black Rock and Rcttlrigdean when they were -suddenly recognised by a woman admirer. Within a few minutes they had signed over 100 autographs. With the aid of a, policeman Mr. Tauber and M’ss Napier escaped in their car.

“Sabotage” is the-title of the -story ehc-sen by Alfred Hitchcock for a film in which Sylvia- Sydney is to- appear, hud which he will shortly direct. It. i-s -based on a hook by .Joseph Conrad, and describe*; the activities of a -saboteur engaged in destroying power stations in London. Sylvia Sydney will pkav tho wife of the who uses her brother to carry an infernal machine through London. The bomb explodes, killing the- hoy and the distraught -sister ■ revenges him by slaying her husband. “Sabotage” - has been chosen a.s- the title in view of the fact- that the- original Conrad story wa.q called “Secret Agent”—unfortunately the title of Mr. Hitchcock?slatest film based -on, Somerset Maugham’s “Asliendcn” • stories.