Cinema News

Grey River Argus, 20 January 1940, Page 10

Cinema News

PICTURES, PLAYS & PLAYERS

“THE THREE MUSKETEERS." Alexander Dumas’ story, “The Three Musketeers.’’ which has captivated and enchanted audiences and readers from the day it was first conceived almost a century ago has found a new way of presentation,.this time as a musical comedy version. The author of the famous novel wrote a letter to a friend in 1850, six years after finishing the book, in which he related, that he had drawn heavily from the memoirs of one Monsieur D’Artagnan, written in 1701 and 1702, for the material in “The Three .Musketeers.” The letter was discovered by a research expert in the archives of a Paris library. She came across It while doing a month’s work in preparation for the filming of the piccure. D’Artagnan, Dumas said, was in the king’s service, and fought his way through some almost unbeliev(ablo adventures in protecting Louis XU 1. and his queen, Anne of Austria, from internal court intrigue. In the new film, the singing, loving, fightihg hero is portrayed by Don Ameche, who, with The- Ritz Brothers, is starred in the film. A line supporting cast features Gloria Stuart, Pauline Moore, Binnie Barnes and Joseph Schildkraut. Swordplay alternates with horseplay, royal'romance and secret intrigue vie for interest with the antics of three balmy buffoons, and through it all such rousing songs as “Song of the Musketeers,” “My Lady,” and "Viola" are sung. SHIPBOARD DRAMA. STRONG WILLS CLASH IN “PACIFIC LINER." Two determined men pitted against each other in a deadly struggle or brawn against brains, within a steelwalled world surrounded by treach'erous high seas—that is RKO Radio’s drama, "Pacific Liner." Victor McLaglen as a two-fisted chief engineer, swaggering dictator of an ocean liner’s murky stokehold, and Chester Morris, as a rugged ship’s doctor, are co-starred. Crammed with adventure, romance, and conflict, the story unfolds during an ill-fated voyage from Shanghai to San Francisco. Morris ships aboard the s.s. Arcturus as physician in order to be near nurse Wendy Earrie, although his skill with tropical diseases has brought him more lucrative offers. McLaglen accepts the post as chief engineer on the liner because the captain, looking forward to a recordbreaking run, wants the only man the throbs of a ship’s engine moic important than the pulse beats of his motley crew. It is inevitable that the two strong-willed men

should clash, especially when the hard-boiled engineer takes too great an interest in the pretty nurse. The conflict becomes further aggravated when a strange epidemic breaks out, concentrating itself below decic among the grimy members of the engine and fire rooms where the chief engineer rules so tyrannically. From this point on the drama and suspense of the story mount, with the doctor and nurse striving desperately to halt the spread of the malady, and the chief engineer struggling to keep the engines running in the face of •hysteria among the fast-diminishing survivors. How the stokehold tyrant finally succumbs to the disease himself, thus precipitating a near mutiny among his men, and how the physician saves his life and wins the gi'rl are events leading to the film's smashing climax. In addition to tne principals, other important roles are played by Barry Fitzgerald, as a good-natured “wiper;" Alan Hale as a pugnacious fireman, and Allan Halo. “HOLLYWOOD CAVALCADE." At last Hollywood looks Into Its own heart and finds a story as great as any it has ever filmed; its own romance from bathing beauties to world premieres. Produced by Darryl ’F. Zanuck for 20th Century-Fox and filmed in glorious technicolour, the picture will recall many heart-warm-ing movie memories. “THE STARS LOOK DOWN.” One of the most costly productions made in Britain has just been completed. The film, “The Stars Look Down,” a G.B.D. release, has won instant appreciation.’ It reproduces the original novel by Dr. A. J. Cronin, author of the “Citadel." The Director, Carol Reed, Js credited with transferring the novel to the screen! without the loss of any of the drama that made the story world-famous. The picture, which has. as a bacKground the lives of the colliery workers of England, had its mining sections filmed at the Workington Pits, Cumberland, with the entire, population, men, women and children, in the film. Michael Redgrave, Margaret Lockwood, and'” Emlyn Williams, are the stars, and the featured players of a cast of thousands are Nancy Price, Alan Jeayes , Edward Rigby, Linden Travers, Cecil ' Parker and Milton Rosmer.. Dr.. Crellin is I enthusiastic about the way in which < his book has been brought to the ; screen. 1

XT WT VT “MEN ARE SUCH FOOLS. Here are your favourite funsters in the finest comedy of the year, Hugh Herbert, Wayne Morris and Humphrey Bogart. “Men are Such Fools, the marriage v. career comedy, has a splendid cast of laugh-makers Wayne' Morris, Priscilla Lane, Humphrey Bogart, and Hugh Herbert. Based on a national magazine serial by the keenly observant. Faitn Baldwin and made into a screen play with sympathetic understanding by Norman Reilly Raine and Horace Jackson, “Men Are Such Fools” deals with the problem of whether a w»ie should continue to work outside the home after her marriage. In real life, especially when the wife is a woman who is making a- success oi a business career when she is married, the problem is not an easy one for' the couple involved, and neither is it an easy one for the young lovers played by Wayne and Priscilla,. It is complicated in the film story by the fact that Linda Lawrence (Miss Lane) is getting ahead faster than is Jimmy Hall (Morris) at the time or their marriage. A further complication is .that Linda not only has brains, but does not disdain to use her feminine attractiveness to aid her in getting ahead. That, however, eventually serves to precipitate the explosion which forces Linda to realise I that her love for Jimmy is more im--1 portant than anything else in the world.

A typically modern pair, the LaneMorris team made their first appearance in “Love, Honour and Behave"’; the success they made of that picture is repeated in “Men are Such Fools.” It is common knowledge that Wayne Morris and Priscilla Lape are in love with each other off the screen. There is no doubt that this knowledge adds an extra fillip to the enjoyment of their screen loves, misunderstandings and reconciliations. FIND NEWSPAPERS SUPPLY MOVIE PLOTS. Your newsie sells the stuff that makes the movies. Hollywood revels in headline hits. The story that appears in rag-pulp newspapers to-day will be repeated in celluloid to-mor-row. Those are the convictions of Frances Marion, ex-newspaper woman, world war correspondent, now Hollywood’s highest paid feminn? scenarist. She has just transplanted another news story to the screen. Recent news dispatches concerning an /expedition lost in the upper reaches of the Amazon, inspired her to write “Green Hell,” which Famous Productions is fiimmg at Universal, witn Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and Joa.i Bennett co-starring. Frances Marion

was a newspaper reporter in San Francisco, where she was born. When she met the late Marie Dressier, she introduced that beloved star to the screen in "The Callahans and the Murphys.” Her “Big House” was created from a newspaper prison story and it made a star of Wallace Beery. She wrote “The Champ” af-, ter reading the routine story or a championship fight. TRAVEL TO INDIA FOR REALISM’S SAKE. ’ Darryl F. Zanuck sent a sound crew all the way to the province of Baroda, India, for native songs and dances for his. production of “The Rains Came,” the great Louis Bromfield novel with Myrna Loy, Tyrone Power and George Brent sharing honours. This is the first time a film studio has sent a sound crew so great a distance for this purpose. It is also the first time Hindu ritual melodies, native chants that are fast dying, and the shouts and cries, of street mobs have been captured on a sound track. The distinguished Clarence Brown directed this 20th CenturyFox picture.

FAMED ENGLISH WRITER PENS “BEACHCOMBER.” W. Somerset. Maugham, outstanding figure in modern English literature, wrote the story on which tns new screen drama, .“The Beachcomber,” starring Charles Laughton, is based. The picture stems from the Maugham short story masterpiece entitled “Vessel of Wrath,” taken from his volume called "Ah! King.” Many Maugham works have been effectively produced on the stage and screen, among them being “Rain,” “Of Human Bondage,” and “The Let-' ter." Said to bear the unmistaken I stamp of the author’s genius finely interpreted by Laughton and supporting cast, “The Beachcomber” shcruld constitute another triumph for Maugham. “SHERLOCK HOLMES.” The .master-detective against his arch-enemy, the master criminal, in the super-crime of the century, makes “Sherlock Holmes,” 20th CenturyFox picture, a film not to be missedFasil Rathbone again portrays Holmes, with Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson, in the thrilling battle against the' fiendish Moriarty, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s notorious villain. Ida Lupino

and Alan Marshal are seen in the leading romantic roles, heading an outstanding cast. NEWS FROM THE STUDIOS. Having completed her role as Mrs Danvers in “Rebecca,” Judith Anderson is being tested by Warners for the title in “Mama Raviola,” the story of an Italian-American mother with two sons. The famed Australian actress plans to go on the road with her last play, “Family Portrait," later on, but might do one more picture before leaving Hollywood. ****** Joan Fontaine’s next picture--when she finishes “Rebecca” for Selznick—will be “Dark Command.” n Handsome John Wayne has already 1 - signed to play the lead. ****** r Producer Herbert Wilcox has sign--1 ed Ray Milland, Roland Young and s May Robson for supporting roles in i his musical comedy, “Irene," which 3 will mark Anna Neagle’s return to modern stories after five years of hisa torical drama. ****** Hollywood is expecting handsome young Ronald Reagan and cute Warner Bros.’ starlet, Jane Wyman, to announce their engagement some y time shortly. * * *. * * * "The Valiant,” in which Paul Muni 3 first made his name, is to be remade j by Twentieth Century-Fox. Lloyd No- _ lan, who recently left Paramount, will play the Muni role. ****** ’ Jack Haley wants Patsy Kelly to ? do a musical with him in New York. Patsy is still considering the matter. ‘ ****** ' Ronnie Sinclair, the little New Zea- ’ lander, who replaced Freddie BarthJ olomew in “Thoroughbreds Don’t ! Cry,” has a good part in MGM’s “Earl of Chicago,” which stars Robert Montgomery. Next January, Ronnie, whose real name is Ra Houkl; will become an American citizen when his parents get their final papers. But despite his new citizenship Ronnie retains all his outward British characteristics, including the im-i portant broad “A’s” —the studios in- , sist on that. ****** Alice Faye is joining Tony Martin in New York for the Christmas holi- - days, so that they can have their ■ first New Year’s Eve in the big town together. ****** 1 Comedian Bobby Coote says he i ’ went for two weeks without seeing i 1 his Santa Monica home recently— I just took up residence in his dress-ing-room at RKO. , 1 In addition to playing a role in r “VigiJ in the Night,” Bobby was I teaching Cockney accents to several C American bit players in the picture > a in his spare time, and testing for a I e part in Orson Welles’ “Heart of i f Darkness” each night. For a wee>< t he worked on “Vigil in the Night’’ 'r from eight in the morning to six at night, and tested with Welles from 7 p.m. to 4 a.m.l h ****** fi Hollywood gossips have been wondering about the beautiful flowers that have appeared daily ,in Joan E Bennett’s dressing-room since she G started work in “House Across the li Bay.” But the rumours of a “new d

I romance” in Joan’s life were abrupt1 lv halted by the prop man on the picture. “I put them there myself, every day,” he announced calmly, “r always do for the stars of pictures I work on. It makes the room looß cheerful when they come in to work in the morning ...”

Miles Mander is elated over, his assignment to the role of Ginger Rogers’ father in her forthcoming picture, “The Primrose Path.” Since leaving Australia Mander has become known in Hollywood for fine character portrayals, but he terms the new part, “the break I’ve always been waiting for.” .J'oel McCrea incidentally, who is to play opposite Ginger, gave up a

long-planned trip to the South Seas in order to accept the part. * * * * * * Cary Grant and Irene Dunne, who made such a successful comedy team in “The Awful Truth,” are to be reunited in "My Favourite Wife”, Leo Mc.Carey, who directed “The Awful Truth,” will be producer of the new film, and Garson Kanin, youthful director of the amusing “Bachelor Mother,” will handle th edirection. Cary and Irene weren’t enthusiastic about “The Awful Truth” but it turnj ed out to be one of the most successI ful pictures either had ever made, so they’re pleased about the new assignment. ****** English director Alfred Hitchcock has moved into Carole Lombard’s former home in Bel Air. ****** Prior to her acting debut in “Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever,” Helen Gilbert was a virtually unknown cellist in the MGM studio orchestra. Today she’s preparing for the important

feminine lead in Finfield Sheehan’s production, “Florian,” which shows how fast things can happen once Hollywood -"discovers” you. Background of the story is the famous Imperial Riding School in Vienna, where the wonderful Lippizan horses were trained to serve as mounts for European Royalty. It was wnile filming shots of the school and stables in Austria that Richard Rosson, assistant director of the picture, was imprisoned by 1 the German police, and held for over a month on suspicion of photographing military sections of the district.

Friends of Jackie Coogan and wife Betty Grable are expecting a rconciliation —despite Betty’s apparent interest in dance band leader Artie Shaw.