FILM AND STAGE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 40, 16 January 1936, Page 10

FILM AND STAGE

Elaborate Missicale. Six months ot extensive preparation, including weeks ol dance rehearsals, lengthy research for magic sets, designing of dresses rind gowns by Adrian, and a complete Broad way dress rehearsal, were necessary for. the musical, ‘‘.Broadway .Melody of 1036,” which has. earned an extended season at the Regent Theatre. The, modernised .Manhattan penthouse, the- setting, for one of the live elaborate dance ensembles, is the largest ever built at the studio for a single musical sequence. The furniture lor the scene was Controlled by springs. Stage talent from Broadway, the toasts of Continental capitals, radio' sensations from eoast-io-coast chains. and screen luminaries from Hollywood have been merged to form the all-star cast headed bv Jack Benny, Eleanor Powell, and including l T na Merkel, Sid Silvers, June Knight, Robert Taylor, Frances Langford. Nick Long, junr., Viliua and Buddy Ebscn, Harrv Stockwell, Shirley Boss and Robert AVildhack. Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed, famous for their song hits in the first “Melody” and other musicals, have written five special numbers.

A Piquant Farce. Another Torn AValls-Ralpb Lynn story comes to life with “Stormy A\ eatlier,” based on a farce by Ben Travers, in which the famous comedians appear with Yvonne Arnand, and Robertson Hare. It will be screened at the State Theatre on Saturday with sessions at 2 p.m., 5 p.m., 8 p.rn., and 10.30 p.m. The picture, which is one full of piquant situations, intriguing scenes and sinister plots, holds the interest from the moment it • opens in a Chinese den until it ends with a scene in which charming Yvonne Arnaud is peering over the baluster of'her home watching an aspiring lover.An the person of Ralph Lynn being kicked down the stairs by her husbands '» pin addition there is a sinister plot 'underlying the whole

story. Polotski, a Russian villain, played by Andrews Engelnian, tries to blackmail Lady- Duncan Graggs (Yvonne Arnaud) wlio bad married him before she became a lady of fashion. She believed her first husband to be dead. Many delicious scenes between Sir Duncan Graggs (Tom Walls) and his wife Louise are laid in their sumptuous London home where the little lady .queens it with irresistible charm. Tom Walls’s gift for being the domineering chief lias full play in scenes in which as the managing director of a big business firm lie visits provincial branches to enquire into their methods. Two branch managers of a successful and no-profit branch, respectively, come under the lash of his tongue. They are Robertson Hare and Ralph Lynn.' Cleverly the picture draws all the chief characters together in the exciting filial scenes in a Chinese den disguised as a laundry, where Sir Duncan goes to rescue his wife.

Oriental Thrills. After 'an all too long separation, Charlie Chan and his son Lee are once again united in the new Warner Gland film, “Charlie Chan in. Shanghai,” now "at the State Theatre. Iveye Luke, the young, American-born Chinese actor portrayed (Hand’s son in “.Charlie Chan in Paris,” and returns to the screen to aid his father solve tlie most baffling crime in his long career. Luke’s success in “Charlie Chan in Paris,” met with the theatregoing public’s approval. Although Warner Oland has played Oriental characters, both benign and villainous for years, he speaks Chinese for the first time in his career in “Charlie Chan in Shanghai.” Chan and liis son are faced with grave danger as they attempt to break up an international drug ring. They fall into tlie

clutches of their adversaries and are about to meet their doom, blit the crafty detective and his clever son force an escape and later succeed in apprehending the .entire opium smuggling ring. Romantic Spectacle. Cecil B. DeMille’s great yomanhe spectacle “The Crusades,” which will open at the Regent Theatre shortly, is a worthy successor to such outstanding productions as “The Ten Commandments,” “The King of Kings,” “The Sign of the Cross” and “Cleopatra.” As was the case with these pictures, “The Crusades” tells the story of supercharged conflicts in history, arising at times, of great crisis in the human race. The picture is set in the Twelfth Century, when all Christendom

went on the inspired mission of rescuing the Holy Land from the power of Islam. The daring venture roused millions to a pitch of ecstasy and excitement which communicate themselves powerfully to audiences watching -the vast armies oi knights in armour, the tremendous war machines, the war galleys, the Siege of Acre, the cavalry battle under the walls of Jerusalem, and all the pomp and splendour of the holy war against the infidels. Into the splendid pageantry .of “The Crusades,” has been woven a moving love story. It tells of the love between Richard the Lion-Hearted, played by Henry Wileoxon, and Berengaria, Princess of Navarre, played by Loretta Young.

Carl Brisson’s latest picture, “The Bouncer,” has had its title changed to “Ship Cafe.”

A Desert Drama. Realism, so necessary in motion picture portrayals, was carried to the extreme during tlie filming of “The Last Outpost/” tlie picture coming to the Regent Theatre, on Saturday, with Cary Grant, Claude Rains and Gertrude Michael. To the minds of most people tlie words ‘Great War’ refer only to the titanic conflict ot armies on the Western Front. Yet there were backwaters of tlie AA ar in tlie corners of the world. One of these was Kurdistan, where the enemy were | planning to strike at the heart of the British Empire, India. This is the I story of two men who might, have been friends if they had not loved the same woman; who saved each other’s lives and tried to kill each other. It is a story of a handful of men who control the destinies of millions of people in the fierce, mysterious. deserts and jungles of Arabia. Filmed by the same company that made “The Lives of a Bengal Lancer,” this film tells of a. three-cornered romance , between two officers and a nurse in a behind-the-lines hospital. East friends, inseparable, the two men go through many dangers together. Grant’s life is raved by his brother officer, who in turn, because of the girl, goes through a million hells to kill him. How these two - friends are reunited is told in an exciting climax. Love Drama.

“Housewife,” the AVarner Bros, picture which comes to the Kosy 'Theatre on AVednesday, is a dynamic love drama with hilarious comedy, and with an especial appeal to women inasmuch as it shows, tor the first time, how the wife inspires her husband to success. It has an unusually strong and well balanced cast with George Bent, Bette Davis and Ann Dvorak forming the triangle in a unique domestic entanglement and John Halliday crashing m to complicate matters as the lover of the neglected wife. Brent, a college football hero, marries and settles down to a humdrum domestic life as a clerk, the part ..of the wife being played by Ann Dvorak. She is full of ideas, gets him to start his own advertising agency. He engages one of his school girl devotees, who has become a brilliant advertising writer, to handle his copy, and is on the road to wealth and success. The writer starts in to wreck the home and succeeds to the extent of starting a divorce. Halliday, as the lover of the wife, hopes to win her after a divorce decree is entered. The outcome of this marital tangle- is brought out in a most unusual and thrilling climax.

After taking time off to write the screen story of “Barbary Coast” for Samuel Goldwyn, Ben Heclit and Charles MacArtliur have started making films again. Their initial effort for the new season is a social satire informatively entitled “Soak the Rich.” It is understood to be mainly a dig at high taxation and the consequences thereof.

George Bancroft, the distinguished stage and cinema actor, and for many years one of the most prominent stars, was recently engaged for the stellar role in tlie Harold Shumate story, “Hell Ship Morgan,” which will shortly he placed in production.' Mr Bancroft started his theatrical career on Broadway. His first pronounced success was in “The Trail of the Lonesome Pine.” Then followed loading roles in “Paid in Full,” “Old Bill, M.P.”, “Cinders” and many other plays. Ho made his screen debut in “Driven” which resulted in his receiving a long-term contract. Mr C. B. Cochran referred to a great revival in the theatre in England when he spoke at tlie Anglo-French Luncheon Club in Lonodn recently to, welcome M. Michel St. Denis, the French producer, who has gone to London to arrange for tho' opening of a new studio theatre. He intends to produce some of the new French plays. “Jn England we have the right element' in the thea; tre,” said Mr Cochran. “AVe have a band of enthusiasts, young dramatists, producers and actors, all seriously striving to do good work. Foremost among them I would single out Mr John Gielgud. If Shakespeare’s plays can be produced with financial success, the English theatre is all right. And to-day Shakespeare pays.”

Irving Thalberg announces that he is planning to film the Mary Roberts Rinehart story, “Tisli,” with Edna May Oliver in the lead. This means that Miss Oliver may regard herself as a star henceforward, for the part she will play is essentially a starring role. The story was originally bought for the late Marie Dressier a short while before her death. Later, it was shelved and has not been heard of since,_ except for a vague suggestion that it should be offered to Constance Collier on her arrival in Hollywood from England. It will now be completely changed with a view to suiting it to Miss Oliver’s particular style, and will probably go into production shortly.

The G’lem Dawo Australian Revue Company has achieved the honour of being the first complete variety unit from the Antipodes tc play in England. It opened its English season at the Penge Empire, London, on November 18. Seasons will later he played at New Cross, Birmingham Hull, Swansea and Southampton, further dates to be arranged. Clem Dawe is the principal comedian and his sister, Dorothy White, almost equally popular for her burlesque characterisations, supports him. Then there are Joe Shriller, Ann Luciano, Edna Luscombe, Gregory Ivanoff, Edna MoncriefF, Halliday and "Watson, and Tom King, the brilliant young composer, pianist and musical director. The producer is Mr Eric Edgley, brother of Clem Dawe and Dorothy White, and probably the most experienced and versatile producer in Australia and New Zealand. Mr Maurice Ralph, well-known in theatrical and other circles from the Bluff to Wliangarei, is general manager.

New Character Type. An ever fascinating and refreshing Joan Blondell will make her bow in a new role on the screen of the Kosy Theatre on Saturday in the picture, “Blondio Johnson,” in which she is co-fcatured with Chester Morris. She has tlie role of a beautiful but cold, hard, and ruthless leader of a band of crooks whom she rules with an iron hand. In this picture she dominates the male of the species even as the male has dominated her in recent productions. ’An innocent girl hardened by

the deatli of her mother, through poverty and neglect, she sets out deliberately to get riches by Hook or crook. She* lias a grudge against men, and being brilliant and dominating, she i bends them to her will. It is a new Joan in the matter of clothes also, for the former indifferent dresser now makes her appearance in sixteen gor- : geous frocks, and the actress wears i

them with effect. “Blondie Johnson” is a new type of‘picture character, a type which actually exists but lias not heretofore been shown.

Eddie Cantor’s “Shoot tlie Chutes,” based on an original story by Clarence Buddington Kelland, has gone

into production under the direction of Norman Taurog. Ethel Merman • is again cast in the-leading feminine role. The supporting east includes the noted radio comic, Parkyakarkus, Sally Eilers, Sunnie O’Day, Helen Lowell, Edgar Bropliv, Robert Louis Stevenson (great-grandson of die famous author) and the 1936 edition of the famous Goldwyn Girls.

NOTES AND JOTTINGS

Douglas Fairbanks, junr., is going to produce and probably play in a film based' on the life of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Leslie Howard expressed the same hope, but Fairbanks claims he thought of it first, and is already mapping out the screen story. It is intended to wreck the old Bijou Theatre at Melbourne and on its site build the following; A picture theatre to bo'.d 2000 people, a lion-licensed hotel "with 400 bedrooms,

each with its own bathroom and radio; 200 service apartments; a large emporium; a cabaret to seat 500; a shopping arcade; a cafe, promenade, bathing pool, Turkish baths and a gymnasium on the roof, 130 ft. above Bourke Street level. Over all will be a tower with an aerial beacon. Tlie whole scheme is to cost £1,250,000. It will be started next year.

Prince Nicholas, father of the Duchess of Kent, lias writen a scenario for a film which a British company is to produce. At this stage the title is i “The Glow Beneath the Ashes.” The ■ tale is set in modern Greece and the I Bohemian quarter of Paris, and has a I good dramatic plot. Youth calls to 1 youth is the theme, for the story cen--1 tres round a middle-aged woman who

is enamoured of a young sculptor, who is, in turn, in love with a girl of his own age. Negotiations for the engagement of two well-known actresses to nlav the leading feminine roles are almost completed, and Prince Nicholas is to supervise the production.

Marlene Dietrich and Gary Cooper are playing together in “Desire.”