Creative Brains From Many Countries

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 108, 10 May 1939, Page 5

Creative Brains From Many Countries

INTERNATIONAL TALENT FOR “IF I WERE KING”

(Regent: Now screening.) “If I Were King’’ boasts a pro-duction-director from Scotland, actors from the United States, England and South Africa, a cameraman from Germany and a musical composer from Holland combining their talents in the filming of one of the year’s most ambitious screen offerings.

Producer-director Frank Lloyd was born in Glasgow, Scotland, yet he is a veteran of the American film industry, this year celebrating his 23th anniversary as 9. maker of motion pictures. Ronald Colman, of English birth, who stars in the role of Francois Villon, a poet of the slums who rises to heights of magnificence for a week as grand constable of France under Louis XI, is another long time headliner of the Hollywood scene. His career on the screen began in a picture made in Italy, “The White Sister,” starring Gish, which -was produced in Romo by Henry King. In his position as a topflight star he has established a record for longevity' in the industry-. Basil Rathbone, whoso Louis XI gives promise of being as distinctive a character as Charles Laughton’s “Henry VT1I” and Warren William’s “Ceasar,” is another English player, though born at Johannesburg, South Africa. Beautiful Frances Dee, who plays the feminine lead as Katherine De Vaueellcs, lady in waiting to the queen, is an American. Another American is Ellen Drew, who portrays Huguette, habitue of the Paris slums and Villon’s heart interest. Making his Hollywood screen debut in “If I Were King” is C. V. France, distinguished character actor of the English stage who was brought from London by producer-director Frank Lloyd to characterise Father Villon, Colman’s foster father in the picture. Other English players are Henry Wilcoxon, who plays the Captain of the Watch; Heather Thatcher, who plays the queen and Ralph Forbes who is Oliver Le Dain, King Louis’ contidante. Bruce Lester, who portrays a young captain of the guard, Noel Le jjolvs, is another South African whose father, like Rathbone’s, was sent out from England to Johannesburg on a mining engineering assignment. First cameraman on the picture ia Theodor Sparkuhl, A.S.C. who came to America several years ago from the UFA Studios in Berlin, where at one time he handled Ernst Lubitsch’s photography.