IN FILMLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19608, 9 April 1927, Page 8 (Supplement)

IN FILMLAND.

Sir Harry Lauder, the famous Scottish comedian, his signed a £IO,OOO contract with a British film company to play in "Hunting Tower," a film version of the book by John Buchan. The outdoor scenes will be filmed in Scotland. »

Esther Ralston is the blonde beauty who appeared in "The American Venus," and "The Blind Goddess." Now she will be seen in the Paramount picture, "The Quarterback," with Richard Dix, It is a football story and thrills with the excitement of one of tho greatest football games ever seen. "The Quarterback will be seen locally within a few weeks.

Among the many things of interest concerning "Seventh Heaven," now being directed by Frank Borzage for Fox Films, is the French taxi-cab used in the Paris scenes. This cab was one of the many which rushed French troops to the front in the first battle of the Marne. When brought to New York it was escorted by a Regular Infantry company, another com pany of marine:?, and a band of field music on its way up Fifth Avenue.

Imagine a radio set aboard an 1820 pirate ship! For "The Eagle of the Sea," a Paramount picture, of early New Orleans and tho pirates of the Spanish Main, a complete broadcasting station and a score of receiving outfits w-ere installed on a fleet of old-time windjammers. In this manner, Frank Lloyd, who directed the film, spoke his orders into a microphone. Featured players in the picture are Florence X'idor and Ricardo Cortez.

The superb training and splendid reasoning power of the horse Silver King was never better instanced than in "The Two Gun-man." It took Fred Thompson but a few minutes and a few soothing explanatory words to convince Silver that it was all right to step into the ore-car hanging on to the cable and take his spectacular trip across the ravine—a scene which forms one of the thrills of the picture. This production is shortly to be released by . First National.

With all the grace and ease one expects of John Bnrrymore, the role of the philandering medieval sheik, "Don Juan," is artistically and originally portrayed in his latest Master picture, announced for early release in New Zealand. All the intrigue of the Borgia, their amours and reckless chivalry, and the treachery of their womenfolk,, are intelligently interpreted by a cask. John Barrvmore is supported bjr Estello Taylor, v/ho plays the role of Lucretia Borgia and Mary Astor.

There is a servant girl in 'America who makes one of the largest salaries ever paid a woman! But it is because she is a humorous servant rather than an efficient one that site is so magnificently rewarded. She is Louise Fazenda, comedienne, \frho rideis in limousines and wears sable coats off the screen, but must content herself with gingham aprons and calico dresses bofore the camera. Her latest role is as a. comic servant in "The Old Soak," a Universal production starring Jean Hershclt, which comes to Auckland at an early date.

A real relic of old London is shown in the British film, "Every Mother's Son," which is to be screened in Auckland shortly. This, is in the form of one of the first horse-drawn omnibuses. It has not carried passengers on the London streets for the last 50 years, and was only brought out from its long retirement to give the, exaGt atmosphere to a part of the fihn representing a scene in London many years ago. It is indeed a quaint sight to see numbers of men in the odd-looking suits of that time and women in hustles, waiting for and eventually clambering on to an old horsedrawn bus.

One of the busiest members of the Hollywood film colony is the charming and exotic Chinese actress, Anna May Wong. Speaking of her movie career, Miss Wong said that she had to overcome a lot of Erejudica and opposition from her parents efore she was allowed to take up a career. "They are used to it now," she said, "but they wanted mo to stay at home and get married while I was still young to some nice Chinese boy. But i wanted a career, and I have not found the Chinese man yet whom I would marry." Usually Miss Wong is cast as an Oriental, but in • the Metro-Gold-wyn-Mayer production, "The Desert's Toll," Miss Wong appears in the role of an Indian girl, and it is surprising how her Oriental features lend themselves to such a characterisation. "The Desert Toll" is an adventure epic photographed amid the gorgeous settings of the Bryce Canyon in Utah. Francis McDonald and Kathleen Key and a number of wellknown players form the cast.

During the voyage of the Renown from England the Universal film, ~ "Michael Strogoff," was shown on board for the benefit of the Duke and Duchess of York and the officers and men of the warship Mr. C. F. Eskell, general manager of the Universal Film Manufacturing Company, has now received a letter from Lieutenant-Commander H. J. Hodgson, cinema secretary on the Renown, in which the latter says:—"l may say that this film was very well received on board, particularly so by the officers and Royal party The excellence of the pbbtography and the dramatic and scenic effects were such that the picture proved of great interest. Wo shall present 'Les Miserables' on our trip homo from Australia and I trust this will be as successful as the previous one. In conclusion, I should like you to say that we greatly appreciate the generosity of the company in lending us these films, and I hope we shall return them in the same good condition as they wero received by us at Portsmouth."