IN FILMLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20152, 12 January 1929, Page 9 (Supplement)

IN FILMLAND.

Miss Laura La Plante's third picture following " Show Boat " has been chosen. It is " The Compromise," by Edward J. Montague, and is already being scenarised by Charles Kenyon. It will be released mder the title of " That Blonde." Having completed the Nettlefold version of " The Silent House," Miss Mabel Poulton's next picture will be " The Lavender Lady," by Dolf Wyllarde. This picturo will go into production immediately after Christmas. British Dominions Hlms understands that Walter Fordo will direct " Tho Lavonder Lady." Miss June Marlowe left New York recently for Germany to play the lead in " The House of Glass," under the direction of Joseph Levigard in Berlin. Miss Marlowe will also play the dual role in "Fallen Angels," by Arthur Somers Roche, under the same direction. Both pictures are Deing made abroad for Universal. Filming not only drama on its original location, but the music that goes with it, is tho task of King Vidor, at work on the production of " Hallelujah," Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's new drama of the South, and the first all-negro production in motion picture history. Recording apparatus is being used to film the " blues" and negro spirituals as actually sung by the workers in the cotton fields. George Melford recently started production of " 'J'he Charlatan," tho Broadway play by Ernest Pascal and Leonard Praskins. Tho cast includes Rocklifle Fellowes, Miss Margaret Livingston, Philo McCullough, Wilson Benge, Miss Anita Garvin, Bud Marshall, John George, who will play the dwarf, and Miss Fritzie Fern, Universal's latest find, who will play the ingenue. Strangely enough, tho stellar rolo has not yet been assigned. Metfo-Goldwyn-Mayer has brought that popular and talented actress, Miss Bessie Love, back to tho screen after her absence of some months on the legitimate and vaudeville stage. She has been engaged by this company to play the leading role in "Broadway Melody," the original story by Edmund Goulding, which will go into production shortly. Miss Anita Page, one of Met.ro-Goldwvn-Mayer's most promising younger players, will also appear in this picture. A new type of role is given to Miss Bebo Daniels in her latest Paramount picture, entitled, " Take Me Home." The part of a little chorus girl permits of no rest, for it is as full of action as her pictures of the past, and, in addition., has a strong underlying themo of romance and dramatic incident. Neil Hamilton has tho leading male rolo. He portrays a youth who goes to Broadway to go on the stage and is helped in overcoming the many obstacles by Miss Daniels. William Haines, according to a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio official, has always wanted to see how ho looked when he was asleep. Sam Wood, the director, gratified it for him without his knowing it the other day when Haines took a nap in between scenes. Wood turned a camera on him, ran off a few feet of film and put the results into tho daily " rushes," 'nich Haines saw in the projection room. He captioned it " action photograph of one of our most prominent stars at work." Henry King, discoverer of Ronald Colman, Douglas Mac Lean and other stars, has selected John Holland, an unknown actor, to play the leading role opposite Miss Eleanor Boardman in " She Goes to War," a United Artists picture. Holland thus follows in the footsteps of Walter Byron, the young Englishman cast by Samuel Goldwyn opposite Miss Vilma 'Bank in " The Awakening," and Leroy Mason, discovered by Edwin CareWe, and given tho leading role with Miss Dolores del Rio in " Revenge." Old time stage stars are coming into their own with the advent of sound films. Miss Louise Dresser, who was a favourite on the vaudeville stage ten years ago and who is credited with outstanding success in her first talking part in the Fox Movietone feature, " Mother Knows Best," has been signed to a long term contract, as the movie magnates put it, by Fox Films, and has already left for Italy with John Blystone to make a talking picture with Venetian and Roman backgrounds. Miss Janet Gaynor, whose rise to stardom has been acclaimed the most spectacular in the history of motion pictures, is a " quaker maid." But, unlike quakers, who are reputed to be staid and settled, Miss Gaynor has roved the United States with her parents and has been schooled in every section of the country. Three cities now claim her as their own— Chicago, Melbourne (Florida), and San Francisco. Her current picture for Fox Films is " Christina, a dramatic romance of old Holland. The narrative was written by Tristram Tupper, the eminent novelist, and directed by William K. Howard. Finis Fox, the noted scenarist, has svritten over 500 stories for the screen. He is the screen author of Dolores Del Ilio's " Resurrection," " Raraona " and " Revenge." Of tho 500 pictures for which ho has written the scenarios, Mr. Fox is more interested in the three Del Rio productions, inasmuch as he developed the main characters in each of these stories without modifying their development to fit the talents of the player essaying tho roles. Mr. Fox believes that Miss Del Rio's handling of the parts more than justified his faith in her art and versatility. Tho freedom of treatment permitted him to give greater scope to his imagination in working out tho plots. " Revenge " is a story of gipsy love and romance based on Konrad Bercovici s story, " Tho Bear-tamer's Daughter." Max Rein hard t, Europe's foremost stage producer, has contracted with United Artists to product) arid direct a motion picture in winch Lillian Oish will bo starred. Hugo von Ifofmannsthal. the Viennese poet and playwright, and librettist of Richard Strauss' opera, " Dor Rosenkavalier," has written an original scenario for the film. Reinhardt will personally supervise the picture, which will bo made in Hollywood. Not only is this his first motion picturo, but it is Miss Gisb's first for United Artists. Tho film star thus joins the company of Miss Mary Pickford, he, girlhood friend, and Ihe person who secured a place for her with the old Biograph Company, ami David Wark Griffith the discoverer of both of them. Sound effects and music will bo employed by Roinhardfc. " Tho Awakening " marks tho first appearance of Miss Vilma Banky as n star in her own right. In this story of war and romance in Alsace, Miss Banky, previously famous as the screen partner of Ronald Colman, reaches the heights of screen recognition. " Tho Awakening portrays Miss Banky, whoso previous films have shown her in a succession of romances of tlife past, in tho role of a simple Alsatian peasant girl, meeting her j first love in the days just preceding and immediately after tho outbreak of tho world war.' The conflict of emotions between this lovely peasant girl and the dashing German Officer makes " Tho Awakening " a tremendously moving drama. In contrast with the terror of war-time, tho early part of tho film depicts tho rural charm of the Alsatian countryside and the pastoral beauty of the village festivals, whero pretty girls nouette with their rustic lovers and tho handsome officers of tho Uhlan regiment.