IN FILMLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20235, 20 April 1929, Page 9 (Supplement)

IN FILMLAND.

Miss Barbara Kent has been selected for tho loading rolo in (lie new Harold Uoyd picture, which will bo released '■his year by Paramount. Mai. St. Clair is now directing the production.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer will produce " Lord Byron of Broadway" as an allmusical talkie. William Nigh, the director of such successes as " Across to Singapore." " Four Walls" and " Mr. Wu," will direct. Tho cast will be announced later.

Following on the heols of its achievement in securing talking subjects of Mussolini, George Bernard Shaw and King Alfonso of Spain, Fox Movietone has just finished a subject of David Lloyd George. •'lns ,vas oocured in tho intimacy of Mr. George's own home.

Sir Harry Lauder, now making a vaudeville tour of New Zealand, has achieved another remarkablo success on the motion picture screen by his work in " Auld J-ang Syne," which production Paramount will relcaso during the year. Miss Dorothy Boyd and Pat Aherne have featured roles in the picture.

A replica of the Folies Bcrgere was built at the Paramount studios for scenes in Maurice Chevalier's first starring picture for that organisation, titled " The Innocents of Paris." Chevalier himself was a star at tho Folies Bcrgere in Paris, where he danced and sang as the partner of the famous Mistinguette.

" Redemption," a screen version of Tolstoi's famous Russian drama, will be John Gilbert's first talking picture for Metro-Goldwyn-Maver. Fred. Niblo, the director of " Ben Hur," v»iil direct the star in his second Tolstoi pictuiu Gilbert having appeared before, with M'iss Greta Garbo. in the screen version of " Anna Karonina."

The singing of the latest popular song success, " iSouny Boy," by the inimitable vaudeville star, A 1 Jolson, in the Vita- j phone production, " The Singing Fool," is said to have a great effect upon the spectator. Jolson has long been acclaimed as the greatest vaudeville singer in America, but his success in the new talking picture medium had far surpassed any stage successes. Critics have asserted, that " The Singing Fool" is the greatest " talkie" made to date.

A Paramount cameraman, Mr. Brandon Cremcr, is to join tho Velloro aeroplane, in which Flight Lieutenants Moir and Owen are flying from England, at Darwin and will , film the last stages of the flight from the cockpit of the machine. Mr. Crcmer has had considerable experience as an aerial photographer, and has taken many striking " shots " from Iho air of such events as the arrival in Australia of Bert Hinkler and tho " Southern Cross." Pictures of tho landings will also be included in tho film, which Paramount will release as a special edition of the Paramount Gazette immediately the 'plane arrives in Sydney.

Several features of interest fo music lovers are contained in tho musical accompaniment to "The Awakening." Tor the first time are presented the traditional marching songs of tin German Uhlan regiments—songs which have been sung since the days of Frederick the Great in .the German armv—and the native peasant songs of Alsace introduced in the village feto scenes. " Marie." the theme song of " The Awakening," was written by Irving Berlin, the noted composer, and is dedicated to Miss Vilma Bankv. " The Awakening" marks the first appearance of Miss Banky as a star in her own right, and also the first appearance in American films of Walter Byron, the English actor.

Another well-known English author has been added to the list of writers, whose works arc being made into talking pictures by Paramount. He is Sir Philip Gibbs, the famous war correspondent and novelist. Other well-known authors whose works have been made the basis of all-dialogue pictures are Sir Janies Barrio and Somerset Maugham. The former's stage play " Half an Hour " will be seen and heard from the screen under tho title of "The Doctor's Secret," and I lie Maugham. work selected was "The Letter." " Dnrkened Rooms," by Gibbs, is a story laid in London, and has a background of mystery that should prove admirable for a talking picture. Miss Evelyn Brent and William Powell are to play the main roles.

Tlic release of Rex Ingram's film " The Three Passions " gives the critics another opportunity to refer to the excellence of this production. r J hey do not hesitate to make use of the opportunity In consequence the Now Zealand actor M* Sliayle Gardner comes in for a renewed paean of praise. 1 lie Daily Jelegraph ventures the opinion that Mr. Ingram has painted an unforgettable picture of life on a spacious canvas. All his types have been selected with consummatp skill. "The Ihreo should puck every theatre in which it is shown. The Morning Post, considers that Mr. Shaylc Gardner's study of the dominant and strong-willed old shipbuilderfather docs the utmost honour to British actin" At everv point Rex Ingrain lends" the touch 'of the painter and sculptor. Even of the most trivial characters, each has a life and meaning of its own.

When " Napoleon," the French-made picture, produced by the General Society of Films and distributed by Metro-Cold-wyn-Maycr, was given its world premicie at the National Theatre de l'Opcra in Paris, it received the greatest welcome and aroused the wildest _ enthusiasm ever accorded a motion picture in France. Never before has the National Opera been used for the screening of a motion picture and the audience, including the President of France, cabinet members, diplomatic officers, and high officers of the army, as well as the leading members of the artistic and social world, lavished enthusiastic praisr. both on the work of fho director, Abel Ounce, and on the interpretation of the title vole by Alheit Dieudonne. Members of the French Academy praised the faultless historical accuracy of tho production, while military leadeis were enthusiastic in their surprise at finding tactical history repeated so accurately on the screen.