IN FILMLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20650, 23 August 1930, Page 11 (Supplement)

IN FILMLAND.

Grace Moore, opera star, and John Giloert, screen star, have started on new pictures for Metro-GoJdwyn-Mayer. Gilbert s vehicle is " Way for a Sailor," a sea story based on Albert Bichard Wetjen s novel. Miss Moore appears in a story based on the life of Jenny Lind, The Swedish Nightingale." - Paramount's talking screen version of Bex Beach's " The Spoilers." in which Gary Cooper will be starred, has gone into production. Filming is being made at. Point Burae, California, where an authentic replica of Nome, Alaska, has been constructed. Edwin Carewa is directing, and Kay Johnson, Betty Ccmpson, William Boyd and Harry Green have the principal featured roles. " The W. Plan," the notable war mystery novel by Graham Sefcon, has now been filmed by British International Pictures, and is likely to prove a big I screen thrill. The military detail was j under the personal supervision of Lieut.Colonel Graham Seton Hutchison. D.5.0., M.C.. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Mr. Brian Aherne plays the hero. Colonel Duncan Grant, while Miss Madeleine Carroll is E-osa, the German girl with whom Grant is in love. " The Sea God," George Abbott's second directorial undertaking for Paramount, has gone into production, with Eichari Arlen in the stellar role. The talß deals with a pearl diver who is venerated by the natives on a South Sea island. Prominent, in support of Arlen are Fay Wray and Eugene PaHette. The cast of " The Sea God " contains a number of stags and screen favourites, including Be ben. Gleckler and Maurice Black, who appeared in the Broadway production of " Broadway."

An excruciatingly funny comedy of errors " The Aviator." featuring the new comedy team, Ed-ward Everett Horton and Patsy Ruth Miller, "will shortly be seen here. A famous novelist -who hates all things that 3y—and especially aeroplanes—is forced by circumstances to pilot a 'plane, although he has never "been up " before. " The Aviator" is first and foremost a comedy, but there are also several exhibitions of brilliant fiying, the United States Government Flying Corps contributing in several scenes. A spectacular crash between a speeding mDior-car and a pursuing motorcycle is a feature of " Manslaughter." a paramount ail-talking picture, featuring Claudetta Colbert and Frederic March. George Abbott directed the. picture, which was adapted by him from the novel by Alice D.uer Miller. Filming was completed recently at the Hollywood studios, with Ivan Miller, Stanley Fields, Natalie Moorhead, Emma Dunn, Richard Tucker and Hilda Taughan heading the supporting castWith production scheduled to start immediately, Harry Pollard has settled upon the five principal characters of "The Great Day," Joan Crawford's latest starring vehicle far Meiro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Crawford has the role of the daughter of a southern horse breeder. Pooch, a trainer, is played by Luciao LittleS eld. The lore interest enters in the person of John Mack Brown, and Tie villain is played by John Miljsn. Comedy is inserted in large measure by the efforts of Cliff " Ukulele Ike " Edwards as " Sapphire," a rich soutSiern race' follower. . Lilian Roth will be starred iu the first of new " personality series " of one reel short subjects iu which prominent featured contract players will ap- | pear. In the initial production, which has i been tentatively titled " The Picnic, I Miss Both will be supported by the FourI some Quartette and a 12-piece orchestraIt- is planned to produce a number of similar one-reel pictures starring Ginger Rogers, Frank Morgan and other Paramount featured players while they are at work at the I»ew York stndira on features. Charles Buggies was starred recently in a two-reel featuretie. Statistics concerning the British industry in its three phases of production, distribution and exhibition estimate that " Blackmail " cost £24.000; " High Treason." £30.000; and "Atlantic," £40,000. Silent films used to cost from £SOOO to £12,000. Last, year 40 features were actually started as compared with 95 iu 1329. Last year, too, 171 new theatres were constructed, with a seating capacity of about 200,000, while about 250 were reconstructed. Total releases for the year were 565 pictures, of which 4E15 came from America. 87 were British, 50 German, 16 French and 5 originated in other countries.