IN FILMLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20656, 30 August 1930, Page 10 (Supplement)

IN FILMLAND.

Maurice Elvey, the British film director, having completed his first British talking film classic comedy, Sheridan's " The School for Scandal," is now engaged in active preparation for an all-talking screen story of Shakespeare's life. The film, which will be entitled " The Dark Lady," will rc-enact the romantic and dramatic highlights of Shakespeare's career.

Gordon Harker, an English stage and screen player, appears in his first "talkie" role in " The Crooked Billet," which he follows up as the sinister night porter in " Tho Squeaker," a iole which ho made famous in tho stage play. Ho is now appearing in tho West End musical comedy " Sons o' Guns," as well as playing an important part in tho new Gainsborough production, " The Stronger Sex."

The Fox Film Corporation has produced another revue, " Tho Fox Movietone Follies of 1930," which is claimed to be considerably superior to its predecessor last year. Tho chorus alono consists of 300 girls. Marjorie White and El Brendel have the leading roles, and are supported by a cast which includes Richard Keene, Frank Richardson, Noel Francis, Miriam Seegar and William Collier, jun.

The entiie cast of featured players in " Young Man of Manhattan," a newly completed Paramount all-talking picture, consists of former stage artists. They are Claudette Colbert and Norman Foster, who have (ho leads, Charles Ruggles, Ginger Rogers, Leslie Austin and John MacDowell. " Young Man of Manhattan," a story of press activities, is adapted from Katherine Brush's " Saturday Evening Post " serial.

Given a tremendous ovation at a special preview held in Los Angeles for newspaper men, " Our Blushing Brides" stands out as Joan Crawford's greatest screen vehicle. It was designed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as a companion picture to its two earlier successes, " Our Dancing Daughters" and " Our Modern Maidens." The new picture presents the same feminine principals: Joan Crawford, Anita Page and Dorothy Sebastian.

With a replica of an old Swedish inn as a setting, Giaco Moore walked through a st.udio snowstorm as her initiation to the screen when Sidney Franklin started the direction of her first talking picture for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The Metropolitan opera star plays the role of Jenny Lind. the famous Swedish singer of years ago, in a story based on her life. Reginald Denny plays the hero and a notable cast appears.

The last actor one would expect to see plying a convict in a prison drama is Robert Montgomery, the debonair hero of "So This is Collego" and Norma Shearer's " The Divorces." Ho has the role of Kent, the college boy sent to prison after an auto accident in " The Big House," Mel ro-Goldwyn-Mayer's grim drama of penitentiary life and prison riot 3. And despite Montgomery's penchant for comedy, his role is one of the most serious and important in the picture. In " The Big House," Montgomery makes up one of a trio of cell mates with Chester Morris and Wallaco Beery.

One of the first motor-cars ever constructed was used in Moran and Mack's second Paramount talkie-comedy, "Anybody's War." It is of the old " horseless carriage " variety, and was built in 1898. having the motor located under the driver's seat. Richard Wallace, who made " Innocents of Paris," " Seven Days' Leave," and other outstanding Paramount productions, directed "Anybody's War." Neil Hamilton and Joan Peers aro featured in the romantic leads, and Walter Wecms, , Walter McGrail, Betty Farrington and Charles Sellon are in the cast.

Chester Morris, the ex-stage luminary, is named as the star of Roland West's latest production, "The Bat Whispers." Morris, since his debut in United Artists' " Alibi/' has been in great demand, being loaned for feature roles in " The Divorcee," " The Case of Sergeant Grischa," " Woman Trap " and other outside productions. " The Bat Whispers" has already entered production at United Artists' studios, and will bo released during the coming season. The cast in support of Morris includes Una Morkel, Gustav Von Seyffcrtitz, Ben Bard, Grace Hampton. Spencer Charters, Charles Dow Clark and Maude Eburne.

James Whitlakcr has been assigned by Columbia to the task of preparing the adaptation, dialogue and continuity of " The Last of the Lone Wolf," in which Bert Lytell is to be starred. Lytell, who recently opened " Brothers" for a limited stage engagement on tho East Coast prior to making the play into a film, is working with Whittaker in preparing the " Lono Wolf " story. While in Hollywood Lytell will make the (wo pictures for Columbia, " Brothers" being the other besides " Lono Wolf." Whittaker, a dramatic critic, music critic, novelist and short story writer, has a varied and cosmopolitan background acquired through many years of residence abroad. Formerly a pianist of high repute, he is the co-author of the novel " Shebo."