ACTORS' CHOICES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20976, 12 September 1931, Page 11 (Supplement)

ACTORS' CHOICES.

PREFERENCES OF STARS. SOME QUAINT AFFINITIES. There is no accoutring for (lie taste of HCtors in choosing their own favourites in their own profession. When Richard Barthelmess says William Powell is Ins favourite player, wlieu Douglas Fairbanks, jun., chooses John Barryinore. or when Laura Lee picks George Arliss, all rules seem lu go overboard.

Only ono general conclusion can perhaps be. readied from these selections. Each admires tlie one who does the, things that he himself cannot do—or dares not do—or is not allowed to do by contract, in pictures. Dick Barthelmess, for instance, is too well established in sympathetic roles in the public's mind to risk a " Bill Powell " characterisation, sophisticated, ruthless or satirical, although he went very near it in " The Finger Points." Douglas Fairbanks, jun., can scarcely hope to play heavy character parts like Barrymoro yet.. Even though he might be a very satisfactory Svengali, neither bis admirers nor his studio would permit the change. Obviously Laura Lee and George Arliss are as far apart in film acting as two people can be. et hidden under the rollicking exuberance that has made Miss Lee a favourito is a sincere admiration for the serious work that -\rliss offers on the screen. Winnie Lightner envies Greta Garbo, and they are as different as hot rum and cold champagne. But, just to bo different, -Ann Harding prefers Norma Shearer, though the, two of them play similar parts and might easily be competitors for the same role. A 1 Jolson thought " All Quiet on tlio Western Front " the greatest picture he had ever seen, and lie says ho would rather appeai\ in one serious film than a dozen successful comedies. A <'t his followers objected when his pictures weie too dramatic or pathetic. Joe K. Brown does not enjoy comedies in which other comedians appear. lie likes to watch George Bancroft and Wallace Beery, and while he admires Chaplin tremendously ho is not especially fund | of his pictures. There just ish't any rule. Frank lay, the comedian, is often to be found in the litt.lo art theatre in Hollywood which specialises in Russian and German pictures with tragic themes and highly subtle treatment.