TITLE MISUNDERSTOOD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22178, 3 August 1935, Page 11 (Supplement)

TITLE MISUNDERSTOOD

" CRUSADES " IN AMERICA OTHER AMUSING CHANGES It is quite possible, writes _the film fcorrespondent of the Morning Post, t- [that the new Cecil de Mille picture, ."The Crusades," will bo forced to jchange its title before it appears on the screen of its native land. The Paramount oflico has just learned with dismay that tlife public, n little rusty on medieval history, is under the impression that the title rei'ers to an antiliquor' or extensive purity drive. Since same office was recently faced with a falling-olf of attendances in the smaller towns for "Lives of a Bengal Lancer," under tho impression .that the picture was an animal picture (concerned wi,th the hunting of Bengal [tigers, the misunderstanding is likely to J)e met With all the seriousness duo to commercial event. There is, of course, nothing new in .this title bogey, demands the writer, |nnd wiser men than the authors have jbeen altering titles ever since the ynovies became a big business concern. ''The Admirable Crichton" was changed long ago 'to " Mule and Female." [Pierre Benoit's "Atlantido" was shown / in America as " Missing Husbands." o,'he Guy de .Maupassant story "That IPig of. a Mori if' appeared chastely as *'J?ed Hot Papa." .Noel Coward's play ''The Queen was in tho Parlour" bejcamo " To-night Is Ours," on the prin-

ciple that the audience would not recollect the nursery rhyme on which the title was based. No one, however, knows why "Bill and Min" was changed to and Bill." The latest picture to suffer title change was the Marleno Dietrich production of "The Woman and the Puppet." Scheduled in the studios as "Caprice Espagnol," tho title was altered to "Carnival in Spain" for the benefit of the less highly educated. This led to the consideration that tho picture might be avoided as a and some bright intelligent finally decided on "The Devil is a Woman.'* [There the matter rests.