NOTES AND JOTTINGS FROM THE FILM WORLD

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12199, 25 July 1925, Page 13

NOTES AND JOTTINGS FROM THE FILM WORLD

PERSONAL AND GENERAL Mr O. N. Gillespie, New; Zealand manager for First National Company, who recently returned from Australia, put in a busy period on the other side of the Tasman, and has been "going some" on p the business side since ‘his return. |! * * * * t Mr H. G. Dagnall (New Zealand man- J ager, of the Fox Film Corporation) has * gone to Sydney to attend an important , business conference in the interests of J the firm. One of his principals, Mr C. ® B. Sheehan, who maae many friends a while in New*' Zealand, has been confer- * ring with the. Australian and Dominion * representatives of the Fox Film Corpora- £ t:on. and important devolpments fure to follow. « - ■* ■ . . * ' « . * * •Mr Maurice Balph has returned to , Wellington after spending some busy Q days in Auckland on business for Beaumont Smith productions. • * * • ' * * Mr Frank Stewart,' described as the Dominion's foremost camera-man, has been appointed official photographer for the Arepuni hydro-electric scheme, and leaves for Arapuni to take moving pictures of this gigantic enterprise. ».* * * • James Oliver CuTwood's dramatic tale, ."The Hunted Woman," leaps with thril.ling having an Alaskan setting as, a background. The director took advantage of the orandeur of Tosemite Valley for his exteriors, and the cameraman tendered excellent assistance in getting some remarkable shots. ♦ * * * The bringing to life of prehistoric ,j dinosaurs marks another milestone in motion nocture history. Years ago Watterson B. Bothacker bought the screen rights to Sir Arthur Cohan Doyle's novel, "The Lo«t World/' the First National wonder film now being shown at the De Luxe Theatre. *••W • # ' * /Jr. E.. Davidson. New Zealand publicity manager for Famous La* 1 *7 Pictures, has been paying special attention to the production in various parts of the Dominion ] of the .Paramount masterpiece, ''The Ten ■ Commandments." The many criticisms of this gTeat -film are couched in words . of praise, while some of the notices are most laudatory- "Better, far better, than any sermon ever preached," says one writer, "and from it all —Christians as well as dinners—may receive a wonder- ! ful lesson." y 'The Ten Commandments" is - now. being shown at Queen's. Nina Bomano, whos esecret marriage to. Lou Tellegan was made public recently,: has signed a long-term contract with "Universal. The announcement v .came recently fiV>m the studio.,when details of thp contract, whereby Miss Enmnnb ,will appear explosively in Universal pictures, 'were completed. inha May Wong,: CVHI Chadwick and William'hre in the supporting cast of "Forty Winks." said to be one of the most uproariously funny comedies over conceived.. . .. • - -.. *V.. ■ . * When "The Swiss Family Bobinscm" in the movies goes oift to, the general public, it will be under the title "Perils of the Wild." - •• • * * * * Harry Myers and * ‘rtram Grassby have been added to the cast of Laura La. Planted starring Jewel production, "The Beautiful Cheat." being made by Edwrard Rloman from Nina Wilcox Putmam's "Saturday Evening Post' story, "Doubling for Cupid." * . * * * An entire city has been built at Universal for no other purpose than be burned up. It is to be used-in "The Still '■ • ■ • & ' ♦ ■ * ■ ■ ;* Heurv Otto has been cho«en by William ' Fox to direct ."The Ancient Mariner." from the classic • poem of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. * * Jackie Coogan has signed a new. tractr—or at least his father has —to make two pictures a year for Metro-Goldwyn. . * ♦. % # * Zane Grey's "The Thundering Herd" is said to be 1a worthy successor to "The Covered Waggon." It is a creat screen story of the West in the, making, and its production was supervised by Zane Grey himself. The lending roles have been assigned to Lois Wilson, Jack Holt, and Noah For-the future the Australasian Beleasing Corporation will relea.se all their features through the Beaumont .Smith organisation in New Zealand. At rhe ■moment two special production*—boutnern Love," featuring Betty Blythe, and the colossal film of the creation of the world entitled "Aft*- Six Days'—are pleasing ma’ny New Zealahders. “THE TEN COMMANDMENTS” 'THIRD WELLINGTON REASON. "The Ten Commandments," Paramount's great 19215 epic, is, now showing for its third season in Wellington at the ■ Queen's Thdatre. • Phenomenal. is the only word that describes its success since its first appearance in Wellington. ! * Throughout New Zealand it jbas met with 1 an. unparalleled reception on the part of the. public, Press, clergy and critics * alike. In England, America, and on the 1 Continent it has met. with much the same success. As a film production rt has amazed Europe, and its message has I been translated into nearly every lan-; l guage. , "The Ten Commandments" is brought 1 back to Wellington for its third season j in, response to general ! public request, atad . it is anticipated that it will nave an- - other . big season; Intending patrons t are aa vised to book their seats for this i feature #s the box plan is rapidly fill- . ing.

THE INVASION OF LONDON COLLEEN MOORE AND JOHN ' McCORMICK. Qnite a number of screen notabilities have been visiting London recently. The latest visitors, when the mails left, were Colleen Moore and her husband, John McCormick, western publicity representative of First National. During her stay in Europe, primarily a holiday and a year-delayed honeymoon, Miss Moore plans to visit France, Italy and Switzerland. In England a certain number of exteriors will be made for her next production, "Wee Moderns," a version of a play by Israel Zangwill, staged

last year in New York, but not yet 6een in London. Owing to the success of "Sally,” First National have secured "Irene,” another musical comedy, as, a future vehicle for Miss Moore.. Another probable vehicle is ‘’Clarissa and the Post Road,” a story published in. the "Saturday Evening Post.” ,

Miss Moore, who is only twenty-two, has appeared in no fewef than forty-two pictures, of ■ which the host known are •‘The Flapper,” "Flaming Youth,” “Flirting With Love/’ “So Bih, and "Sally.” She played her first screen part while still a school girl in a IX W. Griffith production. * * . •, . * Picturesque frontier life, in . towns' where gunplay was a daily exercise and bullets settled arguments instead of words, is vividly visualised in ‘‘The Rainbow Trail,” Tom Mix’s latest Wililiam Fox starring vehicle, which opens on August 7th at the Paramount Theatre. “The Rainbow Trail,” one of Zane Grey’s pulsating and dramatic narratives of the old west, is another ot that famous author's works to be transcribed to the screen by the noted Fox western star. It follows "The Last of the Duanes,” and "Riders of the Purple Sage.' , ’ * ■ * » ‘ * COMING ATTRACTIONS "The Top of the World,” from the novel by Ethel M. Dell, and featuring Anna Q. Nilsson and James Kirkwood, is a new Paramount picture down for release. The story is a vivid, melodramatic romance (involving a girl and two men in darkest Africa. Briefly, it concerns Sylvia Ingelton, the proud and spirited daughter of an English family. To escape a loveless marriage she runs away to South Africa fully determined to marry Guy Banger, a childhood sweetheart, whom she hasn't seen for several y ears - , , * One of the most successful comedies of the stage has been brought to the screen with Viola Dana, Theodore Koberts, Raymond Griffith in the leading roles—- " Forty Winks/' from the stage success "Lord Chumley/' by David Betesco and Henry C. de Mille. The plot, while highly dramatic, furnishes otie big laugh after another. In the story fortifications plans are stoienlfrom the office safe of a young naval lieutenant. The theft is engineered by an attorney, through a beautiful Oriental girl. He .tells the boy s sister that ho is in a positipn to buy back the plans and save her brother s name, but that it would look better if he was a member of the' family. She promises to marry if he recovers the papers. “NORTH 0F 7 36” The journey of Columbus across the Atlantic in 1492 required no more courage than the trip made ,by the pioneers of the South in their attempt to establish a definite trail between Texas and the railroads in Kansas. The first caravan travelling from the Gulf of Mexico to northern United States faced fearful odds—lndians, car-pet-baggers, floods, fire.' wild animals, and many more obstacles described in Emerson Hough’s historical novel, "North of ’.38,” which Imiv Willat produced the picture forn» for Paramount. * Like Columbus, the first caravan had no guide save the compass and stars, Nobody had ever been over the trail be fore. Those who had attempted nevei returned to tell the tale. What hap, pened, nobody ever knew. In. “North of ’36” the first journe; from the South to the North is tolc upon the screen scene Tor scene as il actually occurred sixty years ago. Noth ing has been left out, nothing has beer added. The true story of .the hardship and suffering of the brave band was si thrilling that it required no change ti achieve the supreme drama. Prominent in the cast of "North o ’36” are Jack Holt, Ernest Torrence Lois .Wilson (the “Covered Wagon” girl] and Noah Beety.

IN FILMLAND AN AUCKLAND-MADE PICT DEB. Beaumont Smith's latest picture, ''The Adventures of Algy," part of which was filmed in Auckland, ihas earned a nattering reception in Australia. At a notable peiformance at the Lyceum Theatre, Sydney, the film was witnessed by the Governors of New South Wales and Victoria, Sir Dudlev Be Chair and the Earl of Strathbroke. both of whom expressed themselves delighted with the novelty and charm of the entertainment. Beaumont Smith's newest production has great novelty and originality, and »s regarded on all sides as his greatest effort. The cast, is headed bv -Claude Dampier and Bnthie Stuart, the latter of Auckland. Billy Carlyle and Enc Harrison also having leading roles. The theatrical journal, "Everyone's, f has the following to say of the film: — "The further adventures of Algy, as shown in this picture, makes rather a presentable subject. There > is. just a slight plot, which allows continuity, and tells of two New Zealand estates, left to the nephews of a deceased landowner. The nephews, who are cousins, are to go to New Zealand for their heritage, and which get<s theup- first securer the most valuable property. By a trick, Algy misses the boat to Wellington, and is several days late in reaching the agent s quarters, where his cousin has. already out in a claim for valuable pastoral lands, leaving barren land in the Taranaki district for Algv. This, howevei. towards the finish, develops into valuable oil fields. Both cousins- ore rivals for the hand of the heroine, but the latter favours This in brief is the storv. The nadding is of an. interesting kind, and show* many health and pleasure. resorts in New Zealand, some typical scenerv and several Maori ceremonies. In addition, the ballets arranged on the staffs of the theatre are first-claos. Miss Bathie Stnart does verv well in the leading feminine role, and Claude Damp’er is satisfactory. The nicture is a valuable contribution to the ust of Austral-ian-made subjects,, dnd Mr Smith o he commended for his efforts to keep th* yame alive." ' „ ... "The philanderings of the irrepressible Algy," says another paper, "the sweet winsomeness of Bathie Stuart as *he brav© New Zealand girl, and the sterling work in moT© serious vein of Billie Carlyle all go to make this film a novelty of great entertainment value."

The recent record established by Presir dent Coolidce, when, he shook hands with White House visitors for several hours, was broken by Douglas Fairbanks in Hollywood, Shrine Week. While the fezzed host gathered in the film capital, Doug, was'kept busy day and night greeting the visitors who flocked to his studio. He shook hands with several thousand people each day, and the effort would nave caused a less athletic znan to have carried his arm in a sling. Exhibition games of "Doug." were played for the visitors, and guides took them about the studio, where they saw the famous sets from "Robin Hood " “The Thief of Bagdad," and “Don Q.» Son of Zorro." Doug, led the parade that the Beverly Hill Rodeo, given in honour.of the bands, patrols and drill teams ,of the Shriners. Clad in his Don Q. costume, he rode the white horse that carried him through the romantic picture of that name. m a * * Not in many years has an announcement of such significance been made as that of the signing with Paramount of Florenz Ziegfield to produce a series of pioturos witn the same appeal as that to be found in the internationally famous Ziegfield Follies. The contract is for a period of five years. This will be. the first opportunity the world has had of seeing the type of production that has been made world famous through the medium of Ziegfield Follies. * * * PARAMOUNT NEWS Paramount 'Week. Fifth annual Paramount ■ Week will be ■ celebrated between August 31st and September sth , this year. Arrangements for this are how well in hand, and it promises to he i the biggest, campaign ever launched in ; tho interests l of the moving picture in i New Zealand. Special inducements are i being offered to exhibitors to participate i in this campaign, and a notable feature , of the prises offered for the best initia- . tive shown in the presentation of pic- . tures during the season will be a special ! Paramount Shield, valued at one hun- : dred guineas. This shield will be re- , tained by the exhibitor each year and i then passed on to the winning exhibitor 5 next year. a * * ♦ "The Ten Commandments” is now in its 34th week at the Prince Edward Theatre, Sydney. By comparison this is almost a world’s record for screening of 3 this great picture, with possibly New ” York excepted. The Australian public 3 have certainly given "The Ten Com-, • mandments” a great hearing. The same, 1 however, can be said of the New Zealand picture-goers, for calls for second seasons 3 are being made at the Paramount Ex--1 change every day.' There is not the - slightest doubt that this production is • tho greatest monument to the history of 1 the screen that has been erected in mo- ■ dern times. ‘ - * * » * , Gloria Swanson, who returns recently i to Amerioa from France, whither she ’ went to make Sardou’s great play, "Madame Sans Gene,” has now settled , down to work at the Paramount studios and also to her wifely duties. It is said that she is very happy with her new 5 husband, the Count de la Falaise. i “-Madame Sans Gene” will be shown in 1 Sydney at an early date, and later in JT New Zealand. This picture is now show- " ing on Broadway to capacity houses. • . . • > ;o Adolphe Menjou, popular screen star, has signed a long term contract with >f Paramount. He will appear in many s, coming pictures, and those who have al- ), ready seen his work will look forward to seeing him again with anticipation.