THE SILENT STAGE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20611, 9 January 1929, Page 2

THE SILENT STAGE.

FILMS AND FILM ARTISTS. By Hableqotn. ' An important innovation in British news-film production is the' 1 GSumpht Overseas News Reel, which is to be exclusively distributed in Australia and New Zealand by British Dominions Films, Ltd. The film, which is to be a weekly production, will contain Motherland items of interest, which are of particular appeal to the Antipodes. For the first editions, short forewords have been written by Sir Granville de Laune Ryrie, EI.CLM.G., High Commissioner for Australia, and Sir James Parr, High Commissioner for New Zealand. Owing to, his ill-health; Sir .Granville Ryrie was filmed signing his foreword at his. London home, whilst Sir James Parr attended the, Gaumont Mirror Studio for the same’ purpose. ■ Both the Australian and New Zealand editions will contain coloured sections, and the first numbers of-both issues contain, among other subjects, pictorial stories of the building of the new bridge across the Tyne at Newcastle, and the royal opening, the-annual procession of judges in London, exclusive pictures of the non-stop run of the Royal Scot to Carlisle, and how Britain is ' boosting ligbt acroplanc clubs. The coloured section in the first New Zealand edition contains pictures, of .the'old-world village of Bibury.

Sir James Barrie’s famous.play, “Half an Hour,” is to reach the screen as Paramount’s, second all-dialogue picture, under' the title of “ The Doctor’s Secret.” William de Mille is directing the production, and Miss Ruth Chatterton, the Broadway actress, H. B. Warner, John Loder, and Robert Edeson head the cast.

William Powell has, been making important scenes of “ The Four Brothers " at the Paramount studios in Hollywood, together with Richard Arlen and Noah Beery. Scenes on the actual-location of the story in the Sudan have already-been filmed by Merian Cooper and Ernest Sohoedsaek, the two adventurers ■ who made “ Chang ” and “ Grass." : Every detail of the uniform belonging to the bodyguard of the Mad Czar, Paul I. of Russia, is faithfully reproduced in the Paramount production, “The, Patriot,”: in which r Emil Jannings plays the-part of the Gnar. Authentic Information regarding the dress of these soldiers w<is the result of weeks of research by the property department at the Paramount studios.

More than SOO extra players, garbed in naval uniform, appear in Miss Clara Bow’s new -Paramount picture, “The Fleet’s In.”, For the most part the men selected' were ex-nayal men, so that authentic and realistic atmosphere could be obtained. Miss Bow gives one of her strongest characterisations in the picture, according to advance, reports. , Critics have been lavish with their praise of her work. James Hall and Jack Oakie have the featured supporting roles, with a capable cast surrounding them, v Residents’ -;in ; Tahiti are getting more than- their -share -of film stars and players lately.: First, ..William S. Van Dyke took Monte Blue' and Robert Anderson to the islands, where they made “ White Shadows in the South Seas.” Now Van Dyke has gone back with another Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer production unit, including Ramon Novarro, Miss Rene Adoree, Miss Dorothy Janis, and - Donald ■ Crisp, to make “The Pagan,” from the story by John Russell. Following this picture, tne director will make the trip into the heart of Africa to film “Trader Horn.” The main features of the sensational defeat of the' Australian eleven by England in the first test match played at Brisbane have been caught by the motion picture camera in a_ special edition of Paramount News, which will he released immediately in 'Australia and New Zealand. Interesting “shots” are the opening of the match by Hobbs and Sutcliffe,’ the fine catch made by Chapman which dismissed Woodfull, the collapse of the Australian batsmen, and the disastrous second Australian innings. Several slowmotion pictures were, taken of Gregory and Larwood bowling, 'and one a of White, England’s slow howler, in action. To_ call “ Roses of Picardy,” the British Dominions Films, which is to be shown shortly, a war film, without qualification, would be to cause a misconception. As “Mademoiselle from Armentiers” dealt with the lighter side of the war, the irrepressible humour of the. Tommies, so “ Roses of Picardy" presents a psychological study of - a few individuals, and shows their reaction to the great world event. Madeline is a Flemish farmer’s daughter, firm of character, without-ro-mantic convention, her one love the son of the seigneur of the village, to whom she gives Jill. When he is swallowed ip the mists of war, and forgets to write; she eases the ache at. her heart for her forgetful eavaljor by comforting a shell-, shocked British, officer. The war does hot end her mothering instinct, for her gallant Frenchman returns to her, blinded! The film , strikes a new note. There are thrilling battle scenes, tbe demolition of a village by gunfire, and, behind it all, the age old truth that while man gives blood and life in war the anguish is woman’s. Lillian Hall Davis, John Stuart, and Jameson Thomas, the principals, play the rules of their lives. “Roses of Picardy” should not be missed; it is a war picture that is different.

Miss Bessie Love, after spending a few months in vaudeville, has returned to the screen, and will play one of the two principal feminine roles in “Broadway Melody,” an . original story of Edmund ■Goulding which Harry Beaumont will: direct.-for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. ‘The story is highly dramatic and deals withlife along "the" White Way. The picture will contain ' dialogue sequences. Miss Anita Page, who is now completing her role in “The Flying Ensign,” Ramon Novarro’s new picture, tyill play the other chief feminine role. Production is scheduled for an early date, but no other selections for the cast have yet been made.

Marking a milestone in motion picture history, leaders of the kinema world paid a fitting tribute to David Wark Griffith on the occasion of his twentieth anniversary as a director. It was in 1908 that the first film which Griffith directed was given its “ premier.” It was a one-reelcr produced under the banner of the. old Biograph Company. Exactly 20 years later, at the United Artists’ studio, - the famous director put the finishing torches to “The Battle of the Sexes,” a story of the average AAierican home, with Miss Jean Hersholt, Miss Phyllis Haver, Miss Belle Bennett, Don Alvardo, and Miss Sally O’Neil in the principal roles. It is a far cry from the master director’s initial production to his newest work, for the picture industry has advanced. And to that advance no man has contributed more than Griffith.