SCREEN AND STAGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21647, 18 May 1932, Page 3

SCREEN AND STAGE

— FROM GREEN ROOM AND STUDIO

BY HARLEQUIN,

Ariiss to Visit England That George Ariiss is definitely to make a picture in England this summer is a significant announcement made by Mr Jack L. Warner, one of the famous Warner Brothers of Hollywood, who is visisting London, Last autumn Mr Warner opened English studios at Teddington, where half a dozen films have already been made by British players under American supervision. So pleased is Mr Warner with the latest Teddington pictures that he has decided to enlarge the studios and bring over his “ ace ” American directors to produce British films on gilt-edged lines. Among the directors Mr Warner intends to transfer from Hollywood to Teddington are John Adolfi, who made “The Millionaire ” and’ “ Alexander Hamilton,” and Alfred Green, who did “ Disraeli ” and “Old English.” Gene Garrard's New Picture

Gene Gerrard, the 8.1. P. principal, has, since his outstanding success in “Let’s Love and Laugh,” “My Wife’s Family,” and “Out of the Blue,” been voted the most popular British screen comedian the world over. Letters frojm abroad and every part of England have claimed him to be the greatest ambassador the British film industry has ever known, and now his admirers will be glad to know that he is starting immediately on another laughraising film entitled, tentatively, “Lucky Girl." In this film Gene will play the part of a young man who suddenly succeeds to the throne, of a small and impoverished kingdom, and his subsequent adventures occur when he endeavours to “ raise the wind ” on the Crown jewels.- . Gene Gerrard will be director as well as star of the picture, with Frank Miller, who was responsible for'“The Verdict of the Sea,” as technical supervisor. Another BJ.P. favourite will play opposite to him in “Lucky Girl,” for Molly Lament, who also featured with Gene in. “Brother Alfred," is,to play the leading feminine role. As the daughter of a duke, Molly will have an opportunity to wear the lovely gowns she graces so well, and for the first time her singing voice will be heard in a lilting duet with Gerrard. The backgrounds of the film include the Royal Palace of Karaslavia, the handsome interior of the Duke of Pevensey’s country seat, and the beautiful grounds and Japanese garden of the ancestral manor. Chaliapin to Appear in Film' The great Russian operatic principal, Fedor Chaliapin, is to appear in a British production now in preparation. He is to receive £IO,OOO before the picture starts, with another £15,000 * afterwards and a percentage of the profits. Chaliapin’s personality does not suggest the lean idealist, nor does he intend risking his voice by training down to the spareness of figure associated with the author’s Don Quixote. But the character of Sancho Panza is very nearly as important as that of his chief, and those responsible are inclined to search the London stage and studios for a right actor. Sydney Howard is, perhaps, too big, though he can give his face the requisite comic stolidity. Hay Petrie, with his experience of Shakespearean clowning, would be able to combine humour and pathod 1 very effectively. In many respects Morris Harvey, who has never yet had the character part he deserves in pictures, seems able to meet the requirements as much as anybody. Selecting Sancho Panza looks like being an interesting job. “ Don Quixote ” is to be filmed, as to exteriors, in the South of France or Northern Spain, and the indoor work will be done in the A.R.P. studios at Ealing. It is to be made in English and French, and an expenditure of £BO,OOO upo D the two versions is contemplated. “The Cohens and the Kellys” . Universal have brought out another Cohens and Kellys picture. This time the famous, couples are seen in Hollywood, where the Kellys burst into the picture business and snub the Cohens, and the Cohens, when silent pictures go out of fashion, write songs for “talkies" and snub-, the now dethroned Kellys. Then theme songs go out of fashion, and the Cohens and the Kellys, poor once again, return to their home town and become friends again. This is claimed to be easily the best of the famous series, and George, Sidney and Charles Murray are funnier than ever. A feature of the film is an evening at the world-renowned Coconut Grove, in' the Ambassadors Hotel, Los Angeles. The actual cabaret, with its glorious decorations and marvellous band, was used for this sequence. Throughout the film there runs a song, “Where are You, Girl of My Dreams? ” -which has an irresistible melody. Willy Pogany’s Work In preparing for the production of “To-night or Never," starring Gloria Swanson, Samuel Goldwyn assigned Willy Pogany, the noted designer and illustrator, to create the settings of the. picture because of his reputation for originality and the, fact that he is a native of Budapest, the major locale of the story. According to expert opinion, the producer’s faith in Pogany has been more than justified, for the sets designed by the artist reveal a decidedly individual treatment and a fidelity to actual Continental scenes which could hardly be expected in reproductions. One of the beautiful groups of settings designed by Pogany for the picture represents an apartment and the garden restaurant in a Budapest hotel beside the famous Danube River, with the royal palace in the background. Another interesting set reproduced the canals of Venice. Paramount’s. New Programme Nine different kinds of entertainment will Be presented in the 11/new feature pictures which Paramount is filming, in Hbllywood at present. The productions before the cameras include three comedies, one musical and one society drama, one emotional romance, one action adventure thriller, one matrimonial story, one athletic drama, one story of , youthful ambition, and a picture with a religious motive. “ Paramount is not following any trend in this or ariy other cycle of pictures,” Mr B. PI Schulberg, managing director of production for Paramount, explained when approving the new schedule. “Variety is the spice of successful production for theatre exhibition, and upon that basis our programme has been constructed.”

Features upon which definite plans have been made include:—“Horse Feathers,” a college comedy starring the Four Mars Brothers; “Love Me To-night,” starring Maurice Chevalier with Jeanette MacDonald, a musical drama; Marlene Dietrich’s next picture, which is to have a society background; “Jerry and Joan,” an emotional romance, featuring Sylvia Sidney and Fredric March; “Come On, Marines,” the action adventure film: a nicture with Claudette Colbert and Clive Brook, to have a domestic setting; “ The Countess of Auburn,a comedy; a story based on the Olympic Carnes: “Merton of the Talkies,” tale of youthful ambition in Hollywood; George Bancroft’s “The Challenger - ”:• Tallulah Bankhead’s next;, and a special feature of a religious nature. New Zealander at Milan New Zealand music-lovers will_bc interested to hear that a New Zealand vocalist. Signora Yvonne Mnrotta (nee Miss Eva Webb-Jones, of Wanganui), made a successful debut at Milan recently in Puccini’s opera, “La Bohemc,” in which she played the principal part of Mimi (states an exchange). A cablegram received by her parents states that the Milan newspapers were unstinted in their praise of her performance. Musical Comedy as Training That the training in timing and building light comedy derived from the musical comedy stage is invaluable to players who work in films of similar character is the opinion of Ernst Luhitsch, director of Maurice Chevalier’s latest picture, "One Hour With You.” “‘One Hour With You.’ clearly illustrates the point,” said Luhitsch. The director points to the fact that seven of the eight loading players in the production have had musical comedy experience. Chevalier’s entire career before enterintr pictures was in this realm of entertainment with his seasons in the Folies Bcrgere and his London musical comedy

successes. Jeanette MacDonald, like Chevalier, always played in musical shows before entering films. Tom Walls’s Career Ambition, had it succeeded in the case of Tom Walls, would have robbed England of the opportunity of entertaining the world with one of her finest comedians. For the genial Englishman wanted to be a famous jockey. Unable to gratify his wish through excess weight, he did the next best thing and went to Australia as a stage jockey—“ Peter Doody ” in a touring Company of "The Arcadians,” thus beginning a feeling of friendship for Australia and New Zealand which has endured to the present day. Following the war, he made a success of “ Tons of Money,” in which he co-operated with Ralph Lynn. • “ Tons of Money ” became the first of a series of stage successes by the company formed by Walls, for producing plays at the Aldwych Theatre, the company becoming known as the “ Aldwych Company,” now an institution of British humour. Walls and Lynn successfully appeared at the Aldwych in all Ben Travers’s comedies, finally forsaking the stage with the advent of “ Rookery Nook ” in “ talkie ” form. They will make all the Aldwych farces in “ talkie ” form, but will only make two each year. “ The King of Kings ” The impending release of Cecil B. De Mille’s “The King of Kings” will take place at the Octagon Theatre soon. To those who saw the original silent version, this picture will come as a revelation in its new form. This film version of the life of Christ enlisted the energies of the De'* Mille organisation for a year. It included the acting of hundreds of fine players and the construction of Bible scenes such as has never before been attempted. For the first time a picture has re-created the temple at Jerusalem, the palace of Herod, and many other historical locales of the Gospel story. As an example of the physical elaborateness of the picture, it is worthy of mention that 10,000 objects or properties pertaining to the primitive Christian era were made for and used in the picture. Fairbanks Becomes Adventurer A new Douglas Fairbanks is making his bow to the screen public. Long and popular exponent of make-believe adventure on' the screen,. Fairbanks at last has taken his love of thrills out of the realm of fancy and into the strange bypaths of real life. ' His latest film is “Around the World in 80 Minutes with Douglas Fairbanks.” It is a record of adventures which no scenario writer spun for him from imagination. It is a record of the star’s actual experience on a trip around the world.

Fairbanks has long felt that, there are as many thrills and adventures to be found in the real world as in the makebelieve of the screes. Ho set Out to find these things, and the camera he took with him supports his contention. ‘ Those who have seen Fairbanks in his latest picture, which is being distributed by United Arfets, say dt has all the excitement and entertainment of any of his lavish spectacles such as “Thief of Bagdad” and “Robin Hood.” It was Fairbanks’s desire to make more than a travelogue, and, as the guest of rulers of various countries of the Orient, he was permitted to photograph scenes which the ordinary camera hunter could not take. Because of the praise given this initial adventure Fairbanks has announced his complete abandonment of ordinary “ movie ” play production to devote 1 himself exclusively to further travel film adventures.

A New Zealander’s Luck Miss Norah M'Manug (Auckland) has been understudying various characters since she arrived a year or so back (writes our Loudon correspondent on April 7), and at the present time she is in the chorus of “ The Chocolate Soldier,” at the Shaftesbury. A few nights ago she was singled out, without notice, to play Madina, the leading part, on account of the temporary loss of voice of Miss Anne Croft.” ' “ I haven’t got my breath yet,” said Miss M‘Manus, in a telephone conversation with the Star. "Luckily, by mistake, I arrived too early at the theatre, and so had 30 minutes to get ready. I telephoned to my mother to' bring my gold shoes in a taxi, and then, what with making up in one room and dressing in another, I was in a pretty flutter when I got on the stage. "Miss Croft was there, and did her best for me. My mother was .there—at least as out of breath and excited as I was. Oh, it was a very big thing for us both.- Mother and I were terribly thrilled. “When Miss Croft came from Australia I followed her. Nobody in London seemed to care about me; I couldn’t get. a chance with anything. Well, now I’ve played lead in the West End.” “ TKe Arcadians ” Official intimation has been received by the Dunedin Operatic Society that the premier performance of “The Arcadians ” on Saturday, May 28, will be under the patronage of the Mayor (Mr R. S. Black) and councillors. As a result of negotiations it is also announced that the performance will be under the auspices of and sponsored by the executive of the “ Come to Dunedin ” Week as its official attraction that evening. No stone is being left unturned by the society to justify the honour bestowed upon it, and, whereas one dress rehearsal has sufficed in the past, no less than three will be held for “The Arcadians.” “The Blue Danube” Those whose musical appreciation extends beyond “jazz” tunes will enjoy "The Blue Danube,” a romance based on the famous waltz by Johann Strauss, which will be seen at the- Regent Theatre soon. Many who are old enough to look back to the days before the fox-trpt existed will remember the lilting refrain of what is probably the most popular waltz ever written. _ That the Strauss family were gifted with genius there crin be little doubt. Johaun Strauss, the elder, and his even more famous son composed in all 552 waltzes, of which “ The Blue Danube” is undoubtedly the “gem.” The musical accompaniments rendered the film by the celebrated Royal Hungarian Tzigane Band are played with excellent effect. Dorothy Bouchier and Joseph Schildkraut occupy-the stellar roles, and Brigitte Helm, the noted Continental star, also has a prominent part. Film Topics The proposed “ talkie ” version of “Rain,” produced in silent film form as “ Sadie Thompson ” by Gloria Swanson, has been banned by Will Hays,. “ Czar ” of the American film industry, who only permitted the silent version on 'condition that the original title of the play should not be used. Columbia Pictures have sent two motion picture cameramen,. Sherman Pratt and Ilka Tolstoi, on a novel assignment which will take them three months to complete. They have been instructed to follow a zig-zag route across the United States and photograph any oddities they may find in 15 of the leading cities through which they pass. The object of this extended tour is to find novel subjects which will bo incorporated in Walter Putter’s “ Curiosities.” Columbia’s series of onereel films which carry the voice of John P. Medbury. Melvyn Douglas, who is making his first appearance on the screen in “ To-night or Never,” plays, in this picture opposite Gloria Swanson the same part he played in the original stage production under the ■ late David Belasco.