SCREEN AND STAGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22329, 1 August 1934, Page 3

SCREEN AND STAGE

FROM GREEN ROOM AND STUDIO

BY HARLEQUIN

“ Bright Side Up ” “ Bright Side Up ” is a romantic comedy with music. Buddy DeSylva, the producer who was also responsible for “Sunny Side Up,” is credited with another success. Like his earlier film “ Bright Side Up ” is reported to be a delightful romance with songs woven logically into the story. “Pat” Paterson, the lovely English comedienne, makes her American film debut in this picture. The other members of the cast are Spencer Tracy, John Boles. Herbert Mundiu, Sid Silvers, Harry Green, Thelma Todd, Robert Emmett O’Connor, Dell Henderson Suzanne Kaaren, and Douglass Wood. The film satirises the “ bluff ” of Hollywood. It portrays how three merry rougues and a girl with screen ambitions put on a stylish front and “ crash ” the golden gates of the film capital. The girl, who has long cherished a love for a famous star soon finds herself “skyrocketed ” to film fame by her three rollicking companions. Before long she is playing opposite the man she has loved from afar. When the girl and her three companions are found to be acting on mere pretence the situation becomes embarrassing. But the film star who has fallen in love with the girl sticks by her and the climax is interesting.

Launching a Debutante “ Coming Out Party,” which makes its appearance on the screen of the Grand Theatre to-day, is a film that is said to reveal what actually goes on behind the scenes of a debutante's launching. One of the season’s debutantes is being prepared for her social While preparations are being made for her party, she slips away to keep a secret appointment with the man she loves, a young violinist. Returning from Chicago, t£e young man arrives at the coming out party, and informs the girl that he must leave for Europe on a concert tour. Although she realises that she must get married immediately, the girl agrees to await his return the following year. The butler, who is familiar with her des-

perate situation, hastens to the boat to prevent the young man from sailing. They both return in time to prevent the young girl from announcing her forced marriage to a wealthy young man. Against the objections of her parents, the lovers marry. Frances Dee and Gene Raymond portray the romantic leads, while the other members of the important cast are Alison Skip worth, Nigel Bruce, Harry Green, Gilbert Emery, Marjorie Gateson, Clifford Jones, Jessie Ralph, and Germaine de Neel. ’

Famous Comedians Featured “ Six of a Kind,” the picture which will be shown on Friday at the St. James Theatre, is a. real screen comedy, played by real comedians and directed by ,one of the best comedy dirctors in the business. The featured cast is 100 per cent. screen comedians, comprising Charlie Ruggles, Mary Boland, George Burns, and Grade Allen, W. C. Fields and Alison Skipworth. The story takes the first four on a motor trip across the country. They get as far as Nuggetville, Nevada, pursued bv detectives who suspect Ruggles, a bank clerk, of the theft of 50,000 dollars. Here they run into Miss Skipworth, in the role of a hotelkeeper, and W. C. Fields as the sheriff. The arrival of two detectives and the real thief mixes things up more and adds to the furious pace of the comedy. It is impossible to give a clear idea of the fun in the picture, which must be seen to be appreciated. None of the six featured players, it is claimed, hae ever *been seen to better advantage, and the skilful dirction of Leo M'Carey has brought out every laugh in the story. , Especially noteworthy is the work of Grade Allen, who, with George Burns, is playing the first role which carries her all the way through a picture.

A Newspaper Story In the past few years the studios have discovered that newspapers and newspapermen are dramatic and colourful. The result has been a series of racy, exciting, and entertaining productions dealing with the melodramatic exploits of the men who make the papers. There were “The Front Page,” with Adolphe Menjou and Pat O’Brien,, “Five Star

Final,” with Edward G. Robinson, and “Gentlemen of the Press,” with Walter Huston, among others. Now Warner Bros, has produced another with Paul Muni playing the central character, a two-fisted New York City managing editor who is derated t" the “ Heart Throbs ” editor’s seat, but who solves a sensational disappearance mystery, “ scoops ” the other papers, and is restored as the “ big boss.” ■ “Hi, Nellie! ” which comeg to the Strand Theatre shortly, is the title of this picture, getting its name from the derisive salutation given by one and all to the man dishing out advice to the lovelorn. It was written by a New- York newspaperman, Roy Sutherland, who worked on the New York Daily News and “scooped” fellow-reporters time and again. “Hi, Nellie!” lists an imposing group of actors in support of Muni, with Glenda Farrell. Kathryn Sergava, Robert Barrat, Ned Sparks, Douglas Dumbrille, Hobart Cavanagh, and Berton Clmrcliill featured. Warner Baxter Starred " Such Women Are Dangerous,” a comedy-drama starring Warner Baxter, opens on Friday at the State Theatre. The film combines romance, intrigue, and mystery, and presents Baxter in a role that is ideally suited to his personality. Baxter finds himself the target of the love-making of three charming feminine stars—Rosemary Ames, Rochelle Hudson, and Mona Barrie. Baxter as a handsome bachelor-novelist is > the admiration of 9,000,000 women readers, but three women are directly concerned with his private life. One of them,.his secretary, seeks to protect him from the love of a young girl who aims to marry him, and also a married opera singer who is madly infatuated with him. The young girl commits suicide, and the novelist is accused of the murder. It is reported that the humorous and exciting developments through which the novelist is extricated from this unfortu-

nate situation provides a thoroughly amusing and interesting climax to the storyThe film was produced by A 1 Rockett and was directed by James Flood from the screen play by Jane Storm and Oscar M. Sheridan.

G.B.S. in the Open Air One of the plays which Mr Bernard Shaw wrote on board the Rangitane, “ The Burgesses of Calais,” is to be performed shortly at the Open .Air Theatre in RegentV Park (writes our London correspondent on June 8). The attraction at the moment in this delightful alfresco centre of London is “Twelfth Night.” Mr Shaw describes this presentation by Sydney Carroll as “ one of the finest things I have ever seen.”. So far, the weather has not been sufficiently warm for outdoor plays, but so splendid is the company and so splendid, too, are the memories attaching to Mr Carroll’s venture a year ago that attendances are not likely to fall off. As the sun grows brighter and the evenings become -warmer there will be packed “ houses.”

“ The Burgesses of Calais ” is based upon the story of the surrender of Calais to Edward HI, and Queen Philippa’s, intercession on’ behalf of the six principal burgesses. Asked whether there would be any difficulties about presenting the play in the open, Mr Shaw said: “ There is nothing to do except to build the walls of Calais and provide a mediaival army —and, of course, Queen Philippa and the six gentlemen. > It is a very short play, and will be only part of the programme. The story is told by the chronicler, In-ois-sart, but he didn’t tell it very well, so I thought I had better improve on it.’ Mr Shaw asked Mr Carrol] if he were prepared to build the walla of Calais on the open-air stage. Mr Carrol] said they could- do anything there. In the same bill as “The Burgesses of Calais ” will ( be a revival of “ Androcles and the Lion.”

The other plays that he wrote during his. New Zealand voyage are full length and they are not about politics. “ The Village Wooing,” a play in three scenes, which Mr Shaw wrote during a previous tour, will shortly be produced at the Little Theatre, with Sybil in the cast. It was performed for the first time in this country at Tunbridge Wells recently.

A New Australian Film A new standard in Australian film production is said to be set in “The Silence of Dean Maitland,” which will open on Friday at the Regent Theatre. The film is said fully to justify the claim that it compares favourably with productions from the English and American studios, and its appeal should not be restricted to Australia and New Zealand. Brilliant acting and casting are outstanding features of the production, even the smallest parts being splendidly played. John Longden, the talented English actor, scores a triumph in the exceptionally difficult role of Doan Maitland. The part of the young clergyman, who returns to his native village with a life' of promise before him, only to endanger the prospects of a successful career by succumbing to the charms of a village girl who declares her love for him, is one that calls for very exacting acting, but he is equal to every situation. Charlotte Francis, who takes the part of Alma Lee,*’ the village girl, is said to give a brilliant performance, and reveals acting*ability of a high order, and she undoubtedly will be an asset to future

“ Broadway to Hollywood ” Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s spectacular production, “ Broadway to Hollywood/' will open its Dunedin season at the Empire Theatre on Friday. Alice Brady, Jackie Cooper, Jimmy Durante, Frank Morgan, Fay Templeton, Madge Evans. Eddie Quillan, May Robson, Russell Hardie—stars of Hollywood. Broadway, and London —together with 500 beautiful Albertina Rascb ballet girls, appear in this great pageant of the stage, which tells the loves and joys, the fortunes and heartbreaks of three generations of actorplayers from the. rise of vaudeville to its ultimate decline in favour of the modern kinema. Those who look back with pleasant memories of vaudeville days, with their gaiety and zest, will once more in “ Broadway to Hollywood ” come under the glamour of the footlights, hear again the old “ gags ” and song successes of other days reproduced in a lavishness of background impossible .within the narrow limits of the theatre stage. Fay Templeton sings Barney Fagan dances, and in a magnificent climax 500 dancers of the gorgeous Albertina Rasch ballets are seen in the largest kinema set ever built. The story traces the career of a vaudeville family through a period of 50 years.

“Broadway to Hollywood” is said to be something new in kinema entertainment. Among the excellent supports is included a Fitzpatrick travelogue, “ Home, bweet Home.”

Pianist and Russian Ballet Messrs J. and N, Tait and Messrs J. C. Williamson promise concert-goers a rare treat when they send to New Zealand the Adelaide boy prodigy of the piano 1 hilip Hargrave. This small wonder of the keyboard is at present on a tour of Adelaide, Perth, and Melbourne, with Sydney to follow, and then, probably, New Zealand. Without a sheet of music to go by, tne lad plays classical programmes that are a severe test of memory and interpretation, and ranks among tne geniuses of the musical wo.Hd. The Russian ballet being organised for Melbourne Centenary by M. Dandre (the late Madame Pavlova’s Jjusband) will also come to New Zealand to present a form

Australian productions. As the doctor who undergoes 20 years in prison rather than betray his friend, John Warwick is excellently cast, and his performance at the close of the film, after he emerges from

of entertainment seldom seen in those parts. The company includes some of the most famous people of European and Continental note, principals and ballet numbering 30 of the .world’s best exponents of the classical dance.

Mickey Mouse as “ Gulliver ” Mickey Mouse has been assigned to a series of entirely new adventures by Walt Disney in his new production entitled “Gulliver Mickey.” This film depicts Mickey in the role of the famous traveller to Lilliput. Jonathan Swift employed this character and his adventures to give vent to his bittter feeling against the foibles of the English life of his time, but Mr Disney’uses the same material for charming entertainment, not for vicious irony. After being washed ashore to the small, make-believe island of Lilliput, Mickey awakes to find himself immeshed in countless ropes, miniature in .size and strength. Mickey easily frees himselt from these tangles, whereupon the Lilliputians set upon him with all the forces at their command, including their “biggest” cannon. From then on Mr Disney takes a few liberties with Swift's masterpiece, but with much kindly humour

that it is improbable the master of satire would derive anything but delight from this modern interpretation of his works.

Film Topics It is doubtful if there is a family more closely associated with the stage than the Cassons. The most famous member is Mrs Lewis Casson, known to most, and to all who love the theatre, a* Dame Sybil Thorndike. Many and varied are the roles which she has played on the legitimate stage and in talking pictures. Her son and her daughter are almost as well known, and as for her husband, Lewis Casson, his name is familiar to theatregoers, especially overseas, where it stands for polish and brilliance before the footlights. He has been persuaded to make a talking picture, and finally, like his wife, he has consented. That picture is “Night Club Queen.” in which he is associated with another grand old trouper of the stage, Mary Clare. Lewis Milestone, who directed “All Quiet on the Western Front,” will direct H. G. Wells’s fantastic story of the next century, “The Hundred Years to Come,” which London Films will produce in Eng.iand for United Artists. Announcement of the important alliance follows completion of the film script by Mr Wells for which Alexander Korda is already preparing sets and costumes. Korda plans to spend eight'months making the production, and has brought Ned Maun, Hollywood model expert, to London for miniature work. No players have been announced yet. The film will depict civilisation during the next century and beyond, when war will be completely .mechanised and a working day will consist of only four hours. Production work has, been started by Reliance Pictures on that company's most ambitious undertaking—the filming of Alexandre Dumas’s classic “The Count of Monte Cristo.” Robert Donat, young

prison an embittered man, but still with greater strength of character than his erstwhile friend, is an excellent piece of restrained acting. The minor parts are equally well taken.

English screen and stage star, plays the title role, and opposite.. him is Elissa Landi. Other personalities include Louis Calhern, Sidney Blackmer. 0. P. Heggie, Raymond Wilburn, Luis Alberni, and Irene Hervey. Sets for this United Artists picture have been constructed that are among the largest in number and size ever built. The interiors alone require nine sound stages. With the production budgeted at 952,000 dollars, there is little exaggeration in saying it will be a milliondollar picture. The screen play aid dialogue of “Monte Pristo” have been written by Philip Dunne and : Don Totheroh, and Rowland V. Lee is directing. : ' .