SCREEN AND STAGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23369, 8 December 1937, Page 15

SCREEN AND STAGE

FROM GREEN ROOM AND STUDIO

BY HARLEQUIN

■m ©ood as Married" With the showing ci Universale jparkling comedy, "As Good as Married, at the St. James Theatre on Friday, theatre-goers will see what is said to be one of the strongest casts ever assembled for this type of picture. John Boles, Walter P;idgeon, Doris Nolan, and Tala Birrell head the cast, With such well-known and brilliant performers as Alan Mowbray, Ernest Cossart, Dorothea Kent, Joyce Compton, and Esther Ralston in support. Miss Nolan has a role which affords every opportunity for the display of her talent for comedy. She plays a secretary who marries her boss, a successful architect, played by John Boles, in order to help him save money on his income tax. Many complications ensue. The sets of this picture were the talk of Hollywood during production. People came from other studios to see them, and, as a result, many homes in Hollywood were altered Designed by John Harkrider, brilliant Universal art director, they are conceded to be the finest he has ever

done, including for the "Great Ziegfeld" and for "Top of the Town." "As Good as Married " was directed by ;Edwardi. Buzzell, .a former musical comedy star,- whose gift for comedy i ,,;direi;t4o;n.;,'is > .qiiLfcso.f. the" Screen's finest, .Advance'writers.claim that "As Good .;'fl& Married."'affords.ifcvesy thing-, that'>.a. good comedy drama should offer.'. The '.cast is superb, the dialogue sparkling; ;and-the, direction brilliant. ;.v-. ■! " The Woman I Love "

Dramatic " punch "iri a, role is vastly more important than being-the hero, or, than grabbing a lion's share of the scenes, according to Paul Muni. More than once he has refused roles, simply because there was nothing distinctive about the character, and instead chose smaller parts in much less prominent films in which he could employ his remarkable talents of characterisations. In keeping with this theory that " the role's the thing," Muni currently is appearing in RKO Radio's : "The Woman I Love," which' will be shown at the State. Theatre. Officially he is co-starred with Miriam Hopkins. Louis Hayward heads the,featured cast oi: this gripping romance of French wartime aviation, and most of,the, film's sentimental action lies between Miss Hopkins and young Hayward. Muni's role as the misunderstood and embittered' husband-is really given less "footage" than that of his young fellow-flyer. But the suspense of Muni's situation

transcends that of every other character. The role offers Muni a notable opportunity to give another of his famous realistic portrayals, and that is precisely what he wants, and why he eagerly accepted the chance to play it. Totally different from his characterisation as the patient Chinese farmer of "The Good Earth," or the resolute scientist of " Louis Pasteur," Muni's work as the sensitive and unpopular pilot of "The Woman I Love" is said to mark a new triumph for this brilliant but unassuming actor. Based on Joseph Kes-el's " L'Equipage," a recent best-seller throughout Europe, the new film was produced by A!b t Lewis and directed by Anatole Litvak, the noted French director. Colin Clive, Wally Albright, Mady Christians, Paul Guilfoyle, Sterling Holloway, Donald Barry, Elizabeth Risdon, and other favourites are in the large suDDorting cart, with Ethel Borden and Anthony Veiler writing the screen play. Triumph for Marie Ney

Perhaps the highest tribute that can be paid to an actress is to say that when on the stage she is never her awn self. Marie Ney is never Mane Ney She is invariably the character she is portraying. As moulded by her, each character becomes a living being, and very few of London's leading women on the stage to-day have created so many totally differing parts. Every character set up by her has been an inspiration, and an evidence of her close preliminary study. This week, in London (writes our correspondent on November 10), this great artist from New Zealand has added another stage character to her list, and as a sequel there came an immediate paeon of praise from all the leading critics, providing further pleasing records for the hook of cuttings which she no doubt keeps. Many people, eminent theatrically, assembled It the Vaudeville to see Ibsen's " Ghosts," in the freer translation prepared by Norman Gins bury. Many among the audience had seen this elay which has caused so much controversy again to-day, when it was

first presented in London in 1891. Its action takes place in a room of a house overlooking one of the western fiords of Norway, the period being 1383. Miss Ney plays lead as Mrs Alving, an ageing widow somewhat austere, but with the aristocratic bearing of a woman of fine character who has locked within herself unpleasant memories connected with her late husband, a man naturally full of the joy of life, a joy denied him by environment. Her every movement is i,ne of grace, and so is every action and pose. This dramatic play leads up to the highest pitch of acting in the heartrending finale where the mother sobs and sobs, holding in her hand the tnial of poison as she fulfils the promise made to her dying son that she would put an end to him whenever his madness should again become manifest. It will be remembered that the play is about the sins of a' father, so great that the Fates consumed his memorial with fire and the mind of his son with insanity.

There is a good supporting cast. Stephen Murray is Pastor Manders, priest, so full of righteousness and possessing so little experience of the world that he shrinks almost visibly When Mrs Alving tells him why she left- her husband, and he is too horrified for words when Oswald Alving begins to show the. first signs of his father's depravity. These two performances, with Clifford Evans as Oswald'and those of Silvia Coleridge at Regiria and Frederick Bennett as Engstrand. make the short-timed revival memorable.

The Times comments regarding Miss Ney: "The performance is memorable as much for its feeling as for its intellect"

Mr G. W. Bishop, in the Daily Telegraph, under the heading—" Marie Ney's Evening":—"Above all there is Marie Ney's performance as Mrs Alving, which holds the audience enthralled by its emotional power, ueeply felt sincerity, -and,-the extraordinary response to all that Ibsen must have felt in the character. It is a long time since I have been so moved in a theatre."

Mr Stephen Williams (Evening Standard):—" Miss Marie Ney gives probably the finest performance of her career. This, Mrs Alving is not the grim, gorgon-like monument we have been accustomed to see; she. has an aristocracy of bearing and a good deal of winsome feminine charm." The News Chronicle:, " Miss Marie

Ney is giving, without any question, the greatest acting performance ir London . . . with a delicacy and dignity of gesture and movement, with beauties of voice and eyes, with common sense and courage, she contrives to make Mrs Alving not only all women, but one woman as well. . . . But in the execution of her final duty, the .silling of her son, her only true duty throughout her life, Miss Ney brokenly and pitifully brought down a curtain that left her and us gasping and stammering. A great performance of a great part in a great play." . The Evening News: Miss Marie Ney's Mrs Alving is tremendously moving because she is content not to give a ' heroic' performance, but to create a woman who is continually facing a struggle which she knows is really too big for her." There were numerous recalls at the close, and in a brief speech Miss Ney thanked Miss Lilian Baylis (Old Vic), Miss Esme Church (producer), and the company. It is recorded that after the final performance of Ibsen's " Ghosts " during the Old Vic's season at Buxton, a man stepped forward and, solely on account of Miss Ney's performance, offered £IOOO towards the cost of a London production. The sequel is a revival timed for three weeks. " Love on the Run " " Love on the Run," which will commence a season at the Empire Theatre on Friday, celebrates the reunion of that most delightful of love teams, Joan Crawford and Clark Gable, in their first picture together since " Forsaking All Others." "Love on the Run" deals with an American heiress in Europe on a pleasure trip, whose millions are cordially desired in exchange for a " shoddy " title. When she discovers the facts in the case the wedding is cancelled. At that point Gable enters the scene as a newspaper correspondent on the trail of a cable despatch. To avoid complications the girl agrees to dodge her " almost-in-laws" by joining Gable in a stolen plane. He is not a good pilot, but they manage to take off, and in doing so Joan receives a huge bouquet of flowers, thrust into her hand at the

airport. In the air, they discover a note in the roses, and from it learn that the owners of the plane are spies. The gift of roses was a case of mistaken identity, but it gives Gable a story to cable to his home paper. From that noint on the story gathers speed and is never without action. A rival reporter enters the case and the trio is chased all over Europe by spies until the proper exigencies enable them to turn the tables. The supporting cast includes Franchot Tone. Three units of more than usual interest are included in the supporting programme. These are " Fury Over Spain," showing authentic pictures of

the present conflict in Spain; " Wanted, a Master," a Pete tomith specialty of particular interest to lovers of animals; and " Hollywood Party," a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer colour musical revue. Films for Strand With a nation's fate in his pocket, he went chasing a beautiful girl, matching wits with a cruel, clever killer, matching iokes with a blonde, to provide a film of adventure and romance, amid a whirl of excitement and international espionage. Such is Reoublic's "The House of a Thousand Candles" --co-starring Phillips Holmes and Mae Clarke, supported by Irving Pichel and Rosita Moreno, and which comes to the Strand Theatre on Friday. A million dollars' worth of racing talent burns up America's fastest tracks in " Speed to Spare," Columbia picture showing on E'riday at the Sti'and Theatre. Brother against brother races grimly for glory while the crowd in the stands thought they were jusl a couple of daredevils. Fury and peril ride in the driver's seat. Breathless moments with racing daredevils dodging fiery death, tottering on the brink of explosive disaster, clashing in a thrilling struggle with romance at ••take. The racing brothers are played by Charles Quigley and Eddie Nugent, and the girl at stake is Dorothy Wilson. Lambert Hillyer. who was once a driver himself, directed " Speed to Snare."

" Woman Chases Man " Charles Winninger will be starred again on Friday next at the Regent Theatre in the Samuel Goldwyn production "Woman Chases Man," with Miriam Hopkins and Joel McCrea in the romantic roles. The versatility of Charles Winninger as a character actor is demonstrated in a role unlike any he has previously portrayed, and one which should further endear him to picturegoers. B. J. Nolan (Charles Winninger) is a lovable but somewhat eccentric old man who has lost a fortune backing worthless inventions. His current project, Nolan Heights, is a model village designed to relieve con-

gestion in tenement areas. However, when our story opens, " B. J." (as he is known to his friends) is financially embarrassed, and his son Kenneth (Joel McCrea), who has inherited a hundred thousand dollars in his own right, will not do anything to help his father in his little scheme. Virginia Travis (Miriam Hopkins), a penniless young girl architect, comes to " B. J.'s " office looking for a job. As she has not had a meal for a few days she faints in his office, and " B. J.," out of kindness of his heart, takes her to his Long Island home to be looked after. Arrived there, old " B. J." tells the girl of his latest hobby, and they put their heads together and concoct a plan whereby Kenneth is to be parted from his money. Next day Kenneth arrives from Europe accompanied by an attractive fortune-hunter, Nina Tennyson, and her " uncle," Henri Saffron. Actually Nina and Henri are sweethearts, scheming to make Kenneth propose, so that Nina can acquire some 6f his money. Virginia has installed two of her friends as butler and maid to assist in the working out of the plot, and hides " B J." in the kitchen. Virginia soon discovers the chink in Kenneth's armour —liquor. One drink and he becomes obsessed with the idea of buying everything in sight. Nina and Henri make the same discovery. Virginia tries to get him drunk, but the charm does not work. Nina and Henri ply him with brandy of their

own, and it does work—to a certain extent; but instead of proposing, Kenneth retires. Virginia, with the contract in her pocket, climbs a tree outside of Kenneth's bedroom window, where he joins her. He is giddy and irresponsible, and wants to sign the contract, but, womanlike, when she has him just where she wants him, she changes her mind. Nina and Henri, and the butler and maid also join the party in the tree, which is the scene of one of the amusing climaxes.

Fay Compton in January Commencing a Dominion tour at Auckland towards the end of January, Fay Compton, noted English actress of stage and screen, will be presented by Messrs J. C. Williamson in an exceptional repertoire. The elegant Miss Compton is an actress of amazing versatility, her stage successes ranging from Shakespeare to pantomime. Among the plays to be presented will be the much-discussed "Victoria Regina," by Laurence Housman, who has based his theme on the intimate early days of Queen Victoria and her beloved Consort. This part is played by Miss Compton with persuasive charm, and her make-up, first as the child Queen and then as the beloved Queen celebrating her jubilee, has completely intrigued Australian audiences. The Melbourne season has been a record, and critics are unanimous that both the production and the performance of Miss Compton and her English company are the best of their kind ever seen on the Australian stage. Effective settings, precisely true to period, wonderful frocking, and authentic dialogue, make of " Victoria Regina " a play to be seen and remembered. As a contrast to this Victorian play with its historical charm, Miss Compton will also play in light comedy-drama, the repertoire also including sophisticated plays by Noel Coward, among them. "Red Peppers," " Hands Across the Sea;" and " Still Life." Distant Locations Hollywood has answered the call of the open spaces and the town itself is rapidly becoming merely a place where the movie folk call for their pay envelopes. Life for the film stars is a continuous tramp from one location to the next. Paramount leads with the greatest number of epic productions on its work sheet, having more than a dozen big pictures with extensive outdoor localities. "Souls at Sea," which co-stars Gary Cooper and George Raft, with beautiful Frances Dee, has just been completed. Most of the outdoor scenes were filmed off Catalina Island, playground of the stars and Cecil B. De Mille is now using this same island for important battle scenes in "The Buccaneer," with Fredric March and Franciska Gaal in the leading roles. "Ebb Tide," Paramount's elaborate technicolour picture of the sea, with Frances Farmer, Oscar Homolka, Ray Milland, and Barry Fitzgerald in the cast, was filmed largely on Catalina Island and on an old sailing ship off the coast of Southern California. Far away on the Malay Peninsula is Paramount's "Booloo" troupe with Colin Tapley, young New Zealander, the only white man in the cast and soon the same studio will send a big company of players and technicians to Acapulco, Mexico, where most of the scenes for "Her Jungle Love" will be filmed. This is a companion picture to "The Jungle Princess," which will be produced in technicolour and will star beautiful Dorothv Lamour. "John Meade's Lady" Edward Arnold—large, well-fed, selfindulgent, master of men and money —comes to the screen in'his favourite role again in "John Meade's Lady," a gripping love story, which opens at the Octagon Theatre on Friday. The picture also serves as the means by which Francine Larrimore, famous Broadway stage star, makes her initial appearance in films after a brilliant career on the legitimate stage. She plays the role of a poor country girl whom Edward Arnold, as a wealthy industrialist, marries to humiliate his high-born fiancee, Gail Patrick, when he discovers that she is untrue to him. George Bancroft, John Trent, Sidney Blackmer, Jonathan Hale, and many other film favourites round out the brilliant cast. John Meade, an industrialist, is engaged to Caroline Haig, a society belle, who is more interested in his money than she is in him. His lieutenant, Tim Mathews, tries to get him to reforest timberlands he has denuded, but to no avail. He meets Teddy Connor, a farm girl looking for a job in Chicago, and is amused at her frankness. He and Tim take her to a party held in Caroline's honour, where she " disgraces" herself. Meade discovers that Caroline.is really in love with Rodney, a playboy, and in order to humiliate her, marries Teddy. When Teddy discovers the reason for the marriage, she goes back to the farm folk who are smarting under the pressure of Meade's mortgages and the drought caused by his refusal to reforest his timberlands. She becomes a leader in the movement against Meade and infuriates the farmers to a pitch wherein they are ready to lynch him. When he comes to learn why the farmers won't pay their mortgages, he is surrounded. The mob, led by Teddy, makes way to the township to lynch him. In the middle of the fight Teddy discovers that she really loves him» but her discovery is too late. The note of drought menace and one of its causes contained in "John Meade's Lady," which adds to the gripping climax, is timely in America at present. Jack Benny — The Inimitable Even the fates who control birthdays must have meant Jack Benny to bring laughs and comedy into the world, because they arranged it so that he made his first appearance in Waukegan, Illinois, on February 14. the day devoted to St. Valentine and comic gags.

Benny's first stage ambitions were centred on his violin, with which he planned to take his place alongside the great concert musicians, and for several years he toured in the vaudeville circuits as a solo violinist. But then came the war, and Benny temporarily shelving his musical career, joined the American Navy. He was assigned to the Naval Relief Society, and his duties consisted of entertaining at seamen's benefits. His first appearance was in a show called "The Great Lakes Review," produced at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station. He fiddled and fiddled —and while the act received generous applause, no money was forthcoming when they passed the hat around. In desperation, Benny tucked the fiddle under his arm and started changing jokes with the audience, and after 20 minutes the hardboiled " gobs" rose in their seats and demanded that the hat be passed again. This time, the cast contribution overflowed the brim! Since that night the violin has remained in its case, while Benny has talked and gagged his way to the position of the highest-paid entertainer and the best-loved comedian in the entire world. It is estimated that his weekly radio broadcasts attract more listeners than any radio programme in the world, with the possible exception of a Presidential inauguration or a heavy-weight championship. He is married to his radio partner, Mary Livingstone, and offstage spends all his time with his three major interests in life—his two adopted children, contract bridge, and new brands of cigars. Benny's most recent film successes have been " Broadway Melody of 1936." "The Big Broadcast of 1937," "College Holiday," and now comes Paramount's "Artists and Models," which has arrived in New Zealand and is awaiting early release. Pat O'Brien's Who's Who Pat O'Brien was born William Patrick O'Brien on November 11, 1899, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Planned to become a criminal lawyer, but college theatricals and athletics claimed much of his time. Was first " discovered " by Jimmy Gleason, who took him touring in a travelling stage company. Made his first Broadway appearance "A Man's Man," in which he was featured with Josephine Hutchinson. Is married to Eloise Taylor, formerly of the stage—they have one child, Mavourneen, born May 17. 1934. Pat is sft llin tall, weighs 1751 b, has brown hair, blue eyes, and a ruddy complexion. He is under contract to Warner Bros. Pictures, and some of his starring efforts have been "20 Million Swethearts," "Here Comes the Navy," "Devil Dogs of the Air," "Oil for the Lamps of China,'' "The Irish in Us," "Ceiling Zero," "I Married a Doctor," and now his latest is " San Quentin."

"Take My Tip" It is indeed a long time since we have had the pleasure of seeing Jack Hulbert and Cicely Courtneidge together in a film. Their latest production, "Take My Tip," will be shown at the Grand Theatre to-day. The story is tailored to fit the Hulbert-Court-neidge requirements to a nicety. Briefly, it runs in this fashion:—George and Hattie, Lord and Lady Pilkington,

are very fond of each other, but their individual extravagances lead to frequent quarrels. Then George, whilst taking a Turkish bath, is persuaded by a shady financier named Buchan to purchase a non-existent oil well for £15,000, which we discover is the entire fortune of the Pilkingtons. Buchan, of course, disappears, and the couple are left to face a somewhat dismal future. However, a former butler in their household named Paradine turns up, proves to be the owner of a palatial hotel in Dalmatia, and offers them both .positions there. While they are there Buchan turns up and tries to put over his oil well story on the disguised Hattie in an' amusing scene wherein George, quite the jealous husband, pops in and out of the room with disconcerting results. The rest of the film

depicts the adventures they have in playing a trick, similar to his own, upon him and recovering their fortune. Jack Hulbert is his inimitable self and introduces a number of dances. Never it is claimed, has the versatility of Cicely Courtneidge been so wittily demonstrated, appearing as she does in numerous disguises whilst at the hotel. Philip Buchel partners Jack Hulbert in one of his dances. Frank Cellier is cast as the ex-butler, Paradine, and Harold Huth is. the sinister Buchan. Mayfair Features A star is known by his leading ladies. Jack Holt, currently appearing in Columbia's "North of Nome," showing to-day at the Mayfair Theatre, has appeared ooposite some of the most famous actresses on the screen during the 20 years he has been a star. The latest addition to his roster is Evelyn Venable, who is his vis-a-vis in " North of Nome" The film before this one found Louise Henry as the romantic interest. But Holt can remember other

young ladies who played in his pictures back in the days when they used to flash "Ladies Will Please Remove Their Hats" on the screen. Down through the years Holt has appeared with Grace Cunard, Mary Miles Mmter, Clara Kimball Young, Florence Vidor, Mary Pickford, Anna Pavlova, Mary MacLaren, Revier, Billie Dove, Lois Wilson, Lila Lee, ■ Sally Blane, Fay Wray, Mary Astor, Jean

Arthur, Florence Rice, Lilian Bond Jeanette MacDonald, Mona Barrie and many others. Eric Linden and Cecilia Parker, the young sweethearts of "Ah Wilderness! " are reunited. They have the youthful romantic roles in "Old Hutch," Wallace Beery's starring vehicle which is now being shown at the Mayfair Theatre.

Like the former picture, the story of "Old Hutch" is laid in a small town locale, this time in the South. Linden and Miss Parker are school-day lovers with Beery, with whom they triumphed in the Eugene O'Neill play, as Ort Hutchins, "laziest man in Dixie," in a whimsical comedy of an amiable loater who finds stolen wealth and goes through many trials and tribulations keeping his secret.

Columbia Uses Revolving; Stage Grace Moore's production of the duet sequence from " Madame Butterfly' in her current Columbia picture. 111 Take Romance," in which Melvyn Douglas is her leading man, will introduce a new feature in operatic staging in America with the use of a revolving stage. . It is being used by Director H. Griffith for photographic purposes to attract audience attention to the principals in the scene. While the revolving stage has been used in drama and musical comedy in the United States, it has never before been employed in the presentation of opera. The idea is borrowed from the famous 10 000,000-dollar Theatre Colon, in Buenos Aires, which has been reproduced on the Columbia sound stages especially for Miss Moore's " Butterfly sequence in the film. The revolving stage is a regular feature of operatic productions in the Argentine capital, where, according to specialists, the impresarios are far ahead of American opera producers in mechanical effects.