Screen and Stage

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26355, 9 January 1947, Page 9

Screen and Stage

By Jaxon

Huxley has written the adaptation ®>r Zoltan Korda, who intends to produce and direct the photoplay for distribution by a major company. The author described “The Gioconda Smile” as a crime story, suggested by a celebrated English murder of thrtee decades ago. The effectiveness of Huxley’s written works has been regarded as dependent on his stylistic use of words and film producers have eschewed his novels for fear they would become too static and verbose as pictures. The author, however, believes the cinematic phobia towards long speeches is the result of bad writing and not the basic limitation of medium, and said that he is interested ih the prospective adaptation of several of his stories. Huxley states that another of his works, “Point Counter Point.” will be produced in England by Alexander Korda if he and Korda can prepare a suitable scenario. Huxley says that \ he will not release the screen rights to “Point Counter Point” unless he is successful, by his own standards, in writing the photoplay. At the same time he indicated that a projected screen version of “Brave New World,” his Utopian satire on material civilisation, in which Burgess Meredith was interested, had been abandoned for the time being. ALTERED TO PLEASE THE "FANS" The admirers of Van Johnson apparently regard the actor as somewhat more sacred even than his employers, Metro-Gpldwyn-Mayer. In “ High Barbaree," Johnson, as a navy flyer, was called upon to tell the story of his life in flash-back while his crashed plane sanjf into the Pacific. Finally, word came over his radio that the ship on which his ladylove, June Allyson, was serving, had been sunk. With .that out of the way, Johnson expired gracefully and the picture ended. Metro ran a test preview of "High Barbaree ” at a Hollywood theatre, and hfcnded out cards asking the patrons’ opinions of the effort. Bowing to the will of 40 per cent, of the audience, who just could not bear to see Mr Johnson sacrifice his life, even in the interest

of cinematic art, the studio has determined to remake the ending. The new scenes, it is said, will cost in excess of 50,000 dollars. And, in a generous gesture, Metro will save Miss Allyson.'s life, too. All of which probably proves that killing a screen idol is, at best, a dangerous business. FEWER MUSICALS ON BROADWAY Unless conditions alter in the near future, there are going to be fewer musical comedy extravaganzas on Broadway this season. A survey among New York's prominent entrepreneurs indicates that the abnormally high budgets required, as well as the unsatisfactory theatre situation, are causing many of them either to curtail their plans, abandon the field completely, or to begin thinking in terms of the more intimate shows of the past. Indeed, those pondering the smaller shows say the savings would be illusory if stars are used. It is, in fact, no onete) special secret in the trade that the risks involved in producing musicals these days have been frightening sway even the more intrepid financial backers. Several productions projected for the current season already are finding it difficult to swing their financing, backers becoming more cautious than ever before. There are big hits on Broadway right now, running for months, which are still in debt. The only suggested remedy at the moment, according to some producers, is to raise the price of tickets. SIDELIGHTS ON THE CELLULOID Peggy Cummins will play the lead in the forthcoming “Moss Rose,” with Victor Mature as Count Drago. Ronald Colman’s first screen appearance in over two years will be in “ The Late. George Apley,” from the novel and play by J. P. Marquand. Hitherto unpublished music by the late George Gershwin will be heard in “The Shocking Miss Pilgrim," which stars Betty Grable. Lilli Palmer, in real life Mrs Rex Harrison, plays opposite her I husband in "The Rake’s Progress," released in America as "Notorious Gentleman.” Universal will cast Claudette Colbert and Fred Mac Murray in the film version of the humorous best-seller, " The Egg and I." A new story and choreography will replace the traditional ones in the Schere-

The works of Aldous Huxley, long considered too esoteric and “literary” for the cinema, may reach the screen with the author’s aid. The first project suggested is a film adaptation of his short story, “The Gioconda Smile,” which was published in an early collection named “Mortal Coils.”

zade ballet to' be presented in Universal’s life of the composer, Rimsky-Korsakov. M-G-M. are backing “The Yearling” as their candidate for the next Academy Award lists. , _ , „ In George Pal’s Date with Duke, which combines live action with puppets, Duke Ellington will conduct his “ Perfume Suite. Bing Crosby is hoping to make a film in Britain shortly. THE SINATRA OF AN EARLIER DATE Those indefatigable biographers, the Warner Brothers, have dipped into the past again and are now committing to celluloid a life of Chauncey Olcott, the Frank Sinatra of 1900, under the title "My Wild Irish Rose,” with Dennis Morgan playing the Olcott role. William Jacobs, who is producing the film, explains with gratitude to Providence that few contemporary critics know much about Olcott s career. Therefore, he and the brothers will not be held as strictly to account for the liberties they may take as the studio was when Cole Porter got the Warner treatment in “Night and Day.” •* My Wild Irish Rose ’’ is loosely based on " Song in His Heart,” the biography of Olcott by his widow, Rita Olcott, to which Charles R. Rogers, an independent producer, bought the screen rights in 1943. Being unable to find a suitable player for the Olcott role, Rogers sold the property to Warners as a vehicle for Morgan a year ago. The Warners were pleased with their acquisition because, through their subsidiary music publishing companes, they already held the rights to most of Olcott’s songs, including the title ditty. • JAMES MASON INVOLVED IN LAV/ SUIT Mr David Rose, managing director in Great Britain for Paramount Pictures, has sued James Mason, Brtish film actor, for £440.000 for alleged breach of contract The suit, filed in the Federal Court, asks that damages be paid or Mr Mason prohibited from making any further pictures. Mr Rose contends that early last year Mr Mason came to him and asked him to make an arrangement by which they would make two pictures a year for five years. Mr Mason was to star and produce and Mr Rose to handle the business end. Rose said he came to the United States to confer with Paramount for his release, and was in process of completing arrangements when an agent for Mr Mason started indicating that Mason had no contract with Mr Rose or anyone else. The pictures which were the subject of the alleged agreement, were to have been done partly in England and partly in Hollywood. RISING COST OF FILM PRODUCTION In case people may have wondered why film-making is more expensive to-day than, say, in Mack Sennett’s time, Twentieth Century-Fox's alert historians have just forwarded advice to prove that currently it is taking a great deal more film and/or coin of the realm to turn out a, produc-