Pavlova Films Premiere Five Years After Her Death

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18991, 16 April 1936, Page 13

Pavlova Films Premiere Five Years After Her Death

LONDON, Feb. 21. ANNA Pavlova, the immortal ballerina whoso dances charmed people of 4"> countries, danced again last nighl for n selected audience at the Royal Cinema. A ,film taken in Hollywood a- short time before her death at The Hague in 1931 was given its premiers. It was shown in New York and other world capitals, the proceeds hi go towards building n fountain as a memorial to her in Regent's Pail;, whose grnceiu! swans inspired Palova's best-known dance, "The Dying Swan."

Not only was Pavlova, seen in "The Dying Swan," but in 10 other complete dances arid four complete ballots with ensembles, .and there were scenes of her domestic life and a recording of her voice. it was not known that there was a camera .recording of Pavlova's dancing until Victor Dandrc, whose marriage to Pavlova was a secret for 17 years, disclosed that he was making the film. Mary Piekford and Douglas Fairbanks, since divorced, insisted that Pavlova should make the dyingswan sequences when she and Dandrc visited them in Hollvwood.

Domestic scenes in the film were taken by Dandrc with a homo motion picture camera. The recording of her voice he did by playing A trick on her. He hid a recording instrument in the garden of their home. Ivy House here, and, unknown to her, caught her words as she carried on a one-sided conversation with .lack', her favourite, swan.

Mhsic for the film was provided by the. London Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Vladimir Lalin.tr/ to the choreography of M. Algeranoff. it former member of Palova's company. Aubrey Hut-chins, once her partner, is narrator. A feature of the films is a slow motion sequence which permits the audience to see clearly the fluidity of Pavlova's movements and the harmony of rhythm lh.nl made her world-famous.