THE SHADOW WORLD

Southland Times, Issue 21089, 22 May 1930, Page 15

THE SHADOW WORLD

MOTION PICTURE PLAYS & PEOPLE

{By

Columbine.)

CIVIC PICTURES. To-night: "Sins of the Fathers” (Emil Jannings, Ruth Chatterton, Zasu Pitts) and “Joy Street” (Lois Moran, Nick Stuart, Rex Bell). Saturday: "The Red Dance” (Dolores Del ■ Rio, Charles Farrell) and “Making the Grade” (Edmund Lowe, Lois Moran). The Civic is at present showing a particularly strong programme headed by the Paramount special feature, “Sins of the Fathers,” starring Emil Jannings. This was the magnificent German actor’s second last film made in America, before he returned to Germany to appear in talking pictures, and is made further significant by the fact that it marks Miss Ruth Chatterton’s debut on the screen, prior to this actress’s great success on the talking screen. Ludvig Berger, the celebrated German director, went to America specially to direct this film, in which Jannings portrays a prosperous restaurant keeper of preprohibition days, -the pride of the Ger-man-American community, until he meets Ruth Chatterton. Thereupon his infatuation causes the death of his wife (Zasu Pitts) and drives his daughter (Jean Arthur) from home. Later he is persuaded to become a manufacturer of illicit whiskey, and his son (Barry Norton) is blinded by his father’s whiskey. “Sins of the Fathers” captures something of the life of a pre-war, pre-Volstead German-American community, of the coming of prohibition and its effect on present day America. Jannings is said to give a remarkably brilliant series of characterizations, and Zasu Fitts as his wife won the greatest laurels of her career in what is generally regretted to be an “unfortunately brief role.” In conjunction with this Paramount picture the Civic is showing “Joy Street,” a Fox film based on the doings of ultra-modern youth, in which Lois Moran and Nick Stuart are supported by a huge cast, headed by Rex Bell, Jose Crespo, Sally Phipps and .Maria Alba. This film introduces many new’ features of modern camera technique, particularly the "living lens’’ which makes the camera an actual participant in the action, instead of a spectator. On Saturday the Civic will screen another interesting programme, headed by “The Red Dance” (Fox) co-starring Dolores del Rio and Charles Farrell, with Alexis playing the part of Rasputin, the Black Monk, and Boris Charsky, the Russian character actor, the part of Trotsky. Raoul Walsh directed the production, in which the charming Miss del Rio is the peasant girl who becomes the famous “Red Dancer of the Revolution,” and Farrell the Grand Duke Eugen, whom she tries to save from the vengeance of the people. Another fine performance is said to be that of Ivan Linow, the giant Russian who, as a private soldier, woos the dancer but when he becomes a “Red” general, saves her lover from the firing squad. “Making the Grade” (Fox) on the same programme, is based on a George Ade comedy and directed by Alfred E. Green, with Lois Moran and Edmund Lowe heading a cast which includes Lucien Littlefield, Rolfe Sedan and Albert Hart.

Another star from the musical stage has been enaged by Fox. She is Marie Saxon, who will be the featured star of “Broadway Hoofers.”

Alfred E. Green, who directed “Disraeli,” “The Green Goddess” and ‘The Man from Blankley” for Warners, has been engaged bv Pathe for a nuniber of special productions.

“Honeymoon Zeppelin,” the latest comedy to be completed at the Senett Studios, was in actual preparation for ten weeks before shooting started. This is one of Mack Sennett’s comedies, with a cast including Marjorie Beebe, Daphne Pollard, Nick Stuart, Nena Quartero and Edward Earle. Personally directed by the comedy dean, Sennett himself rehearsed every line until he was satisfied.

Lupe Velez has been signed by Universal on a five-year-contract and will replace Laura la Plante in the principal role of Manette in “The Storm,” the Langdon McCormick play being remade as a talking picture. William Boyd, Paul Cavanagh, and King Baggott have the leading male roles, and William Wyler is directing. Miss La Plante contracted influenza after “La Marseillaise.”

Late reports from Prague indicate that the first Czechoslovak sound and dialogue picture, “Slavish Melody/” which is being made in three languages—Czech, English and German—and in a silent version, will be ready for its premiere in March. This production, which may be classified as about 80 per cent. Czechoslovak, already has been sold for exhibition in England, France, Germany, Austria and Polland. Many of the leading artists of the Czech National Theatre are collaborating in “Slavish Melody.”

Fox will make an audible picture in which every foot of the story will be photographed on the exact location mentioned in the script. The film, as yet untitled, will be recorded at “Ghost City,” thirty inilea from Rockville, Utah, for which place Warner Baxter, Mona Maris and Alfred Santell, the director, will depart shortly. The story is that of the old West written by Ralph Block and the location sequences call for scenes in Bryce Canyon in Zion’ National Park and other near-by scenic points of beauty. Workmen were sent ahead a month ago to erect additional structures to the “city” that was abandoned in 1880.

Poland has turned out an excellent motion picture, according to French and American critics. The picture is “Maroussia,” named for its heroine, a Polish girl dwelling in time of war behind the lines of the Russian invaders. “It is a simple war story, filmed with flashing assurance. Ever younce of drama, of natural beauty and suggestion is squeezed out of the cameras, with fine, spare, fluent cinematographic skill. Joseph Leytes was the director, Ferdinand Goetel did the scenario. Presumably a native product, the makers have apparently learned their lesson well in the German and Russian schools—perhaps in Hollywood, too. It is playing with success, the acting not as good as the direction.”

An innovation in rehearsals took place in the studio in Hollywood where Gloria Swanson's forthcoming film, “What a Widow!” (from a story by Josephine Lovett) was being prepared. After many days of rehearsal the film was photographed without special attention to dress or settings in seventy-two hours. Only two cameras were employed, and the picture was run off for the benefit of the cast and staff immediately after development. By this means Joseph P. Kennedy, the producer, says that a saving in “retakes” is effected, since the mistakes can be pointed out immediately in the rough version and corrected before' formal filming begins. Another special benefit resulting from such a practice which suggests itself is the proper timing of laugh sequences, since so often the laughter of an audience kills off the dialogue that immediately, follows the mirthprovoking incident. Lew Cod- lan Keith, Marguerite Livingstone, and Buster West are also in the cast. <

THE MAJESTIC. Now Showing: “Broadway Scandals” (Col-umbia-Sally O’Neil, Jack Egan, Carmel Myers). Saturday: ‘The Fall of Eve” (Patsy Ruth iMiller, Ford Sterling, Gertrude Astor, Arthur Rankin); “light Fingers” (Columbia—lan Keith, Dorothy Revier, Carroll Nye). Coming Shortly: “Glorifying the American Girl” (Paramount Special starring Mary Eaton, with special sequence ot Ziegfeld stars including Eddie Cantor, Helen Morgan and Rudy Vallee) ; “The Mighty” (Paramount —George Bancroft, Esther Ralston, 0. P. Heggie); “Shanghai Lady” (Universal —Mary Nolan, James Murray) ; "The Vagabond Lover” (Paramount Special— Dennis King, Jeanette MacDonald, 0. P. Heggie); “The Love Parade” (Para-mount-Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald) ; “Seven Day’s Leave” (Paramount—Gary Cooper, Beryl Mercer).

Jack Egan, who plays the hero in “Broadway Scandals,” now showing at the Majestic, has served his apprenticeship in the theatrical game by playing in a vaudeville for eight years in song and dance. Sally O’Neil plays the role of a little chorine, and Carmel Myers and Doris Dawson are also featured players in this song and dance production of ’gay. Broadway. John Francis Natteford, author of “Light Fingers,” the Columbia all-talking picture, coming to the Majestic .on Saturday, wrote the story around a real character who actually existed and terrified New York’s social set several years ago. Mr Natteford was court reporteron a New York newspaper for several years, ami came into contact with many’ famous underworld types which served him in good stead in this play in which lan Keith, Dorothy Revier and Carroll Nye play the leads. That delightful actor. Ford Stirling I (who made one or two silent films for Paramount I makes his talkie debut in “The Fall of Eve,” a comedy of marital mix-ups involving wayward husbands, suspicious wives who gossip, and charming stenographers. (This is on the same programme, and features Patsy Ruth Miller). All the theatrical magnificence that the name Florenz Ziegfeld implies will be seen when the Paramount picture, “Glorifying the American Girl” comes to the Majestic. Ziegfeld himself supervised this glamorous production which incorporates singing, dancing and a part-colour revue in one talking picture. Mary Eaton (star of many Ziegfeld stage shows, seen recently in “The Coconuts,” her first film appearance) plays the part of a little girl from the small town who makes good on Broadway. She is supported by Dan Healy. Kaye Renard, Olive Shea and Edward Crandall, all wellknown on the stage; and in the special revue sequence Eddie Cantor, Helen Morgan and Rudy Vallee give individual numbers. “Shanghai Lady” also comes to the Majestic soon, which is Universal’s first starring talking-picture for that beautiful blonde, Mary Nolan, whose contract was subsequently broken through excess of “temperament,” despite the fact that Warner Fabian (will he ever be known as other than the author of “Flaming Youth”) went to Hollywood and wrote a story specially for her.

■■■ A inusical romance, starring Nancy Carroll, is “Honey” a Paramount picture, based on the play “Come Out of the Kitchen,” by Alice Duer Miller and A. E. Thomas. Stanley Smith, Harry Green, Lillian Roth, Zasu Pitts and Skeets Gallagher appear in this film.

Roland West’s next film for United Artists is to be “Whispers”—his first since “Alibi” —in which Chester Morris will appear in the leading role. The picture is based on a Broadway comedy drama, and will be Mr West’s eighth production in fourteen years. He believes in taking his time; but to what purpose! I wonder, by the way, is the ban ever to be lifted from “Alibi” in this country? We’ve waited a long time for this masterpiece. FILMS OF 1929. Don Alfonso, King of Spain, and Al Jolson of the United States divided the first prize for frankness in answering a worldwide inquiry made by Der Deutsche, a Berlin newspaper, as to what film had made the deepest impression in 1929. The King of Spain is quoted as replying “The sound film made of me by the Fox Company,” while Al. Jolson simply said, "Without any egotism, The Binging Fool.’ ” Benito Mussolini picked, “La Grazia,” with Carmen Boni and Giorgio Bianco; Prince I Chicibu of Tokio preferred ‘The White Stadium,” showing the Winter Olympics of j 1928, and President Portes Gil of Mexico lined up with Al Jolson in declaring for “The Singing Fool.” Of the authors interrogated by Der Deutsche, Thomas Mann, the Nobel Prize winner, selected “The Passion of Joan of Arc”; Lugi Parandello liked "The Patriot,” adding that “Unfortunately the helm of the film industry is in the hands of unimaginative financiers who know nothing about art,’ and Andre Maurois of Paris voted for “Storm Over Asia,” the Russian picture which the English speaking world is still waiting to see. Max Schemeling, the German boxer, put Charlie Chaplin’s “The Pilgrim,” which only reached Berlin this winter, at the head of his list, while Oskar Tietz, a Berlin racing man, favoured ‘The Singing Fool.” Among the film directors whose opinions are chronicled V. L. Pudovkin of Moscow was most impressed by “The Passion of Joan of Arc,” while Earnest Lubitsch, Lothar Mendes, Paul Ludwig Stein, Fred Niblo and Paul Bern, all of the U.S.A. (at least for the present), were unanimous in their choice of “Hallelujah,” the negro talking picture made by King Vidor for MrG-M. Joe May of Berlin was for “Storm Over Asia.” Arthur Robinson of London picked “The Cockeyed World” and Lau Lauritzen of Copenhagen favoured “Noahs Ark.” Erich Pommer of Berlin modestly remarked that he would not express himself about German films, but said he liked “White Shadows in the South Seas’ the best of the foreign features. His fellow-production manager of the UFA, Gunther Stapenhorst, was strong for “The Singing Fool,” as he saw it in London, adding the pious wish that some German audible film might be the best in the world in 1930 . Irving Thalberg, production manager of M.G.M., candidly admitted that he favoured "Hallelujah,” while Darryl F. Zanuck of Warner Brothers was for “Disraeli.” The American (or almost American) artists whose views were recorded in the Berlin symposium were divided in their preferences. Eddie Cantor picked “Disraeli,” Betty Compson “Condemned,” Dolores del Rio “Madame X,” Clive Brook “The Love Parade," Maurice Chevalier “Four Feathers,” William Powell “Bulldog Drummond” and Neil Hamilton “The Cafe of Lena Smith” (silent) and “In Old Arizona.”

Judging by some of the replies, patriotism, or nationalism, weighs heavily in the scales of film values.

The outcome of the whole questionnaire business was the placing of the ten most mentioned films of the year in the following order: "Les Nouveaux Messieurs, “Hallelujah,” “The Singing Fool,” “The White Hell of Piz Palu,” “The Living Corpse,” “Lonesome,” "Storm Over Asia,” “The Love Parade,” “The Docks of New York” and

THE REGENT. To-night: "Devil May Care” (Ramon Novarro, Dorothy Jordan), “Night Owls” (Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy). Saturday: "Condemned” (Ronald Colman, Ann Harding) ; ‘The. Speiler” (Alan Hale, Renee Adoree, Clyde Cook). Coming Attractions: “Navy Blues” (William Haines, Anita Page, Karl Dane); “Love Comes Along” (Bebe Daniels); “Woman Trap” (Evelyn Brent, Hal Skelley) ; ‘The’Untamed” (Joan Crawford) ; “The Thirteenth Chair” (Conrad Nagel, Leila Hyams). A charming musical romance, “Devil-May-Care” is now showing at the Regent, in which Ramon Novarro proves himself an attractive addition to the restricted list of screen players who have made good on the talking screen. He has an excellent singing voice which he uses effectively both in comedy and dramatic situations, and his speaking voice contains sufficient of his native accent to be particularly intriguing. There are several outstanding singing numbers in this romance played, against the glamourous background of the French Revolutionary days, particularly a virile marching song which recurs throughout the drama, and two of the star’s numbers, “How Can You Be So Charming?” and “The Madame Pom-Pom-Pompadour.” The scenery is particularly fine. On Saturday Ronald Colman’s second talking picture will be presented at The Regent in the United Agists’ production "Condemned” based on Blair Niles’ striking novel "Condemned to Devil’s Island” and adapted for the talking screen by Sidney Howard (Pulitzer Prize winner for his play ‘They Knew What They Wanted”). Ann Harding (the stage star who created the title role in “The Trial of Mary Dugan” in New York) is the leading lady, and Dudley Digger, star of the New York Theatre Guild, has earned amazingly strenuous praise (amazing in a picture with Ronald Colman as the star) for. his charactcriza-. tion of the warden of Devil’s Island locale of "Condemned,” the prison where the most desperate French criminals are sent, mostly on life sentences, to live under conditions which doom most of them to early death. It came prominently into world notice some thirty years ago as the place to which Alfred Dreyfus was sentenced, and again before the war when Eddie Guerin, international crook, succeeded in making good his escape from its toils. Louis Wolheim has the role of another convict with Colman, whose role is that of a dashing French thief sent to serve a term in the prison. The settings, designed by William Cameron Menzies, are said to be the most striking work ever done by this famous artist ! in picture settings. Wesley Ruggles directed.

The British film industry, taking its cue from the Germans, has turned its attention in a great measure to making nature films. According to the London Times, the British instructional organization has already produced six talking pictures under the general heading, “Secrets of Nature.”

“The Girl of the Golden West,” the production that First National had scheduled with Dorothy Mackaill in the leading role, will have Ann Harding in that, position instead. James Rennie and Harry Bannister, the latter Miss Harding’s husband, have the two principal male roles.

Edward G. Robinson, who last appeared on the srceeu in “A Lady to Love,” (his only appearance here so far was in “The Hole in the Wall”) will make another picture for Universal, having made “Night Ride” for that company. His new one will be “The Little Buddha,” which Tod Browning wrote and which he will direct.

That delightful cockney woman of the screen, Beryl Mercer, who ■ appeared in “Three Live Ghosts,” (And is soon to be seen in the film version of “The Old Lady Shows Her Medals,”) has been engaged for a featured' part in “Common Clay,” the Fox Film in which Constance Bennett and Tully xMarshall will play the leading roles.

“The Man From Blankley’s” (Warners) is John Barrymore’s first screen appearance in a comedy, and is proving highly successful in New York. Mr Barrymore plays the role that was acted on the stage by the late Charles Hawtrey. Loretta Young, Edgar Norton, Emily Fitzroy aqd. Albert Gran head the cast.

Close upon the news that Al Jolson will make “Sons o’ Guns” into a talking picture and the rumour that Lily Damita will star with him, comes the report that the vivacious Lily is not so inclined. It seems that Miss Damita knows something about the size of the parts usually given to those actresses appearing opposite the “great” Jolson and is somewhat averse to being relegated to a second string role in which her personality will not have its full chance against the Jolson voice. Demur or no demur, Mr Goldwyn, to whom she is still under contract, is yet to be heard from.

In a favourable review of “Poison Gas,” a German film based upon Peter Martin Lampel’s play “Poison Gas Over Berlin,” that created such a row in the German capital last year, the Vienna ArbeiterZietung draws attention to the typically Russian methods used in the picture’s production and remarks that while the official director was Michael Dubson, “it is an open secret that behind this young and talented director stood a greater one as helper and advisor—S. M. Eisenstein.” The picture is an indictment of the transformation of what was intended by its inventor to benefit humanity by increasing the productivity of the land into an instrument of wholesale destruction. NEW METHOD OF SCREEN PROJECTION. An inventive genius, famous as cofounder of the Victor Talking Machine Company, Mr Leon F. Douglass, has electrified the cinema industry of Hollywood by evolving an entirely new method of screen projection. Imagination and determination have been co-ordinated, and the millionaire inventor has now seized upon a device to make a wider screen without sending half the manufacturing industry and the theatre owners into panic, and half of the remainder into bankruptcy. By' so simple an arrangement as a series of lenses, he has provided definite assurance of this good news. Exhibitors who would have to spend £lOOO for new projection machines to accommodate the 50-foot image instead of the present 25, will be able to “throw” the stage-width picture at a cost of something like £5. With this device alone, theatres may project the present screen size or the larger one, interchangeably. This means a saving to the motion picture industry roughly estimated at £40,000,000. Statisticians say it would cost that sum to transform all the world’s camera and projection equipment to the proposed double width. Just before Mr Douglass announced his invention a leading cinema firm had ordered 50 new projection machines at a coat of £50,000 to produce a. double-width picture. Work on these machines has been abruptly abandoned in favour of the new Douglass invention.

The effect of the Douglass lens is to give the camera a range about three times that

at present possible. The uses, to which it may be put are readily seen. It means the possibility of full-stage ensemble and great panoramic effects in the exteriors. It provides, without revolutionary change in equipment, for the photographing of three times the lateral area now caught by the cemeras, and the contracted image is brought back to normal proportions by an adjusting or correcting lens in the projection machine. In other words, the imago is first “packed” into the area of the conventional film size, and then, in the projection machine, is expanded back to its proper dimensions. At first technical and other executives of the big Hollywood studios wore sceptical of the Douglass invention; but they knew enough not to ignore his claims, and hastily visited his place at Menlo Park to investigate. Two contracts, assuring Douglass of an exceedingly large income, surpassing that of the foremost movie stars, were signed almost on the spot. Since three times as much lateral area is possible, and since present plana require only a doubling of the existing screen width, the film strip now used in actual photography can accommodate a much wider sound film track than at present, ensuring improved results. Continued use of the 35-millimetre film will also eliminate fear of film buckling in the projecting machines and cameras. In connection with the matter of wider sound track, another Douglass invention, which may be termed the duo-phone or duo-tone, is ready for demonstrationThe inventor applies here somewhat the same principle as in his already familiar loud speaker: a double sound impulse, in which each sound is followed by an “echo” a twelfth of a second later. This imparts a resonance to the tone, which is said to improve it considerably. Another invention of the famous Menlo Park genius, like the contracting and correcting lenses, has already been put into use on one of the Hollywood cinema lots. This is to be called the “zoom” lens, by which the camera can give the effect of approaching or departing from objects without any motion save the grinding of a crank.

Mr Douglass is working out a still more revolutionary process—a film which is black and white to the naked eye, but which, when passed through a series of prismatic lenses, will recapture the colours of the object photographed.