The World of Motion Pictures

Southland Times, Issue 21273, 19 December 1930, Page 12

The World of Motion Pictures

THE MAJESTIC.

Now Showing: “The Benson Murder Case” (William Powell, Natalie Moorhead, Eugene Pallette, Paul Lukas, William Boyd, May Beatty, E. 11. Calvert, Richard Tucker). Saturday Next: “Only the Brave” (Gary Cooper, Mary Brian). ■ Coming attractions include: Jack Oakie, Mary'Brian and Skeets Gallagher in “The Social Lion,” Loretta Young and Fairbanks Jnr in “Loose Ankles,” Paul Whiteman in “King of Jazz.”

Philo Vance takes over his third murder case at the Majestic at present, where Paramount’s third production of the entertaining detective stories of S. S. Van Dine is being shown. The most successful of the earlier talking pictures was “The Canary Murder Case,” in which William Powell was introduced to the public as one of the most pleasing of the talking picture players. As the detective, Philo Vance, he will always be associated, with Eugene Pallette the plodding Sergeant Heath who is to Vance what Dr Watson is to Sherlock Holmes. “The Benson Murder Case,” the current feature is also remarkable because it has in its cast a female player well known in this part of the world—May Beatty. This Dunedin girl was one of the original members of the old Pollard Lilliputians, and when she grew up she became one of the Pollard stars. Two years ago she was in Invercargill with "The Girl Friend” company, and it will be remembered that in the second production, “Hit the Deck,” she walked away with the'honours of the niece. In “The Benson Murder Case” she makes her talking picture debut. Natalie Moorhead, Paul Lukas, William Boyd, E. H. Calvert and Richard Tucker are also in the cast. Frank Tuttle directed.

On Saturday the Majestic will present Gary Cooper’s second starring picture for Paramount, in “Only the Brave,” an adventure tale of the old South in the days of the American civil war. The star plays the role of a captain of cavalry on the Union side, while Mary Brian has the part of the daughter of a Virginian planter who falls in love with the Northerner when he visits her home in tfie course of a dangerous mission as a spy. Virginia Bruce, Phillips Holmes, Morgan Farley, E. 11. Calvert and Guy Oliver head the large supporting cast. A feature of the production is said to be the soft Southern drawl of the extras, as well as of the principal players. Frank Tuttle was also the director of this film.

Jack Oakie, Paramount’s popular young laugh-maker, will be seen and heard at the Majestic next week in “The Social Lion,” based upon the Octavus Roy Cohen story, “Marco Himself.” It is the story of a young man suffering from “swelled head.” Oakie, of course, is the pugilist-poloist social lion aspirant Skeets Gallagher is his partner; Mary Brian is the plain little girl, and Olive Borden is a ritzy daughter of society who tries to make a sap out of Jack but fails. Others in the supporting cast are Charles Sellon, Cyril Ring, F. 11. Calvert, James Gibson, William Bechtel, Henry Roquemore, Richard Cummings ami Jack Byron.

Marie Dressier, who wrote “The Life of an Ugly Duckling,” has taken her pen hand again. Between scenes in "The Derelicts,” at’the M.-G.-M. studios Marie is busy writing a new book, in which some of her movie experiences will be recounted.

Reginald Denny has been engaged to play the leading role opposite Jeanette MacDonald in “Stolen Thunder,” which Hamilton MacFadden will direct- for Fox. Warren Hymer, Marjorie White, William Harrigan, Albert Conti and Ellen Woodsten are also in the cast.

Last year’s .All-American football teams plays a prominent part in the screen action t-o be seen in “Maybe It’s Love,” the Warner picture. There are scenes in the dressing room between the halves of the game. Joe E. Brown, Joan Bennett, Janies Hall and Laura Lee arc also in the cast.

Tallulah Bankhead, (lie American actress who has been appearing successfully on the London stage for the past three seasons, will begin her first Paramount picture on her return to America around Jan. 1. Miss Bankhead is at present playing in London in “Let Us Be Gay.”

"William Morris, father of Chester Morris, will portray a role in “Brothers.” Columbia is to make the picture and Dorothy Sebastian will be seen in the leading female part-. Bert Lytell is to have the same part in the picture he played on the stage. It is a dual role and depicts a pair- of brothers, one of whom is a crook.

Claudette Colbert’s forthcoming picture, “Strictly Business,” will be filmed in English and French. The decision to produce a French version in America rather than at the Paramount Joinville studios in France came as a result of Miss Colbert’s performance in the French version of Maurice Chevalier’s “The Big Pond.” With the exception of Miss Colbert, two casts will bo assembled for the two productions. Dorothy Arzner will direct both versions at Paramount’s Astoria studios with the aid of a French director on the Gallic edition.

Two English comedians in the same programme at a Bronx musichall in New York debated the question, years ago, of taking a chance in the new and developing entertainment of the films. One of them was Charlie Chaplin, then a relatively obscure performer with nothing to lose. The other was Ernie Lotinga. As Mr I»tinga was the star of his own company he had not the same reasons for deserting to the films. He remained to make millions laugh in musichalls all over the English-speaking world. Mr Lottinga recalled his old conversations with the unknown Mr Chaplin recently during the screening of an elaboration of one of his “Josser” sketches in the Gainsborough studio, under the direction of Mr Milton Rosmer. In those early days Charlie and his brother Syd sold Mr Lotinga a sketch, called “Twelve Just Men,” written by themselves. I think it has never been played, but Ernie Lotinga as a juryman in a farce written by the two Chaplins should be an attractive combination, and no doubt we shall hear of it as a talking picture in the near future. Mr Lotinga, of course, is an extraordinarily funny man. In “Josser, P.C.” he has enough comic disguises to satisfy any cinema audience. A disgraced policeman, bobbing up irrepressibly in the inimitable Lotinga way, he becomes a private detective. As a first step in crime investigation he dresses like Sherlock Holmes. He is a witness in an hilarious police court scene, he poses as the bride at a Greta Green wedding, and he has dramatic, as well as amusing, adventures with a racehorse. The English public is eagerly awaiting the general release of this.