The SCREEN and its STARS

Southland Times, Issue 21579, 17 December 1931, Page 11

The SCREEN and its STARS

(By

“Columbine.” )

THE REGENT.

Now Showing: “The Devil To Pay” (United Artists—Ronald Colman, Loretta Young, Frederick Kerr, David Torrence). Friday: “Fighting Caravans’’ (Paramount —Gary Cooper, Lily Damita, Ernest Torrence, Tully Marshall). Coming Attractions: “Palmy Days” (United Artists—Eddie Cantor, Charlotte Greenwood) ; “Mother’s Millions” (Universal —May Robson, James Hall, Frances Dade, Lawrence Gray); ‘The Outsider’’ (British International —Harold Huth, Joan Barry).

I would adviso anybody who has not yet seen “The Devil To Pay” to do so at once. The sooner the better, because it is the type of picture you might easily go to see again. The extended season at The Regent is more justified than any film I have seen for a long time, unless it were for that splendid recent drama, “Honour Amongst Lovers." His current United Artists film reveals Colman at his best, and establishes him undoubtedly as the most likeable man on the screen. His nearest rival, in my opinion, is Fredric March, who, a much better actor, is not yet such an exponent of masculine charm. Colman is always himself, and that is enough. His sense of humour is puckish and thoroughly delightful. His voice is superbly suited to his personality. “The Devil To Pay” was written for him by the English playwright, Frederick Lonsdale—a bright, frothy affair whose dialogue is witty, brisk, and intelligent (but never embarassingly sol). Frederick Kerr as Lord Leeland is provided with even better opportunities than in his first picture, “Raffles,’’ and shares the honours of the piece with Colman. An interesting newcomer to the screen is Florence Britton, who is admirable in the part of Colman's sister. Loretta Young wears some gorgeous frocks; the settings are very fine; and David Torrence, Paul Cavanagh and Myrna Loy are also in the cast. It is an entirely satisfying film one would be sad to have missed.

An exceptionally large cast is seen m “Fighting Caravans,” Paramount’s epic of the Old West, based on Zane Grey’s novel which comes to The Regent to-morrow. Gary Cooper and Lily Damita are the romantic leads, as the young scout and the French girl pioneer of the 1863 trek across the continent to the land of gold. Ernest Torrence and Tully Marshall continue the characterizations they created in “The Covered Wagon.’’ Fred Kohler, plays the menace part, with Frank Hagney as his henchman. The cast also includes Eugene Pallette, May Boley, Eve Southern, Sid Saylor, Roy Stewart, Frank Campeau, James Marcus, Helen Hunt, E. Alyn Warren, James Durkin, Dolores Johnson, Marven Morgan, Peggy Eleanor, Rae Daggett, Blossom MacDonald, Ernie Shields, Janies Farley, Walter Downing, Donald MacKenzie, Bruce Warren, Guy Oliver, Jack Carlisle, Harry Lee, Rose Gore, Pauline French, Scott Seaton, Sidney DeGary, Jack Richardson, Frank Brownlee, Bill Cooley, Tiny Sanford, Jane Darwell, Jane Keckley, Blue Cloud, W’hite Eagle, Willow Bird, High Eagle and White Cloud. The last five are outstanding Indian character players. Otto Brower and David Burton, co-direct-ors of the picture, conducted this large cast into the highest ranges of the Sierras, back of Sonora, California, for the filming of the outdoor scenes. The story of “Fighting Caravans” centres around the trek of hundreds of gold-seeking Easterners into the wild lands of the West about 1860.

The Regent are releasing simultaneously with Auckland and Wellington Eddie Cantor’s second talking film “Palmy Days” as a special Christmas attraction. The success of “Whoopee” is alone sufficient to attract more than usual interest in his second film, and I hear that it provides the Jewish comedian with greater scope than the previous film. Again he has gathered some beautiful girls around him, judging by their photographs. “Palmy Days” opens towards the end of next week. That lanky female comedian, Charlotte Greenwood, assists Cantor.

THE MAJESTIC.

Now Showing: ‘The Black Camel” (Fox — Warner Oland, Sally Eilers, Bela Lugosi, Dorothy Rcvier, Victor Varconi). Saturday: “Uneasy Virtue” (8.1. P. —Fay Compton, Edmund Breon, Francis Lister, Margot Grahame, Garry Marsh, Adele Dixon, Hubert Horben, Gerald Lylez, Dodo Watts, Molly Lomani, Donald Calthrop) ; "How He Lied To . Her Husband” (B.l.P.—Vera Lennox, Edmund Gwenn, Robert Harrs). Coming Attractions: “Just a Gigolo” (M.G. M. —William Haines, Irene Purcell, C. Aubrey Smith, Charlotte GrSnville, Lillian Bond) ; “Transatlantic” (Fox — Edmund Lowe, Lois Moran, John Halliday, Jean Hersholt, Greta Nissen, Myrna Loy) ; “Laughing Sinners” (M G.M. —Joan Crawford, Neil Hamilton, Clarke Gable, Marjorie Rambeau). # * * *

An enjoyable Fox-Movietone programme is now at The Majestic, headed by ■the second “Charlie Chan” story, ‘The Black Camel,” brought to the screen by Fox. Earl Derr Bigger’s Chinese detective character, “Charlie Chan,” is sufficiently wellknown to need no introduction, particularly to those people who saw the previous Fox picture, “Charlie Chan Carries On,” some months ago. This was a very fine production, with an excellent cast. “The Black Camel” is equally well handled, with the mystery nicely shrouded, and Warner Oland is again the pleasant Chinese detective who has a telling proverb of his own for every occasion. The film was made in Hawaii, with the famous Waikiki beach much in evidence, so that the scenery is very effective. The cast is interesting, and is worth detailing: Charlie Chan, Warner Oland; Julie O'Neil, Sally Eilers; Tarneverro, Bela Lugosi; Shelah Fane, Dorothy Revier; Robert Fyfe, Victor Varconi; Jimmy Bradshaw, Robert Young; Rita Ballou, Marjorie White; Wilkie, Ballou, Richard Tucker; Thomas Mac Master, J. M. Kerrigan; Mrs Mac Master, Mary Gordon; Van Horn, C. Henry Gordon; Anna, Violet Dunn; Alan Jaynes, William Post; Jessop, Dwight Frye; Smith, Murray Kinnell; Kashimo, Otto Yamaoka; Luana, Rita Roselle; Chief of Police, Robert Homans; Housekeeper, Louise Mackintosh. As in the previous production, Hamilton MacFadden directed.

Bernard Shaw’s long-awaited one-act comedy “How He Lied to Her Husband” comes to the Majestic on Saturday on a double-star British International programme whose other attraction is “Uneasy Virtue” with Fay Compton starred. This promises to be an extremely interesting programme, marking as it do£g Shaw’s first incursion into the filmic area. While Cecil Lewis was the director, Shaw himself superintended the production. While this playlet is a trifle compared with the mature and crusted cynicism of the Shaw of “Man and Superman,” it marks a new era in the talking picture, and critics say that it does so with unique grace and distinction. It is, of course, a broadly designed tilt at the Victorian poets . and the equally Victorian domesticity. Vera Lennox, Edmund Gwenn and Robert Harris are the players. "Uneasy Virtue” is adapted from a story of the same name by Harrison Owen, directed by Norman Walker, and said to be magnificently photographed by Claude Fnese Green. With Fay Compton as the star, and an English sfage cast including Edmund Breon, Francis Lister, Margot Grahame, Garry Marsh, Adele Dixon, Dodo Watts, Molly Lamont and Donald Calthrop, this film shows promise of excellent entertainment. We do not get enough British films in this part of the world.

Next Wednesday the Majestic will screen William Haines' last M.G.M. film, "Just a Gigolo,” which Is adapted from the stage play “Dancing Partner.” Irene Purcell comes from the stage to portray her original role in this, while other stage players in the cast are C. Aubrey Smith, Charlotte Granville, Lilian Bond and Albert Conti.