The SCREEN and its STARS

Southland Times, Issue 21854, 3 November 1932, Page 10

The SCREEN and its STARS

(By

“Columbine.” )

THE MAJESTIC Now Showing: “Local Boy Makes Good,” (Warners— Joe Brown, Dorothy Lee, Ruth Hall). Saturday: “My Past” (Warners-Bebe Daniels, Lewis Stone, Ben Lyon, Natalie Moorhead). Coming:—“As You Desire Me,’' (M-G-M. —Greta Garbo, Melvyn Douglas, Erich Von Stroheim, Hedda Hopper). “Rebecca of Sunny Brook Farm,” (Fox —Marion Nixon, Ralph Bellamy, Mae Marsh) Louise Closser Hale). “Local Boy Makes Good,” the Warners Comedy now showing for a twonight season at the Majestic is not of the slapstick variety of entertainment afforded by other pictures of Mr Brown. He plays the part of a nearsighted and self-effacing college student —who in the end is able to demonstrate his prowess with the ladies and on the athletic arena. The film is based on a very human comedy by J C. and Elliott Nugent. Dorothy Lee is the leading lady and others in the cast are Ruth Hall (the Florida society girl who has made a stir in the picture world), Edward Woods, Wade Goteler, William Burress, Edward J. Nugent and John Harrington. Mervyn Le Roy directed. * * * *

In the days when those ostentatiously anonymous confession novels, whose titles were invariably prefixed by a studiously ominous “Ex—,” were rampant, a work called “Ex-Mistress” was presented to a palpitating public without causing exceptional excitement. A screen version of this novel, made by Warners, comes to The Majestic, on Saturday wider its new title of “My Past,” and was the first film Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyon appeared in together • after their marriage. Lewis Stone, Joan Biondell, Natalie Moorhead, Albert Gran, Virginia Sale and Daisy Belmore also appear in the cast, and Roy Del Ruth directed. Miss Daniels, by the way,- has wisely given up the idea ,of being a blonde.

Greta Garbo’s last picture before returning to Sweden was a M-G-M. film version of Pirandello’s striking drama, “As You Desire Me,” and this film comes to The Majestic in a week or two heralded by particularly appreciative reviews. There was a time when it looked as if- this was to be the final American-made picture of the Swedish star, although at the present time it looks as if M-G-M. had her signature on a new contract before her departure from Hollywood, and latest announcements are that her next film, at the termination of her holiday, will be based on the life of Christina of Sweden. Anyway, “As You Desire Me” will be further interesting because Erich Von Stroheim returns to the screen as an actor in it, while Melvyn Douglas, Owen Moore and Hedda Hopper are also featured in an impressive cast. George Fitzmaurice directed.

Will Rogers’ next Fox picture will be “Jubilo,” a screen version of the novel by Ben Williams. John Blystone will direct, and El Brendel and Dick Powell are in the cast. “Jubilo” will mark the first screen appearance under a Fox contract of Nell O’day, recently acquired by the company from the Broadway stage. Those who saw “The King of Jazz” will remember her as the beautiful blonde dancer with the male dance number. Fox has completed “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm,” based on the Kate Douglas Wiggin story which Mary Pickford did some years ago as a silent film. This is the picture Janet Gaynor walked out on when she decided she wanted more worldly parts than the sweet things the studio had been giving her. Marian Nixon was not averse to taking Miss Gaynor’s place, for the

saccharine road of unsophistication in the films is paved with sugar, as Broadway understands the meaning of the word. While Miss Nixon is making the world sweeter with Aunt Jane and other Kate Douglas Wiggin characters, Miss Gaynor is in rehearsal with “The First Year,” Lynn Starling’s adaptation of the Frank Craven play which ran for eighty-five weeks in New York. Mae Marsh plays Rebecca’s aunt in the former piece, which Al Santell is directing with Louise Closser Hale and Willis Marks also in the cast. William K. Howard is directing and in it she once more co-stars with Charles Farrell.

Newspapers of the United States are taking up editorially the fact that Mickey Mouse is being diagnosed in Germany as a victim of paranoiacal dementia. for the most part, the editorials are in defence of little Mickey. The Scripps-Howard chain of newspapers appears to be taking the lead in' the editorials. In the New York World-Telegram, ace paper of the chain, the following was published on February 8:—“Poor Mickey is being 'psyched’ by the scientific gentlemen whose preoccupation in life is to delve into any mental quirk that seems to them to be outside the range of sanity as catalogued in their card-indexes. They are the ‘norm’ boys, and so theyare bothered by Mickey, whose antics lie beyond their comprehension. That the gay, mad, little mouse belongs to that fantastic land if which Alice and Bottom, and all of the pixies and elves of the Irish fairy tales are denizens is nothing to them. Nor can they comprehend that the world of make-believe is a real one and that into it creeps at times the children of all the ages, to whom the nagging cares of a work-a-day existence compel some to escape. Mickey mad? His sanity is proven every day to thousands of believers. His antics are those of the completely free individuals, and the defier of time and gravitation and pain and all the other laws by which conformists are punished. It will be a sad time for tire world when the emancipated Mickey is looked on as something pathological. Despite what dealers in ‘complexes’ and ‘inhibitions’ say, he seems the symbol of freedom, and as such we wish him a long and useful life.” .

THE REGENT Now showing: “Bachelor’s Affairs’’ Fox.—(Adolphe Menjou, Minna Gombell, Joan Marsh, Arthur Pierson, Herbert Mundin). Saturday: “But the Flesh is Weak’’ M.G.M.—(Robert Montgomery, Nora Gregor, Nils Asther, Edward Everett Horton, Frederick Kerr.) Coming Attractions: “While Paris Sleeps” (Victor McLaglen, Helen Mack, William Bakewell, Rita La Roy). “Week Ends Only” (Joan Bennett, Ben Lyon, John Halliday, Halliwell Hobbes). “The Wiser Sex” (Claudette Colbert, Lilvan Tashman, Melvyn Douglas). “Wayward” (Nancy Carrol, Richard Arlen, Pauline Frederick). James Oliver Curwood’s “Rivers End” (Charles Bickford, Evalyn Knapp). * * “Bachelor’s Affairs,” a Fox production, with Adolphe Menjou in the featured role, is at present showing at The Regent. Based on James Forbes’ successful stage play, it tells the story of a middle-aged bachelor who, through the machinations of the girl’s sister, marries a youthful flapper of the beautiful but not brilliant type. Events prove to him that he has made a serious mistake and he sets about to extricate himself from the entanglement in which he finds himself. Minna Gombell, one of the out-standing comediennes of films, (who first appeared in “Bad Girl.”) appears in the leading role of the gold-digging sister, and Joan Marsh, (sister of Marian), portrays the role of the girl. Others include Allan Dinehart, Herbert Mundin, Arthur Pierson, Irene Purcell and Don Alvarado. The picture was directed by Alfred L. Worker.

Robert Montgomery’s new starring production for M-G-M, “ —But the Flesh is Weak,” which will be at the Regent on Saturday, is adopted from the London stage play “The Truth Game,” by Ivor Novello. The background of the romance is set in England, with the famous old aristocratic houses, the Ascot Races, and perfect dress routine that is essential to be a real Englishman, and deliciously bright dialogue. Novello went to Hollywood to supervise the production of his comedy, while Jack Conway directed, and from all accounts the English atmosphere is well sustained. Montgomery, under the influences of Coward and Lonsdale, has been improving with every new screen appearance. His personality is ingratiating, and his technique is lightening appreciably—one of the most likeable actors on the screen. In this film Nora Gregor, a German actress, makes her first appearance on the American screen, as also does Heather Thatcher, the be-monocled English comedienne, in her original role. Nils Asther, C. Aubrey Smith, Edward Everett Horton, Frederick Kerr, Eva Moore, and Doris Lloyd reveal an almost wholly English cast.

George Brent and Ruth Chatterton were teamed in motion pictures before their recent marriage and they will be teamed again. The couple entrained for Hollywood recently to prepare for a new film to be entitled “A Paris Divorce,” from a story by Randolph Bartlett which appeared in The American Mercury. The BrentChatterton film called “The Crash,” which they made several months ago, is still awaiting release.

Stars contracted by the combined Warner-First National studios hereafter will have no voice in the selection of scenarios or screen roles. Jack L. Warner, in charge of production, considers that the producer, who risks a large sum in each picture he makes, should be allowed to select his own stories unhampered by his stars. In the future, no contracts will give to stars the right to select stories or roles, Mr Warner said to-day. The popular stars have been made by the careful selection of stories by their producers, who have facilities for keeping in touch with the public the star does not have, Mr Warner added.

Fox is to film Joel Sayre’s football satire “Rackety Rax,” on a grand scale. Ben Lyon, (now acting opposite Sally Eilers in “Hat Check Girl,”) will share the spotlight in the production with Marion Nixon, and a supporting cast has been assembled that includes Minna Gombell. Irving Pichel, Allan Dinehart and Greta Nissen. Amos Olonzo Stagg and Howard Jones, veteran football coaches, have agreed to appear in the also to serve as technical advisers. As for the pigskin carriers themselves, Canarsie’s magnificent team of professional heroes will be impersonated on the screen by thirteen college players representing eight major universities.

Miss Miriam Jordan, a blonde, bom in London, has become a star overnight. Though she has never beerl on the screen, she is to play the feminine lead in her first picture, “Six Hours to Live,” with Warner Baxter and John Boles. Miss Jordan, who made her debut in Cochran’s “One Damn Thing After Another,” has been playing in “Cynara” on Broadway. She was seen by a Fox “scout,” and given a five years’ contract. “We believe we have Lund an English girl who will be bigger than Ann Harding as a boxoffice attraction,” said Mr Winfield Sheehan, production manager of Fox. “Her film tests have shown up remarkably well.” Another English girl who has found a short cut to something like stardom is Miss Phyllis Barry, who will play one of the chief roles in the screen version of “Cynara” opposite Ronald Colman. Her mother was for many years wardrobe mistress of the Haymarket and Pavilion theatres, London Miss Barry has had six years’ musical comedy experience in Australia, England, and the U.S.A.

Ann Harding, the film star, was granted a divorce from her husband, Harry Bannister, the actor, after a hearing which lasted only 10 minutes, in the Reno Divorce Court. The divorce was the “friendliest” the blase city of Reno has ever seen. After it .was granted Miss Harding and the husband kissed, .and pledged themselves to what they called a “dear friendship.” With friends they then drove to a restaurant five miles from Reno for a brief “Divorce party.” Ann snuggled close to Mr Bannister during the drive, and the behaviour of the couple is regarded as confirming their declarations that they are still in love. When Miss Harding filed her petition—on the ground of “cruelty”—she announced that she was doing so with the object of keeping her husband’s love. The cause of all the trouble was Ann Harding’s success at Hollywood, which led Mr Bannister to be known as “Mr Ann Harding.” They have been married for six years and have one daughter.