The World of Motion Pictures

Southland Times, Issue 22012, 11 May 1933, Page 12

The World of Motion Pictures

THE REGENT Now Showing: “The Millionaire” (Warners —George Arliss, Florence Arliss, Evalyn Knapp, David Manners, Noah. Beery, Sam Hardy, J. Farrell MacDonald). Next Saturday: “Sherlock Holmes’’ (Fox—Clive Brook, Miriam Hopkins, Ernest Torrence). Coming Attractions: “The Strange Case of Clara Deane” (ParamountWynne Gibson, Pat O’Brien, Frances Dee); “The Blonde Venus” (Paramount —Marlene Dietrich, Herbert Marshall, Cary Grant and Dickie Moore); “The Kid From Spain” (United Artists —Eddie Cantor and the Goldwyn Girls); “Phantom of Crestwood” (R.K.O.— (Ricardo Cortez, Pauline Frederick; Karen Morley); “Let Me Explain, Dear” (8.1. P.

The very successful second run week inaugurated at The Regent, closes for the present to-night and to-morrow night with a return showing of one of George Arliss’s most ingratiating pictures, “The Millionaire,” the talking version of the play he made in a silent version six years ago. Associated with him in this film are his wife, Florence, Evalyn Knapp and David Manners, as the juveniles, and Noah Beery, Sam Hardy, J. Farrell MacDonald and James Cagney.

William Gillette’s play “Sherlock Holmes” forms the basis of the Fox film version of that name which comes to the Regent on Saturday, with Clive Brook (lent from the Paramount company) in the role of Sir Arthur Conon Doyle’s great detective for the second time in talking films—the first time was for Paramount, in another Holmes story they did three years ago. Miriam Jordan, an English actress who went to Hollywood via the New York stage, is the 'Alice Faulkner of this screen play and Ernest Torrence as Moriarty and Reginald Owen as Dr Watson, are also English actors in the principal roles. Others in this particularly English cast are Howard _ Leeds, Alan Mowbray, Herbert Mundin, Montague Shaw, Arnold Lucy, Lucien Prival, Roy D’Arcy, Stanley Fields, Eddie Dillon, Robert Graves, Brandon Hurst and Claude King. William K. Howard directed, and Bertram Milhauser was responsible for the screen play and dialogue. This is certainly a handpicked cast for Gillette’s thrilling play, and Brook is admirably cast as the detective.

“The Strange Case of Clara Deane,” which comes to The Regent next week, was made by Paramount to exploit their new dramatic actress, Wynne Gibson, whom they hoped would, replace Miss Chatterton when she joined Warners, Reviewers say “The Strange Case of Clara Deane” is splendidly acted, with Miss Gibson in a dramatic role on similar lines to Miss Chatterton’s “Madame X,” with Mother Love as its theme. A fine supporting cast includes Pat O’Brien, Frances Dee, Dudley Digges, George Barbier, Russell Gleason, Florence Britton, Lee Kohlmar. Arthur Pierson, Clara Blandick and Cora Sue Collins. •Louis Gasnier and Max Marcin codirected the picture, with the promise of some interesting photography.

Ruth Bernhardt, grandniece of Sarah Bernhardt, has left New York to seek a screen career in Hollywood., Nine years ago, she says, she tried to “crash the gates” of filmland, but was unsuccessful. Now, she believes, after being successful on the stage in Europe, she will get somewhere in America. She is accompanied by her husband, John Michael Schliesser, a sculptor.

“Gulliver’s Travels” is coming to the screen! Universal has engaged Karl Freund, a master of trick photography (who directed “Variety,” “The Last Laugh,” and more recently “The Mummy,” with Boris Karloff) to direct this story of the Lilliputians. Naturally Hollywood is interested to know what he will make of this British masterpiece. At any rate, Universal expects to make this production one of the most elaborate on its present schedule, and plans to have it ready for release in December.

Joan Crawford, the film star, wife of Douglas Fairbanks, junior, has separated from her husband. “The only brave thing to do,” she said, “when two people cannot get along together, is to part. We will learn whether to continue to live apart or to kiss and make it up.” Mr Fairbanks declared: “I hope for a reconciliation. lam going to send her flowers, telephone her every day, and rend telegrams when I cannot get her on the telephone. We are still in love.” The reason for the divorce is that two suits for damages have been brought by a Los Angeles chemist, Jorgen Dietz, against Douglas Fairbanks, junior, charging the film actor with alienating the affections of Mrs Dietz and causing his false imprisonment. A recent visitor to Hollywood tells me this divorce was. the latest Hollywood gossip—but that the pair are being divorced on the understanding that after three months Joan is to be wooed and won all over again—then probably another big Hollywood wedding! An Exciting Prospect. Those people who saw the first of Walt Disney’s coloured Silly Symphonies this week, will realize what unbounded possibilities this delightful form opens out for screen entertainment. It has already been suggested to me that gorgeous pantomimes could be conceived by the creator of Mickey Mouse in his brilliant new form. But I have just heard of an even more exciting possibility than that. Mary Pickford, the eternally youthful Little Girl of the screen, has decided to make “Alice in Wonderland,” with herself as Lewis Carroll’s Alice. And she has commissioned Walt Disney to make thousands of drawings to cover most of the picture, because it is to be an animated cartoon in natural colours, in which Miss Pickford will be the only living character. She and Disney expect it will take them two years to complete. Miss Pickford and her husband have recently been in England on their return from a holiday in Rome. The former has also announced she has set her heart on appearing in a film version of “Peter Pan”— “Barrie,” she said, “once asked me to make Peter for the pictures and before attempting the part I shall visit him in London in order that we may go through the play again together.” Fairbanks hopes that his next film will be taken in China, a very expensive operation, considering that it will be necessary to take out all the technical apparatus from Hollywood.