STAR DUST

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 60, Issue 4234, 22 January 1940, Page 3

STAR DUST

NEWS FROM THE PICTURE WORLD “THE STARS LOOK DOWN” One of the most eostly productions made in Britain has just been completed. The film, “The Stars Look Down,” a G.B.D. release has won instant appreciation. It reproduces the original novel by Dr. A. J. Cronin, author of th© “Citadel.” The direcCarol Reed, is credited with transferring the novel to the screen without the loss of any of the drama that made the story world famous. The picture, which, has as a background the lives of the Colliery workers of England, had its mining sections filmed at the Workington Pits, Cumberland, with the entire population, men women and children, in the film.

Michael Redgrave, Margaret Lockwood and Emlyn Williams are + he stars, and the featured players of a cast of thousands are Nancy Price, Allan Jeayes, Edward Rigby, Linden Travers, Cecil Parker and Milton Roamer. Dr. Cronin is enthusiastic about the way in which his book has been brought to the screen. “THE RAINS CAME” A truly gratifying and thrilling instanlce of a great book (being transformed into a great motion picture is offered in Darryl F. Zanuck’s production of “The Rains Came,” by Louis Bromfield with Myrna Loy, Tyrone Power and George Brent sharing stallar honours. As a novel this powerful story proved one of the best-sellers of the last decade. How successfully and low faithfully Zanuek has transferred to the screen this fascinating mythical city of Ranchipur, India, is reflected in a statement made by Bromfield. “This is my story and these are my characters,” wrote the author. “As a novelist I am grateful for the priviledge of seeing this book come completely to life. In my opinion “The Rains Came” is a great picture. I should like to express my gratitude to Darryl Zanuek and director- Clarence Brown who recreated it with sueh astounding fidelity.” Born in Mansfield, Ohio, where today he runs a 400 acre farm, stocked with 2,000 chickens and a herd of cattle, Bromfield served his writing (apprenticeship in the New York newspaper field. He fought in the World War and won tire Croix de guerre for bravery. In the 20th Century-Fox film, Myrna Loy plays the amorous Lady Esketh, Tyrone Power is the romantic Major Safti and George Brent is the wprld-weary Tom Ransome. Featured in the supporting cast are Brenda Joyce as Fern, Nigel Bruce as Lord Esketh, Maria Ouspenskaya as the Maharani, Joseph Schildkraut as Mr Bannerjee, Mary Nash as Miss MacDaid, Jane Darwell as Aunt Phoebe, Marjorie Rambeau as Mrs Simon, Henry Travers as Rev. Homer Smiley and H. B. Warner as the Maharajah. LINDA DARNELL Playing the leading role in “Elsa Maxwell’s Hotel for Women” was not the only “first” in Linda Darnell's life. It also marked the historic occasion when she gets her first kiss. This was not discovered until it came to the point of shooting a scene in which James Ellison is to kiss her. (Although Linda said nothing about it till afterwards, she was extremely excited. She (confessed that kissing was as nice as she had heard it would be, but the circumstances and surroundings, particularly with all the onlookers, were not what she had always imagined they would be. Another big thrill for the young girl w-as to meet the Crow-n Prince and Princess of Norway who came to watch her at work on the set. “HOLLYWOOD CAVALCADE” At last Hollywood looks into its own heart and finds a story as great as any it has ever filmed; its own romance from bathing 'beauties to world premieres. Produced by Darryl F. Zanuek for 20th Century-Fox and filmed in glorious techniColour, the picture will recall many heartwarming movie memories. “SHERLOCK HOLMES” The master-detective against his arch-enemy, the master-criminal, in the simper-crime of the century, makes ‘lSlcrlock Holmes,” 20th CenturyFox picture, a film not to be missed. Basil Rathbone again portrays Holmes, with Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson, in the thrilling battle against the fiendish Moriarty, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s notorious villain. Ida Lupino and Alan Marshal are seen in the leading romantic roles, heading an outstanding cast. “HOTEL FOR W-OMEN” The idea of a hotel inhabited only by women and in which no man could set foot was the basic idea for a motion picture which intrigued Darryl F. Zanuek. There was a lot of drama and comedy, he reasoned, that could go on in such an ediface. With this idea in mind, Zanuek dispatched one of his feminine scenar-

ists at 20th Century-Fox, Kathryn Scola, to New York, where she was .to register at just an hostelry, the Barbizon Hotel. For several weeks Miss Scola lived there, mingling with the girls, most of whom were professional photographic models. She lived their life, shared their meals and dates with them, and even hired a male escort to take her out one evening just as some of the less beautiful girls there did. Zanuck’s next act was to sign the famed party giver, Elsa Maxwell, as technical director for a party sequence which he was going to have in the picture. By the time Elsa got through talking to Zanuek, he had decided to have her collaborate with Miss Scola on the original story. The official title of the picture then blossomed forth as “Elsa Maxwell’s Hotel for Women.”

There was quite a bit of difficulty in casting the leading roles. Contrary to popular conception, there is a dearth, of young leading men and women. Hollywood and talent scouts are always (busy finding new faces. One of the latter recently signed by 20th Century-Fox was Linda Darnell, from Texas. The studio secretly watched her progress in the Little Theatre and when it was found that she had matured, she was brought out again on a stock contract which meant that she was in for a long period of grooming. This was just a week before they ran into difficulties finding a leading lady for “Elsa Maxwell’s Hotel for Women.” The casting office received instructions to test every available girl and Linda was the one who was caught and herded on a test stage. When some thirty tests were run off, Zanuek picked Linda out of the lot as the ideal girl to play the role. She is now hailed as one of the greatest screen finds, and will be seen in many outstanding attractions.