ACROSS THE FOOTLIGHTS

Taranaki Daily News, 7 June 1930, Page 26 (Supplement)

ACROSS THE FOOTLIGHTS

COMING EVENTS. —4 EVERYBODY’S. New Plymouth. Juno 7 to 10.—“ Skinner Steps Out” (Glenn Tryon),. Universal all-talk-ing production and “The Plying Fool" (William Boyd), Patho alltalking production. Juno 11 to 13.—“ The Squall” (all star), First National all-talking production. June 14 to 17. —“Woman to Woman” (Betty Compson)', Cinema Art Films all talking release. THE REGENT. New Plymouth. (Formerly'Tho People’s). Juno 7 to 13.—“ The Cock-Eyed World” (Victor 'McLaglen-Edmund Lowe-' Lily Damita), Fox Movietone special all-talking production. June 14 to 17.—“ Flight” (Ralph GravesJack Holt), Columbia super' all.talking aviation special. June 18 to 20.—“ Under the Greenwood Tree” (all star), British special alltalking production. June 21 to 24. —“Senor Americano” (Ken Maynard) Universal all-talk-ing production. OPERA HOUSE. New Plymouth. Juno 7.—“ The Fleet’s In” (Clara Bow), Paramount production. June 14.—“ The First Kiss” (Fay Wray), Paramount production. June 19.—Taranaki Boxing Association (Donovan v. Bloom.) June 24. —“Moran of the Marines” (Richard Dix) Paramount Production, June 28. —“The Drag Net” (George Ban- • croft) Paramount Production. “THE SQUALL.” “The Squall,” a First National-Vita-phone all talking production will be presented at Everybody’s talkies oh Wednesday. The story .concerns a peaceful Hungarian family into whose home comes Nubi, the gypsy girl. She seeks sanctuary, claiming that she was stolen by a band of gypsies and that she is not a gypsy at all. After she is accepted as a servant she proceeds to destroy the love she finds within the home. Her. procedure is daring and sensational and gives the screen some of the most, impassioned scenes in recent years. Myrna Loy plays the role of Nubi. Others iff the cast are Alice Joyce, Loretta Young, Richard Tucker, Zasu Pitts, Nicholas Soussanin and others.

“THE COCK-EYED WORLD.” In Raoul Walsh’s all talking effort for Fox Movietone, “The Cock Eyed World,” commencing at The Regent to-day at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Edmund Lowe and Victor McLaglen, who made screen history as Quirt and Flagg in “What Price Glory,” are still the same two boys though the period of the picture is ten years after the Armistice. Happy results in the matter of photography and sound, were certain because Walsh used an incomparable team consisting of Arthur Edeson, ace cameraman, and Edmund H. Hansen, star sound man, the same combination that worked on the filming of “In Old Arizona.” “The Cock Eyed World” is based on a story by Laurence Stallings and Maxwell Anderson, with scenario by Walsh and dialogue by Billy K. Wells. The supporting cast is truly of the all star jcalibre. with such scintillants. of stage and screen as El Brendel, Jean Bary, Delia Karnelly, Bobby Burns, Joe Brown, Solidad Jiminez and Ivan Linow prominent. “THE FLEET’S IN.” More than 300 extra players appear in Clara Bow’s hew Paramount picture, “The Fleet’s In!” garbed in naval uniform. For the most part, the men selected were ex-naval men, so that authentic and realistic atmosphere could be obtained. Director Malcolm St. Clair, before actual production of the film was started, insisted that the men portraying sailors have previous naval training and experience at sea. Casting directors found a good many numbered among the host of extra players in Hollywood, and a great number of them were ‘engaged in some other work, but gladly took part in the picture for the sake of old times. They entered into the spirit of the picture just as if again they were back in uniform. Clam Bow gives one of her strongest characterisations in this picture, according to advance reports. Critics have been lavish with their praise of the work of the flaming-haired star. The story concerns Miss Bow, portraying the role of a dance-hall hostess, who is the centre of a rivalry between Hall and Oakie. How the story is brought to a brilliant climax, is one of the many surprising and entertaining features of the film. “The Fleet’s In” will lie presented at the New Plymouth Opera House to-night. “SENOR AMERICANO.” Ken Maynard, whose latest Universal picture, “Senor Americano.’’ comes to New Plymouth shortly, sings in both Spanish and English. Between rides and fights during the filming of this picture, Maynard learned the words of several Spanish soygs, sung to guitar accompaniment. Maynard i<s an expert player on the guitar. Ever since childhood he has been at home with that instrument and the “fiddle,” for the playing of old cowboy songs, concerning which he is an authority. As a young American cavalry officer, Maynard han to serenade Kathryn Crawford, playing the role of an aristocratic Sjpanieh Californian girl. “SKINNER STEPS. OUT.” . Hilariously amusing from start to finish is “Skinner .Stepn Out,” sparkling Universal farce-comedy co-starring Glenn Tryon and Merna Kennedy, which commences at talkies,

, to-day at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. It is a dialogue picture. Tryon has never done better work than in this picture. He has .a role ideally suited to his exceptional fun-making talents. Opposite him is beautiful titian-haired. Merna Kennedy, who also is exceedingly happily cast. In the role of “Honey,” the young wife, Miss Kennedy is a most winsome and appealing heroine. The plot of the story concerns itself with the business and social career of young “William Henry Skinner,” who is a great man to his adoring young wife and a very small potato at the office. In fear and trembling, Skinner finds I himself compelled to justify his wife’s I belief in himself. His efforts to do this I furnish the motive for some of the most i amusing scenes that ever have been shown upon the screen. “THE FLYING FOOL.” . 'Marie Prevost plays the leading ,fernane role in William Boyd’s new Patlie talking picture, “The Flying Fool.” She heads a supporting cast that includes Russell Gleason and Tom O’ Brien. This popular player is no stranger' to Pathe fans, for she previously starred in a number of successful Pathe productions. “The .Flying Fool,” which will be shown at Everybdoy’s commencing to-day at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., is an original story of an itinerant stunt flyer and was written especially for the star by Elliott Claw-> son. Tay Garnett, who served in the United States Naval Air Forces during the war, directed. James. Gleason is credited with the dialogue and Ralph Block is the producer. It is a 100 per cent, talking picture. KING’S THEATRE, STRATFORD. Matinee to-day at 1.30, to-night and Monday.—“ The Three Godfathers.” (Charles Pickford, Raymond Hatton and others). Tuesday and Wednesday.—“'Through Different Eyes.” (Mary Duncan and Warner Baxter). Thursday and Friday—“'The Thirteenth Chair.” (Conrad Nagel and Leila Hyams). “THROUGH DIFFERENT EYES.”

“Through Different Eyes,” the latest and best Fox Movietone all-dialogue play, will be show at the King’s Theatre, Stratford,., on Tuesday and Wednesday. An excellent cast, headed by Mary Duncan, Warner Baxter and Edmund Lowe, gives an outstanding performance in this murder trial mystery, told by the novel method of presenting the same set of faces through the eyes of the defence attorney, then through the eyes of the district attorney, and fl-ally as it really happened, “THE THIRTEENTH CHAIR.” • Inner workings of the strangest police force in the world are shown in Tod Browning’s film production of “The Thirteenth CTiair,” produced as an alltalking picture at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios, ‘ and showing at the King’s Theatre next Thursday and Friday. The mechanics df the police force at Calcutta, an Indian force under-Eng-lish leadership, is strikingly shown, with the work of Hindu detectives, who mingle with the natives or act as servants of the whites to solve mysteries, skillfully disclosed. Conrad Nagel and Leila Hyams have the leading roles in this gripping picture. WAITARA TALLIES. To-night.—“ Big Time,” all-talking, singing and dancing. Tuesday.- —“Wonder of Women,” M.G.M. part talking. . , Thursday. —“Frozen Justice,” all talking. ’ Fox Movietone. Saturday, June 14. —"Married in Hollywood,” Fox Movietone, all-talking, singing and dancing special. Tuesday, June 17.—Norma Shearer in “Their Own Desire,” all-talking. June 19—“ Flight,” a mighty all-talking drama of the dare-devils of the air. June 21.—“ Devil May Care,” M.G.M. special, featuring Ramon Navarro. June 27 and 28.—“ The Desert Song.”

THE MAKING OF “ALL QUIET.” BIG BATTLE' SCENES. Now that Universal has completed its transfer to the film of Erich Maria Remarque’e revealing war epic, “All Quiet on the Western Front,” it is marshaling its forces for the showing of this picture throughout the world. A feature of the contract entered into between Carl Laemm.le ’ and the author of the German war book was a provision compelling adherence to the spirit of the original text in making the picture. “Maxwell . ’Anderson, co-author of “What Price ’ Glory,” and George Abbott, co-author of “Broadway,” collaborated for. the first time in adapting the story for the screen, and in writing the dialogue. ■ Lewis Milestone directed the film. The cast includes Louis Wolheim, Lewis Ayres, John Wray, Raymond Griffith, William Bakewell, Russell Gleason, Walter Browne Rogers, Owen Davis, jun., Scott Kolk, George’ (Slim) Summerville, Edmund Brierse, Bertha Mann, Yola D’Avril and Joan March. The big battle scenes were’ made at the historic Irvine ranch, 60 miles south of Hollywood, where a replica of a section of the Flanders front was created. Many persons- were employed in these scenes during the • five weeks devoted to this phase. Details were furnished by the American Legion, and a polyglot grouping of German, Russian, French, - Canadian and other war veterans worked side by side in scenes. Much of the military equipment is said to have been imported from Germany, having been bought from reclamation establishments. Further significance is found in the fact that th*e first “shot” , was made on the anniversary of Armistice Day. -The artillery scenes were made in Sherwood Forest, a heavily wooded location, and the studio scenes were made at Universal : City.

WODEHOUSE TALKIES. HIGHLY-PAID HUMORIST. j The latest of the celebrities to succumb to the lure of the talkies is D* G. Wodehouse, the noted humorist, whose character of “Jeeves,” the butler, is one of the most famous of literary persons. He has been signed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to write original stories and adaptations for the screen. Wodehouse is said to be the highest paid (short story writer in the world. He is now in London arranging for the production of “The Three Musketeers” at the Drury Lane Theatre. Among his most popular books are “Fish Preferred,” “Mr. Mulliner Speaking,” “Tho Small Bachelor,” “Leave It To Smith,” “Money for Nothing,” “Bill the Conqueror?’ “Golf Without Tears,” “Divots” and “Jeeves.” In musical comedy, the reputation of Wodehouse dates back to his association with Guv Bolton and Jerome Stern. This trio was largely responsible for the introduction of the intimate musical show. They created “Oh Boy,” “Oh Lady, Lady” and “Oh My Dear.” In recent years Wodehouse has adapted For the American stage some popular foreign comedies. Among them are Molnar’s “The Play’s the Thing.” “Her Cardboard Lover” .and the Gilbert Miller production, “Candle Light.” He worked on the book of Ziegfeld's “Rosa-lie''-and wrote lyrics for “The Three Musketeers.” THE FIRST NIGHT. SEATING THE AUDIENCE. • 1 There has been ,so much talked lately about first-night, audiences that it might be of interest if I were to give some idea of how a first-night “sheet” is made up, writes Alan Parsons in the London Daily Mail. Before I begin, I may say that it often costs a. manager a whole week’s hard work with pencil and indiarubber. Well, let us imagine he has the i blank sheet before him; his first step ; will be to pencil in the Press seats, i paying particular attention to the. ■ whims of certain critics; some, for instance, whom I could name, always insist, so far as is possible, on gangway seats. After that come the trade (or “library”) seats. That little bunch will probably have accounted for onethird of the stalls. After that, the first-night applications must be dealt with. To begin with, there are certain patrons who from time immemorial have had the same seats. These have to be arranged for; then the manager pro- | coeds to “dress” the rest of the house | as I‘est he can. | There are, of course, friends of the j author and actors; these have to bo carefully separated and care taken that no cause for jealousy is aroused; then the applauders and non-applaud-ers (they are generally known) have to be carefully mingled together. Certain seats, too, have to be pencilled in for imaginary people, so that when at the last moment the “boss” asks for half a dozen seats, the seeming miracle is accomplished, and the stalls produced. There are a number of well-known “knockers,” who always damn the show; these are purposely offered such ’bad seats that they probably refuse to come. The same . procedure applies to the dress circle and to the upper circle: in the latter perhaps a third or more of the spectators always occupy the | same scats. Their peculiarities are studied just as much as that of the stallite. Finally there is.a No. 2or waiting list, which is compiled largely with a view to its applause-value. “JOURNEY’S END.” “WHOLE FILM IS ENGLISH.” The film of Mr. R. C. Sherriff’s war; play, “Journey's End,” presented at j the Tivoli Theatre, is the most mov- : ing thing I have seen or read or heard j in months, writes a London reviewer. J There are moments in it which * would be unbearable were it not for ; the tenderness with which they are j treated; moments in which friends — i .dead now for nearly fifteen years—be- j come again incarnate in those shad- : ows of-tortured officers you see on the ! screen. Its tender reality is its salvation. Mr. Slierriff told me ■ at the end of the film that the picture had added to the ’play’s beauty and expression. • ' I thought that th,e film’s power' would consist in its' vistas of the struggles of armies. I was wrong. Its .intensity and its drama are in the heart of one man alone—Stanhope, bearing that mark of suffering which came to be the sign of company commanders in France/ Stanhope is the

personification of a thousand company commanders who, suffering all the torments of tortured nerves, still had the job of leading four platoons, and did that job. In “Journey’s End” there is an eternal moment to those men with the semblance of physical fitness, but with spirits worn incredibly near to break-ing-point who still summoned to themselves the power of leading others. “Journey’s End,” as a film, is a bravo conception and- a magnificent accomplishment. Mr. Colin Clive plays Stanhope worthily. p can think of no greater .praise.

LOOKING BACK, “MERRY WIDOW” REVIVAL. The 'first Australian production of “The Merry Widow,” recently revived in Australia by J. C. Williamson, was in Melbourne at Her Majesty’s on May 16, 1908; and there was a revival beginning a new season on October 30. 1909. Many brilliant pieces had preceded this Viennese operetta, turned into a London musical comedy, . and many followed. Consider a few of the plays seen in Melbourne in revivals .or in new production scon after the second season of the “Widow.” A remarkable year was 1910, in which the list included, “The Arcadians,” “The Country Girl,” “The Dollar Princess,” “Sergeant Blue,” “A Waltz Dream,’’ “The Girls of Gottenborg,” “Miss Hook of Holland,” “The

Gay Gordons,” “The Orchid,” and “Tom Jones.” In 1911 theatregoers could see “Our Miss Gibbs, “The Belle of Brittany,” “The Gay Grisette,” “The Merry Widow,” and “The Chocolate Soldier”; and among the light pieces available in 1912 were “Florodora,” “Nightbirds,” and “The Quaker Girl.” “The Cingalee,” some years old, returned.in 1913; and other finely produced musical comedies then enjoyed were “The Count of Luxembourg,” “Autumn Manoeuvres,” and “The Balkan Princess.” ■ A sign of the times around that period was the rise oi revue, which was to help to cause the downfall of real musical comedy. “Come Over Here,” lavishly produced by the Williamson management, was an early specimen—the first “big ” revue in Australia —'but even after it had flourished there were such musical (comedies as “Gipsy Love,” “Princess Caprice,”, and “The Girl in the Taxi.” and a hearty welcome was given to a GilBert arid Sullivan season and to a revival of “Dorothy.” Early in the war period there were musical comedies of several varieties—“ High Jinks,”. “The Marriage Market,”' “The Girl on the Film,” “After the Girl” (half a revue), and “The Dancing Mistress”; but gradually the tendency in London to make entertainment frothier affected the Australian theatres. In the- search for “something different” much was adopted from America. Ragtime had already established itself, and it became more than ever a craze. Anyone could chant ragtime, so there was no particular necessity for members of light musical companies to be real singers. The necessity was even less apparent with jazz, which took the place of ragtime soon after the war. A good many of the rag songs had merits of a sort, but the early jazz, with its tin-can orchestra, was the most abominable noise ever heard in the name of music. Instead of the concord of sweet sounds to which even popular melody bad aspired, it was a discord of sour sounds. By some composers, and ‘especially by Gershwin, jazz has been improved greatly, but even in its better form it has had more than, a fair' term of fashion. The welcome given to the revival of “The Merry Widow,” with the neglect awarded to some recent entertain- , incuts of the jazz order, is apparently a sign that many theatregoers are longing for musical comedy that contains both music and humour.

“JOURNEY’S END” ENDS. R. C. Sherriff’s famous war play, “Journey’s End/’ was withdrawn from the Prince of Wales Theatre on May 24. The decision was reached by Maurice Brown, as business had lately fallen off. By the time of the withdrawal it had been performed nearly 600 times in the West End. “Journey’s End” has been easily the most remarkable • play of the century. It has been given by 76 companies in 25 different languages, and it is estimated that total receipts from all over the world will amount easily to £1,000,000 or more.

NEW WAR PLAY, “SUSPENSE” IS BRUTAL. "Suspense” is brutal and terrible but magnificent. This is how a London critic described Patrick MacGill’A war play—the latest to be presented in London. We see a party of men in a captured German dug-out, we hear the tap-tap-tap of the German miners, and we share the agonised suspense of the men waiting and wondering whether the mine will explode beneath them and blow them sky-high, writes Alan Parsons in the Daily Mail. There is Scruffy (Gordon Harker), the sublime and immortal Cockney, knitting his sock and undoing it, Pene-lope-wise, when finished, with his unconquerable humour, sturdy and stead-

fast, the kind that really won the war;. Alleluia Brett (Oswald Dale Roberts),, with his strange evangelist streak; Lomax, the everlasting Irish grouser (Sidney Morgan); and Pettigrew (Robert Douglas), the 18-year-old gentleman-ranker, who loses his nerve under the strain and-is arrested for deserting his 'post. And through all the terror' this little band sings ' its weird , songs —the new version of “Tipperary” must be heard to be believed—till .at the supreme moment, when it seems the mine must explode, relief comes. . The third act ■ finds ' them resting behind the lines. ’ In the distance the mine goes off—it is' the signal for a general attack, and, instead of the calm they had hoped to find they are once'again in the midst of the battle, without cover, without reserves, without stretcher-bearers —.hopelessly lost. My attention Was gripped from the rise of the curtain to the fall; in stark realism it is even more brutal than “Journey’s End,” but through it all runs an insuperable spirit of comradeship, a sense of humour that no horrors can dim. Once again its is proved that fine plays produce fine acting, but there are two superb' performances—those of Mr. Harker and Mr. Morgan. Mr. Harker’s broad cockney humour leavens the whole tragic story; his unbreakable spirit is symbolised, by that sock which is never finished, while Mr. Morgan shows how the Army was allowed to keep up its spirit by an unche-cekd flow, of grousing. He would rather “sit on an incubator of rattlesnakes,” but he sticks it out. and is indeed the last'to have the doomed dug-out. The censor has been amazingly sparing- in the use of the official bide pencil, and very rightly, for such a tale in bowdlerised language would mean less than nothing. FAME IN A NIGHT. THEATRE NEARLY LOST ACTOR. Only a few weeks ago. Jack Lambert, the amateur actor of the Ardrossan and Saltcoats players, gave up ' his life-long ambition of taking up the stage as a profession. Then, while he was sitting in the office of his father in Ardrorsan he received, a telegram from Basil Foster' offering him a leading part in “A Song of Sixpence,” the Scottish comedy by lan Hay and Guy Bolton,. now playing at Daly’s Theatre: So Jack Lambert packed his bag and took the first train. across the border. He woke up in London the'following morning to find . himself, famous, and his performance hailed by the. critics as one of the big hits, of the play. “I first played professionally in London,” he told a newspaper man. “when Sir Nigel Playfair presented the. Ardross'an players at the Lyric, Hanimersmith, in ‘The Old Lady Shows Her Medals.’ For two years I have been, wasting my time between business and amateur theatricals. One interfered with the other. So I made up my mind to study for civil engineering. But when Mr. Foster's telegram arrived I left at once. Now I am going tb devote myself to a stage career. Ever since I first appeared a boys' nigger minstrel troupe it has been my main ambition. Now I think my big • chance has come.’’ Mr. Lambert was a member of the Ardr.ossan Players’ company when it carried off the Howard de Walden Cup for the best amateur production in Great

NOTED OPERA SINGER. TALKIE FOR £lOOO A MINUTE. Miss Mary Lewis, the opera star, who appeared in London in 1924, has signed a contract at Hollywood for a talking picture which will yield her approximately £lOOO for every minute’ she actually work’s before the • camera for Pathe. Miss Lewis was born at Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 1900. She ran away from home at the age of 20 to join a vaudeville company. After appearing in the Christie Comedies in Hollywood, she went to New York, appearing in the Greenwich Village Follies aiid tl”e Ziegfeld Follies. She made her first appearance in opera in Vienna in “Faust.”

“CITY LIGHTS.” CHAPLIN FILM DELAYED. Film fame is ephemeral. And eclipse threatens even Charlie Chaplin, unless his latest film is quickly shown to the world and re-establishes his fame. The film is called “City Lights.” • Chaplin, who makes iris own-films, has been years in its production. There have been certain domestic adventures in the Chaplin household which have delayed' the completion of “City Lights.” There have been, moreover, certain abortive at-

temps to fit the" picture with sound effects, writes an English reviewer. The problem of the talkers, indeed, became so urgent that at one time Chaplin was suborned into endeavouring to make everyone in his. picture talk except him- ' self. ’ ' : " '■ ■ And still the picture is unfinished. Just recently some urgent talking has been done' by Chaplin’s New York' agents. And “City Lights,” I now. hear privately from Hollywood, will be completed within the next two months. Chaplin, also, it is said, will come to - Europe early in June to attend the opening of his picture. '; . ’<