ACROSS THE FOOTLIGHTS

Taranaki Daily News, 19 September 1931, Page 26 (Supplement)

ACROSS THE FOOTLIGHTS

OPERA HOUSE. so-day at 2 and 8 p.m.: “Rookery Nook” (Tom Walls-Ralph Lynn), British special production. ' (September 22 to 24: “A Country Girl” ■{New Plymouth Operatic Society). September 26: “Welcome Danger” (Harold Lloyd), Paramount production. ((September 28 to 30: “The Bat Whispers” (Chester Morris), United Artists’ special production. September 3: “The Big Pond” (Maurice Chevalier-Claudette Colbert), Paramount production. EVERYBODY’S. Monday and Tuesday: “The Secret Six” (Wallace Beery-Jean Harlow), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer production. September 23 to 25: “River’s End’ (Charles Bickford-Evelyn Knapp), Warner Bros.’ production. September 26 to 29; “The Romantic Vagabond” (Reginald Denny-Miri-am Seegar), Fox Movietone production. (September 30 to October 2: “Tons of Money” (Ralph Lynn-Yvonne Arn-aud-Mary Brough), British Dominions’ production. THE REGENT. To-night, Monday and Tuesday: “Body and Soul” . (Charles Farrell-Elissa Landi), Fox Movietone production. ' September 23 to 25: “Beau Ideal” (Ralph Forbes-Loretta Young-Irene Rich), R.K.O. special production. (September 26 to 29: “Up the River” (all star), Fox Movietone produc-. tion. « September 30 to October 2: “Oh, Sailor Behave!” (all star), First National production; and “Scarlet Pages” (Elsie Ferguson-Grant WithersMarian Nixon), Warner Bros, production. '** # * “BODY AND SOUL.” “Body and Soul,” commencing a season at The Regent to-day at 2 and 7.45 p.m., is described as one of the most fascinating and intriguing love stories jever filmed. It tells the story of a handsome young aviation officer who falls in Jove with a girl, who later is accused of (feeing a spy. He becomes involved in the accusation, and escapes a court martial only when the girl’s true identity, is Startlingly revealed. Charles Farrell and Elissa Landi, the brilliant British actfess,- head a talented supporting cast. * * * * “ROOKERY NOOK.” Wholesome, sparkling comedy is always a welcome change on the stage or Screen, and that is the reason why .‘■'Rookery Nook,” which plays a return Beason at the Opera House to-day at 2 and 8 p.m., has proved such a popular success. Tom walls, Ralph Lynn, Winifred Shotter, Mary Brough and other jnembers of the Aldwych Theatre cast portray the principal roles in this riot of iionsense. « . # * * * “THE SECRET SIX.” ■ Inner secrets of city politics, the workhi<r of the underworld and the astounding story of the rise of a gang ruler are the engrossing elements of “The Secret Six,” Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s huge drama of modern American life, which jpommences at Everybody’s to-day at 2 and 7.4-5 ‘p.m. Wallace Beery plays the principal role as the -sinister Scorpio. The cast also includes Lewis Stone, John -Mack Brown, Jean Harlow, Marjorie Rambeau, Paul Hurst, Clark Gable, Ralph Bellamy, John Miljan, De Witt tfennings, Murray Kinnell, Fletcher NorJon, Louis Natheaux, Frank McGlynn, gnd Theodore Von Eltz. The picture yas directed by George Hill, who scored an outstanding success with “The Big and “Min and Bill.” The .gang"feter funeral, the sensational murder trial, the formation of the vigilantes, |he war on the gangster stronghold, the corrupt election, and the grim execution Chamber scenes arc among the highlights of this astounding exposure of organised graft and crime. • « #'■-■*: * ' “RIVER’S END.” “River’s End,” drama of the Northwest Mounted Police, adapted from the famous novel of the same name by James Oliver Curwood, comes to Everybody’s on Wednesday next. The Warner Bros, and Vitaphone version of this jpiwerful story has an all-star cast headed by Charles Bickford playing the dual role of pursued and pursuer, and including Evalyn Knapp, J. Farrell McDonald, David -Torrence, Zasu Pitts, Walter McGrai, Tom Santschi and Junior Coghlan. Michael Curtiz directed. “River’s End” is the story of a tragic chase through the Arctic wastes on the trail of an alleged murderer. When captor and fugitive meet they find they are enough alike physically to be brothers. On the long trek back to civilisation, one of them dies. Action, romance and drama are blended in “River’s End.” It gives Charles Bickford the finest chance of his career. • • • • “BEAU IDEAL.” Neither effort nor expense was spared by Radio Pictures in making “Beau Ideal,” the sequel to “Beau Geste,” 100 per cent, authentic in every minute detail. It stars Ralph Forbes and Loretta Young. Herbert Brenon, who directed, made an extensive tour of the world’s great desert wastelands, including the Sahara itself, the terrible Gobi of Asia, and the deserts of America. He found that the Sonora, extending over part of Arizona, California, and running down far into Mexico, was not only a perfect replica of the Sahara, but far more desirable from a photographic standpoint, due to climatic conditions. From faroff Morocco, a Riff chieftain, Abdelsahn Ben Mohammed Khoubarik, was brought to Hollywood to supervise the details of Arabic costumes and warfare. Captain Louis Van den Ecker, Foreign Legion yeteran and Knight of the French Legion of Honour, was brought . to Hollywood to see that the actor-legion-haires acted as real legionnairies should. “Beau Ideal” commences a season of thre matinees and three nights at lhe R"cnt on Wednesday next. The supporting cast includes Don Alvarado, Otto Matiesen, Paul Mac Allister, Hale Hamilton, George Rigas, Leni Stengel and Lester Vail. *•«* * * - “UP THE RIVER.”

“Up the River,” coming to The Regent shortly, is a hilarious Fox Movietone Comedy, depicting high life behind, high >alls. Spencer Tracy teams with Vfa.rfen Hymer to furnish much of the

comedy in their roles of two hard-boil-ed birds who sprout wings and become emissaries of Dan Cupid in the romance between youngsters, incarcerated in that “pen of pens,” dear old Bensonata. Claire Luce and Humphrey Bogart interpret the young lovers, in the large cast which includes William Collier senr., Joan (“Cherie”) Lawes, George MacFarlane, Sharon Lynn, Noel Francis, Goodee Montgomery, Edythe Chapman and other accomplished troupers. John Ford, who directed such outstanding Fox Movietones as “Four Sons,” “Salute,” “Men Without Women” and “Born Reckless,” directed this production. * * # * “THE ROMANTIC VAGABOND.” In “The Romantic Vagabond,” coming to Everybody’s shortly, Reginald Denny appears in the role of a tramp who is given the position of chauffeur in a wealthy household, the mistress of which collects tramps as her hobby. It is a story of mistaken. identity, with novel twists and unusual situations. In addition to Reginald Denny in the stellar role, the cast includes Miriam Seegar, Anita Louise, Harvey Clark, Charles Coleman and Christianne Yves. **• . * * “TONS OF MONEY.” Not quite consistent with the times maybe, but that magnificent clown of “Rookery Nook” and “Plunder,” Ralph Lynn, hands out a laugh with every note —probably more —in his first sole stairing effort, “Tons of Money,” coming to Everybody’s on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, September 30, October 1 and 2. The picture introduces Lynn as a philandering “silly ass” whose blasting powder has done nothing more than blast his fortunes. A brother in Mexico, however, dies and wills 150,000 good English pounds to his beloved brother, and Ralph finds himself the proud possessor of “Tons of Money.” But all is not necessarily well that commences well, and it is Aubrey’s (Lynn) wife’s philosophy that reasons out that tons of money can be prevailed upon by tons of creditors until it is scarcely tons of money—not even cwts, of it at all. Yvonne Arnaud and Mary Brough head the big supporting east. OPERA HOUSE, HAWERA. September 21 and 22: “Everything’s Rosie” (Robert Woolsey)., September 23, 24 and 2'5; “Loose Ends” and “Not So Quiet.” September 26, 28 and 29: “Tons of Money” (Tom Walls). GRAND THEATRE, Hawera. September 26 and 28: “The Spy.” • • • • PROSPERITY FOR FREAKS. That Hollywood is a prosperity haven for freaks was proved during the making of Robert Woolsey’s latest comedy for Radio Pictures, “Everything’s Rosie.” Without previous notice the casting director received the following order of players to take part in the big carnival scene: 80 mixed people, one plump woman, one bearded lady, one snake charmer, one hula dancer, one wild man, 1 one human skeleton (alive), one fat lady (SOOlbs. or better), five bit people, one spinster, one sword swallower. He received the order at 4.30 p.m. one day, and the people were all on hand, made up and ready for work the next day. • .* * * DOUBLE FEATURE PROGRAMME. Touring New Zealand at present is an English double feature programme, which strikingly illustrates the ability of the English film industry. It is only occasionally that a picture of the quality of “Loose Ends” is produced. “Loose ends” has the merit of being one of the greatest stage successes in London in recent years, and the cast for the film production is a particularly strong one, headed by Edna Best and Owen Nares, two of the leading stage favourites in England. Owen Nares is responsible for° some wonderfully fine acting, and he should prove as popular as a screen actor as he is on the legitimate stage. The other picture is entitled “Not So Quiet on the Western Front.” It is a burlesque of war-time experiences, and with Leslie Fuller, one of the most popular British comedians, as the principal fun-maker, the audience is provided with humorous entertainment of a rare quality. • • • • THE BIRTH OF FARCE COMEDY. Even if it had never achieved anything eke, “Tons of Money” must find a place in the pages of the stage’s history book because it was instrumental in bringing fame to the whimsical. Tom Walls. Tom was successful in interesting no less a person than Leslie Henson in the possibilities of “Tons of Money,” and the play was originally produced at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London. But—yes, there was- a big “But” hanging to the future of “Tons of Money”—the Shaftesbury was only available for - a limited period, and after a few weeks the play had to be transferred to the Aldwych, at that time known as the grave-yard of theatrical ambition. However, the Aldwych merely needed a “Tons of Money” to lift it out of the trough of gloom and mediocrity, and that it did that is demonstrated by its 733 performances. “Tons of Money,” due to its pioneering status, must be regarded as the real mother of the farce comedy as we know it to-day. Ralph Lynn heads the cast, which also includes" Yvonne Arnaud and Mary Brough. # * * * MOTION PICTURES IN RUSSIA. Motion pictures, to the Soviets of Russia, are a powerful influence in the education of the masses. The control of picture-making, as everything else in that country where individual property rights have been abolished, is vested in the Government. Boris Ingster, technical assistant on “The Spy,” drama of Russian intrigue, is a graduate of the Motion Picture Directors’ School of Moscow. “The Spy” features Kay Johnson, Neil Hamilton and John Halliday.

FILM STAR’S ARREST. BETTY- BALFOUR IN FRANCE. News was received in London recently from Avignon, in the south of France, of an amazing ordeal experienced by Miss Betty Balfour, the British film star, who was arrested and kept in a police station for almost 12 hours before being released. The charge—for an alleged motoring offence —was later found to be false. Miss Balfour left Avignon early one morning recently in her motor car, accompanied by her aunt and a friend. They had not gone far before they came on a cyclist. Without any warning the man s.wcrved to the left, and to avoid a collision Miss Balfour’s chauffeur also swerved to the left. Then the cyclist turned sharp to the right, with the result that he fell off his bicycle. Miss Balfour’s motor-car stopped. The man picked up his bicycle and went across to a woman who was standing bv the side of the road, and, after talking to her,- rode off unhurt. The motor-car then went on, but while passing through Vallance was boarded by gendarmes, who ordered the party to the gendarmerie. There they were charged with dangerous driving, knocking down the cyclist, dragging him under the motor-car for a considerable distance, and refusing to stop. In spite of their protests they were kept at the gendarmerie until 9.30 at night. After considerable difficulty they obtained permission to telegraph to the British Consul at Marseilles, and eventually were allowed to go, on signing an undertaking to appear before the juge d’inst.ruction on the following Monday at Avignon. They were told that if they attempted to leave either Vallance or Avignon during the intervening period they would immediately be arrested and brought back. Meanwhile the judge, making inquiries into the affair found that the’charge had been made by the woman who had met the cyclist, in the hope of obtaining a reward. He then tendered his profuse apologies to the film actress and her friends,. who continued their tour.

“A WARM CORNER.” NEW PRODUCTION IN SYDNEY. “A Warm Corner,” says the Sydney Sun, is a farqe, built on the usual lines, not very brilliant jokes, and absurd situations, and dependent for its success upon that quickness of the line which deceives the eye. Mr. Corner, a millionaire corn-plaster merchant, gets into trouble at an hotel in the Lido, while his wife is buying' a Norman castle, and the situations arise from the usual fear of everybody that the truth will be disclosed to somebody else. Cecil Kellaway, who has been languishing in musical comedy, has his great opportunity in straight drama as

Mr. Corner, and no doubt his success will spoil him, making him aspire to play Hamlet—that last infirmity of noble comedians. Coral Brown, as a young wife suspected of not being a wife; Ala.thea Siddons, as a peeress with a bar sinister in her descent; Rosie le Varde, an a nouve riche lady with more aspirations than aspirates; and Elma Gibbs, as. a sweet English girl full of sweet English sophistication, formed the feminine brigade of the farce; and Campbell Copelin, as a young husband not above a bit of blackmail; Pirie Bush, as a Count who played the skin game; George Blunt, as a comedy uncle; Herbert Leigh, George Kensington, and Jefferson Tate, below stairs, the male cast. And, though he was not very big, let us not forget Master George Burns, the page boy with the hiccup. The play was a merry enough affair, and went well. REVIVALS IN “CARNIVAL.” STAGE-DOOR JOHNNIES. The theatre scenes reconstructed on the old Alhambra regime for “Carnival” will bring to the screen such forgotten features as the stage-door johnny and the hansom' cab. Anthony Asquith, who is directing the film, transported his company to the Metropolitan, Edgeware Road, the interior of which is reminiscent of old time music halls. Scenes were secured at the stage door and here in old fashioned opera cloaks and bouquet in hand, the jeunesse doree attended the coryphees. A dressingroom of the period was designed for the film in which a number of old programmes and signed photographs of stars of the period lent by Willie Clarkson and some fine old cartoons provided by Mr. Bayliss of Wardour Street, decbratcd the setting. Owing to the scarcity of hansom cabs and their continuous hiring by customers, Asquith was obliged to buy one outright for “Carnival.” It was discovered in an old cab-yard in Camberwell and transferred to Welwyn Studios. The “Carnival” unit is to proceed t® Cornwall, on the completion of scenes to be taken in King’s Cross Station, for exterior sequences.

OFFICE GIRLS IN DRAMA. MISS MARIE NEY’S SUCCESS. Miss Marie Ney, the well-known New Zealand actress, met with an excellent reception with her portrayal in the leading role of “London Wall,” a new play by John Van Druten, author of “Young- Woodley” (states a London correspondent). The theme concerns the position of women office workers in the field of matrimony. As Miss Janus, Miss Ney gives a touching and illuminating study of a woman who has given ten years of her life to a man who has grown tired of her and whom she no longer loves but is determined to marry. Mr. Van Druten draws a very faithful picture of a solicitor’s office, a picture which will bring amusement and delight to anyone who has ever worked in a London office; but not everyone will agree with his contention that all women hate office work and make their offices a sort of springboard for matrimony of any kind, however unromantic. All the characters are played in a thoroughly convincing manner, and admirers of “Young Woodley” were glad to have ah opportunity of seeing Mr. Frank Lawton take a part, even if it was not quite worthy of his powers. He appeared as a shy young clerk from another office who comes in very often to “borrow the law list” and to see the- charming little 18-year-old Miss Milligan, whom Miss Janus is deI termined shall not be treated as she has been treated. AU the women clerks are cleverly played, from Miss Button, who read “Home Chat” in office hours and discussed her outings with “my gentleman friend,” to Miss Ney’s very moving character study, which has been hailed by “Punch” and others as “a personal triumph.”

ENGLISH DRAMA RENAISSANCE. FESTIVAL FOR AMATEURS. When we think of what the amateur t actor was a few years ago and observe what he is now, we get an idea of the reality of the renaissance of the drama in England (states C. B. Purdom in a recent interview). Twenty years ago there were hardly half a dozen amateur theatrical companies whose work was worth attention. So few were they, indeed, that the Stage Society used to refer in its reports to the activities of two of them as something unusual. Today there are many hundreds of such societies. This is significant, because the widespread interest in the theatre which it denotes must be having a profound effect on the drama. No less than 447 dramatic companies have during the past few months taken part in the National Festival of Community Drariia organised by the British Drama League. Five plays, selected as the best from the country as a whole, were performed at the Globe Theatre, in London, so that the Lord Howard de Walden Cup might be awarded to the best company. The productions were placed in the following order of merit: “Ardvorlich’s Wife” (Gordon Bottom-

ley), Falkirk High School Dramatic Circle; “The Sisters’ Tragedy” (Richard Hughes), Magnet Club, Edinburgh; “The Kingdom of God” (Martinez Sierra), Pioneer Club, Bournemouth; “The Thrice Promised Bride” (Cheng Chin Hsiung), Liverpool Playgoers’. Club; “What Would You Do?” (Marion ReidJamieson), Sonning Village Players. . A significant feature of the festival was the departure from “kitchen-scullery” dramas and the preference for imaginative and non-realistic plays. In staging, production, acting, and choice of play there was an amazing advance over the first festival, held only five years ago. The fact that Scotland secured the first two places .shows that the people in the villages are learning the value of the drama and the intense pleasure that can be got out of it. — ■■■'•st CHRISTCHURCH SINGER. MISS GLADYS LORIMER. In a letter to a friend in Christchurch Miss Gladys Lorimer, the Christchurch singer, who is at present • in London, states that she has achieved part of her ambition, having signed up with the Covent Garden Opera Company from September 14. Miss Lorimer, who is a lyric-soprano, studied at Christchurch with Signor Notariello, and later went to Italy. She has done several operatic tours in Italy and has also sung in London. “It never rains but it pours,” she adds in her letter. “The Carl Rosa Company called me again, and as they are going out in -September offered me a contract, but very fortunately for me I had not signed the contract. They also wanted me for Canada. Very nice too, but not Co vent Garden.” Miss Lorimer’s parts so far are Rosina in “The Barber of Seville,” Adele in “Die Fledermaus,” and Esmeralda in “The Bartered Bride of Smetena.” The last-named is new for the company.-

A NOTABLE EVENT. PRODUCTION OF “HENRY VIII.” The presentation of “Henry VIII.” in such a setting as the Stone Court of Knole, where it was given as part of a feto opened by Princess Arthur of Connaught in aid of the Jubilee funds of the Waifs and Strays Society, could be regarded as a notable event (says a London paper). Knole dates back to Magna Carta, but when Queen Elizabeth granted it to Thomas Sackville the new owner rebuilt most of the house. The players moving on stone flags enclosed by 16th century walls and towers seemed to be depicting history contemporary with the period of the stage which was wed rather than reciting the lines of a stirring drama. The producers did not present the play in its full length, but the selected scenes included all that was of essential importance. The audience saw the arrest of the Duke of Buckingham and the examination of his surveyor , which sent the Duke to the block. Wolsey’s banquet in York Palace at which the masked King meets Anne Boleyn followed, and then came Buckingham’s moving farewell after his arraignment, delivered from the balcony, with his friends, as. sorrowing listeners, grouped in the court below. The downfall of Wolsey, as it is told in the second scene of the third act of the play, was given without cuts; and then came a final scene of pageantry in which Anne Boleyn was shown proceeding to her coronation in stately procession, while the King, sardonically pleased, looked down from the balcony on the passing of his bride. The scenes were for the most part admirably acted. The Stone Court was not only ideal as a stage for the entertainment, which needed only the throne chairs and other furniture borrowed from the galleries of Knole to complete the setting of the scenes, but acoustically it was so good that every word spoken by the players was heard.

A WOMAN’S PLAY. MAKING A FORTUNE. While her first play, written during a summer holiday, is steadily making a fortune for her, Miss Dodie Smith, author of “Autumn Crocus,” is still working each day at the Tottenham Court Road furnishing store where she is the buyer of toys and pictures (says a London paper). The play reached its 100th performance at the Lyric Theatie recently, when it had been seen by more than 150,000 people. A touring company is shortly to take it into the provinces, and Miss Angela Baddeley and an English company are to present the play in South Africa. In addition, Mr. Basil Dean is planning to produce “Autumn Crocus” in New York after the London run, while the rights have already been sold for Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Austria, Czecho-Slovakia, Ju-go-Slavia, Switzerland and Poland. Miss Smith has already made a sum running into several thousands of pounds out of this first play of hers, and there is every prospect of her ultimate fortune running well into five figures..

“At the present moment I am trying my hardest to keep my head,” Miss Smith' said, while working as usual in her office. “I am arranging things so that I can have a little more time to myself in future, but I shall still be coming down here every day to keep in touch with my job. I have just moved ,nto a nice flat; aiid it is giving me an uneasy feeling of extravagance.”

AN AUSTRALIAN SINGER. STREDLA WILSON IN LONDON. S'trella Wilson (well remembered in Gilbert and Sullivan Operas and in “The Vagabond King”) drew J ’re veil of her London struggles for recognition to a representative of the Melbourne Herald visiting London in June. “It was purely by chance,” she said, “that I had the test for Covent Garden (where she has been singing the role of Carila in 'Fedra’ lately). I was feeling very blue and discouraged, having sung anywhere and everywhere all over London without any result. Then, just before the Covent Garden season began, Lady Royds, who is a great friend, arranged an appointment without my knowledge to sing before Colonel Blois. I was not keen at first. My disappointing experiences, no doubt, had something to do with it; and, besides, I had not thought of singing in opera, but was keen on doing musical comedy work. “I had the audition, feeling terribly nervous, and very soon afterwards Col-

onel Blois rang me up and told me that had he heard me six months before, when the Covent Garden casts were being picked I should have had a place in several of the productions. As it was, he was able to offer me Carila in ‘Fedra,’ an Italian opera by Romani, which has never, before been played out of Italy. There is talk now of my going into the casts of the English season which is to follow. If that eventuates, I shall be singing leading roles in ‘Aida/ ‘Cavalleria/ ‘Tosca’ and ‘Butterfly/ “That day (of the audition) I was lucky, for I killed two birds with on® stone. Quite by chance, Mr. C. B. Cochran and Noel Coward happened to be at the back of the theatre. Next day I had letters from 'both of them, assuring me that directly either of them had a musical play in prospect I should be approached to sing in that. All this seems so strange after that heartbreaking struggle for recognition.” Another offer made to Strella was to go into the cast of “The Laud of Smiles,” at Drury Lane, with the German tenor, Richard Tauber. However, she has now signed, up with Cochran for the new’ Noel Coward musical comedy to be done at Drury Lane shortly. The English opera may follow. '* Strella Wilson has “arrived.*