ACROSS THE FOOTLIGHTS

Taranaki Daily News, 28 January 1933, Page 8 (Supplement)

ACROSS THE FOOTLIGHTS

COMING ATTRACTIONS. , NEW* PLYMOUTH; OPERA HOUSE. To-day, Monday and Tuesday: “Roar ©f . the -Dragon” (Richard Dix, Gwill Andre. Edward Everett Horton and Zasu Pitts). . ..„ Wednesday,' Thursday and Friday: ‘So Big” (Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent, Bette Davis and Hardie Al- •• -bright). ■ , February *4, 6 and 7: “Bring Em Back ■ Alive”: (Frank Buck’s amazing expedition into Malay). -- i February. H, 13 and 14: “The dd Dark *Hoii?e” (Melvyn Douglas, Gloria Stu- ■ art, I ?Karloff, and Charles Laughton). ■EVERYBODY’S... To-day. Monday and Tuesday: “The Final Edition” (Pat O’Brien and Mae • dflyfa?)* • * * February 1 to 3: “Burnt Offering (Elissa Landi, Paul Lucas, Warner Oland and Alexander Kirkland). February 4to 7: “Speak Easily (Buster Keaton and Thelma Todd). ■ V . THE REGENT. ’To-night, Monday and Tuesday: “The ■ - , Mar ' from Yesterday”, .(Claudette ■' Colbert and Clive Brook).. February 1 1 to 3: “Sinners in the Sun” (Carole Lombard and Chester Morris). February 4 to 7: "‘The Sporting Widow 3 (Alison Skipworth, Richard Bennett and Evelyn Knapp). • « * * "‘ROAR'OF THE DRAGON.” For lingual variety, the tower of Babel was a whispering gallery compared with “Roar of the -Dragon,” the current at-, traction- at .the New Plymouth Opera House. Showing the cosmopolitan aspect of. life in a Chinese seaport are scores of “atmosphere” flayers,, among . whom may be found Russian, Chinese, Japanese, French,-Italian, German and English nationals—all speaking their own tongues as conspicuously as possible. The locale of the story is Manchuria, the scene of the present time Sino-Japanese argument. - . . ■«* • ♦ WHAT PRICE BENGAL TIGERS?- ( Two hundred and fifty pounds sounds like a lot. of money for a man-eating tiger, but there is a slim margin of 1 profit when one considers the cost of equipping an expedition,” shipping the animal, and the risk of years of experience involved, according, to Frank Buck, whose film record, “Bring ’Em Back Alive,” will be shovzn at . the New Plymouth Opera. House next week-end. Mr. Buck has brought in more than 100 Royal Bengal tigers from ’ Asiatic wilds over a period of 20 years. One such tiger is shown af grips with a 30-foot python in “Bring ’Em Back Alive.” “THE OLD DARK HOUSE.”. The acting of an almost exclusively British )cast in “The Old Dark House” helps to make' this production one of the most outstanding pictures of the year. Boris Karloff, a . Briton, is the Welsh . servant in “The Old Dark House,’’’which is due to be screened at the New Plymouth Opera House shortly.. Charles Laughton, Raymond Massey, Ernest Thesiger, Brember Wills, Eva Moore, and Lillian Bond, all,- British artiste, have ; . important roles. The only American stars represented in the cast are .Melvyn : i Douglas and Gloria Stuart. / MAURJCE; Cr&VALIER’S LATEST.

Eight numbers, in' which more than . two score actors take individual parts, comprise the novel musical score . prei pared for Maurice Chevalier’s picture, “Love Me To-night,” which is coming to' the New Plymouth Opera House shortly. So developed are these musical portions of the picture, some of which are. “talking” songs and all of which serve as important parts of the plot, that '.• every member of the large cast sings at least one part of a song alone. This gives: song' character -opportunities to Charlie Buggies, Charles E. Butterworth, C; 'Aubrey Smith, Myrna Loy, Ethel Patterson, Ethel Griffies, Blanche Frederici and Robert- Greig.' ' Maurice Chevalier has Jeanette Macdonald as his lead- , tog lady/' ■ ' TALLULAH BANKHEAD. Talhilah Bankhead, who stars with Gary Cooper and Charles Laughton in -the forthcoming New Plymouth Opera House attraction, “Devil and the Deep,” is the daughter of a United States Congressman, the niece of a Senator and the grand-daughter of a Senator. Her father taught her many roles from the plays of Shakespeare, and used to play Borneo to her Juliet, Hamlet to her Orpholja, and . other selections from the plays of the famous bard. She became ’ an. actress years before she actually ap- ■ reared on the legitimate stage, ■' * * * * , GRACIE, FIELDS’ BIG ROYALTY. . Grade Fields will make at least £25,000 out’ of her latest British talkie, “Looking oh the Bright Side,” which has just had its" premiere release in -New Zealand and is to appear at the . New Plymouth Opera House shortly. This sum is a world’s record. Thus Greta Garbo, ■ Maurice Chevalier, Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford and the rest of. the celluloid kings and queens are eclipsed by-a Lancashire girl, who oply a few years ago was singing in a gutter outside an actors’ boarding-house in Rochdale, her native town. The agreement governing her engagement—about six weeks’ work —for the' talkie, Looking on/ the Bright Side,” gives her 50 per cent, of the profits, made by the picture. The total bookings to date have grossed an‘income of about £lOO,OOO. After cost of- production and various distribution expenses have been deducted, the profits be in the neighbourhood of £50,000 tO' £60,000,. and half .of that goes to Gracie Fields. - • . t # * . / * { "THE FINAL EDITION.”'

J iyany times a newspaper reporter brings a fugitive criminal fa Bay before the police. Often the tenacious gentie- - men of the press continue to follow a mystery case long- after the strong arm ©f the law has given up. Once a iwwspaper is oh the trail to solve a baffling mVstery, it never ceases, even though many crimes go unsolved.for long pwiofis Just such a. newspaper is depicted id‘ “The Final Edition,” Columbia s mystery story of newspaper life in a metropolitan city. Pat. O’Brien'and Mae Clarke head the all-star cast. The Fniql Edition” will commence a season at Everybody’s matinee to-day-“THE MAN FROM YESTERDAY.”

<f The Man From Yesterday,” a Paramount special production co-starring Claudette Colbert and Clive Brook, will commence, a season'at the Regent to-day at, 2 and 8 p.m. In this picture Brook, as a British army officer, and Claudette Colbert, married • hastily in war-time Paris, spend an honeymoon , in a_ taxicab, then Brook leaves for'the front. Nearly 10 years elapse before they find each other again, Clauf'dette in the meantime, believing Brook dead, falls in love with another man.

When they .find each other again, the love that swept them into matrimony is lost for Claudette. Only duty remains. Brook, ’ however, refuses to accept her sacrifice, and, in a climatic scene, frees her for real love. . “SINNERS IN THE SUN.”

Glorified by Paramount from a Mack Sennett bathing beauty into an actress with poise and personality is the glamorous history of Carole Lombard. Now she is the sensation of the lot and the screen, holds fruitful promtee for her. Paramount’s: “Sinners in the. Sun, which shows at the .Regent Theatre, on Wednesday, Thursday' and Friday next, with Chester Morris, 1 writes a new chapter in her cinema life story. This picture concerns the efforts of two youthful lovers to live and marry above their social stations before accepting each other. .. * ' • ■ ■ ' “BURNT OFFERING.”

Elissa Landi appears in a role quite foreign, to her usual screen performances.in “Burnt Offering,” which will be screened at Everybody’s on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday next-as a woman known in the ports along tne Gold Coast of South Africa, into whose life three men came to . bring bitterness, love and finally disillusionment A sophisticated and clever emotional actress, Elissa Landi gives an excellent portrayal in the story of life in the ports and the lonely .expanses of the wild interior, and supporting her are Warner Oland, Patil Lukas and Alexander Kirkland. Opening with dramatic effect, .Elissa Landi is seen involved in a suicide episode at Akkra,, and as a result she is ordered by the military police to change her place of residence to another town. The film is dated about the time of the outbreak, of the war, and when she arrives in Duela,'under German , rule, she finds herself, liable to internment as an English'' subject. However, Alexander Kirkland, the ■ son of the German commissioner, finds a way to solve difficulties by his influence, ■ and although the commissioner, (Warner Oland, expresses . unconcealed enmity to her, she tricks his son into marrying her. They are sent to a remote spot in the interior, the- commissioner trying to make things sufficiently' unpleasant so that she will leave his . sop. But, in spite of the solitude of the life, she courageously : remains, and one day when her husband js absent on a trip to a remote swamp region, a surveying friend of his appears in village. Left in each other’s, company, complications lead to a well-acted •' climax. , ~ ' . "SPEAK EASILY.”

In '“Speak Easily,” which comes to Everybody’s next Saturday, Buster Keaton and. Jimmy. Durante do not fail to live up, to-their reputations as leading screen .comedians, and the unusual nature, of the story' allows them full scope for their talents. “Speak Easily” concerns a young and incongruous professor wito little knowledge of the world, who is unwittingly led to believe that he has inherited, a targe stun of money. The inflexible \ face of Bupter Keaton can infuse a spirit of comedy into any situation, .and as the unsophisticated and . learned man he produces many of 'the laughs. After receiving the good news, the professor decides to see something of the.world and becomes involved with a travelling troupe of artists. Through many amusing situations the mqsical show finds an opportunity of playing on Broadway, New York, with the professor in charge, still believing that his inheritance is true! Jimmy Durante’s versatility is shown to advantage when he alternates with speed from the piano to his, place in the. show, being .the orchestra and an actor in one. His real talent is evident later in a novel .musical' item with his own accompaniment.

» • #-,/ ■■■ ■ * * ■’ . “THE ‘ SPORTING. WIDOW.” .

Richard Bennett, head of an illustrious family of. film and stage stars, and himself, a veteran of the stage and screen for many years, plays the principal male role ,in Paramount’s human-interest comedy-drama, ' “The Sporting Widow,” which comes to the Regent Theatre next Saturday. Bennett plays a part of unusual .sympathetic, qualities and rare human feeling. He cp-features with Alison Skipworth, who plays the title role. After many years oh the stage, Bennett turned to Hollywood and during the last few i years ’ has appeared in many outstanding film productions. He will be remembered for his more recent appearances in “Arrowsmith,” “Bought,” and for Paramount, “This Reckless Age.” Upon completion of the latter, he' was awarded a long term contract with Paramount. > OPERA HOUSE, HAWERA. January .1, 2,3, 4, and .6: “On Our Selection” (from Steele Rudd.) ' GRAND THEATRE, HAWERA'. January 4 and 6: ‘.’The Penalty of Crime” (Lew Ayres.) ' " * ' ' * ' ' * ♦ “ON OUR SELECTION.” Steele Rudd’s “On. Our Selection” set of stories, the. classic of the Australian outback, has been brought to the screen by an Australian firm, and the sound 'film of the' same name commences an extended ' Hawera season next week.. There are .few people who are not acquainted'with the rough hewn but delightful characters so delightfully drawn by Rudd, and they are faithfully reproduced on the screen, the film having the advantage of several players who created their parts on the stage. First and foremost is Bert Bailey who specially to play the part of Dad, grew his luxuriant crop of whiskers. He is sincerely the irascible, determined but thoroughly likeable old chap whose vigour of mind and limb is equalled perhaps only by his remarkable faculty for comment such as on the "occasion when his son indicates his preference in the field of matrimony. His fervent, “My oath, Dave, you’re game,” may hot be gallant but it is succinct Fred Macdonald, Alfreda Bevan, William Driscoll and Lilias Adeson also have their original stage parts. ■* . * * LEW AYRES' CONCENTRATES. , A successful career on the screen demands concentration of talent and energy almost to the exclusion of every other artistic pursuit, in the opinion of Lew Ayres, brilliant young star is to be seen in “The Penalty Of Crime” at the Hawera Grand Theatre next week. The boy who won fame in “All . Quiet of the Western Front”. has grown into the young star who ' has vindicated his screen presence of early years. The sudden success allowed him ah amount of leisure and the opportunity to indulge many of the cravings he had always had for' self expression. He lias given most' of them up now. The saying that every man should have a hobby, says Ayres, is a wise one. But a man can have too many hobbies, with so many diversified interests that no time, energy or inspiration is left for the main thing in life. And for him, that thing is the screen. And.so except when he is not working on ' a picture he has given up clay modeling, painting, astronomy, ’■ and even music,

BLOCK BOOKING WAR. DEMANDS FOR ABOLITION. The demand for the abolition of the “block-booking” of films is now receiving support from the General Theatres Corporation, Ltd., which is the largest exhibiting organisation in Australia, the independent exhibitors, and the employees of the picture theatre owners. “Blockrbooking,” which is insisted on by the American distributors, generally means that the exhibitor must buy a whole year’s supply of films usually 52 of them—from the distributor concerned, or none at all. The exhibitor cannot see the films before he buys them. Indeed, many of the. are not even in the course of production when the. contracts . are signed. It'was contended on behalf of the exhibitors who object to. this system that the films which are bought in this blind fashion frequently include pictures that have only a local and American significance. Instances were quoted of films shown last year which dealt with phases of Amen-

qan political, life and were strongly tiqged with propaganda which was of exceedingly limited interest to Australians. The Australian exhibitor, it was pointed out,, having bought these films, had' no choice; but .to show them. In some cases the exhibitor was unable to set the film aside without a penalty. Some . exhibitors argue that there should be legislation to forbid the making of a contract for the showing of any the censor and has been given a trade film until .the film. has. been passed by screening. .Other exhibitors, on the other hand,: are; content’to put their faith in leading film-producing companies and take what:comes. :• uIt is claimed that the ill-effects, of the block-booking system are intensified by the-form of contract which :is ,in general use.'. It is a frequent custom for the distributor to guard himself against-loss on an unpopular film by demanding first a proportion of. the gross receipts; at the theatre,, perhaps: 20 . per. cent., and,, in addition,. a-proportion,-perhaps 50 per cent, of the profits.'■ ‘ Opposition to the “block-booking” sys-

tern is • not • confined -to Australia. At a meeting ’of independent picture theatre owners in New York last mbnth it was reported that all the. leading American film producers except' One—Fox Film Corporation—had rejected proposals previously made by the independent exhibitors for-the modification of the “block booking” system by the substitution-of an .“optional exhibition” contract. The meeting decided to demand the abolition of “block-booking,” which results in the forced showing of inappropriate and improper pictures and of exclusive selling, which results' in denial 1 of the rights of a large part of' the-pubpc to see meritorious pictures. The exhibitors resolved to devote themselves , to-obtaining the adoption of . a resolution now before a committee of the - Senate providing for an investigation of the organisation, financing, and practices of* the motion picture, industry,*' and also to. obtain the introduction and' passing of a'.BiH to -abolish'- “block-booking” and to make other reforms.

NEWS FROM HOLLYWOOD. STARS AT WORK AND PLAY. Hollywood, December 5. It is said that Harold Lloyd’s films have earned him an income of £6OOO a week for several years. Greta Garbo’s feet are never photographed in a scene. In a long shot the cameraman invariably sees to it that some piece of furniture hides them. The reason for this is that she wears shoes.

Was Warner Brothers’ face red when George Arliss turned down the chance to play Rockefeller in a life-story of the millionaire which Rockefeller had approved? It never occurred to Warners that Arliss would be the one to say no. . Elissa Landi, the lovely English star, was so anxious to have all Hollywood meet John Lawrence, the London barrister to whom she has been happily married for several years, that she gave one of the gayest and best parties of the year. Ramon Novarro has shaved his head

' untjl it is as hairless and ' shiny as a navy bean, for his picture, of, course, “Son-Daughter,” with, Helen Hayes. “Ra’sputin arid the Empress” has been selected by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ?s ,the finaL title for its production • starring John, Ethel and Lionel Barrymore, formerly; known as “Rasputin.” This picture, which' is now ; near - completion, deals with the career of Russia’s “mad monk” during the last decade of the Romanoff dynasty, with Richard Boleslavski as the director.- The cast includes Ralph'Morgan, in the role of the Tsar, fC? ; Hehry• Gordon, Tab- Alexander, Diana Wyriyard' and- Edward, Arnold. Remember .Anita .Stewart?’ Long re-tired-from the screen, she is a prominent member 'of rtlie social set of Hollywood. She' is married .'and happy and more beautiful than ever. When’. Wallace Reid, much-loved star of a former day, 'died, there was a racing story waiting to be made. But now they have found someone who can do it. His name is' William- Wallace-Reid, Rally’s son, now in his teens. '. Perhaps'Laurel and Hardy’s next feat- 1

ure picture will be filmed in Paris. A French, company has asked Stan and Oliver to name .their price for ■ a twoversion comedy, French and English. .

New Leading Man.

lan Hunter is perhaps the mogt fortunate young man in the British film world to-day. No sooner had, fie finished /playing leading man to Renate Muller in her latest film, “Marry Me,” than he found himself filling the same ejiviable position opposite fascinating Jessie -Matthews in “The Man from Australia.” Thus he finds himself associated with . the. two outstanding lasses of the English screen, and shaping in the- adulation which will come to both of them. I?n -Hunter is probably the most personable young man the British talking screen possesses, and. his “fan” mail is likely -to compare favourably with that of Ronald Colman or Maurice Chevalier, at the sqmmit of their popularity.

MOTION PICTURE TEAMS. ARE THEY STILL POPULAR? The re-union of Jack Holt and Ralph Graves in the new picture, “Soldiers of Fortune,” has made me wonder why, in the name of goodness, they were so illadvised as to part, says an English writer. If you remember, their clever teaming in a series of pictures for Columbia led to Ralph Graves accepting a contract for M.Q.M. Better money, of course, and a chance to get better known, but something went awry, and Ralph has gone back to his old pal, Holt, which focuses the spot-light on the large number of memorable teams who have proved such ideal foils for each other. Either in the "hard-boiled” way, such as Holt and Graves, or in the romantic way such as Garbo .and Gilbert, or in comedy like Wheeler and Woolsey, most teams have proved very popular with picture-goers. But studio policy and divers other reasons have broken many of these partnerships in spite of their success. Sometimes, when the producers

have split them-up and-let them appear alone,- the plan has' worked, but more often the faris-have resented the break-ing-up; of a' : perfect partnership. ■ ; • To-day there is really only one consistent combination of front rank calibre. Laurel : and Hardy are too successfully inter-dependent seriously. to consider; single stardom, and up to now appear to; have weathered all the storms and - politics that normally attack picture teams. s ; ta . ' - ;

You will not see Wheeler and Woolsey together, again—not. until they kiss and make discontent bpoke out ■in camp, and they . agreed to differ, '.to; everyone’s disappointment.; . Generally speaking, the successful cbstarring . teams. ’ may ' be. ; classified . as “tough guy” combinations,, comedy* partnerships and romantic pairings. ■ In the comedy class we had an epidemic of partnerships, such as Marie Dressier and Polly Moran, Wallace Beery and Rayinond Hatton, Karl Dane and George'■ K. .Arthur,.'.Aileeri Pringle, arid Lew' Cody and the Two Black Crow?. Again, only one team remains—that of

Marie Dressier and Polly Moran —and even this is a spasmodic one, since Miss • Dressier is always in demand for single starring character roles.: Beery has alto left the broader, comedy for stronger parts, and Raymond Hatton is working for, another studio. . The remaining names no longer appear on the same lines. Aileen Pringle and Lew Cody are both free-lancing. Karl Dane has not been seen for some time, and George K. Arthur is making pictures in England. British studies have never taken a deep interest in double-harness stars. In the days of the old Broadwest productions, the name of Chrissie White was generally coupled with that of Henry Edwards (she is now his wife), and Violet Hopson usually played with Stewart Rome, but I have never thought of them as definite teams.

Whilst Tom Walls and Ralph Lynn have certainly partnered each other during the picturisations of their Aldwych plays, there are no grounds to presume

that they will continue to do so. Both of them have appeared as single stars in separate films and the success of these ventures has prbved that each is sufficiently an attraction in himself.

One ruljng issue in regard to star teaming is the fact that the increase at the box-office does not warrant the double expense of two leading men with equal pay envelopes.

Edward Lowe was a famous hardboiled partper in the Lowe-Baxter team, and later in the Lowe-Victor McLaglen partnership, which was mainly responsible ' .for., putting “Sez you!” in the English vocabulary. Now, Lowe and Baxter are still working for the Fox studios, but each appearing singly. Victor McLaglen, I believe, is freelancing. An' attempt has been made to duplicate them by teaming Spencer Tracy and Warren Hymer, but without noteworthy success. •

Romantic teams linger vividly in the memories of cinema-clovers. : Conspicuous in this classification are Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell, Garbo and Gilbert, Ronald Colman and Vihna Banky amongst others. Only the Gaynor-Far-rell firm remains.' One attempt was made to separate them, but didn t the fans howl, with protest!

And since the Gaynor-Farrell fihn is always a bright portion of the studio’s balance sheet, the producers bowed humbly to the dictates of the'crowd by bringing the lovers together again. The co-starring of Ronald Colman and Valma Banky was actually -destroyed by Miss Banky’s cloudy accent, which could not overcome the demands of that impartial but omnipotent box-o ? -tricks, the microphone. Along came Rod la Roque, however, gave her the riiost sumptuous wedding Hollywood had ever seen, and took her'along with him on a vaudeville tour. The wedding in Constance Bennett’s film, “What Price Hollywood?” is reported to be founded on the Banky-la Roque affair. * FILM OBJECT LESSONS. ' • -r" y NEW EDUCATIVE CONCEPT. Generally speaking, the cinema has not been developed /With “an educational bjas.” Ninety-nine per cent, of films have by no means ap educational bias; and even the small fraction made for educational purposes has beep made only after the style of the ordinary cinema. Yet already educational films have been proved to possess peculiarly educative qualities. They have the immense advantage of .teaching by examples—of educating through eye as well as ear and brain. How great,' then, should be the educative value of film when the cinema inventors and operators have imbibed the educational bias, and have devoted all their technical skfll and their improvising ability to hitting the public in the intelligence instead of merely on the senses! Anyone who goes to a theatre and sees a nature study picture must'realise that a film has a wonderful way of telling you all about it. • Wild bird life pictures are built up by many cinema visits to the wood. And very -many visits to the bush would be the price you would have to pray if-you sought personally, by birdwatching, to gather equivalent knowledge. Yet you need not do fliat. For a couple of shillings you will see in, a few;minutes the. built-up film story of many, many, observational expeditions. It may be true that'lies can he built into a. wild life film. Oh the other hand, it can be strictly ' true—and, when true, realistic in a sense that the, old “object lesson” of the schools could never hope to attain. '

That “the film, “through its :power of creating experience, offers a inode of learning almost' equivalent to first-hand experience” is one of the conclusions drawn from experiment with educational. films which the Newton Abbot W.E A.' Film .Society recently conducted in. the county of Devon.. The report of the experiment is briefly reviewed in The Listener. With the aid of portable apparatus, twelve villages .in North Devon were shown a series of programmes of films chosen for their educational value and revolving round the theme: of “Man and His Environment,” The experiment lasted six weeks, during half of which time silent films were used .and during the other half sound films. The audience consisted “chiefly of those who would normally have come to a village W.E.A. meeting,” a small charge being made for admission. The audiences took part in discussion after the films had been, shown, and (to the large’proportion of 62 per cent.) returned'answers to questionnaires designed to tost how far the facts conveyed by the films were retained in . the memory. The results showed that information can. be conveyed by films accurately, rapidly, and in many cases almost unconsciously. According to The New Learning, “the complexity of modern conditions, the broadening, of our experience so that it becomes more specialised every year, the range <of .the .subjects .included; in the curriculum, and the widening of our interests through modern invention have tended to make education more abstract than concrete, a matter of verbal summary rather than of experience. The film seems to obviate this in no small measure.” In conclusion, the report suggests that, while tJa® film may-implement the work of the'teacher, that will be but a minor aspect of its application as education. “The proper rise of the film is likely to produce a revolution in our concepts of education.” Experiments are required in the creation of a new type of film, which is not merely intended to be an adjunct to the schoolroom or the tutorial class, but arises fiom the needs of “that vast: multitude of men, women' and children who are only approached in part by means of our educational methods.”

A Tom Walls Racing Film. The British and Dominions studios ape now racehorse . conscious. Two racehorses are being used in the . important sequence of “The Blarney Stone,” the new British and Dominions production in which Tom Walls is starring. Both are from Epsom, oqe of them being part df Walls’s own string. Work, on “The Blarney Stone” is progressing satisfactorily, and a start has been made on the London sequences.

FASHIONS IN FILMS. REVIEW OF MANY YEARS. CHANGES AND DEVELOPMENTS. Either Chanel or Worth once said that fashions in clothes provide at 'least 50 per cent of the delights of a woman’s existence, says a write? in the Daily Telegraph. Tailors and .dress designers have played no small part in the history of the world, as very few other , characteristics explain the thoughts and conditions so well as the sartorial development of a country. In a similar manner, motion picture fashions—story fashions, 1 mean—re? fleet to a certain extent the ideas of the present era. The stage, .the book and the film have each been interconnected in the steps which have brought us from the Victorian melodrama to the present day ultra-sophisticated production. These three media are inseparable in spite of their different channels, but for the moment we are only concerned with the film.

The rigid principles of the Victorian stage provided the first motion pictures with an unshaken formula for success. One beautiful. and harassed heroine, one manly hero, and one obvious villain. It was essential for the girl to be blameless in all her misfortunes; the hero had to conform to all flre tenets of tfibse time's—in short, he was a saintly prig—and the more diabolical the villain the busier the box-office. Oh! Those Captain Levisons and Simon Legrees. Griffiths, therefore, was quite fashionable when he madakthe heartrending pictures of beautiful but dumb heroines, always in the rotter’s clutches, until the last few 'feet He succeeded more than ■ hi? contemporaries because the story was generally acceptable, the direction was the finest of the time, and one could adways depend on him to include at least one slashing climax to end the picture. Western romances tfien became the vogue. They sa ve the atmosphere which the theatre lacked, but they did not deviate ope whit fpm the ancient story foymuJa. we had the pure cowboy lover, the rancher’s pop-eyed daughter, and the swarthy cattle-rust-ler. From Italy. France and Germany a series of magpjflcent spectacles was launched, each- company assessing, the value of the picture by the number of “extras” ' employed- ' and the colossal heights of tlieir mammoth seta. “Cabeira" was a strikipg example in this class., America, of course, contributed her quota' of this type, and Cecil de Mille and von Stroheim became “maestro?" of “super-film?,” as they came to be called, ■ With the war, the military and naval picture, entered the Itata, and is still going strong, History books were brought out and all sorts, of epic? were filmed, until California became a? noisy as wartime Flanders. It was not until after the war that the drawing-room, film -found a solid position- . The screen vamp had replaced the Edwardian villain, and “taboo” subjects : were introduced. Light comedies with complicated and “naughty” situations were supplied in plenty, with a “super film” thrown to now and again to break the monotony. “B&n-Hur” was one of these “supers.” A eyrie of mystery dramas started with “The Bat,” followed by “The Cat and the Canary,” and a host of other guessing competitions. The vamp was gradually transformed into the heroine. The villain looked like a lay-preacher, and the hero was a human being with the frailties and decencies of the average person. . . . The first talkies introduced a new type of film- The all-talkie, -all-single leg show with bevies ;of .beauties, cubist backgrounds (sometimes with colour),; a-nd an array of crooners '.served their •purpose. ':' Mysteries ■ teams again 'forth. Rdhariied silerit picture successes/were offered up, and 'then, Jheavtoi ’toiows what -would have happened to the movie industry had it not been for the Chicago gangster. He, too, has come arid gone, arid left us with three main tliemes. The neurotic heroine with a past, the Yankee reporter, and the “shocked.”

Joan Crawford’s “Letty Lynton” and her new picture, “Rain,” illustrate the first class. We have- had harbingers of the second ...type in “The Front Page” and “Scandal Sheet.” Many more pictures on the same lines are’ on their way from America. Two of them, “Blessed Event” and “Is My Face Red?” actually deal with the same New York columnist, who has astonished everyone with his' .intimate knowledge of celebrities’ private affairs. The "shocker” has already made its bow in “Dracula” and “Frankenstein,” and you, Mr and Mrs. Film Fan, are to blame for their.success, which has persuaded the studios to repeat the dose. BRITISH PRODUCTIONS. A. F. Herbert to Write. A. P. Herbert is the latest addition to the notable names now in the service of file cinema. A.P.H. Will write special lyrids for the-version of .Strauss’s “Die Fledermaus,” which Gaumont-British will probably put the Lime Grove floor as their next feature, and will also “do tfie? dialogue” for this film, in collaboration with Leslie Gordon. Louis Levy, musical director for Gaumont-Bri-tish, has beeh in Vienna, where the Strauss family has given him permission to research among StraUss manuscripts in connection With the film. William Thiele will direct, and Evelyn Laye will star.

“Letting In *be Sunshine.” “Letting in the Statahiiie” is the title of B.lF.’s latent production, which takes the “floor” at Elstree immediately, and stars that clever comedian, Albert , Burdon, whose performance a 3 Tonio in "The Maid of the Mountains” has brought him film fame. Under the direction of Lupino Lane, who produced the latter musical success, Buydou will have a comedy role aS a humble working man, who finds romance with a little servant girl, Jane, and adventure in an attempted theft of a society belle’s jewels. Two popular 8.1. P. stars will- support him, as Renee Gadd, that clever comedy artiste, will be Jane, and lovely Molly Lamont will appear aS the Lady A’i’.i. The supporting cast includes to date s Ethel Warwick, Eric le Fi-e, and Herbert Langley,’ and further additions will be announced later. Many exterior scenes for “Letting in the Sunshine” are to be filmed in Park Lane, tlie traditional home of London's millionaires.

The Perfect Mrs. Qakroyd. A remarkable experience has fallen to the lot of an almost unknown Yorkshire housewife at the age of 41. Mrs. Florence Gros® o ?. Sheepbridge, near Huddersfield,-• has been chosen to play the part of Mrs. Oakroyd opposite Edmund Gwenn in the talkie version of J. B. Priestley’s “The Good Companions.” The story of how she was discovered was told recently. When British-Gaumont were unable to find anyone fitted for the part, Priestley declared, that years ago he had seen a woman who was the perfect Mrs. Oakroyd. But he. had forgotten her name and where he saw her. All he could remember was that there was a “Greg”, in her-name .and he saw her in one of her husband’s. plays in the north somewhere. After searching almost every big town in England, the film company at last traced Mrs. Gregson. wife of a Huddersfield playwright, and she proved to be the wanted woman.

“The Wonderful Story.” A film you are going to like 18 “Th* Wonderful Story,” a simple tele of* farm in the South of England. Two brothers are in love with the same girl. The elder ultimately wins her, but the day before the wedding’ he meets with an accident, from which he never recovers the use of his togs, He is tended carefully by brotiw end sweetheart, and in the course of ft year or two th* girl discovers that she really loves th* younger man. They gel married despite the elder’s surly and antagonistic attitude. and it is only the arrival of a baby that brings peace and harmony to the little farmhouse. Erie Bimwby, Williams, son of the famous actor, is excellent as the elder brother. Clever character sketches nro given by Moos* Marriott. J. Fisht* White, Sam Lively, t and Wyn Clare. This picture cornea from the British Won Studios; which has also made “Sully Bishop? another / notable addition to British films. > •