ACROSS THE FOOTLIGHTS

Taranaki Daily News, 19 January 1935, Page 16 (Supplement)

ACROSS THE FOOTLIGHTS

AROUND THE THEATRES ' . ... WHAT TO SEE AT NEW PLYMOUTH. EVERYBODY’S THEATRE. To-day, Monday and Tuesday, “The Regimental Lady,” Tamara Desni. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, “Say it With Flowers,” Mary Clare, Ben Field, Florrie Forde. > Saturday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, “The Last Gentleman,” George Arliss. THE REGENT. To-day, Monday and Tuesday, “Come on Marines,” Richard Arlen, Ida Lupino. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, “I Loved a Woman,” Edward G. Robinson, Kay Francis.' ; ' Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, “Name the Woman,” Richard Cromwell, Arline Judge and “Speed Demon,” William Collier, Joan Marsh. OPERA HOUSE. To-day, Monday and Tuesday, "One More River,” Diana Wynyard, Colin Clive. * Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, “The Blue Squadron,” Esmond Knight, John Stuart. Saturday, Monday and Tuesday “Caravan,” Charles Boyer, Loretta Young, Jean Parker. A LIVING EXAMPLE BORN AND BRED TO ACTING. To be a first-class actor, one must be bom with a love for the theatre. Such is the belief of Charles Boyer, leading favourite of the Continental stage and screen, who is featured in “Caravan, Erik Chareli’s spectacular musical romance coming to the Opera House on Saturday. Boyer himself is a living example of this theory. The son of a merchant, he was an accomplished performer in school plays at the age of seven, and before he was ten he formed , a repertory company of his comrades and wrote and directed plays for them. These performances were staged in the granary of his father’s bam, and when the World War broke out, they led to young Boyer’s becoming a combination manager, director, scenic artist and actor with amateur companies formed to entertain wounded soldiers at nearby military hospitals, although he was but fifteen. In “Caravan,” Boyer appears as a nomadic violinist-lover, with Loretta Young and Jean Parker as his leading ladies. TEA AT FOUR ENGLISH ACTORS START HABIT. They never found out how many gallons of tea Were consumed on the "set” of “One More River,” the Universal drama now at the Opera House —but the picture was in production for eight weeks, and every afternoon at four o’clock an average of half a score of screen players knocked off work for a few dishes of the steaming beverage. It was a matter of habit for director -d®nej Whale is English, Diana Wynyard, ~ the star, is English. Jane Wyatt, making her first screen appearance in the picture, is a typically American girl and had not cultivated the “tea at four” habit But within a few days after the start of the picture she became an inveterate tea drinker. The technical crew took advantage of the daily recess to steal away to the studio restaurant and consume innumerable cups of coffee. Miss Wynyard’s supporting cast in “One More River” includes Frank Lawton, Mrs. Patrick Campbell, Colin Clive, Reginald Denny, Lionell Alwill and Alan Mowbray. INTRIGUING DRAMA NEWSPAPERS v. POLITICAL GRAFT. The fate of a city hung upon the innocence of a girl charged with murder! Headlines screamed her shame —but in the end love vindicated her! Such is the startling, melodramatic theme of Columbia’s “Name the Woman,” which in conjunction with “Speed Demon” comes on Saturday to the Regent theatre with Richard Cromwell, Arline Judge and Rita La Roy in the leading roles. “Name the Woman” is a thrilling story of political intrigue in which a young cub reporter rips the lid off a corrupt city government. In a drama replete with romance, daring and exciting action, the film reveals the sensational conflict between a grafting political ring pitted against the love of a boy and a girl. The adventurous spirit of a cub reporter leads him through a series of thrilling exploits that wrote the headlines of the day! It is Richard Cromwell’s most ambitious role to date and marks the second production in which the demure Arline Judge has appeared as his romantic lead, EXIT GANGSTER . ROBINSON TURNS SCREEN LOVER. Tn “J Loved a Woman,” the sensational new picture in which .Kay Francis joins forces with Robinson, his love for an opera singer is the dominating, motivating force that marks his characterisation. No guns, no slang, no policemen in this picture. In place of these customary appurtenances, . Robinson uses tender phrases known best to lovers. First National executives made sure when ' they selected a leading lady for "I Loved a Woman” which comes to the Regent theatre on Wednesday, that they gave him one easy to love—Kay Francis. And according to advance Hollywood reports, Robinson certainly made a grand job of i* his latest role. Complex Make-up.

Kay Francis is the most particular in regard to make-up. A decided brunette with dark hair and green eyes, she uses a powder foundation of ivory with olive powder. Her face rouge is olive while the lip rouge is crimson. She uses an eye shadow of either brown or dark blue with eye lashes and eyebrows black. Her make-up blender is natural.

STRATFORD PROGRAMMES THIS WEEK’S ATTRACTIONS PLAZA THEATRE. To-day and Monday, “Treasure Island,” Wallace Beery, Jackie Cooper, Otto Kruger, Nigel Bruce. Tuesday and Wednesday, “The Great Defender,” Matheson Lang, Margaret Bannerman, Jeanne Stuart. Thursday and Friday, Madame Elsa Stralia (world renowned soprano) followed by “One More River,” Diana Wynyard, Colin Clive, Frank Lawton, Lionel Atwill. KING’S THEATRE. To-day and Monday, “No More Women,” Edmund Lowe, Victor McLaglen, Sally Blane.

TWO FIGHTING PALS

40 FATHOMS UNDER SEA. Edmund Lowe and Victor McLaglen, those two boisterous fighting, clowning pals, who have fought their way around the world, are at it again, 40 fathoms under- the sea, in the Paramount picture “No More Women,” which will commence a season to-day at the King’s Theatre, Stratford. Real enemies when their fight is private, they are pals to the death against outsiders. This time they are cast as two deep-sea divers; ice-men on rival tugs, they fight together on the bottom of the ocean for sunken gold. Just when they think their jobs are lost owing to a mortgage on the tug, their hopes are revived. Sally Blane appears as the owner of the boat.' After a hectic battle in which. McLaglen is almost

murdered they throw down the hatchet momentarily and go with Sally on a search of a sunken treasure of 2,000,000 dollars. Forty fathoms - underneath the surface of the water a diver from an opposing tug tries to kill McLaglen. Lowe starts to the rescue, and there follows a most exciting climax. Duplicate. A duplicate of the white LockheadAltair aeroplane in which Sir Charles Kingsford Smith made his record-break-ing flight from Australia via Suva and Honolulu to the United States has just been purchased by Paramount Studios for Cary Grant to fly in “Wings in the Dark.” The aeroplane was fitted with the newest type of instruments for blind flying. Much of the dramatic action of the film, which also features Myrna Loy, Roscoe Karns, and Hobart Cavanagh, has to do with this aerial science. Sir Charles was given a luncheon at the studios by Albert Kaufman, Paramount executive, and members of the “Wings in the Dark” cast.

NEW YORK STIRRED LILLIAN HELLMAN’S FIRST PLAY. New York has been considerably stirred by a bold, but particularly wellwritten drama, “The Children’s Hour,” the work of Lillian Hellman, writing her first play. Formerly the secretary to Horace Liveright, the publisher and play producer she has put her experience of other people’s manuscript to good purpose by constructing a play'that is a model to follow. Burns Mantle, the famous American critic and reviewer, considers the title is a trifle ironic, because the play, neither in theme nor in content, bears even the slightest reference to tne children’s hour about which Longfellow wrote.

It is a drama of the damage done to the lives and reputations of two school teachers who are devoted to each other, by the lies of a brat of a schoolgirl, a precocious adolescent with perverted ideas. One of the girls is about to marry a young doctor, but an aunt who is also attached to the school staff resents interferences by the niece and accuses her of being unnaturally attracted to and dominated by her friend, Karen. Eavesdropping students overhear the quarrel and one' of them, Mary Tilford, adds her own ideas to the stoiy she hears and reports awful goings-on at the school.

Her grandmother, a credulous old woman, calls up other guardians, and within a week the school is deserted and the town buzzing with gossip. Unsuccessful in breaking down the child’s awful story, the school teachers file a suit against the grandmother, but the aunt refuses to testify in favour of her niece and the girls lose the suit. The victims of the scandal are broken. Karen, sensing the suspicion her fiance fails to hide, breaks off her engagement, and Martha, made aware of the deeper significance of her affection for Karen, shoots herself. With defeat completely enveloping her. Karen is left alone to receive the belated regrets of the grandmother, who' has discovered that Mary has lied. It is all rather tremendous drama, sensitive and sincere in statement, and though there may be protest against the theme, Mr. Burns considers that its handling is literate, adult, and tactful. He is contemplating “organising a fund that shall pay for the compulsory attendance at the play of all gossiping women.”

BRILLIANTLY ACTED MATHESON LANG AS BARRISTER. “The Great Defender” will be shown at the Plaza Theatre, Stratford, on Tuesday and Wednesday. It is said to be genuinely exciting screen entertainment, cleverly directed and brilliantly acted by Britain’s greatest dramatic star Matheson Lang as Sir Douglas Rolls, K.C., fighting the biggest case of his career against the odds of. circumstantial evidence for the life of an artist charged with the murder of his beautiful model. Sir Douglas knew that his client’s alibi was a pack of lies. Why he accepted the case and the story of his brilliant victory against seemingly insuperable difficulties is delightfully told. Heading the supporting cast is Margaret Bannerman, one of London’s most celebrated stage beauties who appeared in New Zealand a few years ago with great success. The rest of the cast has been specially selected..

WHAT IS A STAND-IN? EQUALLY BEAUTIFUL AS STARS. BUT NEVER ON THE SCREEN. A stand-in is one who is the same height and build as the star. _ They must acquire the same shade of hair; wear the same make-up; the same colour and cut of gown, although of inferior material and workmanship. And their job is to stand on the set for the star during all such times as the scenj is not being actually photographed. They stand in while the set is being lighted. During that time the stand-in there in the position the star will take when, she comes on. So that the cameraman, director and the rest of the technicians will know exactly where the lights and shadows will strike the star’s face. The stand-in must, and ofte does, go through the action of a scene with the leading man, with other members of the cast, rehearsing lines, rehearsing relative positions on the at, so that all will be ironed out and in readiness for the star to go into immediate action. Sometimes the stand-in must stand back of the camera giving lines to other members of the cast whilst they are rehearsing. In short, she is there for the sole purpose of saving the star any unnecessary exertion or fatigue. For these unheralded services sh- receives from twenty to forty-five dollars a week, against the four to six thousand of the star. And in nine cases out of ten the standin girls are quite as pretty as the stars they stand in for. Less groomed, less dramatically pretty, perhaps, but very close to the star’s standard. They are as young. They may or may not be as talented. They haven’t had the chance to know. In a sense, they are less than extras. Because extras, at least, can see themselves in flashes on the screen. The extra has a chance of being recorded. Her work, however trivial, is photographed. • If she speaks a line the “mike” takes it. The camera has no eyes for the stand-in. The “mike” has no ears.

Lillian Kilgannon is stand-in for Marlene Dietrich. Sh''' still dreams of stardom. “I work stand-in instead of extra,” she says, “because I think I have a 'better chance of getting a break this way. At least, I am not one of a mob. I work steadily all through a production. Besides, I believe that I can learn more this way- than by working as an extra. You have to follow a production through from the first day to the last, and that’s very good training. “I remember on one occasion when Miss Dietrich had a bad cold she stayed at home. I had a bad cold, too, but I had to be on the set. They could use me as a model, you see, to rehearse some of the other players. And, being about so steadily, you get to know the director and the cameraman and the crew, and they get to know you, which is valuable.

“You learn camera angles perfectly, because you have to take them. You learn not to be .afraid of the camera. You learn about voice. You learn to read lines, and you leam all about make-up and proper lighting. You learn from the stars themselves, watching them as you have to, every minute. ‘'lt’s nervous work, too, of course. Not only the exhausting part of stand-ing-in for long stretches of time, but the feeling, all the while, that it is all for nothing, getting you nowhere. But I’m doing it because I hope that some day my break may come, and when it does I shall know what it’s all about. Being the Shadow of a star may help me to stardom.”

Janet Gaynor’s little stand-in is Mary Jane Irving. You may remember her once as a child star playing in pictures with Will Rogers, Bill Hart and Bessie Barriscale. She has been on the screen since she was two years old, and she says she’d rather stand-in at the back door of pictures than the front door of any other profession in the world. Mary Jane is so much like Janet jn real life that, viewed at a distance, one day on the set Janet’s mother came up to her and began talking to her about some personal matter. She’d taken Mary for her own daughter. “I’m not envious of the things Janet has, she says. “Of course, there are times when I’m tired, when we’ve worked late and things look dark to me; time ; when I seem to sag under the burdens that are mine, the partial support of my sisters and brothers, the strain of it all. Times when the sight of Janet driving in a car to a world without such worries as these seems cruel. But the only thing I really envy her is the chance to do the thing I’d love so much to do myself. It’s her work I envy her. I envy the respect that stardom brings. I’d like the chance to talk to other actresses and actors I admire.”

For six years Rosita Fouchier has been standing-in for Connie Bennett. Time was when she nearly had a contract at a major studio to do bit parts. Then she got married. And because she got married she did not get the contract. “Connie is,” Rosita says, “delightful to work for. To me and to others on the set she is extremely kind. Impersonal always, but kind. She doesn’t make friends with any of us. She doesn’t know any more about me to-day than she did the day I first stood-in for her. And yet, on the very first day she took the trouble to get me the 35 dollars a week I asked for when the studio wanted to pay me less. She personally called up Mr. Who-ever-it-was and said I was to have the 35 dollars, because I took her poses better than anyone else did, and they must give me what I-asked. And they did.

“Sometimes, sitting on the draughty set, anywhere I can find to park, I look at Miss Bennett’s private dressing-room, wheeled near to the set, equipped with a chaise lounge and pretty furniture, and think—oh, but what does it matter what I think? That’s not what I’m paid for.

“It doesn’t mean a thing—this stand-ing-in. I disagree with Miss Kilgannon —extra work means more. You get a chance to do something, at least. Shadows? We are less than shadows, which are at least reflected on the wall. We are dummies, without words or actions, without recognition, recording or renown. I am standing-in because I have to eat, I do not expect it to lead me to stardom or anywhere else. But if —if it should—then I’d rather do one, just one of Miss Bennett’s scenes, photographed and sound-tracked, than to have all of the gowns, jewels and luxuries that are hers.” COLOUR FILM DECREE PLATINUM BLONDES OUT. Colour films are going to be hard on platinum blondes, says Robert Edmond Jones, RKO Radio designer and director in colour-, who is now working on sets for “Becky Sharp,” to be filmed in the new three-colour Technicolour process, with Miriam Hopkins portraying Thackeray’s facinating little adventuress. Platinums just will not photograph, says Jones. The new colour process is quick to register any unnaturalness in colour, even in regard to make-up. Of the photographic possibilities of Miriam Hopkins, whose hair is naturally flaxen, Jones is most enthusiastic. He adds that Ann Harding’s natural ash blonde hair and Katharine Hepburn’s auburn tresses photograph remarkably well with the new process, in fact, to a flattering extreme.

FILM FASHIONS AT THE HEAD . . . BEAUTY, "What is the secret of Marlene’s charm?” Many women ask. “Though she often wears the severest and most masculine of clothes she still looks sweet and feminine and lovely. What is it? Surely something more than mere beauty?” Of course, it is. It is a natural grace and beauty emphasised by the gloriousness of her well-cared-for hair. For Marlene, more, perhaps, than any other woman in films to-day, realises the importance of a perfectly groomed coiffure; she believes firmly in that old adage—it has been rather pushed into the background now that so many of us are flaunting shingled and even cropped heads to the world that hair is “a woman’s crowning glory” . . . And that is just what Marlene’s glorious hair is—“crowning glory”—and you, too, if you value your femininity, will possess delightful waves and curls simply by doing as this lovely star does. Marlene’s hair care is simple. A liquid soap shampoo once a fortnight. A strenuous brushing night and morning. A combing through each night with a fine comb ovex - which is stretched a piece of soft tissue paper (the kind with which one removes any superfluous cold cream from one’s face before retiring at nights), and a dry shampoo each alternate week. Add to this scrupulous care of brushes and combs—Marlene’s are cleansed every day—and hair beauty is yours. As Worn by the Stars.

In “Song of Songs” she wore her hair in a way which is now very popular with us when we change into a flouncy evening frock, a soft, fur-collared coatee, and enjoy ourselves at a dinner and dance. When soft music plays hauntingly and the floor is just right and so is your partner, then femininity 'wins all ways. And that’s where the latest feminine coiffure that Marlene illustrated so well in “Song of Songs”—comes into its own. This coiffure is achieved by a “crowning” plait of hair worn right across . the top of the head and pinned, into little curls and waves at either side. These plaits can be made up for you by a hairdresser —in either the same colour as your own tresses or, if you like. to look sophisticated, in a contrasting colour. A black plait of hair banded across a fair head can look very lovely. Alice in Wonderland Combs. If you prefer, you can, of course, go “all. feminine” by wearing one of the “Alice in Wonderland” combs that are now almost equally popular. These combs, for evening, are studded with brilliants or semi-precious stones. If you adopt one of these combs you will be in very good company, Miriam Hop-, kins, Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, Sylvia Sidney and Claudette Colbert aie but a few of the stars who have adopted this hairdressing style. Revue Dancer. Arline Judge began her professional career as a dancer in a popular revue. Fields Picture. “The Man on the Flying Trapeze” is announced by Paramount as the title of the W. C. Fields picture to follow “Mississippi,” his next, in which he is featured with Bing Crosby, Joan Bennett, and Queenie Smith.

SPICE OF THE PROGRAMMES REGENT. To-day, Monday and Tuesday: Paramount News, “Any Rags” (cartoon), Overseas News, "Sea You To-night” (comedy) and Paramount PictoraL Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: Newsreel, "How’d You Like That” (comedy), and “Barber Shop Blues” (musical novelty). OPERA HOUSE. To-day,- Monday and Tuesday: Universal News, “Faces and Fancies” (comedy) and “Going Places” (novelty). Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: Newsreel, “Darkest Africa" (travel), “Policy Girl” (comedy) and Vincent Lopez and Orchestra. EVERYBODY’S. To-day, Monday and Tuesday: Kinograph Tonereel, “Leave it to Dad” (comedy), “Doll Phantasy” (musical novelty) and “Spring in Lake Garda” (scenic). Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: Pathe News, “Gibraltar” (travel) and “Autobuyography” (comedy).

Smart Musical Comedy. A musical comedy that is pleasing discriminating Americans is “Anything Goes,” written originally by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, who were to provide a framework for songs by Cole Porter, the composer. Bolton and Wodehouse were busy with other enterprises in London, and it was difficult to get the three collaborators together at the same time. Hence delay. Then, when the piece was finished, all its action taking place on an ocean liner, the Morro Castle fire took place, and it was discovered that a number of scenes in the play might be unpleasantly reminiscent. The script was then turned over to Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, and they rewrote large parts of it. As it now stands, “Anything Goes” is smart entertainment, handsomely produced, lacking no more in coherence tnan musical comedies with half as many authors.

LONDON AS BACKGROUND REMARKABLE DRAMATIC FILM. Unfolded against a background of London and the surrounding English countryside, a story of remarkable dramatic intensity, is told in “One More River,” the film to be shown at the Plaza Theatre, Stratford, on Thursday and Friday. It is an adaption of the last novel written by the late John Galsworthy, the outstanding English novelist and playwright and winner of the Nobel Prize. The film is a faithful and compelling transcription made by James Whale and R. C. Sheriff, who were responsible for “Journey’s End” and “The Invisible Man.” “One More River” is a dramatic story of exceptional power and tells of the failure of a marriage between two persons in high society. The wife journeys to Ceylon to escape the brutality of her husband. During the voyage she meets an impecunious young man who falls in love with her. Although she is also in love with him, she evades his attentions but is misunderstood by her husband. Diana Wynyard, brilliant actress of “Cavalcade” and “The Dover Road,” brings dignity and serenity to the part of Lady Corven.

A second star attraction will be the personal appearance on the stage of the world-renowned Australian soprano Madame Elsa Stralia, who for several years has won successes throughout land, the Continent and America. Such talent as hers is rarely heard at Stratford and every indication points to a highly successful season. Fay Wray. The Gaumont-British Picture Corporation announces the . acceptance by Miss Fay Wray, the popular Hollywood actress, of the leading feminine role in “Alias Bulldog Drummond,” Jack Hulbert’s new comedy-thriller which has started production under the direction of Walter Forde. “Alias Bulldog Drummond” is among those pictures modified to suit the requirements of an international market following the recent visit'to the United States by Mr. Ostrer and Mr. Balcan, and Miss Fay Wray’s engagement falls in line with the same policy.

ACROSS THE FOOTLIGHTS STARS AT WORK AND PLAY, NEWS FROM EVERYWHERE. • Locked in Rumble Seat. Bradley Page almost came to grief during the filming of “Name the Woman” He was accidentally locked in a rumble seat and it took over an hour to pry it open! No Car. Do you know, that until four years ago, Francis Lederer, star of the R.K.O. Radio picture, “Romance in Manhattan”; had never owned an automobile - al-, though he was the most famous actor in Europe? On the Continent he could nbti afford one and had to travel in a bus dr car. “Peculiar Penguins.” Human parallels are frequent in the' penguin’s courtship of his lady love. He struts about, puffs up his chest, and circles the object of his admiration, .presenting all his best points to her view. He will bring a small pebble and lay it at her feet. It she accepts this gift, they are engaged. Walt Disney, in his latest Silly Symphony, “Peculiar Penguins,” has Peter present Polly Penguin, his lady love, with an ice cream cone made from an icicle and a handful of snow, instead of the customary pebble. But Polly appreciates the sentiment more than the gift itself, and expresses her appreciation by giving Peter a kiss. A Real Trouper.

When Florence Desmond, the clever English girl famous for her impersonations of screen stars, had to leave the cast of the Cochran revue, “Streamline” to undergo an operation, her place was taken by Betty Hare, sister of Doris Hare, who is in the cast of “Hi-Diddle-Diddle.” It will be remembered that Miss Desmond’s engagement to Mr. Campbell Black, co-pilot with Scott, in the Melbourne air race win, was recently announced. Miss Hare is a member of an old theatrical family, and is a real trouper. She -was born in a caravan on tour, and went dn the stage at the age of two weeks! This record is easily beaten, however, by Stanley Lupino’s father, who first saw the light in a dressing-room, and appeared before an audience almost immediately afterwards. “The Gay Divorcee.”

One hundred and fifty girls, each a thoroughly practised dancer, applied for parts in RKO-Radio’s famous French, doll ballet, one of the many unique features in" “The Gay Divorcee” musical comedy. They found that nimble and graceful girls were worth nothing at all, and that they were expected to dance with their fingers, using them as legs for small dolls. Only 16 girls were accepted, and even then for strictly special reasons. Six of them possessed index and second fingers of the same length. Ten had double-jointed hands and could adapt their fingers to the task. The remainder of the girls heard the saddening news that they were “cripples” as far as-finger dancing was concerned, 'because to try it with one short finger would be as bad as dancing with one leg longer than the other. “The Gay Divorcee” stars Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, with Alice Brady and Edward Everett Horton, and many other favourites,