The Moving Row of Magic Shadow Shapes OMAR KHAYAM

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18352, 24 August 1929, Page 14

The Moving Row of Magic Shadow Shapes OMAR KHAYAM

Goes to War,” the Henry King production of Rupert Hughes’ novel, and the film in which Miss Eleanor Uoardman will follow her performance j£X “The Crowd,” is to have dialogue s3l d song sequences. The picture is siiortly to be released in New Zealand

The successful U.F.A. comedy, “Hurrah, I’m Alive,” starring Nikolai Kolin, met with great success when trade shown in London a few weeks ago. The audience gave the film a warm reception. All criticisms which so far have appeared in the trade papers are extremely favourable. The Daily Film Renter, for instance, says:—“This is a clever comedy, in which Nikolai Kolin does some really clever work as Pieter Fruis, the grocer. The humour flows along as gently as a stream. It is a clever film, with clever acting by all members of the cast, in which Mr Kolin is predominant.”

Motion picture audiences will hear Harold Lloyd’s voice for the first time in the sound and talking version of his latest feature comedy for Paramount, titled “Welcome Danger.” The silent version was recently completed. Barbara Kent plays the feminine lead, and Mary McAlister has another important featured role.

Ben Heacht and Charles Mac Arthur, authors of the popular New York stage success “The Front Page,” have been engaged by Carl Laemmle Jr. to write an original underworld story for Universal. This will be titled “The Homicide Squad,” and will be produced in dialogue and sound. The play, “The Front Page,” a sensational story of Cricago newspaper life, had a long run on Broadway. In addition to this dramatic work, Hecht is widely known for his novels and short stories. “The Homicide Squad” will be based upon actual experiences of the famous squad of that name with the New York Police Department.

The Paramount all-talking picture, “The Hole In the Wall” which is set for early release in New Zealand, has a notable cast of Broadway stage stars headed by Claudotte Colbert and Edward G. Robinson. It is a mystery story with a spiritualistic background. “Luxury,” a film recently made in Vienna, starring Betty Balfour and produced in conjunction with 8.1. P., has been re-titled “Bright Eyes.” In this film Betty Balfour is supported by Jack Trevor and Marcel Vibart, and is seen as a little scullery maid, who has a glimpse of romance among the bright lights of a fashionable cabaret. The film was directed by Geza Bolvary, who is at present at work on “The Vagabond Queen,” which also stars Betty Balfour. Cinema Art Films will release this production throughout New Zealand.

With a series of night scenes, showing thousands of persons occupying the grandstand of the aerodrome from which the rocket is being shot to the moon, Fritz Lang has just completed his new UFA-Superfilm “The Girl in the Moon,” which is scheduled for release by Cinema Art Films.

“The Sacred Flame,” by Somerset Maughan, is to follow “Evidence” at the Warner Studio, with Walter Courtney appearing opposite Miss Pauline Frederick.

by United Artists. Miss Alma Rubens plays a ukelele and sings several songs. The cast, in addition to Miss Boardman and Miss Rubens, includes Jack Holland, A 1 St. John, Miss Margaret Seddon, Miss Yola D’Avril, Miss Sonia Markov and Edward Burns.

Thomas Meighan’s first Vitaphone picture will be “The Argyle Case,” from the stage play of the same name. Miss Lila Lee will play opposite him.

Germany's foremost character-star, Freda Richard, as well as Lotte Lorring and Willy Forst, have been contracted by the UFA for leading parts in the new UFA film “The Felon from Stambul” (formerly known as “The Girl and the Levantiner”), in which Betty Amman, Heinrich George, and Paul Horbiger are featured. The film is in course of production at Neubabelsberg under the direction of Gustav Ucicky, and will be released by Cinema Art Films.

“All Quiet on the Western Front,” the sensational war novel by a German soldier, Erich Maria Remarque, which has passed the million mark in the number of copies sold in Europe and America, will be made into a super screen production will full dialogue and sound effects. Screen rights to the famous book have just been acquired by Universal. Maxwell Anderson, coauthor with Captain Lawrence Stallings, of “What Price Glory?” the great American war play and picture, has been engaged to adapt the German book for the screen and prepare the dialogue for it.

With its brilliant presentation, the Warner Bros, latest special, “On Trial,” is claimed as one of the outstanding achievements of the world’s new dramatic era. “On Trial” has a great cast. The heroine is played by Miss Pauline Frederick and the production is the means of her debut on the talking screen. Bert Lytell is another of the cast, which includes Miss Lois Wilson, Holmes Herbert, Richard Tucker, Franklin Pangborn and Jason Robards.

Two newcomers to the British screen are Miss Leila Dresner and Miss Gypsy Rhouma. The latter will be seen as the dusky Tondeleyo in the screen version of the famous stage success, “White Cargo,” which is a complete “talkie.” She is said to have proved herself a fine emotional actress with a fascinating voice. Miss Dresner will make her debut in “The City of Paly,” which is also an all-talking film to be released by British Dominion Films.

Neil Hamilton has been assigned by Paramount to play one of the leading roles in “Illusion,” the all-talking film of Arthur Train's latest novel, dealing with a young magician’s adventures in society. Charles Rogers and Miss Carroll, who played with great success in “Close Harmony,” will again appear together in “Illusion.”

Regis Toomey, who recently signed a long term Paramount contract has been given a notable part in “Illusion,” the Paramount all-talking picturisation of Arthur Train’s well-known novel. He joins a cast that Includes Charles Rogej;, Nancy Carrol and June Collyer.

Lon Chaney is busy preparing for his new role of the screen, in which he will play a veteran sergeant in the French Foreign Legion, in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s screen version of Major Zinovl Pechkoff’s famous book, “The Bugle Sounds.” George Hill, who directed Chaney in “Tell It to the Marines” will direct this new play, much of which was filmed in Morocco with the actual Foreign Legion in action. A notable cast is bein? T umbled for the production.

Paramount is completing “ The Virginian,” a 100% dialogue picture based on Owen Wister’s well-known story of Virginia. Most of the picture has been filmed out-of-doors. Gary Cooper, Walter Huston, Richard Arlen and Mary Brian play the leading roles.

Paramount announces the production of many new all-talking pictures shortly. The titles include “Applause,” with Helen Morgan; “Fast Company” with Evelyn Brent; “Illusion” with Charles (Buddy) Rogeir and Nancy Carroll; “Kibitzer” with Harry Green, and “The Mighty,” starring George Bancroft.

“The Cocoanuts,” the first Paramount all-talking, singing and dancing musical comedy, starring the “Four Marx Brothers,” famous comedians of the Broadway stage, will be an early release in New Zealand. It is described as a riot of fun from the beginning to the end.

An important addition to the cast of "The Love Parade,” the Paramount fllm operetta which will star Maurice Chevalier, is Lupino Lane. Luplno Lane is a former comedy star of the London stage and has, for some time, been producing short film comedies in Hollywood. Janette MacDonald, musical comedy actress, will play opposite Chevalier. Weird native songs and chants of Arab camel drivers to barbaric music around their desert campfires form one of the striking and unusual features made possible by Fox Movietone in ‘‘Behind That Curtain,” all-talking production. Zoe Aikens, one of the foremost of feminine playwrights, now under contract to Fox Movietone, has received word that her new play, “Careers,” is a smashing hit. Her other play now running in New York is “The Love Duel.” Her first assignment for Fox Movietone was “My Lady’s Dress.” The arch villain of the screen, the man whose face has won him numerous engagements, but who too is a real actor, Lous Wolheim, has. been borrowed from Caddo to play the leading heavy role in the new Fox picture of the Northern wastes, “Frozen Justice.” Dorothy Burgess, this time plays a most sophisticated American girl in the Fox picture, “Protection.” Her previous role “Tonia,” in “In Old Arizona,” won her hosts of admirers who will eagerly await the latest effort of this talented young actress. The speaking screen is not very old but already it has made great strides. A few months ago a cast of half a dozen or so, was considered outstanding—Fox Movietone has just finished “Thru* Different Eyes,” which has a speaking cast of fifty. “The Woman from Luna,” is the first directorial effort of A. F. Erickson for Fox Films. He is a protege of F. W. Murnau, with whom he functioned as first assistant during the filming of “Four Devils.” Alary Astor features in “The Woman from Luna.” A special wooden “tower” was built to carry the cameras and microphones while filming the sensational climax of “The Green Murder Case,” a new Paramount all-talking picture, soon to be released in New Zealand. The tower is the tallest of its kind ever erected in Hollywood. The platform on which the cameras and other apparatus were mounted was exactly 85 feet from the ground. The structure, which had the appearance of an oil derrick, was 25 feet wide and tapered to a width of eight feet at the top. The “tower” overlooked the house that had been built on the set to represent the Greene dwelling around which van Dine’s story is written. Van Dine, himself, drew the plans for the house at the Paramount studios. The climax takes place on the roof, and the microphones and cameras caught the action of various characters in sight and sound. The main roles in the picture are played by William Powell, Jean Arthur, Eugene Pallette and Florence Eldridge. Many new faces will be seen on the screen when “The Four Feathers ” Paramount’s film adaption of the famous novel by A. E. W. Mason, is presented shortly in New Zealand. The faces are those of thousands of FuzzyWuzzys, as Kipling called them. The Fuzzy-Wuzzy are famous savage warriors who enjoy the distinction of being the only native forces who ever broke a British square. One of the notable scenes in the picture shows these fighting nomads crossing the desert on their swift give battle to the British forces. In the sound synchornised version of the picture the soft pad-pad of the camels’ feet can be heard. Another remarkable scene shows their attack on the British square. Merian Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, the directors, spent two years in Africa filming these scenes for the picture. The main roles are played by Richard Arlen. Fay Wray, William Powell, Clive Brook and Noah Beery.