The Moving Row of Magic Shadow Shapes

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18500, 22 February 1930, Page 10 (Supplement)

The Moving Row of Magic Shadow Shapes

OMAR KHAYAM

El Brer.del is being kept busy at the Fox Movietone studios these days. No sooner did he finish a leading role with Victor McLaglen and Fifi Dorsay in “Hot for Paris,” than he was cast for featured parts in “The Golden Calf,” and the “Dollar Princess.”, Ke will also be seen soon with his wife Flo Bert, in a song and dance specialty in “Happy Days.”

Grace Hayes, vaudeville. Victor, radio and night club star, has arrived at Universal City to make her debut in' moving picture. She is the leading lady in the “King of Jazz Revue,” starring Paul Whiteman, which John Murray Anderson has just placed in production there.' The Twin Sisters G, famous European dancing sensation, preceded her by one day.

Half a hundred South Sea Island natives, dancing with characteristic abandon, form one of the .colourful scenes in “Dangerous Paradise.” Paramount’s adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s “Victory.” in which Miss Nancy Carroll is starred. Richard Arten plays opposite the star. Others in cast are Warner Oland, Gustave von Seyffertitz, and Francis McDonald. William Wellman directed.

Louis John Bartels, veteran character actor of the stage and screen, has been assigned to one of the chief supporting roles in “The Benson Murder Case” William Powell's next Paramount "talkie.” “The Benson Murder Case” was adapted from the last of Van Dine’s famous mystery stories. Eugene Pallette and E. H. Calvert will again play supporting roles for Powell. John Cromwell will direct.

John Gilbert and Miss Norma Shearer shart the honours in a Romeo and Juliet burlesque which is a feature in

“The Hollywood Revue.” The novelty sketch, which begins with the romantic balcony scenes from the great Shakesperian play and winds up with a modernised version, is directed by Lionel Barrymore, who also appears in the scenes in his directorial capacity. There are twenty-five stars in “The Hollywood Revue,” and a chorus of over ttoo hundred.

“Mickey the Mouse” will shortly make his debut to New Zealand picturegoers. His popularity in England and America is immense, reaching the hearts of young and old with more directness than many of the bipedal stars. He is the hero of “talkie” fairy tale cartoons and his popularity is so great that he is featured in posters in England in characters as large as those used for billing the stars in the principal pictures. The series of these cartoons will be released by United Artists.

With the object of thoroughly investigating the production of talking-films in Hollywood, Mr. Edwin Geach, managing director of Union Theatres, Limited, Sydney, will be a passenger through Auckland by the Aorangi on March 6. He will inspect possible equipment for his company’s studio at Bondi where, later in the year, it is expected that a start will be made with talking picture production. Mr. Geach will also visit Great Britain and confer with English producers on the question of the type of British film best suited for Australian and New Zealand audiences.

Miss Colleen Moore’s latest talking picture, “Footlights and Fools,” has been made in natural colours. In it Miss Moore appears as an exotic French actress. For weeks before production commenced on the film, Miss Moore divided her time between acquiring a French accent and learning the lyrics for a series of catchy songs in the* picture. The popular star is supported by a cast of exceptional strength Raymond Hackett, and Frederic Marsh appearing in two leading roles opposite her, while Miss Virginia Lee Corbin, Edward Martinel and Jack Stone are cast in prominent parts.

Practically an all-English cast will appear in First National’s forthcoming production of “green Stockings'.” starring Miss Dorothy Mackaill. The picture is upon the stage pldy by A. E. W. Mason. Miss Mackaill herself is English, and her theatrical career had its beginning at the London Hippodrome before she crossed the sea to become a glorified beauty of the Ziegfeld Follies. Basil Rathbone will have the male lead, and two other English actors of distinction—Anthony Bushel and William Austin —have been assigned idles

in the production. Bushel played opposite the late Miss Jeanne Eagles in the stage production of “Her Cardboard Lover.” John Ban-ymore’s second Vitaphorid talking picture, which was recently completed under the temporary title, "The Man,” will be called “The Man from, Blankley’s” when it is released. This is the name under which the play was originally presented on the stage in America and England with Charles H&wtrey as its star. “The Man from Blankley’s” is the first farce comedy that Barrymore has made for the screen, and is also one of his few productions that has not been a costume picture: Its story which has a modern setting, has been directed by Alfred E. Green, with Miss Loretta Young, Miss Emily Fitzroy, Dale Fuller, Albert Gran and William Austin in the supporting cast.

Indications of the importance Technicolour will play in this year’s film releases is contained in the announcement that the erection of a Technfcolour plant is being rushed to completion at a cost of £200.000. Technicolour is. now working on four plants, two'in Hollywood and two in Boston, and Is finding it almost impossible to fulfil demands. With 100 productions in colour for 1930, the buildthg of this new plant is absoluately imperative. Eventually it will have a capacity of 47,000 feet of celluloid every day, or about 75,000.000 a year. The Technicolour plants in Hollywood and Boston are working three Shifts, and the thirty odd colour cameras are grinding 24 hours of the day, being continually rushed from one studio to another.

"Paramount on Parade,” a mammoth •multi-star revue, is rapidly nearing completion at the Hollywood studios. Several of the stars, including Maurice Chevalier, and Miss Nancy Carroll, ! have already completed their contributions. Many of the big scenes designed by Albert Wenger, the famous ‘set designer, are being filmed in colour.

"Marco Himself,” a new Paramount all-talking comedy co-featuring Jack Oakie and Richard “Skeets” Gallagher, jhas gone into production at the HollyI wood studios. “Marco Himself” was j adapted from the story by Octavus Roy j Cohen. Harry Green will play one of ; the chief supporting roles, and Frank Tuttle will direct.

Talking pictures have claimed . Rudolph Friml, composer of “Rose Marie.” “The Vagabond King,” “Three Musketeers,” and other musical hits. He will compose the score for “Bride 66,” Arthur Hammerstein’6 first musical play for United Artists. Mr Friml’s first connection with the screen was established through a contract signed with United Artists.

George Arliss makes his Vitaphone debut in “The Green Goddess.”' a Warner Bros, production. In it he gives one of his most interesting performances in the famous role of a villianous rajah* who is also a cultured and lavish host. The supporting cast includes Miss Alice Joyce, H. B. Warner .and Ralph Forbes.

When it was announced that “All Quiet on the Western Front” would be filmed with as close conformity to the book of Erich Maria Rermarque as possible, people began to ask why Miss Joan Marsh was announced in the cast. Miss Marsh, who is returning to the screen at the age of sixteen, is to enact the Poster Girl, to whom a very interesting chapter in the book was devoted.

"Song of the Flame,” a First National Vitaphone production, entirely in technicolour, will, it is announced, employ nine thousand players before the final scene is completed. "Song of the Flame,” adapted from the operetta, will be the most elaborate production ever made by First National. Miss Bernice Claire, Alexander Gray, and Noah Beery have the leading roles.

‘ Dangerous Nan McGrew" has been selected as the title for a new Paramount “talkie” to feature Miss Helen Kane. Miss Kane plays the title role of the sweetheart of a trooper of the Canadian Northwest Mounted Police who always “gets her man.” “Dangerous Nan McGrew” will go into production shortly at the Long Island studios under the direction of Victor Schertzinger.

Paul Fejos, the noted Universal director, who is ill as a result of an injury eustained while he was directing "La Marseillaise.” starring Miss Laura La Plante and John Boles, has relinI quished direction of the picture, and John S. Robertson has been assigned to complete the remaining scenes. Fejos fell from a high scaffolding from which he was directing a big battle scene and was painfully injured. The enthusiastic reception which the public has given to Warner Bros, natural-colour Vitaphone productions has led the company to increase sqb- ! stantially its future plans .for the use |of colour. Therefore, colour figures : prominently on Warner Bros, future 1 productions. The all-colour pictures to be shown following the phenomenal - j ly successful "Gold Diggers of Broadway.” are “3ong of the West,” “Golden Dawn,” “Under a Texas Moon,” "On With the Show.” and “Hold Everything." The part-coloured productions are “Chow of Shows.” ‘ General Crack.” starring John Barrymore, and "Mamjmy,” starring A 1 Jolson.