The Moving Row of Magic Shadow Shapes

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18617, 12 July 1930, Page 11

The Moving Row of Magic Shadow Shapes

Harry Pollard, director of “Show Boat,” who was recently placed under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, will direct Joan Crawford in “The Great Day,” an adaptation of the stage musical success by William Cary Duncan and, John Wells. “The Great Day” has been prepared for the screen by James Montgomery. This is a story of t)ie south, with the star in the role of a road-house entertainer.

The Australian actress, May Beatty, and John Ince have been allotted featured roles in “Alias French Gertie,” in which Bebe Daniels is starred for the third time for Radio Pictures. An adaptation from the stage success “The Chatterbox,” this picture has started production, those in the cast consisting of Ben Lyon, Betty Pierce, Robert Emmet, O’Connor, Charles Giblin and Nella Walker.

Beatrice Lillie, the internationally famous comedienne, will appear in “Are You There?” her first musical production for the talking screen. The story and continuity of “Are You There?” is by Billy K. Wells and George Grossmith, with dialogue by the latter and Harlan Thompson. Of the supporting cast those definitely assigned so far are Jillian Sand, who recently arrived from England, and John Carrick, featured recently in “The Sky Hawk.”

“Monte Carlo” has been selected as the title for the Paramount screen operetta in which Jeanette MacDonald end the English star, Jack Buchanan, are to have the leads. Ernt Lubitsch, who directed Maurice Chevalier’s “The Love Parade,” is handling the new production.

Alice White has just completed her fifth musical-dramatic role in “Sweet Mama.” She portrays a Broadway chorus girl in this First National and Vitaphone production, which was made under the direction of Edward Cline. David Manners plays leading man and Rita Flynn, Robert Elliot and Lee Moran are also in the cast.

Larry Darmour will release twelve features comedies for Radio Pictures this years that will aim to lift the short subject into the feature fifield. Taking notable stars from the screen as featured players in these productions, Darmour has signed Karl Dane and George K. Arthur for a series of six and Louise Fazenda for a similar number.

For some time past reports * from America have indicated that Warner Brothers, pioneers of Vitaphone, would adopt the sound-on-film principle, in addition to, if not in substitution for, the sound-on-disc system. Colour is given to that story by the announcement that Warners have now acquired a substantial stock interest in the Nakken Patents Corporation, together with a license to use the patents in all motion picture fields, whenever they feel disposed. The basic Nakken patents cover reproduction of sound-on-film; electrical transmission of facsimile telegrams by both wire and radio; electrical transmission of pictures by wire and radio; and television by wire and radio. According to the report, “Warner Brothers can make sound-on-film talking pictures through a new invention of Nakken’s. which discards the slit altogether and provides a new and improved exciter lamp, by means of which the light values can be increased many times over the light values available with the slit.”

An actor that will never see Hollywood waits quietly in the shelter of the foothills of the California Sieras for a call to duty before the cameras. It is an ancient railway train that has dedicated the rest of its life to motion pictures. The train, comprising a locomotive and four coaches, once operated throughout the famous motherlode district of the California gold rush days, and has transported many fortunes in the precious metal

from the diggings to the mint. Its age and antiquated lines, which make the train unfit for active service, constitute its chief value for motion pictures. It first appeared before the cameras in Paramount’s outdoor talkie “The Virginian,” and then went back into retirement. Another unit from the Paramount studios, filming “The Border Legion,” an all-talking Western, starring Richard Arlen, employed the ancient train for the exciting holdup scenes that are a feature of the picture. Supporting Arlen in “The Border Legion” are Fay Wray, Jack Holt, Eugene Pallette, and Stanley Fields. Otto Brower and Edwin Knopf, the directors of "The Light of Western Stars,” were in charge of the filming of the new talltalking. Western thriller.

John Gilbert will make his second all-talking appearance in “Redemption” an adaption of Tolstoi’s noted drama, “The Living Corpse.” Gilbert’s success in two past productions from the works of the famou6 Russian novelist and playwright, namely, “Love,” with Greta Garbo and “The Cossacks,” with Renee Adoree, is said to have influenced Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in choosing “Redemption” as his next starring picture. Furthermore, the play had already received distinction in being the vehicle for both John Barrymore and the celebrated German actor, Alexander Moissi, when it was produced on the New York stage first by Arthur Hopkins an later by Morris Gest. “Redemption” is a far cry from the ordinary run of kinema products in being the psychological study of a man who is driven to a desperate act in choosing between loyalty to his wife and the call of hereditary gipsy blood. Information is that the producers maintain an artistic standard in not stooping to tack a sugar-coated happy ending on to a story permeated with a tragic motive.

The all-Technicolour, all-talkie animated cartoon is the latest development of the screen, and this innovation is presented for the first time by Universal “King of Jazz,” the super-extravaganza starring Paul Whiteman and his band, which has been completed under John Murray Anderson’s direction. Walter Lantz, famous for Universal, said that no unusual difficulties were encountered in making the Technicolour animated cartoon. The cartoon sequence enttled “A Fable in Jazz” opens the picture by showing how Whiteman came to be crowned King Of Jazz, a story that would make Baron Munchausen blush for envy. Charlie Murray and George Sidney, one of the foremost laugh teams of the screen, appear in Universal’s spectacular “King of Jazz” in two hilarious comedy sketches. In building the two sketches around them in the all-Movietone, allTechnicolour super-revue, John Murray Anderson, the director, adhered to his policy of using only the biggest stars available for this, the biggest production of its kind ever attempted.

The grip-man, little heard of outside of the motion picture studio, is one of the essentials of picture production. The grip, within the portals of the studio, is in the same category as a “know-aIL” It is his job to know all about everything, to know where anything may be found. He is right-hand man to the director, star, technician and extra player. During the filming of “Sarah and Son,” 25 grip men were employed in the settings. When the vast nest of ropes and cables about the studio became entangled, when the star lost her powder-puff, when a piece of furniture was missing, an obliging grip lunged forward got his directions, and, as if by magic, produced results.

Lawrence Tibbett, who makes his debut in talking pictures in the “Rouge Song,” Lionel Barrymore’s allcolour. singing drama for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, is the first American to reach supremacy in the field of

grand opera. He is known as the world’s greatest living baritone. Tibbett was born in California, the son of the sheriff of Kern County. While in high school his voice was discovered by Joseph Deputy, and led to his stardom in the Metropolitan Opera House. He is also known as one of the greatest actors on the operatic stage.

Frank Harvey’s play, “Cape Forlorn,” set in a lighthouse on the New Zealand coast, a very short run in London. The author, who for 12 years was a very popular leading man in Australia and New Zealand, played one of the leading roles.

Leon Gordon, now playing “This Thing Called Love” in Melbourne, is supported by Mary McGregor, Harvey Adams, Nancy Gordon, Pirie Bush (the New Zealander), Rowena Ronald (Mrs Herbert Browne), Frank Bradley, Hal Percy and Dulcie Cherry. The modern method of recording dialogue and sound with photographic light rays on the side of the film has considerably complicated the cutting and editing of the finished picture, according to Miss Verna Willis, Paramount editor. “The sound track which runs along the edge of the audible motion picture is not opposite the frame in which the character opens his mouth,” Miss Willis explains, “but 19 pictures ahead. This is due to the fact that two lights are used to reproduce the sounds and pictures. The lights must be far enough apart so that the heat from one does not affect the other. That is why the impressions are so widely separated. “This, of course, makes the editing of films a Chinese puzzle for those who do not understand the system, as a narrow ribbon of sound track must be left dangling from the front end of the cut film. This ribbon matches up, with the amount cut from the back end of the next strip of film.”

A Vitaphone version of “The Sea Beast,” a well-remembered silent film, is soon to be remade by John Barrymore, with the original title, “Moby Dick.” Lawrence Stillings, playwright of note, is to write the new version of the famous sea story. Two whaling vessels have been scouting the California coast to photograph whales. The first catch of their season was a 60-ton monster, which was towed to shore recently. Barrymore’s preparations for the part include the growth of a full beard and a study of the book. When the silent film, “The Sea Beast,” was made, Barrymore had as his leading lady Dolores Costello, who has since become his wife. No announcement has been'made regarding the cast of “Moby Dick.”

Rube Goldberg, whose cartoons are printed daily in 150 American papers, and who has contributed much in late years In the matter of writing magazine articles, valdeville sketches and syndicate newspaper articles, has arrived in Hollywood, where he will write a merry musical play, “Soup to Nuts,” which will serve to introduce as a screen personality the clown, Ted Healey. The latter, with his “gang”, rated the greatest assemblage of “nut comics” now living, will arrive shortly to* start work.

Word comes from Hollywood (says a New York paper) to the effect that Charlie Chaplin intends to break away from the portion of the film industry that is “talkie” and is going to stick to his pantomime for his professional future. Announcement of Chaplin’s plans, made by his representative, Carlyle Robinson, indicates that Charlie is going to stake wealth as well as prestige on his idea of a successful feature in the silent reels. Chaplin expects to organise his new company as a closed corporation and will set aside 5.000,000 dollars to 10,000,000 dollars a year for producing pictures. Mr Robinson states. Chaplin will sell off his resent five-acre plant at Labrea Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard, which he bought in 1917 for 33,000 dollars and will probably clean up several millions in the deal. The area was in orange groves; now it is th2 centre of one of Hollywood’s highpriced apartment sections. Chaplin refused 1,500,000 dollars for it a year ago. He will erect new studios on a fifty-acre site in the San Ferando Valley, near Hollywood.

John Barrymore makes his debut in talking pictures in “General Crack.” Apart from the story, which is colourful, suspenseful and entertaining, Barrymore’s performance is restrained and admirable in every respect. In the role of General Crack he portrays in no uncertain manner the military strategist—the stern commanding officer—the romantic and gay soldier of fortune, and the man whose faith has been crushed by the faithless young gypsy to whom he has given hte love, Marian Nixon and Armida give vivid portraysl in this Warner Bros, and Vitaphone production.

Clive Brook, the suave and whimsical actor of “Charming Sinners,” “The Return of Sherlock Holmes,” and “In terference.” is seen in a powerful costarring role in Paramount’s “Slightly Scarlet,” shortly coming to the Regent Theatre. As in the popular hit “Interference,” Brook here plays opposite Evelyn Brent. “Slightly Scarlet” is a gripping romantic melodrama filled with unusual dramatic twists and tense situations and Brook is at his best as the mysterious Englishman who captures the heart of a beautiful girl and then, because of his own secret identity, does not know what to do with it. The story is fast moving and dynamic.

Vivienne Segal, one of the most brilliant stars of the New York stage shines in words and music in “Song of the West,” a forthcoming Warner Brothers operetta in technicolour. Miss Segal was chosen to play the feminine lead in this picture opposite John Boles, and this is her first appearance in motion pictures.