The Moving Row of Magic Shadow Shapes

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18635, 2 August 1930, Page 11

The Moving Row of Magic Shadow Shapes

OMAR KHAYAM

Ernest Vilches, a Castilian actor, has been placed under contract for work in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer foreign language dialogue productions. For the past 20 years Vilches has been at the head of his own theatrical company. He is said to be the only actor possessing personal autographs of every member of European royalty.

Jeannette MacDonald, the queen of “The Love Parade,” and the princess of “The Vagabond King,” portrays a modern girl in “Let’s Go Native,” a recently completed Paramount musical comedy, in which she is starred with Jack Oakie. Others in the notable cast are Skeets Gallagher, Eugene Pallette, William Austin and Kay Francis.

| Jack Buchanan, the English stage comedian, who is appearing on Broadway in “Wake Up and Dream,” will make his debut in the Metro-Gold-wyn-Mayer company in an original story by P. G. Wodehouse. The author of “Jeeves,” and “Mr Mulliner ! Speaking,” has arrived at the Culver City studios and is now at work on j his first screen assignment. Jack Oakie, Skeets Gallagher and : Leon Errell, officiate collectively as masters of ceremony in Paramount’s i all-star film revue, “Paramount on I Parade,” which is now enjoying an extended run at the Prince Edward Thej atre, Sydney. Thirty-nine Paramount j stare and featured players are taking part in the 20 entertaining interludes ! which make up this production.

j Paramount has a new comedy “find” j in Jack Haley, the leading comedian i in the all-colour screen musical comi edy “Follow Thru,” in in which Charles Rogers and Nancy Carroll are starred. Haley also had the chief comedy role in the original stage production from which the film play is adapted. Others in the cast are Zelma O’Neal, Eugene Pallette and Claude King.

i Reginald Berkeley’s successful com- | edy, “French Leave,” and Frederick 1 Lonsdale's “On Approval,” are both in the course of production at British and Dominions studios at Elstree. The latter comedy, to be made as a super, is being directed by Tom Walls, and stars a number of the Aldwych cast of “Rookery Nook.” Jack Raymond is directing “French Leave.”

The new Movitone Follies of 1930 has Marjorie White as its leader. It is the most thrilling entertainment ever put on the screen; better than the record-breaking Fox Movitone Follies of 1929. Dozens of Hollywood’s most glorious girls are also included in the large cast, which boasts of El Brendel, Marjorie White, the song and dance imp, Miriam Seegar, Noel Francis, Frank Richardson, William Collier, Senr., Huntley Gordon, Paul Nicholson and Yola D’Avril.

Basil Rathbone, who plays Philo Vance, the super-clever detective in “The Bishop Murder Case,” was born in Johannesbury, South Africa. He became an actor in 1912 in the company of his cousin, the eminent Sir Frank Benson. He was educated in England, and members of the family are to-day connected with Rathbone and Rathbone, cotton importers of Liverpool and the Lamport and Holt steamship line. Rathbone became internationally famous as the “great lover” of the stage for his work in “Romeo and Juliet,” Othello,” etc. He made an instant success in his first Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer talkie, “The Last of Mrs Cheyney.” He Is six feet one and one-half inches tall, weighs 165 pounds and has black hair and hazel eyes.

The “Travelling Eye” is the latest invention of the talking screen. It is a rehearsal camera, consisting of the lens to be used later in the regular camera in filming a scene, affixed to a small projector which reproduces its imagine on a screen about five inches square. Lionel Barrymore, director,

used the apparatus to rehearse scenes in “The Rogue Song,” in which Lawrence Tibbett. Metropolitan opera star makes his debut. By placing the apparatus where the regular camera later will be, the director can see the rehearsal on its screen as a motion picture, hence judge all action from this standpoint. In calculating camera angles, the new apparatus, invented by Percy Holburn, cameraman, is said to save many hours of adjustment and experiment. “The Rogue Song,” is an all-colour Merto-Goldwyn-Mayer production.

Again the elusive spirit of the Old West lives on the screen. “The Arizona Kid,” a great outdoor romance on Movietone, with Warner Baxter and Maris in the title roles. It is the first talking picture to be filmed entirely on location, and the scenic splendours of Zion National Park in Utah form a delightful background to the swift action of the story, as well as adding to its realism.

Two delightful catchy songs. “My Lonely Heart” and “Show Me the Way,” written by Charles Wakefield Cadman and William Kernell. famous composers, are sung in “Double Cross Roads,” Fox Movietone all-talking production, in which Robert Ames and Lila Lee play the leading roles.

Olga Baclanova, intriguing Russian blonde, is featured with Arthur Lake and Dixie Lee in the forthcoming Fox Movietone picture, “Cheer Up and Smile.” This lovely lady makes repeated efforts to win the affections of a youth, causing great consternation to his young sweetheart. Sidney Lanfield directed.

After appearing as the parent of almost every star in pictures, George Orving finally becomes Norma Shearer’s father in “The Divorce,” her new Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture. Irving, known as the “Father” of the screen, has had as cinema sons and daughters, Billie Dove, Sue Carol, Bebe Daniels, Janet Gaynor, Buddy Rogers and many others. Chester Morris plays opposite Miss Shearer in this picture, which was adapted from a story by Ursula Parrett. Paramount has received advice from the Home Office, to the effect that a special Sound News has been issued on Squadron-Leader Kingsford-Smith and the “Southern Cross” crew’s arrival in America. The newsreel will arrive shortly for Australian and New Zealand releases, and contains shots of the aviators’ arrival and receptions in New York, Washington (where they were received by President Hoover), and San Francisco. A notable supporting cast has been assembled by Paramount for Clara Bow’s new starring picture, “Love Among the Millionaires.” The romantic leading man role is played by Stanley Smith, hero of “Honey” and “Sweetie.” Skeets Gallagher, Stuart Erwin and Mitzi Green have featured comedy parts. Barbara Bennett, daughter of Richard Bennett, and sister of Constance and Joan, takes the part of a millionaire’s daughter, and Theodor von Eltz has a menace role. As a screen father, Miss Bow has Charles Sellon. Claude King has another parental role as Smith’s father. One definite fact seems to be emerging from all this talkie turmoil. And that is “love scenes must be shorter.” While there is dispute on all other points of the new revolution, directors actors, writers and producers seem united on this particular subject. Director De Mille says, “Dialogue takes out imagination and substitutes concrete words. In silent pictures love scenes had to be longer, for you coulc only imagine what the pair were saying. With the talkies, you know ir detail.” “Talking love scenes cannoi be a foot longer than is necessary tc keep them absolutely sincere,” saic Fred Niblo, “people will laugh if youi hero makes his speech of avowal one

word more lengthy than a normal young man might repeat under similar eircum tances.” “Silent love scenes were much harder than the talking variety,” reports John Gilbert. “To pantomime love is one of the toughest jobs that can be.” Greta Garbo is non-committal. “A love scene is a love scene,” she stated. “If it is well done it is a difficult job, no matter whether silent or talkie.”

A famous screen leading man. Wallace Macdonald, plays the lieutenant of Lawrence Tibbett, opera star in “The Rogue Song,’’ all-colour, singing and talking picture. Ten years ago Macdonald was a stock leading man and TibSStt, then a schoolboy, played minor roles in his plays. To-day Tibbett is the world’s most famous baritone anu Macdonald one of the best known of screen actors. Catherine Dale Owen plays the leading feminine role in “The Rogue Song.”

Universal has remade “The Storm" with full dialogue and sound. “The Storm" was released as a silent picture by Universal in 1923. It established a box office record that stood until the release of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” Addition of dialogue and sound has made “The Storm” even stronger drama. The dialogue and synchronization rights were purchased by Universal from the playwright, Langdon McCormick. As a stage play, “The Storm” had a long run at the Broadhurst Theatre, New York, with Helen MacKollar in the leading role. Reginald Barker directed “The Storm” as a motion-picture, the principal roles being layed by House Peters, Virginia Valli and Matt Moore. The talking version of “The Storm” features Lupe Velez, Paul Cavanaugh, and William Boyd, the wellknown American stage star, who is not to be confused with the equally famous screen favourite.

London experimented with the premiere and synonymous running in two first-run theatres at once of “All Quiet on the Western Front.” The picture opened Saturday, June 14th, in the Regal and the Alhambra Theatres. The Regal is the closest approach to the New York Roxy that London so far possesses. It is London’s biggest house and is located at Marble Arch. The Alhambra is in Leicester Square and was formerly one of the best known vaudeville houses in the world. It is a London landmark. In the Regal the picture is shown on a wide screen with a new process of coloured lights effects. So far the experiment seems to have been an unqualified success, as both theatres have been packed to their capacity at | the same prices charged in New York, j 10/- top. The London press was as resounding in its praise as the American press has been. The Daily Telej graph said “Few if any pictures, ever I created a more profound impression than “All Quiet on the Western Front.” The News Chronicle: “It is not only the finest war film yet made, but it i a the most remarkable picture that Hollywood has given us. If ever the American Film industry Justifies itself, it has done so in making “All Quiet on the Western Front.” The following Is an extract from the opinion of the Brooklyn (New York) Daily Eagle, on Universal’s “King of Jazz.” Moviegoers who like their pictures made on a broad scale, with lots of singing and dancing numbers mounted against ornate technicolour backgrounds should go to see “King of Jazz,” which continues at the Roxy. With Paul Whiteman making his debut as a screen star in one of the principal roles, with the guiding hand of John Murray Anderson plainly reflected in the dazzling settings and gorgeous costumes, no one can deny that this is ; one of the most eye filling of the film revues that have come to Broadway. It is rich in spectacular, gorgeously staged episodes, several of which would put the most elegant displays in the “Scandals” and the “Vanities” to shame. One would naturally expect to encounter in this revue such lavish incidents as “The Bridal Veil,” “Song of the Dawn” and “The Melting Pot.” They are all there, magnificently executed in technicolour end fitted out in all the splendour of backgrounds and costumes that has become a traditional i feature of Mr Anderson’s creations. Eut if “The Bridal Veil” and “The Melting Pot” numbers are handsome, ! if somewhat conventional, products of I the revue school, there are several i others in the picture at the Roxy that are fairly breath taking in their elegance. Conspicuous among these is the “Rhapsody in Blue” incident, ar imaginative pictorial interpretation of the famous Gershwin composition Jacques Cartier does his amazing voodoo dance on top of a huge drum in this number and .subsequently on€ is surprised to see half a dozen young men seat themselves at a piano as big as a City Hall and go through the motions of playing the rhapsody Much more you could not ask.