The Moving Row of Magic Shadow Shapes

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19626, 21 October 1933, Page 10

The Moving Row of Magic Shadow Shapes

Helen Mack and Eric Linden, who last played together in "Sweepings,” have been assigned important roles in a forthcoming RKO Radio picture. “Escape to Paradise.” Richard Dix is scheduled to star in this production which will go before the cameras late in September, according to present plans. The story is a thrilling adventure which begins on a whaling ship and ends on a desert island. Film ''extras'’ worth more than 500,000,000 dollars in their own names, were used in scenes filmed in Chicago for Charles R. Rogers’ Paramount production "Golden Harvest,” featuring Richard Arlen, Chester Morris and Genevieve Tobin. Desirous of having the wheat pit scenes show the traders as they actually are, the officials of the Chicago Board of Trade persuaded the traders to report for screen work in the pit on Sunday.

Mae West has proved to Hollywood that she is the most versatile woman in America. The star, who wrote the script for her first starring vehicle, has always written her own stage plays, has published two novels, authored the lyrics for several of the songs composed by Ralph Rainger for her latest picture, and, besides, turns out sketches and material for other performers in her spare time.

Thelma Todd was a school teacher before she became an actress. She was teaching school in Lawrence, Mass., when she was seen by a scout for Jesse Lasky and signed to a film contract. She is the only remaining member of the Paramount acting school who is still on the screen. She appears in the Pitts-Todd comedies, being co-starred in the series with Zasu Pitts. Although she is best known as a comedienne, she is also a capable dramatic actress. She is a blonde and has a grand sense of humour. She is fond of dancing and her favourite sport is horseback riding.

Bebe Daniels has taken Nancy Brown's place in the title role of the 8.1. P. film, "The Southern Maid.” Nancy was given the role of the Maid's mother, in the prologue, but now that, too, has been given to Bebe, and Nancy has been allotted the part of a Spanish singer. Harry Welchman has the romantic role opposite Miss Daniels, and Morris Harvey, is the Spanish-America magnate. When the stage show of “The Southern Maid” was presented in Wellington, Gladys Moncrief and Claude Flemming took the leading roles.

Stap Laurel, the “dumb” side-kick of Oliver Hardy, first arrived in America on a cattle boat with the Fred Karno Humming Birds troupe as understudy to Charlie Chaplin. When Charlie went into pictures. Laurel failed to get his part. He knocked about the country playing in cheap vaudeville. Finally, he became a director and actor for the Hal Roach studios. He teamed with Oliver Hardy in 1926. He is five feet ten inches tall, weighs one hundred and fifty-five pounds and talks with a clipped English accent. He writes and helps direct most of the Laurel and Hardy comedies. He is shy and reserved and lives very quietly. His favourite hobby is fishing.

Pat Hanna is understood to be contemplating a visiit to England to help put over his two films, “Diggers in Blighty” and the just-completed "Waltzing Mat”da.' The latter is to be released in England under the title of “Soldiers Don’t Care.”

Myrna Loy is taking the place of Jean Harlow as the heroine of “Bombshell,” the story of a Hollywood star. Certain incidents of the story, it was felt, might have been taken to refer to well-known episodes of Miss Harlow's own career if sh? had played the part.

The big sensation of the London picture season has been the phenomenal record put up by “The Little Damozel” at the Plaza Theatre, where more than 50,000 persons paid for admission during the first week. This total exceeds by some thousands the previous best attendance at a picture show in the same period. Miss Neagle, who was so well liked in the “Flag Lieutenant.” subsequently leaped into fame in “The Little Damozel," after which she was selected as the star of Noel Coward's "Bitter Sweet,” and of the film version of “The Bohemian Girl.” She ft now regarded as the foremost actress of the British screen.

Among the Australian films listed for release are Pat Hanna's new film. “Waltzing Matilda;” “A Ticket in Tatts,” the George Wallace comedy, which Elltee is now completing: “Dear Old London," which Claude Flemming directed for Efftee in London; “Two Minutes’ Silence,” a McDonough production; and Sir Charles Kingsford Smith's picture, “The Old Bus.” There will also be another Barrier Reef series, while Universal has an option on the distribution of “The Secret of the Skies," which has just been finished at St. Kllda. Beaumont Smith has recently completed “The Hayseeds," which is a great success.

Getting savages to act in the movies has its obstacles. Ward Wing, director of “Samarang,” romantic spectacle of life among the pearl divers of the Indian Ocean, wanted to use the Sakai tribe, reputed to be cannibals. They live on snakes, rats and monkeys and an occasional tiger. Only one man could be found who could speak the Sakai language, but he was Chinese and knew no English, so a Malay who spoke Chinese was found, but he lu turn, could not speak English, so Wing had to tell an English-speaking Malay what he wanted. The Malay would tell the Malay-speaking Chinese, who would tell the Chinaman, who would tell the Sakals! This lengthy procedure had its difficulties, for by the time so many people had translated Wing's directions, they were sometimes entirely different.

Princess rieicn of Greece accompanied by her two daughters, the Princess Irene and Catherine, visited Sound City on August 31. They arrived at 3 p.m. and did not leave until 7.30 p.m.. proof of their thorough enjoyment of their visit Norman Loudon, managing director of Sound City, received the Royal party. They made a tour of the exterior lot and watched scenes from two productions being shot, one from a picture being made by Twichenham Studios, and the other. "Song of the Plough.” a Sound City production. After tea the party witnessed a performance of “Doss House” in one of the projection theatres. They showed very great enthusiasm over it, and expressed marked appreciation.

Kay Francis was bom in Oklahoma City but when four years old her mother. Katherine Clinton, an actress, placed her in a private school at Ossining, New York. Later she entered Cathedral school In Garden City. She studied secretarial work and became social secretary to Mrs. W. K. Vanderbuilt. She also filled the same posts for Mrs. Mlnturn Plnchot and Mrs. Dwight W. Morrow. After a tour of Europe she decided to go on the stage, first appearing In a modem version of “Hamlet.” She later appeared on Broadway in ' Venue,” “Crime” and “Elmer the Great” among other productions. Her first picture work was in ‘Gentlemen of the Press." Her success was Instantaneous and she was given a picture contract. Since then she has appeared in numerous outstanding successes, and has come to be looked upon as one of the bestdressed women on the screen. Sunya Beret a, the opera singer of "That's a Good Girl,” Jack Buchanan's new film, is played by Australia's own Vera Pearce, who scored a success in the same part in the original stage version of this show at the London Hippodrome in 1928. Vera Pearce has recently begun to build up a screen reputation as considerable as that which site shared with the star the honours of a Joyous burlesque dance. She was recently seen in Wellington in "Just My Luck” as persecutor of Ralph Lynn and obstacle-ln-chlef to his wooing of her daughter. Now she appears again, most weleome’.y. as the large. Jealous and vociferous opera singer who chases Jack Barrow (Jacfc Buchanan) across the Alps with Icud cries of vengeance and a stiletto Miss Pearce's lust stage appearance in Wellington was as principal bey In the