The Moving Row of Magic Shadow Shapes OMAR KHAYAM

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19632, 28 October 1933, Page 10

The Moving Row of Magic Shadow Shapes OMAR KHAYAM

8.1.P.’s great revile, “Radio Parade," includes in its cist such stars as Florence Desmond, the Waters Sisters, Flotsam and Jetsam, Clapham and Dwyer, and Claude Hulbert.

“Song of the Plough.” a Sound City production, is now completed and enters the cutting and editing stage. Through the very real co-operation of a number of farmers truly magnificent landscape and farm life scenes have been obtained.

Ronald Colman, who has been holidaying in Europe, is expected to star in a British and Dominions talking picture adaptation of Warwick Deeping’s “Sorrell and Son."

“Moonlight and Pretzels,” Universal's delightful musical romance which is due for early release here, Is brimful of catchy tunes and spectacular ballets. The story deals with the “show” business, and holds the interest from start to finish. There is an allstar cast.

When a beautiful woman like Fay Wray agrees to look “fat and forty” it’s a considerable sacrifice for art's sake. Winner of several beauty contests and one of Hollywood’s fairest, Miss Wray, for the first time in her career, plays a character role—that of a disillusioned woman of forty-six in concluding scenes of Paramount’s “One Sunday Afternoon,” starring Gary Cooper.

Romance, mixed with exciting adventure is the keynote of the Warner Bros.’ picture, "The Life of Jimmy Dolan," with Douglas Fairbanks, Junr., in the starring role, adding another strong characterisation to his already long list of successes. The story deals with a left-handed prize-fighter who is forced to change his name, abandon his profession, and, practically penniless, becomes a homeless, friendless wanderer in his efforts to evade capture by the law.

Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, and Bruce Cabot, with a combined weight of 460 pounds, play feature roles in “King Kong” opposite six prehistoric monsters, including five dinosaurs and a huge gorilla, whose combined weight is about 155,000 pounds, or 771 tons. This is R.KO.-Radio’s fantastic story of a mammoth ape brute's capture through his tenderness toward feminine beauty such as he had never previously seen.

Mary Plckford’s new picture, “Secrets,” will shortly be seen in Wellington. The picture has been well received everywhere, and Miss Pickford is said to recapture in the picture much of the charm that made her so popular In the days of the silent pictures. Her performance is greatly heightened, of course, by the work of Leslie Howard. "Secrets” is the story of the love and devotion of a loyal wife who sees her husband through many trying situations to final wealth and political fame.

Mr. George Arliss will again have the support of beautiful Bette Davis in his next Warner Bros.’ release, “The Working Man.” The story tells of a business man who helps the orphaned children of his late rival.

Tom Walls and Ralph Lynn an together again in B. and D's “Cuckoo in the Nest”—a delectable partnership, and one that should never have been split up. Incidentally, Walls is directing.

“Beauty For Sale,” the new Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer feature, is a daring plcturisation of the sensational Faith Baldwin novel, ’’Beauty.” It is a drama of modern city life, with a particularly intimate locale behind the scenes in a fashionable beauty salon.

The cast of "The Lady is Willing,” Columbia’s British production, now in course of filming at Elstree, Includes Leslie Howard, Blnnie Barnes, Cedric Hardwicke, Sir Nigel Playfair, Nigel Bruce, W. Graham Browne, and George Zucco.

Stars have been abolished in Germany—at least on the screen states an overseas message. In future, no actor or actress can demand that his or her name shall be placed on a show bill in front of the title of the film. No name may be displayed in greater prominence than that of am ‘ other. It is declared that the custi N followed hitherto has done muct i damage the cultural and artistic development of films in Germany. It (s also hoped that the new regulation • will help to bring forward young | players. Ever since she was threatened with kidnapping several years ago, Mary Pickford has maintained a bodyguard staff. In many cases the bodyguards double as personal servants or chuffeurs. All carry gun outfits. There are more than 160 people in Hollywood known to earn their living this way. More than 1200 dollars a day is needed to pay their combined salaries. Most of the guards are former soldiers or former policemen. Among the other players known to have bodyguards are Harold Lloyd, George Raft, Claudette Colbert, Sylvia Sidney, Miriam Hopkins, and Jack Oakie. In order to place on record the splendid services of such men and woJ men as Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith, |De Finedo, Amy Johnson, Hinkler, I Mollison and others, it has been decid- ! ed to include a sequence dealing with I the air mail route from Croydon to : London in the film version ol Sir j Charles Kingslord Smith’s "The Old i Bus,” now being produced lor Mr. : Jack Percival, jun. A sequence of i ' The Old Bus,” will deal also with I “Smithy's" first and second trans- ' Tasman flights. . A reviewer's comment on “Berkeley ! Square,” a Fox release, Is as follows: I "Artistry In every department elevates I this screen masterpiece to Immortality | in the annals of cinema history. Leslie ! Howard is superb in what may be acclaimed his finest characterisation, and and in support Heather Angel brings fresliness and youth and beauty to a difficult role. Psychological In treatment and theme, the picture at tha same time should evoke genuine appreciation from all audiences.

Hobart Cavanaugh, former Broadway comedianfi who got his first big screen opportunity in *T Cover tha Waterfront,” made such a strong impression on Director James Cruae and other members of the company during the filming of one scene in the United Artists’ picture that he was ordered to burn his clothes after the cameras ceased clicking. The actor was re- | quired to fall into a boat load of dead I fish while the company was on location at San Pedro, California, He i did—once, twice, thrice. He made i contact with fish of all sizes, from 25foot sharks to lowly mackerel. Some of them had been exposed to the Californian sun for several hours. At the conclusion of the action, when Caveniaugh had clambered from the fishing boat up to the dock where Claudette Colbert, Ben Lyon, Ernest Torrence, and the director were standing, he dis- . covered that everybody suddenly had : business elsewhere. His only welcome ; was from a couple of cats. The beating Charles Bickford took as the gangster waylaid and compelled to confess by high school boys. In “This Day and Age.” will live long not only In Bickford's memory but in that of his co-workers. Charles, who ;Is burly, redheaded, combative and I courageous had to be attended by doc- | tors for a week after his scene was | finished. He was black and blue from | jaw to knees. His back had suffered rope burns where the youthful vlgllanjtes suspended him down a well full of rats. Both cheeks and lips were cut where his tape gag had been alternate(ly applied and torn off his face for j repeated takes. But all this didn’t j affect Bickford so much as the loss of his voice, which was complete for several days. While suspended down | the well, the rope was too tight for his I chest, and his outcries had to come | from his larynx, which wore out dur|mg the scene. He is still talking in I a whisper, and the scene has been shot I for several weeks.