THE SCREEN: Plays and Players

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20513, 3 September 1936, Page 5

THE SCREEN: Plays and Players

“To Mary—With Love" The possibility that two persons remain in love although married, and find their love life filled with romantic adventure is receiving some attention from motion picture makers. And the idea appears to be working out very nicely . Warner Baxter and Myrna Loy who did so well together in “Penthouse” and “Broadway Bill" are the married couple whose joys and heartaches are the basis of “To Mary —With Love.” It is based upon Richard Sherman's well-known story. Love is an old stand-by for the film producers. With varied scenic backgrounds it has served to motivate 97 out of 100 motion pictures. But almost invariably the love theme has been limited to that period which ends when the preacher pronounces the woi'ds that make them as one. Leaving the blissful couple with the implication that they lived happily ever after, the film producers have been loath to drop in with a camera, metaphorically speaking, and check up on how things are going from the romantic stand-point. “To Mary—With Love” departs from tradition and boldly sets out to determine just what may happen after such a seemingly ideal couple as the handsome Baxter and clever, pretty Myrna Loy take the marital vows. Complete with love rivals, in the persons of Claire Trevor and lan Hunter “To Mary—With Love” undertakes to show that the thrills of the courtship days are not the end of romantic interest. Hunter is seen as an honourable rival however—a self effacing and devoted friend of the couple who cherishes a deep affection for the young wife. Claire Trevor plays her first “heavy” role as the feminine menace to martial bliss. Errol Flynn Errol Flynn was born in Tasmania 26 years ago. He is tall, uncommonly good looking, extravagant, reckless and taciturn. As “'Captain Blood’ he learned to fence expertly. If it were a fist fight he would not have needed to train for it. He tells “white lies” to his friends, and black ones, he says, to anybody who will listen. He plays a good game of tennis and he keeps in training continuously. He is a direct descendent of Fletcher Christian, so comes naturally by his love for adventure in far places. He knows the chief of a tribe of headhunters. He knows a great deal about pawn shops in all parts of the world. He has unredeemed possessions in many of them. The wanderlust is still strong in Flynn, and he is planning many future expeditions to the far corners of the earth. Marriage and the chance of a lifetime in the role of “Captain Blood” may tic him indefinitely to Hollywood, but he has no intention of settling there for the rest of his natural life. • » • • Ages of Stars Norma Shearer is 31 years old; Claudette Colbert was 30 last September; Elizabeth Bergner is 36 (but we don’t think she looks it); Garbo was 29 last September; Myrna Loy admits to being 31; and Kay Francis is 37. The average age of these stars is 32. And to show we are impartial as regards sex, what about the men? William Powell is 44; Clark Gable was 35 in February; Ronald Colman is 45; Gary Cooper was 35 in May; Fredrlc March has reached 38; and Herbert Marshall was 46 in May. The average age of these chappies is 40. Don’t sprout about has beens, for all these players are riding on the crest of the wave of popularity. Without Asking For It As a result of her work in “Captain Blood,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and the just completed “Anthony Adverse,” in which she has the important role of Angela, Olivia de Haviliand, who was unknown to movie-goers a year ago, is the proud possessor of a new contract voluntarily tendered her by Jack L. Warner, vice-president in charge of production at the Warner Bros.’ studios. Miss de Haviliand is nineteen years old now and got her big chance last year when she played the role of Hermia in Max Reinhardt’s Hollywood Bowl production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” She became associated with the Bowl enterprise as understudy to the understudy, finally getting the part when both regular player and understudy withdrew from the cast. Then she played the same role in the film made from Shakespeare’s comedy. Miss de Haviliand has just finished working with Errol Flynn, with whom she appeared in "Captain Blood,” in “The Charge of the Light Brigade.” . The United Artists picture soon to be released in the Dominion is “Forget Me Not" starring Beniamino Gigli, considered to be the world’s greatest tenor. The beauty of the great singer’s voice is admirably recorded. The story of the film alms at simplicity and achieves greatness. It is a refreshing departure from the hackneyed themes in which notable singers are usually presented on the screen. The picture was made by London Filins.

“Things to Come’’ “Things to Come” which is coming to Timaru, was produced by Alexander Korda, leading film-maker of Great Britain, and written by H. G. Wells, author of some 60 volumes of history and fiction and is claimed to be the biggest picture ever to come out of Great Britain. It represents the greatest outlay of time, energy and ingenuity ever expended on such a spectacle. In “Things to Come” Wells shows the annihilating effects of the next world war and the reconstruction of the world on a scientific basis. He visualises a new race, living in beautiful landscaped surroundings in underground cities free from disease, war and economic disturbances. An answer to the questions whether men or women will rule the universe, or whether machines will rule both, is revealed in the fabulous new world that H. G. Wells foresees for the twentyfirst century. The prophetic genius of the novelist deals with many other preplexing problems of to-day, and gives a human picturisation of the world 100 years from now. Naturally, such an outstanding feature calls for an outstanding cast, which is supplied in Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Raymond Massey, Ralph Richardson and Margaretta Scott. Thousands of extra players are seen and in the closing scenes provide a tremendous climax to the film when they storm the base of the space gun from which two of the inhabitants of Wells’ world have volunteered to be shot to the moon. “Tillie and Gus” W. C. Fields, veteran stage and screen comedian, has signed his second long-term contract with Paramount after a lapse of eight years. Under its terms, he will make ten feature pictures within the next two years, the first of which is “Tillie and Gus,” in which be is featured with Alison Skipworth and Baby Leßoy. It was Fields’ sensational work with Miss Skipworth in the “Road Hog” sequence from “If I Had a Million” that led to their present teaming. Fields first contract was in 1925 when D. W. Griffith brought him from the Ziegfeld Follies to play the role of “Eustace McGargle” in “Sally of the Sawdust.” He returned to the stage and did not come back to the West Coast until 1931. His latest film successes include “Million Dollar Legs,” “If I Had a Million” and “International House,” all for Paramount. Rosalind Russell in Desert Drama For the second time within recent months, the artistocratic beauty of Rosalind Russell will be seen when “Under Two Flags” is released. Miss Russell who was recently starred with George Raft in “It Had to Happen” is the willowy brunette who first claimed attention with a sensational performance in “Rendezvous.” Her new picture is a sweeping emotional drama of love and adventure with the French Foreign Legion. Produced on a lavish scale it has a starring cast that includes Ronald Colman, Claudette Colbert and Victor McLaglen, and a supporting cast of ten thousand. Robert Kent, featured with Gloria Stuart in “The Crime of Doctor Forbes” was an amateur boxer in his late teens and fought all of his bouts in various New York athletic Clubs. He never won a fight but says that the experience was worth the “anguish.” Engaged for the part by telephone, Henry Fonda will arrive in England shortly to play the leading role in “Wings of the Morning.” It is the first European picture to use the new Technicolour process.

Moore—Comedienne “One Night of Love” served to introduce Grace Moore to moviegoers throughout the world, as a beautiful and glamorous figure with a golden voice—her second production, “Love Me Forever”, gave her additional scope as a dramatic and romantic figure in addition to being a glorious songstress —but it has been left to her third production for Columbia to show the world that Grace Moore has not only reached the sublime heights as a screen singer and dramatist, but also that she is one of the cleverest comediennes ever to occupy the silver sheet. “The King Steps Out” as the production is titled, is a happy combination of those elements that make up a gay lilting love romance with Vienna as a background, the music of course, being one of the prime entertainment essentials of the film, inasmuch as possibly the greatest of the modern-day composers, Fritz Kreisler, was responsible for the music. For more than ordinary good measure as far as the starring male role of the film is concerned, Franchot Tone occupies the leading male • role as the king whom Grace Moore steals on his wedding day. Walter Connolly and Herman Bing are other important players in a more than important cast.

Great Entertainment The nation’s critics are tumbling all over each other to acclaim- the story of Mr Deeds and his twenty million dollar spending spree as the fastest, funniest entertainment in years! Mr Deeds’ mad adventures are to be seen in “Mr Deeds Goes to Town,” starring Gary Cooper and featuring Jean Arthur. Only Capra could make a picture like this! Only Capra could contrive the thousand and one uproarious twists and surprises! Only the genius of Capra could create another new “best picture of the year!” It’s the gayest romantic fun since the world roared with laughter when the walls of Jericho came tumbling down! Featured in the outstanding cast are George Bancroft, Lionel Stander, H. B. Warner, Douglass Dumbrille, and Raymond Walburn. Robert Riskin wrote the screen play.

Desire for New Ideas Few indeed are the jobs that are free from pressure. Newspapermen are under the constant pressure of editions. Builders must meet the pressure of completion contracts. Politicians have constituents at their heels. “And in Hollywood,” observes Gertrude Michael, the pressure is for new ideas. “Hollywood suffers from a strange malady,” the young film player remarked to Herbert Marshall on the “Forgotten Faces” set at Paramount. “It is the film industry’s search for the rarest thing in the world—a new idea. Everything in Hollywood revolves around new ideas. They are uppermost in everyone's mind. Directors, writers, players, even technicians, are all seeking them. And we all know from experience how remarkably elusive an original idea can be.” By way of illustration, Miss Michael pointed to a scene which young Jane Rhodes and Robert Cummings were enacting on the set before them. “Notice how Jane Rhodes was striving for a new idea, which she just achieved in the last ‘take’,” Miss Michael said. “She laughed and told Cummings that in the last ‘take’ she would embrace him by throwing her arms under his shoulders, instead of over them in the conventional way. “That was a new idea, one that just flashed into her mind from nowhere. Frequently these are the best ideas that come out of Hollywood.”

“0.H.M.5.” “Putting the British Army on the map” is the idea behind the new Gau-mont-British picture “0.H.M.5.” which has now started production under the direction of Raoul Walsh, famous American responsible for the U.S.A. Army film classics “What Price Glory?” and “The Cockeyed World.” Therefore it is not only a question of showing what the Army is, but also what it can do. Just what they can do in the way of modern warfare has been demonstrated all this week in the middle of Salisbury Plain where, within a mile of sleepy old-world village of Amesbury, 2000 British troops have gone into action against a horde of “Chinese bandits.” W. C. Fields, bulbous-nosed star of “Poppy”, began earning his living as a clerk behind a Philadelphia cigar counter at the age of ten. His first money went to his father to help support the family. Gladys Swarthout owns Hollywood's most unusual car. It is a luxurious limousine with a streamlined body mounted on the chassis of a Ford. Bonita Granville, child actress who won cinema fame by her remarkable characterisation in “These Three,” was signed recently for an important role in “Maid of Salem,” starring Claudette Colbert. Sir Guy Standing is the latest member of the screen colony to suffer from spider bite. Although he was bitten on the eye while on a fishing expedition it will not hold up production of his latest picture, “Girl of the Jungle.” Lew Ayres, returns to the screen in “Murder With Pictures.” He plays the role of a press photographer. John Cromwell, now directing “To Mary—With Love,” has been given a two-year contract by Twentieth Cen-tury-Fox. His first assignment will be “The McKinley Case,” based on the life of the assassinated American President. “Early to Bed” is proving very restful for Charlie Ruggles and Mary Boland. For several days the sequence calls for them to recline on downy twin beds.