THE SCREEN: Plays and Players

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20674, 12 March 1937, Page 16

THE SCREEN: Plays and Players

New Star Justifies Claims Tire extravagant claims that Universal has made for its recently discovered star. Deanna Durbin, were more than justified in the opinion of a pre-view audience which saw her first picture, “Three Smart Girls,” at the Civic Theatre early this week. This 14-year-old girl has a charming personality and a keen sense of humour, but, above all, is possessed of a delightful soprano voice. Her initial performance gives every promise of a brilliant screen career. In “Three Smart Girls,” Deanna Durbin plays as the youngest of a trio of attractive sisters who travel from Switzerland to New York with a view to bringing about a reconciliation between their parents. In spite of the seriousness of their mission they engender a maximum of infectious humour and gay spirits into their parts with the result that “Three Smart Girls" contains some of the most hilarious comedy and gay romance that has been produced in many years. The film Is certainly far above the normal standard of entertainment.

Even without Miss Durbin, the picture would be of excellent quality. As her sisters, Nan Grey and Barbara Read give sparkling performances. Charles Winninger proves to be excellently cast as the father who has temporarily transferred his affections to a pleasure-seeking, social climber, played by Binnie Barnes. Some of the best comedy in the film is provided by Mischa Auer, while others who have prominent parts include Alice Brady, Ray Milland, Ernest Cossart, Stella Walker, John King and Lucille Watson.

Bing Crosby’s next film (to follow "Waikiki Wedding”) will be “Double or Nothing.”

Early Players Who Hold Star Rating While Hollywood constantly clamours for new faces, old-timers of the films still find important places on the casting sheets. Some players who starred as long as 21 years ago, including Charles Chaplin, Harold Lloyd and Wallace Beery, still have star ratings to-day. At Paramount H. B. Warner, who was starred during the Great War. has a strong part in “Along Came Love,” as has Doris Kenyon, also a star of silent days. Eugene Pallette, who started in pictures in 1914, is among those first mentioned in “Easy to Take.” Fred Kohler, one of the most famous of silent “heavies,” will pursue his old trade with Victor Varconi and Charles Bickford in “The Plainsman." William Boyd, starred 11 years ago in “The Volga Boatman,” makes western pictures for Paramount, his latest being "Trail Dust.” Charles Ruggles, of the 1915 beginners, is still starred with Mary Boland, who began that year, as well as Alice Brady in such pictures as

“Wives Never Know” and “Mind Your Own Business.”

Edward Arnold, who is to appear in "John Meade’s Woman,” worked for Essanay in 1916-17. Reginald Denny, now in “Bulldog Drummond,” was “tops” 12 years ago. Richard Dix, contemporary with him, has a starring contract with Columbia. Jack Holt is starred at Universal, as is Buck Jones. Agnes Ayres, famous in the days of Valentino, is working in Paramount’s “Maid of Salem.” Edward Everett Horton, a bigger box office draw than he was when he started in 1919, finds himself loaded with studio commitments after 17 'years.

A Dancing Star is Rediscovered Most people know of Eleanor Powell but few to-day know of a girl named Verna Leslie. Yet only a few years ago Miss Powell and Miss Leslie were the featured dancers in Ziegfeld's famed Follies in New York. When Ziegfeld died, Miss Powell and Miss Leslie looked toward Hollywood and pictures for their theatrical futures. Together they went to the film capital. Verna Leslie was signed to a long term contract at Fox and made her debut in a featured role with the late Will Rogers, while Eleanor Powell went to Metro under contract. In the years that passed, Miss Leslie was cast always as a sweet and simple girl. She was never allowed to dance on the screen.

Miss Powell was brought along slowly, the studio pacing her beautifully until the time arrived when they starred her. Meanwhile Verna Leslie found herself out of pictures entirely and working in a Hollywood drug store for 25 dollars a week. She went to Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Honnywood Boulevard to watch her old friend Eleanor rise to fame and fortune with her dancing feet in "The Big Broadcast.” It was just about this time that Lou Brock. Universal producer, was casting his musical extravaganza entitled “Top of the Town.” He needed a few specialty dancers, and remembered Verna Leslie, the Ziegfeld beauty. He told his secretary to get hold of the girl. He remembered hearing about her being in Hollywood almost a year ago. Brock finally found Verna. He gave her a good dancing part in "Top of the Town,” but most of all he gave her the chance she has been waiting for in pictures. She is on her way up now and according to Brock and other Universal executives it will not be so long before Miss Leslie will again be in the same category with famed Eleanor Powell. Believes Actors Are Overpaid “I think our film industry is, on the whole, overpaid and under-rehearsed,” said Sir Cedric Hardwicke, the actor, who, with oher members of the cast of the film "Tudor Rose,” was entertained by the Italian circle of the Lyceum Club at luncheon in London recently. “We film actors,” he said, "really get a great deal more than we should do—though we don’t say so—(laughter) —and sometimes the expenditure Is far more than the story is worth. But expenditure on a story like the execution of Lady Jane Grey is worth while.” Sir Cedric said that they were particularly proud to win the international prize for the “Tudor Rose” film in Italy, because he regarded Italy perhaps as the greatest artistic centre of the world.

Paramount have offered Emlyn Williams a contract to play the lead in their film version of “The Red Hair.”

Mary Boland, Hugh Herbert and Frank McHugh have been teamed by Warner’s in a new comedy, “Marry the Girl.”

Roscoe Karns has been set by Paramount for the lead in “Clarence.” a comedy that was made 14 years ago with Edward Everett Horton.

Benita Hume has been given the second feminine lead in Metro-Gold-wyn-Mayer’s “The Last of Mrs Cbeyney.” Joan Crawford is starring. Cecil B. de Mille has definitely decided to postpone Samson and Delilah," the film he was to make next for Paramount. He will direct “The Bucaneer” instead. This is a life story of Sir Henry Morgan, based on a play by Maxwell Anderson. Henry Wilcoxon was previously mentioned for the leading role, but de Mille is now trying to borrow Gary Cooper from Sam Goldwyn.

Brian Aheme has been signed by Mervyn Leßoy to play the lead in “The Great Garrick.” Aherne will play the role on Broadway first, and then on the screen.

Walter Abel has obtained leave of absence from Radio to play on Broadway with Katherine Cornell in “Wingless Victory.” Hardie Albright is also in the cast.

Reginald Denny, who plays Benvolio in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s “Romeo and Juliet,” was a stage actor whose hobby was boxing. He was a most proficient amateur. During the War, he won the championship in the Royal Air Force. After the War, he returned to the Broadway stage. A director was looking for a good actor who was also an expert , boxer for “The Leather Pushers,” and Denny’s combination of talent fitted him into the role. He has been in pictures ever since. A Norwegian scientific expedition is preparing to visit Tristan da Cunha, the lonely British possession in the South Atlantic, --to investigate the theory that the island is part of a huge continent connecting South America, New Zealand and Africa.

Grade Fields Joins 20th Century-Fox Grade Fields has signed a longterm contract with the British producing organisation of 20th Century-Fox, to make a number of pictures. The productions, which will be on an extensive scale, will receive the personal attention of Darryl Zanuck and selected executives from his technical corps. Monty Banks has already been assigned the post of associate producer. Gracie Fields will receive £40,000 for each picture, the first of which will go into production almost immediately. Titles are now being selected, and will be announced shortly, together with details of the musical numbers, which will be outstanding features of each picture. Jean Arthur’s Success Jean Arthur is more In demand by the major studios in Hollywood than any other screen actress, according to a Hollywood correspondent. The reason is simple. Every picture in which Jean Arthur has appeared within the last 18 months, including “The Whole Town's Talking” and “Mr Deeds Goes to Town,” has been a financial success, and money is what makes the studio wheels go round. The low-voiced actress who recently completed her “Calamity Jane” role opposite Gary Cooper in “The Plainsmen,” has commitments to make pictures for three studios—Columbia, to which she is under contract; RKO. for which she will make one picture; and Paramount, for which she will make two.

The first picture on her schedule is “Easy Living.” The second role is tentatively scheduled as the individualistic modern girl in the Katherin Brush story, *‘Free Woman.” If she appears In this, Jean Arthur will be seen as a leader of society who defies all conventions and sets up her own school of ill manners, own school of ill manners.

By way of compensation for the services of Jean Arthur, Paramount has lent Columbia Cary Grant who plays the lead opposite Grace Moore in "Interlude.”

Oscar Strauss, Viennese operatic composer, is being approached by Sol Lesser to write the music for Bobby Breen’s next film.

Ketti Gallian is being tested by Paramount for the leading role opposite George Raft in "Caviare for His Excellency.” Akim Tamiroff has a featured role similar to the one he played in "The General Died at Dawn.”

Best-dressed Actress Carole Lombard was the best dressed film actress on and off the screen in 1936 by the vote of Hollywood dress designers. Greta Garbo received only one vote and was not placed in the list of 13 finalists. Miss Lombard received seven votes out of a possible ten, and her closest rivals were Kay Francis, Marlene Dietrich and Norma Shearer. Each designer submitted a list of the actresses he considered to be the best dressed. The 13 finalists and their votes were: Carole Lombard 7 Kay Francis, Marlene Dietrich, Nonna Shearer 6 Claudette Colbert, Constance Bennett, Dolores del Rio, Joan Crawford 5 Veree Teasdale. Gloria Swanson, Madeleine Carroll, Myrna Loy, Joan Bennett 3 A total of 42 players was returned by the designers and the only non-actress named as a best-dressed woman was Rita Kaufman Lowe, the wife of Edmund Lowe, screen star. Claudette Colbert, placed equal fifth this year, was the winner in 1935 when Carole Lombard was placed only fourth. Among the surprises of the voting was the fact that Miss Gladys Swarthout failed to qualify for this year’s “13 best.” She was known formerly as the best-dressed opera singer and was on last year’s list of 10 in the film colony. She received only two votes. Others whose names appeared on two lists among those submitted by the judges were Merle Oberon, Irene Dunn, Olivia de Havilland, Virginia Bruce, Loretta Young, Hedda Hopper, Rosalind Russell and Ann Sothem. The designers were asked to give their judgments after consideration of the clothes worn in private life as well as on the screen. The ability of the players to wear clothes with style and correctness for different occasions were other points they were asked to consider. • • • • One Film a Year Expect only one film a year from the Marx Brothers, who announce that it is impossible to make comedies faster than that and yet keep them consistently good. They point out that they worked seven months preparing “A Day at the Races,” plus two weeks rehearsal for the road, five weeks of theatre engagements to “test” the script, two more weeks of rehearsals on revisions, and then ten weeks (before the cameras.

William Powell, in variety, used to make a hobby of telling funny stories. His supply was inexhaustible. It developed that flair of his for airy comedy; which to-day he considers one of his principal assets on the screen. Charles Butterworth, a newspaperman, had the same hobby, and used to be reconteur at Press Club shows. It finally resulted in a variety job that started his career on stage and screen.

Ann Sothern is to play opposite Robert Young in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s "Dangerous Number.” Reginald Owen is also in the cast, with Richard Thorpe directing.

Warner Baxter, Wallace Beery and Mickey Rooney have all been signed by 20th Century-Fox to play in “The Last Slaver.” This will be the first time Beery and Baxter have ever appeared together.

P. G. Wodehouse is working at Metro-Goldywn-Mayer on a scenario called “Yours and Mine.” Originally intended as Jessie Matthew’s’ first Hollywood film, it will now be a costarring picture for Eleanor Powell and Ray Bolger.

Warner Oland, famous all over the world as Charlie Chan, has signed a contract with 20th Century-Fox to make a new series dealing with the adventures of the Chinese detective. The first w’ill be “Charlie Chan at the Olympic Games."