THE SCREEN: Plays and Players

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20762, 24 June 1937, Page 7

THE SCREEN: Plays and Players

CINEMA STARS

WATCH OCT FOR CHARACTER Ways In which they classify the persons they meet from day to day were recently described by prominent Hollywood screen players. Eyes, teeth, feet, hands, and ornaments were some of the things they said they looked at first on being introduced to a stranger. Even the complexion and the shoes come in for the regard of some of them when they are making up their minds what type the new acquaintance is. Robert Taylor remarks, “I always glance at a man's tie, or the little trinkets like flowers or brooches which a woman wears. I don’t know why, except that perhaps they are the little details on which a man or woman let themselves go, as it were.” A Woman's Complexion Myrna Loy reports that she first notices a person's hair. “I suppose it’s because while people can’t change complexion, features or stature, they can express their individuality in their hair I like to see how women dress thetr hair and men comb theirs, and also whether the woman's is well caredfor and how the hair is cut.”

''The first thing I notice about a man or woman is the teeth," says Maureen O’Sullivan. ‘‘l like to see bright, even teeth. Teeth show background and training as well as attention and neatness.”

The face itself and its complexion is what Julie Haydon notices first. “I always look to see if the woman knows how to care for her skin and put on make-up, and if the man needs a shave," she says. James Stewart admits he notices the figure. "If it's a girl with a nice figure, I tell myself she’s a mighty pretty miss, and if it’s a man, I admire his muscular shoulders and arms.” “I look first at the mouth,” says Jeanette MacDonald. "You can tell by the lips a great deal about the character of the man or woman. You can easily learn if he or she is ill-temper-ed, Jolly, miserly, pessimistic, has a sense of humour, and many other things." Nelson Eddy says he looks first at the eyes. "The eyes are the mirror of character," he asys. “Whether a man or women's eyes return your look means a lot, and this is only one way in which people betray their real selves through the eyes.” "As soon as possible, I notice a person's hands," says Joan Crawford. “They reflect the life of a person, often his or her occupation. And they reveal slovenly habits easily.” Eleanor Powell chuckles as she says she looks first at a person’s feet. "Force of habit for a tap dancer,” she remarks. “I’m always looking at feet and legs to see if a person would be a good dancer.”

William Powell’s Shoes

“Look at a man or woman’s shoes and you can pretty well size them up,” comments William Powell. "They are usually the last item a man thinks about in his appearance and you can tell whether he is 100 per cent, sincere in being presentable and neat." Jean Harlow notices clothes first. “By a person’s clothes one can tell the taste of a man or woman,” she believes. “They can be gaudy, lightheartedly colourful or subdued. They also can be neat or untidy. However, I think it’s wrong to Judge people by the cost of their clothes. It’s how they wear clothes, not what they wear.” “The way a person walks interests me.” claims Clark Gable. “There is plenty of character in the way a person walks or carries the body. Some stride, some take mincing steps, others shuffle, some seem to glide along, and still others tend to bounce along."

World’s Perfect Cast Clark Gable has figured out a new type of “ten best list,” by letting history act as the casting director in coupling modern motion picture types with characters taken out of history books. The world's perfect cast,, he says, is: Best looking hero—Lord Byron. The Heavy—Nero. The Arch Feminine Villain—Lucrezia Borgia. The Kindly Mother—Florence Nightingale. The Stern Father—Richard the Lion Hearted. The Mean Uncle —Henry VIII. He Who Won the Girl but Lost his Job—Charles Parnell. The Rich Aunt who controls the family with her will and codicil threats—Queen Elizabeth. The Hero’s carefree but faithful friend —Francis Villon. The Beautiful Heroine—Katie O’Shea. That last choice should make Byrana Loy very happy, because she plays the role of Katie opposite Gable’s Parnell in M.G.M.'s "Parnell.”

Anabella Learns English m the three years between 1932 aiiu 1936 Anabella rose to be tne most lamous film star in France. Her fame spread to London, where her films were slxwn in selected houses in French with English sub-titles. But Annabella wanted to do pictures in English. She had learned English at her convent school, but having had little opporunity to use it, she was not very fluent. She decided the only way to get a good knowledge of the language was to live in London for two or three months, speaking nothing but English all the time. At the same time it was not a good idea, she thought, to come to London as Anabella, the film star.

That would have meant interviews, invitations, parties and a social round that would leave no time for study. Annabella had a better plan. Some friends in Paris gave her the name of a professional man living with his two daughtters in one of London's quiet squares, and Anabella went to them as plain Mlle. Murat. In one of the oddest and least publicised by-products of the motion picture industry, Hollywood screen players mailed a total of 3,000,000 portraits to their fans during last year, according to statistics Just revealed. Movie workers have become sharpeyed in watching for possible mistakes which will prompt “movie mistake” letters. For example, when about to film a scene in "Tarzan Escapes” on ■ a locale supposedly the centre of a 1 Jungle, workers saw on a tree a carved heart with the initials “R.M.” and "F F ” within. Another tree was found.

On the Avenue” Paul Gerrits, who was a sensation in his specialty roller-skating act at a New New York hotel roof, appears in the Irving Berlin musical, “On the Avenue” starring Madeleine Carroll and Dick Powell, which is shortly to be released in New Zealand. Swinging merrily along to the tune of the best songs ever written by the greatest writer of songs in the world, “On the Avenue” represents Irving Berlin at his melodious best ,in a musical that !S full of pep and lilting good spirits. Supporting Dick Powell and Madeleine Carroll, are Alice Faye, the Ritz Brothers, Alan Mowbray and George Barbier.

. Shirley Temple: I Romance has caught up with Shirley . Temple. Long required to watch, and : usually to aid, the romance of others : in her pictures. Hollywood’s leading : actress will have her own “romantic > interest” in “Wee Willie Winkle” her i new picture now in production, based upon Rudyard Kipling’s story. Shirley’s leading man, her first, in “Wee Willie Winkle” will be young Douglas Scott, who won signal honours by his portrayal of the role of young Horatio Nelson in “Lloyds of London.” The youngster is three years Shirley’s senior. • • • • Luise Rainer has been set by , Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for the femin- ' ine lead in "Three Comrades,” the i i Erich Maria Remarqueu story which JR. C. Sherriff has adapted for the .' screen. Robert Taylor, Spencer Tracy I and Franchot Tone have been suggested as the three comrades of the ; title, but other plans may prevent I their all appearing in it.