GENERAL FILM GOSSIP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18889, 12 October 1929, Page 25 (Supplement)

GENERAL FILM GOSSIP.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. O.M.—You must have been unfortunate enough to have been present when the apparatus was not working at its best. Other reports which have reached me were of a satisfactory nature.

Mary Philbin and Fred Mackaye costar in the unusual screen play, “Girl Overboard,” to be shown at' Everybody’s Theatre next ’week. For the first time in the history of her screen career, Mary Philbin has a straight role, and departs, with success, from the colourful, romantic or character roles she hitherto has appeared in. The picture opens with her rescue by a man released on parole, from the river, and the story is the drama which these two bits of flotsam figure in. Little touches of comedy, an atmosphere of romance, and always the hurrying feet of drama and adventure, make “Girl Overboard” one of the most thrilling and entertaining pictures screened at Everybody’s for many months. £*: The second picture at Everybody’s Theatre next week will be “Strong in which Victor M’Laglen and Leatrice Joy have *he leads. This is a sheer comedy, of that robust type that M’Laglen does so well. It shows M’Laglen as a blundering sort of feliow ■who simply cannot win the girl of his heart because he doesn’t understand women. So he takes lessons in methods, from all the men of his acquaintance, and mixes their methods, and then starts in. His combination of pre-

historic caveman and ultra-exquisite dandy are convulsive. At Crystal Palace Talkies next week. I the first musical revue of the talking screen will be presented, the gorgeous Fox “The Fox Follies of 1929.” In this spectacular piece of show life, with all the glamour and glitter and romance of stagedom, there are a chorus of. 100, a ballet of fifty, a fashion pageant of twenty, and twenty the leads. A good, amusing, sa rlsfying story, some exquisite scenes in song and dance, lilting music by Mitchell, Conrad and Gottler, dances by Fanchon and Marco, Sue Carol and male chorus doing the new sensational dance, “The Breakaway,” Sharon Lvnn and chorus in- “That’s You, Baby” These are only some of the plums pt:ked at random from “The Fox FoFies of 1929.”

A talking picture that has been booked for Crystal Palace Talkies is “The Black Watch,” which is the screen title of Talbot Mundy’s famous bock, “King, of the Khybei Rifles.” Everybody has read this magnificent story of a Black Watch officer ordered to India on the eve of his departure far France, on a mission for the Government, to thwart, at any cost, an imminent rising in the Himalayas After a tale of such adventure and danger a-> would come from the Arabian Nights, King accomplishes his mission at the price of a lovely Begum’s death and the price of his own happiness Victor M'Laglen plays Captain King and Myrna Loy is the ruler of the fanatical hilimen who threaten India with a Holy War. It is one hundred per cent talkie, and apart from the sumptuous Indian scenes, there are two opening reels showing the Black Wa*ch entraining in London for Flanders

At Liberty Theatre next week, those four favourites of the comedy screen, George Sidney, Mack Swain. Kate Price and Vera Gordon, will appear in their latest talking comedy riot “The Cohens and the Kellys in Atlantic City ” This talking, dancing and singing special, with a parade of bathing beauties that is as uproariously funny as it is spectacular, is undoubtedly the most amusing and thrilling of all the Cohen-KeTv series of comedies. Again bu.sir.e r s mixes it with romance, again squabb’es and bickerings are laid aside only to be resumed, again it s just one long laugh at the comic antics of the lead ers. The spoken lines come through very clearly, and these lines are all perfect gems of wit.

At the Grand Theatre next week, the film production of Peter B Kvne’s in * novel, ’’Tide of Empire,” will be

screened. In the leads are Renee Adoree and George Duryea. The thousands of readers of the book will recollect that it was a stirring romance of ’49, when the invaders from the Eastern States overran the broad lands of the haughty Spanish settlers of Southern California. And when one youqg man from the east, one of the hatea and despised “barbarians,” proceeds and presumes to fall in love with the daughter of one of the Dons, trouble brews in more than one quar ter. The love story is secondary to the epic struggle of the Americans against the Spaniards, and is one of the finest and healthiest things Peter B. Kyne has written. As a picture, it has all the swing and go and charm of the book. The second picture at the Grand next week will be a Nat Gould story, “Lady Owner,” in which Violet Hopson plavs the lead. Readers of Nat Gould will remember this tale, and of the manifold thrills that abound in its pages. on the screen it takes on a new interest, and results in an exciting and plctridden story of the turf.

“The Infamous Lady,” which heads the current programme at the Stiand Theatre, tells the story of a K.C who commits murder and is then briefed to defend the man who is accused of the crime. The murder arises out of a case of blackmail and is unpremedi tated The K.C. fails in his defenc® of the accused, but circumstances arise which lead to the revelation of the real murderer. It is a tensely *.ramatic picture with a sensational _limax. The leading roles are filled by Arthur Wontner and Ruby Miller, ue principal supporting film is “The Farmer's Daughter.” with Marjorie Beebe playing the part of a dairymaid on her father’s farm. She is out to make a little extra money and she mal-es it in a manner which leads to many tumorous situations and unexpected happenings. Crashing through windows amid a shower of falling glass, dexterrn.sly wielding huge weapons, scaling stone walls of terrifying height, and 'leaping from high precipices, are onlv i few of the many daring feats performc I by Douglas Fairbanks in his newest I'-it-ed Artists picture, “The Iron Mask,”, which comes to the Civic Theatre on Monday. Doug displavs his superb physical fitness and form in this second story of th£ adventures of D Artagnan, and makes the vali it musketeer an almost superhuman fighting man. Even during his Uorkmg hours before the camera Mi Fairbanks does not relax his constant phvsical training. Between scenes of “The Iron Mask” he practised fencing w : th Frederick Cavens, the champion fencer ot Belgium, whom he brought to Hollywood to train him in the ancien‘ art of sword play. Flying leaps across the beds and tables on the sets, and stand-

ing jumps which cleared the high Lacks of the huge seventeenth century chairs were other methods by which he kept his muscles in splendid condition during the strenuous hours he spent in the studio. Mr Fairbanks maintains a completely equipped gymnasium at the United Artist s studio and he spends every available moment tlere. Skilled trainers work with him and keep him in as perfect physical form as ..any professional athlete.

The tender for the construction of the Regent Theatre, on the site of the Royal Exchange Building in Cathedral Square has been secured by Mr W. Williamson, a local builder. When finished the theatre will be up-to-date in every respect, having atmospheric effects which have been adopted ir» all modern picture theatres. The seating capacity will be 1800, and Christchurch Cinemas expect to be able to open for Easter next year. Marion Nixon was married at Chicago on August 11 to Edward Hillman, a wealthy young Chicagoan. Clara Bow’s latest Paramount alltalking picture, _ “Dangerous Curves,” will be seen in New Zealand at an early date. It is a tale of the circus with a strong dramatic climax. Richard Arlen and David Newell play supporting roles. Adolphe Menjou who, with his wife, Kathryn Carver, recently left Hollywood owing to being unable to secure engagements in talking pictures, has signed a contract with the Pathe Cinema Company, Paris, to appear in French talkies. Some well-known actors and actresses of the silent screen who have been missing for some time are coming back with the talkies. These include Francis X Bushman. Ethel Clayton, Mae Murray, Lila Lee, Ben Turpin, Seena Owen, Alice Lake, Conway Tearle, Betty Blythe and George Walsh. Charles Chase makes his debut in talking pictures in “Modern Love,” a Universal production. He plays the part of a young husband trying to persuade his wife that the fiftv-fifty plan for marriage is all wrong. Chase’s singing is heard in the theme song, “You Can’t Buy Love.” William Farnum, one-time popular screen actor, who has been appearing on the stage for the past three or four years, is expected to re-appear on the screen in talkies. He was a prominent stage actor before entering the movies in 1915 to become one of the highest salaried in the world. Forrest Stanley, one of the best known legitimate actors in America, made his first appearance before the microphone during the filming of “The Drake Murder Case,” Universal all-dia-logue production. In the picture Stanley plays the part of the district attorney. a role in which he has appeared in numerous stage and screen productions “The Two Black Crows” (Moran and Mack), American world-famous team of funsters, have completed their first starring picture for Paramount. The picture is called “Why Bring That Up?” and the story deals with back-stage life of to-day. The gramophone records of the pair have created, it is said, a sale of over 650,000 in Australia and New Zealand. A trio of youthful beauties will appear in “Why Leave Home,” at present in the course of production at the Fox studios. They are Sue Carol and Dixie Lee who will shortly be seen here in the “Fox Movietone Follies of 1929,” and Jean Barry who is expected to prove a sensation when the “CockEyed World,” reaches the screens of the world.

The long skirts and “leg of mutton” sleeves worn by the women of 1900 aTe seen in the Pekin sequences of the Paramount all-talkie “The Mysterious Dr Fu Manchu ” These scenes show the attack of the Boxer mobs on the British Legation. Warner Oland plays Dr Fu Manchu and other principals of the cast are Jean Arthur and Neil Hamilton and O. P. Heggie.

The entire cast of “Madam X,” Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s all-talking filmisation of the stage play, which will be seen shortly, are all people of stage experience. Ruth Chatterton. famous stage star, appears in the title role, and Lionel Barrymore, equally famous stage star, and screen celebrity, forsaking his calling of actor, is the director. Lewis Stone and Raymond Hackett have prominent roles.

fanet Gaynor’s voice will be heard in song for the first time in “Sunny Side Up,” all-talking, all-singing, alldancing musical play written especially foi her. Miss Gaynor, recipient of the first award of the Academy of Motion Pietpre Arts and Sciences for best performance of 1928. that of a girl in “Seventh Heaven,” will realise a long

iminiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiniinili cherished ambition in playing the musical comedy role. London papers give “The Divine Lady,” First National’s picturisation of E. Barrington’s story of Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton, glowing reviews, commenting on the dramatic force of the story—the splendid sea fights and the historical accuracy with which the figures, so close to the heart of England, were portrayed. Several of the reviewers pronounced the naval engagements to be the finest ever shown on the English screen. Wallace Beery played the part of “Big Brother” when he saved Morris Goodman, aged 25, from being sent to gaol. Goodman, who was accused of stealing £15,000 worth of bonds from Beery’s studio dressing-room pleaded guilty to a charge of theft, but an unusual turn was given the Case when Beery, the prosecution witness, volunteered to be responsible for the youth’s behaviour if he were granted probation. In accordance with the actor’s request the judge placed Goodman on probation for five years and appointed Beery “special probation officer.”

“Noah’s Ark,” Warner Bros’, stupendous production, starring Dolores Costello and George O’Brien, includes more than ten thousand characters. Sets covering more than a mile were used in the making—a period of three years. In the picture the lovers, whose glamorous personalities survive the soul-stir-ring days of the World War, are transported back across the centuries to the days preceding the Flood. The repoduction of the Flood sequences shows the tremendous and realistic effects of the Great Deluge, and these, together with the synchronisation of all sounds, etc, make “Noah’s Ark” a most spectacular production.

Paramount is to film the well-known musical comedy success, “ The Vagabond King,” entirely in sound and technicolour. Technicolour has been used for portions of Paramount talking pictures with excellent results, but this is the first time that the entire picture will be in natural colours. Dennis King, an English star, who played the original title role in the Broadwav presentation of “The Vagabond King,” has been signed to play the lead in thtpicture, and Jeannette MacDonald hao been cast in the feminine lead. The Australian actor, P. O. Heggie has a featured part. The addition of colcmr will give the producers scope to present the picture with all the glitter that characterised the stage production. but it will be on a bigger and widei scale.

Charles (Buddy) Rogers was elected the children’s favourite movie star in a novel voting and essay competition, conducted by the “ Sunday Pictorial,” Sydney, recently, in the children’s section of that The competition ran for several weeks, and keen interest w r as displayed by young enthusiasts. Many hundreds of essays were received, and the winning effort was an appreciation of the Paramount star. Emil Jannings. In addition to Rogers Clara Bow, Emil Jannings, and Harold Lloyd were other Paramount stars who stood high in the estimation of the younger generation. Charles Rogers’ , latest Paramount all-talkie is “ River of Romance,” a dialogue version of | Booth Tarkington’s stage play, “ Mag- J IIIIIII!llllllllllillllllllllI!lll!llllllllllllllll]||||llllll||||[|||||||||||||Ili|]|||||||||lllll|i;i!l|[

imiiiiiiiiniHiiiinniiniiniiiininiinniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinuiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiin nolia.” “ River of Romance,” which has just concluded a successful week’s season at the State Theatre, Sydney, is set for early reelase in New Zealand.

The following criticism of “ The Trial of Mary Dugan” is taken from the New York “ Herald ”: “ The best of the filmed courtroom plays. An effective, striking, and generally shrewd melodrama, with a courtroom setting. One of the most gratifying features of the photoplay is the excellence of the acting. Miss Norma Shearer, making her first appearance in. a talking medium, gives a thoroughly poignant and natural performance, as the heroine,' playing with a surprisingly successful com bination of stage and screen acting Raymond Hackett, who was in the able portrait of the brother, and there stagft version, offers an expert and likeare splendid portrayals by H. B. Warner, as the somewhat wolfish District Attorney, Lewis Stone, as a lawyer for the defence, Adrienne D’Ambricourt, as a witness, and Lilyan Tashman as a comic show girl.” “ The Trial of Mary Dugan ” will fee seen shortly. :: :: “High Treason,” the first talking picture from the Gaumont Studios, '..as been reviewed in London and met with a most enthusiastic . reception. The “Bioscope” states: “An elaborate and brilliant production, directed with imagination and splendidly played. A film of outs anding merit. The production is one which confirms the impression that the talking picture is the medium in which Britain is qualified to lead the world. It is a strong drama, full of incident, with a slight but pleasant love story, which provides food for thought and discussion, with an entertainment value that ensures its popularity with all clases. The acting is of a v~ry high standard, and further proof that it is to the English stage that film producers must turn for pictures with dialogue.” This production, adapted from the play of Pemberton Billing, will be released by British Do minions Films in the near future.

One interesting consequence of the landslide to the talkies is that non-English-speaking countries are seizing the opportunity to snatch the local monopoly of the screen from Hollywood (writes a Sydney “Bulletin” correspondent). Companies are being formed in India, Hindustani being sufficiently widely understood to be a medium for reaching the 150-odd races in that country. A Malay talkie company is being considered, Malay being the lingua franca of sixty million Javanese, Chinese, immigrant Tamils and other nationalities scattered over the East Indian archipelago. Several , Chinese concerns have been formed in China, that country having a widely diffused medium of communication in Southern and Northern Mandarin Mandarin, however, like English, has too many hissing sibilants to be completely successful as yet, the letter “s” still being a nasty hurdle for the microphone. One of the most important results of the new development will be to diffuse a sense of common nationality amongst enormous populations of Asiatics hitherto divided by a bewilder ing variety of dialects. Ten years ago at a small convent school in the heart of Mexico two little

girls struck up a friendship. Day after day they used to play together in the school grounds, and in the evenings they would visit one another’s homes. Then their companionship was broken, the parents of one little girl leaving and taking their daughter with them. That was eight years ago. Recently a girl sat in an office in the Elstree Studios of British International Pictures, reading a magazine, when a second giri entered. For a minute or two ordinary conversation took place between the occupant of the office and the newcomer, then the girl reading the magazine raised her eyes, and a moment later gave a cry of surprise. The two little school pals had met again. One is Blanche Adele, the pretty star of the British International Picture, “Mary Was Love,” and the other is Mona Goya, the fascinating vamp in “The Goodwin Sands.” Thus after a period of eight years these two girls met thousands of miles away from where they parted, each having pursued her own course of life, and yet taking the same road and meeting ih the same goal. Cinema Art Films have both “Mary Was Love” and “The Goodwin Sands” scheduled for release. '

Hollywood has been an inferno this summer—that is, the part that is inclosed in sound stages (writes a Hollywood correspondent). Many players have been on the verge of prostration from excessivfe heat in these tightly sealed confines. Intensive lighting needed for colour sequences doubled the number of powerful lamps. The summer has been uncommonly hot in Hollywood,'adding its affliction to the artificial heat of the interiors. As highly combustible material composes much of the picture equipment danger of fire is always imminent. Paramount has already lost one sound stage and has put in force a rigid no-smoking rule. The studio fire company stands by constantly, for emergency call. On many stages the sweltering workers are forced to discard much clothing, resembling a lot of stokers. An actors’ vote would favour return to silent movies with their majority of scenes outdoors. Up from the movie graveyard comes another batch of cinema cadavers to be given new life by the talkie miracle (writes a Hollywood correspondent). “The Grand Duchess and the Waiter,” done by Menjou, will be made over for Vilma Banky’s voice. *“ Zaza,” which Gloria Swanson silently graced, will become a verbal medium for Ruth Chatterton. “ Foolish Wives ” first of the films to cost 1,000,000 dollars, will be made audible by Universal. Both Tom Mix and William Farnum did “The Lone Star Ranger”; now George O’Brien will give it a voice. Seven years ago Betty Compson starred in “ Woman to Woman now she will repeat as its audible star. Will Rogers will supply the drawl to “ A Connecticut Yankee,” which it lacked six years back when Harry Myers was Twain s dreamer. It isn’t long since Norma Talmadge made “ The Dove,” but it will be refined with Lupe Velez. For the third time “ Skinner’s Dress Suit ’ and “ The Sea Wolf ” will be made with Glenn Tryon and George Bancroft, respectively. Karl Dane, who secured a long contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer With his characterisation of Slim in “ The Big Parade,” has had one picture success after another since then. But he had a stormy passage before he arrived. Although the acting profession, the theatre, has been bred in his bones since his earliest childhood in Copenhagen, Denmark, he found it far from easy to break into the films when he went to America at the 910.5 e of the World War. Dane was born in 1886. His father owned a theatre in Copenhagen. The boy, Karl, filled about every job there was to fill in connection with that theatre—he was everything, from call and curtain boy to the baby in his father’s productions. He left the stage when he was fifteen and studied to become a construction engineer. Though he has been on the stage most of his life, he has often reverted to engineering as a side line. ’ He went to America and appeared in vaudeville until his big opportunity came in “ The Big Parade.” Since then he has played in “ La Boheme,” “Bar delys the Magnificent,” “ The Scarlet Letter,” “ Slide, Kelly, Slide,” “ Trail of 98, “ The Enemy,” “Alias Jimmy Valentine,” “ The Duke Steps Out,” and “ Speedway.” He has co-starred with George K. Arthur in “Rookies,” “Baby Mine,” “Circus Rookies.” “Detectives.” “ Brotherly Love,” “All At Sea ” and “China Bound.” Dane, who is six feet three and one-half inches tall, is intensely interested in all outdoor sports, particularly auto racing. He won a medal in Sweden for a crosscountry motor race.

HOLLYWOOD IN PERSON

DAILY LIFE IN FILMDOM. By MOLLIE MERRICK. (Copvright bv the “Star” and NA.N.A.) New Fashions. Now comes Max Ree’s horrible pro* diction that “brilliant colours”—purples, crimsons, bright blues—will feature the wardrobe of the well-dressed man of 1934. Truth to tell, I’ve been watching the bright colours on Hollywood’s pretty boys for so long now that my one hope is they’ll be off on some other tootle come 1934. Producers who live in Spanish homes with multi-coloured "tile fountains, tile pictures by Sanchez in the garden walls, blue or violet or green or orchid tile bathrooms. and “moderne” interiors where citron and silver and magenta do their work when nerves are a bit jumpy, carry on the good cause by indulging in rose pink linen with the imported woollens that are part of i the picture. Village laddies have gone in for colour so strenuously that no variant of the solar spectrum has been left out of their scheme. Their tinted heads are water-waved, and their orange and, raspberry and iade green ties have blossomed on black, blue, red, yellow, green and lilac shirts. Soda fountain clerks wear applegreen smocks and dash up a drink in soft green glassware, while they slip a pale green paper napkin alongside. M> r greengrocer has taken to green smocks with bright candy pink collars and cuffs. Oil station attendants are in colour schemes So are automobile “laundries.” The “Ye Littyle Old*. Shoppe” movement hit this village so thoroughly that original souls building homes here go in for ivory in a big and deliberate way. White bathrooms are sponsored by the knowing. despite fascinatingh worded "booklets describing the ad vance in ceramic art for household'use And crystal glassware, ivory linens and simple white wedgewood china are having a heyday with those perspica cious ones who know when they’ve had enough. :: o 1 " Tomb Jean Valentino arrives from *ia. with Tito Schipa to visit the tomb < his illustrious uncle, Rudolph Valcn tino. in Hollywood Cemetery. Perhaps he will leave these shores not knowing that Rudolph Valentino Ims a tomb through the courtesy of

June Mathis,, who allowed his body to; be placed in her vault and who now ies in part of the same marble crypt j herself. . j An attempt to collect sufficient from Valentino enthusiasts to build a marble shaft of Hollywood failed after the first week manifestation of enthusiasm. A handful of middle-aged ladies and childish curiosity seekers attended the memorial services at the last anniversary. Players Test Their Voices. Plavers are so eager to, practise with t nvke that 1 c O’-ts of wdird sen ice througl the live microphone left down for a moment on a studio set be + —een sequences. Everv player has an idea that • he can achieve effects if he uses a tone in a different manner from that ordered by the director. Crossing a

• sound stage the other day I heard a • deep, mellow voice V ; j “Fourscore and seven years ago our j fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty- ” A feminine voice broke in: “When . you hear the gong sounded it will be exactly two and one-half minutes past i three o'clock ” “Iley, what’re you doing?” x “Sh—wait for the /Playback”—Ann Harding and Harry Bannister were trying out some new effects of their own Back came the voices from the ,' loud-speaker in the other room. They nodded at each other sagelv Evidently the effect was working out to their satisfaction. 1 This takes place in specially-built . barns termed “sound stages.” ' The ■ i "' a!,s are Padded with felt tc < att-.h the ! (CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE.)