The SCREEN and its STARS

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 456, 18 May 1932, Page 3

The SCREEN and its STARS

FROM HOLLYWOOD state that Talullah Bankhead and Gary Cooper will be teamed in a thriller, “ The Devil and the Deep,” an adventure story of love woven into the background of submarine disaster. :: 'J'OM MIX, the cowboy star, who will be seen in talking pictures shortly, paid exactly twelve dollars and a half for his celebrated horse Tony. The horse is named after the old Italian from whom Tom bought him. :: k m (CREATING the facial characteristics of a character is one of the best methods of creating the mental side of it as well. So declares Jean Hersholt, famous M.-G.-M. character actor. Hersholt, who was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, always makes himself up. “ It’s the same

thing as a portrait painter,” insists Hersholt, who will be seen opposite Marie Dressier in “ Emma.” ‘‘A painter, painting a portrait, soon has a complete mental picture of the nature of the subject sitting for him. When the actor applies make-up, bit by bit, he is really creating a

portrait of the character he is.to play; and, as he works out the pictorial effect, he conceives, at the same time, an idea of what the mental characteristics and thinking processes of that character are. If one is playing a gangster, for instance, the work one does on his make-up soon shows him how to best play the role. In other words, you create two pictures—one for the camera and one for your own mind.” Hersholt has played hundreds of character roles, ranging from comedy to “ heavy ” villains, in his screen career, though still a young man. Among his best-known are those in “ The Beast of the City,” “ The Sin of Madelon Claudet ” and others. Incidentally, Hersholt was a famous portrait painter in Denmark before he went on the stage and thence into films.

A RATHER HUMOROUS and someX what different fish stoiy is recounted by Tom Walls, the directorstar of "Rookery Nook” and many other Aldwych Theatre successes. “ Some years ago,” says Walls, “ I was playing at the Opera House in Northampton (my native town) and during the week I took the stage manager and another fellow over the leservoir at Daventry to fish. We arrived and made a bee-line for the only visible punt. It was chained up near the bank, like a dismantled dreadnought, but we weighed anchor, climbed in and pushed off. There were two oars. I picked them up and pulled away like a Trojan. We hadn’t moved more than a foot before the muscles came up on my arms and the veins stood out in my neck and I said desperately to myself, ‘ Evidently we’re not so young as we used to be!’ Eventually, puffing and panting, we reached the spot we were making for. I went to the back of the punt to let go the anchor and there I saw another chain—at the end of which I found a three-pronged anchor. And that was all we caught Ihat day, though I was a physical wreck for nearly a fortnight afterwards.”

TTADELEINE CARROLL, the Engx A lish stage and screen actress, has refused an invitation to star in films m Hollywood at the rate of £12,000 per picture. By rejecting this magnificent offer Madeleine Carroll has given Hollywood a completely new sensation. This, however, was not her intention. She believes that the talking picture in itself offers an insufficient foundation for anyone wishing to build a career as an actress. She holds the view that anylasting reputation as an actress must rest on success on the stage. Madeleine Carroll, therefore, intends to return to the London stage immediately. Within the next few weeks she will begin rehearsals of one of two new plays with regard to which she has not yet made a final decision. Later, should such a play be translated into a talking picture, she may appear in a part she will first have created on the stage. Otherwise, although she has the choice of three forthcoming British talking pictures, it is unlikely she will do any further film work this year, unless she finds a pare which particularly appeals fo her.

QLAUDETTE COLBERT, the French actress, who has made good in American films, will co-star with Clive Brook in “ Bride of the Enemy,” which has commenced production in Hollywood. This is also her first opportunity to live in Hollywood—her previous visits being only short stays while pic-ture-making. Claudette's husband, Norman Foster, is also now resident in the American film capital.

JJONALD COLMAN, English-born, but Hollywood made, is but one of the many stars who have been victims of British producers’ blindness. It is only a little over ten years since Ronald Colman was trailing round the West End of London looking for film work —in fact, a film agent's files for 1920 actually ! contain an entry which reads, “ Ronald Colman— photographs badly.” Ronald, of the captivating smile, was born in Surrey, England, in 1897, and went on the stage a few

months before the outbreak of the World War. lie enlisted in the London Scottish during the first month of hostilities, saw much fighting, won his commission, and was invalided out of the army, seriously wounded, after two y r ears’ service. Colman then returned to the stage, and through an introduction given him by' Lena Ash well, secured a prominent part in “ Damaged Goods.” Later, he went to America and toured with Fay Baynter in an old Broad wav* success. Colman's acting in “ La Tendresse ” resulted in him making his film debut as leading man in “ The White Sister,” with Lillian Gish (1923), and he has since played many leading or starring roles in American films, including “ The Dark Angel,” “ Kiki,” “ Beau Geste,” “ The Rescue,” “ The Winning of Barbara Worth,” “ Bulldog Drummond,” “ Raffles,” “ Condemned ” and “ The Devil to Pay.” Colman was formerly married to Thelma Raye, an English stage actress.