GENERAL FILM GOSSIP.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20274, 7 April 1934, Page 30 (Supplement)

GENERAL FILM GOSSIP.

Bergner for Hollywood. ‘ Elisabeth Bergner, _ the Austrian Actress, who is a sensational success on Tthe London stage, and who recently {completed the British picture, “ Catherine the Great,” will go to Hollywood. (This was one of the announcements jmade by Joseph M. Schenck, president jpf United Artists and Twentieth Century Pictures, on his arrival in New (York from Europe. Schenck said that lie had arranged for the production of itwenty films in England. London (Films, headed by Alexander Korda, would malfe eight of the features, and ■British and Dominions would produce (twelve. “ There will be an interchange jof players between the United Artists {and the two British studios,” Schenck teaid.-. “Jack Buchanan will be brought (to Hollyood after working opposite Lili Damita in “ Sons o’ Guns ” in England. Elisabeth Bergner will also go to Hollywood for one film. Douglas Fairbanks, jsen., a member of the board of directors of London Films, will return to the United States in June.” ▲ New Charlie Chan.

A new Charlie Chan is about to make £his appearance on the screen. Through the years cinema patrons have been .accustomed to seeing Warner Oland as the alert, philosophical Chinese detective. But Oland .and Charlie Chan have parted because of the actor’s demands, which Fox thought )were unwarranted. In “ Charlie Chan’s Challenge ” Walter Connolly will assume the task of aiding justice. It {will be Connolly’s second appearance in b Fox picture, the first having been as yanet Gaynor’s impecunious father in ** Paddy, the Next Best Thing ” —a jpart which, incidentally, he played to Oland demands money -when he goes to Hollywood now. He {has an island retreat off the coast of 'Mexico, near Mazatlan, where he lives jin utter tranquillity. He is one of the small number of early screen players who invested rather than spent and isome time ago bought the island on jwhich he now lives. When Metro-jGoldwyn-Mayer wanted him recently lor a role in “ In Old Louisiana,” which, (by the way, he will play, it was necessary to. wait several days for an answer to the wire. The message went to (Mazatlan and was dispatched by the {first boat that thought it might be bailing near Oland’s island. The answer came back in the same casual (fashion. “ Charlie Chan’s Challenge ” is not an Earl Derr Biggers plot. All the available Biggers stories have been (used, but Fox owns the screen rights ?to the character, and so the crimes of the years to come can still be solved by the quick mind of the late Mr Biggers’s famous character. Howard as Policeman. The English comedian, Sydney Howard, is a policeman in his new picture, ** It’s a Cop,” and for the first time on the screen he is married. Ayres’s First Rhapsody. The mystery of Lew Ayres’s recent disappearance has been solved. He went into retirement to finish the orchestration of his recently-composed rhapsody, yet untitled. Jackie Cooper’s Plans. He may be only nine years old, but Jackie Cooper ha§ his future all planned. In fact, he’s definite about what he will do in later years. The flaxenhaired “ Skippy,” who made such a sensation in the film of that title, later to follow it with other hits, including * Sooky,’* “ The Champ ” and “ Donovan’s Kid,” and who is now starring in Paramount’s screen version of Will James’s outdoor romance, “ Lone Cowboy,” wants to act, be a “ swell ” football player, direct like “Uncle Norm” .(Norman Taurog) and later write adventure stories. Jackie wants to act as long as he can, for he thinks it is fun. In between pictures, while he’s growing up, he is to attend college and be a quarter-back on the football field. “ But,” he adds, “ a fellow can’t play football all his life, so then I’ll turn to film directing. Then, after I’m old and can’t do anything else, I’m going to write thrilling adventuie stories. You should read some of the cowboy stories I write now.” Fields as Author. Although' he will not receive screen credit, W., C., Fields co-authored his next Paramount picture, “ You’re Telling Me^’

“ Digging Deep.” Henry Kendall and Wendy Barrie are to star together in “ Digging Deep,” a new British picture based on a story by Michael Barringer. Great Jungle Picture. • The gigantic task of editing the 400,000 feet of film of “ Devil Tiger,” Fox Film’s animal-adventure picture which was more tfian a year in the making in Asiatic jungles, has been completed. Clyde E. Elliott, who made “ Bring ’Em Back Alive,’* left Hollywood in October, 1932, with a cast headed by Marion Burns, Kane Richmond and Harry Woods. Four months ago he returned and began the arduous work of editing many miles of wild animal fights and other thrills, down to 7000 feet. Mae West at Tuss&ud's. The latest personality to enter the halls of the most famous wax works in the world—Madame Tussaud’s, in London—is none other than Mae West, whose latest film, “ I’m No Angel,” starts at the Majestic Theatre on Monday. Cable information from Paramount’s London office states that the likeness to the glamorous Mae is wonderful. An official reception greeted the completion of the model, and a special unveiling ceremony took place on January 26. Not only the event broadcast throughout Great Britain and Europe, but it was shortwaved to the United States, and by this means half the world heard Mae West take her place with the wax immortals of Madame Tussaud’s famous exhibition. First to Name Players. Screen credits, the method of presenting the names of players, director and writers at the beginning of films, had its inception over 20 years ago in Hollywood, Cecil B. De Mille revealed recently. De Mille started it in 1913, when he made his first picture, “ The Squaw Man.” Due to his theatrical trailing prior to entering the field of film production, he couldn’t get away from the programme idea, so lie thought of having an animated programme on the screen. Up to that time there was only one main title which gave the name of the picture and, in a few cases, the name of the star. Writers and other players ? were not mentioned. “ I erected a screen,” De Mille said, “ and cut holes in it through which the players put their heads. Above their heads I had painted the character names, and underneath the names of the players. We took one continuous * shot ’ of the whole thing to serve as a sort of programme, or, as they later became known, screen credits.” Tracy as Reporter. The newspaper reporter is the most fascinating and, perhaps, the most significant figure in modern American life, according to Lee Tracy. He is playing his sixth reporter role on the screen as star of “ Advice to the Lovelorn,” 20th Century Pictures, released by United Artists, Tracy is supported by Sally Blane, Isabel Jewel, Paul Harvey, Judith Wood and May Boley.

“ Finishing School.” “ Finishing School,” the R.K.O. Radio film which deals with life in an exclusive girls’ school, has an exceptionally strong cast, including Ginger Rogers, Bruce Cabot, Francis Dee, Billie Burke and Marjorie Lytell. Wrote Screen Story. Bebe Daniels, the American star, wrote a screen story while she was working in England. It is called “Cross Your Fingers,” and there is a possibility of its being made into a film by British International Pictures. Mae West’s Novels. Two novels written by Mae West — “She Done Him Wrong” and “The Constant Sinner ” —are to be published in England. Warner Baxter’s Next. Fox Films announce the purchase of “ The Ace,” a play by Hermann Rossman. It is to be produced by A 1 Rockett. Warner Baxter will play the leading role in the production, according to Rockett. Society’s Part. British films in 1934 have decided to go “ high hat,” meaning that producers are determined to enlist the Diplomatic Corps and society leaders as publicity stunts when launching super-films. “ The Private Life of Henry VIII.” and “ Catherine the Great ” both secured immense publicity in Britain and in the United States owing to gala first nights iri Paris, which ambassadors attended. The latest application of the scheme is that a distinguished audience should be invited to the first night of the “ Jew Suss ” film at Geneva, with all expenses paid. Jack Hulbert’s “Jack Ahoy,” however, may first be screened in Whitechapel, and will thus provide a startling contrast to these “ high hat ” schemes. “ Hollywood has gone culture crazy,” says the. “ Evening Standard’s ” film critic, in satirically discussing the vogue of historical films, of which “ The Private Life of Henry VIII.,” “ Catherine the Great ” and “ Queen Christina ” are the most notable present examples. Though pointing out that numerous characters in English history are yet untouched bv the films, the critic says: “We must hurry, for six months hence the historical phase will be over, and films will be made of the future instead of the past.”

New Screen Star. Elissa Landi is co-starred with Frarcis Lederer in “ Man of Two Worlds.” the production which will launch the famous Czech stage star on his American screen career and give film audiences their first glimpse of the handsome stranger, who proyed to be the idol of Europe, and more recently of New York theatre audiences. The story, a novel by Ainsworth Morgan, is about a young Eskimo taken to civilisation from his native haunts, and Elissa Landi is seen as the sister of the English explorer who brings the Eskimo to London. The native’s reactions, romantic and otherwise, to civilisation’s complex emotional fabric, form an unusual story with a unique background of Greenland, contrasted against modern-day life. Anna Neagle’s Success. Following the New York screening of the British and Dominions film “ Bitter Sweet,” Anna Neagle received offers of Hollywood contracts from four major American production companies. This constitutes a record in British film history. The New York “ Daily Mirror,” reviewing “ Bitter Sweet/’ said: “A ' dazzling English beauty, Anna Neagle, plays the leading role. She is . exquisite, and the delicate story of her love for a musician, their romantic elopement, their tribulation arid his tragic death make a tender, beautiful and enthralling film play.” Accomplished Caricaturist. Greta Nissen, the Norwegian blonde who will be seen in “ Red Wagon ’ and “ Secret Agent,” both 8.1. P. films, is an accomplished caricaturist and sculptress. She loves sculpting “ cruel ” caricatures of her friends in clay.

“ Love Flies in the Window.” Irene Dunne has been awarded the leading role in RKO Radio’s screen adaptation of Ann Morrison Chapin’s tremendous stage success, “ Love Flies in the Window.”