FILMS AND STARS

Waipawa Mail, Volume LXV, Issue 64, 26 July 1937, Page 1

FILMS AND STARS

PERSONALITIES ON THE SCREEN COMING ATTRACTIONS. Nine new song hits by Gordon and Revel, who have written many of the leading musical successes, feature “Wake Up and Live,” the 20th Cen-tury-Fox production starring Wil-, tev \\ inched, Ben Bernie, and Alice Faye. Two of the numbers, “Wake t p and Live” and “There’s a Lull in Mv Life,” are sung by Alice Faye, of whom Winehell reported in his column: “Some critics have announced that Alice Faye gave her finest performance in ‘On The Avenue’—but they will say that, we believe, with more superlatives, after they enjoy her in this picture.” Sidney Lanfield directed “Wake Up and Live,” in which appear, in addition to (lie trio of stars, Patsy Kelly, Ned Sparks, Jack Haley, Walter Catlett, l.eah Ray, and Miles Mander.

The screen role of Napoleon, coveted by such widely-divergent stars as Charlie Chaplin and Edward G. Robinson, may be played by a director, if present plans mature. Ernst Lubitsch lias made a tentative agreement to portray the role of the Little Corporal in Cecil B. De Mille’s next Paramount production, “The Buccaneer,” a film story of the life and exploits of Jean Lafttte, patriot and privateer, scheduled to go before the cameras within a few weeks. Lubitsch, now directing Marlene Dietrich in her next Paramount starring picture, “Angel,” has had a lifetime

ambition to play the part of the French Emperor on the screen, and will undertake the role if the Dietrich film is completed in time to permit him to work in the De Mille production. De Mille admires Lubitsch as an actor as much as he does as a director, and for years has wanted to cast him in the Napoleonic role.

There being no suitable part in the operetta by Lehar, “Paganini,” for Diana Napier, Richard Tauber’s wife, she was not in the cast of the piece. Tauber appeared as Paganini and Evelyn Lave had the role of Napoleon’s sister, the Princess of Lucca, who appointed him Court virtuoso.

Miriam Hopkins makes a happy return to the sphere of rafter-rocking comedy in “Woman Chases Man.” It is the story of a destitute girl architect who chased a wealthy but handsome young “tightwad” across the continent to get him to finance her inventor father’s model village—and wound up with his name on the dotted line of the contract and a marriage license. Joel MeCrea plays opposite Miriam Hopkins. Charles Winninger, Erik Rhodes, Ella Logan, Leona Mariclc and Broderick Crawlord are featured. John Blystone directed the comedy for release through United Artists.

“Glamorous Night” is said to he yet another triumph for the young producer Brian Desmond Hurst, who came to the front in the Associated British productions “Sensation” and “Tenth Man.” “Glamorous Night” is quite different from previous films directed by this young Irishman. The picture is' played against the background of a mythical European State. There are two brilliantly-directed dance sequences, which have been treated in semi-impressionistic manner and are bound to cause comment. The music is tuneful and haunting, and the singing by Mary Ellis and Trefor Jones superlatively handled.

Six days under schedule on a Technicolor picture. That was the record resting the other day with William A. Wellman, who directed the David 0. Selznick, Technicolor production, “A Star is Born,” costarring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March. "Wellman shattered for all time the belief that a picture, made in color, requires more time to shoot. The director accepted the honor lightly, declaring in his opinion he could see no difference between handling a color picture and an ordinary black and white film. One reason for this, he explained, was the fact that a special color designer, Lansing C. Holden, settled in advance whatever questions would arise regarding set and costume colorings. Completion under scheduled time of “A Star is Born, ’ ’ which is the first up-to-date story ever filmed in Techicolor, is a feat which would have been noteworthy had it been made in black and white.

“All right, children, let’s have fun with it!” That is Film Director Rowland V. Lee’s favorite final injunction to his players before they do a scene for “The Toast of New York,” R.K.0.Radio’s current production based on incidents in the life of Jim Fisk, railroad baron and gay Lothario of the sixties.

It seems incongruous to hear the formidable Edward Arnold, the bulky Jack Oaltie, and the strapping sixfooter, Cai’y Grant, called children. That, however, is a minor matter. The point is, Lee believes in his actors enjoying themselves while they work. If, he contends, they have fun with

the scenes, get a pleasurable zest from playing them, audiences are going to derive enjoyment from seeing them. Chosen as typical of beauty and intelligence in American women, the face of Loretta Young soon will be chiselled out of stone for a Taj Mahal type of memorial to be erected in , Bombay, India, by the Society for , the Improvement of Indian Women. News of this was received by Miss Young on the “Cafe Metropole” set at the 20th Century-Fox studios, where she was working with her costars, Tyrone Power and Adolphe Mejou. Only owe woman is being .chosen as typical of each country. The message came from John Milton, the British architect of Bombay, who is designing the structure which will attempt to capture for the future the beauty of outstanding women of the world.