“THE BISHOP MISBEHAVES’

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 122, 26 May 1938, Page 3

“THE BISHOP MISBEHAVES’

EDMUND GWENN AGAIN Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's new feature, “The Bishop Misbehaves," coming next Wednesday to the Regent Theatre, marks the American film debut of the Edmund Gwenn, distinguished British stage star. He is featured with Maureen O'Sullivan and Norman Foster in the adaptation of the bright stage comedy. Gwenn was the star of the recent two-year stage hit, "Laburnum Grove," and was seen by American film audiences in the foreign-made picture, “Be Mine Tonight.” The cast includes Lucile Watson, Reginald Owen. Dudley Digges, Lillian Bond and others. “Sinner Take All,” detective mystery, which brings a new leading man to the screen in the person of Bruce Cabot, featured with Margaret Lindsay and Joseph Calleia, is the supporting feature. The new Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture deals with a newspaper reporter who solves a strange series of murders and a plot menacing an heiress. Its locale is New York Penthouses and newspaper offices, night clubs, police stations are amonthe locales. Cabot plays the reporter, Miss Lindsay the heiress, and Calleia the night club owner falsely accused of the crimes. Stanley Ridges is cast as the newspaper editor, Charlev Grapewin as the millionaire victim of the criminal, Vivienne Osborne as the vamp George Zucco, Theodore von Eltz, George Lynn and Harrv Holman are also featured.

“Dodsworth” in London. Ph^ ady ? C °°? er and ller husband Philip Menvale, did not have a great success with their play (written by James Parish, author of 'A Distinguished Gathering”; when it was presented in London under Basil Dean's dilection as a sort of welcome-home appearance by the veteran Britisn actress. After this disappointment, tn? Menvales chose as their next vehicle Sydney Howard’s adaptation of the Sinclair Lewis novel, “Dodsworth. ■ this was a great success in America. Leo Ephraim, who presented the Menvales, expressed his desire to dispel the idea that the locale of “Dodsworth" is American only, and pointed out that most of the action takes place in Europe. It required a big production of 14 scenes and a cast of 40. Haidee Wright as the Austrian baroness and Nora Swinburne as Mrs Cortright were prominently cast with Miss Cooper and Mr. Mcrivale. * * * • Play on Duse. Le Roy Bailey wrote “Curtain Call,” a drama having to do with the latter years of the life of Eleanora Duse, the great tragedienne of the American stage. It had a very short run in New York when put on early in 1937. Eleanora Duse passed away following an attack of pneumonia after the influenza, death taking place in Pittsburgh. “Curtain Call ’ rather capitalises the romance that linked her name with that of Gabriele D'Annunzio. It tells little of the true story ol that great romance, and catches none of the spiritual quality that surrounded its heroine. The author tells of Isola Casella, a great Italian actress who retires from the stage when her lover dies, and bears his child in a convent home. An impressioned young poet is the only person who can wean her back to the stage, but after five years’ association with the actress he leaves her for an affair with her manager’s wife. His crowning insults is the publication of a novel descriptive of their adventure, holding up to ridicule the passion of the women ten years his senior. In the New York presentation of the play, Ara Geraid was Isola; she wisely refrained from attempting anything resembling a suggested imitation.