"OUR FIGHTING NAVY"

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 3, 5 January 1939, Page 3

"OUR FIGHTING NAVY"

EPIC OF BRITISH FLEET "Our Fighting Navy.” which is showing at the Regent Theatre next Wednesday, is not, as would be gathered from the title, a parade or a review of the Empire's safeguard and a pictorial description of the might of the new Navy. It is a story of a lonecruiser “showing the flag,” to very considerable effect, on the coast of a South American republic in the turmoil of a sanguinary revolution,, smouldering when H.M.S. Audacious; is detached from the Home Fleet, inl full flame by Ute time she arrives, I and quenched properly and spectacularly within forty-eight, hours. It is O. Henry adapted to the sea, with a I love story added, but when the big) guns blaze they blaze point-blank, and) smoke screens, plus torpedoes, justify j the attractive title "Our Fighting) Navy.” The stars are H. B. Warner.' Robert Douglas, Richard Cromwell, Hazel Terry, Noah Beery, Esme! Percy, Frederick Culley, Binky Stuart I and Henry Victor. The supports in-1 elude "Popeye Meets Ali Baba,” all in ' technicolour. j Kay Francis’ marriage to Baron ' Barnekow has been delayed by th ■ I Baron's business, which is to take bin ; round America giving aeroplane de- ' monstrations for the next few mon', its.

Among the cast supporting Norma Shearer and Clark Gable in “Idiot’s Delight” arc Charles Coburn, Lana Turner and Virginia Grey. • • • • “Fast Company.” The old-fashioned dinner gong cn. Ihe farm that was used to announce births, deaths, weddings, and lire alarms has nothing on the Hollywood : motion picture company that recently filmed the production, “Fast ComI pany,” regulating the picture with a J.series of bells. When Meivyn Douglaa, .’Florence Rice, Claire Dodd. Shtfpperd Istrudwick, Louis Caihern, Nat PenuleJton. Douglas Dumbrille, and other [members of the cast appeared on the {set a “stage bell” was rung to stait Iwork. Each time the lights were I turned on or off Cameraman Clyde De Vinna had a special bell with a control on his chair that signalled to | electricians to turn the current both jways. Entrance and exit to the stage was controlled by a ball and buzzer ’combined with a bright red light. As i lhe camera “turned over” on the set Jhe bell outside the stage automatically started to warn outsiders not ’to attempt to come on the set. When the actors were assembled in the scene {another loud bell located in a corner ]of the set was rung by Director Eu.'ward Buzzell to obtain complete Isilence on.the sound stage so that dialogue could be heard. If an actor {was to ring a doorbell or answer a ■ telephone, a “bell keyboard” was used containing twenty different tones that could be suited to the occasion.