“JOURNEY’S END.”

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17994, 12 April 1930, Page 17 (Supplement)

“JOURNEY’S END.”

THE FILM VERSION. WORLD COMBED FOR CAST. The audible pictorial conception of “ Journey's End," which was directed by James Whale, producer of the London, New York and. Chicago stage versions, was screened in New York this month. Tiffany productions, in conjunction with Gainsborough Productions of England and Welsh-Pearson-Elder, also of England, sponsored this talking picture. George W. Pearson, representing the British companies, went to New York to supervise the work. Grant L. Cook, executive vice-president of Tiffany Productions, went to Hollywood for a similar purpose. A few months ago they met'at' the Tiffany studios in Hollywood and held conferences about “ Journey’s End.” The purpose of these conferences was to decide : Whether a woman character should be introduced in the play; just how much of the actual war scenes, if any, should be shown, and who should be selected for the cast. No Woman Character. The idea of a woman character was eliminated. It was decided that the stream of Sherriff’s play should be followed smoothly. As to elaborating on the stage play, Mr Whale, himself a British war veteran, and his friend Sherriff, agreed that it was possible, in cinema production, to go behind a stage play with tile audience and show on the screen what the stage cannot depict. To illustrate this point, as Whale explained it to a friend.: . “ Journey’s End” on the stage shows a dugout, with British officers entering and leaving and telling of outside happenings which are thrilling in the extreme. The climax of these outside events is a trench raid in which Lieutenant Osborne is killed and Raleigh returns with the enemy prisoner he was sent to get. It is impossible to show this raid and trench scenes in general on the stage. On the screen it is possible. Po Whale, with the full approval of Sherriff, has taken advantage of these opportunities in the screen version of “Journey’s End.” World Combed for the Cast. Regarding the east, here was another severe problem. Mr Whale, with his advisers, combed the entire world for the players they wanted. They obtained the . permission of Maurice Browne to bring from London Colin Clive, who was playing the part of Stanhope at the Prince of Wales Theatre, to appear as Stanhope in the talking picture. Mr Clive was released for six weeks. In that time he travelled 12,000 miles and acted as Stanhope at Hollywood. It was the first time he had appeared in talking pictures. lan MacLarcn was chosen for the part of Osborne; David Manners, a young Canadian, played Raleigh; Robert Adair figures as Captain Hardy; Anthony Bushell* as I-libbert; Thomas Whiteley is the Company SergeantMajor; Jack Pitcairn is the Colonel; Billy Bevan, Lieutenant Trotter; Warner Klinger, the German soldier; and Leslie Slclchley, Corporal Ross. Most of the time in the making of “Journey’s End” was spent in getting ready !