NEWS OF THE TALKIES.

Waikato Times, Volume 111, Issue 18524, 2 January 1932, Page 14

NEWS OF THE TALKIES.

A Rival to Chovallor. Gene Gerrard made hosts of frten Is by his likeable personality and his clever light comedy in “My Wife’s Family ” In Hamilton this week. A few such performances and Gene is likely to equal Maurice Chevalier In popularity. It is good to see an English player Jumping Into favour so suddenly and so completely. Mr Gerrard's two latest pictures are “ Let's Go Naked " and " Out of the Blue." When the mail left England he was considering three scenarios to be produced shortly. It is probable that lie will give up the stage entirely to devote bis time |o film work. For some years lie lias been very popular in vaudeville and I musical comedy. Borne years ago he ' appeared in Australia on the Tivoli ' circuit. I Challcpino in "Talkie" Operas. | Feodor Chnliapine. the Hussion bass | whose .singing is vividly remembered in New »,iland, is :eporled to lie rmilempbil ing making Mperlarular film versions of IPs, Russian operatic Successes in Paris. Guy Bates Post in Talkies. i iuv Bales post, who was in New Zealand some years ag i at llm head of a dramatic company, is about I . mike his first appearance in talking

pictures, cast as one of the characters supporting Ann Harding in her new picture, " Prestige.'” For the past few weeks Mr Post lias been starring at the Pasadena Community Playhouse in “ The Play'a the Thing,” the Molnar comedy, ii which he appeared in New York a couple of -years ago. £IOO,OOO Taken In a Week. A London paper says: A most sen sational success has attended tha general release of ‘‘City Lights” In London. As a rule, a film released In this way is shown in about GO cinemas. This week “Cljy Lights” Is being shown in 94 London cinemas, and this is in addition to 30 further prints on view in cinemas outside the London area. The receipts are phenomenal. One typical example is that of a cinema playing lo £430 in one day, against its average of l’lso. It is possible that “City Lights” wit, play to Cloo.ooo Iliis wec.k, and since the. Ilrst week of general release, in London applies mainly to cinema? north of the Thames Mr Chaplin mi> anticipate another record next week when "City Lights” is shown south of llm Thames. One may now reasonably estimate that cbon,non will he paid lay Hrilise flimsoers seeing “City Lights." and that one-third of this amount will eo returned to Mr Chaplin.