Cinema... Snapshots

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20421, 11 February 1938, Page 4

Cinema ... Snapshots

About Picture People FROM FILM WEEKLY turns biographical in her second Hollywood film. Zanuck will present her as George Sand, the famous French woman novelist. Although George Sand paraded Paris in male attire this will hardly be a masquerading romp. She was a very intense lady, an ardent feminist as well as the ardent lover of Chopin and Alfred de Musset. Anybody who saw the French film, Chopin,” will remember the imposing performance of another French actress, Lucienne le Marchand, in the part. George Sand’s highly coloured lovelife may give the Hays Office headaches but should be a tonic for Annabella’s career. * • • * Q.ENE FOWLER’S one scenarist who’s got the best of Hollywood. His novel, “ Salute to Yesterday,” is America’s current best-seller, and he's asking twenty thousand pounds for the film rights. Paramount would like it for W. C. Fields. But even ” Gone With the Wind ” only cost ten thousand. Besides whfch, Fowler's got the most curious contract in Hollywood. He’s working on “ Freedom of the Press ’’ for Selznick. But he works at home, only works when he feels like it, and only gets paid when he works. Just calls up and says, “ I’m working to-day. Put me on the payroll.” There must still be honour in Hollywood. • • • • JOY HODQES is having the laugh on Hollywood. Used to be a singer performing in the local cabarets. Universal used her in “ Merry Go Hound of 1938,” their monster musical wilh an almost all-comic cast, includin'-- Mischa Auer, Alice Brady, Bert Luhr and Jimmy Savo. We’ll be seeing her in this as soon as the picture’s had some minor reconstructions required for England. Anyway, she was allowed to drift, back to Broadway. Became a big lilt in the biggest hit on Broadway, a Musical satire on the Roosevelt regime called “ I’d Bather Be Right,” which will probably reach the screen. Xow Universal are hastily making sure they’ve still got an option on Joy Hodges. FAIRBANKS, JUNIOR, seems to be answering Hollywood’s prayer for leading men. Radio like his work in " Having Wonder! ..! Time ” so much they're keeping him on for “ The Joy of Loving,” opposite Irene Dunne. They only just missed getting Cary Grant for this Kern musical, after months of angling. I tell you so often about Hollywood’s demand for Cary, you should recognise the compliment to Junior. There’s als,o ” Rupert of Hentzau,” his starring sequel to “ The Prisoner of Zenda.” Selznick intends to carry on Madeleine Carroll, Raymond Massey and Mary Astor in their former parts as well. Junior lately said he would spend six months acting in Hollywood films, and six months producing British ones. Looks like a long six months before Hollywood lets him come back. * * * * npERNAND GRAVET moves among Mervyn Leßoy’s goods and chattels when Leßoy goes to produce at M-G-M. Being on the spot, probably he, and not Francis Lederer, will be Strauss in M-G-M’s “ Life of Johann Strauss.” We should be getting another look at Gravet early next year in ” Food for Scandal,” with Carole Lombard. He means a good deal at the American box-office already. But as ” The King and the Chorus-Girl ” has been held up for right royal reasons, British film-goers know him only from his early British films with Anna Neagle.

New Zealand Club Greets Colin Tapley in Singapore On his arrival in Singapore, the base from which the Paramount unit moved to the Malayan jungle for the production of 44 Booloo.” Colin Tapley, a native of Dunedin who plays the leading role in the picture, was greeted by the local New' Zealand Club. The club Is made up of -six former New Zealanders, all school mates or acquaintances of Tapley. \ banquet wag a feature of the welcome, to which Producer Clyde Elliott and cameraman Carl Berger, who came from Hollywood with Tapley. were also invited. 44 800100 ” is at this date almost completed as far as jungle photography is concerned and it is reliably reported that Tapley will pay a hurried visit to Dunedin prior to his return to America. His contract with Paramount continues for a number of years and studio executives look to 44 800100 ” ns the picture which will do most to establish Tapley at the box offices of the world. “ Angel 99 Dietrich*s New Picture a Classic 41 Angel.” the first film on which Marlene ' Ernst Lubitsch ive worked together, as star ami director, is riciiui.e evidence that this learn is to make a lasting mark in motion picture history. ** AngeL.” for which Paramount plans an early reI lease, is from every standpoint a remarkable production, with the 44 Lubitsch Touch ” and the fine work of Marlene Dietrich, Herbert Marshall and Melvyn Douglas.