THE ANSWER CORNER.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 231, 29 September 1928, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE ANSWER CORNER.

READERS' INQUIRIES ANSWERED

C.E.s Clive BrookV) address is c/o the Paramount Studio, Hollywood, California.

T.W.. Charles Rogers and Neil Hamilton—Paramount (see C.E.); George Lewis—Universal (se© R.N.). r.(.'. (Point Chevalier): William Collier, jr.—Warner (see E.M.) Fred Thomson was born in 1896.

J.W.M. (Remuera). —Marion Nixon— Universal (sec R.N.). Miss Nixon was born in Superior, Wisconsin, and later moved to Minneapolis. There she s-tudied dancing, and nothing would satisfy her but a footlinght career. She went on the stage and eventually found her way to Hollywood. She is a fine banjoist.

E.M. (Dargaville): Mary Pickford, Charles Chaplin and Constance and Norma Talmadge can be reached at the United Artieta Studio, 7100, Santa Monica Boulevard, Loa Angeles, California; Richard Talmadge at the F. 8.0. Studio, .780, Gower Street, Holl., Cal.; Bebe Daniels—Paramount (see C.E.); Leatrice Joy at the Cecil B. De Mille Studio, Culver City, Cal.; Jackie Coogan at 673, South Oxford Avenue, L.A., Cal.; May McAvoy at the Warner Studio, Sunset and Bronaon, L.A., Cal.

U.N. (Grey Lynn): Emil Jannings— Paramount (see C.E.); Mary Philbin and Jean Hersholt at the Universal Studio, Universal City, Cal.; Belle Bennertt at the Fox Studio, Western Avenue, Holl., Cal.; Jack Pickford, c/o Mary Pickford—United Artiste (see E.M.); Charles Delaney at the Columbia Picture Corporation, 1408. Gower Street, Holl., Cal.; Helene Coa■tello—Warner (eee EJH.); Don Terry, Le Roy Mason and Gibson Gowland at the Central Casting Bureau, Holl., Cal.

J. McK. (Ponsonby).—Laura la Plante's hair is really black. For the screen she had it bleached. Miss la Plante was "discovered" seven years ago by Wesley Ruggles, a Universal director, who was also responsible for bringing Jaynet Gaynor and Sally Blaine to the screen. He discovered Miss la Plante when she was sitting outside the old Thomas H. Ince studio and he picked her for her first small role. Address: Universal (see R.N.).

Syd Chaplin's latest film, "The Fortune Hunter," is shortly to be released in Auckland by Master Pictures.

William Fox has signed Robert Flaherty to make a study of Indian life, using all red-skin actors. Eight months will be spent in Arizona.

Doris Hill, well-known leading woman for Paramount, will have an important part in "Take Me Homs," the latest Paramount picture, starring Bebe Daniels. Neil Hamilton, who recently signed a new Paramount contract, will play opposite the star.

Karl Dane and George K. Arthur will t-liortly be seen in "Detectives," in which Slarceiine Day also appears. This comedy, which is set in an atmosphere of mystery, thrills and romance, should bring gz.les of laughter wherever it is screened.

For the first time in the history of British film production, British International Pictures, Limited, announce the trade presentation in London of five important pictures at the rate of one #vcry week for five consecutive weeks. They are "His Wife's Husband," in which the eminent George Gee plays an important part; "Tesha," starring Maria Corda, who played the leading part in "The Private Life of Helen of Troy"; "Champagne," with Betty Balfour; "Adam's Apple" and "Paradise," from an original story by Sir Phillip Gibbs. All these attractions will be released in New Zealand during the coming season by Cinema Art Films.

Much care must be taken when Francis X. Bushman is before the camera if his eyes $.re to be brought out clearly in the picture, for he has the most peculiar eyes of anyone in the profession. They are very light, or pale blue in colour, and when photographed Without sufficient light and "magenta" Screens on tho lights they look white on the screen. Many close-up shots of Bushman's eyes are to be seen in "Grip of the Yukon," the Universal picture, and careful study will show why they are difficult to photograph. Others ■in tho cast are Neil Hamilton, June Marlowe, James Farley, Otis Harlan and Burr Mcintosh. Ernst Laemmle directed the picturc.

Pendleton, Oregon, famed for its yearly "round-ups," recently found its population increased by more than 100 new residents, practically overnight. The influx composed a Fox Film company on location to be engaged in the making of a picture for a period of perhaps for many weeks. "Our Daily Bread" is the epic which will be made in the region of Pendleton, most of the scenes being filmed 26 miles/ / r om Pendleton in a wheatfield comprising thirty acres, purchased months ago by Winfield Sheehan, vice-president of Fox Films, solely for a location for this particular picture. F. W. Mumau, who won fame by his directorial work in "The Last Laugh," "Faust" and "Sunrise," the latter a Fox film, will direct "Our Daily Bread," which has as its' basic theme the stage play, "The Mud Turtle." Charles Farrell and Mary Duncan head the cast of players with a supporting cast which includes David Torrcnee, Dawn O'Dav, Jack Pennick, Edith Yorke, Tom McGuire, Ed Brady and Harry ttriffi

George's Bancroft's next Paramount picture, to follow "The Docks of New York," which he recently completed, will be "The Wolf of Wall Street." Rowland V. Lee will direct the new production.

William J. Craft has directed Glenn Tryon ever since he came to the Universal lot, which is only right and fair, since he brought him with him when he came there himself. . But Craft has been assigned by Carl Laemmle to direct "The C6hens and Kellys in Atlantic City," an original story by Matt Taylor and William Poland. When Tryon's next picture rolls around, "It Can Be Done," by Edward Montague and Mann Page, it will be directed by Fred Newmeyer.

"Lady Raffles," a Master picture, which has Estelle Taylor as its star, is shortly to be released. Miss Taylor won fame in "Don Juan," a John Barrymore starring picture.

Carl Laemmle, Jun., will supervise Conrad Veidt in "The Play Goes On," by James A. Creelman. Dr. Paul Fejos, who has just completed "Lonesome," will direct. "The Play Goes On" will be made before "The Charlatan."

Fay Wray and Gary Cooper are costarred in "The First Kiss," the Paramount picture taken from "Four Brothers," the "Saturday Evening Post" story by Tristram Tupper. Lane Chandler, Leslie Fenton and Malcolm Williams are featured in the production.

"Tempest," the new John Barrymore picture, is a story of contrasts, depicting as it does all the luxury of Czarist Russia and the subsequent chaos of the 1917 revolution, which transformed private soldiers into generals, and generals into fugitives. In the early part of the picture, "Tempest" shows the pomp and gaiety of life among the ruling classes when entertainments rivalling the fetes of the ancient Romans were staged in the castles of the rich. With the overthrow of the Empire, the soldiers seized control, and it is as a young peasant officer, who loves a princess, that John Barrymore gives a characterisation. He has a new leading lady, a dark-eyed, blonde-haired German fraulein named Camilla Horn, who will be seen opposite the star in this production. Her rise to fame was sensational after her performance as Marguerite, with Emil Jannings, in "Faust."

For three months a British International producing unit, filming "The Emerald of the East," were guests of the Regent Maharanee of Gwalior State, India, where every facility was given to them, including the use of the State Army of 15,000, with 2000 extra cavalry, whilst for the ceremonial scenes they were allowed to use the State elephants. Th® most gorgeous scene in this film is the State reception, which was actually photographed in the magnificent palace of the Maharajah. For this purpose the Polish director, Jean de Kuharski, was loaned the State jewels, which were valued at over £1,000,000. This picture is scheduled for release in New Zealand by Cinema Art Films,

Universal has purchased for early production a story by Inez Gregg entitled "Why Girls Walk Back." It presents a new angle of a familiar theme. Kathryn McGuire, one of the most pictureable girl 3 in pictures and one selected by James Montgomery Flagg as the representative type of American beauty, has been cast in support of Ted Wells in "The Border Wildcat." Others in the cast include Tom London and William Malon. Joe Levigard, who has been steadily advancing to a full directorship at Universal City by way of one and tworeelers, is to handle the megaphone on his first feature soon. It is "The Midnight Mystery." In the cast are Bill Cody and Duane Thompson, featured, and Wilbour Mack, Monte Montague, Arthur Morrison and Charles King. Noel Coward's much discussed society play, "The Vortex," has been adapted for the screen. This play caused a sensation in London, and the film promises something entirely new on the 6creen. Willette Kershau makes her screen debut as the would-be youthful matron, Florence Lancaster. Ivor Novello appears as her musical son, who loves the beautiful Bunty, played by Frances Doble. Beautiful settings and clever acting are said to be features in this English production, to be released by British Dominion Films in New Zealand.

A strong cast has been assembled for Emil Jannings' new Paramount starring picture, "Sins of the Fathers." Ludwig Berger is directing.

The longest sustained sequence to be followed by a camera is in "The Street' Angel," Fox drama of a street waif and an artist of Naples. The scene shows Janet Gaynor fleeing from a policeman, and the camera fallows her for several hundred feet. Charles Farrell has the leading male role.

Clara Bow has just returned from a location trip, during which the waterfront scenes . of her latest Paramount production, "The Fleet's In," were filmed. Malcolm St. Clair, director, James Hall, leading matt, and Jack Oakie, featured player, were in the party.

The First National British production, "The Ware Case," is from the popular novel by George P. Bancroft, an absorbing mystery story, which was successful on the stage. Stewart Rome takes the main role on the screen. The dramatic effects of the plot are powerful, and the ingenious intricacy of the mystery elements masterly. Set in magnificent locales, a famous private home being used for many of the more important scenes, Betty Carter, an attractive English beauty, plays opposite the male star, and is responsible for some splendid work in the trial scenes. The exteriors of the South of France are beautiful, adding an exotic note to the production, while the humour is delightful and refreshing.

Farrell Mac Donald will have the title role in "Riley the Cop," a coming Fox picture.

"Interference," the famous stage play, is being made into a Paramount picture, with a cast headed by Evelyn Brent, William Powell and Clive Brook. Lothar Mendes is directing.

In Laura La Plante's newest starring feature, "Thanks For the Buggy Ride," the supporting cast includes Glen Tryon, Richard Tucker, Lee Moran, David Rollins, Kate Price and Trixie Friganza.

Once again the silver sheet has dominated. It has robbed the stage of the beautiful Mary Duncan, of "Shanghai Gesture" fame, to plav in a number of films, some of which will be in Movietone, the new talking film for William Fox.

Victor McLaglen is a man of many uniforms in Fox pictures. His latest is that of a sailor in "The River Pirate." In real life, he wore a British Army uniform, and in pictures has been a U.S. marine, Spanish matador, a French Legionnaire and a ship's second mate.

A play with a diamond as its central character comes to the screen in "Diamond Handcuffs," a vivid underworld drama. The story- centres about intrigue, theft and plots over a great diamond. A pitched battle, with machine guns, between police and gangsters, in which bullets batter down doors, is one of the sensational details of "Diamond Handcuffs." The cast includes Eleanor Boardman, Conrad Nagel, Gwen Lee, Sam Hardy, Lena Malena, Lawrence Gray, and many others of note.

Marian Nixon and George Lewis had to change clothes seven times during the filming of a rain scene in "Jazz Mad," the Universal picture. Miss Nixon and Lewis, who have featured roles, had to appear in dry clothes to start the scene, of which seven "takes" were made by director F. Harmon Weight. Jean Hersholt is starring, while the supporting company includes Roscoe Karns, Torben Meyer, Andrew Arbuckle, Charles Clary, Clarissa Selwynne, Patricia Caron, Alfred Hertz and the Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra.

One of the most successful of British pictures shown within the last month in London has been the picturisat ion of St. Jolin Hankin's well-known stage play "Not Quite a Lady." It is a comedy of manners. The plot concerns the love of a wealthy young man for a cabaret dancer, and their break when she discovers she is out of her element and that they are unsuited to marry. Miss Mabel Poulton, a well-known English actress, plays the stellar role. This picture will be released in New Zealand through Cinema Art Films.

William Haines' new starring picture, "Alias Jimmy Valentine," has gone into production. "Alias Jimmy Valentine" is an adpatation of the great stage success in which H. B. Warner starred, juid which proved one of the most popular pieces of theatrical entertainment ever staged. No selection has been announced yet for the feminine lead in the new picture, which is of a different order from anything Haines has previously attempted. The supporting cast of the film includes Karl Dane, temporarily released from his co-starring partnership with George K. Arthur, Tully Marshall, and Lionel Barrymore.

Cinema Art Films expect to receive within the next few mogths the first copy of the big U.F.A. spectacle, "Secrets of the Orient," a story of the Arabian Knights, produced under the personal supervision of Alexander Wolkoff, who made "Michael Strogoff" and "The Prince of Adventurers." "Secrets of the Orient" has been over a year in the making. More than 3000 extras were employed continuously for several weeks and in the desert scenes, taken actually in the Sahara, 500 camels and 500 full-blooded Arabian horses and several hundreds of real Bedouins were used.

"So much that is untrue has been written about Hollywood," says a wellknown writer at the studios, "that it is extremely difficult for the ordinary man to distinguish between what is fact and what is fiction. To the outside world. Hollywood has comf to mean glamour, fanfare, carnival, unreality. In actual fact Hollywood is an ordinary everyday city, very wholesome and very conservative. It has been variously represented by popular writers as a city of gaiety, a bootleggers' paradise, and an El Dorado where the paving stones are of gold Nothing could be farther from the truth. Hard work reigns supreme, and it is a fact that Hollywood is one of the most law-abiding cities in the United States At ten o'clock the Hollywood Boulevard is almost deserted, and the various dance halls that are open are patronised by the rugular townspeople and are visited seldo? by the picture artists."

A particularly interesting coup made by the Emden during her rovings is shown to advantage in one of the many thrilling sequences in the First National release "The Exploits of the Emden." She steamed into Penang Harbour under cover of a dummy funnel made of canvas and wood, and mistaken for a unit of the Allied fleet she went by unchallenged. She torpedoed and sunk a Russian warship at her moorings without warning. A French destroyer immediately weighed anchor and attacked the raider, but with her greater gun power the Emden easily disposed of the game, little craft. She then got under way and was heard of no more until the Sydney caught her redhanded at which was the termination of the pestiferous little German raider's notorious career on the seas. She was responsible for over two million pounds worth of damage to British shipping.

With virtually all oi tne studio interior scenes finished, the First National company filming Corinne Griffith's big starring production. "The Divine Lady," will soon take to the sea. The fleet of ships purchased by First National Pictures and remodelled at enormous expense into battleships of the period ot the eighteenth century, is now ready for use. Frank Lloyd, director ot the picture, expects to take his company, together with several score ot extras, to C'atalina Island, wiere camp will be established for the company during the making of the scenes at sea. The Battle of the Nile, in which Lord Nelson conquered Bonaparte's fleet, and the Battle off Cape Trafalgar, where Nelson defeated the combined fleets of Ensland's foes, but lost his life, will be staged. "The Divine Lady." First National's largest production of the year, gives Miss Griffith her greatest screen role as the beautifiil and unfortunate Lady Hamilton. Victor Varconi and H. B. Warner as Lord Nelson and Lord Hamilton respectively, head a supnorting cast containing more than a dozen wen-Known players. "The Divine Lady" was adapted by Forrest Halsey and Agnes Christine Johnston from B: Barrington's historical novel of that name.