TALKIES News, Views and Forthcoming Events

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 39, 21 July 1939, Page 3

TALKIES News, Views and Forthcoming Events

"CONVICT 99" 6 The Gaumont British film feature ''Convict 99'' presents Will Hay, Britain's laughter.maker number one as Dr Benjamin Twist, a house master of St. Michaels School —for the sons of gentlemen. His dismissal from thschool and his subsequent adventures as an inmate of Blackdown Prison make particularly humorous screed entertainment. ATUO ACCIDENT FOR MOVIE DONE TWICE "Crash! ' An automobile hit a lamp post and a stone wall behind it. There was thai sickening scrape and crcak of crumpled fenders and body metal, the shivery clatter of broken glass. But' it was only for a movie scene in Warn.er Bros action film. "The Daredevil Drivers." Just a typical movie crash scene with the ''double'' driving the car unhurt, and everybody casual about it, except for one thing— j Something about it hadn't satisfied I director ''Breezy'* Eason. And they ' dragged out duplicates of the smash. . ed car and lamp post, and smashed I those. Two more cars sand two more lamps posts were available if needed. | "The Daredevil Drivers'' co-stars Beverley Roberts and Dick Purcell. They are supported by such well known players as Gloria Blondell, Gor don Oliver and Charles Foy.

SHIPS A CENTURY OLD Heading out to sea from Los An steles Harbour* the other day in the face of heavj r headwinds, we I *© two ships of types seen on the Atlantic n century ago. They were "Dog Star"' an accurate replica of the first paddle steamer to cross from the British Isles to New York in 1838. and "FaL con." a fullrigged packet of the period. Under command of Jim Havens, marine expert, the two carried combined sailing and movie production crews of 150 men comprising the sec. ond unit of Frank Lloyd's "Ruler of the Seas" company which has Douglas Fairbanks Jnr., Margaret Lockwood and Will Fyffc as principals. Reversing the usual procedure by looking for bad weather instead- o! good the ships.' destination is the shoal water off San Miguel Island where Havens plans to make storm shots for the Paramount sea epic. j Present schedule calls for the second unit to remain at sea for approxi mately two weeks. At the end of that time Lloyd's first unit meanwhile engaged at the studio is filming interiors for the picture, will pick up "Dug Stai" and ''Falcon'' at Catalina and spend a week or more at sea. ' The ships also- will be used at Angeles Harbour in sets reproducing the waterfront of New York, London and Greenock. Scotland as they appeared 100 years ago. Additional open sea work will be undertaken by the second unit at a later date. TRY THE BEACON OFFICE FOR JOB PRINTING OF ALL KINDS. QUALITY PRIIi T TING AT REASONABLE RATES.

UNIFORM POPULAR ATTIRE FOR STARS IN LATEST FILMS Uniforms suddenly dominate in the new motion pictures. The soldier is the current screen hero. All of these films were started before the current changes in Europe. Unlike war pictures of the past, these productions arc not based on actual battle sequences but deal with Lha individual rather than the mass of soldiers. "Yellow Jack"' presents a picture of the army during the Spanish-Ameri-can War period. Robert Montgomery Buddy Ebson, Alan Curtis and William Henry offer themselves as hu* man guinea pigs in Cuba in a scientific war on yellow fever. The picture was filmed by Metro. Goldwyn.Mayer, closely following another drama of uniformed men, name .ly, "Test Pilot,'* the story of giant nrmv bombers which are tested Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy. The forthcoming picture, "ShopJ worn Angel, ' finds James Stewart as a young soldier from Texas who falight love w'th Showgirl Margaret SuU lavan while awaiting his orders toleave New York fop France. The same studio Recently completed "Three Comrades,'' in which Robert Taylor, .TTranchot Tone and Robert Young face the problems of thepast_war period as Erich Remarquedescribed them from his own experiences in his remarkable novel. Robert Lewis Stone, Henry Hull and Alan Curtis werevaccinated against malari a as a precaution, against their contracting t!ie disease from 500 mosquitoes used irr filming "Yellow Jack."

REGENT The final screenings to-day arc for ''Housemaster - ' the popular English comedy greatly recommended by all who have seen it. Commencing Saturday matinee and evening ''Yellow Jack' Robt Montgomery. Metro-Gold! w3 r n-<Mayer present a dramatic page torn from the book of unsung heroes ... a true story of heroism packed; with all the excitement of a roaring; adventure! Romance in the face of unusual danger! But, above all, a story of man's battle Ig live —as deeply human and moving as any conquest of history or fiction! No fame! No mertals! No glory! Five men locked in the strongest prison ever built —not for culprits —but for heroes!" Sidney Howard's startling stage play row fires the screen with its powerful drama! GRAND Another popular weekend programme includes Ep 12 Flaming Fron t : ers serial ''Convict 99 ! ' Will Hay When Dr Benjamin Twist, of St. Michael's famous school ''for the sons of gentlemen" is literally kicked from within the Gothic Portals of a build, ing he has grown to love and cherish, he goes to prey on brother Alfred and his nagging wife< The loquacious lady makes Bcnajmin answer an advertisement in the local paper. .Fate de-!' crees that Dr Twist shall be interviewed by a board of Prison Authorities who arc waiting for a Benjamin to arrive from Australia to take up the post of Governor of Blackdown Prison, famed "school for lifers. "Daredevil Drivers" Dick Purcell. The .madmen of the speedways hit the road to bring you the thrills of" you'' life . . ■. d">"><;or cr.-i bto;> . v,.«HUS/i..,d:iv<> 'ave thorn . . . when th\v'ie lul'Kv In y death by an inch.