TALKIES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 98, 8 December 1939, Page 2

TALKIES

FAMOUS FORCE ROYAL CANADIAN "MOUNTIES" There's no such organisation -is the Canadian Northwest Mounted Police nor the Northwest [Mounted Police. They exist 'only in fiction. That famous force of red-coats who preserve law and order on sea, land and river over vast sections of Canada is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

And, most of the time, the "Redcoats" don't wear red! They wear a brown forage tunic, heavy blue pants with gold side stripes, and a standard type of high boot, all topped off by the characterstic flatbrimmed Stetson (or in winter a fur hood). These are a few of the facts that are apparent in Warner Bros' "Heart

of the North" bceausc this film is not only technicolour throughout, but strictly authentic.

That term "Northwest Mounted Police" was given the parent organisation of the present big and efficient force over 100 years ago, when first one little band of them and then another went into the Northwest territories to bring law and order, and help cope with a growing Indian problem. Before that time the Hudson's Bay Company's employees had policed the area. Use of Aeroplanes. Later the force became known as the Canadian Northwest Mounted Police, then Ihe Royal Northwest Mounted Police, and finally the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. A modern "Mountie" gets quite irked if you persist—as do most of the more careless fiction writers, comic strip artists and so on—in using "Northwest." They're proud of the fact that all Canada is their territory now, and the coastal waters on each side. A large per cent of the personnel is now afloat instead of a horseback, and their ships patrol even the Arctic shores and rivers. About 10 per cent remains mounted, in the sense that they can use horses in their duties. Even fewer of th 3 Mounties do much mounted patrol riding. A greater number travel the airways. "Heart of the Novt.li" deals with these modern Royal Canadian Mounted Police —the sort who use aeroplanes. However, the territory.covered is at or near a far-north fort on the Mackenzie River, with hunters, trappers, miners; the hold-up of a Mackenzie stern-wheeler, a murdei and a pursuit; in general the whole list of problems of this modern frontier and its guardians of law, order and justio.2. CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S INTEREST IN FILM The Chinese Government took a personal interest in the filming of "Mr Wong, Detective." As soon as the first news story broke about this picture, the Chinese Consul in Los Angeles, Mr T. K. Chang, called up Monogram and asked to meet Mr Boris Karloff, who was to play the Chinese detective, James Lee Wong. Mr Chang had met Mr Karloff before. In fact, they were old friends, but when the Consul came on the set for the first time, be spent many minutes chatting with a Chinese who apparently had a part in the picture, later to discover that this was his friend, Boris Karloff. Chang was properly chagrined to think that he started talking in Chinese to an Englishman. Karloff was pleased to think that he had succeeded in creating a character so entirely different from his own, and when Mr Chang complimented him on that fact. Mr Karloff returned the compliment by inviting fifty Chinese school children on the set to witness the shooting of the picture. "Mr Wong, Detective," is the first of a series of "Wong" pictures that Karloff is making for Monogram. It introduces a new screen sleuth, James Lee Wong, who is familiar to many people through the Collier's Magazine stories by Hugh Wiley, based on this same character.

Mews, Views and Fesrtlicoßaiiiig Events

VAUDEVILLE WAS ACTING SCHOOL. FOR THIS CAST Joe E. Brown has never forgotten his vaudeville days. Whenever casting is being made for one of his pictures, he insists that former vaudovilliar.s be given preference whenever possible. In his latest comedy "Flirting With Fate" five former variety stars play featured roles. They include Leo Carrillo, Wynne Gibson, Charles Jll dels, Stanley Fields and Irene Franklin. Brown himself made his professional debut in vaudeville as a member of the Five Marvellous Ashtoons, acrobatic troupe. Carrillo was working as a cartoonist 011 a San Francisco newspaper when his ability to tell Chinese stories with an Italian dialect won him a vaudeville contract. Miss Gibson was an artist's model when she attracted the attention of a theatrical press agent who insisted she go on the stage. Judels went into vaudeville as a comedian and later as master of ceremonies for variety bills.

MAKE PERFECT CONTRAST Gale Page and Gloria Dickson are as different looking as two girls can possibly be, according to the Warner Bros casting office, which tested dozens of girls for the two leading parts in "Heart of the North." The picture is in technicolour and the studio wanted to see the effect of a striking brunette playing opposite a stunning blonde. Although .Toe E. Brown's middle initial doesn't stand for Entertainment, his new picture, "Flirting With Fate," certainly does. For the film is crammed with inspired comedy, thrills tlrit had the audience holding on to iheir seats, and the best Joe E. Brown pantomime which has been seen in the stellar comedian's pictures in some time. Brown is a clown incarnate, touched with that rare genius for grotesquerie that gives all great pantomimists their immortality.