STUDIO CHATTER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 64, 17 April 1946, Page 3

STUDIO CHATTER

A FEATURE COLUMN Twentieth Century-Fox has purchased for filming the new novel by Guy Endore, “Methinks The Lady/’

Irene Dunne has announced that she is starting a campaign to find herself a musical where she can sing again. Although brought to Hollywood originally because of her voice she has not been cast in a musical since “Showboat” and “Roberta.” She sings each day at home to keep her voice in training.

Singer Dick Haymes, now starring in “The Shocking Miss Pilgrim” with Betty Grable, plans to erect a small theatre on a section of land adjoining his home in the San Fernando Valley. At this theatre, unknown talent will be developed under competent direction, and both Haymes and his wife, Joanne Marshall expect to take an active part in plays presentel.

Sydney Greenstreet, who plays a role in Warners “Passage to Marseille,” has just learned that he is being worshipped as a God by natives on Tinian. A giant cardboard cut-out of his immense figure, used by the Army overseas pictorial service to advertise the opening of ‘lndiscretian’ had been appropriated by the natives and enshrined. Greenstreet looks like a Buddha and that might have had something to do with it.

Following their marriage just before Christmas in Riverside, California, Bette Davis, the noted dramatic actress, who actually had a singing role’ in “Thank Your Lucky Stars,” and William Grant Sherry, Laguna Beach artist, left for Mexico City, where the Mexican Government, which is sponsoring the premier of “The Corn Is Green”’ honoured the star. The couple spent the Christmas holidays at Butternut, Bette Davis’ New Hampshire farm, and returned to Hollywood shortly after the New Year.

Regent:.. “Passage to Marseille” (Wednesday and Thursday). Humphrey Bogart at his toughest best. Plenty of action and a story to equal ‘Casablanca.’ Warners have excelled themselves in producing a picture, the keynote of which is tenseness and realism. “Marseille” also marks the first picture in which Peter Lorre (former Japanese detective of the screen) has been seen for several years.

“The Gentle Sex” (Saturday only). Leslie Howard’s first feature film of women at war. An epic of the same calibre as “In Which We Serve.” This is an English picture, with English actors, an audiences can count on a high standard of entertainment.