TALK OF THE TALKIES In the First Flight of Stars

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20001, 28 July 1939, Page 13

TALK OF THE TALKIES

In the First Flight of Stars

Loretla Young and Warner Baxter

IDT ANY years ago Warner Baxter won an Academy Award lor his performance as “The Cisco Kid” in “In Old Arizona,” and he has been in the first flight of' Hollywood stars ever since. In his latest film, ‘'Wife, Husband, and Friend,” in which he is co-starred with Loretta Young, he appears as a debonair comedian. Warner Baxter’s best remembered hits are “Daddy Long Legs"; “Such Men Are Dangerous”; “The Prisoner of Shark Island”; “Tin* Hoad to Glory”; “To Mary, With Love,” and the aforementioned “Wife, Doctor, and Nurse.” In the new film, the star is seen in the type of role he enjoys playing the most. lie is cast as the ardent, debonair husband, who rebels against his gay, beautiful wife’s “career.”

Loretta Young, who plays the part of the wife, made her film debut at the age of 17 Mervyn Leroy, the director, telephoned the Young home for Loretta’s sister, Polly Ann Young, for a part iu the film, “Naughty But Nice.” Polly was out at the time, so Loretta, who had just turned 17, went to the studio in her stead. Before Leroy could recover from His surprise, she had persuaded him to give her the role. The result was a long-term contract and a leading role with Lon Chaney in “Laugh, Clown Laugh ”

Loretta likes motion pictures, and she takes them very seriously. As a matter of fact, they are her chief interest in life, and when she is not making them at the studio or seeing them at the Hollywood theatres, she is very likely to bt found “shooting” her own with her home movie equipment.

The Friends Step In

ALL goes well in the film until Loretta’s friend and music teacher, Cesar Romero, convinces her she can and should sing. She does, to Warner’s dismay. Then he finds a friend in need in a beautiful opera singer, played by Binnie Barnes. Because she convinces him that he can sing—and should, if only to turn the tables on friend wife.

An amusing member of the cast is Eugene Pallette, the gentleman with the cutting, bull-frog voice and the well-fed look. Eugene simply doesn’t believe in bad luck.

“Everything bad that's happened to me has done me a lot of good,” Pallette explained. “The first job 1 had was as a jockey. Then I started to gain weight and lost out. I thought that was bad, but when I left the track I went on the stage. Then to the movies. In four years I was a star.” Handsome Cesar Romero—who js considered one of the best dancers in Hollywood, especially if partnered by Miss Young—appears in the film as the second “friend.” Cesar got his chance in films when he was noticed by a talent scout when dancing in a night club. His suave appearance and elegance soon decided him for villainish roles, but he now seems to be a far more modified type of villain with a definite sense of humour.

Frank Capra on the Set

C'ODLOWING his success with “Mr. ‘ Deeds Goes to Town,” Frank Capra is now at work on “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” When Capra is working he does not like a crowd of strangers coming on to the lot, and even representatives of the press in Hollywood are not allowed to visit these “sealed" sets. Frank Capra belies the popular idea of the producer who stampedes about as best he can between the cameras without tripping over the miles of cables which lie in clumps like so much giant spaghetti. Frank Capra was not smoking a gigantic cigar, nor was he chewing gum, to change from one side of his month to the other in between giving hi.s instructions. Quiet Politeness

LIE is a quiet-voiced person, who says 1"1 “please” and “thank you,” who climbs into the camera seat, to see just what is going on. who moves noiselessly from one side of the set to the other, suggests a detail here or a change there, and then watches the actors while the cameras roll, i Wl-.en the writer called at the set I on a recent morning action was taking place in the ante-room of a Senator’s room at Washington, and James Stewart, who plays the lead with Jean Arthur, was the central figure in the scene. There was not much for Stewart to_ do; he had to come into the room in a hurry, and plead with the secretary to see the Senator urgently. The ante-room was filled with a crowd of people waiting to see the absent Senator. As the rehearsals took place, Capra suggested that Stewart should display a little more agitation after the secretary had told him the Senator was hot in, and added "Please go back .to the door and do it

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again, Jimmy.'” Jimmy did, evidently satisfactory this time. Locking through the cameras, Capra suggested that the secretary have one of the telephone receivers at her ear as Jimmy came in, and his voice was so low-pitched that it would not have bes/h heard if there had been any noise. Capra is a snort man, with an engaging smile, and a laugh in his brown eyes. He has a firm handclasp, and a great charm of manner

“T do >;iot know how I make pictures,” he said. “‘lf I like a story, I start to develop it, and then God takes charge. I do not know how it

will turn out till it is finished. I do not see the picture as a whole, nor yet as a series of little episodes. From the original idea grows the story, and from the story the pic-

“Snow White” Takings

ture is made, but 1 cannot tail you how. “But the medium of making pictures is one that appeals to me; it gives scope lor the imagination.” Near the set erected for the Senator’s ante-room, is a huge set which is an exact replica cf the Congresi Room at Washington—the desks and chairs tor the Senators strongly constructed and copied in detail. Other settings include stairways and lobbies, all accurately copied so that patriotic Americans will not be able i'o find a fault with the reconstruction.

7V7ALT DISNEY’S cartoon fairy tale, W “Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs,” has set a world's record by grossing £1,350,000.

The figure, achieved in 15 months’ distribution, is about £400,000 higher than the previous record set by A 1 Jolson's picture, “The Singing Fool."

The picture cost Disney £340,000, and paid for itself within four months after reaching the screen. Disney is giving his employees onefifth of the net profits.

JT’S 'becoming a neck-and-neck race between Sam Goldwyn and director Mike Curtiz as to which can get his words more thoroughly muddled up. Latest for Curtiz is: “I think nil women are croquettes.”