MAURICE MOSCOVITCH IN HOLLYWOOD

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 184, 21 August 1937, Page 10

MAURICE MOSCOVITCH IN HOLLYWOOD

1 ' Distinguished actor of the interna- ! tional theatre for 40 years, Maurice Moscovitch, who only now is beginning a screen career, disclosed recently that he might well qualify as conductor of an "I Knew Them When" column concerning screen folk, if ho so wished. Moscovitch has had a number oi to-day's screen persoualities as supporting players in his various companies during two decades on the English stage. Jtlis path has crossed the paths oi many others during world tours, in the course of which he has played in iour ianguages and has apveared, in addition to his New York and London engagements, in ltussia, Germany, Erance, South America, Australia, New Zealand and many other countries. Herbert Marshall, Moscovitch recalled, was liis first "Antonio" in his initial production oi "The Merchant of Venice" in London. The two renewed acquaintanc© recently at the Paramount studios. Basil Rathbone likowise played with Moscovitch in "The Merchant of Venice" on the London stage. He was first to appear in the role of "Bassanio." Claude Jtains, who carae into screeii prominence as a result of the Ben Hecht-Charles MacArthur production for Paramount, "Crime Without Passion," played with him in London in "The Grovernment Inspector," a translation from a Russian classic. Another currently popular screen figure with whom Moscovitch has renewacquaintance in Hollywood is Margot Grahame, who used to visit his home in London with her father. Moscovitch had forgotten the incadent, but Miss Grahame recalled to him recently that he was instrumental in arranging her first appearance on. the stage, through introducing her to Leon M. Lyon, a London manager. Rudolph Schildraut, the elder, was a good friend oi" Moscovitch. He remembers Charlcs Laijghton, who had done quite well in making a name for hiinself, as a young actor. Laughton, strangely enougih, went as a pupil to Claude Rains when the latter was active as a drama coach. liains insists, however, that Laughton was the one pupil to whom he could teach absoJutely nothing about acting, because *'he knew all about it instinctively." "Make Way for To-morrow", which presents Moscovitch in a role he processes to regard as one of the most vital, down-to-earth characters within his entire range of portrayals, marks the actor's second screen appearance. His first was in "Winterset," for which he came out of more than five years' retirement, with no thought of continuingj on the screen.