FILMS AND STAGE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 136, 9 May 1940, Page 7

FILMS AND STAGE

Power-Mad Monarebs. “Tower of London,” which screens at the Meteor Theatre to-morrow, features Basil Rathbone and his son, John Itodion, as members of the cast. Rathbono appears as Richard HI., history’s infamous “crookback” who

stooped to conquer by fair means or foul, and Rodion is the young Lord Be Vere, who is beheaded at the scaffold for asserted treason. Boris Karloff has a typical “horror role” as Mold, the clubfoot executioner, who was in Richard’s employ, and Barbara O’Neil] is the kindly Queen Elizabeth who was haunted by the brutality of the age in which she lived. Edward IV. is portrayed by lan Hunter ; Vincent Price (recently in “Elizabeth aiicl Essex”) is the Duke of Clarence ; and Nan Grey is Lady Alice Barton, the Queen’s favourite lady-in-waiting. Miles Mander has the gloomy role of Henry VI., the ex-king who is left to go mad in a tower cell, whilst just as unpleasant is the role played by Rose Hobart. She is seen as Anne Neville, wife of the Prince of Wales, who. was tricked into marriage with the man she feared most. The young New Zealander Ronald Sinclair, Ralph Forbes, France; Robinson, Leo. G. Carroll, and Eras' Cossart are also in the cast. Motor-Racing Melodrama. Pat O’Brien has tiie role of a speedway champion in “Devil on Wheels,” •winch will be tne main feature in the programme at the Mayfair Theatre to-morrow. In the story Pat O’Brien has a young brother, played by John Payne, who wishes to emulate his prowess on the speed track, which, incidentally, has provided tne funds to see the lad through college. As the plot develops rivalry between the two brothers extends from the racing track to their private lives, and the estrangement grows until Frank McHugh, who plays the part of old friend and mechanic to Pat O’Brien, loses his life in an effort to bring about a reconciliation. McHugh’s death breaks O’Brien, who leaves the racing field to his brotner and retires from the track. But that, naturally, is not the end of the story. The romantic roles in the film are played by Ann Sheridan and Gale Page. The associate feature is “The AVolf of New York,” starring Edmund Lowe.

It has been announced that Bette Davis will star in a remake of “The Letter,’’ the Somerset Maugham story which was brought to the screen by the "late Jeanne Eagles. Other pictures on Miss Davis’s 1940-41 .schedule are “All This and Heaven, Too,’’ “A House on the Hill.” “The Woman Brown” evidently has been shelved.

Arctic Drama; Three favourites stars, George Raft, Henry Fonda and Dorothy Lamtiur, together with a comparative newcomer to the screen, Louise Platt, play the two leading couples in the panoramic drama of life in the fabulous North Country, “Spawn of the North,” which opens to-morrow at tin; Kosy Theatre. Raft and Fonda will be seen as two lifelong friends who become enemies when frontier warfare is declared be-

tween ' fishermen and salmon. pirates. The cast also includes Tamiroff, the famous character player of “The General Died at Dawn” and “The Buccaneer,” and John Barrymore. “A Slight Case of Murder,” a farce

film that frankly and unreservedly makes fun of the whole business of gangsterism and racketeering, is the second full-length picture on this programme. The big cast is headed by Edward G. Robinson, Jane Bryan, and Allen Jenkins.

Two of Marlene Dietrich’s three leading men in her next picture, tentatively titled “Seven Sinners,” will be Victor AfcLagkm and James Craig. The latter was recently chosen for the role following liis initial lead on the lot in “Zanzibar” with Lola Lane. Mischa Auer has also been set for a role. . >

A Famous Play. The 100 per cent, feminine cast of “The Women,” starring Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford and Bosalind . Russell, is no joke. The film, which opens to-morrow at the Regent Theatre, not only boasts a human cast of 13,5 women, but a feminine animal cast as well. Based on the Broadway success,- which has already been seen on the stage in Palmerston North, by Clare Booth, the new picture has Norma Shearer in her first sophisticated modern role since “Riptide,” Joan Crawford in her first “heavy” role, and Rosalind Russell in a striking characterisation as a vicious gossip. Others in the cast are Mary Boland, Paulette Goddard. Phyllis Povah, Joan Fontaine, Virginia Weidler, Lucilc Watson, Florence Nash, Muriel Hutchinson, Virginia Grey, Hedda Hopper, and Cora Witherspoon. Despite the fact that no men appear in “Tiie Women,” nine-tenths of the dia- , logue is about them 1 Gaiety Runs Riot. “Pack Up Your Troubles,” a gay comedy, brings Jane Withers to the State Theatre to-morrow, with three new friends, the Ritz Brothers. Jane Withers promises to delight one and thrill one too as the bravest little Ma’amselle in all- France. And, as for the Ritz Brothers, they are full of new Ritz-tricks, because they are in the army now—and being the Ritz Brothers, of course, they tell the General how to run it. Jane has two exciting new' impersonations—George M. Cohan, singing “I’m A Yankee Doodle Dandy,” and Eva Tanguay, siuging “I Don’t Care!” Jane also sings “Who’ll Buy My Flowers.” Lovely Lynn Bari, as a spy, heads the imposing supporting cast. Joseph Schildkraut is seen as Jane Withers's longlost father. Stanley Fields plays “Angel Face,” the hard-boiled sergeant, under whose supervision the Ritz Brothers play nursemaid to a herd of army mules. Vocal Attraction, Victor Young, famous composer and conductor, composed the background music and conducted the orchestra for the scoring of “Gulliver’s Travels,” which comes on Friday, May 24, to the Regent Theatre. The picture features several songs. Among them are “Bluebirds in the Moonlight,” “All’s Well,” “Faithful Forever,” and “I Hear a Dream,” all written by Leo Robin and Ralph Raiuger; and “It’s a Hap-Hap-Happy Day,” written by Sam Timbcrg, Winston Sharpies and A 1 Neiberg. Robin and Rainger v’on the Academy Award last year with their famous classic, “Thanks for the Memory.”

A Star’s Biography—No. 57. " Susan Hayward, the vivacious Brooklyn red head, who walked into a casting office, and walked out with a contract, appeared in the leading feminine role in “Beau Geste.” Miss Hayward went to Hollywood .quite by accident. She happened to be working as a model, after the stock company with which she had been appearing closed down. George Cukor, at the time director of “Gono With the Wind,” tested her for the role of “Scarlett O’Hara” because he liked pictures of her in an. illustrated article on “How Models Come to New York.” She was taken to Hollywood as the result of the screen test. Then she got lost in the shuffle. Miss Hayward was about to give up when she made one last effort to get into pictures. Artie Jacobson, newly appointed talent director, was looking for a girl of a very definite type to play the feminine lead in “Beau Geste,” and when he saw her he immediately signed her for the coveted role. Miss Hayward is a member of the “Golden Circle,” group of young players slated for stardom.

Just missing the coveted role of .Scarlett O’Hara in “Gone With the Wind” seems to have turned out lucky for nine of the losing candidates. Norma Shearer got top role in “The Women.” one of the best roles slie has ever bad. Bette Davis won last year’s Academy Award in “Jezebel,” after being tested for Scarlet O’Hara. Tallulah Bankhead scored her first big Broadway success in “The Little Foxes,” rafter being turned down as Scarlett O’Hara. Katharine ' Hepburn clicked on Broadway in “Philadelphia Story,” and is coming back to Hollywood a bigger star than ever. Paulette Goddard received her first stellar billing in “The Cat and tlife Canary,” and showed that she is really a good little actress. Susan Hayward got top feminine role in “Beau Geste.” Miriam Hopkins scored handily, in “The Old Maid,” and her screen career is olf to a fresh and brilliant new start.