Has Britain no Girl Film Stars ? j “CAN’T BE FOUND" Is It Bluff ?
Is England unable to provide the right type of girl to star in British-made films? asks a London paper. This charge has often been made by American cinema agents here, and yesterday “London,” the first British film to secure “world release,” left England with Miss Dorothy Gish, the American actress, ' featured in the leading role. Could no British girl be found for the part? AMERICA, its ideas, “pep,” and people has long been boosted as better than anything poor Britain can produce, and in no department has the United States been acclaimed as supreme more often than in the cinema trade. This bubble has been distended to bursting point by the statements recently attributed to Mr Sidney Jay, a leading cinema agent in this country. He is reported to have said: British producers are absolutely at their wits’ end lor feminine talent. I can create eight new British film heroines immediately, but cannot find the girls. COMBED LONDON “What we need,” he continued, “are typically pretty, unspoilt English girls, with passable figures, good presence, fair education, and alert intelligence. You will sav there must be thousands of such girls. All I have to sav is that I cannot find them. “I combed London for a girl to fill the heroine role in a new Graham Cutts’ picture, and was finally compelled to bring back Flora le Breton from America.” Mr Jay’s statements were shown to a well-known London actress. “I don’t believe there is a word of truth in them,’’ she said. UNANSWERED LETTER It was therefore suggested that she should put the statements to the test, and write personally to the agency asking for an appointment. To this she agreed. What was the result? The letter was absolutely ignored. A week has now
elapsed without so much as a note of acknowledgment. Meantime Britisli-made films look like having their clay. “Nell Gwyn” is creating records in the United States and has opened the doors of American cinemas to British films for the first time, and “London, 5 * which sets off on its “world release 55 is being shepherded throughout the U.S. by Famous Players-Lasky. First of three British National films that are to be shown all over the world, “Louden 55 will be followed overseas by “Tip-Joes, 55 now nearly completed, and “Madame
Pompadour,” Fay Compton which will be (above), the Eng- .started next lish actress, is month at the surely a “good new British stulooker.” dios at Elstree, Herts. Tho leading part in ‘‘London” is taken by Miss Dorothy Gish, with whom are Adelqui Millar, Jack Manners, the new English him star, and Gibb McLaughlin.
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New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12621, 4 December 1926, Page 11
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450Has Britain no Girl Film Stars ? j “CAN’T BE FOUND" Is It Bluff ? New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12621, 4 December 1926, Page 11
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