THE SHOW'S THE THING

NZ Truth, Issue 1237, 15 August 1929, Page 21

THE SHOW'S THE THING

The Coquette Bob

MARY PICKFORD has a new haircut, designed especially for her role as the belle of a little southern town m her picture version of the Broadway success, "Coquette." . .-,.,., The bob is close-fitting and helmet-like m its adherence to the contour of Miss Pickford's head. Its soft, wide waves end m tiny "beau -catcher" curls. The

[ hair is parted on the left side and waved i softly m wide finger waves. The ends of the hair are shredded so that they will ( curl naturally into close lying tendrils. The neckline is indefinite and the hair is brushed upward to form soft curls at the nape of Miss Pickford's neck. The hair falls m natural waves to frame her face with, an occasional "beau-catcher" curl to add a dash of piquancy. When Miss Pickford first cut her hair she decided upon a medium long bob which dm not entirely abolish her famous curls. But she needed an ultra modern and vivacious bob for her picture, so now the world-famed Pickford curls are gone, but m their place is a smart, chic and girlish haircut, which is. serving as. a model for the- bob s'bf the girls and women m all the cities where "Coquette" is being played. * * ♦ NEW ZEALAND has certainly stepped itself out to give the "Rio Rita" Company, an unusual welcome here. Earthquakes, a fire and a stormy crossing to the South Island have been their portion so far, and m addition, they have had an unwelcome visitor m the 'flu, which has laid low principal and chorus alike. Janette Gilmore, Gladys' Moncrleff, Phyllis Dv Barry and Dave Mallen have all had to retire from the cast for a few performances, but the "Rio Rita" Company cheerfully thinks it is past the worst now, and they will get through the rest of their tour without any further casualties. « # # THE art of kissing for the motion picture love scene has changed since the coming of the talking film, according to Leatrlce Joy, featured m First National Vitaphone pictures. In the silent days, some of the accomplished kissers of the screen mingled souls m long, involved contests that seemed, Miss Joy declares, to have been gustatory instead of osculatory. Now, thanks to the screen's new dimension, sound, the kiss has changed character. It must be more artful, according to the star. It must not sound like a fat man with a walrus moustache drinking soup, nor yet like the smack of a wet towel on the bathroom floor. * * • LESTER COHEN, author of "Haunch, Paunch and Jowl," and "The Great Bear," wrote the original story for "Dangerous Curves," Clara Bow's second Paramount talking picture. It is a romance of circus life In which the "It" girl portrays a clown. * # * ' NATALIE KINGSTON, one of the beauties of Hollywood, who played heroine to Milton Sills m "The Foreign Legion" has been signed by Paramount for one of the principal roles m "River of Romance," the talking and singing film based on Booth Tarkington's story. # # „ * "THE BEHAVIOR OF MRS, CRANE," by Harry Segall, and "Big Time," by William Slavens McNutt. the story of a New York actress stranded, will be the first two. Both will be talking pictures. The final two have not as yet been selected. * # * OESSIE LOVE and Raymond Hackett have been assigned the principal roles m "7<3va the Fifth," an adaptation of the Broadway play of the same r>a,me. now m production at the MetroGold wyn -Mayer studios. Miss Love recently completed an important role m i "The Hollywood Revue of 1929," while I Hackett has just completed a featured part m the all-talking "Madame X." Edgar Selwyn is directing. '# # • • IN addition to "The Barnstormers," a super-production m which she will star under the direction of Harry Pollard. Laura La Plante will star m four other Universal pictures to be made during the coming season.

New Film Width

NEW film, three inches wide, has been declared successful m the making of motion pictures at the Paramount West Coast studios, according to information received by< John W. Hicks, 'Jnr.., Managing Director of Paramount m Australia, New Zealand and the far East. Secret tests with the wide film have been progressing with unusual success for several months. The process is entirely new and is being kept behind closed doors. Cameras and projectors for the wide film were sent to the studios together with the raw stock of film for test shots of "Glorifying the American Girl." The results on a huge magnascope screen were startlingly excellent. _ ...... ...... .--..-.•. The advantage of the new threeinch film m talking and singing musical comedies is imphaslsed m a close-up, but complete view of a stage full of players and chorus girls. On the narrow film now m general use, I a close-up of a stage setting would i include only three or four of a revue, Mr. Hicks explained. The new film will be able to photograph and project close-up of an entire setting just as though a spectator were viewing the show from the front row m a theatre.

VILMA BANKY'S voice is heard for the first time on the speaking screen

m ''This Is Heaven," her newest starring picture which comes to the Majestic Theatre, Wellington, on Friday.

Samuel G ol dwyn's "Hungarian Rhapsody" is . one of the few foreignborn picture stars to be able to keep her place m the screen firmament m this" day of talking pictures. Stage training m Vienna before she came to this country and a naturally beautiful speaking voi.ue combine to make her dialogue per-

formances

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Vllma Banky

than satisfactory. Most of the cast supporting Miss Banky m "This Is Heaven" have had stage experience.

A PROMINENT trade critic states that *» with such all-talking productions as "The Broadway Melody," which will be released m Wellington on Friday, Norma Shearer's "The Trial of Mary Dugan," "The Idle Rich" "Dynamite/ the all negro picture "Hallelujah," "The Voice of the City." "Madame X" and "The Hollywood Revue of 1929," Metro-Goldwyn-mayer has revolutionised the industry. These pictures have been lauded everywhere as the highlights of sound production. The motion picture industry is now undergoing a vast and far-reaching metamorphosis and the future can hardly be forecasted m all that it promises. One thing is certain, however, and that is that it will be built around the talking picture. # * # . ; IT Isn't only racehorses who win by a * nose. Bertram Marlburgh, Hollywood screen player, may truthfully say thafc he won a part m Dolores Del Rio's i ''Bvangeline" because his proboscis ! matched exactly that of Sir William Pitt of the old English House of Commons Edwin Carewe interviewed more than a score of screen players noted for their long aquiline noses before choosing Marlburgh as the most accurate counterpart of Sir William.