THE SHOW'S THE THING

NZ Truth, Issue 1238, 22 August 1929, Page 11

THE SHOW'S THE THING

THE past years, with their glory .and Ignominy, their romance and bitter conflict, are revived "m First National's special production,. "The Divine Lady," which stars Corinne Griffith. Adapted from the novel by E. Barrington, "The Divine« Lady" tells the story of Lord Nelson and X.ady Hamilton, of the great victory of . Trafalgar, that won the , day for England— and cost England the life of her greatest admiral. • * • *.■*.. SEVENTY-FIVE negroes appear In the Paramount all-talking picture, "Thunderbolt," starring George Bancroft. Among the dusky players m the picture is the complete cast of entertainers from a cabaret. Richard Arlen and Fay Wray play the chief supporting roles In the picture. '-■"'*"■ # * JACK ROPER, famous heavyweight championship contender, makes his . bow as a screen actor with William Haines m "The Duke Steps Out," Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's graphic romance of college and the prize ring. He appears as Haines's opponent m a thrilling prizefight scene, lavishly staged m the Hollywood Legion Stadium. Joan Crawford plays the leading feminine role and James Cruse directed from the "Saturday Evening Post" story by Lucian Cary. Karl Dane, Tenen Holtz, Eddie Nugent and Luke. Cosgrove are included m the supporting cast. "The Duke Steps Out" will be seen shortly. I,' * * ■ -* ONE hundred and. seventy fancy dress costumes were worn by Clara Bow and other members of the cast of "The Wild Party," for dance scenes of the picture. "The Wild Party" is a Paramount all-dialogue picture, and also has a silent version. . It will be released shortly m New Zealand. *■ # * "A DANGEROUS WOMAN," with ** Baclanova, Clive Brook, Neil Hamilton and Clyde Cook, had its Australian premiere m Sydney recently. The picture is said to be the last word m all-talking pictures. i# # * LORETTA YOUNG, First National starJet, and Douglas Fairbanks, Jnr. are ln for a spell of "Fast Life." In other words, they will play the featured roles m the screen version of the successful stage play of that name, which is to go into production shortly ' at First National studios. * * # "IJER PRIVATE LIFE," is the title of " Billie Dove's latest starring vehicle for First National Vitaphone. Walter Pidgeon is playing opposite the star.

MORE than 135 musical numbers will be incorporated m the score for "She Goes to War," the new Henry King production m which Eleanor Boardman has the principal role.', Modest Altschuler, founder of the Russian Symphony orchestra and the conductor wlio introduced to America the works of Tschaikowski, Bimsky-Korsakov, Rubenstein, Rachmaninoff, and Stravinsky is composing- the score.

Everyone knows "bapper's" "Bulldog Drummond." United Artists will soon present the picturisation of this fascinating story With Joan Bennett and Ronald Colman m the leading roles.

NANCY CARROLL'S performance as Rosemary, m the Paramount sound synchronised production, "Abie's Irish Rose," has been classed by a prominent motion picture trade magazine as one of the best of the year. Charles »("Buddy") Rogers, Jean Hersholt, and J. Farrell Mac Donald have other important" roles. # * * AFTER a search for a striking title with but two words, "Welcome Danger" was selected by Harold Lloyd for his new picture, the silent version of which wa,s recently completed for Paramount. # '# » • A SHOW within a show is "The Broadway Melody," the Metro-Goldwyn-' Mayer all-talking, all-singing, alldancing picture now showing at the Wellington Regent. A complete musical comedy is enacted m the story which is interspersed throughout with a specially written musical score. Anita Page, Bessie Love, and Charles King are seen m the featured roles of the production, which is dramatic m its unfolding, taking one into the private life of the entertain ers of Broadway. A sixty-girl chorus is seen m a specialty number filmed m Technicolor with gay and catchy musical accompaniment. Also one sees all the other acts of a typical Broadway revue, with highly- trained dancers, singers and comedians taking part. # * # JEAN ARTHUR, known as the "mystery girl" of Hollywood, because she has appeared m so many mystery pictures, has signed a new Paramount contract. Miss Arthur played her first dialogue role m "The v Canary Murder Case," and later, she played the feminine lead m "The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu." # # # FRED. KOHLER, well-known player, has a featured role m the Paramount alldialogue picture, "River Of Romance," adapted from Booth Tarkington's "Magnolia." Charles ("Buddy") Rogers and Mary Brian play the leading parts. # # #/ KATHERINE DALE OWEN, beautiful young stage star, will be John Gilbert's leading lady m "Olympia," his second talking picture for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The new picture is based on the international stage success by Ferenc Molnar and will be directed by Lionel Barrymore. #* . * WITH the advent of the "talkies," Pauline Frederick has stepped into new popularity m her first big alltalking picture, "On Trial," a Warner Bros.' production, which is to be released m New Zealand shortly. Both on the stage and on the silent screen, Miss Frederick has revealed her talent as an emotional actress, but on the talking screen, it is said, she makes a vivid Impression, her voice reproducing excellently. # # * JACK LUDEN, young Paramount leading man, has an important role m "Dangerous Curves," a circus story* which Paramount is filming as an alltalkie, starring Clara Bow. # * » '"THE DESERT) SONG," J. C. William. * son's record-breaking musical play, which comes to Wellington on Sep-, tember 10, will be produced m New Zealand with its brilliant cast, glorious music, beautiful "scenery, magnificent mounting and striking dances, ballets and ensembles, as it was presented m Australia. It is described as one of the most entrancing musical plays ever produced by the firm. "The artists include Herbert Mundin, the famous comedian, who appears as Benjamin Kidd, Maude Pomeroy (Neri) John Ronald (Hadji) and Ronald Pomeroy (Lieut. La Vergne). ' I Wood's Great Peppermint Cure i For Coughs and Colds, never fails.*, j

A SURVEY conducted by Edwin. Carewe, who is producing "Evangeline" for United Artists with Dolores Del Rio as a star, reveals the fact that Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem has been printed m 412 different . editions and translated into every language including Chinese and Hindustan}. Finis Fox has written the screen version of the Immortal love epic. , . "WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS," a vivid " drama of the underworld, is Lon Chaney's latest Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer production, and will be seen shortly at the Regent Theatre. Chancy plays a role entirely new to him, appearing as a plain-clothes detective. There is a breath-taking machine-gun battle, secret midnight raids, alley murders, revenge and intense drama. Anita Page and a large cast support Chancy m this thrilling production. LAWRENCE GRAY,, who appeared with Norma Shearer m "After Midnight," . has been' given the male lead opposite Miss Davies m the all-talking version of "Marianne," by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The silent version of "Marianne," with Oscar Shaw m the male lead, has been completed and , was received with great . enthusiasm at a studio preview. *■■'- <■;■#.'■ # MARION, DAVIES and William Halries will shortly be 'seen as the co-stars of "Show People.'' King Vidor, who scored his first big success with "The Big .Parade," and followed it with "The Crowd," has achieved an entirely different type of: picture, although' a very interesting one with "Show People." This production is /an- interesting inside story of the making of a screen star m Hollywood, and has given the members of the motion picture colony, many of whom gave their time and services as "atmosphere" m the "production, many a laugh. #, * # MEET George — with the same old ultra Oxford bags, the same old face with its whimsical moods; George Wallace the inimitable and irresistible comedian, is back at Fuller's " His Majes-

ty's Theatre, Wellington. Hailed as the King of Comedy, George fully deserves the title. Nothing of the copyist about this very versatile Australian; 't h c originator of all he does, : George, besides "corned - Ing," plays several instruments, is an acrobat, eccentric, dancer, lightning sketch artist and, • • at times, when called upon, an ex- ; cellent dramatic I actor. - Undoubtedly the ' most popular 'of

all Fuller comedians, he has recently completed a record season at the St.. James Theatre, Auckland, to capacity business nightly and is certain to , reign for a long season m Wellington. # * " ' #•■ . RICHARD DIX'S first talking picture for Paramount, "Nothing But the Truth," will be released this year m New Zealand. "Nothing But the Truth" is a story of a man who made a bet to tell nothing but the truth for 24 hours. Helen Kane, Louis John Bartels and Ned Sparks play featured roles. . JACK MULHALL, who recently completed "Twin Beds," has started production on' "Dark Streets," an alltalking First National Vitaphone picture.

A LEADING London Reviewer writes •concerning the premiere screening of "Coquette." "What makes Mary Pickford, as 'Coquette* unique and extraordinary is the smashing of so many traditions with her presentation of that highly emotional character. In discarding her curls for the modern bob and forsaking the whimsical Pollyanna she has plctorially and verbally, with great courage and determination told her army of admirers that she has left her adolescent days behind and is now an actress of emotional roles. "There have been many famous ones since Mary climbed the pinnacle of fame, but she has not been crowded from that high-vaulted . place she has earned through . years • of. consideration f of her public's demands. "The '■■; vast : crowd who waited patiently m London to see the pre- . miere ; screening of 'Coquette' were paying 'a tribute to Mary's courage , and. determination. Mary may bob: Mary may grow up, but the Pickford aura remains the same; something hauntihgly. wistful, something intensely human makes her personality stand out above her acting, above her , vehicle. . "'Coquette* is dynamic. • The power that it possesses emotionally cannot be resisted. There, are no talkies thus far that have been half so potent and certalnly^ not one so poignant. It's another milestone and a triumph for a favorite staK" United Artists will release this picture m Auckland this month. '■■••'•.•'■■'•" '• "•THE GREAT DIVIDE," a First Na--1 tional- Vitaphone production, has been "completed at Burbarik Studio. Dorothy Mackaill plays the leading role m the all-dialogue outdoor drama, which was filmed partially m Zion Canyon National Park, m Utah. Lan Keith appears opposite Miss Mackaill. • ..*-."■' * '*! FIFTY-TWO thousand dollars for twenty feet, of film. That was the cost to Samuel Goldwyn to completely demolish a 250-foot schooner for the big scene m Ronald Colman's starring picture, "The Rescue." Three hundred cases of dynamite were used. The explosion took place at the Isthmus of Catalina Island, and was heard by many, 25 miles away on the mainland. The- force of the blast threw debris more than 5000 feet m the air, and over an* area of five j square miles. Twelve motion-picture cameras and seven still cameras established m. bombproof shelters, photographed the blast from a distance of 1100 feet. The force of the explosion temporarily . deafened every cameraman even at that distance. Director Herbert Brenon and his crew reported that the blast was caught by every one of the twelve cameras. When finally cut for the picture the scene was less than twenty feet of film on the screen. •'..#■■'. ■ #. # A FAMOUS Broadway actor, Walter Huston, has been cast for a leading . role m "The Virginian," a Paramount all-stalking picture now :in production. Huston scored notable successes m "Gentleman of the Press," recently released m Sydney at the State Theatre, and "The Lady Lies." '#'■■'# * TWO tralnloads of water, hauled In big oil cars, were carried to a level plain near Inglewood, Cal., to be dumped on a grainfield to reproduce a portion of a Mississippi flood. This strange engineering feat was performed during the filming of close-up scenes In Lon Chaney's new Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring vehicle, "Thunder,'.' a romance ,of the railroad.