Screen and Stage

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26629, 27 November 1947, Page 2

Screen and Stage

By JAXON

Having publicly professed that she would like nothing better than to make her next picture with William Wyler, whom she regards as “ the best director in the business,” Lillian Heilman is keeping the faith. “ Wyler and I have agreed to do ‘ Sister Carrie ’ together," she stated. “We met in Europe recently and reached our agreement about six weeks ago.” When the screen version of the Theodore Dreiser novel will emerge from this status is a matter of time, Miss Heilman said. "It all depends on when we both find the time. It may be this year and, then again, it may be next.” Regarded for many years as one of Hollywood’s controversial story properties, “ Sister Carrie ” was scheduled for production by R.K.0., which had owned it since 1940. Before that date, several studios had unsuccessfully attempted to prepare scripts that would meet the requirements of the industry’s Production Code.

Air Commodore F. M. F. West, V.C., C.8.E., M.C., who has arrived in New Zealand on a brief inspection tour on behalf of the J. Arthur Rank Organisation, is the most important British film executive to visit this country. He is travelling as Mr Rank’s personal representative, in addition to which he is managing director of Eagle-Lion Distributors, in Britain. His work in connection with the

distribution of British films has taken him all over the Continent within the past 12 months, and in several instances he has made arrangements which will place British films on the screens of foreign countries for the first time. For such releases it has been necessary to add explanatory captions, or, in some cases, _lipsynchronised dialogue in the requisite foreign language. Air Commodore West won his V.C. with the Royal Flying Corps in the first world war.

A vaudeville show of 20 years ago, when that form of entertainment was in its heyday, was staged at Paramount lately for flashback sequences in “ Night has a Thousand Eyes," a suspense drama starring Edward G. Robinson, Gail Russell and John Lund. It is during this show that Robinson, as a mental wizard, discovers that he can actually predict the future. Subsequently, this ability serves as the focal point of the plot.

Dancing star Ann Millar has been signed by M-G-M for the forthcoming musical, " Easter Parade,” replacing Cyd Charisse who suffered a leg injury during the filming of “ On An Island With You.”

Jose Iturbi is the first actor to have used his own name in a screen marriage ceremony. In M-G-M’s “ The Birds and the Bees,” he “marries” Jeanette MacDonald, who becomes Mrs Jose Iturbi.

Jack Cummings, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer producer, and Lester Coles, his scenarist, have left for Mexico City, ostensibly on a pleasure trip, but actually to discuss with Government officials there plans for filming a life of Amelio Zapata, revolutionary outlaw and hero, to be based on Edgecombe Pinchon’s book, “ Viva Zapata,” which the studio has owned since 1940. Having been successful in making “ Fiesta ” in Mexico with the blessing of the Government, Cummings wants to find out what co-operation, he can expect in various sequences of “ Viva Zapata,” and what ideological differences may exist.

John Mills, Derek Bond, Harold Warrender—the 8.8.C.’s “ Merry-go-round quiz-master—James Robertson Justice and Reginald Beckwith have returned from Norway. They spent six weeks on a glacier 4000 feet above the sea taking part in the making of Michael Balcon's film. “ Scott of the Antarctic.”

George Macßeady, Columbia’s most consistent villain ever since his memorable performance as Rita Rayworth’s sadistic husband in “ Gilda,” will be seen in “ Coroner Creek ” as soon as he completes his current role as a mediaeval blackguard in “ The Black Arrow."

The picture with a hoodoo is what they are calling the British-Lion technicolor production, “ Bonnie Prince Charlie,” in which the title role is played by David Niven. The picture was half made when differences arose on the production side, and a change of directors resulted, making necessary the remaking of most of the scenes that had already been completed. The latest mishap is the sudden illness of Will Fyffe, the famous Scottish come-

dian and character actor, who played a major role in the film. With only a few scenes remaining to be filmed, he had to enter hospital, and, as his illness is expected to be a long one, the role has had to be recast. This entails the remaking of all sequences in which he appeared. But when the film is finally completed it should be one to gladden Scottish hearts everywhere.

For the first 'time since his screen debut, Red Skelton reported to a studio other than M-G-M when he arrived at Columbia to start preparations for “ The Fuller Brush Man.”

Lotte Lehmann, the famous opera star, stepped on to the motion picture stage for the first time in her life when she recorded three numbers of M-G-M’s “ The Big City,” in which she makes her screen debut. With George Stoll conducting, she recorded " Brahms’s “ Lullaby,” Malloy’s “ Kerry Dance,” and Schumann’s “ Traumerei.”

Sam Wanamaker, a recent Broadway sensation as director and co-star of Ingrid Bergman’s “ Joan of Lorraine," has been signed to a seven-year contract by Producer Milton Sperling against spirited bidding by other major Hollywood film studios.