Screen and Stage

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26635, 4 December 1947, Page 2

Screen and Stage

By JAXON

Frank Capra’s current film project, “ State of the Union,” will reach the starting line at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer shortly. Capra and Anthony Veiller have completed the screen adaptation of the Howard Lindsay-Russel Crouse political satire, introducing one important change in character emphasis. The role of Grant Matthews, played on the stage by Ralph Bellamy and to be done now by Spencer Tracy, has Increased in importance in translation to the screen, Capra says. Matthews no longer vacillates under the influence of the strong characters in the play—he makes his own decisions. As a consequence, according to Capra, some comedy has been sacrificed to realism.

Marjorie Main can now deal cards with the polished poise of a professional gambler. For her role in Abbott and Costello’s “ Tlie Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap,” Miss Main learned the fast shuffle, to cut and deal with one hand, and how to hold them close. The comedienne plays the title role of the Universal-In-ternational comedy. She was coached for Che poker scenes by card expert John Dillon.

The cameras have turned on the first shot of “ The Red Shoes ’’ ballet—the first British ballet conceived for the screen and filmed in its entirety. With music by Brian Easdale, decor by Hein Heckroth and choreography by Robert Helpmann, the ballet runs for 13J minutes. Massine, Helpmann and Moira Shearer are the principal dancers. Music has been recorded by Sir Thomas Beecham and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the artists dance to a playback. No sound is being recorded, and film editor Reggie Mills will synchronise film and music without the help of a guide track.

Universities have been combed for a husky young man to co-star with Jean Simmons in the Britsh Technicolor production of “ The Blue Lagoon,” which is to be made on a tropical Island in the Fijis. Frank Launder, director of the film, so far has been unable to find an ideal boy. Young men from Britain, South Africa, the United States and Malta have ben screen tested for the part. Mi - Launder sifted through 2000 written applications and interviewed 150 young men in vain. Every day British feature films were run back to see whether a suitable youngster could be seen in any of the crowd scenes.

Young singing actress Jane Powell will play the title role in M-G-M’s adaptation of the well-known musical comedy “ Peg o’ My Heart,” which is soon to be produced by Joe Pasternack.

Leaving Hollywood on October 19, Jose Iturbi departed for France after a oneday stop in New York. After a short season in Paris, he flew to Ireland, where he appeared at the Theatre Royal, Dublin, on November 1. He played at the Albert Hall, London, on November 10, and is at present touring the larger centres of England and Scotland. His tour will conclude with a final concert in London on December 9, after which he returns to Hollywood to resume his screen career with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Kathryn Grayson is to star in the new M-G-M Technicolor musical "This Summer is Yours,” which will introduce Mario Lanza, tenor, who has been acclaimed as ” the greatest voice since Caruso.”

Murvy'n Vye has received an offer to appear in " How I Wonder,” a new play bv Donald Ogden Stewart, which Garson Kanin will produce on Broadway. Vye is trying to arrange his film commitments so that he can accept the Kanin offers. He is also appearing in “ Whispering Smith.” Betty Hutton portrays 10 different roles in " Dream Girl,” which will set some sort of record for acting versatility. The reason for the 10 roles is that Betty Hutton lives in an imaginative world, and she has nine dream sequences in the film.

It seems that the only satisfactory way to grow really voluminous side-whiskers is to develop a flourishing beard first and then cut away the middle, thus revealing the chin. This was the expert advice given to Peter Illing, young British film star, who with Jack Lambert and Gordon Jackson, is travelling to Australia. They

are going to appear in " Eureka Stockade,” the Ealing film with which Michael Balcon is following " The Overlanders.” Peter Illing requires convincing sidewhiskers for his part as an Australian pioneer. Jack Lambert has also grown a villainous-looking beard. Chips Rafferty, star of " The Overlanders,” plays the lead in “ Eureka Stockade,” a picture that will be made entirely in Australia.

George Hamilton, negro actor of New York stage and radio fame, has been signed by Walter Wanger for the important role of Quint in "Tap Roots,” the technicolor production which co-stars Van Heflin and Susan Hayward at Universal.

Margaret Lockwood, eager to escape from the roles that typed her as the screen’s most winsome wicked lady, Is to be given a chance in her next film of proving her ability to be equally successful in comedy. The film, which goes into production at Shepherd’s Bush In four weeks’ time, will be “ Red Roses For Her Pillow,” an original story by Patrick Kirwan and Victor Katoma, which is a light modern fantasy in the true Lubitsch manner.

Guy and Constance Jones, whose humorous novel, “ Peabody’s Mermaid.” was acquired for filming last year by Nunnally Johnson, are the authors of another novel tentatively titled ”A Shamrock for Stephen, which is not without humour and whimsy and which is intended for publication by Random House shortly The work, just bought by Twentieth Cen-tury-Fox for a reported 75,000 dollars, is roughly outlined by a publisher’s representative as being “about an American who, en route to Europe via plane, is forced down at an Irish airport and is adopted by a leprechaun.”