AUCKLAND IS SEEING:—

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 44, 14 May 1927, Page 23 (Supplement)

AUCKLAND IS SEEING:—

REGENT ‘‘Take It Frome Me” (Reginald Denny) & ‘The Eton College Boy’ MAJESTIC “Summer Bachelors” (Madge Bellamy and “Johnny Get Your Hair Cut” (Jackie Coogan). EVERYBODY’S “The Waltz Dream,” and “Kid Boots.” PRINCE EDWARD “Eve’s Lover” and “Ladies of Leisure.” RIALTO “For Heaven’s Sake” and “Diplomacy.” STRAND .. “The Seven Sinners” (Marie Prevost and Clive Brook) and “The Police Patrol.” GRAND “The Night of Love” (Vilma Banky and Ronald Colman). TIVOLI “ The Ace of Cads” (Adolphe Menjou) and “Men of the Night” NATIONAL AND LYRIC .. .. “Till the Sands of the Desert Grow C-ld” (Richard Barthelmess) and “The Chorus Lady.” PRINCESS “Take It From Me” (Reginald Denny) and “The Ace of Cads” (Adolphe Menjou). REGENT (Epsom) “For Heaven’s Sake” and “Diplomacy.” BRITANNIA “Wild Justice” and “Moon of v Israel” * HIPPODROME “Little Red Riding Hood” and Jackie Coogan in “Little Robinson Crusoe.”

‘•'The Road to Romance,” a tale the commercial traveller, Dorothy Mackaill and Jack sShall in the leading roles. Billie Dove will begin work soon on "'^irtilres she will make under a new long eontrac t with First National. Tean Adair, dramatic actress, is touring in America in "The Old Arist rrat” story of the sight-seeing bus business on Broadway. m * * lou Tellegen is playing in vaude.,l,, i n America, using a satirical comedy. “His Bridal Night,” by Edgar Allen Woolf-

Olive Borden, one of the popular screen favourites, was born and reared in Virginia and is a descendant of General Shiels of Civil War fame. Her latest vehicle is “The Joy Girl.”

Sarah Padden. known for many years as a vaudeville fieadliner and dramatic star, is under contract to Metro-Gold wyn- Mayer at Hollywood, playing in Jackie Coogan’s latest picture, “The Bugle Call.”

Mary Phil bin and Ivan Moskine have been selected to co-star in “The Crimson Hour,” a colourful European story. The picture is from Alexander Brody’s stage play, “Lea Lyon,” and is laid in Galicia on the border of Austria and Russia during the World war.

Norma Shearer will star next in “Liberty Bonds.” from a scenario by Monta Bell. She will start on the picture when “Old Heidelberg,” in which she plays Kathie, is finished. “Liberty Bonds” is a play of America in wartime.

Ralph Tnce wilj portray the leading role in “Not For Publication,” an F. B. 0. production based on the story, •‘The Temple of the Giants/' by Robert Wells Ritchie. Rex Lease is cast as the juvenile, with Jola Mendez the only girl in the cast.

Six child actors have important parts In Emil Jannings’ first American starring picture, “The Man Who Forgot God.” They are: Philippe de Lacey, Micky Mcßann, Betsy Ann Hisle, Carmeneita Johnson, Gordon Thorpe and Jackie Coombs. Philippe de Lacey and Micky Mcßann were seen in early scenes of “Beau Geste."

It takes a lot of electricity to run a motion picture studio. One day recently enough lighting power was used at Universal City to light a city of 300.000 population for a week. Three or four ordinary globes make one ampere. At Universal City 48,850 amperes were used for the day’s work.

Henriq Sartov, formerly a professor at an American university, was responsible for the photography in Lillian Gish’s new starring picture, “The Scarlet Letter.” This expert has been Miss Gish’s photographer for several years. The photography in “The Scarlet Letter is very beautiful, having the quality of an oil painting. Lillian Gish plays the part of Hester Prynne, the Puritan maid who loved and defied &n intolerant world. Lars Hanson, Karl Dane, Henry B. Walthall and other well-known players are included in the cast. * * * Olive Borden, who has just been sieneri tr» * laho- +erm contract by Fox Films, Is distinctly a Latin type. Although born in Virginia and with a lineage that is purely American, Miss Borden could easily be taken as a product of Madrid, Paris, Buenos Aires or Lisbon. She is sft. lin in height and weighs 7st. 51b. has dark brown eyes and long jet hlack hair. Her figure is the svelt, lithe beautiful form of the Latins.

Helene Costello, playing? opposite Tom Mix in the Fox picture, “The Broncho Twister,” is quite at home in the saddle. While she was on location her horse had to jump a fallen tree four feet in diameter. The horse leaped over and then, like his longe ared relative, decided he had to rejyt Miss Costello, although unprepared, took the second jump with exceptional grace.

Chester Conklin claims Oskaloosa, la., as his birthplace. He finished a comedy part recently in “A Kiss in a Taxi,” Bebe Daniels’ last picture.

Billie Dove, First National star, likes stained glass windows. In the dress-ing-room and dining-room of her Hollywood home there are several handsome windows of patterned coloured glass.

Tom O’Brien, whose popular screen portrayals include Bull in “The Big Parade,” has been added to the cast of Jackie Coogan’s next starring picture, '“The Bugle Call.” The supporting cast includes Claire "Windsor, Herbert Rawlinson, Harry Todd, Mary Jane Irving, Nancy Price and Nelson McDowell. £>.

Douglas Fairbanks will be a South American cowboy in his next picture. Settling conflicting rumours of the star’s plans for a new film comes announcement from the Fairbanks forces of a story. “The Gaucho, by Elton Thomas, selected for production. Elton Thomas” is a nom-de-plume for Douglas Fairbanks, so the story should be particularly suited to its leading actor Fairbanks has written it, and he is engaged now in devising sets and costumes. Ho is practising Spanish dance steps, too. for there will be native dancing in “Ihe Gaucho. L. Richard Jones will direct the picture and Fancesc Cugat, a Spanish artist, who contributed much colour and background to "Don Q.” is making a pieliminary series of sketches and paintings from which the star expects to get ideas lor “The Gaucho."

In her role as the loyal little homebuilder in "When the Wife s Away, a Master picture due for early re l®ase. Dorothy Revier expects to be laughed at and certainly hopes so. _ But it win be sympathetic laughter, she pre diets, “because almost any young v\ite would do the same sort ot thing and get herself and her husband into the same sort of complications. It s funni. but it’s tragic!” George lx. Arthur has the leading role.

Just as every dramatic actor cherishes in his heart the secret ambition to some day step forth as the great Hamlet, so practically every pit ture producer plans some time to a waiting world a gorgeous “Komeo and Juliet." Samuel Goldwyn has dared to think in specific players Yun-ing eone even further than that. During the past tew months the play has been in the hands of an adaptor, and should the script prove satisfactory. Mr. Goldwvn will put it into production with Vilma Hanky and Ronald Colman the title roles. # # Ra m on N o va rro will star next in “Romance.” a picture made from Joseph Conrad’s novel. John S. Robertson, director of “Captain Salvation” and "Annie Laurie.” will begin work on ' Romance” as soon as Novarro finishes in “Old Heidelberg.’^

Are tall women losing their popularity’ The movies, which set the style in more ways than one, are demanding small women on the screem \ large percentage of the stars ana Players in pictures measure less than the average height, which is Qve feet five inches. Mae Murray, for instance, is five feet one and a-half inches high. This little star is at present appearing in ie" A ME Mm?ay re is Conwa? Tearfe whose manly six feet makes a perfect foil for her daintiness Inwinded in the cast are several 'telli known players, who make •'Altars of 1 .Desire” a picture of merit.

Colleen Moore will play light comedy in her next picture for First National. The story purchased by John McCormick, general manager of West Coast productions and producer of all IMiss Moore’s films, is tentatively titled

“Something With a Kick,” and it has a fashionable metropolitan setting.

When Compton Coutts was 10 it was his expressed wish to become a minister. He grew out of that, and as a direct reaction went on the stage. Recently he realised his childhood ambition, when he played the part of the Rev. Mr. Meekin in “For The Term of His Natural Life,” the picture in which Eva Novak starred in Australia. It is shortly due for release.

Carl Laemmle has a hobby. At his home in Beverly Hills the moving picture potentate finds interest and relaxation in a half-acre garden of rare cactus plants. He has specimens from Arizona and Mexico. Laemmle has a healthy Sotol plant in his collection. The Sotol grows only in Soutnern Mexico and is greatly prized by the peon for its food value. The leaves are often made into a fiery liquor Oi high alcoholic content. The Cancer cactus is another unusual specimen to be found in the Laemmle garden. Naturalists declare that in time the collection, gradually, increased, will become the only complete cactus gaicien in existence. John Griffith Wray, one of the best known motion picture chf® 0 ' tors in Hollywood, b'telv identifed with the Fox studios,. has. been signed to direct Lon Chaney's next vehicle, “The Ordeal.” "The Ordeal’ 'i's a thrilling and dramatic sea story of the present day, taken from the famous novel of the same name by Dale Collins, the Australian writer. Chaney has just completed one of his most unusual characterisations m “The Unknown,” under the direction of Tod Browning, in which he plays an armless sideshow freak. He is now vacationing in the Pacific North-west, and is expected back this week to start preparation on "The Ordeal.”

Vilma Banky and Ronald Colman ha\*o started work in their next production. “King Harlequin,” a Continental story which presents scenes from a circus.

“She,” an adaptation of Sir Rider Haggard’s famous novel, tells the story of “Ayesha-She - "Who - Must - Be-

Obeyed,” an immortal queen who rules a catacomb city and awaits the reincarnation of her lover. Miss Betty Blythe plays Ayesha, while Carlyle Blackwell plays the part of Kallikrates, her lover. The picture has been screened in Australia, and is due in Auckland shortly.

Tim McCoy’s soldierly appearance on the screen is the result of years of service in the army. McCoy served in the Great War as an officer and is now a lieutenant-colonel on the reserves list. His latest picture is "Winners of the Wilderness,” wherein he is cast as a young colonel under General Braddock. Joan' Crawford takes the part of Renee Contrecoeur. a daughter of the French commander at Fort Duquesne. The story is laid against a background of battle lor supremacy between the English and French for the great wilderness country of America in the middle of the eighteenth century.