FILMS AND THE STUDIOS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 560, 12 January 1929, Page 21

FILMS AND THE STUDIOS

jTfF ml RTH r. XT ATE! Newspaper nieu played an important; nort in Bebe Daniels’s newest starring picture for Paramount, ’’What a. Night!” The story is based on the adventures of newspaper men and the newsroom of a metropolitan paper was duplicated. Don Eddy, one of the best-known newspaper men in Southern California, served as a technical adviser and several reporters appear in the picture, which Eddy declured would be outstanding in that it is a newspaper story true to actual newspaper conditions. KISOS 'ELS it What might be called a series of film memoirs is the compilation made by the Gaumont Co., Ltd., of England, showing outstanding events in the lives of Queen Victoria, King Edward VII., and King George V. Scenes taken as lcag ago as ISSS, showing Hyde Park corner, the Paris Exhibition of 1900, the first motion picture 0 ( Henley Regatta, 1895, King Edward’s Durbar, Queen Victoria’s visit to Dublin in 1900. coronation of King Edward, the return of Lord Kitchener from South Africa, coronation of King George, and similar views, make up the reels. MtIOJH OF ZASI

Comes an explanation of the unusual first name possessed by that excellent comedienne Miss Pitts. When ZaSu was born there were two doting aunts after whom her parents wished to name her. One was Eliza, the other Susan. Conferences were held. After much discussion it was decided to use the last two letter of Eliza and the first, two of Susc.ii. that both might be pleased. Miss Pitts receives scores of l'an letters asking about her name. The star’s most recent appearance is in “Sins of the Fathers,” Paramount’s picture featuring Emil Jannings. XEGRO i'll-SI VKj l /■'

Negro films are becoming a field in themselves in Hollywood. The popularity of the negro plays and dancers and musicians, that originated in New York some time ago, is finding an echo in film production, although the limited scope cf subject matter allowed in films will preclude any screen Lulu Belles. Among the film dramas now in production with all-colored casts are King Vidor’s “Hallelujah,” being made luT Metro-Gold wyn-M ayer; Christieparamount’s “The Melancholy Dame,” which concerns itself with Darktown, Birmingham, and William Fox’s production of “Hearts in Dixie.”