FILM SIDELIGHTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 September 1938, Page 5

FILM SIDELIGHTS

PICTURES AND PLAYERS ON PARADE

QUINTUPLETS TO MAKE NEW FILM. ELABORATE PLANS FOR NATURAL PHOTOGRAPHS. The Dionne quintuplets will jeceive 100,000 dollars for their new Fox picture “Five of a Kind.” All the scenes that include the famous quins will be shot at their home in Callender, Ontario. So that they will not appear self-conscious before the cameras, the director is making special preparations to keep the cameras hidden from their eyes at all times. They will have no idea they are acting for a picture, but will be photographed in their normal routines and habits. It is costing the studio much extra money to do this, but they should appear more natural on the screen. Diplomat in Films. Alexander Korda announces that he has engaged Sir Robert Vansittart, famous British diplomat, to write the screenplay for “Burmese Silver,” Edward Thompson’s best-seller which Korda has purchased for filming during the next season. Mr Thompson will collaborate with Sir Robert Vansittart on the film version of his novel, which will be photographed entirely in technicolour. Sabu, the Indian child star, and Conrad Veidt, will play the leading roles. Production of “Burmese Silver” will follow Mr Korda’s production of “The Thief of Bagdad,” in which Sabu will play the thrilling and adventurous role of the thief. This picture will also be in technicolour.

Joe E. Brown Sings. Joe E. Brown, star of Columbia’s “The Gladiator,” which is rapidly nearing completion, will make his debut as a singer in this production. Efts song is “On to Victory,” a typical football rally number. It was written by Charles Newman and Walter G. Samuels. Brown’s supporting cast in “The Gladiator” includes Man Mountain Dean, June Travis, Dickie Moore, Lucien Littlefield, Robert Kent, Ethel Wales, and Donald Douglas. The picture is based on Philip Wylie’s novel of the same title and was produced by David L. Loew for Columbia. Franchot Tone’s Plans. Franchot Tone may forsake films for good when his M-G-M contract runs out in October. Tone has been putting off signing a new one for months and had got permission to do a play in the autumn. He never liked Hollywood and only stayed because of Joan Crawford. Now the marriage has collapsed, general opinion is that Mr Tone will go back to the stage to stay. If Hollywood had treated him better he might have liked Hollywood more. New Roles for Garbo. Greta Garbo will go to Hollywood in October to appear in "a comedy part in the film,* ‘Love Is Not So Simple,” based on Melchior Lengyel’s novel “Ninotchka.” She will also appear in a film of the life of Madame Curie, based on the book by the scientist’s daughter.

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

Technique. Stage Producer: “My dear chap that won’t do at all. You must look into her face anxiously. Try to imagine you’re in a taxi watching the face of the meter.” Temperament. Scenes in a film play were “shoY” on a small yacht in a stormy sea. A rather vulgar correspondent wants to know if any of the players threw up their parts too. Amusement. “When does the theatre open?” he asked. “There isn’t a theatre here,” the constable replied. “Is there a cinem.a, then?” “No there’s nothing of that kind here.” “Good gracious! Have you no evening amusement then?” “Well,” said the officer, “if you care to wait until eight o’clock you’ll see them shunting the goods train.”

SCREEN GOSSIP

NEWS OF FILMS AND STARS. Howard Hughes, the famous airman, wants to become the exclusive producer of Katharine Hepburn’s films. Their marriage is an annual Hollywood rumour. Brian Aherne and Vincent Price are both being tested for the part of Maximilian in “Juarez” with Paul Muni. Price was Helen Hayes’ leading man in “Victoria Regina.” Film rights to “Show Boat” Edna Ferber’s novel and to the musical play by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein have been acquired by M-G-M. Universal made a film of it- in 1929. starring Laura La Plant and again in 1936 with Irene Dunne in the feature role. Six Alexander Korda productions were named among the ten British pictures produced, during the past year in the annual poll conducted by “Film Weekly,” England’s leading film magazine. They were “Fire Over England,” “Farewell Again.” “Storm in a Teasup.” “Rembrandt,” “Elephant Boy” and “Dark Journey.”

London Film Productions’ “The Drum” and George Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmalion”’ produced by Gabriel Pascal and Leslie Howard with Mr Howard as “Professor Higgins” were two British feature films shown at the Venice Festival during the Sixth International Cinema Exhibition last month.

It is announced that the picture previously entitled “Lord Jeff” with Mickey Rooney and Freddie Bartholomew will be known in future as “The Boy From Barnado’s.”

So terrifically hot was it in the Himalayas during the filming of “The Drum” that on two clays shooting had to be suspended as the emulsion on the film was running and jamming the camera shutters.