HOLLYWOOD GOSSIP

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 December 1939, Page 4

HOLLYWOOD GOSSIP

The introductory note to Garbo’s new picture, “Ninotchka,” reads: “This story takes place in Paris, when a siren was a brunette and not an air-raid alarm —and when a Frenchman turned out a light, it was not because of a black-out.” Cecil B. De Mille refuses to economise in his productions. He says the word irks him. So he has begun production on "North-West Mounted Police.” which promises to be one of th most expensive productions he has ever turned out. This film, De Mille’s sixty-sixth, will be made entirely in technicolour, and will be the history of the famous Canadian law enforcement body. Until Joan Fontaine's recent marriage to Brian Aherne, her sister. Olivia de Havilland, has always predicted she would be the first in the family to wed. As a result there is a great deal of joking going on between the two. A few days ago someone asked Joan if she had seen the picture, "The Old Maid.” "No,” replied Joan. “I haven’t seen my sister in weeks." Errol Flynn and Lili Damita are trying to give the lie to rumours that they are on the verge of separating by being seen in public together as much as possible, states a Hollywood writer. At the recent tennis championships, in which the Australians competed, during the afternoon they never once spoke a word to each other. In fact. Flynn had his back half turned to his exotic-looking wife most of the day. Their fights at parties are becoming as famous as the battles once staged byJohnny Weissmuller and Lupe Velez. Erik Charrel. Broadway producer, plans tn produce "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" in a few weeks with an all-negro cast! Benny Goodman has created a musicalised version with emphasis on swing. The role of Titania will be played by a Harlem songbird with an Irish name who is famous for her Scotch songs—Maxine Sullivan, who turned "Loch Lomond" into a swing anthem. And. if that is not enough for you. il is planned to place I Stepin Feiehit in the role of Bottom. A very funny situation has developed at Universal studios, where 21-'month-old baby. Sandra Renville, better known as Sandy," is al work in a new film. The baby has become aware that when director Charles Lamont calls "cut" it means she no longer must respond to off-stage cues and can act natural. Naturalness, of course, is what Lamont strives for. So now when he wants to start a scene with Sandy he yells "cut" instead of "action" and it works.