Cinema... Snapshots

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20503, 20 May 1938, Page 4

Cinema ... Snapshots

About Picture People. FROM LONDON FILM WEEKLY pREDDIE BARTHOLOMEW has won a minor victory at last in his long struggle with the law. A superior court last month agreed to let him ofT the twenty per cent of his salary previously assigned to his father. Freddie's lawyers pleaded that he owed 119,000 - fees, state and Federal taxes • i n d agent's eoiiiiniss ions md would end the year deep n debt if he • d to pay his father too. Court saw the point. Their decision must be the first relief the

cniia s had m months. Now I hear that Freddie, having discussed possible future careers with his Instructor. .Mr Van Scoyk, wants to become a barrister. Personally, i should think he’d want to steer clear of the law as long as he lives. But maybe it’s on the same principle which makes children who l ave been cripples or invalids become doctors. • • • * pHARLES BOYER gets that grand part in “ Pepe Moko ” that was coming to Robert Montgomery. Only It’ll be called quite simply “ Algiers " and will he made by Walter Wanger Instead of M-G-M. No doubt. If there's any actor in the world could play Pepe as well as Jean Gabln dki In the French version, that actor's Boyer. He should be In his element as the romantic French bandit, and hiding out among the outlaws and natives above Algiers. But It’s a bit of a heartbreak for Montgomery and very muddling for the rest of us. Just what made up M-G-M’s mind to send the leading lady back to Paris, hand the story over to Wanger and leave poor Robert all forlorn I can’t make out. • % • • JANE WITHERS played with Are on ** her recent personal appearance tour and was speedily damped down. Included among her Imitations one of Shirley Temple. Before the Temple parents or Twentieth Century-Fox had time to murmur, Jane s manager Shagrin ordered the tactless item out. “ There’s no feud between Temple and Withers,” said Shagrin, ‘‘.and there's no use planting the seed in people’s minds.’* Must be quite a ticklish responsibility having Temple and Withers at the same studio. Specially since Jane's been creeping so quickly up the box-office polls, and some people even prefer her. • • m m J'IARY GRANT has given Hollywood something new to think about. For his work on “ Bringing Up Baby ” he commanded a very fabulous figure. He had also an arrangement to be paid heavily for any re-takes. While he was on holiday in the north. Radio cabled him back for four days* re-takes. Cary came obediently, said he’d T>een paid so much for the picture he thought the studio deserved his time and refused to take a cent. Such a gesture is unknown to Hollywood. Cary returned to his holidaying and left everybody trying to figure it out. * • • • r' EORqe HAIGHT, resigning his post as associate producer to Sam Goldwyn becomes the scapegoat for all Sam's recent troubles with his famous literary folk. Sam says Ben Heeht and Anita Loos both left because they couldn’t get along with Haight. Also claims Gene Fowler only consented to continue work on ** The Real Glory,’* army story destined for Gary Cooper, If he dealt direct with Goldwyn. Goldwyn* writers are his pride and Joy and he hopes thcy ll come trooping back. • • * • JOAN BENNETT very surprisingly goes on loan to Paramount for “ The Texan.” ” The Texan ’* is the milllon-dollar Western that was railed “ The Lone Star Rises ” last week and “ Marching Herds ’* for months before that and was to star Frsnces Dee. And just to add to the confusion, wasn't there an old Paramount Western called ** The Texan ” starring Gary Cooper? Randolph Scott is it this time. It’s tough to understand. Joan Bennett’s played a goodly selection of parts In her time, but I can’t recollect ever seeing her in a Western. Seems Walter Wanger thinks Westerns are next year’s big winners and that’s why he’s lending her. Only bit of clearinr-up this does Is the pressure on Frances Dee. She’s rapidly attaining the status of Clark Gable in the number of pictures announced for her, with “ Cafe Society,” ••Racing Form” and the “Texas Rangers” sequel (blink of a title for that one).

William Cagney Bill Cagney looks very much like hi§ brother, Jim, who is resuming his motion picture career at his old stand the Warner Bros, studio in Burbank. The likeness is so great that Bill rarely takes the trouble to explain; it is so much easier to sign Jim s autograph. art** a* Jimmy’s business manager, and one motion picture executive told him recently that the re- *>. roManre \\..s so close he could take “That’s all true.” Bill agreed ‘ except that I'm too smart to be an actor.**