Cinema . . . Snapshots

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20739, 24 February 1939, Page 4

Cinema . . . Snapshots

About Picture People FROM FILM WEEKLY . JANET CHAPMAN, aped alx, cetchei up with the “Dead End” Kids after Just one picture. Janet's the child Warners took a look at out of kindness to her mother who was in unlucky circumstances. Didn't see her first film, “Little Miss Thoroughbred,” myself. But informants tell me she's a nice child who, can achieve wist fulness without whimsy. Certainly looks like a real child, not a doll. Warners anyway like her well enough to have a story written for her and tlie much older “Dead End” boys. Title at present: “A Little Child Shall Lead Them.” • Bound to be renamed and anyway isn't quite like it sounds. £he’s a slum child with talent and the boys appoint themselves her manager and make her a stage star. • • • • J)AVID NIVEN joins the all-English cast for “ Wuthering Heights.** What doing, we may well ask. I’m afraid. Miscellaneous items inform me first that Niven “gets” Merle Oberon In the v story, second, that he plays the only principal part not technically described as a “heavy.” Now, by my schooldays’ recollections of the novel, nobody got Catherine. She died. Only person who might conceivably be Niven was the nebulous young man to w’hora the story is told b tt -* housekeeper. be Flora Robson). Sounds suspiciously as if Goldwyn had put his team of writers to work Improving on Emily Bronte for purposes of romance. • * • • QLAIRE TREVOR is first In the running to be Bing Crosby’s leading lady in his Universal picture, now named “East Side of Heaven” after the theme song. Just one of the increasing signs that Hollywood's at last waking up to Trevor talents Film Weekly has been pointing out so persistently.

Leading ladies in Crosby films aren’t always terribly important, but it's nice that so many studios are clamouring for Claire.

/n “The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse” she proved beyond doubt she waa worth some clamour, and we'll soon see her as the bona fide star of Walter Wanger's There's sense even in Hollywood.

TAICK POWELL, you’ll be sorry to hear, has been kept out of “Always Leave Them Laughing" for two weeks by a bad bout of ’flu. Sorry, because Dick gets a bit nicer every pictuie. Haven’t heard any more of those rumours of Dick and his wife, Joan Blondell leaving Warners. He’ll do one more picture for them, settled, anyway.

It's “A Young Man’s Fancy,•• with Olivia de Havilland. Dick’s pleased about it. Like all good crooners he’a relying less and less on crooning and this time he reaches a new minimum of only one number.

Same title, by the way, as Robert Stevenson’s picture for his wife, Anna*, Lee, at Ealing. Who’ll change ? • • • •

FORD, a writer on the first Lanffdon and Hardy comedy, “It’s Spring Again,” has been having fun at somebody's expense. Miiybi Ml elephant’s, maybe the director’s. This one was first called “Zenobla’s Infidelity,” Zenobia being an elephant. Some of Ford's directions read—• “Close Shot: Zenobia’s face lights with relief”: “Medium shot: Zenobia looks up at Hardy with an affectionate smile.” No “Kiss me, Ifardy” In the dialogue yet. Alice Brady says to June Lang, both in the elephantine comedy. *Ltetea, honey. You're trying to look prettier than Jean Parker. I’m trying to outact. Billie Burke. Harry Langdon’s trying to outact Oliver Hardy. And for what? The elephant Is going to steal the picture.” % pHARLES LAUGHTON, even ftt his ' most rotundly benevolent, Isn’t my idea of King Arthur of the Round Table. Yet America has it that producer Albert Lewin is coming over here to ask Laughton to play the part for Paramount. Korda, I believe, once had the same idea. American rumour is also busy persuading Laughton to a sequel of Mutiny on the Bounty” and even has him leaving his own company to Join M.G.M. Doesn’t seem likely just yet, with him newly started on “Jamaica Inn.” An added inducement to the Round Table proposal is thought to he that Lewin was with Thalber*. Laughton’s wife. Elsa I.anehester. pays due tribute to Charles' admiration for Hialberg It, “Charles Lhu-It-ton and l.” Flashes Patric Knowles, after getting his release from Warners, has been signed to star for r.crubbc in ‘ Bengal Lancer Patrol.” Warren William *r.l.es over the part of ‘The Lone Wolf” from Francis Lederer '* Columbia. Walt Disney has engaged Deems Taylor. American composer, to work with Stokowski on a full-length eartoon in which the characters wifi be incident'll to the music.** It is exported to Lak' l nearly two years to produce. M.G.M. have bought “Cargo of Innocents," story of Spanish baby refugees j which created some stir in America. « Shirley Temple has gone to work on “The Little Princess.” which is being made in tecbnicolour. Arleen Whelan and Arthur Treacher are supporting