Bebe Daniels, Ben Lyon, Polly Moran and Anna May Wong Coming to N.Z. and Australia

Radio Record, Volume VII, Issue 52, 5 July 1935, Page 17

Bebe Daniels, Ben Lyon, Polly Moran and Anna May Wong Coming to N.Z. and Australia

New Zealand and Australia.. Latest mails-bring de-~ tails of well-known American film stars booked for appearances onthe stage in this part of the world. Biggest head-liner of all is Bebe Daniels, who. will open- with a special company in Melbourne shortly. Other "big" names include Ben Lyon (Bebe Daniels’ .husband), . Polly Moran and Anna May. Wong. . Walter Johnson, who.will be remembered: in New..Zea--land in the palmy days of Fullers’ vaudeville, has returned ; to Australia after seven years’ absence; bringing with him news of the engagement of the stars mentioned above. He has made a name for himself in America and England dur- ‘ sng that time, having produced an Har! Carroll. "Vanities" and a Ziegfeld "Follies" in New York. He was responsible for the production are big things brewing for. theatre-goers in a

side of "Anything Goes," the musical show © by Cole Porter, who visited New Zealand in the summer, and which. was the big- \ gest success since Old Man Depression . (nit Broadway. He worked ‘on: the legi- : timate production, "Queer Cargo," in. New © York and*later crossed to London, where ‘his "Why Not To-night?" was one ‘of ‘the most successful revues the Palladium has ever known. , For his opening, which will.be run un- . der Frank Neil’s banner in: Melbourne,:

: Johnson has imported stars ‘from the Ziegfeld Follies ~ and Morony and Corelli, who had head-lined the Chicago * World’ Fair. Bebe Daniels will probably raiak’ ag one > of the most important’ film stars to appear on: the Australian stage, and.she is certainly the greatést.since Pauline Frederick. ‘ Miss Daniels leapt into talkie fame in the title -role of ‘ oie of the most successful films ever made-‘"Rio Rita." ‘This role was much to the star’ 's liking, for her mother _ was a Spaniard. Her maternal great-grandfather . was: : .Governor of Columbia, South Carolina, in the early days, © and. her. grandfather was American consul. at Buenos

‘Aires... Miss Daniels made her first stage .appearance at the age of four, and her first screen appearance four years later. She graduated into that excellent training ground -Mack Sennett comedies-and from there to stardom, "The Palm Beach Girl," "Stranded in. Paris" and. "Miss Brewster’s Millions" were some: of the silent films’ that made her the idol.of film fans the: world ‘over. Just before’ the talkies came, Miss. Daniels" stocks ‘had. slumped a little, but ‘her acting -in -her first talkie, "Rio Rita," ‘shot her back -into the front :rank. . She: crossed to: England about: two years ago: and several pictures for British International Pictures. Five years ago she married Ben Lyon, the wedding being one of the social évents of Hollywood, and attended: by more than a thousand guests. (Continued on ne Page. 58.)

Screen Stars For Australia and N.Z.

(Continued from page 17 ) Ben Lyon, her husband, who is ta appear with her in the antipodes, is 34 years old and has been in films since he left school. His first. appearances were in the "Potash and Perlmutter" series. Since. then he has played. the part of hero in many inportant films, including the silent "So Big," "Bluebeard’s Seven’ Wives" and "Marriage of Marcia." His talkie successes include "Lummox" (not generally screened in New Zealand) aud "Hell’s Angels," ‘the greatest air picture made. ~- rt Polly Moran, who was due to have passed through Auckland en route to Melbourne a fortnight ago, but who is now to arrive in Australia on September 7, has been in films since 1915, when she played a part in a Mack Sennett: comedy, "The Janitor." She played important parts in many silent films, but it was with Marie Dressler in such talking pictures as "Caught Short" ‘and "Politics" that she achieved real fame. Miss -Moran appeared with Greta Garbo in"The Divine Woman," and she also played a part in that great sileut film, "The Trail of 98." . The fourth "name" booked for Aus:, tralia is Anna May Wong, the. 28-year-old Chinese girl who has played with great success in British and American films, and on the stage on both sides of ‘the Atlantic: She achieved fame for her portrayal of the slave girl in "The Thief of Bagdad" in. 1922 Later she appeared in "Mr. Wu," "The Chinese Parrot," "Fifth Avenue" and the Iinglish film, "Piccadilly" Lately she has been ‘playing on the English stage. Her name, in English, means: Frosted Yellow Willow. ; On the film side, too, there is to be considerable activity in Australia. Clive Brook and Basil Dean. the famous English director, axe thinking uf making a film there, while Reginald Denny and Anita Page, the. dazzling plonde of "Broadway Melody." are alse available for Australian pictures. °