"Un! Deux! Trois! Quatre! CINQ!" —And The Dionnes Became Famous

Radio Record, 5 June 1936, Page 23

"Un! Deux! Trois! Quatre! CINQ!" —And The Dionnes Became Famous

Above are five child stars who, before their first feature film has been released, are tore famous than Shirley Temple==the Dionne quintuplets, They aré the stars of "The Country Doctor," a film based on the day in 1934 when Mrs. Oliva Dionne, French-Canadian farmer’s wife, astounded the world=and -her husband-by giving birth to five daughters. (The above photograph is by courtesy of the N.E.A. Service),

"Gosh! GOSH! "GOSH!" And, as Oliva Dionne, FrenchCanadian farmer, became a father for the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth titnes-all in the space of a few hotrs--the honest eyes of Dr. Alfan Dafoe grew wider and wider. It was the early dawn of May 28, 1934 atid when Dr, Dafoe came

out Of the bedroom his greying hair was askew and his .spectacles wete puslied back on his nose. "You'd better go in," he said to Dionne. Fatherhood was nothing riew to this yourg fatrmer-he had five children already-but this was something different. Smiling up at him was his 26-year-old wife and pillowed beside her... t "Un! Deux! Trois! Quatre! CINO!" 4

All in a Row.

WHEN the first shock of five-fold fatherhood had worn off a little, Diontie put through a longdistatice call to a Toronto newspaper. Could he insert a birth notice~a father unusual tiotice? How five daughters’ had been born to Mr. and Mrs. Oliva Dionnefive allina row. The birth notice cost the Dionnes fothing. An amazed and excited Toronto editor soon had the wires of the world humming with the greatest "human interest" story fot months. Within 24 hours the world had taken the Dionne

quinttiplets to itg heart. Within 48 hotits the simple-minded Dionnes found themselves front page tiews, and literally boimbirdéd by a barrage of offers from sereen, vaudeville, ciretis and radio promoters. And then the State stepped in--and the only living quintiplets in history were safeguarded from exploitation.

Five-Star Film.

AND now, as their second birthcday passes, the quintuplets, Marie, Etnilie, Cecile -Annette and Yvonne, fitid themselves arnong the world’s most popular screen stars. Twentieth Century’s producer, the famotig Darryl Zanuck, quick to seize on the tinustial, began work on a film entitled "The Country Doctor," which showed the "quints" in aéction--and, incidentally, added 10.000 dollars to their. trust fund. Jean Hersholt plays the part of the country doctor-and plays ‘it so amazingly well that, In the opinion of an American critic, he almost steals the picture from its quintette of stars.

Their Own Directors.

MOST of "The Country Doctor" was tnade in Hollywood, but, for the fitial shots Hersholt went to Ontario. Dr. Dafoe allowed his little charges to work one hour a day, but refused, tinder any circumstances, to permit them to be kept working past. their lunch liour. All the film equipment was sterilised

and kept out of sight. The actors and the director had théir throats sprayed between shots. Since it was oiit of the qtiéstion for the director to tell the "quints" what to do, they literally directed themselves, -and-Jean Hersholt bad to fall in with their whims and faticies, They liked him and mistook Dorothy Peterson, who plays the leading feminine part, for one of their ntirsés. The picture Was relenséd in 526 thea-

tres in Ameri¢a last month-tind it. is doing phenomenal business. It is to be screétied in- three New Zealand centres simtiitaneously, starting on Friday, June 19. ;

Muni Just Lost.

THERE weré few surprises in the 1935 awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences the details of which have just been made available. Warner Brothers are we'll in the picture with three awards-one to Bette Davis for her performance in "Dangerous" (in my opinion she wds infinitely better in "Of Httman Bondage"), a second to Hal Mohr for his cinematography in

"Midsummer Night’s Dream," and a. third to Harry. Warren and: Al -Dubin for their song, "Lullaby of Broadway. " Incidentally, although Victor McLaglen carried off the men’s award for. his acting in "The Informer," he was nearly nosed out of first place by Paul Muni for his playing in "The Story of Louis Pasteur." (This film is to be privately screened in Wellington this week-Pll give you the "low-down" on it in our next issue. )

Sold .a Pup!

Do you remember a few weeks ‘ago a few lines on this page about "Tritolerance," the D. W. Griffith masterpiece, made in 1916 and’ said to have cost two million dollars ‘and a half? Well, those spoil- -sports ‘whose chief delight in life is ‘finding the Woolworth coupons aniong the-duchess’s diamonds, have unearthed the fact that the picture actually: cost only: 330,000 dollars! And this 'same D, W. Griffith, who is through with’ pictures and comparatively poor, recently divorced his wife and married Evelyn Baldwin, an amateur actress, ’ who was born exactly 30 years after the 56-year-old Griffith. —

Statisticians Only!

BABIES (my pages seem to have . gone all clinical to-day) are an expensive proposition in Hollywood. For instance, little Jack Woody, the young man who passed through Auckland with his mother, Helen | Twelvetrees, some months ago, cost the star somewhere’ about 130,000 dollars!

She gave up a year’s work and salary to his advent-and incidentally lost the leading role in "A Bill of Divorcement." It was‘ given to Katharine Hepburnand started that young woman on the road to fame. Norma Shearer’s might be called the half-million dollar nursery, for she gave up almost that sum as the price of Katharine, her new daughter, and Irving Thalberg, junior. Young Katharine cost M.-G.-M. a

pretty penny, too, for they had to suspend the filming of "Marie Antoinette" while Norma attended to the business of motherhood. ,

Adoptions.

WHILE: some babies ‘atrive. by the ‘. natural route in‘ Hollywood, still more are. adopted, Miriam

Hopkins is at present collecting the handy little sum of 3500 dollars a week and is, at the same time, & devoted mother to sturdy little Michael, y whom she found in a famous "clearing house" for children. Al Jolson and Ruby Keeler have a "sonny boy," part Irish, part Jewish, and taken from an orphanage. Wallace Beery’s adopted four-year-old daughter, Carol Ann (she appeared in "China Seas’’) is a lovely child. Fredric March has two adopted children, Constance Bennett has one, so has Gloria Swanson, although she

has two daughters of her own. A warm-hearted adoption was the taking over by Zasu Pitts of the late Barbara la Marr’s "Sonny."

In Colour.

CONSIDERATION has © been given to the possibility of making one or more Technicolor films of. New Zealand. It is felt that added impetus would thus’ be given to the publicity for the Dominion, and if the proposal is carried out it is expected that a large number of copies will be placed in America and Brgland alone.’ Plans are under way for the * distribution of 40 to 50 miles of black-and-white film, particularly on board ships and through the larger travel .’ agencies. These latter are making / great use of New Zealand scenic films

Names That Meant Nothing !

Laughton, Astaire and Tone in Old Films. "THREE LIVE GHOSTS," which. is having extended seasons in both Auckland and Wellington, is a brand-new film-not a re-issue of the popular talkie of some four years'ago. And talking of reissues, "Dancing Lady," the Joan Crawford film that was released in New Zealand three years ago, is having a second spin-and, in many cases, is doing better business than it did the first.time. In: 1933 there were only two people whose names meant anythingJoan Crawford and Clark Gable. "Some "bit" parts.were played by a couple of somewhat obscure young men, Fred Astaire and. Franchot Tone. Since then Astaire has become the biggest drawing card in films to-day, while Tone is an A grade star and the husband of the big-eyed Crawford. Another film that did no business when it. was first made but is to-day makjng a lot of money is ‘Payment Deferred." Charles Laughton is the star-but that didn’t mean a thing when the picture was first screened,

‘now for ‘interesting. prospective tourists, and New Zealand has been one of the first in the field to Supply them with such material through the Tourist and Publicity Department.

Invercargill Now 0

1 you're one of those people to whom the "Support Local Industry" signs in trams and shop windows mean anything, then maybe you'll be interested to know that Invercargill, too, has "gone Hollywood" and produced a talkie, "The ‘Wagon and the Star" it is called and, jp CRRA RE A

while the settings are scarcely "Broadway Melody" or "Cavalcade," it is said that some of the shots.in the Hglinton Valley are particularly beautiful. There are two original songs in! it-"Men of the Road" and "I’m Going to Hitch My Wagon to a Star," both composed by Howard Moody.

No Golden Curls.

FREDDIE BARTHOLOMEW goes on record as the first actor to play "Little Lord Fauntleroy" without the traditional long golden curls and plush suit in the

Selznick International film version of the world-famous Frances Hodgson Burnett story, which co-stars the popular child star with Dolores Costello Barrymore. This departure from the tradition is the direct result of public reaction to the announcement that David O. Selznick, who makes his debut as an independent producer with this: film, would let the: fans decide whether Freddie should tvear the long golden eurls or his own: ‘short chestnut locks. In all other respects; however, Hugh Walpole, who adapted, "Little Lord Fauntieroy" to. the, * screen, has faithfully adhered to the nniversally NAO SSA ERE NTS 7

beloved.; story of the little American, boy who became a nobleman; went .to Bngland to live in a castle with the jrascible Darl of Dorincourt and transformed that gentleman from a surly old bear to a lovable old grandfather.

Chevalier Again:

MAURICE, CHEVALIER has. been working hard on the English and French versions of Lock’s "The Beloved Vagabond." He and the other members of the cast are now in the South of France, where the exteriors are being shot. This picture is.a free adaptation of the wellknown book, and Chevalier sings sev-

eral delightful songs, which blend quite naturally with the story. Betty Stockfeld, the South African girl, is play--ing in -both the English and French versions.

One in the Eye.

MUST I hang my head in shame? A:couple of weeks ago I said that Douglas Fairbanks, jun., didn’t mean a thing in pictures. And here are my words thrown, back’ in ,my,,:,. teeth with English critics praising his performance in "The Amateur Gentleman," an adaptation of Jeffery Farnol’s much-read ‘novel. MHlissa Landi, who seems to have had a busy time since she crossed over to the

British studios, is the heroine. "The Amateur Gentleman" is due for screening in New Zealand within the‘ néxt few weeks.

Big ’Uns Coming.

LONDON Films,’ the English unit of United ‘Artists, is. working hard on‘a number of big talkies. Roland Young is the star of "The Man Who Could Work Miracles," an H. G. Wells‘story. Gigli, the famous tenor whose voice is — wellknown to-New Zealand listeners, is to appear in a film called "Forget Me Not." Robert Flaherty, the man who made the prize-winning, but much neglected "Man of Aran," has been in India for some time working on a film version of Kipling’s "Blephant Boy." Walter Hudd will appear as Lawrence of Arabia in "Revolt in the Desert." Many people have remarked from time to time on Hudd’s resemblance to Lawrence-and here’s. his chance to prove it. Robert Donat, Merle Oberon and . Charles ., Laughton are : other famous stars who will make ‘pictures for London’ Films ‘during ‘the ‘year. .

"Kidnapped" Child

BEFORE the whole question of custody of their child is.settled there

is likely to be a big waste of words, . time and’ money between Ann Harding and her ex-husband, Harry Bannister. The actress’s latest move was given a _ Sensational twist this week when Ban-

4 nister arranged for her arrest on a kidnapping charge as soon ag she arrived at Southampton with the child on what Miss Harding insists is a brief and legitimate visit, | ,

| Bits *n’ Pieces

Long-lived "Shining Hour" Scenery

(By

Our Stage Critic

NHE other day I was waiting backstage at the Opera House, Wellington, to interview Katie Towers. The set' for "The Shining Hour," one of the plays in the repertoire of the J.C. Williamson company now touring New Zealand, was built up, and I fell to idly examining the various pieces of scenery. [| discovered that. the fireplace originally belonged to "Is Zat So?"’ an American comedy that toured New. Zealand about 1926. A window had stamped upon it, ""Thark. Act.3.""-relic of the Ben Travers. season about 1928. "Percy ‘dutchinson-'Mr. What's His Name’" was stamped on yet another piece. Do you remember that;show? The back wall of the set belonged to. three shows"Iris" was stamped on‘one:piecé,,’ "The Dominant Sex" (a straight play that was produced in. Mel--bourne last year) on another, and "Yes, Madam" ona third, "Yes, Madam" is a musical comedy that we may see later in the year.

"As Husbands Go"

Clever Comedy: to Be . Staged in N.Z. IN her curtain speech at the close of the final performance of "The Shining Hour,"’ in Wellington, Ethel Morrison, the star of the J.C. Williamson Company now presenting several plays in New. Zealand, announced that the. company was at present rehearsing a fourth play’that would be staged later in the present tour. It: was ‘As Husbands’ Go," an amusing and _highly-successful comedy by Rachel Crowthers. There is a possibility, too, that further successes may be presented before this talented company _ returns to Australia.