Dietrich Debunked under the "Purple Light Of A Summer Night In SPAIN"

Radio Record, 3 July 1936, Page 25

Dietrich Debunked under the "Purple Light Of A Summer Night In SPAIN"

~~ (Cole Porter’s ‘Idea-Not Mine)

DIETRICH is saved! ©

No, that doesn’t mean that the Salvation Army has been talking to her, nor yet that a stalwart lifeguard has been fishing her out of a deep and dangerous piece of Pacific Ocean. It means that the damage that was done to this beautiful actréss’s career by such films as "The Scarlet Empress" has been wiped out by her work in "Desire," which I saw at a private screening in Wellington the other. morning. For the first time she has escaped from the directorial hands of Josef von Sternberg (plain Joe Stern to his friends, I am credibly informed), and ‘has been given an excellent director in the person of Frank Borzage. But in writing R.I.P to the headstone of Mr. Stern or Herr von Sternberg or whatever his . name is, I would like to pay him oné compliment. He made a spanking good job of "Shanghai Express," and even if "Legs" Dietrich (the lovely lady’s Hollywood nickname) did no more acting in this than she has done in any other Sternberg film, she posed so beautifully agairist such a variety of backgrounds that the film was like an enjoyable trip through a particularly interesting art gallery. Bur Frank Borzage, in. "Desire," » has engaged in an interesting pursuit which might be called De-

bunking the Dietrich. She smiles, she laughs, she gets slapped, she’s even allowed a wisecrack or two. Like Thorne Smith, Borzage has brought the marble to life-and it’s Surprising what a number of things that same lovely marble is able to do. (And, incidentally, in her more coy moments, Marlene looks ridiculously like our own Hlaine Hamill.) Gary Cooper comes back to her side for the first time since la Dietrich’s first film for Paramount, "Morocco," They make an ideal pair-Cooper very much of this earth, nonchalant, nothing of the patent-leather-hair type about him; Marlene, glamorous, gorgeous and all the other G’s that mean breathtaking beauty. Trouble In Spain. THE plot of "Desire" is Holly-wooden-but the handling: of the subject lifts it into what. the

Americans calls : the ‘"road-show class." Dietrich is a_ skilful jewel thief who has just. pulled, off, something big in Paris and is hastening Spain-ward. Gary Cooper is a young engineer from Detroit who-has been given a fortnight’s: vay-kay-shun by the Paris ‘principals of his firm. He, too, is speeding toward Spain. It, is. inevitable that the two should meet. But Marlene’s sophisticated serenity doesn’t get any romantic jolts from the rotigh-and-readiness of the yourig -American-not for a. start,’ anyway. Came the "purple light of a summer night in. Spain" (to quote’ Cole Porter) — with attendant twitteririgs in the heartsof the jewel-thief and the American engineer. But why-go on? You know as well as I do that love finds the right way in the end. I liked: "Desire" a whole tot.

Stars Over London. AND talking of Marlene Dietrich, her English trip is now definitely arranged. She will arrive in London on August 1, and will begin work immediately on her new film for Alexander Korda. She will appear in "Knights Without Armour," from the book by James Hilton. In August, too, Merle Oberon will return from America to England to make a film for Korda, the man who discovered her. At the present time she is making a Technicolor film, "The Garden of Allah," .in Hollywood. . Robert Donat has been signed up by Korda, and: itis possible that he will play opposite Marlene Dietrich. $500,000 Studios. ALEXANDER KORDA is having a particularly busy time at the moment. His new £500,000 film studios at Denham are now in full working order, and are considered the finest in the world. (If anyone had said to the moguls of Hollywood 10 years ago that England would "be putting up half-million-pound studios jin 1936, they’d probably have roared with derisive laughter). Charles LaughG@eeestees o-o ew cemceetasemncetsennmnn aE crentechen Ercte: cREEEEEEHEERAERIGIEDEDEEE

ton is now making "Rembrandt," the scenario for which has been written by a famous German, Carl Zuckmayer. Erich Pommer, another German, has now arrived from Berlin to direct "Fire Over England," in which Flora Robson will: play the part of Queen -Dlizabeth. In August Charles Laughton will start work on another new picture, an adaptation of Robert Graves’s book, "I Claudius." Korda.has plans for the making of an elaborate. musical along the lines of "Broadway Melody." For The Farmer LAST March President Roose: velt was present at a private screening at» White House of a film that showed the farmers oi America at ‘work. Brimming with enthusiasm, the President sowed the idea for another picture, That picture iss nOW complete, and it is as different from the "dry-as-dust: educational films that school. children and bored adults have got-used to as cheese is from chalk. It is called "The Plough That ‘Broke ‘the Plains," and: its. actors are the farmers themselves acting out the tragedy of happy farms overcome first by drought and then by dust. The a |

finish of the film shows how the Re settlement Administration -is’ transplanting 4500 stranded families to’ new houses on Small farms in ten States. Modern Magician "WE'RE holding a_ special screening of "Mr. Deeds ‘Goes to Town," Columbia’s latest film, in honour of Mr. Badger when he gets to Sydney," said Mr. Frederick Davies, managingdirector of National Studios, Limited. Sydney, to the "Radio Record" last

week. Mr. Davies travelled from Australia to Wellington to meet Mr. Clarence Badger, the famous American film director, who was en route from Hollywood to make a fiim in Sydney. Mr. Davies is one of the men who pioneered talkies in’ Sydney. He was connected with’ the wiring of the Prince Edward Theatre and the Lyceum. Theatre in December, "1928, when the opening pieture was "The Jazz Singer: 7) "We were told’ we were mad," ‘smiled Mr. Davies, "but, when’ the theatres were soon making terrific money we were regarded as magicians."’ — John Q. Dohp | DAVID: OLIVER; who has _. cranked a handle for Universal newsreels:for more than 18 years, has Suddenly found fameand a new name.: He is now John Q. Dohp, and he made his first appearance before the camera in 4 newsreel showing the drawing of the Irish Hospitals Sweepstakes John Q. Dohp wagged his head in foolish disappointment and explained that he had been buying sweepstake tickets for many years, but had never-won anything. Universal,. having put Davida Oliver into this newsreel as a lastminute inspiration, has decided to retain his services for newsreels. He has made a second. appearance since

as an inedigruous. and loutish rustic parading among. a crowd of New York socialites. Variety Wanted E,\VIDENCE of the fact thar "what the public wants" is variety, is forthcoming in the news that "Wife Versus Secretary," a special drama starring Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and Myrna Loy, has come near breaking the records set up in Sydney by "Mutiny on the Bounty." These two pictures are aS far apart as the Poles, both in theme and setting, and yet both have been responsible: for crowded houses. Long-run and-attendance records at St. James’ Theatre, Sydney, are in this order: "Mutiny on the Bounty," "Wife Versus Secretary," "Rip-Tide," "Bar retts of Wimpole Street," "No More Ladies," "Merry Widow," "Forsaking All Others," and "China Seas." Jimmy Durante JIMMY (SCHNOZZLE) DUR- _ ANTE, who, it is rumoured, may cotmhe out-to Australia and New Zealand for a vaudeville season, has been packing the London Palladiuth at every session, ac-

cording to a London correspondent What his London salary is is not known, but, during a season in Dublin, he was drawing £800 a week, Ramon Novarro

BACK HOME.-Hugh Williams, the ‘young English actor who went to Hollywood with a great flourish of trumpets in 1935-and has scarcely been heard of since. But it. is. good’ news that. he is . now returning to London to..make ‘"The Last Journey" for Twickenham Films.

whose London debut was a failure, was later stranded in Budapest dHe returned to the Holborn Empire for a revue season-but the result was distinctly negative. And yet Dublin snapped him up at £700 a week-and he kept the house full in that city for weeks, Dublin must be a pretty good spot for American film stars-Lupe Velez collected £300 a week for personal appearances there, Garbo For London? — MORE ’n’ more American companies are busy on’ films in England. Warner Brothers are extending their English studios and are planning large and costly productions for the near future. Metro-Goldwyu-Mayer gets its British schedule under way this week with the first three of twelve films to be made in Rngland in the next few months, These are "Gangway," "Remember When." and a biography of David Livingstone with Percy Marmont in the title role. Norma Shearer may make "Marie Antoinette" in London, and ‘Greta Garbo may: do one picture following her current American assignment -which {s..to be either "Camille" or "Countess: Walewska." =