Heroine, Aged 71, Hero, 75

Radio Record, Volume X, Issue 7, 28 August 1936, Page 25

Heroine, Aged 71, Hero, 75

STARS who are stars in the fullest meaning of the word are promised for a new British film to be called "Moonlight Sonata." The heroine is 71 years old, the hero 75 --but their fame burns as brightly to-day as it did 25 years ago. The heroine? None other than Marie Tempest. the world-famous stave

star, who celebrated her fiftieth stage anniversary last year. The hero? Jan Ignaz Paderewski, famous pianist and the man who signed the Treaty of Versailles for Poland. "Simple,

Natural." THE idea for "Moonlight Sonata" belongs to Lothar Mendes, the director of "Four Feathers" and the grim Charles Laughton film, "Payment Deferred." And it is Mendes who has _ persuaded #aderewski and Marie Tempest to appear in this film, which is described as a, "nice, simple. human story"; he is a

aS German, and earlier in his life he worked under Max Reinlardt in Berlin. Paderewski will actually . play three times in the film, but he will appear in a patt closely bound up with the story, "here was once q time," he will say at the opening of the film, "when I was able to play destiny in the lives of three young people."

As a Grandmother. TPE motive of the story," said: Mr. Mendes, "is that the music of Paderewski plays an essential part in determining the lives of three peoplea part which no lawyer, no comrade, no parent, no sage could have played." Marie Tempest will appear as. the grandmother of the girl who is one of ihe youne neovle concerned. Pade-

‘\ rewski is supervising. the. musi¢: which is being designed: to form. a counter: point, in warring jazz and -elassical terms, to -the torrents of the young people’s tives. "I thinic -the sophisticated ‘story is dead," , Mr.- -Mendes

Said." ; Las te has ‘turned « to nice, siniple; ‘human ‘stories, and ‘fhat: is what we hope ‘this, "will" ‘be." Army Life. ‘RAovt "WALSH, the American director of "What Price Glory," igs at present in Eng-

land making a film of British army life. Nearly 10,000., British troops will’ appear in "On His Majesty’s Service,"-as the picture will be called. "At first the army anuthori- ‘ ties had not* planned to co-operate on a large scale," said Mr. Walsh, "but they were quick to see the point, and I haye recelved magnificent co-opera-tion everywhere-at Aldershot, ~ Tidworth, Southampton and on Salishury

New British Film. to Star Marie Tempest And Ignaz Paderewski

Plain." The:story of the film is based on: the ,idea..that an American, to escape «the law: in America, escapes and joins’ ithe British Army, for which at first he has.scant respect. The army, however, ‘ with its splendid discipline, suceeeds?in "licking- him into shape." He wins recognition for bravery and ‘rettirns}to: ‘America rehabilitated. The casting‘ is to‘ be settled shortly. Huge Deal. UMOURS of .g deal between the * £7; 000, 000 Gaumont-British’ Company+ and the ‘almost equally large Twentieth Century-Fox Corporation were ' ‘revived : by: a report that Isidore Ostrer, chairman ‘of Gaumont-British, has left New York for Hollywood to confer with: Joseph Schenck, chairman of the American concern. Inquiries indicite: that Fox are willing to buy the Ostrer interests for £2,000,000. There;is ‘good ‘reason :to. believe, however, that: Mr. Ostrer: has set a minimum pricefof ‘£2; 500,000*on the deal. It is understood: ‘that’ at present the Ostrers and.:Fox'each own a 49 per cent. interest ‘in, ‘Gaumont-British. Such a

transaction, if completed, would be, both financially and practically, the biggest event in the history of the English, and perhaps of the American, motion picture industry. It would mean the union of the largest British com- . pany with the second largest American company and the creation of the most powerful single concern in the industry. Back In Sydney. TPEMPH PIGOTT, who portrays an important character in Warner's film "The White Angel," is now holidaying in Sydney. This Australian-born actress is home after spending fourteen years in America, most of this time occupied appearing in- motion pictures. Miss Pigott has some interesting .anecdotes to tell of Hollywood, and the making of pictures, and ig giving a series of ‘talks over Australian broadcasting stations, and is also writing a. series of articles. In "The White Angel" she appears as Mrs. Waters, a drunken hospital nurse whose condition and protestations are the determining factor in the cerystalising of Florence Nightingale’s ambition to he-

come the Empire’s famous humani_tarian, Miss Pigott said, "During production, no expense was spared. Warner Brothers were determined to produce something special, and they have certainly ‘sueceeded." Incidentally, Clyde Cook is another Australian appearing in this film. Paramount Week. AMONG the pictures which will be sereened throughout the Dominion in celebration of Paramount Week, are: "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine," featuring Sylvia Sidney, Fred MacMurray, Henry Fonda and "Spanky" McFarland; ‘Desire,’ with the_ brilliant team of Marlene Dietrich and Gary Cooper; "Give Us This Night," co-

starring Gladys Swarthout and Jan Kiepura; "Rose of the Rancho," also starring Gladys Swarthout with John Boles; "Anything: Goes," featuring Bing Crosby, Charlie. Ruggles, Ethel Merman and Ida Lupino; "The Moon’s Our Home," with Margaret Sullavan and Henry Fonda; "Klondike Annie," starring the inimitable Mae West with Victoy McLaglen; "Coronado," featur- _ ing Johnny Downs, Betty Burgess, Jack Haley and many others in a bright, sparkling musical, and "The Big Broadcast of 1936," featuring Richard Tauber, the Viennese Boys’ Choir, Amos ’n’ Andy, Bing Crosby, Ray Noble and his band, Charlie Ruggles and Mary Boland, Gracie Allen and George Burns, _Lyda Roberti and Jack Oakie. Important Cargo. WHEN the Monterey reaches Auckland on September 4 she will be carrying valuable movie cargo. labelled, "xtra. Important. Handle With Care!" In other words two .of.the high . priests of the cinema world are

on board-Walter J, Hutchinson, general foreign manager of the Twentieth Century-Fox Corporation, who will spend several days in New Zealand before proceeding to’Sydney, and Stuart Doyle, well-known Australian film man, who his been looking round the English and American film colonies. .Mr. Hutchinson, who has charge of: all Twentieth Century activities outside the United States and Canada, is no stranger fo Australia. In 1921 he was appointed assistant foreign manager in New York and the same year went to

Sydney as managing-director for Fox in Australia and Far East representative. In March, 1925, he was appointed managing director for Great Britain. His hobbies are riding and hunting; he is a collector of old silver and prints; his favourite sports are tennis, squash and skating; he is governor of the American Club in London. Priestley Picture PRIESTLEY has given us many pictures of London’s suburbia, but none which whetted the imagination more than "Laburnum Grove." ‘The sereen version, previewed to a large audience in the Regent Theatre, Wel!lington on Sunday evening, is slightly varied from the stage play in that the Jatter left you in two minds whether the very respectable suburban gentleman owas _ actually a counterfeiter, while the film leaves no doubt about it. A picture which depends entirely upon its dialogue needs strength in its characterisation, and "aburnum Grove" succeeds in this direction. There is nice contrast in .the feminine cast, while Cedric Hardwicke carries off the show as the ne’er-do-well near-relation with © weakness for hananas, cigarettes and liquor so long as they are provided by

someone else. People who continually look for technical imperfections in British films will find some to talk about in "Laburnum Grove," but those who can appreciate character studies-and particularly those who know anything of London suburban life-will enjoy this picture, with its erisp dialogue and unusual theme, Rollin’ Along. "SHOW BOAT," like its famous song, "OV Man River," is rollin’ along in an enviable way at every theatre where it is being screened. After a splendid three weeks’ season at the Re(ERE Pe nearer anaes

gent Theatre, Wellington, it was. moyed into the Grand Opera House for # further week. So large were the crowds that this Universal musical talkie will come back to Wellington for a fifth week when the stage production, "The New Moon," finishes its season at the Opera House this week. In Australia the story is the same-in Brisbane £6000 went through the box office in three weeks, establishing a-.record for that city. In Sydney, where the picture is now in.its 12th week, the takings for a week broke the famous record created by "One Night of Love," which ran for 10 months at the Liberty. te Piatiere ie ANTS eS EL TE a, Cael Soba oS Sd

Plenty of Interest: THERE'S plenty of interest in Dunedin over the forthcoming season of "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" at His Majesty’s Theatre. ‘'This Warner Brothers film, one of the boldest talkie experiments of recent. years, has been a big success in some towns, a failure in others. _ It'll. be interesting to see how Dunedin receives it. Incidentally this is the first occasién .on which talkies have heen screened at His Majesty’s, which is the Fullers’ legitimate stronghold in the south. — . Not a Chance! QNCE a month throughout the last five years Warner Oland has threatened to go back to Connecticut. to look at his farm. His latest plan

for -the:trip, calling for an early start, Was changed when associate producer John Stone advised him that-he will be-busy. at Twentieth Century-Fox. Oland,. recently returned from a visit to China and Japan, is now completing "Charlie Chan at the Race Track." Stone has the next Chan story, dealing with a murder at the opera, almost ready and wants to place it before the cameras as soon: as. possible. Fresh Ege Girl. LORETTA YOUNG, who is playing the title role in "Ramona," Twen‘tieth Century-Fox’s all-colour dramatisation of the classic ‘California legend, ig indulging a fondness for fresh eggs. Six dozen assorted. fowls were shipped to the mountain meadows where the picture is. being made, to complete the set which Will-show the old, Moreno hacienda... Thanks to. an adoring property. boy-wWho is also pleased at the idea of his properties ‘developing » ‘such a useful by-product, Miss Young | eats "yard-fresh". eggs every morning, . '