Big American Stars And Executives Continue Trek To New British Studios

Radio Record, Volume X, Issue 9, 11 September 1936, Page 25

Big American Stars And Executives Continue Trek To New British Studios

£1,000,000 Studio.

AND now comes word of a £1,000,000 studio. building near London, a portion of which will be . for M.-G.-M. The man. behind. the . undertaking" is "Mr, Paul

Of N.Z. Interest. ..

OF particular interest to New Zealanders ig M.G.M:'s Schedule for its first major : British productions, First on the list.is.a screen version of "The Wind and the Rilin," the

record-breaking play by Dr. Merton Hodge, of Wanganui. (In passing, it. is interesting to note that Hodge has just put "The Wind and the Rain" into. novel form, and it is selling extremely well.) Three other films on M.G.M.’s list are "Silas Marner," "Rage in Heaven" and "A Yank at Oxford." Mr. Irving Thalberg (Norma Shearer’s husband) and Mr. Louis B. Mayer, chief executives of M.G:M., have inspected plans for the new studios and are both surprised and delighted at the ‘completeness of the buildings and equipment.

Year 1588.

ONE hundred and fifty thousand pounds are being spent by Korda on his production of'an English film showing the happenings’ of the year 1588, immediately preceding the launching of the Armada, perhaps the most crucial train of events in English history. Flora Robson, who hasn’t been seen on the screen since "Catherine the Great" in 1934, plays the part of Queen Elizabeth-publicity hounds make much of the fact that the famous Gloriana nose and the rest of the Elizabethan make-up take a couple ‘of hours to put on. Vivien Leigh, "discovered" by Korda, but. not put to much use on the screen until now, plays the part of Cynthia, lady- -in- -waiting and Burleigh’s granddatighter. Others in the imposing cast include Leslie Banks, Raymond Massey, Laurence Oliver and Morton Selter.

Modern Parallel.

PRODUCING this expensive stoty of Elizabethan: days is Erich Pommer. maker. of the famous "Congress Dances"

and probably the best-known producer on the Continent. Associated with him is William K. Howard, director of "Transatlantic"? and other films, The film is based.on A. I. W. Mason's book, "Fire over England," but has been considerably expanded. It tells of the desperate efforts of Elizabeth’s secret agents to find out details: of Philip’s plans. "I feel," Herr Pommer said, "that there is an extraordinary parallel with the state. of. affairs to-day. _ England was short of cannon, short of ammunition, short of ships, and. I am stressing in the film the. importance of a strongly-armed England."

Pay Up, or....

"PT EAD-HEADS" are about ag popular as the rats under the house at the Wellington Plaza where the big Twentieth Century special, "Under Two Flags," is attracting houses that recall the early days of talking pictures. Backed by a big advertising campaign, the film attracted more preliminary bookings than any other picture since the Plaza opened two. years ago. The line, "Free list entirely suspended," is likely to remain at the foot of the Plaza's advertisements for several weeks-and in the meantime Manager Neil Edgar beams on the queues outside the ticket-boxes and the piles of shekels within,

Fox Convention.

FIEM conventions are in the air, and the head men of the Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation are. packing their bags in preparation for an early trip across ihe Tasman to Sydney, ‘where ‘the executives of the corporation méet in: conference very

soon, Mr. 8S. S, Crick is already in New Zealand and was on- the wharf at Auckland to greet Mr. Walter J. Hutchinson, general foreign manager of Fox, when he stepped off the Monterey on Friday. Mr. Lester Brown, New ‘Zealand publicity manager for Fox, left at the week-end for Sydney, and, following him across the Tasman this week will be Mr. BE. L. Rutledge, general manager for. New Zealand, Mr. M. A. Toomey, Wellington branch manager, Mr.’ Barrie. Marschel, who has charge of the British division .at Fox,.Mr, Dan Leys; Auckland branch manager, Mr. J. R. Trays, office ‘and booking manager, and ‘Mr. Russell Marlowe, sales representative.

Ex-es Together;

[®t was bound to‘happen! Hollywood's matrimonial tangles were certain to bump ex-husband into ex-wife sooner or later-and now we have Henry Fonda and the ex-Mrs. Henry Fonda-Margaret Sullavan to you and me-playing opposite each other in "The Moon’s Our Home," which had its New Zealand premiere at the Regent Theatre, Wellington, at the week-end. And, although I haven’t seen the pic-

ture, I’m told that the situations presented in the film, which concern a spoilt film star: and an- equally spoilt young author, are almost identical With those that’ caused the original marital rift. Incidentally, ‘Mrs; Fonda has since been the wife of a Los Angeles doctor-but that marriage ran on the rocks, too.

Movie "High Priest."

"PHS "high priest" of the Australian: movie workl, Mr. Stuart F. Doyle, managing -directot of: British Empire Films, Limited, passed through Auckland last Friday on his way. home after a.six months’ world tour, during which he studied the motion picture industry. Arriving at Auckland by the Monterey, —

Mr. Doyle, who was accompanied by hig wife and daughter, was met by Mr. R. L. Grant, general manager for British Empire Films (New Zealand). Interviewed on board the Matson liner; Mr, Doyle gave a- definite contradiction of the statement that the days of the legitimate stage have gone for ever. "In fact, I found that the legitimate theatre has regained its old popularity in England," said Mr. Doyle. "It-is absolutely booming, in. fact. Great

‘a preparations are being made .for the forthcoming season in America, and it looks as if, notwithstanding the .opposition of motion pictures, that the stage has come back into its own."

N.Z. Good Market.

N R. DOYLE said that in the West Wnd of London, the prices for

seats were as high as a pound, and theatres were full. People who went to such shows were not usually those who went to the movies. Questioned about the film industry, Mr. Doyle said grea; developments were going on -in Britain. "Millions of pounds of

British capital are being spént in building the most modern studios’in the world," he continued. "By this medium it is hoped to capture more and more of the world trade in pic. tures for the British industry. New Zealand ranks as the best country outside Hngland for the British film, in proportion to the population. Mr. Malcolm MacDonald, Secretary of State for the Dominions, told me when ¥ dined with him that the co-operation of New Zealand ‘was. greatly appreclated by the Government."

Television

H{OLLywoop could be considered as more international than American, and practically represented the brains of the world centred in that community to make pictures. for world’ entertainment, England, in’ my opinion. will progress tremendously, but it will be many years before it will challenge Hollywood to the extent of cutting down production in that centre." "And what about television?’ Mr. Doyle was asked. "Television is not far away," he said. "When you realise that the British Broadcasting Corporation, under instructiong from the British Qovernment, are spending vast sums of money on transmission, you will realise

that this ‘is not being: done unless the results ‘will justify the expenditure."

"On the Friendly Road."

WING to the wondorful popularity _. of the Auckland-made film feature, "On the Friendly. Road," and the great number of requests to hold the picture until it can be seen by folk from the country districts, the, picture ig now running in its second record~ breaking week at the Majestic Theatre, Auckland. © The Dominion's latest fulllength talkie film is not only good, but it is new and contains the unexpected. it captivates by its surprise, its quaint

comicalities, by fresh angles, while the photography is as good as pictures made anywhere in the world. This picture undoubtedly shows that modern film production is a great Dominion possibility and Rudali Hayward’s photographie work emphasises his command of the art.

The Future?

"PoE great H. G. Wells epic "Things to Come," has drawn thousands to ths Avon Theatre, Christehureh. The more thoughtful theatregoers of the city acclaim it as a dramatie and graphie warning of terrible things that

might happen to humanity if -science proceeds at its present rate, There are others who call it "far-fetched." But the majority.are one in pronouncing it-ag the greatest. piece of work seen in the city yet. _At-any-rate, the Avon has found it .a great ‘box-office draw, and it’s now at the Plaza,

Old Favourite,

A BOUT eighteen months ago, two _ youthful and ambitious motion picture producers, Edward Small and

Hlarry Gotez, dug the old, familiar "Monte Cristo" out of the library shelves and produced it with perfect fidelit} for the major screen sensation of the year, making of its leading actor, Robert Donat, then unknown, 2 screen atar of the first magnitude. To-day this same pair are aiming to repeat with another familiar : classic, * "The Last of the Mohicans," by James Fenimore, Cooper. The elements of’ suspense, hairbreadth escapes, the lone scout battling his: way through hordes of savage enemies, the chase, the dramatic hand-to-hand combat-the same elements . that’ . made "Monte Cristo" such. thrilling ‘entertainment--are all. present: in a large: measure in "Mohicans." And: if. history : repeats itself, Randolph Scott,- Henry Wilcoxon, Binnie Barnes, Heather Angel, Bruce Cabot, Rober; Barratt and Philip Reed are going to skyrocket to ‘the: ton as a result of their work in this production, _ just as Donat: did following "Monte Cristo." The picture will’ soon be re leased by United Artists.