FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1930.
*
MUSIC DRAMA FILMS.
TALKIE TALKS,
She has divorced her husband Prince (the other brother stil! re- mains married to Mao Murray) and was recently seen at an enor mous Garden Party in Paris given by the Maharajah of Kapurthala, Rumour Last week I expressed the hope and caused a sensation, that some of the other theatres has it that she intends to retire would show us First National and spend her, money in charity
and Warner Bros., Columbia,
in Warsaw, her birthplace. Sa Pathe releases, and now we hear many of these successful artistes the Majestie will do so-Cheeraemember those less fortunate. That means we shall see Richard Maurice Chevalier has recently Barthelmess, Dougins Fairbanks, I donated £10,000 to found a home jun.. Al Jolson, John, Barrymore, in Purls for sick and distressed (in his first Talkie "General vaudeville artistes. Crack," he is really good, and his the rest of the sum required, Sherman, 180.000, în five years' time if it In other-in-law, Lowell
A very wonderful and countless has not been collected. i.
wonderful man, and ably assisted in all his charitable atts by his wife. She, by-the-bye, will play in the French version of his lat est talkie. He now does them all in both languages.
thers.
a
eliform ؟
Lew Cody. 1.se that Low Cody has return ed to the screen, with. Warner's. ani
I sat star. tou.
the him at
opening next to night in Los Angeles.of the tour- in "Jour. ing English Company ney's End." He is, to my mind better looking off, stage than on Talking of that Company, the part at Hibbert was played, by Walter Hodd, who was out here in the sume Company as Claud Allister. The lad has done well at Home. signed with Basil Dean. heard bigger applause in America than that first night. The school master was played by Basil Gill I see that the Central will shostly give us the Talkie version, and the Queen's, Universal's greatest "hit." "All Quiet on the Western Front." These two baye made tremendous successes. and the latter is still on in London. although in its fourth month. "They are both outstanding pie- tures, and an everlasting sermon against war and its futility.
Admirers of Chevalier.
THE CHINA MAIL.
"FREE AND EASY" AT THE QUEEN'S THEATRE.
of
ROUND THE CINEMAS sian woman who falls under the
dreamy, 'romantic apell primoval Africa and turns her Move energies to a veritable stalk- ing of all the white men who come within her ken in the out-post vil. inge in which she lives. She cap- tures the hearts of onch in turn, relinquishing each former victim for the, thrill of ensnaring a new
Douglas is all for action, so we will sce these two in a great picture. All rumours of a soparation have Been set at rest, The "King, and Queen of Hollywood" are to be seen everywhere together, usually with
A HEvẹn the Chevaliers.
Oh! that Tom Thumb golf. It is shame!" raking in the shekels. The theatres
So
BUSTER KEATON.
one.
Buclinova, Russian dramatic ከ comedian has some
artists, formerly with the Moscow remarked Buster Keaton Art Theatre, and lately a tremen in Los Angeles are all threatening when he postponed a sequence dur dous success. fn "The Wolf of Wall to turn their Picture Palaces Intoing the making of Metro-Goldwyn-Street," plays the title role in her Mayor's all-taking comedy, "Free own inimitable, exotic manner, these miniature courses.
"The Rogue Song."" and "Easy," now at the Queen's Clive Brook, Neil Hamilton and Leslie Fenton are the handsome The picture that is electrifying Theatre.
The comedian, who makes his colonial residenters who fall cap. the romantic, on- the world, "The Rogue Song," will
all-talking appearance in tive before He will give shortly be seen at the Queen's. first
Snitá Edwards and Clyde Cook An outstanding number is Tib- M-G-M's satire of Hollywood life, alaughts of the siren.
all prepared to sing "Way betts's singing when bound to the was
word give lavishly of their talents in whipping post. The colour is mest Down In Arkansas" when
Up to then I had not was brought in that. Mme. Galli producing the comedy-relief.
Dangerous The set for "A satisfying.
The support? Not Curel, famous coloratura,
Woman" was constructed by a favoured it. too good, but who cares if Catherine be a visitor.
studio architect, Hans Dreler, who Dale Owen blinks her eye-lashes all We want Tibbetts with
lived for three years in the jungle He spent the time. his golden voice. It is to be hoped
and veldt of Africa. the sound production is good here,
months on research and construc tion work for the set, which was as large as a city park. Laurel and Hardy are not too fanny
Another former resident of and I, think in their "Shorts" they are the best in the Talkies.
He taught are turning them out in Spanish
Africa, Gerald Grove, staged the and English at an enormous rate.
dialogue of the film. I met Fred Stan Laurel is British. Karno in Hollywood at Hs! Rozche's Studio. He still hangs that old poster of "The Mumming Birds"
Harold Lloyd and the Girls. Harold Lloyd who has but one daughter, Gloria, has adopted an- other. ffis taste is for girls, and he would like at least five, so he says.. His home in Boverly is the most sumptuous of all, everything that the heart would desire. is like a fairy tale come true.
Lon Chaney left his family very Insured alone for $250,000, well. and a vast sum from his screen. work.
It
At his funeral, as the body was laid to rest, the orches trn played his favourite song. "Laugh Clown Taugh." This was "The Life his special request. with a smile is a life.worth-while, so Clown till the curtain comes down."
Elsie Janis.
This mail brings me a card with "Mother these words written on it.
.It
And I both thank you for your sympathy." It is from the greatest I know that all admirers of little artist of all time, Elsie Janis. Chevalier wended their way to Her wonderful Mother passed away the Central to see "Paramount on on July 13. I had the great pleasure Parade" and i wonder if they and honour of taking tea with them were as disappointed as was, in their wonderful mansion in "The Birth of the Apache" con- Beverly. It is a well known fact sidered vulgar without a line of that these two never failed to answer wit. The three Masters of Cere-a letter, no matter from whom and from where. Their work in France monies were dull to a degree. A great deal depends on this job, will remain a great memory. and Frank Fay, whom I saw in has been quoted that General Per
farshing said "Elsic Janis was equal of all so the best Revue Warner's "Show of Shows" leaves
to a batallion of men." Sometimes, them all at the post.
Elsie faltered before the anguish and horror of those days and nights in France, but Mother Jania shirked, never tired nor frightened. Elate must go on and sing and dance Those thou- in the face of death. sands of men who heard her "Over there" owe
a great debt to this artiste. She brought laughter and comfort to the very trenches.
in it was I thought the best Hittle Mitzi Green, of whom spoke last week, I heard about Bill Powell and Clive Brooke par- ticipating, but they remained off the stage. and that sketch of Paramount's greatest actress, Kuth Chatterton, ought to have remained there. ton, Chevalier? Well have my memories of The Love Parade." One can't ask for
more.
"Sunny Side Up" proved im- mensely popular. For its style it ranks well at the top, but I do not like either Janet's or-Farrel's voices. It was the production that made the appeal. .
No Appeal To Masses..
never
I know
Thanks to the Central for giving us "Seven Day'a Leave." the management lost on this film, because it did not appeal to the so that means such masses, and plays will come but, seldom to our shores. We must put up with jazz, dancing, inferior singing, revues, exciting gangster underworld stories. till we tire or stay away.
Ad-
Charles Chaplin.
'';
sequence
жда
was to
1
"Gosh! I'm not going to let her hear me sing-haven't the nerver" insisted Buster to Edward Sedg- wick, director of the comedy. So taken another instead. They Aime. Galli-Curci, deeply in- terested in pictures, passed several hours on the set watching the work of the huge cast of well-known every member of the cast the
African native
language, personalitics, including screen
"Swahili," which is used effective-¡ Page, William
Haines, Anita Trigic Friganza, Lionel Barrymore, ly on many of the sequences of the Cecil B. De Mille, Robert Mont- gomery, Dorothy Sebastian, Karl Dane. John Miljan, and a host of others who were gathered together for this all-star comedy.
with the
name of one-Charles Chaplin-the "Drunk." We, who can go back to twenty years of vaudeville in London, remember, this highly amusing sketch at the Okl. Oxford and Tivoli. Karno
also claims to have "discovered," Stan Laurel,
"PARAMOUNT ON PARADE."
Hollywood's chorus girls have an idol imported from France!
He is Maurice Chevalier who won their all-time approval and friendship during the filming of one of his numbers in Paramount's gigantic musical festival of the stars, "Paramount on Parade," which closes its run at the Central Theatre to-morrow. For two days, Maurice was "in the line," which, in stage parlance, means he was in the chorus.
Chevalier stepped into his new role in "Rainbow Revels," one of the spectacular song numbers in "Paramount on Parade," in which he is joined by eighty of the most beautiful show girls that could be found in the film world.
The number opens on the house tops, moves to the clouds, and ends up on a gigantic rainbow, with, all joining in a song-and-dance offer- ing that introduces the song hit, "Sweeping the Clouds Away." on Parade" "Paramount
s
Ulm.
"A Dangerous Woman" needs nothing more to make it one of the most amazing of audible' pictures yet seen at the Central Theatre. Don't miss it!
"THE TALK OF HOLLYWOOD.",
To the average playgoor, who does not carry standards into the theatre, bat obediently accepts what is there, "The Talks of Hollywood" has an
abundance of entertaining qualities,
It is whimsical. It is sentimental. is tender, and back of it all there that is put on is a musical drama with imagination,
In this attraction, which is now showing at the Majestic Theatre, we a talking picture having fun find with a talking-picture, and it does it in a way that is amusing-Nat Carr, the star, having his troubles with his temperamental leading lady
the beautiful Fay Marbe-and Mr. Carr trying to sell a group of hard- boiled buyers his inished production run off in a projection room where the operator, who is slightly drunk, gets the talking disc mixed-are worth the price of admission alone.
But there is more. In fact, the picture wholesales its entertainment. Carr is a lovable, funny character as J. Pierpont Ginsberg, and Miss Fay Marbe plays up to him as the dan gerously fascinating leading woman all back 'stage In the who upsets Etudio.
"The Gold Rush" Memories. I was recently reading an inter-
wherein different described as an intimate song and Then there is Al Goodman's "Fol. esting article
fun revel in which all of Pura-low Through" orchestra, atars were asked to choose an out-mount's stars, and many of its Leonidoff Ballet to put on the must- standing "bit" in pictures, and the featured players, present their cat and dancing accompaniments. An
majority chose that scene in "The Gold Rush" wherein Chaplin sat at the spread table waiting for the girls, who did not come, and per- formed that famous "Dance of the Rolla." What a priceless piece of pantomime, and remains in cur memories when other pictures have long since faded.
£
-DIANE
MANY COWARDS.
"The Dangerous Woman." At the Central comes quite a good film, "The Dangerous Woman"
I mentioned that the talkie versus from the story: "The Woman that
movie wor would restart when Needed killing." Baclanova,, the
Chaplin's film was produced. Russian netress, Clive Brooke, mitted, the talkies have come to "ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN
Neil Hamilton, stay, but a big compromise, Clyde Cook, and are supporting. You will find it Executive staffs of the various exciting.
studios say that the future picture will be seventy-five per cent., action,
"A Lady to Love." Vilma Banky comes shortly to the Queen's in A Lady to Love".
Vilma Banky..
In which Pola Negri made a hig success with Kenneth Thompson (British) and Jean Hersholt, undor the title of "Her Secret Hour." These parts in the Talkie version will be played by Robert Ames, remembered here with- Gloria Swanson in "The Trespas er," and the new character actor of whom I spoke a short while ago, E. G. Robinson. The play was not praised, and Vilma his not done another, as M.G.M. have released her from her contract. Whether she is a disappointment in her speech and acting, we must give her full marks for her beauty
Of course I am a tremendous admirer of the Negri, a pre tiste, spoiled by inferior pictures.
The
or
and twenty-five per cent., talking, the
and the
Persans who like their pictures with a musical background and plenty of comedy will And it in "The Talk of Hollywood."
xcellent cast supports Mr. Carr and own specialty numbers. There are Miss Marbe, but these two carry the more than fifteen episodes, in weight of the story.
two several of which
or threa favourites combine their talents. Chevalier, in addition to the "Rain bow Revels" number, is sean in a de luxe fun riot with Lillian Roth, titled "Origin of the Apache."
Among the stars seen in the frolic are Richard Arlen, George Bancroft, Clara Bow, Evelyn Brent, Clive Brook, Nancy Carroll, Ruth Chatterton, Maurice Che- valier, Gary Cooper, Leon Errol, Skeets Gallagher, Harry Green, Helen Kane, Dennis King, Abe Lyman and His Band, Jack Oakle, will Germany
little Zelma O'Neal, William Powell and nothing to
with Charles (Buddy) Rogera. firm -version of "Ali
FRONT."
have
do
It appears that the attendance of Quiet on the Western Front," children has dropped to an alarming so reports G. A. Atkinson of the extent, They demand action, and London Daily Express, who tela they are given too much talk. Only last week at the Queen's a perfectly enjoyable picture was utterly spoil-
:
"A DANGEROUS WOMAN."
"A Dangerous Woman" is com-" as that "the theatres at which the production will definitely not being to the Central Theatre for ahown now number several hun- four days beginning from Sunday.
ed when the actors started to speak: dred." luckily they only said a little.
I
For some reason the British are admit I am keen for the sound pic blamed for this film which tures. I love the music that ac-out of Hollywood:
came
This is the first African all-talk-
ing Alm with all-talking experienc ed and stage experienced actors to appear on any local screen. It has
companies, the whirr of the ma "Germans object to the Remarque everything-authentic African at chines, the innumerable sounds that drama on many different grounds, mosphere, dramatic plot, romance,
comedy and unparalleled acting. are around us all the time, but but chiefly because there are so
The story of "A Dangerous when some of those jazz Bables many cowards in it, and because Woman" is based upon a tenso, ab- start to speak, I pine for the pilents. the schoolboy here is made to say sorbing tale of the jungle country Am I alone in this?
that there could be no death more by Margery H. Lawrence, which infamous, than that of dying for appeared in Cosmopolitan maga- one's country.army. Betlla zine. It deals with stabdory: Rus-
"Reaching for the Moon," Douglas Fairbanks is to star with Bebe Daniels in Irving Berlin's "Reaching for the Moon". He has not favoured the new medium.
TIM
Douglas Fab
"A long article in the Lokalanzeiger calls the production 'London'a anti-Germany Film-
Scandal.'
have an Interesting letter from
"The writer goes on to denounce Miss G. Phillips, of Pealplace, Ox- the recruiting, drilling, and school ford, a nursing sister who served acenes as episodes which woll- during the war. Informed people in Britain must "She says: I am glad to see you know are farcical, and then adds writing du defence of, the German many this interesting comment-
public schoolboy. I watched "'Soffe time ago I saw a British of these boys dio, and know that: the enivelling war film which portrayed the they were not life of London's cockney soldiers, cowards represented in "All Quiet who correspond to our northern on the Western Front D
Their courage could not have Berlin types.
It showed how they retained been surpassed even by our own their native humour in mud and boys. They lay terribly woundad discomfort, and under the heaviest among strange people in a-atrange of bombardments. This picture land, and in dying they', 'silli was well received and, in my opin thought that it was a fine thing
to die for their country. ion, justly so."
"It has remained for Mr. Re-Mr. Remarque's new novel is marque and Mr. Laemmle to show called Kamerad 1' and arrangements to the British post-war generation for its production in film form what pitiful" types of Germans the have been already made by Carl war generation had to fight. Laemmle, Jr., the twenty-two-year- "An article in similar vein also old impresarlo who was respon appeared in the Berlin Nachtaus gible for Air Qufet gabe, okay?
SHARATSJERKYoung Mit Laemmle's ambition
"It would be dealt think to 1 to create such a feeling against sustain a general allegation of war that no one will be able to look cowardice against German public at a ride without a shudder."
"Literary Digest schoolboys, and on that
4
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