QUELADI!
OPENING TO-MORROW
"
Women
rave about
his charm. Men hail
his daring. Flappers
find him
fascinating!
He's New! Different! Reckless!
William
Powell
A Warner Bros- Production
HIGH PRESSURE
with EVELYN BRENT, GEORGE SIDNEY, EVALYN KNAPP Directed by Mervyn LeRoy
-FROM SUNDAY- SWEET HEARTS! WIVES!
BEWARE!
THE RED
HEADED
WOMAN IS COMING!
She has a code.
all her own--and her flarning hair and exotic beauty spell danger to
every woman's
man!
JEAN HARLOW
CHESTER MORRIS
RED HEADED WOMAN
with
LEWIS STONE
LEILA HYAMS
UNA MERKEL
Directed by
JACK CONWAY
FIVE STAR *FINALA
EDWARD G.
ROBINSON
MY CODE I
All is fair in love
If a woman cant hold her man 's not foult
The mightiest book of all is the chech book!
I was born for love and who om 1 to thwart nature
There should be a separate set of laws for Red-Headed Women!
Goldwyn
Mayer
HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 1933.
CAVALCADE
By Reginald Berkeley
stage hero and heroine, translated to the screen, was something half. embarrassing and half fanny.
So with the talking picture, plus this further consideration, a line }
BRITAIN'S ROME, EXPRESS
Best Film Ever Made in England
TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE
rop and Harold Hutch contribute fino
impersonations, and Mika Esther Ralston, imported from Hollywood as an: American film atar, and Miss Jean Barry as an English girl running away from her husband, are adequate,
Excellent Technique.
Captain Berkeley, the English dramailst who prepared the scenario for the Fox Film production of Noel Coward's "Qavaloads" here
Among the new British films of his chauffeur, complications ensue. It is chiefly beatuse of its techni- tells of his sorts to preserve the characters in the play unchanged spoken with proper stage emphasis the Inst month or so there arence were somewhat strained in the cal qualities that Rome epress and vivid in the screen medium," usually sounds like a piece of bont-some which have the distinction of matter of bringing together on the has attracted so much attention same train running between Paris from the experts. The photo- I suppose the principal reason bast, sounds in fact, much like being considerably talked about. for the wide appeal of CAVALCAVALCADE" sounded on the One of these has been described as and Rome a trio of people who graphy and sound-recording both CADE is because, apart alto- Drury Lane stage. Dialogus for the best production ever turned have a special interest in the stolen mark a considerable advanco in gother from its undoubted drama the screen must be written as nearout of a British studio by a Bri-picture and several other persons British production. It has, how- tie quality, it deals with 'emotions ly as possible in the terms of every tish company ander British dires whose various relationships might ever, to be remembered that for one that are familiar to any audience.day life, and that is just the fention. "As good as anything that be taken to show what a small picture of this technical merit is Jane and Robert Marryot have ture of Mr. Cowards plny--the was ever done at Hollywood," world we live in; but the rather suing from a British studio there something about them essentially; close approximation of the dialogue wrote one critic "A firstclas complicated plot is worked out are at least half a dozen of equal typical of all mothere and fathers to every day speech-that makes it thriller which will challenge com- of the past generation. They ex- po much more suitable for the in-parison with the word's best films with commendable clarity and con- quality, if not even a little bit press a point of view which we alltimate than for the grand stage, said another "As technically pertains enough elements of mystery, superior; turned out from Holly- understand from personat experi- and promises to make it so peculi fect as the finest American pie suspense, passion and comedy to wood. ence, Edward might easily be one's farly suitable for the scien
tures, and polished till it seems as make it quite a good bill of en- smooth as Lawn elder brother who died in early
glass," was another tertainment. manhood. His attitude to women,
Tommendation:- Constructional Obangusa -- his easy cynicism about life,h18 au-
So far, plain sailing. And there There were other notices so lauda- perficial worldly wisdom are the is an important difference between tary that their exuberance can only qualities that stamped a million metropolitan stage audiences and be explained by the assumption pre-nineteen fourteen, youths, not merely in England, but universales who, in Bernard Shaw's con- that the writers had been surprised
In fact, if the production had temptuous phrase "frequent pic into exaggeration by the pleasure. ly in Europe and America,
ture palaces, "that the wider of seeing a native product which been less good and the acting of audience of the moving picture is really deserved a meed of praise. the parts less admirable, and the less well maintained less willing (or less able) to fill in Rome Express is the title of this interest the blanks of a story for itself outstanding picture. Comparisons throughout, the story could not escaped much criticism. This does not mear, as used to be have been inade, between it and the have said, that pictures must be made American and Russian productions Melodrama is nicely assuaged with. for the mentality of eight-year-old of the express-train nomenclature humour and some impressible situa
ildren. Hollywood professes to which preceded the British film. tions are made to seem eredible by be getting away from that ideal- There was little or no ground for neat presentation, but it does mean that gaps in plot comparison, for all there are es must be bridged, over-narticular-sentially different. ly gaps involving changes in the lives of important characters,
LEWIS STONE
The Characters.
Joey, with his light-hearted con- fidence about the war, his spasmo- die love affair with Fanny, and his worship of his mother is just one among hundreds of thousands of laughing junior subalterns who fell in the war. Fauny, with her poi sored childhood and her uncon- querable ambition and her dead heart and soul when she has achie,v- ed it, is one out of a multitude of successful actresses.
A New Studio,
On the stage you can leap from Edward and Edith as children of twelve to Edward and Edith on Rome Espress is among the first board the Titanic. That is partly fruits of the new studios put up because there is a programme to by the Gaumont-British Company belp the audience, partly also beat Shepherd's Bush, within the cause the speed factor is less im
London metropolitan area. These studios are understood to have cost mint of money and, to be technical- ly as well equipped as any in Europe. if not in the world, which includes America. The company is bath a producting and distributing organization and has a capital of some twenty million pounds sterl ing. Walter Fore, who started his career as a boy juggler on the vau- deville stage, then turned to the cinema and directed and acted in a number of silent pictures with success, later went to America to study methods there, came back to England and made a hit with his direction of a Jack Hulbert come- dy, was entrusted with the making of Rome Express.
The Cast.
Michel Balcon, chief of the execu- tive department of Gaumont Bri- actors reinforced them
re. tish
There is Margaret, the widow, who, after a lifetimo, wriggling in the straight waistcoat of conven- tion, works out her sex repressions as an old woman, finding a thrill in the touch' of her favourite doc-
LEILA HYAMS tor and hurrying on, a raddled old hag, to dance with youth at the portant on the stage, and a few Embassy Club, and pay for the lines can be thrown away to party. She has her counterparts in establish character. On the screcu with Conrad Veidt and Esther every hydropathic, and in ry that is bad construction. There Ralston to play the roles of an in- quack's waiting room. Ellen and must be an intervening link. Ro- ternational crank of presumably Bridges, Mrs. Suapper and the bert, who stand as much for the German extraction and an Ameri- Grangers, are all authentic wo typical English man as Jane for can film star. The story provided ing-class people in the growing the typical English woman, dis- was a fairly good one, turning on pains of a new freedom, wh a5 appears in 1014 and is not seen the theft of a painting by Van Ellen alone achieves.
again until the last couple of Dyck. The long arms of coincid- Ellen is quite perfect. A comminutes of the play. Screen audi- petent observer should be able to ences unconsciously resent their in- dekert from any two lines of her terest being aroused in a leading dialogue in the scene on Armistice character, held half way through Day just exactly what part of the picture and then left in the town she has risen to in the sural air for no apparent reason. The scale. So with all the rest of
gap needs filling. them.
Stage or Screen.
A Play for the Whole World, These points are not points of criticism, they are merely illustra every speech has to be bellved to tions of the requirements of a dif-
of
At Drury Lane, the limitations
the huge theatre-in
which
be audible-robbed it cf. a good ferent medium, and indicate the
deal of reality, and impressed the relatively small modification neces
RED HEADED
WOMAN
COMING TO QUEEN'S
"Red Headed Woman," Kath
on
audience rather by the stage craftssary to reproducs "CAVALCADE" rine Brush's widely-redd novel of who capitalized manship of the author and his in that medium. The real problema stenographer command of dramatic spectate, has been to keep in the spirit of her sex appeal, comes to the screen than by his insight into human n the play. This, I believe, has been at last with Jean Hariow, her .fe- mous platinum-blonde hair chang ture. But when you come to work done.
For "CAVALCADE" is a played to a flaming red, in the title on the characters, amplifying them for another medium, introducing for the whole world, not merely role. The picture will open scenes impossible to put on the an epic of England. Some people Sunday, at the Queen's Theatre.
Practically every red-haired ac stage, condensing scones that would have urged that to give it univer seam too drawn out on the serain, sal appeal it would be necessary tress in Hollywood was given tests you realize that these are living, to depart from its purely English for this highly-coveted part before I disagree entirely decision was reached by Metro- men and women whose habits of character.. thought are continuous, whose What, after all, is the play? It Goldwyn-Mayer officials to assign tricks of speech have a meaning, is the story of a group of human the role to Miss Harlow providing whose lives are human, drawn with beings, who happen to be English, she would change the colour of her the noted sureness of line and a strength grouping their way through the tresses Report has it that the al-
an insight devious pathe of the Twentieth teration has given of individuality, and.
heroine of "Hell's Angels" an en- comparable with the best achieve Century
tirely new personality, as well as ments of Dickens.
giving her appearance a totally different aspect.
The same problems, not in pro- Mr. Coward's play succeeded at cisely the same form, have come to Drury Lane as a triumph of stage almost all the people of the world setting, musical suggestion and since the dawn of 1000. A mother stropy dramatic almost melodra who loses her children feels much
Adapted by Anita Loos. matic plot. Played in an intimate the same whether she be an Eskimo- theatre, so I believe, it would have or a New Yorker or a Bulgarian. A
The novel was adapted to the succeeded as a triumph of human married couple, battling through knowledge and characterization. stress and bereavements with good screen by Anita Loss, author of the "Gentlemen Prefer Intimate presentation of the inti-humour and fidelity to each other, aзnational inte scenes is what it is now to appeal universally without regard Blondes," and was directed by receive..
to national boundaries. The pure Jack Conway, one of whose recent unboastful love of country which hits was the Barrymore picture, Difference of Technique, je
leads people to sacrifice themselves Arsene Lupin." The
cast in- have more than
once written uncomplainingly in the hour of cludes Chester Marris, Lewis on the subject of the intimacy of that country's need is common to Stone, Leila Hyams, Una Merkel, the screen in comparison with the us all,
Henry Stephenson, May Robinson, theatre. This, of course, is not to There is no necessity to rewrite Charles Boyer and Harvey Clark, contend that for spectacular pur" CAVALCADE for French
The story of "Hed. Headed Wo. poses the screen does not easily audience or a Russian audience or outdo the stage? But in spite of an audience of American citizens. man" concern Lil Andrews, an un the notably unreal medium of the It deals with the simplest and scrupulous but extremely attractive deepest emotions of humanity and typist, who exerts her wiles upon treats them with dignity, insight her employer," Bill Legendre, do atid humour. It would be mons-spite the fact that he is a married trous imperfinence to visit on this man with the upshot that Bill's In silent picture days it was a fine piece of work the punishment wife divorces him and Lil becomes the second Mrs. Legendre, Not familiar truism that effects of ex of turning it into something else. pression and gesture necessary for For my part, I have enjoyed this content with having broken up one stage acting were altogether too piece of work. I have set myself home, the socially ambitions ox- robust for a picture, The scowl the task of presenting the charac- stenographer now centres her atten of the villan was magnified in tors which the author created, un- tione upon a wealthier man. It is close-up into something. ridicu obanged and vivid in a new medium. impossible, however, for her to be itously-diabolical that it provoked a great hope is that the public faithful to any man and when she laughter instead
arm The Logill see, in the result the integrity by having an affair with attempts to double-cross her latest the T have laboured to prese
screen it does unquestionably create an illusion of intimate speach in manner that the theatre can seldom achieve.
Melodrama Nicely Arsuaged with
Humour,
CHESTER MORRIS
Gordon Harker, who has won a reputation as about the best cha- racter actor of humorous types on the British screen, plays the role of a middle-class English "gent" with consummate ability and al- must steals the picture at times. Cedric Hardwicke, Donald Calth-
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