THE HONGKONG TELEGRATH BATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1933.
ENTERTAINMENT
Noel Coward Plays Written In Hongkong
PLAYETTE written by Noel Coward during holiday in Hongkong last year, is now being produced in London with great success. It is in Part II of "To-night at 8.30," second riple bill presented at Phoenix Theatre, described as "full of fresh, joyful surprises.” ·
Hongkong-written play is "Hands Across the Sen" wherein "lightness of touch makes Mr. Coward's satire
· agreeable."
Miss Gertrude Lawrence receives two forgotten friends of a holiday in Far East.
During agonising half-hour of mis- taken identity, male lead in richly
Far funny na
Easter on leave. Playotte shows embarrassment of commonplace couple (surely no people in Far Eart are commonplace, Mr. Coward 7) who are invited to the house of a woman they once ehler- tained, and and themselves pathetical ly bewildered by conversation of com- pany of bright, tight young things from another work.
It is a terrible warning to C.P.P. fram Hongkong never to accept in- vitations of the do-come-anul-see-us- when-you-are-bi-London order.
Altogether, these playettes sound interesting for A.D.C.
FOOTNOTE. Noel Coward visited Norikong Just your; wma guest of friende aboard 11MS. Tamar: wrote three plays while here and compleied autobiography, Intendi visiting Australia, New Zealand this year: may drop In on ilongkung again. "Cavalcade," his greatest success, melted, £l a word,
•
Just before Thelma Todd died in Los Angeles, a cousin, George Todd, arrived in Hongkong.
He didn't stay here long, and kept his visit as quiet as possible.
STAR OF THE WEEK No. 8. Clark Gable wins this week's award for his fine natural performanco os Fletcher, Christian, chief officer of the ill-fated HMS Bounty, in the exciting M.G.M. film "Mutiny on the Bounty." The role of swash-buckling hero is new to Gable who usually appears in sophisticated comedien parts. Born Ohio, February 1, 1901, Married (1) Josephine Dillon; (2) Rita Langhum, Recently divorced. On long term contract to MLG.M. for whom he has made most of his pictures. Will shortly make nequel film to "Mutiny on the Bounty" to be called "Pitcairn Island".
TO
THE
THIS
LADIES
IS THEIR YEAR
GLORIOUS
TO you, Ladies, this article is dedicated.
Be you fat and forty, thin and thirty, twenty or in your teens, or an octogenarian grandmother, this is your year, and Saturday, February 29-just two weeks hence to-day, is your day.
You should make the most of it. Only once before has Leap Year Day fallen this contury on a Saturday, in 1908. Only once more-in 1960-will it do so. There will be only three Saturday Leap Year Days in the Twentieth Century, Last century was more benign to its females--it gave four Saturday Leap Year Days.
The reason, however, has just WHAT years they were, too. In
leaked out.
It was to write a screen version of the life of cinema's greatest lovers, Pola Negri and Rudolph Valentino.
You'll see the film one of these days. Todd was careful to explain that the theme is not biographieni.
"The drama is 'pure ctlon"" he sald.
Chaplin plans within three months production "Napoleon" all talkie comic saitre. He has already written secnario and proposes to play Boney himael, with Paulette Goddard as Josophins. Dialoque normal, Chaplin having agreed to talk at last, Secret conference with Chaplin associaten this month will clinch idea.
WELL, I hope it does. Charlie has been talking about it for ten years now. Why, the first time he offered the suggestion to a quaking world Pola Negri was his Josephine candidate. Since then it has been "Not to-night" for many, many nights and quite a fow Josephines. ...
ZBW AMATEUR NIGHT PROPOSED
“GOOD IDEA” THIS READER THINKS
"I read with much interest the fol lowing paragraph which appeared on this page last Saturday:
"This pago still belloves that ZBW would be saved from sloth of paucity of talent by elther Ama- teur nights ar. sponsored, pro- gramme.
4 A
1812, Britain and the United States were at war; Napoleon con- quered Germany and Russin until the burning of Moscow forced him into his terrible retreat.
Not for another 28 years-in 1840 di Leap Year fall on a Saturday. That was the year famous for the introduction of Ponny Postage and Queen Victoria's marriage. Also, on Saturday, February 20in that year,. Hongkong was being born with the British blockade of Canton,
wor
On Saturday, February 29, 1868, Disrnell became Prime Minister of England for the first time. Britain
then at
with Ethiopia: Magdala was captured in April and the Ethiopian King suicided rather than face capture.
тудя
Saturday, February 29 in 1806 saw the first signs of the Boer War four years later, for this was the year of the famous Jamieson Raid.
The new century was eight years old before Leap Year Day fell on a Saturday. Nineteen hundred and aight was the year of the assassina tion of the King of Portugal, of the terrible Sicilian earthquake, when over 200,000 lost their loves sorry, that should be lives: It's this Leap Year spirit.
The year, 1930 will also go down in history, and If, on Saturday, February 20, 1000 some future scribe looks back to the last Saturday Leap Year Day, he will write, firstly, of the death of King George and of what will happen in tho remaining 330 days of 1038?
So, you see, all this really leads up to Saturday, February 29, 1936. It's your day, Ladies. Yon' may even propose to me on that day.
In any case you can't let Satar day, February 29, 1936 go by with- out some effort to make it memor-
able.
To help you out you are going to have your choice of several forms of entertainment. The principal public event will be a Leap Year Gala Night at the Grippa. But there'll be dozens of private parties-now's the time to
all in favour of amateur nights at the studio. Perhaps the idea that is adopted and has become very popular at St. George's, Shang hal, could be applied in Hongkong.start preparing for your awni Mostly every visitor to the Northern
RUDOLPH FRIML BACK FROM HONGKONG IS MAKING U.S. MUSIC "CHINA CONSCIOUS"
Hollywood, Feb. 8.
Rudolph Friml, the man who lived in Hongkong for months seeking inspiration among the beautiful Chinese girls there for a new departure on the stage which is to be called "Sing-Song Girl," may be returning shortly.
Friml is here at the moment intent on making! Americans "China conscious." Friml's 12-cylinder Cadillac has taken him through the Orient for two years. Months he stayed in Hongkong reviewing beautiful Chinese and seeking one who could sing in his projected play. Now he has returned to make his plans.
want nudiences to
Friml thinks American musicst life, ingenious. They could produce a too preoccupied with Negroid in counterfeit China in their sound Ruences, and due for a change. lleslages, but it would be the Chinn helloves the next-popular trend will Imagine by Americans, not the real be toward ancient, stately Chinese China.
are the
the movica rhythms, and that
beautiful harbour of Hongkong into medium to introduce them.
which great diners steam daily among The composer of "Rose Marie, the little river junks aboard which "Blue Kitten," "Three. Musketeers," people are born, live and die. I want and several Ziegfeld Follies scores in them to see the curious pattem and here to interest a motion pleture promovement of Chinese life," ducer in sending a company to lòng: kong to catch the "beauty and movement of Chinese life."
"I ena
see the Negro in almost every American activity... in the way people dance... the w
the way they Ring in their humour," he said. "Synccpated music is not necessarily Negroid. Bach syncopated his fugues. But Negro influence is present in
much music just the same. Too
AD. It is too strongly emphasised,
"Fuw people would understand pure Chinese music," Friml said. "It must be translated for tise screen. The five-note scale of Chinese music com- plicates matters."
"You must know China to catch the meaning of its tinkling strings, the interspersed melody of flutes, and its culmination in the boom of a big
"
Besides a producer, Friml seeks a So far, plenty of beauties but no volces, United Press.
the public will welcome a chan and beautiful Chinese girl who can sing,
for
The Chinese expedition proposed by Friml would fhm background shots musical movie to be called Already he has Girl," "Sing-Song worked out part of a score. Action would begin in Hongkong, switch to Now York, and return to Hongkong again, in order to "temper the purity of the Oriental theme" for Occidental
tyes and ears.
"We could make the entire operetta In a studio here," Friml said, "but I won't do that. Film technicians are
Best British Film
SCREEN SCOOP
First Films Of The King's Funeral
scoops with the publication last Monday and Tuesday of Amal gave the Hongkong Telegraph one of its greatest photographs of the Lying-in-State of King George V.
The only papers in the Southern Hemisphere to publish similar photographs before the Telegraph were those in India and Singapore.
*
Similarly, the Queen's Theatre in Hongkong, in conjunction. with Paramount Films (China) Ltd., with the screening to-day of a complete recording of the King's funeral. No other part of the Far East has yet seen these films.
Paramount cabled London for a special print to be rushed to Hongkong. Immediately upon receipt of the cable, the London office arranged with Imperial Airways.for the film to be shipped to Paris, where it was rushed by racing car to the Air France aerodrome, for transhipment to the Hanoi Service plane.
Within three days of the funeral, the print was in Hunol. It arrived in Hongkong yesterday morning, was immediately, cen- sored, and is now in the projector waiting its initial screening at the Queen's Theatre this afternoon.
It will be screened for only four days here, and will then be shipped to Shanghal, distribution to other centres in the Far East following the Shanghai season.
Hongkong is going to have an opportunity shortly of living up to the boast that it is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. Sponsor of a unique idea is European Young Men's Christian Association Social Committee, headed by J. C. M. Grenham, R. Dormer, Bobbio Bates, has decided that Inst Ladies' Night of current season will take the form of International Evening.
Chinese, Portuguese, Russians, Australians, Canadians, Germans, Italians, other races represented in the Colony will be asked to co-operate with British. Items will be strictly national in character,
The cast of "A Country Girl" are to have another get together. Circular from Hongkong Philharmonic Society announces a 'by special request Supper Dance will be held on February 21 to mark the con clusion of the successful presentation of "A Country Girl."
It is hoped that all members of the Society will support this event at
1935 Award $2.50 each Tickets may be had from the names hereunder while table re-
TE annual gold medal award of the Institute of Amateur Cinema- to been awarded tographers has London Film Productions for the pro- duction of "Sanders of the River" ns the "most significant film of 1035",
A composite photograph of scenes in the M.G.M. product "Mutiny on the Bounty" an out- standing film likely to fank among the screen's best achievements. Clark Gable, as Chief Officer Fletcher Christian, a Tahitian girl, the famous H.M.S. Bounty, and Charles Laughton who gives a magnificent study as Captain Bligh. This film comes to the King's and Alham- bra to-day.
"MUTINY ON THE
BOUNTY"
BEST ATTRACTION FOR WEEK
Everything America has said about the film "Mutiny on the Bounty" is true.
To label it a study in sadism would perhaps be going too far; but whatever interpretation.one places on the actions of Captain Bligh, the fact remains that for implacable hate and relentless brutality Charles Laughton's character study has had no parallel on the screen.
"If you think there's no science in using a cat-o'-nine-tails, you should see my bo'sun," remarks Bligh affably. This sets the keynote of the film.
The savagery begins with Bligh |. supervising the punishment of a ca man convicted of striking his captain, and sentenced, in accordance with the 18th century practice, to be flogged in every ship in Portsmouth harbour,
Bligh summons officers and crow on deck to witness his share in the task of maintaining discipline. But the unfortunate seaman proves to be dead; somebody wants to cut his body down.
"Certainly not," erias the infuriate By this page the suggestion is Bligh, "let the sentence, be carried out!" and officers and crow have to ataud by, horrified, while the lash in
•heard desconding on the dead man's
away enough to keep me out of the gutter when I'm too old for service." Bligh, who lived to provoke another mutiny whon Governor of New South Wales in 1808, was admittedly a tyrant and It would
servations should be made at the Hotel.
NAMES
Mr. J. C. M. Gernham, Y.M.C.A.
Mia D. Hunt. A. B. Watsan & Co.
Nn F. T. Tartalon, Taing Fook Planu Co.
Mr. R. B. Bpencelayh, 42b, Peking Road.
Mrs. R. A. Starling. 12. Braemar Terrace, Quarry Bay.
Mr. D. J. Valentine. Peak Hotel,
Mr. 21. 2. Cockis, Audit Department.
Venue for this delayed reunion is the Roof Garden. Accommodation
limited to 180.
Hollywood Discovers The British Empire
A
NYONE who undertakes the hazardous task of reviewing the year's films in order to find the twelve best" must begin by erecting a barricade of qualifications. He must, to be honest, admit that there are so many standards of criticism that no films can be described finally as "best"; that what is the lowbrow's meat is often the highbrow's poison; and that, indeed, anyone who tries to lay down the law about, the matter is asking for trouble.
Thun, having retired behind the barricado, one can set out to choose what are called the best twelve, but which are really only twelve Alma which could hardly be ignored by any one casting a retrospective eye over the film world of 1936.
version was carefully done, but not so carefully as to become a museum piece, and W. C. Field's performance as Micawber was only one in a long list of fascinating studies.
Sticking to Hollywood for a while, a place has to be found for "Ruggles of Bed Gap," which must have coaxed It has been an exciting year. The
chuckles from a vast number of historical cycle is still going strong. Colour seems to have come within the people. There were some who marked this down as a personal triumph for realm of practical production. Holly wood has discovered Dickens. Shake- Laughton, but it would be unfair to apeare has met with a similar fortune, overlook Roland Young, Charles Rug- or suffered a similar fate, according. gles, and the merry satire which to one's point of view-although so sparkled through the story. far Edinburgh has not had a chanco That ro to adopt any point of view. mlads one that the capital of Scotland seems to ses films lon- after the rest of the country, but perhaps this is ne place for airing that particular grie vance.
4
"Lives Of A Bengal Lancor". Perhaps the most remarkable thing not of all has been Hollywood's discovery discovery be hard to find parallele for such of the British Empire, punishments in the logs of other com- which gave us "Lives of a Bengal manders of a singularly enllous Lancer." This is one flm which could period. He was also a magnificent not be omitted. Highbrow and low- scaman and a very brave man, and here Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer have done him full justice.
A scaman who complains of in juries to his knees, and begs for But the veracity of the portrait is a matter for historians to dispute wator, being keel-hauled--that is, dragged under the keel of the ship over. All that concerns the critle is -and brought up dead.
that "Mutiny, of the Bounty" is terri- The flogging of another man for fie melodrama, complete with stirring speaking the truth about à clarkstorm scenes In the course of which of stores whose dishonesty Bligh several men were injured and one lost profits by.
his life exciting action, idyllic South Seas romance and beautiful photo graphy.
The
The Imprisonment of three men in Irons for allegedly overataying leave,
kicking-not by Bligh's orders of two men in Irons who are practically dying of thirst.
The bringing of a sick, surgeon on deck to witness a flogging, with the result that he is killed by the exertion.
brow combined in a chorus of praise, and even convinced anti-Imperialists have confessed, somewhat furtively, no doubt, to having been moved. Any lm which can bring audiences spon- taneously to their feet, as this ano dld frequently, is a rare jewel. Its success, of course, is being followed by the inevitable cycle, and poon film audiences will have at least a nodding noquaintance with the goography of the Empire.
Hitchcock's "The In selecting Thirty-nine Stops" rather than his "The Man Who Knew Too Much" one. may evoke disapproval. At any rate the former, despite a momentary un- kindness to the Scottish character, was thrilling entertainment, and re- vealed that there is no reason why: a melodramatic theme should be con- sidored unworthy of imagination and intelligence.
"Blossom Time," another British Alm, deserves a place for providing a pleasant background to Taubor's mapnificent rolce, and "Royal Caval- cade," the Jubilee film, was a memor- able topical production mado in a successful race. against time.
From the Hecht-Macarthur com- bination came that witty, arrogant production, "The Scoundrel," although It is with reluctance that one gives it a place in preference to "Crime Without Passion," another production with dialogue which made that other flims resemble the prattling of The Scarlet Pimpernel" is another babes and from Austria como "Mas.. On the acting sida it is a triumph
which walks automatically into the querade in Vienne," a gay, witty piece for Laughton, whoso Bligh la a
Brat dozon. This was a well-nigh which could be seen with increasing tour de force probably unsurpassed nort has been to St. George's on a made that, just on this one day in
In the history of the screen. Clark perfect example of the London Films pleasure over and over again. Paula Wednesday night (their amateur
Gable makes a fine, vigorous Fletcher product-tastefully mounted, fuscious Wessely was only one of that pro
ly photographed, and giving Leelio duction's good points, th night) and he or she will tall you 1,401, it's up to you girls to ravoras
Christian; I liked immensely Franchot
Howard a part to remember for a long what jolly fun it is. A group of the procedure of the other 1,400, and back..
Tone's Midshipman Byam; and a
Importing r “Grooming" Island Lime tenor ask your man-pal, your husband, your local budding amatour
At the risk of being unpleasant I
dozen others, including two
Like "Bengal Lancor," "Treasure age you let them take you allve", girls new to pictures, play small parts Island" was another American produc- crooners, banjo or guitar players, brother or your he-friend to join your think it right to mention also:
That leaves two more places, and The logging of a seaman for says Bligh to the captured deserters admirably word is due to Frank tion which might well have been made they might be accorded ter pianists, etc, I am sure, could give
the Gripps, quite an enjoyable half hour or hour party. If you go to
bring the last man to come down not actual mutineers, but simply sea- A over the air. The main point is that don't let him sign the chit,
from aloftM
men who have overstayed shore leave. Lloyd, the director, for the passion by a British company, but it certainly Mo Never," for, Elisabeth Bergner's It will be something to look forward
The deliberate keeping of a mid-"You'll regret that, my ladel and colour he has infused into what could not have been made more ably performance; to "Becky Sharp" for Its use of colour, or to "The Clair to, ray, every Wednesday night from
shipman aloft in peril of his life Elsewhere he is credited with sanil- might have been merely another
Hitchcock Scores Again.
Tho. Barrotts of Wimpole: D to 9.30 or 10 o'clock. I am not in
during a storm.
ments such as, "'ll teach you what cliche about ́man's Inhumanity to
"One Night of Love," "Four any way casting any reflection on the
The flogging of two soamen-24 | flogging's UkelThey Tospect - one mas lashes—for alleged insubordination, law—the law of, four""; and when de- Mutiny on the Bounty" begins its "David Copperfield also revealed Hours to Kill" "Banders of the River, prosent splendid sycle of talent from the studio. Please don't misunder
The flogging of a seaman who tected in riving the crew foul meat run at King's and Alhambra next that Hollywood is not allogether, in or half a dozen others. It would be sensitivo to Iterature: The earoon-safer to let the reader chooKOSTNA falls overboard-24 Jashes.
and short rations. "I want to stow month. Proviewed this wook. stand me,HOW ABOUT IT?
Stand on your dig. Show hin that, for at least one day in 1;401; you're going to wear the panta.
Invite me if you're hard up for man. Hooray!
.Or