10
SCOTLAND'S NORTH- WEST CHANGES
THE rond-hullders are opening up
Scotland's North-Weet for tho motorist. Recently I travelled the yet unmade road to Durners and cant to Tangate for a peep at the country that will within a year or two be familiar to the family motorist.
Even to those who have not yet adventured foto the wilderness north-west of Lairg, the desolate- Rex of Sutherlandshire will cone us no surprise.
The Sutherland Clearances, which dispossessed the crofter, and gave his land to the while-farol southern sheep and to the red deer. were res- ponsible for dentiding the strathis and loch-aldes of their human popu- Intion.
Wild and desolate, however, the craggy Highlands and horizon-wide pent bugs must always have been.
Until now the state of the crude. waterhound, ronds which, except from the sea, are the only means of Access to the scenic grandeur of thin Gaelic-speaking tip of Scotland, has kept the timid motorist away.
When "The Road," as it has come to be called in Sutherlandshire, in finished, it is reasonable to expect that a stream of trame will dow northward which may well alter the hablis and outlook of these remote
prodern and bring a ineosure of
to them.
A hundred years ago Laxford buill had to serve the roads that have Sutherland men till the present day. Modern renda, only made possible by a 100 per cent. grant from the Min- Istry of transport, have been too tonit in coming, and no doubt the tack of them has been responsible for the unchanging mode of life of the crofters.
A Meagre Livelihood
Fow crofts Arc empty. Pent Amoke Issuing from the thatched roots and signs of cultivation show that the Sutherland crofter is stil busy wresting, as his forefathers did, a prim Ilvelihood from his little oasis amung the peat bogs and his tum- bled rocks and bens
A scanty as well no a grim livell- bood-for Sutherland crofts are the smallest in Scotland. Every culti vable inch of the coll is protected
Atlantic and
and Arctle gales, not
trom
of the encroaching peat speak of the bog, by drystone dykes that often inke strange shapes to accommodate every handful of precious soll.
In the cultivation of the croft the
Lakes the
E
THE
HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1938.
Where STARS go
NGLISII can be spoken too well sometimes.
Especially on the screen,
where intimate photo- graphy and recording demands a greater degree of naturalism than is expected on the stage. This is no heresy, but common Sunse.
Don't let me be misunderstood. I am fanatically in favour of pre- serving the beauty of our spoken language. Academically correc speech, however, is not expected front coz heavers, travelling tinkers or Dartmoor shepherds.
I have met miners and railway- men whose English in much better than mino; but the fact remains that it is singularly unconvincing to hear polished elocution in Al from the lips of simple country folk. You just don't believe it.
*
BRITISH Alms are prone to this
detect, and a striking example is "Yellow Sands," K splendidly made version of Eden Phillpotts' comedy of Cornish life, set in glorious const teenery and mainly outdoors,
Finest of the performances comes from Robert Newton, as the sturdy, Communistic young Loher- man. He carries completo convic- tion in appearance, manner and accent, and for some time I have regarded him as a great asset to our studios.
Mr. Newton, with his Old Vic record, can speak fine English, but on this occasion properly retrains from, doing 8ɔ, nad is therefore a credible figure.
But those who visit Cornwall will have noticed that the "locals" do not a'k in the least like Dame Marie Tempest or Wilfrid Lawson In "Yellow Sands."
•
BOTH these leading West End
playera give superb acting performances. Damo Maric's death-seeno is exquisite, and Mr. Lawson's study of the drunken. shiftless Uncle Dick is brilliant.
Nelther, however, has managed to shed that normal excellent stage dictum. In other words, they talk as highly educated people. Mr. Lawson, in fact, always does.
Hollywood is more careful in carling, You never find John Barrymore in a Spencer Tracy part
spade Lak
place of the plough, BOOKS and a cerinin rude rotation of crops is observed. Each year ono quarter of the craft is turned over and planted with potatoes, while Jast year's potato patch is sown corn, the rest of the crop yielding hay.
with
Harvesting the corn is simple process, the cutting, threshing, and winnowing of what is te more than a handful of corn being ench crofter's own concern, to conduct in the elementary way he prefers.
The Other Harvest
The crofters second harvest, pro- vided by the son, necessitates a boat. If anything, hu, is a better senman than he is a lundsman,
With his hand-line or net he con abundant haddock, herring, enlch and cod. It is to the sen, too, he looks for all pleasant surprises, whether they take the form of drift- wood or of shont of herring run- ning before the nose of a whale, and In a moment packing bis loch al- most volld with fish,
screaming of seagulls excited
warn every crofter in the neighbourhood of the welcome of a shoal of herring arrival
Fuel prevents no problem to him. During the summer he dips his pents from the peatbogs, The peats he arranges in email stacks to drain, in the autumn
The
over the
loch
the-work of bringing them in ranks frat in the crofter's netivities. At this time of the year overy availablo horse and cart is bringing in the loads of precious,
fuel.
In passing, I may my that, beforo my journey north, I was told that peat fire was slow-burning, smoky, and dirty. This criticism may be true of peat that contains earth or Band. The true peat, I have seen for myself. provides a bright, cheer- ful fire and leaves very little nah. New Ground for Sightseers
The unrivalled angling possibili- iles of Sutherlandshire's many rivers, and lochs have long been the chief - attraction to Southern -sportsmen. But the advent of the now road may Easily place onging second to sight- seeing.
The hotels may have to enter for flocks of motorists who have no de- signa on the big brown trout or un the silver-bellied salmon.
Eric The Darling
A
Invented
RISTOPHANES Lysistrata's love strike as a cure for war, getting on for twenty-five hundred years ago.
It has rightly remained one of the best ideas for a story ever since. And now Eric Linklater has decided to use il na a vehicle for his undoubted gifts of gusto, entire robust humour and Scottish whimsy.
His version is called The Impreg nable Women, and Jonathan Cape publishes it for 7. 3.
Naturally it is all about that “nexi war." Brital, allied with Germany. Paland and so on, is fighting France. Russia and the rest. All the aeroplanes have been conveniently destroyed, and U.9. oil sanctions bring most tanks to
standstill
✩
Therefore, most conveniently for Mr. Linklater, thin waż turns out just like the last-and he can work in some
realistic bits about fighting in Planders that Brem probably to be left over from some other belt.
After this mud.and blood excursion he returns to Edinburgh, whither the Government has removed for nafety, and ako because Mr. Linklater needs the castle for his final set-piece.
The concludlog chapters, in which the women of Britain stage their love strike, by example fire the women of other lands to do likewias and so bring the war to the cluse, are grand-the best thing Mr. Linklater tizn done.
You will inuzh with delight, and your laughter will make you think, becaus Mr. Linklater has excellent food for thought bound up with his thwackinSIEN and cuddles and tremendous Scotti flah wives.
But if only the first half had been es good as the second! If only the book had been wholly concerned with Lady Lysistrata Bcrymgeour's movement for maas denial of conjugal rights and extra-conjugal rites. how much better It would have been both as fun and as philosophy.
T. D.
DAILY GAZETTE
WRONG
By P. L. Mannock
Valerie Hausen and Barry K. Barnes in "This fan is Netos."
THE LATEST
Adventures Of Marco Polo
STAR:
Cooper.
Onry comedy-romance.
Period
So long as you don't accept this
no anything more than a light- hearted travesty of a great ex- plarer's Chinese tour, you will cer- tainly enjoy Gary Cooper's taciturn charm, pitched battles between Tartara, and Binnie Darnes as a fetching example of Oriental Jade. In other words, Sam Goldwyn has emulated Darryl Zanuck by presenting a good American Polo team.
Mr. Cooper, as the Venetian trudger of deserts, find's the Chinese have invented spaghetti and gunpowder, and gets mixed up In a jolly intrigue of spies, two love Adairs, and the schemirigs of suave Basli Rathbone as the local Goer- Ing. Production is handsome; the humour is often artless. Leading lady is Nordic Bigrid Quric, whem. for some reason. Denham is now hoping to cast in British picture.
a Pekin princess, she writes horizontally and cous in synthetic make-up.
The real story of Marco Polo is not bad, either.
☆ ☆
This Man Is News STARS: Barry K, Barnes, Valerie Press Ilauson.
OSTING, I suppose, one-twen-
tieth as much as "Marco Polo," this lively British picture is quite as entertaining. All the ex- citement of Hollywood's familiar newspaper settings are transferred to Fleet-street, and, opening with vilmpse of the "Daily Herald." the action at once becomes fast and furious.
Better still, it stays that way. Mr. Barnes and Miss Hobson, az A crime reporter and wife, get into constant hot water over a murder; headlines mount up; there is a richly funny
news-cditor by Allstair Bim, à good police-inspec- tor by Edward Lexy, and a revolver battle in a newapaper office.
Here is an example of how to make a steady supply of satisfying British nims. It is smooth, crisp, tense and funny. Compliments Rre duo to producer Anthony Havelock Allan and director David MacDonald, formerly with Cecil de Mille.
*
The Rage Of Paris
STARS: Dantello Darrieux. Douglas Fairbanka jun. Comedy romance.
entrancing young blonde with a sense of humour and a not-too-broken accent. She is the most refreshing new screen personality aince Deanna Durbin
In this frothy Cinderella yarn of a pretty girl posing as a Ane lady to better herself, you have no time to query the ethics or analyse the setton, Situations are often foreseen, but are invariably funny, and the younger Doug, plays up to them and to Danielle with grace and enso.
Mischa Auer.. Louis Hayward and Helen Broderick are pillars of strength in this often spicy but dexterously- handled offering. Alle Darrieux cau consider hersel magnificently Launched.
✩ ☆ *
Love Finds Andy Hardy
STARS; Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney.
Domestic comedy. TEWIS STONE again appears as
Judge Hardy, kindly and wise bulwark of a middle-clais American home, and excel himself.
Comedy of his con'n eu:barmasements with car-purchase, three young girls and Christmas dance are well balanced with zentiment over an ailing grandma. The whole thing is very sincerely done. Mickey Rooney I liked for the first time, and I might even like Judy Garland if she didn't sing. There is a nice family tone to this kind of pleture, to which Britich pro- ducers have as yet found no reuiler part.
*
☆ * "Gangs of New York"
STARS: Charles Blanford, Ana Dvorak, Wynne Olbson. Crook melo- drama.
Na dun part, Mr. Bickford la ne
dauble playing the detective
an oficially-released racketeer who rounds up the entire city thuggery with risks mounting up every minute.
ሲጋ they Bay, there's something screwy about the whole set-up, especi- nily with the coupla dames; but in the face of the routine surprizes, you've gotta quit atalling and take it easy.
In any case. I loved the old thril put over by as cholce a bunch of muggs no I've run across in years.
GENERAL.
RELEASES ·
wwwwwwwwuž
antly to what it acts out to be-log- nolca entertainment
. With all the vigour of Amer.cau college pictures, it deals with a bump- tious Middle-West youth's initiation into an Engilah erat of learning. hs entanglement with a friend's love affairs, and his athletle prowess, which ends with his stroking a Dark Blue crew to victory at Mortlake.
It rattles along at a grand pace, has some witty dialogue, and a tetrl- fieally good 0381. Robert Tayior almost Justifies that bysterical London reception: Maureen O'Sullivan 15 sweet and intelligent: Lionel Barry more is a nicely-quovering papa, and Edmund Owenn, Vivien Le gh, Robert' Coole and Grifilis Jones stand out The picture has no pote. I cannot imagine Bigʻone not enjoying it hugely,
The Hurricane is a awgary South Bcan inelodrama with Dorothy Lamour and Jon Hall heading a cast better than they are. Its Justification is a stupendous typhoon which blawa every- thing in the island to destruction, but which does not begin until the picture has run for an hour and a querier, C. Aubrey Emith, as a priest, plays the organ illi washed away. This spectacu- lar climax is one of the year's produc- tion highlights.
Sully, Irene and Mary I commend as a first-rate musical offering, with Aller Faye, her husband Tony Martin, Fred Allen and Jimmy Durante at his fun- nicst. Miss Faye's allure remains un. dimmed and the snappy dialogue and situations prevent the least fogging. Bones are much above the average.
First Aid For Fans
JEZEBEL.-Vitid work by Dette Davis'
as a spotted darling of the old South, and a good story
VESSEL OP WRATH. — Charles Laughton, as delectable derelict in cleverly produced crample of Sepi- ember Maugham.
SOUTH RIDING, Edna Dest, York- shire schoolmistress, teaches Ralph Richardson thing or two. SAILING ALONG.-Jente Matthews
barges in and out of fame, with the Thames well worked in,
STAR
of the Week HERO O!
frat
blr Metro Goldwy British of erlug A Yank at Oxford" in 27. six feet tall an dark. Robert Taylor has reached the
top rung the
ladder
despite bad
casting and worte parts. Eest
Camille. raks have been in
Hussy." "Gorgeous
18 and "The Affair
Crowd Roars" next picture is "Stand Up and Fight."
Quiet-mannered; rends. rides, playa Lennis and the cello. Real name Spangler Arlington Brugh, Bays he won't marry until he is 30
Another No-Hit Pitcher
Sacramento, Col.
No-hit, no-run games are no novel- ty to Manuel Freitos, Sacramento softball pitcher. Freitas pitched two such games and another no-hit con- missed his when one run was
SEVERAL big pictures afford more test this season. He
choice than usual, and I plump for
A Yank at Oxford as the best. First third shutout subject to be made on a Hollywood scored on two walks and two errors scale in Britain, it succeeds triumph-in one inning.
Judge
Reprimands Himself
Self-Parking Auto
Sydney, Australia,
lu-
F. P. Watson, automobile engineer, Kansas City, Mo. hos patented the nearest thing to o Federal Judge Merrill E. Os self-parking automobile. The HOLLYWOOD, snatching Danielle issued a judical reprimand to him-vention permits cars to move them- Darrieux from her native frarac. self recently. He incurred his own selves sideways into a parking space has turned her into a delightful comedy displeasure over a four-year delay that would otherwise be too small
to enter. You must see this in settling a case on his docket.
atar in no time.
When Portobello Built Ships
were named "The Fox,**
returns were
CCUSTOMED as we are to re- successful, and a large staff, chiefly thence to South America. A gard Portobello as a watering- Englishmen, were employed in the Ther place, it is interesting to recall its manufacture of white paint, lamp "Five Sisters," "Sea Rover," &c, and claim in another direction, albeit of black, and other colouring materials. their departures and
Smith the days of long ago.
used not only the mill marked with enthusiasm by the In- Few people would
(later Nichol's paper mili), but also habltants, who reasonably assumed defnitely wonder at Ben Stack's kaleidoscople extensive
associate the an adjacent plece of ground, and on that Portobello was now foreshora and compara- the latter he established a shipyard, on the map and that a rosy future colouring.
tively shallow water with an Indus- primarily for The wild grandeur of the North-
try familiar enough in Its day to own vessels the medium by which
the repairing of his awaited them. West Highlands is something to stir Sunset Giories.
But their anticipations, so far as Leith, namely, shipbuilding and ship he Imported lip raw material and shipping was concerned, were not the imagination and to be remem».
For the ancient rocks, as anclent repairing. But as far back on the dispatched the finished article." testined to be fuiflied. In the no bered with awe and delight for
end of the seventeenth century For- years. This beauty of mountain and sany in the world, with scarcely tobello had no need to go beyond its tide to permit the ships to be towed of the period were superseded by Sufficient water existed at bigh distant future the little sailing ships pass, of steeth and river, the geolo- leather clump to clothe them, are gist explains as the result of gigan-like an opened Illuminated book of own doorstep for maritime require up the burn, and several workmen an ever-increasing number of steam-
past, are Creation itself laidments.
distant
Distance
Bealed the
tle earth movements
the In the far-
were engaged solely for the purpose bonts-on element that barc.
In an era before the harnessing of
of of attending to his craft.
doom of there little water-vehleles and mica rock, molsa
The ordinary man, too, will take steam the Figgate Burn appeared to Naturally, the yard promised to be that were entirely dependent on a schisis,
Cambrian госка and
pleasure in the grandeor of the have been the centre of commerce empty at frequent Intervals, an fair wind.
the district. A Jude Seascapes opened up by every turnin
from the Smith solved the economic problem Aundstone are intermingled
Almost immediately after followed here, scientists tell us, in a fashion that
of the road from Durness as it winds burn supplied the motive power for by deciding to turn to the building the rallways, providing a combinin provides
round the sea-lochs of Eriboll and several water-wheels without which of chips as well. This was no less on of circumstances that well-nigh one of the most intricate
Tongue. Reological puzzles in the world.
the dax mills nixl polleries could not putereastul than his other under- robbed Portobello of her foreshore To the eye of the ordinary man
and have been carried on. and bold outline like myself, it is enough to stare transparency, with the sea at the Breaking Neto Ground with delight l a
foot of the cilia chunging colour ht mountain Ince
the turn of fulilkte and blending The business of shipbuilding was So far os can be traced, at least leaving a once-bury chade with lovely shadel And one's evolved by one James Smith, who, aix vessels were given birth there, denuded of its importance until a memory would be short if it forgot, obtaining possession of a derullet and, although they had no great period et transition occurred to. In years to come, the sheer beauty flax mill, initiated a new industry pretensions to size, the schooners or bring a different and more enduring.
by converting into white lead briga were sufficiently sea-worthy fame. J. J. Quin works. The venture proved to be to tackle an Atlantic voyage and
unrred with red and white without knowing that the colouring in due
to
the over-laying of Cambrian quartzites with Torridonian sand- sonel He does not need much geology to draw a sharp breath of
of a Northern sunset,
takings.
On the Mop
industries.
Mills and factories were gradually abandoned and rebuilt nearer to the now and swifter mode of transport, community
· John o' Laila
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