Saturday,
HONGKONG TELEGRAPH
January 18, 1941.
Johnny Apollo
"March of Time" Film Exposes Nazi Tyranny
More than a year and Of Fire" and New York a half ago, "Time" and agents of the German State "Life" and "March of Film Trust admitted screen- Time" started to make a in New York, Chicago, St ings for Nazi sympathisers feature-length motion Louis and Milwaukee. picture "The Ram- parts We Watch.'
In September 1940 Nazi of This utterly new kind ficlals sought to ban this terror of movie was inspired an as "unfair to Germany by the increasingly bassy at Washington sail "Bap ominous trend of world ism Of Fire" when shown as events. It sought to re- Watch! is misleading and the part of "The Ramparts We create for the civilised rights to show their picture in
THE REICH SAYS “NO”
film A
world the great crisis this way must be denied.
In an interview Louis de that faced a scant gen- Rochemont, of "March Of Time", eration ago and to exa- said: "Title to Baptism Of Fire mine certain inexorable Government through the trans- was obtained from the British forces threatening to fer by the British Allen Proper plunge the world again ty Custodian of a copy of the
into war.
film which had been scized in Bermuda,
"March Of Time" and RKO
Movies
Hollywood Producing
Gayer Pictures
Hollywood is concentrating on films can still be shown to free Almusicals in a way not known peoples, for entertainment both lune- there for years. The movie ful and guy. The movie-makers even have gone so far, as in the case makers explain that the reason of RKO Radio, to poll the country la to-day's need for bright, gay, by special service. The answer is
Yes." colourful shows to help take our
Leading the procession in this minds off the troubled times.
commendable endeavour to brighton What is happening in Hollywood up the dark corners of the world. is nothing less than a acemingly must be lated the director-star team concerted move on the part of of Herbert Wilcox and Anna Neagle. Wilcox, who produces as well as every studio to produce enter- directs, was one of the carliest to tainment at its brightest and sense the rising market for music. So he and his star turned from gayest.
making dramalle pictures, in which At MGM they are making "Zieg- Anna Neagle won world fame, to the feld Girl," with James Stewart and musicals which marked the start Hedy Lamarr for the romance and of her career when he first drafted her from the London musical comedy Judy Garland and Tony Martin for stage eight years ago.
the songs. RKO Radio has three musicals, two nearly completed, a third starting and the fourth in pre-
New Trend
Result was their melodious "Irene,"
IN essentials, "Johnny Apollo," now at the King's, is just another gangster picture, with tough crooks, dishonest lawyers,paration. About ready for preview now soon to be followed by the are Anna Neagle's "No, No, Nanette" Harbach and Youmans "No. No. and Bob (brother of Bing) Crosby's Noncile." Barely will they complete that than Miss Neagle will go before
Met in Argentina" getting under way are not like the
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a murder and a jail-break. It is in its incidental trimmings that it differs from its predecessorH.
This is really a story of
"Let's Make Music," with "They the cameras in " But these father-and-son love (though ex- and "Sunny" in the offing. Para- of a few years ago.
Hollywooons pressed in terms of friction and mount has two song and dance longer puts the the mutual distrust), and the prin-shows before the cameras, headed by lavish and showy, efilimes to the detriment of other factors. Instead, cipal figures are Edward Arnold Bing Crosby's "Rond to Zanzibar."
movic-makers nro them close for acting honours is and Tyrone Power. Running Deanna Durbin is singing her way streamlining new type Almusi- through "Nice Girl" al Universal.. eals for laughter and speed. Sup- porting Miss Neagle in "No, No, Nanette." for instance, are Roland Young. Helen Broderick and Znsu So It goes, with the screen making Pitts, which just goes to show the more musical productions than ever trend.
Lloyd Nolan, who again turns in an excellent performance as the ruthless, cunning, but not always clever Mickey Dwyer. by being Dwyer's girl, but inter Dorothy Lamour, who starts falls in love with Johnny Apollo, sings two songs and acts with much effect as the plot permits. And Charley Grapewin
as
is excellent ગમ the crooked lawyer who is murdered because he betrays Dwyer in an attempt to save Johnny from prison.
The underworld atmosphere is
strongly conveyed without un- necessary gun-play or violence, and there is an extremely grim
finale in the prison, when Dwyer and one of his henchmen are
Picturegoers Want It"
1
from haphazard. Behind it liesing their attention to the musical before. But the renaissance is for In fact, if the producera now turn- weight of data showing that une inflatention
settled world conditions have pre- to be "Make 'em laugh, and send pared the American public, and the them away with something gay to public of the British Empiro where whistle in the dark."
"The Thief of Bagdad" Showing Here- Soon
ag the
All Hollywood turned out little thief; June Duprez. A recent star of "Four Feathers," as the prin- cornered in the laundry and in brilliant style for the cess; Conrad Veldt, as the wicked scalded to death,
opening recently of Alexan magiclon; and John Justin der Korda's "The Thief of Incidentally, it was learned just Bagdad," at the Cathay Cir- before the premiers that John Jus
Though the story and setting are familiar, fine performances and nent direction make this good entertainment.
*
young king.
It soon became evident GERMAN THREAT - that vital to such a film would be scrutiny of a Ger- Radio as distributor, besides cer-
fin, who makes his screen debut as cle Theatre.
the
young king in the Korda adven- man production called "Bap. tain customers who had booked
ture story, would be absent from the tism Of Fire"--the new Nazi "The Ramparts We Watch"
"Dance, Girl, Dance," the film
This extraordinary Arabian audience during his moment of film propaganda film produced "legal action and reprisals" were immediately threatened by
at the Queen's, hna lovely Nights technicolor adventure triumph. On completion of the pic- ture, Justin returned to London, to by the German State Film emanating from the German
Maureen O'Hara in the role of a story, which is the King's join the Royal Air Force in defence Trust and designed to ter- Embassy at Washington, and
sweet, unspoiled dancing kid,Theatre's big show for Chinese of his country. and Lucille Ball in the role of New Year, represents more than The picture was filmed mainly in rorise, demoralise and soften reportedly inspired by Baron "Tiger Lily," a burlesque queen. twenty-four months of work at England. Final scenes were planned up for conquest Norway, bassy Secretary, acting through
Ulrich Von Gicnanth, Nazi Em- Their performances will be re-
for Alming in Africa, but the out- Rumania and Low Coun- Ernest Ilepp, a Nazi agent.
membered long after the film a cost of some, $2,000,000. The break of the war sent the whole tries. The film was also
itself is forgolten.
entire proceeds of the premiers company to Hollywood, where the George Schaefer, President of shown effectively to King RKO Radio said that Nazis had
If it were only the story of have been divided between the Grand Canyon was used for the
"wonder" backgrounds. Carol of Rumania.
hinted at reprisals to be taken
these two kids struggling up Motion Picture Relief Fund and A few days before the gala event, against a European Company
from the chorus-one to the the British-American Ambulance "The Thief of Bagdad" and its "ittle SEIZED BY THE BRITISH which is an affiliate of a certain
world premiers" before the children ballet, the other to a bankroll-Corps.
of the Warm Springs Foundation in it would have been great. But American exhibiting chain which
Warm Springs, Georgia, under the In July 1940 vast quan- has booked "The Ramparts We
no. The authors and producera Producer Kordu's intention to auspices of the President of the tities of Nazi propaganda Watch."
had to get it all mixed up with a make a motion picture that United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, material were seized by Bri- «March Of Time" refused to bow
Through all of the arguing lot of psychological stuff about would transport audiences from it was singled out as the first picture tish Control Officers at Ber- to what it described as "Nazi
Louis Hayward and his wife, reality into a world of magical to have this signal honour.
Sabu and June Duprez flew from muda, Gibraltar, Hongkong censorship" and Ufa Films, Inc.,
Virginia Field, who are always adventure has brought forth drinking and battling just be such new screen figures as the Hollywood to Warm Springs to make and Port Said. Among the official distributor of German
health cause they have too much money flying horse, the famous winged personal appearances at the famous. seizures were prints of this films in the United States, (or is that the reason?) and a carpet of Bagdad, the giant afilleted with infantile paralysis are notorious Nazi propaganda arranged to sue for an injunc
formally notified that it had thickish slice of whimsy, to boot. genie, the mysterious goddess, being restored to health.
There were no glittering lights, nor film "Baptism Of Fire.".
But Maureen O'Hara is in it, the all-seeing eye and the temple ermine coats or other usual filmland and she's lovely. And Lucille of light.
fanfare in connection with this "ittle Ball-there is a wench you will
Leading roles are played by Sabu, world premiers." But the young want to see and remember.
the East Indian ind of "Elephant inmates of Warm Springs enjoyed The picture was directed by. Boy" and "Druma" fame, as the the film Immensely.. Dorothy Arzner.
tion to restrain further use of It was later discovered the "Baptism Of Fire" shots in that Nazis recruited Fifth grounds of infringement,
"The Ramparts We Watch" on: Columnists as a result of
the screening of "Baptism OBSTACLES DEFIED
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Undeterred, "March Of Time" declared it would assume the defence of any action brought| against RKO Radio or any ex hibitor customers.
Major George Fielding Eliot, noted military analyst who con- Iceived "The Ramparts We Watch", in an interview stated: "When incorporated in "The Ramparts Wo Watch,' the Nazi film 'Baptism Of Fire' takes on a meaning which the Gormans did not foresco. Instead of terror it inspires in the hearta of free men and women a hatred of Nazi methods and a grim re- sulution to defeat them!".
So now-despite all obstacles, protests and threats of the Ger- man Government "The Ram- parts We Watch" is being shown in the way it was conceived.. an illuminating inspiring port- rayal of the fateful years that began in 1914 and a forthright, mighty revelation of the kind of savagery that to-day imperils: the civilisation of free-men.
The picture will shortly be Ishown In Hongkong.
Institute, where youngsters
Dance, Girl, Dance.
財
發喜恭
CHINESE NEW YEAR
,
'FESTIVITIES
AT THE
GLOUCESTER HOTEL
Saturday, 25th January, Extension 2 a.m.
GALA DINNER DANCE
Dinner $6.00
}
Special Dance Numbers, Spot Waltz and other Novelties
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PHONE 28128
HONGKONG AS REVEALED BY
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2ND EDITION
A selection of over 60 excellent views of the Colony.
Very suitable for sending. abroad.
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PRICE $1.50
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