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清宮秘史
se Sorrows of the Forbidden City
ORIENTAL THEATRE Special Sunday Morning Show “WHITE CLIFFS OF THE DOVER" M-G-M Picture
Aubrey Smiths
by
LEONARD MOSLEY
HIEN I asked Sir Aubrey Smith, just before he left this country last year, whether he was going to retire, he said:-
"Good heavens, no. I shall go on the working until I die before cameras. My only regret is that it will have to happen that way-in stead of on a cricket pitch playing out ph lantage for the old aide.”
It was to like a quotation from Evelyn Waugh doing satire on the English in Hollywood. I thought for a moment the old man was jak- fort.
"Then
looked ut him. The leonine old face was drooping with regret, the eyes were insty and' sad, and I suddenly knew Slr Aubrey was deadly serious-sorry he would never die ns he wished, on a cricket feld, dressed in white flannels, with a bal in his hands.
There were really three Aubroy Smiths who died, at. 15, in Holly- wood last month, the Actor, the Cricketer, the Legend...
.
ACTOR
As THE ACTOR he played one role all his life, and the world never
got tired of looking at it.
His part was that stock one the Gentleman. He Typical English never even had to make up for it; tall wiry frame and that for his enormous face and bushy hend enor somehow seemed to shape itself in- to the world's idea of an English
pristocrat..
But stock part though it may have been Sir Aubrey brought some- thing special to it-a sincerity and an inherent belief in the character he was playing that got across to his audience, even when the lines were bad and the alluations trite.
Whether be was drawing "the thin red Hue" in wine across the tablecloth in "The Four Feathers" or leading men into battle against the barbarians in the "Bengal Lan cer" Şir Aubrey came to vivid and
British Producers Try A New Line
TWO
By L. S. WALLACE
moving life on the screen because the believed in his part and all it stood for.
As the Actor he made a fortune' and amassed a world following by. playing the
that same role role was himself.
CRICKETER
As THE CRICKETER Sir Aubrey had only one other ambition besicca that of dying at the wicket, and that was to live, to see his grandson play for his county.
His first present to the boy was miniature bat
bat. He was saving up
his own bat to give to him when he played for his school team,
Sir Aubrey got his cricket "blue" nt Cambridge when he was still a freshman, captained Sussex 1007-09, and played for the Gentlemen against the Players.
Ile organised n aricke! team as soon as he got to Hollywood, formed and disbanded 12 teams in seven years, and finally had Californin so enthusiastic about
that the game the City of Los Angeles gave him a fece pitch in its biggest park.
Sir Aubrey
would
sometimes break up script conterences sneak off the set to arrange fixtures for hils team. His simple English cottage bull among the ornate villag and swimming pools of Beverly Hits, had n wenthervane on top that was a "must" for all Kollywood sightseers. It was a cricket bat swinging on a pole.
LEGEND
and
But it in us THE LEGEND that Sir Aubrey will be remembered. With his death there disappears voted, that will make for cheaper, from the international scene a mani more flexible and more dramatic- who cpllomised the Englishman for ally effective pleture-making.
millions of Eritain's friends-a The two films mentioned above kindly, thoughifel, and fundamental- illustrate the first form of attack. ly decent man whose instincts were Neagle and Michael Wilding, is a "Maytime in Mayfair," with Anna lighthearted story about romance in spring in the heart of fashionable on advertisement to the world of the Belton we like the world to London.
never wrong.
3118
In public and private life he was
recent
WO films which have just gone into production in studios in Britain-"Maytime In Mayfair" and "Madness Of The Heart" give exceptional op portunities to their stars, Anna Neagle and Margaret Lockwood. It is significant that these films were planned during a year which It follows the tradition which is know. To the London Gazette when was full of events of far-reaching producer, Herbert Wilcox, has built he gained his knighthood in 1944 he importance in Britpin's Blm Indus- up over number of years, of was a British subject resident in try, including the passage of the placing a popular story in a famous California." To his fans and to his was a valuable asset new Films Act to assist the ex- London locality. Thus three previous admirers he
Industry,
called panding of the
and the pictures were
respectively in foreign lands.
In And long years abroad never potting up of Government committees "Plecadilly Incident," "I Lived to explore ways and means of fur- Grosvenor Square" and "Spring In changed his accent, his attitude or ther help.
Park Lane."
outlook. He was, in All have slarred Anna year
more-English-than-the- At the same time Britain's films Nengle, and they have English-Englishman. producers have Licen
Britain's subjecting helped her to become thiemselves to a strict self analysis most popular feminine star, rivalled and have done some long-term plan- only by Margaret Lockwood. ning. The two Blms and others men-
Wilcox, gauging the mood of the tloned below will be apong the re-
times, chose lighter subject and sults of this activity,
***Spring treatment for
Park In trea Producers want to turn out more Lane'; and he carries on this policy The ms that will not only please Bri-
with
Mayfair" "Maytime In tish audiences but also the rest of former film was as great a success the world.
Britain; and To do this they are abroad as
It was in pursuing two lines of attack.
there will be an almost worldwide First: to make films with basically audience for the current production, simple themes of universal appeal
In these lms, too, Wilcox has with popular stars in them--stars emphasised his great ability as star-
in the .already firmly established
by developing Micknel builder affection of British Alm-goers and
Wilding, four years ago almost un- who have...world reputations.
known, -us-Anna-Noagle's romantic. Secondly: to develop in practice a
in fact the national reputation. handling of this team by Wilcox is an object lesson to producers any where in the world.
·It
On the wall of his Hollywood study hung a maxim: "Play the game of life with a straight bat and never blame the umpire." summed up the philosophy of an Ingenuous and uncomplented man-- some made fun of but a good man right down to his English roots.
Charlotte Startles The
new production technique, to which partner. Wilding now has an inter- Show World
much research has already been de
U.S. buys 'one of the
best films
Bobby Henrey, and—
--Michëlo MargáAV4010
"Mayline In Mayfair, will answer the need for a little galety in a world of gravity and stress, will provide romance, lovers' quar- rels, music, dancing and a "happy ever after" ending a fairy tale in smart modern dress, in fact.
By contrast "Madness of
The
Heart" is melodramatic, emotional and full of dramatic ten- sion. It also has a basically simple story and it provides a fine star part for Margaret Lockwood.
Miles Lockwood plays the part of blind girl who marries into a French family. A girl who has loved bitteri, Margaret's hasband 1 jedous of her and tries to kill her, but she is able to defeat her purpose.-
There is strong popular dramatle appeal in this story, certain psy- chological interest and any amount of suspense. For Miss Lockwood it is a great opportunity, for it pre- sents her with a wholly sympathelle character and a big opportunity for skliful acting. In its essential simplicity and its careful selection of the star personality, this picture should cortainly have an inter- national quality.
is.
to two
In passing, another current pr duction of considerable star Interest Trottle True", the story of n musical comedy star of the end of the last century. This picture given rate opportunity a first talented young women.
One is Jean Kent, who plays the chorus girl of the title. Jean is already distinguished artist and may well become an international one after
TWENTY-two-year old CHAR- LOTTE MITCHELL, (above) mail part actress in Orangos and Lemons, a rovue now having a suc- coseful run in London's West End, is challenging revue writers.
Three of the wittiest numbers in the show are her own work; two of them give the stars, Diana Churchill and Max Adelan, their highspets of the show,
The Adrian monologue has stirred up the West End show world;, it is a pungent comment on the green- room scandal zahool of revue now in vogue in Britain.
Miss Mitchell typed it out in the train on the way from Cambridge to London ons Sunday before the show opened.
“NO ORCHIDS”· FOR HONGKÒNG
"NO Orchids For Miss Blandish,"
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ROBERT TAYLOR Audrey TOTTER • Herbert MARSHALL
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LIFE WITH FATHER DUNNE POWELL
MILE TECHNICOLOR
ELIZABETH TAYLOR
EDMUND GWENN - ZÁSU PITTS * MICHAEL CURTIZ
by
Coming to the KING'S
this Alm has been widely shown passed, without cuts, by the Hong THE LIVELIESt chosts of the century!
The other girl is Lann Morris, who kong Board of Censors.
NO
nim
ROBBY Henfey, young English search by the Rank organisation's venture
started up production In England
B
It will be shown for the first and Was
unknown a year ogo
time at the King's next week. How gets her big chance.
Orchida condemned by The other line of attack now being developed by British films is the many British filmgoers as unneces result of prolonged technical re-sarily sordid; was the first
of George Minter, who boy, and Michele Morgan, the film scientists.
practical demonstration just over a year ago with a one- falented French actress (pictured
Tho, Aral
|man company and a 100,000 pro- above) are two of the stars in "The of the results of this activity is a film
alled "Warning Te Wantons," acromme-of the age of 37. Fallen Idol," a British film which called
Despite the controversy the film recently won the European Academy lively comedy which has just been
completed by a subsidiary company aroused it was banned at only five So Mr The film was subsequently bought called Aquila, set up to make films places throughout Britain.
Minter is now going on to make developed technicus by the David 0: Selznick organisa- with recently
nine more pictures, at a total cost don, and will soon be released under improvements.
Aquila is about to begin Its of £700,000. a new title: "The Fyn Witness"
"No gangsters this ilma," he says: Selznick's comment. when nosecond ventura, a more dramatic
the "No brutality. No andinn igntly bought it: "It is one of the finest picture called "Floodude" films made anywhere in the world details of which are being kept or wrongly, the critics have taught
something of a secret.
Award.
In recent years."
'us a lesson.'
ROBERT MORLEY- The GHOSTS of BERKELEY SQUARE
A-BRITISH NATIONAL FICTURE ^" with YVONNE ARNAUD CLAUDE HULBERT & RONALD FRANKAU
Produced by Lault M. ¿sckso Directed by Verned Sewe
IX AYLMER