1936-01-04 — Page 3

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH SATURDAY, JANUARY

1936.

ENTERTAINMENT

New Broadway Melody' Is Mostly Laughs

ADIES AND GENTLEMEN

LA

To-day

we introduce for your delectation, your pleasure and your amusement, the greatest. fastest, and cutest prodigy, the most sensational' Ladles and Gentle- wonder of the year¿ men, we introduce ELEANOR POWELL.

Here you have someone to compete with your Ginger Rogers as No. 1 favourite "for your 1936 ballot, due shortly in our morning contemporary.

Evelyn is a find. A month or so ago she was just another Broadway actress, not even a leading lady.

Crouching to ward off fan attack I declare that she, as a nimble-toed dancer, is every bit as good as Fred Astaire. Go and check up for yourself. Her dancing has to be seen to be belleved... Probably she won't appeal to you older peoplo, unless you're one of the modern of the moderns. But among the young (and don't forget that in- cludes me) she is what Shakespeare is to Shaw. All that Astaire docs with such airy grace in the way of exhibition ballroom dancing she can do; and she is, besides, a tap dancer (if the Bound effects in "Broadway Melody" are genuine) of almost. incredible dexterity.

STAR OF THE WEEK NO. 2. Eleanor Powell, exceptionally fine tap dancer and Astaire-ish exponent of modern rhythm. Story of film heroine you are all going to fall for in big way after seeing hor for first time in "Big Broadcast of 1938" to-night.

Has no claim to brauty, but has plenty of the stuff that made Clara Bow famous shortly after the firet Big Broadcast was produced. Afuat be seen to be believed)

She has no claim to beauty, but she has plenty of the stuff that made Clara Bow famous. Watch out for her imitation of Katherine Hepburn if you want to know "Collegiato", in which she stars whether she's a polish actress, with John Penner, Jack Oakie and Sana In Evelyn. "Broadway Ned Sparks, and other is "Millions Melody of 1936" would still be the On the Air", with Jack Howard greatest success of the year. The and Constance Cummings. story-all about Broadway stage people and a malicious gossip-

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writer to trißing enough; and live- Let's switch now from Hongkong ly though the music fa, there is to King Kong. At least, that's nothing so haunting ear-tickling 8 what It amounts to, for work in- the two famous songs of the 1920 volved in new Twentieth Century- edition. But by way of compensa- Fox im featuring Dionne quin- tion there is delicious comedy, bril- tuplets is said to "involve more liant fooling and photography technical work than production of that's a wow.

"King Kong"."

BEST NEW GRAMOPHONE RECORDS

THAT wasn't the last round-up you were hearing two au tumas ago; bless you, they're still at it!

1. Best record of the week In probably Ambrose's "Roots and Saddle" disc, with "The King's Navee" on the other side. Cow. boy tune is in the tradition, soul- ful and kad.

BILL SHAKESPEARE

IS ON THE OUTER

NANKING

IN

AND.. ALL BECAUSE HE

BELIEVED IN FAIRIES

COMETHING like 340 years ago Bill Shakespeare, well-

known Stratford-on-Avon character, wrote

The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve, Lovers, to bed; 'tis almost fairy time.

Then Mr. Shakespeare signed a contract with a couple of gentlemen in Hollywood and Puck and his famous fairies were transferred to the screen.

Now Mr. Shakespeare has met with a difficulty.

God shield us! A lion among ladies is a most dreadful thing: for there is not a more fearful wild-fowl than you,* lion, living,

Substitute "censor" for "lion" and "distributor" for "wild- fowl" and you'll appreciate Mr. Shakespeare's difficulty.

To tell the truth, Nanking's censor bureau, which cuts all Hong- kong pictures before they reach our own pet lions, are not at all keen on friend William.

Ile had too much imagination. Especially about fairies, Puck, if you know your. Shakespeare, swung a mean hip among the midnight goblins, and it's not the thing.

Candid use of camera trickery in That's because Doctor Dafue the spectacular scenes suggests won't let Director Zanuck or any that somebody has realised that other Hollywoodian touch the five tils department has other posel £10,000 stars during shots. He'll bilities than merely looking at do the

showing scenes himself, chorus girls from the top of a close-ups of his hands. Stars will ladder.

work 2,300 miles apart, and studio FACTS: Roy del Ruth made this reconstruction plus trick photo- for M.G.M. Eleanor Powell has been graphy will weld the scenes to a star stage dancor for several years, bring continuity. New engaged to marry Abo̟ Lyman, Picture will be called "Country U.S. band leader,

Docter." Jean Hersholt will play

searching for its Santa Claus. Dr. Dafoe, and Dorothy Peterson,

was

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THE ORIENT has contributed a best known to film goers as Jackie generous share of the film Cooper's mother in the "Skippy" stars of Hollywood. Ronald Col- films, will be nurse Johnson, man la an old Singaporian, Lydia Roberti hails from Shanghai, and.

Back to Hongkong to cut in on. Sarl Maritza saw the light of day'

the latest move in the EXHIBI- in Tientsin. Her biographers

TORS veraus GOVERNMENT war- quote her as being a grand-niece of Governor Nathan of Hongkong fare, regarding Entertainment Tax. and later Queensland, after whom Exhibitors, usually at logger-heads Kowloon's principal thorouglifare with each other, aro. showing re named.' Hongkong's best-markable unanimity on this pub known film star is Wendy Barrie, ject. Now they've all joined to- who made several under Alexander Kether to sign a big, burning petl- Korda and is now under contract lion to Ilis Excellency the Governor. Their growl is that they're about Now misfortune has robbed the only people in Hongkong taxed Hongkong of being the home-town a gross receipts and not profit.. sixty, seventy, of another screen star. Shortly For instance, after Wendy made her debut with eighty, ninety or one hundred cent sent at Hongkong theatres costs. Korda, sister Paddy (both daughters of Mr. F. C. Jenkin) ten conta extra for Entertainment- made her debut on the stage. Then Tax. When you pay $1.70 to ge whe decided to travel; went to to the pictures, Government grabs Switzerland, Germany and Cali- 20 cents, distributors grab any- thing up to 90 cents (rarely under fornia. Caught the eye of a Holly Go cents) and the theatre gets the wood magnate whilst nt Palm Springs, and was given a good part remaining sixty cents to pay rent, electricity, advertising, staff, other taxes. For

with Paramount,

kre

It appears that cowboys are worried more than most folk by for philosophic problems. As

The King's Navee," it is one of those straightforward tunes that can give offence to none and ples. sure to many.

l'atriotic and English and Dec- en. For those who favour the Junior Service there is a Regal record of Billy Cotton's band playing "The Army Fell For Little Isabel."

2. Best duace record in con- ceivably Brunswick's version of "Whenever I Think Of You," by the Leo Reisman players. Good valtz, I'm told, by those who do. 3. If you have a fancy for the mouth organ a played by Larry Adler you ought to know that he 1ns now made the "St. Louis Blues" And Duke Ellington's Sulitude" for Regal, and that the record is as good as anything|| he has yet blown..

"There ain't none," says Nanking.

If there's fairica, there must be a Father Christmas. And every- body knows that China is still

So, some sixty or Ao minutes after the show started in the Censor's Bureau In Nanking a week or so back, there was a flurrying of blue pencils.

"That scene's cut," said the Big Punjadam, "No fairies are going to corrupt the minds of China's citizens."

And out it was.

however, will have to be content with the Nanking version of Bill's three-century-old fantasy.

Fairies still have to survive Hongkong's censors, but no dif- ficulty is anticipated, as gangsters weren't favented in Bill's days.

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"Midsummer Night's Dream" takes over 21⁄2 hours to show, so ordinary four-shows-a-day are out when it commences at Queen's Thea- tre on Friday next. Gala premiere will be held that day, and on suc- Hasty consultations and exproceeding days it will be screened at. sive cables have retrieved the situation for Hongkong, and cinema history, will be made by substituting the "Midsummer Night's Dream" print destined for Manila. Canton,

4. Those Derea fairy tales; there are ten more of them on three records, and they are guaranteed as far as I have The Green Room been able to judge-to keep even the most restlean chilla quist. So there is more in Frank Luther's coy voice than cynics of my age might suspect. Worth buying if you have a family.

5. His Master's, Voice put out three hig records of Tehnikow. sky's "Casse-Nolaette" Bulle is there any one who has not been nraptured by these silk and sugar tunes when young?

in American version of "Brewster's odds and ends and Millions." under stage name Paddy their taxes, don't end with the Glyrin.

Entertainment tax. Oh, no. They've....... Lung trouble forced her to

still got to pay the ubiqulious Stokowsky conducta abandon work, and she is now re- cuperating at Palm Springs, from seventeen percent Assessment tax where letters to friends indicate and the censor's tax and probably that "all's well." Paddy, like one or two other I haven't been- Wendy, has host of friends Hongkong, and all hope she'll soon continue work il-boulth forced her to abandon.

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told about yet.

Cablegram, reportedly received from a Hollywood director:

WILLIAM B. SHAKESPEARE, AUTHOR

Youn STRATFORD-ON-AVON,

STOŁY

Wendy is already hard at work, MIDSUMMER NIGHT DREAM A WOW and two of har now films are STOP QuerË PRICE FOR MIGINAL STORY scheduled for Hongkong releasé FOR MY STUDIES STOP ALTERNATE Y within a few months. One is WILLING BIGN EOR SIX SUCIL STORIES.

Battered Cello

MONEY COULDN'T BUY THIS INSTRUMENT FROM BAILEY

·` .. ' '

If you can sneak into the room shared by Cowan and Bailey at the Hongkong Hotel, and "pinch" a battered old, cello you'll find there, you'll have in your possession one of the most unique and priceless musical instruments in the world.

The 'cello may no longer be a You don't hear Bill Bailey, the owner, saying much about it, but masterpiece, but as an autograph in an equally battered old book of album it is priceless to its owners. newspaper cuttings, is the story of Among the many hundreds of signatures on its surface are those

the Philadelphia Orchestra, but that is of less importance than that cach record is self-contained, that cach costs six beb, and that the three should enrich any one's gramophone library.

ZBW STAR

5 and 9 p.m. only. Will cost you more ($3, $2, 31.50 and $1) to see.

"Roadhousing" is the term they use in the United States for this type of presentation.

PHILHARMONIC:

UNI

ARTS SHOWS SET

NOT much news from the theatrical front.

Philharmonic is rapidly be ing licked into shape under un- 'tiring direction of Cyril Brown; and there'll be a full dress re- hearsal shortly. Stage rehearsal at Queen's Theatre this wook was partial dress, cast webring costumes that go with First Act.

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MR. B. G. BIRCH has charge of production of "Lady Precious Stream," scheduled for release on Saturday next under the aegis of the Arts Association of the H.K. University. Will be recalled that this group of moderns caused some controversy (and incidentally drew packed houses) by outdoing Holly- wood with respect to Shakespeare, "Haralet" appearing in 1935 cos- tuma.

This year they've also picked a controversial and ticklish motit. "Lady Precious Stream" caused a sensation in London last year. Except that the dialogue is in English, and is not Bung butt spoken, the production follows Chinese, stage convention, Thus the stage will be bare, except for

a fow chairs, scenery, etcetera, ?

being loft to the imagination of the red and Evelyn, appearing with audience. Propertymen faunt'

bithor and there, across the stags Couen und Bailey at Hongkong Hotel, as the whim acizes them, and al- are still firm favourites, despite ex- together it's a matey sort of affair, tonded season. Helped draw the ro People in London fell for it in cord crowds that visited "The Grippa"

a masterpiece, picked up in a pawn of Jess Willard and Jack Dempsey, shop many years ago for the pur- while Geno Tunney added his in pose of collecting autographs. In Ticntain early this year. order to make it posalble to sign. Other autograph contributors are the many names Bill anticipated four of the original five Marx. collecting on his travels, the vara Brothers, Charlie Chaplin, who lah was removed from the surface played the instrument left-handed, of the Instrument. Many years Fatty Arbuckle. Fred Astaire and ZBW ARTISTE No. 1.. Mias Prae big way. Hongkong will probably for Christmas and New Year cele

brations. later the 'cello was broken and was Will Rogers. Most of the nuto-Lewis, one of Broadcasting's best bets do the same, especially in view of taken to a little violin-maker, who graphed the 'cello long before their aile from New Zealand, where relt the reputation enjoyed by both broke into years when he found in names became famous. Altogether, time she could toddle. Did Concert his hands # rarb 18th century more than a thousand signatures the the gangs, parapat dance To ensure fidelity to the Chinese actors, Mia Sze-taaug, end of the Strad ruined, for in the varnish adorn its surface the unit of before BYA microphones People never stage tradition, the producer has equally well-known actress Tam was the secrot of the tone of thean 20 years patient garnering and link off tæer vererver we secured the co-operation of ine of Launching, who are tralalug the famous instruments.

the most famous living Chinese sant

three trips around the world,

plously studied violin almost from players and producer.

on the air. ----

THE

BARGAIN EVENT

OF THE

New Year WHITEAWAY'S

STOCKTAKING.

SALE

Commencing on MONDAY JANUARY 6TH

FOR ONE MONTH

IF YOU... FEEL LIKE REAL

BARGAIN HUNTING

Come Early On Monday Morning

TO

Whiteaway-Laidlaw & Co., Ltd.

COME TO DEVONSHIRE FOR NEARLY THREE HOURS

OF FUN.

BOOK AT THE THEATRE FROM

JAN. 8.

A COUNTRY GIRL

QUEEN'S

THEATRE

JAN: 15, 16, 17, 18 at 9.20 p.m.

[

MATINEE 18th at 2,30 p.m.

* NOTICE.

Owing to the continued

low rates of exchange

.

we are reluctantly com-

pelled to increase our

prices as from

1st

January, 1936

CALDBECK, Macgregor & CO., LTD. TELEPHONE 20075,