Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Wednesday 6 November 1935, page 10


Notes on the Screen

FIRST RELEASES AT CITY THEATRES

THIS WEEK

Films are classified as follow: — Of ex-ceptional merit (xxxx); good entertain-ment (xxx); fair enterntainment (xx); not recommended (x).

ATHENÆUM. — (xxx) "18 Minutes" (B.D.)

and (xx) "Vintage Wine" (B.S.).

CAPITOL. — (xxx) "Without Regret"

(Paramount) and (xx) "Men Without Names" (Paramount).

HOYTS DE LUXE.—(xxxx) "Passport to

Fame" (Columbia) and (x) "After the Dance" (Columbia).

LYCEUM.—(xx) "Don't Bet on Blondes"

(Warner) and (xx) "Department Store"

(Radio).

MAJESTIC. — (xxxx) "The 39 Steps"

(G.B.) and (xxx) "Stormy Weather" (G.B.).

METRO. — (xxx) "Escapade" (M.G.M.)

and (xx) "The Flame Within" (M.G.M).

PLAZA. — (xxxx) "The Scarlet Pimpernel"

(United Artists) and (xx) "Lady Tubbs" (Universal).

REGENT.—(xxx) "Les Miserables (20th)

(Century) and (xxx) "Going Highbrow"

(Warner).

STATE.—(xxxx) "The Informer" (Radio)

and (xx) "The Nitwits" (Radio).

By PREVIEW

The guaranteed Australian market af-forded by the Film Quota Act of NewSouth Wales and similar legislation now being framed by the Victorian Parlia-ment, as well as the alluring vista of over-sea distribution opened up by recent

HARRY SOUTHWELL

negotiations be-tween Australian, European, and American distri-butors, is setting the wheels of Aus-tralian film produc-tion in motion with a vengeance. Five producing com- panies have started

or are about to start work on nine feature-length pic-tures, for which titles have been determined and casts partly chosen;

oversea actors, actresses, technicians, and scenarists are expected to arrive in the Commonwealth in a few days and thou-sands of pounds worth of studio equip-ment has been landed in Sydney. The first quota picture, which has been fin-ished and given a private view in Sydney,

is, perhaps, the least representative of these nine films, because it bears a Ger-man name and has a European back-ground. "The Burgomeister," produced by Film Players' Corporation and made under the direction of Harry Southwell (who also plays the leading role) in Cine-

sound's studios at Sydney, is heralded as

a dramatic romance of Alsace-Lorraine, with haunting melodies, heart throbs, humour, and action. This sounds mildly inviting, but it would be unfair to expect anything more than a modest foretaste of the sweetmeats to come.

Eight Quota Films

More promising, certainly more national in character, are the other eight quota

films Here is the list:—

Title. | Producers. | Director. "Uncivilised" | Expeditionary

| Films | Charles Chauvel "Thoroughbred" | Cinesound | Ken Hall "Big Timber" | Cinesound | Ken Hall "Robbery Under

Arms" | Cinesound | Ken Hall "Gold Dust and

Ashes" | Cinesound | Ken Hall "The Flying

Doctor" | Gaumont British | Miles Mander "Typhoon

Treasure" | — | Noel Monkman "Flame of | World

Desire" | Productions | Ernest C. Rolls

That is an impressive beginning. Of the eight pictures seven have Australian subjects, and the eighth, "Flame of De-

sire," although a musical romance with a Ruritanian setting, is Australian by authorship. "Uncivilised," as mentioned in this column before, has for its theme life in the jungle fastnesses of Cape York Peninsula. Dennis Hoey, British film and stage actor, has been engaged to play the lead, with Margot Rhys, of "Herit-age" fame, in the principle feminine role. Chauvel, with a small expedition of camera-men and 20 tons of motion pic-

ture equipment, is now taking scenes of aboriginal life on Palm Island, 40 miles from Townsville. Arrangements have been made with the Government of Queensland for a small contingent of aborigines to travel to Sydney to take part in the interior scenes now being made at the new National Studios at Pagewood.

Helen Twelvetrees's £1,000 a Week

Dennis Hoey is not the only overseas actor coming to strengthen Australia's small group of film-players. Helen Twelvetrees, a Hollywood actress whose work is well known to Australian film-

goers, will arrive in Sydney in time for

HELEN TWELVETREES

production to begin early next month on Cinesound's "Thoroughbred," a film which will ex-ploit the career of

the famous Austra-lian racehorse Phar Lap. We have the authority of "Everyone's" for saying that Miss Twelvetrees will receive £ 1,000 a working week while she is making this picture, by far the highest salary ever

paid by the Australian film industry. The film will cost £25,000 to make, which would seem to put it well into the inter-national class. Australian names in the picture will be those of John Longden, Frank Leighton and Nellie Barnes, the young Melbourne soubrette who is such a brilliant success In "Ball at the Savoy,"

at His Majesty's. The story of "Thoroughbred" has been written by the American scenarist Edmund Seward, whom Cinesound his brought from Holly-wood to prepare the scripts for its pro-

jected films.

Australian Themes

Cinesound's second picture listed for early production, "Big Timber", will be based on a story by the Australian novel-ist William Hatfield, author of "Sheep-mates". A well known actor from Hollywood, whose name has not been divulged, will play the lead. The third picture will be Rolf Boldrewood's "Rob-bery Under Arms," which has been in pre-

paration for two years. An English actor may be engaged to play the principal role. The fourth film, "Gold Dust and Ashes,"

which is now under consideration, will be based on a story by the Australian author Ion Idriess, who is also the author of "Flynn of the Inland," on which "The Flying Doctor," the projected Gaumont-British film, will be based. There is a rumour that one of the players in "The Flying Doctor" will be Helen Vinsen, wife of Fred Perry, the English tennis-player.