Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Saturday 12 September 1936, page 40


the Voice of the film fan on pictures and

players

AC. (City) Talking pictures

were first screened in Melbourne

on the night of February 2, 1929, when Al Jolson was featured in "The Jazz Singer" at the Athenaeum, and The Red Singer" was a sound film screened at the Auditorium

. . .

Glaring Mistakes

Mrs. F. M , Laing Street, Mont Albert. My chief grudge against films concerns those with military and naval settings, when the mistakes are so glaring that a child could see them in a recent film, two American officers, holding the rank of major and a nursing sister apparently in charge of a leading base hospital suddenly decided they were tired of their jobs and, without by your leave or consulting any superiors, they merely commandeered a plane, flew to Vienna, and embarked on a round of riotous living The actual warfare, where the soldiers advance In mass formation, then fall down like ninepins, only serves to stir an audience to derision and when the producers get busy with the British Navy the mistakes and incongruities are amazing in both quality and quantity When it is remembered that while producing Pina-fore" W S Gilbert conferred with naval officials, and that every thing aboard the good ship Pinafore was accurate down to the last not surely film producers might take a little more trouble to achieve even a modest degree of accuracy.

Tickets to see The programme at the State Theatre have been sent to the writer of this letter.

. . .

E.V.R. (Caulfield). Thank you for your interest and remarks You are hard on your sex when you say that all women are little better than manykinds", but I agree with any other criticism of certain films

. . .

Small Talk

"Please Explain" (Clarke Street, 1 ootstray).-I am puzzled Take the case of Ginger Rogers and Lew Ayres More than 18 months ago those of us who study film Journals read such things as these "The first day he declared his love there was an earthquake,

and they wondered guiltily if it was their fault" She plans to be his; cook and housewife and be able to help him in every way " In short, the world was told of the undying quality of their love for each other So far, so good And now Miss Rogers has filed her suit for divorce I Theirs is not in federated case We swallow the same goodygoody talk of two about-to-be-man led film folk, and some months after we hear of their coming divorce Why must they assure us before their mar-singers that they are never going to

HJ., Geelong Road, West Footscray. -There is too much advertising in theatres of the next film to be screened "It's magnificent!" "It's marvellous!" "It's the best picture that has ever been screened here," Is the claim. Why not "The next picture to be screened here is a Jolly good one," and let it go

at that

.

On Posters

J.A. Fan" (Warwick Avenue, Surrey Hills). Why is it that the posters advertising films are usually such eyesores? For the most part they offer a gigantic, uni ecognisably hideous portrait of the star in the crudest colours An attractive cartoon poster was used by one local theatre to advertise "The Winning Ticket, and it made one realise how unattractive and unimaginative is the average poster.

. . .

JEBB. (Grant street, East Maheno). "Colour Schemes" will appear next

week.

Smoke In Our Eyes

K.A., Dalgety Street, St. Kilda.Could not something be done to prevent smoking in picture theatres One goes to enjoy a picture show, not to for shrouded in tobacco smoke Men and women are equal offenders Worst- she is to be seated near a pipe smoker Picture theatres should follow the rule set down by other chief tainmentssmoking only in form during inter-

mission.

Film Critics

D J Toorak Road, Camberwell The majority of picture-goers rely upon the newspaper criticisms for their choice of

Question'; of general interest to motion picture goers will be ansWacd on its page each Saturday Te Papa ' ' 7in

Argus office is sufficient address for your communications

film entertainment Willie avoiding un welcome comparisons I wish to ask why except in the case of indisputably treat films there is so seldom unanimity of opinion. Admittedly a film cannot make the same impression on two or more critics but it is most disconcert

his-, to find one writer going into (logic., willie the critic attached to mother new spanner disparages

. . .

Wil (Jersey street Balwyn) -thank you for your interest and remarks You will appreciate that identification of the players you name is difficult Their bit part is seldom mentioned in the cost sheets Here s

hoping

. . .

Baxter and Cooper

I- B S Anderson Street, East Malvern We often hear discussions about the best actor on the screen but who is the most versatile? I consider Warner Baxter and Gary Cooper two very strong aspirants for this title Warner Baxter has given us some polished per four races since his first outdoor tall in

li Old Arizona Mich ils his varied role in Daddy Long Legs Doc tors Wives and The Squaw Man In this as I two films Robin Hood of Eldorado and King of Burlesque the last a musical he shows us that he still retains that versatility Although Gary Cooper has given some very good performances I cannot see him reverting again to the outdoors type such as The Virginian and None But the Brave " or to gangster roles, such as that in

City Streets." Of late he seems to have been reserved for roles as a lady's man. Nevertheless, his career, on the whole, has been a versatile one. incidentally "Robin Hood of Eldorado" is, I think, the most thrilling outdoor picture since "The Virginian."

. . .

Time Marches On

CREW. (Grey Street, St. Kilda Kindly allow me to express my appreciation of that excellent news series "The March of Time." Some of the scenes filmed are nothing short of amazing, and the commentary is particularly interesting. I am sure that more of this series would be welcomed by the Bluegong public. The subjects are handled in so refreshing a manner that very often they surpass the main feature of the programme.

. .

Comparison

V.C.. Hampton. The wonderful precision, excellent marching, and dignity of the British Army were portrayed in a recent newsreel, followed by an impressive speech by the King to his troops. On the same programme some Australian Scottish troops were shown, who did everything soldiers should not do. Some even chewed gum while in line. Why, oh, why was not this sequence deleted from the Australian newsreel 6

Two Pictures

K.B., Chapel Street, Windsor were are the titles of pictures which have bored me to extremes, "Heritage" and "Drake of England." Both are attempts to provide historical drama by Australian and English producers respectively. "Heritage" showed the growth of the colonisation of New South Wales from the time of the early pioneers to tho time of the opening of Parliament by the Federal Capital Territory. Although a wealth of excellent material has been provided, by; sequences of events is broken, thus forming a series of Jumbled pictures. I!, required the artistic touch to mould it into an effective and compact drama. The picture "Drake of England" has simply been taken from the stage and dropped into a fUin. People want scenes to be real or to

appear to be realistic, but with stage scenes in pictures the film loses interest. "Rhodes of Africa," by the way is one of the finest historical dramas I

have seen.

. . .

For Franchot

I.L.W., Como avenue, South Yarra.I should like to pay tribute to the excellent work done by Franchot Tone in "The King Steps Out." Ills beautifully finished performance as the lov-able, easy-going Emperor, ruled by his Iron-willed mother, was, to my mind, one of the finest things he has done. Ills bearing at all times suggested loyalty, and he wore his uniforms not with

the usual musical comedy swagger, but. as a king should 1

: Like the man who swallowed I

| Uu: sixpence in Shirley I Temple's birthday cake. ; í found by Hill. Illrh. ulm, with lil-. V

1 partner, Adair, still bring a water f s Ht Ihr Tis oil 'Theatre on Monday in S ?= "Laugh. Town. Lamb," a new revue 5 g presented by Wallace I'aruell, S ^iiirninmiiiiiimiiiiiiiiuiiiMiiiiituiiiiiiiiniiiimiiiiiiiiiiimiiiutniiiiinii^

High perfect. To expose all the areas by which the effects are obtained would be wrong. But here are one or two secrets. The interior of the hall when the tremor first strikes was built on rockers and struck by the boom of a crime; the street which splits into a chasm was constructed indoors on a offers; much of the window glass was made of gelatine; the deep earth rumble, both felt and heard was .... But there are some things better left at.

told.

-X -X

Unknown Actress

r HAVE been looking at the cost of a

war picture filmed some years ago to show the part played by women In 1914-18. "Lil" is described as a wisecracking ex-show girl with a heart of gold." played by Marjorie Kellow," ... There is no Miss Kellogg In this Ulm or in any other, before or since, for the half was played by Lilian 'freshman,

who died in 1931.

W M M M

" i CEC DRUMMOND," a new (Uta

* serial, features Lou dance, jim, House Peters, jim., and Noah Emit. jim. . . . Hardly a major event,

M M M

And Now it is the Chinenwi

* M M

'PUK revival of "The Min j Widow"

1 at His Majesty's Theatre reminds me that the first Latin version of Lehar's operetta was released in Australia In August, 1928. Mae Murray and John Gilbert were the start, 'His talking Him with Maurice ( leveller and Jeanette MacDonald will be fresh in the memory.

Y M C

Just Like Home

'Pills picture star was showing a visitor

over her new house. They had walked past sunken gardens, marble fountains, and acres of rooms, and now stood on a terrace something like a smaller edition of Versailles The star looked about "One thing it did landed on," she said, with a touch of pride. "I told the builders to go ahead and do what you like, but. remember, the house hits Just to be home-like and come

Tollable.'"

M M M

ryitt'MK f i lillimur going the

' rounds Unit Hollywood, alarmed by the advance of British films in America, is sculling "scouts" to Eng

land to look for latent among the A series stars brought from Hollywood by British producers. But perhaps it is only a rumour.

M M M I

Arranging a Murder 1

IT'MLYN WILLIAMS was inspired to a-' write "A Murder Has Been Arranged" by the sight of an empty theatre. When he produced the play, however, the Theatre was far from empty. Bookings indicate that that will also be the case at the Garrick Theatre to-night, when the Town or House, Dramatic Club will give the first performance of the play in Airlinlla. I am told that the only members of the audience who will not feel their hair standing on end will be those who ora bald. The young people in the playmost of them are seasoned amateurshave been helped by the competent production of Terence Crisp to get the last ounce out of the situations

M M S

AVERN bigger and better superlatives

are coined Hollywood will coln them. . . The wife of a picture executive official Mills in court that her husband was suffering from supremesuperiority."

M M ?¥

Fungs and CIhm.

T NOTE that Frank Bank is about to bring 'em back alive again On this occasion like wild cargo, insured for posterity in celluloid, will arrive at the Comedy Theatre' Duck is a human kind of explorer With his halfI'lolhed natives he has braved many a jungle, and it the fairest he photographs is sometimes out of his natural habitat, what matters? The show's the thingand Frank is just the man to provide It. "Fang and Claw" is his nest offering, and September 18 the date of his release

at the Comedy.

M M M

In "silent" days, Theda Bara used to play the siren on the screen . . . Now it's the sound effects man in steamship pictures.

M M S

Kellawny'b Speech

T the conclusion of The Merry Widow" at His Majesty's Theatre on Saturday night an incident A

unique In Melbourne theatrical history occurred. . . . Cecil Kellaway made a "curtain speech " This comic genius, who has entertained local audiences oil and on for the last 15 years, has never previously taken a car," and as he said. It was a grand opportunity to make his debut as an orator." Kellaway came to Australia! under contract to the Firm for six months: the contract has since been renewed and extended to 15 Firsts record.

MM

And then there is the son not of the .Inicricrtfi Working girl who suiJ: 'V never read books. I mail until they make the game iii the

pitchers."

MM

Very Ohllimer

AMERICAN picture-goers are very few loyal to their favourite films, and I notice that that old GiillUb class "The Birth of a Nation" was revived In Los Angeles last month. I wonder how many times it has been ri'-srrccnea since inlSV Whenever the picture u mentioned "The Little Colour I" of Henry 0. Wnlthnll Is envisaged He is done now; so, too, are many of the liner original players In the film - Robert Hilton. Wallace Reid, GroiRcSelgnuui. Spoil Iswoodr Alt ken, Josephine Co-well. And among the ming. 1400 Miss, Lilian dish. Ralph beT; Miriam Cooper, Mary Alden, Haom Walsh, Waller Long, Joseph Nienaber.

und Elmer Clifton.

M M S

"Pearl Lust" Filmed

WORK on the local production of

"Pearl List" was completed at Cinesound Studios, St. Kilda, last week, and the sequences are now being Ful one (cited by Mr. A H Harwood, In bsaWiThe interior "shots" were all lived within seven days, and Mr. C Arnold, assistant director for Apex turns no. who made the picture, tells me Illili wo pi but will] be merry for a meeting NOTe

till' end of next week

4 4 4

A SCENARIO writer was Irving Kewin ' is a producer an original loft 'hasn't a united- llnWi' the writers plained "It has an unhappy comes' The last scene is In Venice, and a" hero is killed by a gondolier. . I, was

"You mean," replied the producers vw all right from the ceiling on May