Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Thursday 12 June 1941, page 19


JOEL MCCREA IN BOTANY

,_ BAY?",

Film About Convict Days.

FROM LON JONES.

, - ^ HOLLYWOOD.

, ' TheMcading male role in "Botany Bay," James Norman j Hall's story of AtistraliaVearlyrconvict and pioneer days, promises j to'*be one i>f the screen plums1 of the year, and if Joel McCrea -has anything to say in the casting he's going to play it.

TOEL already has been men" tioned as the leading candi-date for the part, and In an inter-view on the set of "Reaching for the . Sun¡" . his latest ' starring pic-ture, he said that nothing would make him happier than to portray this role. . . , . « ' , ,

As McCrea's cousin, Mr. Charles Mc-crea, married an Australian, Miss Jean Hussey-Cooper, , it, seems almost appro-priate that He should appear in an Aus-

tralian story.

Mccrea hopes,that ."Botany Bay" will ,be made with due regard to history as well as box office interest, and hopes that the production will be handled either by Frank Lloyd or Cecil B. de Mille.

,. Nothing is certain about the picture yet', as Hall is still -writing the book, which will not be published until July.

Mccrea is not taking any chances on not knowing early Australian history. Just In case he gets the role. Already he is leading all he can find on the period and has also borrowed copies of "For the Term of His Natural Life" and "Robbery

Under Arms."

Joel already knows a bit about Austra-lia and New Zealand, because his uncle,

who -was-a sailing ship skipper, has I visited both countries many times.

"I've often been told that I look like |

JOEL MCCREA.

lan Australian," said Mr. McCrea, "but I think you'll find that most Western | Americans do look like your people."