Sun-Herald (Sydney, NSW : 1953 - 1954), Sunday 23 May 1954, page 70


]Ve§v ffîinê 0MÊ The MMe Of Christ

By GÀYNE

DEXTER

Film rights to "Thé Greatest Story Ever Told," Fulton Oursler's life of Christ, have been bought by Darryl Zanuck, who makes one personal pro-

duction each year. ... .. ;.

In 1953 ; it was "The Robe"; this year Mika Waltari's "The Egyptian."

Only production fact'.yet: released..'is- that" royalties, from .'The Greatest Story" probably will add 2.000,000 dollars to the author's

estate.

Cecil B. de Mille filmed the last life of Christ as a

silent, ,"The King of Kings," presenting H. B. Warner as"

the Saviour,

V -fSo much theatrical super-stition ' surrounds ' the ? ?? role that Hollywood is already wondering who will dare take it now. ...

Six biblical pictures in preparation in Hollywood and Rome stem from "The

I

Robe's" \ success. It cost 4,500,000 doliars to produce and will earn 35,000,000 dol-lars-nearly 10 million dol-lars-more than "Gone With The' :Wind," : the present world's record holder.

? * ?

AFTER 20 years with

time out for shenannagins, Errol Flynn has wound up his Warner contract. For the future he has one definite appointment-to attend the opening of Charlie Chauvel's "Jedda" in London or New York. They haven't met since Chauvel gave Flynn his first film job as Fletcher Christian' in a Bounty' Mutiny production, in the old Bondi Junction studiosv Salary. £3/10/ n week.

? ? ' ? ;

KEVIN MILES, the Aus-,

tralian youngster chosen

by ' Anthony Quayle for a^ London chance, " has gradu-J ated from spear-carrying at. Stratford-on-Avon Memorial to a small part in "Romeo and Juliet." It's the second

rung that counts in any actor's climb, and Miles has made it. ...

? ? ?

BURIED under thc rail-

way arches at Charing Cross, thc Players Theatre is something Australians visiting London should not

miss. It's a club maintaining^ old music-hall traditions for a professional membership.

Behind candle footlights the chairman opens thc

show l>y toa; tin^ thc health of her Majesty thc Queen -Victoria, not Elizabeth. J The rest is beer, hot-dogs,

roaring choruses, vaudeville ' tums by to-morrow's stars

and established headliners who return occasionally to (lu cradle of (heir careers.

Television talent-scouts rarely miss a programme. - Every youngster I saw at thc

I'laycrs in five years is a T.V. . name (o-day. So a tip to Australian hopefuls tackling the London adventure: You can't .ill expect thc breaks

- of Shirley Abicair and.

Bobby Limb; but if you can gc' a couple of nights at (lie Players you may save months of futile auditions.'

DUZZLED star at Para* mount is Bine Crosby, who has earned millions for the company, yet has had no bid for his autobiography. "Call Me Lucky." Para-mount could be waiting for one of the Crosby kids to grow up sufficiently to im-personate "îing, as young Will Rogers did his famous

father.

Paramount refuses to sell back to Mae West her ram-bunctious old-time hit, "Dia-mond Lil." Mae's idea is to remake it for cinemas and T.V. Paramount has similar ideas-when some contract star grows big enough.' -