Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954), Sunday 28 November 1954, page 39


WHAT'S NEWS IN

.. THE MOVIE WORLD

Why he didn't answer Duke

(From DICK KI SCH)

London, Sat.: Britain's up and coming film comedian Ronald Shiner found it difficult to answer the Duke of Edinburgh's question.

The Duke wanted to

know whether they've "got you out of uniform in your films yet."

Shiner said "Not ex-actly, sir."

Shiner, who now rivals Norman Wisdom and George Formby in film popularity, has been in the Navy, Army, Mar-

ines and Air Force in his pictures, though his latest film, See How

They Run, shows him in a sober grey suit with a

clerical collar.

Sexy blonde Greta

Gynt is there, too, in a Quilted satin skirt.

She helps him run round the rectory.

Shiner explains, "I look like a clergyman, but really I'm in the Army. And, of course,

Greta and glamor help to complicate things with the bishop.

"So now you see why I couldn't explain things properly to the Duke. It would have Bounded too much like - a farce-which is exact-

ly what it is."

* * *

Planter's wife

"REMEMBER a British

film about the May-

ayan war called Plan-ter's Wife with Claud-ette Colbert. She was

paid around £20,000 stg. to star in it with Jack Hawkins.

Everyone connected with the film claimed that as Jack Hawkins was "unknown" in the US, a big name Ameri-can star could bust open the American market for this film.

Planter's Wife took precisely £32,000 sig. in US, whieh seems to dis-pose of that fable about a big star name.

Another British pic-ture, The Cruel Sea, took £215,000 stg. from American box offices.

It didn't have Claud-ette Colbert; it just had Jack Hawkins with a newcomer, Donald Sin-

den.

***

Those know-alls who laughed when pert

starlet Mara Lane told Humphrey Bogart she

wouldn't have a Cadil-lac "as I don't drink" are now grinning on the other side of their faces.

It seems that Mara not only knew more about a French drink called Cadillac than they did, but also more about star-building.

In 12 months she has made four top-feature pictures in Rome and is now starting on her fifth.

She even manages to look surprised when she

EVA BARTOK

. . London stage

says "And I get top bill-ing there, too."

Twenty - four, dark, maddenly provocative, pretty, with painted eye browns, miniature nose and determined look of a prize-winning French poodle, Mara has found the golden lane to suc-cess, while British film people offered her only tiny roles.

Since Mara now has sufficient; money to in-vest in a new English speaking theatre in Rome, a solitaire dia-mond, mink coat and stole, and a wardrobe of gowns at £200 stg. each, she knows what she means when she says, "I want my cake and I'm going to eat it as well."

* * *

"EVA Bartok is about to achieve her longed-for London stage debut.

She is appearing with Sam Wannamaker in the new adaptation of Zola's famous Therese Raquin.

Wannamaker, who also gave Diane Cilento her first real London chance, launches the major London theatrical season shortly starring a number of formerly well-known American actors who now seem to preter living in London to New York.

* * *

Eyebrows up

BRITAIN'S No. 1 eye A trow raiser Diana Dors, whose next film is aptly called Value for Money, started an inde-pendent film producing company called Diador.

Her first film being made at Elstree is a screen version of the ex-cellent novel by Robin Maugham, The Rough And The Smooth.

***

ORSON WELLES still putting money in his purse to finish his

long-awaited film ver-sion of Shakespeare's Othello, accepted the flamboyant role of the preacher in Moby Dick.

Director John Huston wouldn't have anyone else, despite Orson's as-tronomical fee. Every-one says Welles is worth

it.

Color film

AUSTRALIAN Bluey

Hill is producing Teddy Boys next month.

His production man-ager is Pink Green and the company making the film is Red Lion Pic-tures.

It should be a colorful film.

***

ALAN Ladd has agreed

to return to Britain next year to make his fourth film in Britain.

* * *

Canadian

BLONDE, beauti ful, 19-year-old Canad-ian actress Shirty Doug-las makes her first film opposite Douglas Fair-

banks Jun.

***

Cloudett Colbert

. . . big name.

***

BIG film remakes be-

ing projected include Sir Alexander Korda do-ing a Cinemascope ver-sion of his famous Four Feathers and the war-time Robert Taylor film Waterloo Bridge, with French ballerina Leslie Carron in the part cre-ated by Vivien Leigh.

***

RICHARD Burton is

adding to his list of historical roles by sign-ing a contract to star in Alexander The Great, who conquered the world in 300 BC and died when hè was 32.