Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Saturday 20 August 1955, page 41


Melbourne audiences might soon sec

JEDDA1 IN PERSON

^ » ? »

IT seems fairly certain 1

of the Australian ft the stage of the State T premiere of the film.

Arrangements are being ; made for Ngarla Kunoth, ; feminine lead, from Alice

Springs, to be here for the }, occasion. And Robert Tuda wall, her male partner, will

possibly be in Melbourne at that time to appear in the Royal Show in a special stunt with an alligator.

The trip will give Ngarla Kunoth the opportunity to see her sister, Lillian, who' is a nurse at Bethesda Hospital,

Richmond.

"Jedda," which will open at the State next month, is a primitive ! Australian love story, photo-

graphed in Gcvacolor and pro-duced by Charles Chauvel in the Nottbern Territory.

IT, tells how a white woman, whose own child dies, adopts a newly born piccaninny and raises the baby Rs her daughter,

when the girl grows up. her

»ww««, motlier plans to marry oft

Jedda to a half-caste .stockman

named Joe.

But Marbuck. a wild Arnhem Land native, appears on the scene, woos Jedda, kidnaps her, md carries her off on a long and

dangerous trek Into his own

country.

"Joe, the stockman, and a police Patrol set out on their trait. , For Marbuck is wanted for murder and for escaping from Darwin Gaol. Pey eventually catch up with the couple in the aborigines' Forbidden , v»y, a caveland high on the banks

« the Roper River.

Here Marbuck has fallen victim «> the sorcery of the old men of Ms tribe, and is haunted by the writs of "the dreamtime people." wlven almost Insane by the native »boo, Marbuck's violent reaction

Mings the.film to a highly dra

Urattc conclusion

Director Charles Chauvel, whe wrote the screen play In co operation with his wife. Elsa based his story of "Jedda" 01 authentic aboriginal customs and

that the aboriginal stars Im "Jedda" will be on heatre for the Victorian

Chauvel had to overcome con-

siderable production difficulties in using color film in the outback of Australia. As the film had to be processed in England, it was not possible for him to see the results of his . work while he progressed with the "shooting."

This entailed working "in the dark," so far as keeping tab on his film was concerned. There was quite a long delay while the film was sent overseas and back again.

But the color medium proved so successful in making "Jedda," that Chauvel has worked out an in-genious plan (involving the use of overseas studios) for his future production.. He is already working on a new script, which may be shot in New Zealand or Indonesia.

He lived

THOSE who have seen the

Australian film, "Captain Thunderbolt," which was re

leased last week at the Plaza

Theatre, Northcote, wondered why producer John Wiltshire permitted the notorious bushranger to escape at the end of the picture instead of being killed, as actually happened.

"Television" was the reason why Thunderbolt was allowed to elude hts pursuers. Mr. Wiltshire and his film company. I understand, intend using Thunderbolt for a prolonged adventure series when TV operates in Australia!

"AT "KING" COLE has re-

corded a film theme song which is expected to become one of the big pop. hits of the year.

This is a new number by Jay Livingstone and Ray Evans, titled "Never Let Me Go." This ls the theme of the Paramount suspense drama, "Too Late, My Love," which stars latest "discovery" Carol Ohmart. Cole sings the number in

the film.

Cole hit

Annoyed

ND here's another story

about a Japanese screen actress.

Shirley Yamaguchl, who co-stars with Robert Ryan and Robert Stack in "House of Bamboo." being made in Hollywood, dressed at home in her Japanese costume be-fore calling a taxi to take her to work at the 20th Century-Fox studios. /

The cab driver, just finishing a tough shift, got very annoyed when

she answered the door in her kimono. "Look, lady," he said. "If you want a cab, get dressed before you call lt. I can't affort to wait around all day!" v

Movies first

_________ i

jr ATHARINE HE PB URN,

now in Melbourne with the Old Vic Theatre Com-pany considers Englishman David Lean one of the best directors she's ever worked under. He directed her in Italy in "Summer Madness," now showing at the Athenaeum.

"Mr. Lean doesn't make films for an audience as a mass," she said last week. "He manages to envisage his audience as separate human beings, and has the gift for working on their individual emotions."

In spite of her stage work, movies are Katie Hepburn's main Interest.

"Aren't films wonderful/' she enthused.

ir JEDDA, played by Ngarla Kunoth, is very un-happy when forced to eat cooked snake in this scene from the Australian film

"Jedda."

Bub her first appearance In Hol-lywood was "a ghastly experience,"

she said.

Miss Hepburn arrived to make her movie debut (straight from the Broadway production of "The War« rior's Husband") in a rather dowdy dress ("I thought it was lovely!", she said) and with a piece of steel in her eye. The eye with the foreign body in it was closed completely; the other one was in-flamed and half-closed in sym-pathy. .

"George Cukor, who directed me in 'A Bill of Divorcement,' took one look at me and obviously wished he'd sent for someone else," said Miss Hepburn. "It's a miracle I ever got by the screen test and made any movies at alli"