The Bioscope (Jul-Sep 1931)

20 THE BIOSCOPE August 19, 1931 BRITISH STUDIOS TO-DAY Marshall Keeps Straight On— Robey and Graham Cutts Back— Mercanton’s Full Cast Waiter Summers’ Submarine— And His Son ! Herbert Marshall and Ann Grey in “ The Calendar,” Gainsborough-British Lion film, nearing completion under the direction of T. Hayes Huater “ The Calendar ” Finishing T. Hayes Hunter anticipates (weather permitting) that shooting on the Gainsborough-British Lion joint production, “The Calendar,” will be completed this week. ‘ Michael and Mary ” Started Gainsborough’s picture of “ Michael and Mary,” A. A. Milne’s successful play, went into production at Islington this week with Edna Best and Herbert Marshall as joint stars. Victor Saville is directing, with Leslie Rowson at the camera, and the supporting cast includes Elizabeth Allen, Margaret Yarde, Sunday Wilshin, Frank Lawton, Clarke Smith and Ben Field. Parts of the picture take place in the year 1900, and Saville has been to immense pains to reproduce accurately the atmosphere of the period. Costumes, sets and props have all been faithfully copied from originals in the Victoria and Albert Museum, and in one of the street scenes the original evening paper bills announcing the Relief of Mafeking will be used. Graham Cutts to Direct Robey Reginald Fogwell has signed George Robey for a series of four-reelers entitled “ The Adventures of Bindle,” which will be released in monthly parts over a period of twelve months. This series will be taken from episodes embodied in the five famous “ Bindle ” Books, by the late Herbert Jenkins (of which Fogwell has purchased the film rights). The cast includes in addition to Robey as " Bindle,” Sydney Farebrother as “ Mrs. Bindle,” Seth Egbert (of the famous Egbert Brothers) as “ Ginger,” and Gibb McLaughlin as " Mr. Hearty.” Production will be spread over a year. The first three of the series will be " A Temperance Fete ” (“ wherein Mr. Bindle assists ”), “ Bindle at the Zoo,” and “ Bindle at the Seaside.” These films are to be made at Isleworth Studios and will be directed by Graham Cutts, assisted by William Phelps. Edward Richards is to be editor, and William Shenton cameraman. Charles Quarter maine Joins Mercanton Cast Louis Mercanton has completed the first sequence of the new Paramount British production “ A Child in Their Midst,” which represented the interior of a revue dancer’s dressing room. Some “ sparkling” dialogue was recorded by Jack Buchanan and Joan Barry, who are in the leading roles, with Harry Milton, Sebastian Smith, Warwick Ward, Nora Swinburne, Ellaline Terriss, Lilian Braithwaite and Cyril Raymond to support them. Another well-known West End stage artist just signed for this picture is Charles Quartermaine, who will be re membered for his perform ancejas (the 'polite bookmaker in “ Good Losers ” at the Whitehall Theatre. In “A Child in Their Midst ” Jack Buchanan plays the part of a very popular man about town, who finally falls deeply in love with a girl who does not meet with the approval of his family, and who does not at first approve of him. The part of the girl, “ Young Grace,” is being played, by Joan Barry. Walter Morosco’s “Child” Walter Morosco, who is production manager at Elstree for Paramount British Productions, is responsible for the treatment of A Child in Their Midst,” which will be his first British picture. The photography of this film is expected to rival anything that has ever come out of Hollywood. One shot will show an overhead travel along the entire length of the make-up table at which rows of chorus girls are seen making up. Several £ 3,500 cameras are in use. Elvey Starts “ The Water Gypsies ” The first shots of “ The Water Gypsies,” Basil Dean’s new Associated Radio production, were taken at the British Lion studios, Beaconsfield, this week. The cast includes Ann Todd, Sari Maritza, Betty Shale, Peter Hannen, Richard Bird, Anthony Ireland, Harold Scott and Moore Marriott. Maurice Elvey is directing and Sam DeGrasse, an R.K.O. cameraman from Hollywood, studios, is shooting with Bob Martin, also from the R.K.O. Hollywood lot. Two assistant directors have been appointed— Raymond Fridgen and J ohn Paddy Carstairs — to help Elvey, and John Harlow is acting as production supervisor. Submarine Thrills at Elstree Thrilling scenes are being shot this week for inclusion in the submarine film which Walter Summers is directing for British International. Based on the story of the recent disaster of the Poseiden it is to include shots reminiscent of the extraordinary escape which some of the sailors trapped in that submarine were able to effect by using the Davis Life-Saving Apparatus. For the past week, the artists who are to take part in these shots have been schooled in the proper use of this apparatus, and all this week Walter Summers is taking under-water shots of the men escaping from the sunken submarine, a sectional replica of which has been erected in a huge water tank at the British I nternational Studios. Cameras are operated through windows in special galleries around' the tanks. Batten Back Among the artists taking part are SidneySeaward, John Batten, who played in “Under the Greenwood Tree” and “The Great Game,” Syd. Crossley and Edward Gee. Although this is not the first time that under-water shots have been made by this method for inclusion in a British film, I believe this represents the most ambitious use of this method and it will be interesting to see just how realistic it has been possible to make these scenes appear. Walter Summers is convinced that he can make of