Boy's Cinema (1935-39)

28 BOY'S CINEMA All letters to the Editor should be addressed to BOY'S CINEMA. Room 199, The Fleetway House, Farnngdon Street, London, E.C.4. Hollywood Rebel Zasu Pitts has gone on strike. The owner of the fluttering hands and quavering voice has rebelled against collecting so many salary cheques. Most screen personalities think they are busy if they make four or five pictures' a year. Zasu has played as many as 35 roles in twelve months. That means starting a new picture every ten days, with no rest in between. So Zasu has decided to accept only a few im- portant roles a year, say a dozen or so. Zasu inaugurated her new policy by taking six weeks to complete her role in Walter Wanger's "52nd Street," in which she is featured with Ian Hunter, Pat Paterson, Leo Carrillo, and Kenny Baker. This will introduce Zasu in a new guise as singer and dancer. Zasu's earliest ambition was to be a sweet girl heroine. Hollywood insisted that comedy was her forte. About fifteen years ago her talents as a serious actress were discovered, notably in "•Greed." But it was too late. The public demanded her for laughs. She sighed, accepted the verdict, and watched her salary soar. Although only 37, Zasu has appeared in more than 1,000 pictures.- She cannot recall the titles of scores of them. For her first week's work in the studios she was paid £2 10s. Studios now clamour for her services at a three-figure salary. And still her admirers write that they don't see enough of her on the screen ! One of Hollywood's Strangest Sights The sun over Hollywood recently looked down on one of the strangest sights since Samson went cavorting about with the jawbone of an ass. it was a collection of every trick horse, cat, parrot, owl, turkey, sheep, and duck, along with its owner, available in the film city. This odd assemblage went to the Para- mount studio in response-to a call by Director Rouben Mamoulian, who needed the animals, not for a scene of the Ark. but to portray a period of life in Pennsylvania when the oil industry iras first spawned in the last century. It is part of the-.Irene Dunne starring vehicle, "High, WfHe and Handsome," with Randolph Scott and Dorothy Lamour. Mamoulinn's call revealed that there were exactly 12 trick cats in Hollywood, 77 trained horses, an indeterminate number of sheep, seven parrots, 11 ducks, one turkey and one owl. The round-up was conducted by Russel Pierce, of the studio property depart- ment, who found his job complicated by the fact that he had to bring in the owners as well as the animals and birds. This was done so that the said owners and not the studio would be.responsible for their safety while working.^sc The necessity for trained animals resulted from the fact that they had to "stay put " or make certain noises, as the case might be. An unruly animal could have held up production for hours. One of the horses had a particularly difficult role, but carried it off with aplomb. William Frawley was asleep in some hay, when the horse, on cue, walked up, and with his head shoved aside enough hay so that he could, awaken the comedian with several licks on the face with his rough tongue! "High, Wide and Handsome," which is one of Paramount's biggest pictures of the year, is a spectacular musical romance, with melodies composed by Jerome Kern. Tough Guys! Because of the physical risks he under- takes in his own special brand of leading-man roles, Brian Donlevy, 20th Century-Fox star, has been elected a member in the Suicide- Club, the exclu- sive organisation of Hollywood film- stunt men, The executive committee, comprising Harvey Parry, Duke Green, Gordon Carveth and Allan Pomeroy, took time out during fight scenes with Donlevy in " Born Reckless " to induct him into the group. Members of the Suicide Club all risk their lives hundreds of times yearly in creating screen thrills. Donlevy was told his ten-day stay in the hospital as the result of a fight injury in "Born Reckless " would be counted as the first step in his initiation. Near His Work Moore Marriott, the well-known British character actor who has an im- portant role in "The Fatal Hour," the new Paramount film recently completed at Pinewood, is a film actor who is fol- lowed about by film studios! Moore—whom everybody calls George —used to live at Edgware because it was handy for the film studios at Elstree. When the big fire at Elstree occurred, Moore decided to move, so he sold his place and built himself a new house in Buckinghamshire. No sooner had he moved in than it was announced that new studios were to be built at Pine Every Tuesday wood—a stone's throw away. Shortly after, twenty-four film companies took over accommodation in the neighbour- hood. It must be fate—or perhaps merely foresight. All For Art! Going under a shower-bath of flying glass five times in one day,, Lorettn Young again proved herself one of Hollywood's pluckiest actresses: For a scene in "Love under Fire." which is before the camera at. 20th - Century-Fox, she and Don Ameche were required by the script to fall on their hands and knees as an expert marksman shot out several wind panes with a machine gun. Since they were within two feet of the windows, the shattering "glass covered both of them .for the fiye "takes" that were necessary. " ' _Mi»a Young was cut about the neck and arms, Ameche escaped without '. a, scratch. Goldwyn's £10,000 Make-up Bill Because the Chinese . of • the 13th century were nearly all. big men .of sit feet or taller, Samuel Goldwyn. h'ajt found it necessary to -spend £10,000 more than he intended on .his new'pic- ture, "The Adventures of Marco Polo." This bill will be for make-up alone, as. on some days '40 to 50 extra make up men will be required. Explanation is that -most modern Chinese are small, so Goldwyn is able to use only a few of th6 Chinese actors in Hollywood as atruo sphere players. Deficiency will be made up with hefty Russians and'Mexicans of Mongolian countenance 'who . ( will be transformed into authentic-looking 13tb. £ century Chinese by the artifice Of the make-up department. Costumes also are expensive. .Ever>- one of the hundreds of costumes to be worn in the film have been-made at the. studio. The biggest job was the making of chain mail for a thousand soldiers'to wear in fighting scenes. Copies of rare prints from the Peking musyurh were loaned to the studio, and- si*- months- were spent in research. The total cost* of the eosturhes is estimated'at £30,000. P.. In addition to this Goldwyn is spending £8.000 for saddles, bridles and harness, all of which had to be specially made. Under construction for the'past month is the'picture's biggest set, a replica of a section of the Great Wall of China and the west gates of Peking. The wall section is. 100 feet-high and 200 yards long. The gates are 80 feet h'igh with towers more than 100-feet high,- This, one set added £10.000 to the production costs. " The Adventures of Marco Polo" marks the return to the Goldwyn studio of Gary Cooper, who first won recog ration there eleven years ago in "The Winning of Barbara Worth." Other members of the cast include Sigrid Gurie, a screen newcomer from Norway. Basil Rathhone, Ernest Truex and George Barbier. STAMPS, 300 DIFFERENT, incl. Airmail, Beautiful Uncommon Seta, Pictorials, Colonials. Pnee 6d. (Abroad HI -WHITE, ENGINE LANE. LYE. WORCS. /ILL Applications for Advertisement Space in this Publication should be addressed to the Advertisement Manager, BOY'S CINEMA, The Fleetway House, Farringdm Street, London, E.CA. BLUSHING, Shynesa, Nervei. Self-consciousness. Worry Habit, Unreasonable Fears, etc , cured or money back t Complete Course. 5f- Details— L. A. Btebblng, (A), 28. Dean Rd . London, N. W.2. in "a few days C o iu p 1 e t » SMOKING HABIT POSITIVELY CURED treatment 2/9. Parties,, testimony, stamp.— Specialist, " Gwynant," Clifton Road, Old Colwyn, North Wales. j BE SURE TO MENTION "BOY'S CINEMA" WHEN I f COMMUNICATING WITH ADVERTISERS. Printed to England and published every Tuesday by the Proprietors, THE Amalgamated PRESS, Ltd., The Fleetway House, FarringdOn Street. jA>ndon, K.C.I. Advertisement Offices: The Fleetway House., Furringdon Street, London, K.C.4. Subscription Rates: Inland and Abroad 11,- per annum ; 5/6 torsi* months. Sole Agents for Australia and New Zealand : Messrs. Gordon (S Qotch, Ltd. r and'for South Africa : lYifHAl ' August 21st, 1937. News Agency, Ltd. Registered for transmission to Canada at Magazine Rates. fii.U.