Screenland (Nov 1934-Apr 1935)

for April 19 35 63 Come to England's Hollywood Continued from page 23 Elisabeth Bergner, in the film, version of her current stage hit, "Escape Me Never." played in the picture, 'Catherine the Great' ?" smiled young Doug. "However, it is a fact that we are scheduled to play together in a screen version of 'La Boheme.' " Quite so. However, Gertrude Lawrence's personal pictures were all over the room, and young Doug was worried to death over the fact that Gertrude had that afternoon missed her first performance due to illness — an illness which later caused them to close the show. He called her up while I was there and then begged to cut our chat short because he was going up to her hotel and spend an hour. All of which could most logically be professional worry. Who can tell? Their play, "The Moon Is Silver," by Clemence Dane, was no masterpiece, to my mind. But there's your example of what the personal popularity of the movie star becomes. All London was crowding the house to see "Our Doug and Gertie" — as the press fondly called them — "in person." "Expatriate?" scoffed young Douglas. "Do they call me that? Well, tell them that I have something of the same taste for the world as my father, but there's always a little bitterness in it, because I'm homesick for America !" I met Elisabeth Bergner under many circumstances, but I don't think I should ever truly come to know just how human she was off the set, if I had not studied her one whole afternoon on the side lines at Elstree. She was not "working" but, as usual, insisted on seeing every workingpoint of the picture, "Escape Me Never," being made — the way that she thought it ought to be made. No directing or technical detail escaped her sharp eyes. But no little human scrap got by her either. For example, one of the little charity children in the big scene fell and lay there crying until Elisabeth ran and picked her up and comforted her. Rosalind Fuller, one of London's accomplished actresses, cracked up in her big scene and began to cry, too. Again, Miss Bergner was on the scene, comforting her and starting her off right by showing her how she would do the lines. Later, over tea, Elisabeth confided to me almost tearfully, how she had spent nearly the whole of the night before trying to lose back to members of her company the pennies she had won from them during the long waits between appearances on the job. She would never gamble again, she swore! It was refreshing to meet Paul Robeson, America's colored genius, on the Elstree lot. London is not new to him, although Elstree is. He first appeared in England as Brutus Jones carrying on his broad shoulders and mental make-up the one-man show, "Emperor Jones." Now he is playing another slant on the same plot, a negro who has spent part of his life in Liberian prisons, from which he finally escapes and establishes himself as king of a small tribe in the Congo. Those who have seen the movie of "Emperor Jones" have a treat in store when "Congo Raid" will be released shortly by United Artists. I reminded Robeson of the time I had heard him sing in a Paris Catholic church to the accompaniment of that expert organist, Konrad Bercovici, who wrote among other things, "The Volga Boatmen." And who should happen along but the father of three of the world's most famous film sisters, Constance, Joan and Barbara Bennett? Mr. Richard Bennett himself! Mr. Bennett said he was on his way to India to make a film entitled "Daughter of India." Then he will travel to Mos cow to play in the filming of "He Who Gets Slapped." While we are on the subject, we may as well spike that rumor that one of the world's most popular wisecrackers was on his way to Elstree to make a team picture with his wife, the erstwhile Betty Compton. We refer to the inimitable Jimmy Walker, who once wise-cracked himself out of New York, but is now wise-cracking himself into the hearts of the London populace through his feature page in The Sunday Despatch. I had no little trouble in locating "Jimmy" and his Betty in a little lovenest cottage in a quiet village 40 miles out of London town. Said Jimmy Walker, "There are bigger things in life than the Empire State, and this little English cottage is one of them. Give us time to catch up with some of the happiness we've lost, then we'll come out and do that picture we've promised. It's only a couple of hours' drive to Elstree!" Elisabeth Bergner is not the only one who is heading for Hollywood whether she wills it or not. There is that other English stars who are well known Hollywood figures! Above, Leslie Howard, at present the star of New York's outstanding stage hit, "The Petrified Forest," and Merle Oberon, on location for the film they made in England.