Screenland (Nov 1937-Apr 1938)

Studios hum and social gatherings glitter as film notables work and play in and around Britain's cai By Hettie Crimstead because she has the right kind of hands. "Supple, quickmoving, sensitive in gesture, rather long and slim. All the greatest players have hands like that— Garbo, Norma Shearer, Katie Hepburn and Joan Crawford to name only a few." So Nova is accordingly paying particular attention to her manicure and looking forward to her next assignment which is to play the youthful Princess Victoria in the historical "Girlhood of a Queen." Also at Pinewood they are busy on Jessie Matthews new musical— the last our dainty dancing star will make in England for she and director-husband Sonnie Hale are off to America immediately it's finished. Jessie's greatest ambition is to partner Fred Astaire and since Fred likes the idea too and there's a lot of negotiations going on between Jessie and Radio Pictures — well, don't be too surprised this winter ! But first you'll be able to see Jessie in "Full Sail," playing the adopted daughter of a London bargee. (He's a stalwart gentleman who navigates a little flat-hulled freight boat along our canals. We've hundred of miles of them, connecting up with the River Thames.) There'll be some lovely shots of London's famous river and lyrics by Arthur ("Pennies from Heaven") Johnson, all written in a week because he had to dash back to Hollywood to provide Bing Crosby with another epic. Pinewood's recent visitors include blue-eyed tiuttycurled Patricia Ellis, looking cutely Continental in a slim black marocain frock with a gaily-printed red and green jacket. She's come over the Atlantic for the first time to be Jack HulbeYt's romantic interest in his new musical film "Playboy." She's seen the Changing of the King's Guard and walked in Hyde Park and eaten hot buttered scones for tea, so she's getting quite Anglicized. Patricia was also bidden to the cocktail party of the month, given by wealthy and good-looking bachelor Sir Anthony Weldon in honor of Merle Oberon. It took place in a great green-walled room at our latest Society restaurant, Le Vert Galant in Park Lane, and Merle wore an unusual outfit in vivid blue and yellow and looked supremely glamorous as usual. Her latest film is being made entirely in color and it is called "Red Shoes," Merle playing Tamara who's a Russian Ballet dancer. She doesn't need a double for the scenes where she is pirouetting on the stage of the Royal Opera House at Moscow because she _ was originally trained in dancing and once earned her living as professional partner in a Mayfair club before she went on the films. Do you remember Merle as Lady Blakeney in Alexander Korda's production of "The Scarlet Pimpernel" a couple of years ago, with Leslie Howard playing the foppish but gallant Sir Percy ? Well, now the inscrutable Alex, with his characteristic knack of doing the unexpected, is making the sequel, "The Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel," but he's chosen two different players for the principal parts. Sir Percy Blakeney is now Barry Barnes, who is rather like Leslie with the same long lean face, light blue eyes, crisp blond hair and sensitive mouth. His screen wife is Sophie Stewart, absolute antithesis of gorgeous Merle in every way. Sophie is gravely shy and essentially domestic, living with a large family in a country farmhouse where she {Please turn to page 96) Nova Pilbeam, at top of page, with her pet terrier, grown up since "Nine Days a Queen," is to be seen next in a new Alfred Hitchcock film. Lower, left to right, Anna Lee, whose midnight party was attended by many celebrities; George Arliss in his latest role as "Dr. Syn;" and Whitney Bourne, another American beauty frequently seen in London. 65