Evening star., 1932-05-15
ESLIE HOWARD is planning
to turn movie director. The
erstwhile star of "Devo-

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- tion," at present on Broad
way in Philip Barry's interesting
play, 1.-THE Animal Kingdom" !"
when interviewed last week ad-
mitted that his cinema career
may lead him that way.
I've talked it over with some
of the chiefs out there, and it
seems likely that I'll take a try
at tin time" And so, that
blond young EngliShman, who is
particularly desirouS of bringing
Shakespeare's Richard II" to the
stage" Hamlet too, before
I die"-may "in time" be seen no
more on the screen, but like
whole troupes of famed cinema
lights, such as Ramon Novarro
and Lowell Sherman and many
and many another, he may turn
his talents over to the megaphone
and sit back in the shadows while
he tells people how to act and
how not to act.
Mr.. Howard in a dressing room,
ON the street, at home, anywhere,
looks himself, which is to say that
Leslie Howard on the stage, on
the screen, and ''in the flesh" is
always the same. Wrong, how
ever, is the statement that he
uses no makeup on the stage.
Right, however, that he uses no
makeup before the camera. II
look silly with makeup on" he
SayS-and, oddly enough, he does.
Most fortunate is this young Brit
iSh cinemaite in the possession
of regular features, and skin
which weathers well the salty eyes
of camera lights. He can go on
the set at a moments notice. He
needs no curling-pins in his hair,
no bluing in his eyes, no rouge
spots on his cheeks. Regular Of
shape, form, figure and manner,
this thespian veteran of the
screens Outward Bound" and
the most successful actor on
Broadway today, was created
without a flaw for the benefit of
screen machinistS.
"I wish you'd put them right
about one thing" said Mr.. How
ard, backstage, after drinking
pseudo beer, milk and champagne
In his current play-"and that is
about my supposed hatred OF
Hollywood. I don't hate it at all.
I'm terribly anxious to get back
there this Summer. It's grand
sport out there swimming and
mountain climbing an d tn e
weather (he'S a California
weather booster) is splendid"
"And you like the Screen?"
"Yes, I like the talkieS. I'm
going out to Hollywood in a short
time and do The Animal King
dom for R-K-O."
He is anxious to do this, not
only because he likes the play lit
was written expressly for him by
Mr.. Barry, but because he likes
the R-K-O outfit, which, by the
way, is more than beginning to
get it's sea-legs again, and because
he is pleased to have Ann Harding
as leading lady again. They
played together in Devotion"
and did such a good job Of it
that it's no wonder that they're
being teamed together again in
this. Only this time will Mr.. How
ard be the star, or Miss Harding?
We wonder.
One thing Mr.. Howard is GER
tain about, however, and that is,
that the screen is not the actors
medium"
Il still believe" he says, that
the stage is the actors medium
and that the director is more i'm
portant to the taikies than the
player"
He is perhaps right about this.
"Grand Hotel,s without MIR. Goul-
ding's uncanny ability of getting
the best out of his players, his
electricians and his cameramen
even in spite of its tremendous
ly imposing cast-might not be as
excellent as it undoubtedly 1t.
And so, after a Summer season
in Hollywood, a trip back to Eng
land in the Fall, a play possibly
and a Christmas vacation deep in
the heart of Surrey ("We've
bought a house there and want
to celebrate Christmas there all
together"), "all" being his wife
and children, he may come back
with an eye on the megaphone
and perhaps a chance of holding
the directatorial reinS.
One thing is sure, however. As
soon as he does that the screen
will lose one Of its major players