Evening star., 1934-11-16


ago that Charles Dickens
wv would be Hollywood's most
popular contributor to the
screen? Although Vanity
Fair" had been filmed with minor
good taste and one or two other
Dickens works mentioned as posi-
bilitieS, his novels on the whole were
not considered on par with Fannie
Hurst or Tiffany Thayer, and his
books we're skipped over with profound
enthusiasm.
Now, suddenly, Mr.. Dickens rises up,
like trout out of stream, all fresh
and shining and ready to be eaten at
a moments notice. One of his stories
may be seen today at local picture
house, another has been worked on
by M-G-M since July, David Copper
field" and a message this morning
from Hollywood states that "a Tale Of
Two Cities" will shortly be produced
by that same David Selznick who has
been beetling around with Copper
field" since it came to Hollywood.
"A Tale of Two Cities" is, of course,
the Dickens story that seems to US to
be best suited to the cinema. 1t has
what is called "action"-a sport dear
to the heart of Hollywood-and it has
a leading character that. once you
have become acquainted with him, you
won't forget. 1t should, in other words,
make very good movie.
ONE of the reasons why We suspect
~ Mr.. Dickens is being dished up
with such real enthusiasm in Holly
wood is the presence of Hugh Wal
pole. This amiable novelist. who. after
his first weeks pot of tea in studio,
announced that he would be back In
England in a fortnight and who then
stayed and stayed and stayed until it
seems likely now. that he will never
move from there again, is a Dickens
devotee-in fact, some sort OF vice
president of the Dickens Society in
London. When he isn't writing his
own books Mr.. Walpole is very apt
to be reading Dickens, and his wis
dom on their merits and dement's $50
far as the screen is concerned), now
that he knows the ropes, is very pro-
fitable TO the M-G-M outfit.
The longer Walpole stays in Holly
wood, the longer we may suppose that
Dickens will flourish And so long as
Dickens f1ourishes so long are we to
get the sort of film that won't throw
finicky patrons into a temper and
cause them to call out the guards or
the watch-and-ward society.
The Dickens Renaissance is, thus,
something for which we may be CRATE
full - although one never knows
whether Miss Mae West is to appear
in one of them OF not.
TEANIE LANG, being a nice person.
wires h6y thanks as she leaves
town and sGyS that she "looks for
ward to playing here again" Hope
she does-Soon.
BUDDY ROGERS arrival in this
- Office yesterday was the signal for
squad of young ladies to fall more
or less on their noses. Mr.. Rogers
walked in quite informally, inspected
various photographs which adorn
these walls, complained bitterly, as he
eyed Madge Evans, that he had never
had the pleasure of meeting her, and
whistled as he caught sight of pic
ture of Jean Harlow.
When Mr.. Rogers sails for England
on the Paris on December 10 he will
go without his Cavaliers-since the
British forbid travelling United States
bands to make themselves known to
Londoners. He has a five-weeks' mo-
ton picture contract, and then will
appear at the Palladium-and after
that at several celebrated night clubs.
He said that he hoped to catch
glimpse of Prince George Duke of
Kent to remind him of that day
few years ago when he helped him
with his saxophone playing at party
given him Buddy by Lady Mount
batten. COR did you know that Prince
George played the saxophoneO
X X X X
NORMAN SCOTT BARNEs-Joan
Blondells baby to the great
movie-going public-who was born
tn the actress Mrs George RarneS)