The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-05-03
FILMLAND HOLDS ITS OWN CORONATION!|
KING RONALD GIVEN GROWN IN STATELY
 CEREMONIES
BY PAUL HARRISON


 ternational, Ronald Colrlan has been accepting again and again the throne and crown of Q king. And all for "The Prisoner of zenda."
 It's very flashy and impressive, the set great hall full of white pillars, gold hangings, and red plush. Also it is people with ladies-in- waiting, countesses, and such; bewhiskered grandees: gen. erals: churchmen; foreign ambas- sadorS, and men-at-arnS = all done up in such brilliant costumes that you momentarfly expect them to burst into some lusty ditty by Friml.
 This is perhaps the least au- thentic sequence ever filmed in Hollywood. The studio spared no pains or research to make it so. The uniforms are unlike those worn in any army, the coronation ceremonies follow no established formula for king-making; the brilliant robes of the churchmen are like nothing ever seen on the dignitaries of any religion.
 Reasons for all this, of course, is that David Selznick doesn't want his picture banned by any of the Representative foreign coun- tries. And he is especially anxious to avoid all suspicion that he may be trying to make capital of the British coronation.
 Certainly his cast is full of Britishers-Mr. Colman and Mad- eleine Carroll, the stars; c. Au- brey Smith, Raymond Massey and David Niven in the supporting cast. The latter's canvas chair is labeled Lord David Niven of Culver" but he takes the ribbing graciously.
 The Cinema Troop
 You can find almost any nation ality among the extras, some of whom were well known in their pre- Hollywood days. There are George Blagoi, one time lieutenant-com- mander of the Imperial Russian Fleet; WiacheslavJ Savitsky, former Russian general, and 8 wide assort- ment of colonels.
 A Swedish colonel is technical adviser on the picture, and an Austrian captain, Richard von Opel, is organizer and boss of a company of strapping young men known as the Cinema Troop.
 Won Opel, former drillmaster, has taught them the manual of arras and close- order drill in eyery-well, almost every-lan- guage. Also cavalry drills; they're expert riders.
 Studios hire the troop as unit, but the men are subject only to the orders of Captain von Opel. They're always under strict military discipline, don't associate with the other. extras, and are marched in and out of the studio, and to lunch, by the tough little captain.
 One extra playing the role of diplomat in '"The Prisoner of Zenda" is Paul JiIninez, retired captain of the homicide squad of the New York city police force. This is a particularly fine bit o1 irony, there being nobody I can recall who is further removed from the suave throat-cuttings of international Statesmanship than 8 cop on a homicide squad. Real Count, Too
 Captain of the guards is a hand ex-broker, casualty of 1929. While idle on the set, he still reads the stock market reports, but declares he now wants to be an actor.
 Between scenes, too, you can see the most resplendent of all the dignifled ambassadors rolling his own cigarets. And austere churchmen boring over raing ] forms.
 A real ount whose name is something like "Fachet" confided that he wouldn't be an extra very long: he expects soon to be re- stored to the favor of his wife, "who is very rich."
 Most popular person on the set is lady-in-waiting, Margaret Tallichet. The way all the males flock around her must be grati- flying promise of future screen popularity.
 When she came here from Dal- las, Tex, to try to act in pictures, a secretary's job in the Paramount publicity department was the best she could do for 8 year.
 Then Carole Lombard saw her and asked Agent zeppo Marx to try to get her a screen test. He did, and Miss Tallichet won con- tract with Selznick. Perhaps pro- phetically, her first role was a l small part in "A Star Is Born" Soon the studio is sending her to New York for course in dra- matics. Grand Entrance
 Douglas Fairbanks. Jr.. has one of the principal roles in ''The Prisoner of zenda," and his father drops around now and then with Mrs. Fairbanks.
 They were on the set the other afternoon when Madeleine Car roll, the pictures Princess Flavia, entered in her orrt gown of satin and ermine. The former Lady Sylvia Ashley dropped in a deep curtsey. The princess extended a hand. Mrs. Fairbanks rose and exclaimed, "DarlingI You look Swelll"