Evening star., 1938-06-26
CinenaAgain
Discovering
Nostalgia
Age of Memories
Now Has Moved
Up to l9OOs.
By Douglas ". Churchill.
By Douglas ". Churchill.
HOLIYWOOD

HOLLYWOOD. :
"HE cinema has discovered the
golden vein of nostalgia. Until
recently the gay COS was con-
Il sidered the age that brought
out the warming glow Of memories,
but with change in the complexion
of audiences those who think back 40
years are in the minority, and so the
screen has turned to the first decade
Of this century for color. Warmers
are starting the story of THE Sis
ters" with a celebration over Teddy
Roosevelts election in 1904 and are
closing it with the celebration of
Taft's election in 1908 1t is an era
that the mature can recall with some
vividness and remember with affec-
ton.
The Myron BRING story marks
Bette Davis return from exile since
sl,e was suspended from the pay roll
for refusing to appear in Comet Over
Broadway" The studio is showing
unusual daring in the casting Miss
Davis will lean toward the noble side
instead of portraying f1re-flinger.
Anita Louise, on the other hand, will
abandon her saccharine characterize
tions and be seen as a gold digger of
the period. She will have two divorces
in the film, which is quite startling,
for the studio has always denied her
even one. The most astounding
change in character involves Enrol
Flynn. Instead Of swashbuckling
fellow who triumphs over every one by
his aggressive charm, he will play the
part of a chronic defeatist who seeks
escape from an inferiority complex
in drink. Some of the boys on the lot
are shaking their heads sadly about
this, for they cannot imagine the
glamorous Flynn assuming an inferior
ity complex. If he does it convinc-
ingly he is better actor than any one
supposed.
.[n the major portion of its visual
division the picture will adhere to the
color of the times. Miss Davis, Miss
Louise and Jane Bryan are wearing
costumes copied from illustrations OF
the Gibson girls, with corsets, peeka-
boo shirtwaists, patent leather belts,
hip pads and stiff beaver hats. A
wireless station, with its deafening
spark gap, will flash word of the San
Francisco earthquake. A small home
in Silver Bow, Mont, will be authen-
tically furnished, with one exception.
In the book the parents gave up their
room to the sisters and occupied a
folding bed in the living room. The
mere thought of this struck terror in
the hearts of the Hays Office, and al
though twin beds had not penetrated
into the small Montana towns of the
period, their use was demanded under
the production code. 1t just goes to
show the major problems that con-
front the industry.
ANOTHER story being contemplated
will recall with some vigor one of
the major disasters of this century
Selmick International has begun in
tensive research on all the incidents
surrounding the sinking of the Titanic
for q film to be made under the title
of the liner. Survivors are being
sought and records are being studied
to gain authentic information on
the catastrophe of April IA, 1912
which took 1885 lives. Contemporary
newspapers were filled with hyster-
ical accounts of cowardice, one dis
closing how an unidentified man
smuggled himself into life boat in
woman's clothing. This and other
yarns have never been verified. The
approach to the story has not been
determined, although its climax Hatu.
rally will be the sinking Of the ship
conforming to the current Hollywood
idea of using disaster for spectacle
as was done in San Francisco" I'm
Old Chicago" and Hurricane"
THE fact that Alexander Korda re-
fused to loan Sabu, the lad who
played the title role in Elephant Boy,
uflless he received Ginger Rogers In
exchange undoubtedly has saved RKC
from embarrassing criticism. The!
sought the lad for the name char.
acter in "Gmga Din" and the studio
was visibly put out when they failed
(see CHURCHILL, Page FAD