Movie And Tv Moguls

Descend On Tahiti

¥HEN Miss Elizabeth Hennings takes off from her home in Naitauba, Lau Islands, Fiji, !ese days, it is pretty safe to say mt movie cameras are about to *ll somewhere in the South Pacific, his was the case when Miss ennings arrived at Tahiti by TEAL oral Route on June 2.

Having made her name some *ars back as wardrobe mistress in le London theatrical world, and istume designer for J. Arthur Rank, !iss Hennings, on her return to iji, was soon sought after by film agnates making His Majesty 'Keefe in Fiji.

Her arrival in Tahiti marks a iate of movie and television itivity in that accepted centre of mth Seas romanticism.

By the same flying-boat from NZ avelled Mr. Harry Owens (of Dyal Hawaiians’ dance-band fame), ith his expert cameraman, Mr. ;onard Clairmont.

Harry Owens became television nscious some time back and is »w busy shooting, for US release, s second series of 13 television ssions entitled, “Polynesian Holi iy”

With five of the present series mpleted embracing Fiji and imoa —he is now in Tahiti organ

ising the remaining seven, to be shot in French Oceania, including the Austral Isles, if transport allows. His visit is, of course, nicely timed to cover the 1956 Bastille Day celebrations, Tahiti’s festive high light.

On the brief stop-over at beautiful Akaiami Islet, Aitutaki, on June 1, a lusty troupe of grass-skirted Aitutaki maidens, organised by TEAL swayed rhythmically in honour of their fleeting Hollywood guests, and movie reels whirred as hips gyrated. All the passengers were delighted.

Also on the same TEAL passenger list were six Italian gentlemen, also Tahiti bound, with unspecified movie aspirations.

Already “on location” in the Tahiti area is a famous film figure, John Huston, who will produce a film, title not stated, starring Gregory Peck.

It is Peck, and others in this team, that are to benefit from Miss Hennings’ costuming genius.—GFR. t Vaiula Anae Sione, of Falelatai, Western Samoa, was given a 10 years gaol sentence for manslaughter, by Chief Judge Marsack in June.

She had hit her husband on the head with an adze w r hile he was asleep in their house on May 15. He had not been killed instantly but had bled to death because of the “long delay in rendering medical assistance.”