Exhibitors Daily Review (Jul-Dec 1928)

Exhibitors DAILY REVIEW, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1928 Howard Hughes Hollywood's "Santa Claus" Industry's Most Lavish Spender Through! Spent $4,000,000 on 4 Productions Returns to Date Only $1,000,000 l«> JOK HI. Mil Hollywood Correspondent Howard Hughes, known around Hollywood as the boy producer, the millionaire kid, "Santa Claus" and head of Caddo Productions has decided to quit pictures. He is leaving Hollywood within a few days for Berlin to undergo an operation on his ear. Hughes as head of Caddo Productions and producer of "Two Arabian Knights", "The Racket" "Hell's1 Angels" and "The Mating Call" has had a wild career around Hollywood studios due to his desire to spend money with a hand that has never before been equalled in the annals of picture making. It is said his weekly income averages around $25,000 as a result of royalties on a patented drill in use by most everyone drilling oil wells, but Howard soon found that even with an income of this size, it is hard to make ends meet in the production of motion pictures. First Picture ■The first picture made by Caddo was "Two Arabian Knights". This was an outstanding picture and did a good gross business, but due to the fact of the excessive cost and the peculiar arrangement of release, it is said that Hughes has yet to get his cost out of this production. Lewis Milestone directed with William Boyd and Louis Wolheim in the leads. The Kig Effort His next effort was the production of "Hell's Angels" an air epic of the recent war. Luther Reed was assigned the direction and after finishing the interiors threw up the sponge1 with the word that Hughes knew more about making pictures than he did. Consequently the boy producer took up the direction himself. Reed started shooting interiors last October and finished around the first week in December. It was thought that the exteriors would require not more than three weeks. The picture is yet to be finished. A flock of German bombers, airplanes and other paraphenalia were imported from the other side, immense flying fields built, money spent with the same lavish hand that had made "Two Arabian Knights". Hughes took as many as 100 takes of a simple scene. He spent days and days on one little insert. The cost to date is well over $2,000,000. There is said to be over a million feet of negative on this subject. Two for Paramount While in the midst of his direction pf "Angels" Hughes was talked into a contract to do two pictures with Tommie Meighan for Paramount release. Both have been finished. "The Racket'' made by Milestone was released and has been doing exceptional business, but for the same reasons experienced on "Two Arabian Knights" it is not thought he will not get his negative cost out jf it. James Cruze was engaged to io the second Meighan "The Mating Call". This1 is yet to be released. Contracts Hughes has several people under contract to him, the most important jeing Lewis Milestone, now doing a picture for Paramount and finishing .hat will do two for United Artists. It is said Milestone is trying to buy ais contract. Others' tied to Hughes are Louis Wolheim and Lucian Prival. Hollywood in losing Hughes loses the best spender motion pictures has aver had. His investment to date has run well over $4,000,000 with less than $1,500,000 returned to date. 'Heirs' Angels" might pull a lot of .t back, for those in the know say if they can ever get it cut, it will oe a wow of a picture. Doris Hill with P F-L Doris Hill, the young actress who played the feminine lead in Syd Chaplin's "The Better Ole" in her irst venture before the camera, and then was signed to a contract by Paramount, has made good and yesterday B. P. Schulberg, head of that organization's Hollywood production, announced that she has affixed her name to a new contract. Vidor Touring King Vidor, M-G-M director, looking around for available negro talent for his forthcoming all-negro picture "Hallelujah" is on his way to New York. Fox Buys Smith Story Wallace Smith, artist, writer and soldier of fortune, has sold to Fox an original story for talking pictures, "Little Ledna". The story originally appeared in his book of short stories of vaudeville life entitled "Are You Decent'. Add to the cast of the the Texas Guinan Warner picture "Queen of the Night Club" the names of Richard Barthelmess and Wilson Mizner. However this is off the record. Both Richard and Bill appeared in a scene in the night club scene for "Tex" as guests and only for a laugh. Speaking of Warners and the Guinan film brings to mind something entirely new in pictures. Byran Foy the director claims that Lila Lee has "Sex Appeal" in her voice. Edmund Burns has been added to the cast of the Henry King pro duction "She Goes to War". Othei members already signed are Elea nor Boardmau, Cliff Holland, Gert rude Astor and Al St. John. Captain H. Caldwell and kathar ne Hilliker, his wife, have complet ed the editing and titling of the Sam Goldwyn picture "The Awaken mg". It stars Vilma Banky. This is a wise one from Al Boas berg. "I cross my heart and hope to dialogue." Marie Wells, Los Angeles stage favorite, has been added to the cast of "The Desert Song". Russel Simpson recently returnee from the Mormon country around Salt Lake where he worked in the picture "The Exodus" says thai "although the Mormons of today may be one-wife men, they still live iL two family houses. Josephine Dunn, who has the fern inine lead opposite William Haine; in "Excess Baggage,'' now playing at the Capitol, and has just com pleted the chief feminine role opposite Haines in "A Man's Man,' will have a somewhat lighter par in her next Metro-Goldwyn-Mayei picture, "All at Sea," co-starring comedy vehicle for Karl Dane anc George K. Arthur which Alf Goulding will direct. Miss Dunn was formerly a New York show girl. Gertrude Astor and Kathryn McGuire have been chosen for important roles by John McCormick for Colleen Moore's next First National picture, "Synthetic Sin." The new picture is a screen adaptation of the successful stage play by Frederic and Fanny Hatton, and will be directed by William A. Seiter. Dresser Sails Nov. 15 Louise Dresser, who has just been signed to a long term contract as a reward for the excellent work she did in "Mother Knows Best," will leave for Italy with Director John Blystone on November 15th to make scenes for a new picture. Manckiewicz Dialogues Herman Manckiewicz has been assigned to write the dialogue for the talking sequences of George Bansoft's new Paramount picture, "The Wolf of Wall Street." Rowland Lee will direct. Counselman at Pathe William Counselman, until recently supervisor of production at Fox, 'ias been signed in the same capacity by Pathe. His first work will )e on "Listen Baby" from an original story by Elsie Janis. Eddie ^uillan and Lina Basquette will play in it. Bebe's Next Bebe Daniels is all set and ready :or work in her next Paramount production "The Big Scoop". It is in original by Grover Jones and ,loyd Corrigan and is a newspaper ?tory. Marian Orth Renews Winfield Sheehan has signed Marion Orth, scenarist, to another ong term contract. Miss Orth has ust completed the scenario for 'Street Fair," Janet Gaynor's latest Pox picture, which is now in proluction at the company's West Coast ?tudio. Pathe's Negro Story Pathe is going to do an all-negro 3tory as a full length talking picture. It will be the Theatre Guild play "Porgy". The screen treatnent of the play is being done by jenjamin Glazier who will supervise the production also. A director has not been assigned but 3fforts are being exerted to borrow Harry D'Arrast from Paramount. M-G-M Signs Hyams Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer have signed Leila Hyams to a long term contract. Miss Hyams has been under contract to Warner's tor the past two years and during this time she appeared in more pictures outside the Warner lot than she did on it. Warner's did a thriving business farming this blonde beauty out. 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