Exhibitors Herald (1927)

24 EXHIBITORS HERALD March 26, 1927 Edward Small to Make Six More Long Comedies This Y ear Board of Directors of Hal Roach Studios Increase Capital Stock to $5,000,000 — Big Insurance Policy for ‘^King of Kings” By RAY MURRAY Hollywood, March 22. — Edward Small, producer of “McFadden’s Flats,” will make six more features this year. All will be comedies of the same magnitude as “McFadden’s Flats,” which was made for First National. So far Small and his associates, E. M. Asher and Charles R. Rogers, have chosen three stage successes, namely, “The Gorilla” by Ralph Spence, “Ladies Night in a Turkish Bath” by Avery Hopwood, and “Wine, Woman and Song.” One of these three will go into production next month. The other three stories have yet to be decided upon but will be selected before the three above mentioned have been completed. SMALL, before coming to California and entering the motion picture field, was a play broker in New York city and was responsible for a score of Broadway hits. He was also one of the first producers to see the potential star possibilities of Corinne Griffith and Norma Shearer. ^ ^ ^ Lois Wilson Returns West Lois Wilson, who recently signed to play the featured feminine role in F. B. O.’s production, “The Gingham Girl,” returned to Hollywood on The Chief last Thursday morning, after several weeks’ vacation in the East. Work will start at once on the picture under the direction of David Kirkland. It is the story of a small town girl who makes a success selling home made cookies, and will be produced on a lavish scale, it is said. * Hs * Last week the board of directors of Hal Roach studios increased the capital stock from $1,500,000 to $5,000,000. This studio has had a remarkable growth in twelve years, having jumped from $3,780, the nucleus upon which Roach started his well known plant, to $5,000,000. At the last meeting of the board, Linton Smith, an associate of the banking concern of Frink, Martin & Co., was elected to the board of directors. Benjamin W. Shipman, who has handled the legal affairs of the studio for several years, is noAV to become associated with Roach as business manager, devoting a portion of his time to some of the duties of Warren Doane, the general manager. ^ ^ ^ John J. McGuirk, head of the Stanley Company of America, has returned to Los Angeles after spending several days in San Francisco looking over the West Coast houses. He stated several months will be consumed before the gigantic merger of theatre and production interests would be completed and his presence in the East will be required before the merger can be completed. 5k Hi Mix Burned by Ponder Tom Mix, two-gun man of the screen, is fully recovered from his burns. He was painfully injured last week at the Fox studios when he was burned by powder in the left eye by the discharge of a blank cartridge in a pistol being used by Francis McDonald. The two men were engaged in a hand-to-hand struggle when the mishap occurred. One of Tom’s admiring fans called him up long distance from Milwaukee last Alonday inquiring as to his injury. 5k ^ ^ Margaret Livingston is playing a “wise cracking” beauty shop attendant in Jack Blystone’s new Fox production, “Slaves of Beauty.” William Counselman wrote the script, adapted the story and is titling the picture. It was originally called “Face Value,” but that title had been used, it was discovered, and it was then changed to “The Grand Flapper.” This however, was discarded for “Slaves of Beauty,” a title suggested by Counselman. * * 5k ** Eve Unsell had about 45 “old and new friends” at her luncheon last Wednesday at the Montmartre Cafe, in honor of Miss Nellie Revell. Among those who spoke and recalled the old days when they trouped with Miss Revell were ; Frank Jones, Frank Vincent, Sid Grauman, T. Roy Barnes, Paul Nicholson, Otis Harlan, Harry Jordan and Josef Swickard. Mrs. Fred Beetson, Jack Hill and Arthur Unger also addressed the group. 5k * * Billie Butts Beats Measles Little Billie Butts, popular juvenile, who played opposite Ken Maynard in “The Country Beyond Law,” has been confined to his bed for three weeks suffering from measles. The little fellow is again up and about and rarin’ to go. 5k 5jc * :{£ Sol M. Wurtzel, general superintendent of Fox West Coast Studios, sailed March 15 on the Finland for Havana, the first lap of a trip that will last six weeks. This is the first vacation Wurtzel has taken in fifteen years. He was accompanied by Mrs. Wurtzel and Lou Seiler, Fox director. The party will leave Havana April 1 for Miami, and return to Los Angeles about May 5. 5k 5k Big Insurance Policy for “Kings” One of the largest insurance policies ever written was taken by Cecil DeMille to protect the print of “IGng of Kings” against fire, theft or loss in transit. The DeMille production was shipped to New York last week. * * J. Leo Meehan’s next production for F. B. O. will be Larry Evans’ story, “Down Our Way,” which will be called “The Heart of a Boy” on the screen. Dorothy Yost, who adapted “The Gingham Girl,” is now working on the Evans story. Brown and Unit Broadcast Over Stormswept Rockies ( special to the Herald) DENVER, March 22. — Broadcasting of a program by Director Clarence Brown and an M-G-M location company from the stormswept heights of the Rockies was accomplished Saturday night by Station KOA by remote control. Clarence Brown, whose company is making outdoor sequences of “The Trail of ’98” on the Contitnental Divide, near Corona, Col., acted as master of ceremonies for the program, in which the principals of the cast took part. Re-Takes Another brilliant opening with stars shining, directors shining, and press agents shining in their best bib and tucker. “White Gold,” “Bill” Howard’s picture, was the occasion. And the Figueroa theatre was the place. Last Friday night was the time. * * Life would be pretty dull for us Hollywoodites if we didn’t have our weekly premieres. The moths don’t have a chance in a fellow’s dress suit in California. It’s always on the go. And moths lead a rather sedentary life. * * * And we sat right alongside of Jetta Goudal, feminine lead of “White Gold,” and afterwards she invited us to the Indian Room at the Ambassador hotel, where we supped and danced. Bet Daddy Jenkins would get a kick outa one of these openings, eh? * 5k 5k But speaking of “White Gold,” everyone ought to see it. And no doubt everyone will. Jetta’s good in it, so are George Nichols, George Bancroft, Kenneth Thomson and Clyde Cook. I told you all about it a while back in the Herald. * * * No Handshaker I see where President Coolidge is suffering from a lame wrist and hand caused by too many handshakes. He’d never do for a master of ceremonies at one of our premieres, where all the stars introduced pump the m. of c.’s hand until it is ready to drop off. 5k 5k ;k Hollywood Topics Some husbands are so hard to get along with. One mean Los Angeles hubby, the wife testified, wouldn’t let her enter a beauty contest, so she broke a bowl of gold fish over his head, kicked him in the shins and tore his shirt off his back. Yes, she got her divorce. * * * Speaking of Fish The Field Museum, Chicago, thought it had discovered something new when it obtained a specimen of a fish that leaves its waters at night and prowls around after food. We’ve seen a lot of fish foraging every night for grub — suckers they call ’em — who pay $2 cover charge before getting a bite to eat. 5k ^ Famous Last Words “Sure we’ll star you in our next picture.” ^ ^ ^ Get out the Rolls Royce, Meadows, and let us away to the open spaces where we can breathe the good ozone and think and think and think. R. M. Life Members Sought to Assist Relief Fund (Special to the Herald) HOLLYWOOD, March 22.— The Association of Motion Picture Producers, under the chairmanship of Mary Pickford, is endeavoring to obtain as many life memberships as possible for the Motion Picture Relief Fund. The memberships are $50. Everyone in the industry is asked to contribute. George Carpenter Dies (Special to the Herald) HOLLYWOOD, March 22.— George Carpenter, owner of the Arrow theajre. Main street, Los Angeles, is dead. James Rabdall has taken it over.