Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Oct-Dec 1928)

October 6, 1928 EXHIBITORS HERALD and MOVING PICTURE WORLD 45 Lubitsch Finds Concert Cellist at U A's Studio (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 2. — During the Blming of a scene of John Barrymore's U A picture, Ernst Lubitsch discovered that the cellist playing in the United Artists studio orchestra is a man who was formerly a wellknown concert cellist who has played before critical audiences throughout the world. His name is Franz Anger and he is a cousin of Fritz Kreisler. Anger has played many times before royalty, including Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria and King Edward of England, and was at one time a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Brown Turns Lens on Eight Battling Planes For Russ Farrell Scene (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 2.— Harry J. Brown, co-producer with Charles R. Rogers in the Russ Farrell, Aviator, Series, has been filming scenes of eight planes in the air passing and fighting each other for the lead. According to Brown, the scenes taken at the recent National Air Meet races were not adaptable for motion picture purposes, as only one plane could be worked into the camera lens at a time. These scenes will be worked into the Farrell series, but the big stunt of the picture had to be shot separately. Estelle Bradley Visits Atlanta Between Films (Special to the Herald-World) ATLANTA, Oct. 2.— Estelle Bradley, Atlanta girl whose debut in pictures under the Educational banner came as a result of her participation in an Atlantic City beauty pageant, took advantage of a two weeks' rest "between pictures" to visit her parents here last week. Miss Bradley was accompanied by Muriel Evans, another Educational player. They have returned to Hollywood. Jacqueline Logan Starts (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 2.— Jacqueline Logan will start work immediately in "Ships of the Night," the second of a series of Ray-Art specials produced by Trem Carr. GRAHAM ON CUMMINGS FILM (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 2.— Irving Cummings' latest production for Fox, "A Romance of the Underworld," will be titled by Garrett Graham, who recently completed work on "The Farmer's Daughter." This marks the fourth picture he has titled in two months. MARSH ON LUBITSCH OPERA (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 2.— Oliver Marsh started work last week as chief cameraman on the United Artists-Barrymore production being filmed under the working title of "King of the Mountains." Ernest Lubitsch is the director. ADA KEEPS EYES OPEN (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 2.— Ada Williams, under contract to Fox, is a unique Hollywoodian. She has never made a blindfold test of cigarets and does not use Clux soap. She is 15 years old and has won 12 beauty contests. IN CONFERENCE By BOB EARLY. THEY'RE still noise nutty in Hollywood and suffering from sound shock in New York. Intermediate points are trying to find out what it's all about but they won't learn until we do — that's a cinch. Meantime, they'll take what they get; just like the picture makers are taking what they can get from the boys who are furnishing them with the machinery for recording voices and other sounds. Leaders of the industry who a short time ago were worrying themselves sick over the attitude of some of the jealous foreign countries toward American films, or grieving over something the censors in Podunk did to some picture, now completely ignore not only Europe, Asia and Africa, but nine-tenths of the United States as well. The whole problem now is making pictures for less than a thousand theatres in the United States. Just about a year ago New York critics gave a very cool reception to a Warner picture yclept "The Jazz Singer." Not one daily newspaper in New York gave the picture a break. But that same picture within six months had completely revolutionized the motion picture industry. And when Al Jolson's second picture with sound and singing and voices reached New York, the newspaper critics fell all over themselves in the mad search for adjectives to use in their reviews. Nearly all of the big companies are busy installing sound recording equipment, activities which will mean millions of dollars to the Western Electric which already has a hold on the business of production. A trip to New York recently brought new light on the talkie situation. There seems to be an impression around Broadway that the stage actor is going to supplant the movie player. The boys and girls back there have been spreading the idea that every motion picture actor's voice squeaks and every movie girl stutters and lisps. Even if they did, they would have it on the majority of stage people who have had no picture experience. People want to see youth and beauty and romance on the screen — and mature stage actors no matter what their ability, can not contribute those elements to the screen, either silent or noisy. "N1ZE BABY" NOT YET BORN It's like old times down at the M G M lot in Culver City. After about four months labor by numerous writers led by its daddy, Milt Gross, "Nize Baby" was put into production with Hobart Henley directing. Several weeks were spent in shooting scenes and then some executives looked at the net result and ordered shooting discontinued. A new story was started and the megaphone was turned over to Sam Wood. Mr. Gross is getting ready to go back to New York convinced that the movies are not yet in their infancy. "Spider Boy" a Big Laugh Out here where the waste begins, the picture colony won't even do Carl Van Vechten the favor of getting sore at his latest novel "Spider Boy." The book is supposed to be an authentic reflection of life in this enchanted spot. New York critics' who have never been to Hollytvood believe that implicitly. It's probably the most innocuous of all the Hollywood inspired Poland 11th Country To See PFL's "Wings" (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Oct. 2. — Eleven countries now have seen Paramount's "Wings," and Poland, the latest, was given its first taste of sound pictures when the production appeared at Warsaw. novels and there is a real laugh for the insider in the satirical references to the manner in which film producers worship the imported writer with a name. The writer hero of the story is supposed to be Lawrence Stallings who was given credit for tvriting "The Big Parade" and the foreign star heroine is said to be a rather overdrawn portrait of Pola Negri. But Carl better stick to Harlem which he really knotvs, according to the white folks. FLORIAN SLAPPEY A STAR There is excitement galore along Central Avenue, the Harlem of Los Angeles. The word has gone out that nothing but negro talent will be used in the filming of the Octavus Roy Cohen stories of "Birmingham" life by the Christie Film Company— and every colored actor and actress who has ever done anything in the studios is angling for a job. The stories will be done as two reelers in natural color and 100 per cent talking. Paramount will release them. "Broadway" via Buda-Pesth No little comment resulted from the announcement by Universal tliat Dr. Paid Fejos had been assigned to direct the film version of "Broadway." Every director in Hollywood liad been casting longing eyes in tliat direction ever since it was heralded that Universal had paid slightly less than a quarter of a million dollars for the screen rights to this stage success. Fejos made a little production last year called "The Last Moment" and it attracted some attention. Then Carl Laemmle, Jr., had him direct an interesting picture called "Lonesome." His job on this convinced the Universal executives tliat Fejos was the man to do "Broadway." Anyhoiv if s a great break for the young scientist. SOUND STUDIO MYSTERY Just what happened in the sound studio no one knows, at least no one who knows the truth is willing to discuss it. Perhaps that's what sound studios are for anyhow, as mystery abounds in all of them. But this particular mystery has to do with the Paramount studio. With quite some publicity it was announced in the public prints one day not so long ago that William C. DeMille had been selected to direct the dialogue for "Interference," of course under the supervision of Roy Pomeroy the sound expert of that company. Several days after William started he went away on a vacation and Mr. Pomeroy finished the direction. Some weeks before that, Robert Milton, a New York stage director, was brought out for a similar purpose, but he didn't get to first base. It all looks like a battle between the technical experts and the artistic maestros with the odds favoring the former because they know how to run the machinery. A. Valentino in Cast (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 2.— Albert Valentino, brother of the late Rudolph, is in the cast supporting Leatrice Joy in "Tropic Madness," on which production work has just been completed at FBO. While the character is not a dominant one in the story, it is important enough to give Valentino opportunity to demonstrate a dramatic ability which is said to promise well for his future on the screen.