The Film Daily (1929)

THE ■^^m «t DAILV Thursday, March 21, 1929 Coast Wire ^^xvic^ = M-G-M Re-signs Chaney ti ff UNDEft OLD CONTRACT Loii Chaney has renewed his contract with M-G-M. He is now en route from Greenbay, Wis., to California, making snow scenes for "Thunder," in which he has the part of a raihoad engineer. Milestone to Make Talmadge Film Norma Talmadge's first all-talking picture will be directed by Lewis Milestone, who has just completed Emil .Tannings' new film and who directed "The Racket" and "Two Arabian Knights." Jules Furthman, scenarist of "Underworld," is working on the script with Milestone, and the picture will be put into production at the United Artists studio within a few weeks. "Dialoguing "New Orleans" Dialogue and sound sequences are now being made for the TifTanyStahl Reginald Barker production, "New Orleans." The principal roles are played by Buster Collier, Ricardo Cortez and Alma Bennett. Dialogue sequences were written by Frederic and Fanny Hatton. Breeden in Fox Follies John Breeden, has been signed on a long-term contract by Fox. He has been cast to play the juvenile lead opposite Lola Lane in the story being introduced into "Fox Movietone Follies" under direction of David Butler. Theme Song for "Twin Beds" Al Bryan and George W. Meyers have composed a song titled "Twin Beds," which will be the theme song of the forthcoming picture of the same name which is now in production starring Jack Mulhall. Al Santell is directing "Twin Beds" and Patsy Ruth Miller is playing opposite. Tully Marshall Signed Tully Marshall was engaged yesterday by Paramount for a supporting role in George Bancroft's new all-talker, "Thunderbolt." Richard Arlen and Fay Wray will play the juvenile leads in "Thunderbolt," w'hich is to be directed by Joseph von Sternberg. Cast Additions to "Hard to Get" Louise Fazenda and Jack Oakic has been added to the cast of Dorothy Mackaill's new First National starring vehicle, "Hard to Get," which is being started soon. Others already assigned are Charles Dclaney, Edmund Burns and James Finlayson. Two Vehicles Bought by RKO Radio Pictures has acquired "High River," by Gwendolyn Ranger Wormser, and "Tanned Legs," by George Hull. A Little from "Lots*' By RALPH WILK Hollywood TREMENDOUS demand on the Coast for the Gleasons, Jimriiie and Lucille Webster. Jimmie is an all-around star performer, as player, playwright, dialogue writer, director apd producer, and his wife is a talented player. They've been working at top speed since coming to the Coast, in feature and short comedy work. Now, they've been signed for a series of four two reel comedies by Pathe, and the forthcoming series is being awaited with keen interest. * * * Aubrey M. Kennedy, at one time general manager of Universal City and a well known playwright, is writing the scenario for "Snake-Bite," which Edwin Carewe will direct and produce. Bebe Daniel's vnsh that her former dressing room at Param-ount be assigned to Richard Dix has been carried out, and the genial Richard is happy in his new surroundings. Bebe spent $4,000 in decorating the dressing room,. * * * Walton Butterfield, who has been successful in re-writing pictures into stage plays, has joined Paramount. His vertions of "The Canary Murder Case" and other pictures are being used by stock companies. He is now collaborating on stories and later will direct dialogue. * * V Sound and dialogue will be added to "Satanesque" which was voted the second most unusual picture of 1928 by "The Los Angeles Record." "Satanesque" was produced and directed by John Reinhardt. Cody Also Seriously 111 While Mabel Normand is critically ill of tuberculosis here, from which it is doubtful whether she will recover, her husband. Lew Cody is in a resort near San Bernardino, seriously ill from nervous breakdown. Cody became ill on a recent trip to New York and was summoned West on account of his wife's illness. Fox Renews Bell's Contract Rex Bell was signed yesterday to a long-term Fox contract as a result of his work in "Whoopee," a Raymond Cannon production with Sue Carol. "The Midway" in Production Work is well under way on Tiffany-Stahl's production, "The Midway," starring Joe E. Brown. CLEANER ADDS TO LIFE OF NADZA STUDIO LAMPS The efficiency of Mazda lamps, used widely for lighting in studios East and West is claimed to have been increased through development of a mechanical cleaner by means of which bulb blackening caused by evaporated tungsten may be easily and economically removed. This innovation is now available with 5,000 and 10,000 watt lamps. A small quantity of specially-prepared coarse tungsten powder is used within the bulb. When the bulb becomes blackened, it may be removed from its socket and held base up between the two hands and revolved so that the powder scours the inside of the bulb and removes the blackening. According to F. J. Cadenas, illuminating engineer who serves as contract between the National Lamp Works and executives of studios in New York, the use of the new cleaner will add to the life of the lamps because higher efficiency means a more than proportional increase in brilliancy of the filament and this greater brilliancy means, in turn, a beam of higher intensity and greater effectiveness, particularly in photographing dark sets such as black velvet drops, black tuxedo suits, etc. New style lamps will be available after April 1 at no price increase, states Cadenas. Real "Sour Sabbath" for Lakewood if Shows Close Lakewood, N. J. — If this town wants "blue" Sunday, it will get it with a vengeance, it is indicated with announcement that all "blue" laws are to be enforced. Under the law, it is said to be illegal for Sunday trains to go through the village, or automobiles to be operated. It all started, when effort was made to discriminate and close the Palace on Sunday. This led to gathering of evidence against other violators. Barney Ferber, Palace manager, says the house will operate next Sunday, despite fact that he is awaiting grand jury action on previous Sunday shows. R-K-0 House Opens in Richmond Hill Tomorrow Keith's Theater, latest in the R-KO string, opens at Hillside and Myrtle Aves., Richmond Hill, L. I. tomorrow night under a vaudeville and picture policy. Two showfe a day will be given and continuous performances on Saturdays and Sundays. The opening picture is "Strange Cargo." The new house seats 2,500 and is midway between Loew's Hillside and Loew's Willard. This section of Queens is amply provided with seats and, in the opinion of some local operators is already overseated. I Short Shots from I New York Studios iBy ARTHUR W. EDDi DUNCAN RINALDO bag and baggages into Manhattan late this week preliminary to going to Africa with M-G-M's "Trader Horn" unit, in charge of Director W. S. Van Dvke. Duncan's excellent work in "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" resulted in his trip abroad to play the role of Little Peru. t Merle Johnson is working on a series of special productions for Walter Flitter, whose "Curiosities" help make the RKO program interesting. The M. P. Laboratory workers have organized the M. P. Laboratory Technicians. Meetings will be held every Tuesday evening at 8 o'clock at the rooms of the Scenic Artists, 161 West 44th St. John Hans of 961 Second Ave., Astoria, is business agent of the new union. A similar organization soon will be formed at the Coast. George Folsey, who last photographed "The Cocoanuts" in which the four Marx brothers make merry, has returned to Manhattan after inhaling Atlantic City ozone and sitting on sun porches. His address is Paramount's Long Island studio. Ralph Dietrich, film editor with Fox Movietone, has started railroading back to the Coast. When there's research work to be done on shorts at Paramount, it's P^99y Quis who starts digging into history and other sources of information. Close Evansville House Evansville, Ind. — Radio-KeithOrpheum has closed the New Grand for an indefinite period. Move S. C. House Charleston, S. C. — H. Kirby will move the Kirby to the first floor of the Thompson Bldg. to meet the requirements of his Vitaphone contract. Acquires Southern House Earle, Ark. — Mary Elizabeth Maxwell, who owns the Princess, has acquired the Empress, Haiti Mo. Floor boss is what they're calling I William McGuire at Pathe's eastern studio. He's been in the picture for 14 years, nine of them being spent j at the old Cosmopolitan plant. Equity Election to Be Held Late in May or Early June Annual election of Actors' Equity Ass'n will be held the last week in May or the first week in June, under arrangements made at a general meeting in New York. The agency controversy will be appealed to Federal Court in April. This is the Equity ruling seeking to limit the amount an agent may charge a member as fee. A test case is being made as to legality of the ruling.