Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1931)

April 11, 19 3 1 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 59 H€LLrWC€D liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiii INDEPENDENTS SPEED PRODUCTION ^Produced by — Norman Krasna (Editor's Note : We're sorry that we have to keep apologising for Krasna, but this time it's really necessary. He was riding down Hollywood boulevard in his Austin last week and one of the manhole covers was off, and down he went, Austin and all. He fell on his head, and while it didn't seem that he was hurt when he was brushed off, he is acting very strangely. He doesn't remember anything of the last two or three years. W e took him to a doctor who says it's a very usual case. Krasna wrote the following piece under this condition, thinking it was 1928) : HOLLYWOOD Mr. Jay Shreck, Exhibitors Herald-World, 407 South Dearborn St., Chicago, 111. Dear Jay : There's a lot of things I want to talk over with you today. Jay. There's a rumor around here about a company putting out pictures that'll have talk in them, just as if they were on a real stage. I told you this town was getting crazier all the time. I didn't even send it in as a news story. Jay, because what's the use of us printing such foolish stuff, hey? It's called Vitingphone, or something. Jay, I got the biggest laugh for you you ever had. Remember this Hughes fellow who began that "Hell's Angels" pictures four months ago? Well, it isn't finished yet. Can you beat that? Four months and it isn't finished. I'm betting Doug Hodges it'll take three weeks yet. ▲ ▲ A From the looks of things I can safely prophesy. Jay, that Colleen Moore will remain on top of the heap for about another five years. Easy that, maybe 10. Maybe it's time we printed another story about what the industry ought to do. We haven't done that for two issues now. I got a few ideas. There's no doubt that the coming pictures will be singing ones. In a few years all you're going to see will be musical films, Jay. No one'U ever get tired of them, no sir. A smart picture company ought to buy up all the songwriters for 10 or 15 years. Oh, yes, Jay, here's something interesting. A fellow left the Coast recently in a little one-motored airplane to fly to New York. He claims he's going to fly the Atlantic ocean. Imagine, Jay, a nervy guy like that in a little plane, while Byrd and Chamberlain are already in New York, just waiting for the right weather. You know what I think? That guy's just wild to get into the movie game, and if he flies the ocean he'll want to get into pictures as a leading man. I know the type, Jay; you can't fool me. His name's Charles Lingfield, I think. Those Two Black Crows are certainly going over big. That was a smart idea, all right, having two fellows in blackface. But that's the end of it, Jay, the novelty is gone. There'll never be another blackface colored team popular again in 50 years. Maybe we ought to run an article about it. AAA Paramount is pushing some kid called Clara Bow. She's all right. Jay, but she'll never be popular. Too quiet, too subdued, if you know what I mean. I don't care what people say, Jay. I tell you vaudeville is coming back. Give it a little time, that's all. I read some place that the star system is through. That's right. Jay, it is. By 1931 there won't be a box-office name in the industry. People are through with that sort of hokum. They want stories, actors, not just one big star. Believe me, in 1931 you won't know there ever were such people like Greta Garbo. John Barrymore, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and George Arliss — no, sir. They're through. I can tell, Jay ; you know me. I feel sort of funny in my head, Jay. I think I'm going to lie down a while. Write you next week. Sincerely, NORMAN KRASNA Two Studios Setting Mark With Spring Output Volume of Shorts and Score Features in Work at Tec-Art And Metropolitan of By EDWARD CHURCHILL Hollywood (QP) — Increased activity among independent producers is noted, with the coming of spring. A volume of shorts and almost a score of feature length pictures are either being prepared or shot at the present time at Tec-Art and Metropolitan Sound Studios alone. A survey at TecArt reveals that Chesterfield Productions is shooting "The Inside Story," with Vera Reynolds and Carol Nye. Hollywood Syndicate is making "Masters of Steel" with Nick Stuart. Charles Hutchinson is busy with "Midnight." Shorts include Mickey Mouse, Vagabond Adventure Series, Voice of Hollywood, Reed Productions, "Detective Shorts," and "Beauty Secrets of Hollywood," of Welshay Pictures, Inc. Christie has "Meet the Wife" ready for Columbia release at Metropolitan Sound Studios. Al Rogell is preparing "Gangster Girl." Liberty Productions is getting ready another May Robson vehicle and soon will release "The Mad Parade." Harold Lloyd also is preparing his next. Four companies are producing shorts. Tiffany is back at work with a Ken Maynard and a Chimp comedy. Sennett is making a comedy every two weeks. Hal Roach is taking the annual spring rest, but Larry Darmour is doing both features and shorts. Cruze is cutting "Salvation Nell." Paramount May Build New Stage at Eastern Studio Construction of one or possibly two new sound stages in a building bought by Paramount a year ago adjoining the Eastern studio in Long Island, for which plans have already been drawn, awaits approval of the home office executives. Plans call for a tunnel to connect present studio with the new property, which is across the street. The new stages will not afifect the present season's schedule of 17 features. First of a new shorts schedule in the East, calling for three reels per week, went into production this week. Barsky to Make 6 Features Bud Barsky, producer of the Chimp comedies released by Tififany, will produce six feature productions for the independent market. With two more Chimp comedies to come, Barsky will have completed his contract with Tiffany, and it is stated he is looking for another national distributor.