Exhibitor's Trade Review (May-Aug 1925)

Page 38 Exhibitors Trade Review HOLLYWOOD NOTLT LIGHT? ACTION By F. HEATH COBB Hollywood CAMERA BESS MEREDYTH ENTERTAINS A brilliant gathering of film notables attended a house warming given by Bess Meredyth, Warner Bros., scenarist. Miss Meredyth has been very much occupied in furnishing a new home in Hollywood. The celebration marked the return of Bess to Hollywood after living several years in the southern part of Los Angeles. Since completing the colossal task of adapting "Ben Hur"_ to the screen, Miss Meredyth has been occupied in transferring stories to the screen for Warner Bros. * ♦ ♦ Wallace McDonald has almost completed his villain role in "Two Can Play" for Associated Exhibitors. * * * Raymond McKee and his wife have just celebrated their fourth marriage anniversary. McKee is under contract to the Mack Sennett Company. x * * * . ; Virginia Browne Faire leaves Hollywood early in May for New York City, where she will make her next picture. * ♦ $ Edmund Lowe, star of "The Fool," soon to be shown nationally, is said to give the best performance of 1925. Duane Thompson is playing the leading feminine role in "Twenty Years After," which stars Richard Talmadge. * * * Bobby Agnew completed his featured role in William de Mille's production, "Lost — A vv'ife." * * * George Melford has started production on "Without Mercy" his first independent picture for Metropolitan. if. if. * Walter McGrail played his featured part in "Havoc" with two broken ribs. He suftered the injury while making thrilling fight scenes for the picture. * * * BOB FRAZER GETS LEAD ROLE Robert Frazer will play the featured role in the screen version of Gene Stratton Porter's story, "The Keeper of the Bees." Production on the feature will start immediately at the F. B. O. studio under the direction of Leo Meehan. Meehan is the son-in-law of Gene Stratton Porter. Frazer has just completed work in "The Love Gamble" which is to be the screen version of "Peggy from Beacon Hill." Lillian Rich is co-featured with Frazer in this production. In this new Paramount Production, "Wild Horse Mesa," Jack Holt has for his leading lady, Billy Dove, who played opposite the star in his last Paramount picture, "Light of the Western Stars." Immediately following conclusion of his role in "Havoc," in which he is co-featured with George O'Brien, Walter McGrail will leave Hollywood for two weeks. May McAvoy has started work in "The Only Thing," Elinor Glyn's new picture. In order to permit the start of this picture production on "Ben Hur" has been temporarily suspended. * * * John Roch, Warner Brother's star, is working in four motion pictures simultaneously. They are "Scandal Proof," in which he plays a hero role opposite Shirley Mason at at Fox studio ; "The Fast Mail" and "Bobbed Hair," in which he is featured ; and "Marry Me." Flora Le Breton deserted the footlights for the Kleigs long enough to share honors with Barbara LaMarr in the SawyerLubin production "The White Monkey," to be released through First National. Clara Horton finds herself in the enviable position of having to choose between two offers. One of the largest of the independent production companies wants her to sign a long term contract. Another producer has offered her a big part in a forthcoming picture which is certain to add to her prestige if she accepts. * * * Irene Rich has completed her starring role in "The Wife Who Wasn't Wanted" at Warner Brothers. She returns again to the "neglected wife" characterizations in this picture. $ if. In company with her two daughters, Frances and Jane, together with her mother, Mrs. Mabel A. Luther, Irene Rich, motion picture star, will leave for Europe in July. Positively denying that they had secretly wed, Lilyan Tashman and Edmund Lowe, screen stars, admitted this week that their marriage has been definitely set to take place in Hollywood in August. * * * Sidney Olcott, has begun work upon "Not So Long Ago," featuring Betty Bronson and Ricardo Cortez, in the Paramount Studio in Hollywood. BABY FARM PICTURE FOR MARY Mary Pickford may make her next picture in the marshes of Louisiana. The story, adapted from an original of Katherine Hennessey's by Winifred Dunn, deals with a baby farm in a swamp country. Louisiana may be picked as the locale and Harry Oliver, supervising art director, is expected to make a trip into some of the remote sections near New Orleans in search of locations. Sam Taylor, who is chief of Harold Lloyd's scenario department, as well as his director, has returned from his vacation and is superintending the work of Lloyd's quartette of "gag-men" on the next production, which will be the first for Paramount release. Forrest Stanley, having returned from a stage starring engagement in San Francisco, has just been signed by Arthur Beck for the featured lead in "Two Gates" to be filmed at F. B. O, as the initial production of the newly organized Embassy Pictures Corporation. Victor Fleming, Lasky Director, left Hollywood this week for location in the desert near Tucson. Arizona, where he will film the exteriors on "A Son of His Father," adapted from Harold Bell Wright's novel. Fleming's latest completed production was Jack London's "Adventure," which comes to the Metropolitan Theatre in Los Angeles, May 16th. Kathryn McGuire, best remembered for her work opposite Buster Keaton in "The Navigator" and "Sherlock Holmes" is playing the female lead opposite Frank Merrill, world's champion athlete, in "Thundering Speed" one of a series he is making for Hercules Productions at the California Studiose. This is by William E. Wing and is being directed by Grover Jones, for release through Buf Barsky. Miss McGuire recently returned to Hollywood after a three month's series of personal appearances throughout the Middle West. BILLY LEYSER LOCATES Billy Leyser has moved into the Hollywood Studios where he will be in charge of the publicity department for the studio, also covering publicity matters for various producing units which are filming new pictures there for release through Producers Distributing Corporation. One of the first of these new pictures to get under way is the Metropolitan production, "Without Mercy" which will be directed by George Melford. Christie Film Company has signed two new directors to work on the big comedy program which is starting. Arthur Forde, veteran stage director, has been engaged as stage manager in charge of the comedy units. Billy Watson, well known in the short comedy field for the past seven years has been engaged to direct new Christie tworeel Comedies. His first will be featuring Neal Burns with Vera Stedman and others.