Exhibitors Herald (1927)

52 EXHIBITORS HERALD September 24, 1927 THE FILM MART (Special to the Herald) HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 20. — Carey Wilson, supervisor, and Alexander Korda, director, are in the midst of a man-size job at the First National lot with three acres on the back lot devoted to a dozen buildings, each of which is as large as the courthouse in Peoria, Illinois. The buildings are sets for “The Private Life of Helen of Troy,” Korda’s second film for F. N. and the most expensive piece of work he has ever done. It is easy to see that a quarter of a million dollars is going into the picture. There has been only a few days since Korda started shooting in early August that he has not employed more than 100 extras at the rate of $10 a day. Last week there were days on which he called 300 extras. It is one of the pictures that is under focus of attention in local film circles. Another attracting attention, and curiously enough a First National subject, is “The Texas Steer.” Richard Wallace, director, threw away his plans when he got to Washington, D. C., a few weeks ago and instead of making the long location tour through the West returned to Burbank and is shooting sets in the stages. John McCormick has changed his original plan to shoot Colleen Moore’s picture at Mickey Neilan’s lot in Glendale and is at Burbank. They began work September 12 after having changed the title from “I’ll “Tell the World” to “Ain’t She Sweet.” Plans for the production bring it into the special class and that in itself means it will go beyond the $200,000 mark. There are four other pictures in production at the F. N. lot: Edward Small is completing “The Gorilla,” mystery play, for release the middle of next month. Billie Dove is starring in “Louisiana,” which should be completed within two weeks. A1 Rogell is on location in Utah making scenes for “The Shepherd of the Hills.” Production on the Fox lot continues to be heavy. The biggest picture under way is “Grandma Bernle,” which John Ford is shooting. He has been on it more than two months and speculation indicates he has “another ‘Iron Horse’.” Leo Meehan, F B O director, began work yesterday on “Freckles,” from the novel of Gene-Stratton Porter. His cast includes Eulalie Jensen, Gene-Stratton Meehan, Hobart Bosworth, William Scott. John Fox, Jr., will have the role of “Freckles,” and E. Schmidt and Rae Murrie will do the lumberjack parts. Ralph Ince is in his second week on “Coney Island,” for F B O, in which Lois Wilson has the leading role. F B O Has 14 Releases During October F B O has scheduled 14 releases for October, among which are six full length features and eight short subjects. The features are : “The Gingham Girl,” with Lois Wilson and George K. Arthur, Oct. 2; “Ranger of the North,” featuring the dog Ranger, Oct. 9; “Jake the Plumber,” featuring Jess DeVorska, Oct. 16; “Shanghaied,” starring Ralph Ince, Oct. 19; “The Boy Rider,” the first picture starring Buzz Barton, Oct. 23, and “The Gambler’s Game,” a Western starring Tom Tyler, Oct. 30. Lois Wilson, who appeared earlier in the season in “The Gingham Girl” for F B O, has been assigned an important part in “Coney Island,” in which Ralph Ince and Lucila Mendez have featured roles. Ince is also directing the picture, many shots for which have already been made at the famous resort. Patsy Ruth Miller has been cast for the leading feminine role in “Red Riders of Canada ,” which Robert DeLacy is directing for F B O, and Charles Byer has been cast for the part opposite Patsy. For the 6rst time Byer steps out of the role as a heavy to do the more important and difficult role as leading man. Fifty times a sheriff is the unique record set by Robert Burns when he played this official role in “The Gambler’s Game,” a Tom Tyler Western iust completed by F B O. That must equal or better the record of Charley Murray who played so many roles as cop for the old Keystone comedies. Two Westerns are now in the state of preparation at the F B O studios. Wallace Fox is working on the next Bob Steele picture to be titled “The Renegade,” and preparation for the filming is going ahead on “The Little Buckaroo,” the fourth Buzz Barton vehicle. Tom Tyler has just completed his latest Western, “The Desert Pirate,” at the F B O studios under the direction of James Dugan, who handles the megaphone on the Western star for the first time with this picture. Release Dates WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 18 “In a Moment of Temptation”— F B 0—5665 “Smile Brother Smile’’— First National— 6548 “The Road to Romance”— Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer— 6581 “Figures Don’t Lie**— Paramount— 5280 “Tell It to Sweeney”— Paramount— 6006 “The Long Eagle”— Universal— 5862 “A Sailor’s Sweetheart”— Warner— 5685 WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 25 “The Joy Girl”— Fox— 6162 “Black jack”— Fo x— 47 7 7 “The Mojave Kid” — F B O 1924 “The Rose of the Golden West”— First National6477 “The Rough Riders”— Paramount— 9443 “The Way of All Flesh”— Paramount 8486 “One Woman to Another”— Paramount— 4551 “Painted Ponies”— Universal— 5416 “The Rush Hour”— Pathe— 5880 “The Soda Water Cowboy”— Pathe— 4546 WEEK OF OCTOBER 2 “The Gingham Girl“— F B 0—6301 ‘The Life of Riley”— First National— 6720 “Silk Stockings”— Universal— 6166 “Ben Hur”— Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer— 1 1693 “Shoo tin’ Irons”— Paramount — 5179 “Grandma’s Boy”— Pathe— 4750 WEEK OF OCTOBER 9 “Ranger of the North”^— F B 0—4966 “Cheating Cheaters”— Universal— 5623 Paramount Begins on “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes ” With Malcolm St. Clair directing, work has started on “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” The picture has already received a good send-off. The book created a furor ; the play was eminently successful and with the search for a Lorelei which gained a great deal of talk when a comparative unknown was picked, the picture is already well advertised with production just started. Ewart Adamson, free lance scenarist who was recently placed under contract by Paramount, has been assigned to write an original story, “The Big Game Hunt,” a forthcoming Wallace Beery and Raymond Hatton vehicle, according to announcement. The cast of Richard Dix’ newest Paramount production, "The Gay Defender,” has been enlarged with the addition of Jerry Mandy, who will play Chombo; Ernie S. Adams, who will do the second villian role; Harry Holden who will portray a priest and Fred Esmelton who has been assigned the part of the father of the heroine. Production is in its second week of production under the direction of Gregory La Cava. Paramount has just named “Spotlight” as the definite title for the story of Manhattan stage life now in production with Esther Ralston in the leading role. Neil Hamilton has the leading role and Frank Tuttle is directing. “Shanghai Bound” and “A Gentleman from Paris” are two Paramount pictures