Exhibitors Herald (1927)

6 STUDIO SECTION OF October 8, 1927 IN CONFERENCE ON A LOT OF THE LOTS T x HE U. S. navy isn’t so crazy about the movies and from now on it’s going to be pretty tough to get the cooperation of Uncle Sam’s sea department in making photodramas. It seems that the admirals and commanders and secretaries who have to do with our sea forces didn’t go into spasms of laughter at the Paramount comic vehicle, “We’re in the Navy Now,” and First National’s “Convoy” didn’t make any hit at all with the gob bosses in Washington despite the fact that the U. S. navy was given credit for something or other in conjunction with the latter. Or perhaps that was the trouble. They didn’t want credit after seeing the opus. The displeasure of the navy department was not manifested until Universal tried to get some official help in filming “The Big Gun,” another gob glorifying epic. Picture people who went to Washington, including Irvin Willat, the director, were very coolly treated. Officials were not backward in giving reasons for their attitude, but Universal is going right ahead, the Coast executives say, and make the picture as planned. The picture industry incurred the displeasure of the navy a decade ago when Syd Chaplin made “The Submarine Pirate” — if that was the name — lor Mack Sennett. It was a great laugh getter but it didn’t make much of a hit with the navy department to see Sennett comics playing admirals, with walrus moustaches and other laugh provoking impediments. Our Newest Convert II' looks like A1 Jolson is to desert the stage for the pictures. “The Jazz Singer,” his first picture, is regarded as “in the bag” as a huge success by practically all of the Warner Brothers and the comedian is already casting about for another vehicle. Although he has not voice.' his desire publicly, A1 has confided to friends that he would like to do a screen versi. n of “Pagliacci,” Vitaphoned throughout, and there is a possibility that it will be his i.ext picture should “The Jazz Singer” prove the success which is now indicated. PICKED THE WINNER InCIDENTALLY A1 Jolson was one of the biggest winners on the Dempsey-Tunney argument in Chicago. Although a friend of Dempsey, A1 figured it that Jack was meeting a better man and his judgment added about $12,000 to his bankroll. Picture people, however, were almost solidly for Dempsey. Strong for Tunney 1"^ ERHAPS the strongest Tunney supporters in Hollywood were Fred Thomson, the former athletic star, and his talented wife, Frances Marion, the world’s highest paid scenarist. Fred deserted “Jesse James” in the cutting room and Miss Marion abandoned her M-G-M post to go to Chicago to root for Gene. Mr. Thomson, while a chaplain in the army, was largely responsible for Tunney taking up professional boxing after seeing Gene perform in the international games right after the Armistice in France. BAWLED OUT BY BILL M ISS Marion wrote the screen version of “The Callahans and the Murphys” which caused quite a fuss in some spots. Incidentally, it brought her a personal letter from Will H. Hays in which the latter is said to have accused the writer of wilfully spreading anti-Celtic propaganda. Miss Marion’s nationality is quite Irish. And anyhow M-G-M signed her up for another year at $3,000 weekly. Can’t Always Sometimes Tell w HAT’s one person’s food may be rough-on-rats to another. What will add to the avoirdupois of one may make another a living skeleton. A director might be a horrible flop with one concern and knock ’em for a row of projection booths for some other producer. Take f’rinstance the case of young Billy Wellman. They gated him at M-G-M for some pictorial atrocity and he makes “Wings” for Famous Players-Lasky. Joe Von Sternberg was such a flop at M-G-M that they paid him a bonus to go out and stay out, after making one picture. Then he went to Paramount and did “Underworld,” besides being assigned to doctor up Von Stroheim’s “Wedding March.” Archie Mayo also left M-G-M in disgrace and has since become one of Warner Brothers’ ace directors. SOCIETY NOTE rr JL HE story is told of a young woman scenarist who recently entertained at a dinner party at a New York hotel prior to sailing -for Europe. A number of stage and screen celebrities were invited for the feed which was slated for 7 :30 and when the hour arrived, word came that the hostess was busy putting the last finishing touches to a continuity. There were further bulletins from the suite until 9 o’clock, when the hostess breezed in to greet the hungry guests, attired in a gorgeous gown — which had just arrived. HOLLYWOOD. — Sam Taylor, director of Mary Pick ford’s lastest one, is at Del Monte where he says he is having a peach of a vacation. . . . Leo, the lion, is home aeain after a debut in numerous Society columns and Pete Smith is figuring up the profits of the expedition. . . . Hunt Str ember g came home from the hospital last week after an operation on his throat. . . . “The Private Life of Helen of Troy” is completed and won’t John Erskine be surprised. But John got $35,000 for seven words and that’s more than book publishers pay. Carey Wilson says Erskine doesn’t know so much about writing books anyhow. . . . Sam Sax has arrived here after considerable anticipation on the part of Harry Cohn and others. . . . Vic Schertzinger has signed with Paramount or has Paramount signed with Vic? . . . Arch Reeve is back at the job two hours a day and just as he was getting over his two months’ illness he sprained his wrist. . . . Louis B. Mayer left Friday to make his semiannual visit to New York to confer with company officials. . . . Irvin Willat has returned from a week in San Francisco and now he will begin a Universal production. . . . A l Cohn is expected* back on the Coast this week with ideas for 108 motion picture scenarios. . . . Ralph Ince is one of the 10 directors who have been making night scenes and says that Hollywood air after 10 o’clock is quite unusual. . . . Johnny Hines has taken his partner, Charlie Burr, and a companion by the name of Jack Warner to New York for a try at Broadway shows for a change. . . . Bruce Preston, father and boss of Alberta Vaughn, called me a minute ago to tell me that he has invented a new paper bath thingamajig. I’m writing this on Saturday and I’m going over to Bruce’s house tonight. . . . When I get through, if I feel quite all right, I intend to go to Guadalupe to spend the balance of the week end with Billy Anderson and Edward Sloman on location. . . Ray Murray has gone to Lake Arrowhead with Bob De Lacy’s F B O company and the steno has gone to visit her grandmother in Bakersfield so why shouldn’t I go. . . . Will Rogers says First National will be through making “The Texas Steer” next week or sometime. . . . Don Eddy is in big shoes at the Langdon offices and has congratulated everybody on the lot following his promotion. . . . George Marshall says there’s an authentic report that Universal plans to make a film called “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and that P. D. C. will merge with Pathe soon. —HODGES. Alleged Blackmailer Is Held by Government for Misuse of Mails ( Special to the Herald) HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 4.— U n i t e d States Commissioner David Head Sunday ordered Stanford W. Nelson held under $2,500 bond on a charge of misusing the mails, and specified Nelson as leader of a group who had blackmailed six actresses and two actors of Hollywood. Names of the actresses and actors, four of whom it was said had settled with Nelson after he had shadowed them for evidence, were withheld.