Exhibitors Herald (1927)

December 31, 1927 EXHIBITORS HERALD 43 Steve Roberts — 75; Not Years, Pictures Howard Hughes — 23; Not Pictures, Years ( Special to the Herald ) Educational Director Can Speak Choctaw and Fly Planes HO LLYWOOD, Dec. 28. — The war d i d more than change the map of Europe an put the Kaiser in moth balls. It turned a perfectly promising coal miner into a comedy director. Stephen Robert s — “Steve,” after you’ve known him five minutes — was absorbing technical education on the art of building, or digging, coal mines at Ohio State University when the big argument in Europe reached the point where the Allies were yelling for help and Uncle Sam Stephen Roberts shucked his coat, rolled up his sleeves and took a hand in the free-for-all. Steve landed in San Antonio astride an airship and in a couple of weeks was making it cut such fancy didoes in the clouds that the boss of Kelly Field decided that Steve was a howling success as a birdman and retained him as part of the headquarters staff as an instructor in acrobatic flying. Hollywood, Dec. 28.— Hollywood’s newest film producing power is Howard Hughes, 23year-old president of the Caddo Company. This youthful producer is startling the old-time picture-makers and the wiseacres of filmdom with his ambitious production plans. When he first appeared as head of Caddo Productions and produced “Two Arabian Knights” Hughes created very little stir. In Hollywood he was regarded as just another multi-millionaire taking a wild fling at pictures. But today the entire industry is taking Howard Hughes seriously. There are several reasons for this general and spontaneous recognition in film circles. First, because Hughes has already produced one of the year’s biggest successes, “Two Arabian Knights,” which is consistently making box office records. Howard Hughes Texan Youth Brings Fortune Into Motion Picture World Forms Aerial Circus Peace put an end to the job with Uncle Sam and left Steve somewhat uncertain as to his future. After fitting about in the clouds for a year or more, a future bounded by the walls of a coal mine looked rather black in more ways than one. He bought a couple of army planes, organized a little flying circus of his own and was soon amazing inhabitants of county seats with the latest in death-defying dips and stunts. It was good going until the inevitable crash landed the dare-devil death-defier with a bang in an open field. One drop was enough, so after pinning a “gone for the day” sign to the ruins of the plane, and patching up a few broken bones, Steve headed West and kept going. Joins Bill Hart Roberts was born on an Indian reservation, knows Indian ways and speaks the Choctaw language. In Hollywood he met Bill Hart, who found him a ready source of information on the ways and manners of the redskin. Steve became Bill’s informant on things Indian and Western and after a while tried his hand at acting. As an actor he didn’t cause Valentino many envious moments Second, because the youthful producer is in the business to stay, and is making extravagant but well-laid plans for future production on a gigantic scale. Has Daring Ideas And third, because in addition to having unlimited capital of his own, Hughes has brains and initiative, and some daring and distinctive ideas about film-making which he has the courage and finances to carry through. Hughes is now producing “Hell’s Angels,” a spectacular story of the Royal Air Force, featuring Ben Lyon, James Hall, Greta Nissen and Louis Wolheim, and directed by Luther Reed. This air-thriller, which will cost upwards of $1,000,000, gives promise of being an even bigger success than the William Boyd-Louis Wolheim story. It is being produced on a pretentious scale, with lavish sets, an expensive cast, and a series of spectacular air stunts that are daring and dramatic. Builds Own Airport A sample of the way Hughes goes about the business of film making is his purchase of 40 planes of the identical types used by the German and Allied armies during the world war. He has rounded up all available planes of ( Continued on page 46) ( Continued on page 46)