Exhibitors Herald World (Jul-Sep 1929)

September 21, 1929 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 47 News Notes W B to Centralize Production Of Vitaphone Shorts in East Pictures Will Be Made Under the Direction of Murray Roth at the Rate of Four a Week — Earle Smith Signs Deal To Make Italian-American Talkers By DOUGLAS FOX NEW YORK, Sept. 17.— Two hundred of the two hundred and seventyeight Vitaphone presentations to be released on the 1929-1930 schedule will be made at the Eastern Vitaphone studio under the direction of Murray Roth at the rate of four a week. This is an indication that the Vitaphone shorts, which heretofore have been ground out almost at the rate of one a day, may be of better calibre. Mass production is all right when you are making shoes or automobiles. It means better shoes and cars at a lower price. W orking with flesh and blood to evolve something entertaining is a different matter. People who are hurried three hundred and sixty-five days out of the year should not be expected to function consistently. HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 17. REGINALD BARKER will direct "The College Racketeer" as his next picture for Universal. The cast has not been selected. Barker recently completed "The Mississippi Gambler," starring Joseph Schildkraut. NEIL HAMILTON has the leading role opposite Evelyn Brent in her first starring picture for Paramount. The picture will be the Sir Philips Gibbs story, "Darkened Rooms." BASIL DEAN, stage director, has been assigned to direct "The Return of Sherlock Holmes" for Paramount. Bartlett Cormack, who wrote "The Racket," is writing the adaptation in collaboration with Dean. BESSIE LOVE will have the feminine lead in the Van and Schenck picture, "Take It Big." Production has started under the direction of Jack Conway. "Bugs" Baer wrote the dialog. Miss Love has completed her role in "Road Show." DONALD OGDEN STEWART, humorist, will make his talking picture debut in "Dulcy," the next starring vehicle for Marion Davies. Stewart was formerly a writer at M G M. King Vidor is directing. LLOYD BACON has completed the Warner Brothers picture, "She Couldn't Say No," starring Winnie Lightner. Bacon is taking a brief vacation abroad his new power yacht, "Mammy." MARIE DRESSLER has signed with Christie for the title role in "The Dangerous Woman." It is a two reel comedy from the stage sketch by Collin Clemon and Florence Ryerson. Production will begin shortly. CHARLEY CHASE has returned to the Hal Roach studios after a two weeks' illness. Warren Doane will direct Chase in his new comedy. RICHARD WALLACE, who is directing Gary Cooper in his first starring picture, "Medals," is rabid rooter for the University of Southern California football. He has a parrot that gives the Trojan yell. MARY NOLAN has completed her first starring vehicle for Universal, "The Shanghai Lady." She is preparing for her next picture which will be "Ropes." Don Douglas will have the male lead. Harry Pollard will direct. EDDIE QUILLAN, under contract to Pathe, is making personal appearances throughout the East with his picture, "The Sophomore." He is scheduled to return to Hollywood September 20. GEORGE BANCROFT has signed a newcontract with Paramount. Bancroft recently completed "The Mighty." John Cromwell directed. EDMUND GOULDING and Louis Stevens have collaborated on an original story for "The Grand Parade." It will be presented as a special by Pathe. SALLY BLANE, sister of Loretta Young, will have the feminine lead in "The Vagabond Lover." Rudy Vallee is the star. Production will begin shortly at the R K O studios. Mr. Roth's pictures will vary in length and character and many of them will be novelties in the presentation field. If he is permitted to take a little time in their production there's no reason why they shouldn't be good. Frank Xamczy, who is doing the art directing at the Eastern studio should be subsidized by the modern furniture interests. Every one of his sets betrays the modernistic trend in color and design. And if the screen influences the public in the decoration of their homes as much as it does in the draping of their bodies it is quite possible that, in a short period, we may expect every house to have at least one modernistic room. Namczy thinks so, and there's something to the supposition. Cantor. Athlete, Star A man who made his debut as a singer with a Jewish cantor in a Detroit synagogue and then became a professional football and basketball player has just completed a skit under the direction of Murray Roth. His name is Will Aubrey and the playlet is called "A Night on the Bowery-" Aubrey plays comedy character parts and has his own company. James Burke and Eleancr Durkin have made a program of songs under the Roth direction. Another Roth effort (that boy is certainly getting publicized) is "In the Xick of Time," a two reel satire by Edmund Joseph, Vitaphone dialoguist. The cast includes Dorothy Hall, Sidney Toler, Jimmie Dunn, Lucy Beaumont. Howard Bouton, Andre Forrester and Bert Wilcox, all experienced on the legitimate stage. The Pathe move to Gramercy failed to take place on schedule, but is expected to occur in the near future. LeMaire and Delmar, Pathe producers, said this week that they were not sure where they would make their next pictures. One Pathe short subject has been made at the Photophone plant. Whether it's a forerunner of a great many more is a matter of conjecture. LeMaire has six more to make of his present contracted series, Delmar three and Maddock three. Robert Kane is abroad again. Both Pathe and R K O denied that he had been signed up by the latter company for the production of French talkers. Our Gang's New Member (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 17. — Our Gang Rascals welcomed a new member to the ranks this week. He is not a fat boy or black boy or blonde girl or pup. He is Edgar Kennedy. It was decided that the Gang should have a cop to watch over them. Not the club swinging old meanie who takes the joy out of life, but the guardian angel type, sort of a guide or friend. Earle Smith, independent producer, who has bought the old Edison studio and plans to make thirteen features and fifty-two talking shorts within the year, has called his organization the Famous Sound Studio Corporation in a direct bid for prestige. Smith said last week that Famous Sound had closed a deal with Golden Stars (another glittering name) Film Producing Co., to produce a series of Italian-American talkers. The Golden Stars people have under contract a complete Italian musical comedy company as well as the exclusive services of G. Magni, Aristide Sigismonde, Nick Nesi and other gentlemen of Italian extraction whose names are new to us. Golden Stars claim European distribution channels. They formerly operated the Bronx Opera House, which may, or may not, be a bid for fame. Production will begin as soon as sound proofing and interior decoration of the Edison studio are completed. i:Big Pond" Delayed "The Big Pond," last season's stage success which was to have gone into production early this week at the Paramount Long Illand studio with Charles Ruggles under the direction of Hobart Henley, has been switched to November, when Maurice Chevalier, now in France on a vacation, will return to this country to take the featured role. Henley, who directed that exceptionally well done picture, "The Lady Lies," now at the New York Paramount, will probably be assigned to direct Ruggles in a picture which has not yet been announced. Ruggles was a distinct hit in "The Lady Lies." Now they've got a personality girl on the Paramount lot. Her name is Mesir Morris. She's a dancer and will play the part of mistress of ceremonies in forthcoming short subjects. Alice Hegeman, who played the comedy lead in "The Wooden Kimono," is the latest addition to the cast of "The Laughing Lady," in which Clive Brook and Jeanne Eagels are starred. The illness of Miss Eagels has temporarily delayed the production of this picture. For the past few days she has been a patient at St. Luke's hospital, suffering from sinus trouble. It was feared last week that an operation would be necessary to save her sight. The latest reports indicate that she is much better and that an operation may be avoided. "The Laughing Lady" will go into production as soon as Miss Eagels is able to return to the studio. Cohn Signs to Write First National Audiens (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 17.— Alfred A. Cohn has signed a contract to write for First National. He leaves the Warner Studios where he has directed two comedies.