Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1929)

November 30, 1929 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 37 News Notes HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 26. LEWIS LEWYN has completed the first of a series of "The Voice of Hollywood" for Tiffany release. It is the first to be made in four different languages without voice duplication. ROY MACK has been signed to a long term contract by Warner Brothers. He has directed five of the short reel varieties and will direct "Poor Butterfly" as his first film under the new contract. PHYLLIS CRANE has been signed for an important role in "The Potters" for Warners. Lucien Littlefield has the role of Pa Potter. Production on a series of 12 has started under the direction of Bryan Foy. KATHRYN CRAWFORD will play the feminine lead for the second time opposite Ken Maynard. Miss Crawford recently completed "Senor Americano" with Maynard. Production will begin soon on "Kettel Creek" at Universal. Harry J. Brown will direct. JEANETTE LOFF has signed for an important role in "The King of Jazz Revue" at Universal. John Murray Anderson is directing. Paul Whiteman and the entire list of Universal players are in the film. STAN LAUREL and OLIVER HARDY will make a personal appearance at the Fox theatre in San Francisco for one week beginning November 22. The team recently completed their seventh talking comedy for Roach. JOHNNY MACK BROWN will play opposite Joan Crawford in "Montana" for MGM. Mal_ St. Clair will direct. The story is an original by Sylvia Thalberg and Frank Butler. LEWIS R. FOSTER recently accepted his second job in pictures in seven years. He will direct the Record Breaker Series for Darmour R K O. Foster worked for Hal Roach. He recently resigned to direct the H. C. Witwer series for Larry Darmour. Thalberg Heads Academy Research; Studio, Theatre Needs Under Investigation (Special to the HeraldWorld) HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 26. — A clearing house for technical information and research for studios and theatres has been organized by the Acadamy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Two books will be published on the subject. Irving Thalberg and a joint committee will be in charge. Among the first things the committee will undertake is to test and classify material for building sound sets, an improved cover for sound cameras and an investigation into a silent arc lamp for sound sets. The Academy is now working on a standard for film release prints in theatres and studying variation in screen illumination. Beaudine Returns; Meets Many Film People on Trip (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 26.— William Beaudine, his wife and Mr. and Mrs. James Flood, returned to Hollywood this week following two months in Europe. Beaudine felt quite at home in Europe. Among the film people he met were Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Adolphe Menjou, B. P. Shulberg, Jack Pickford, George Bancroft, Frank Borzage, Evelyn Brent, Darryl Zanuck, Monty Banks, Lew Lipton and others. Beaudine will begin production soon at First National. Milestone Begins "All Quiet"; Ford, Cummings Films Finish Darmour Increases Activities — Paramount Has 22 Units Working — R K 0 Prepares for "Radio Revels" — Columbia to Film Liberty's "Love of Lil" — Keaton, Sedgwick Start (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 26.— Production started this week on "All Quiet On the Western Front" at Universal. Lewis Milestone is directing. The casting office sent out a call for 2,000 ex-service men for the first scenes. Reeves Eason, expert on battle scenes, will stage the opening shots as special director. A complete war outfit has been imported from Germany at a reported cost of $30,000. Three films were completed at the Fox studios this week. They are "Men Without Women" directed by John Ford, "Cameo Kirby" directed by Irving Cummings and "Hot for Paris" which was written and directed by Raoul Walsh. The Ford film is without a woman in the large cast. "Cameo Kirby" features J. Harold Murray and Norma Terris. a company consisting of Pearl Eaton, Robert Woolsey, Bert Wheeler, and Victor Baravalle to prepare for the film. The picture is taken from "The Ramblers" in which Clark and McCullough were originally starred. "Love of Lil" "For the Love of Lil" the popular cover series of Liberty Magazine, will be brought to life by Columbia. The comedy that has made these covers popular with the reading public will be preserved in the screen version. Gladys Lehman wrote the continuity and Victor Heerman will direct. Production will start soon. It is understood that Liberty will embark on a nationwide exploitation and publicity campaign on behalf of the production. Keaton and Sedgwick Three films began production this week at M G M. William Haines is making "Fresh from College." Sam Wood is directing. It is planned to make it a sequel to "Brown of Harvard." Buster Keaton began "On the Set." He will talk and sing. Edward Sedgwick is directing. Herbert Brenon is directing "The Case of Sergeant Grischa" at R K O. Chester Morris heads the large supporting cast. Raoul Walsh's film features Victor McLaglen. Fifi Dorsay has the feminine lead. El Brendel and others make up the supporting cast. Other activities at the Fox plant include the Alexander Korda film "The Dollar Princess" which is in preparation and will begin production soon. Ned Marin will act as associate producer. Marcel Silver is directing an untitled film featuring Don Jose Mojica, opera star. Mona Maris is leading lady. Tom Patricola and Antonio Moreno head a large cast. Darmour Active Increased activity at the Darmour studios has necessitated a day and night shift to be installed. The Mickey McGuire unit has completed "Mickey's Strategy" and are busy on "Master Minds." Al Herman is directing. The story department is preparing "Mickey's Luck" for production upon the completion of "Master Minds." "Sleeping Cuties," one of the Record Breaker series, is being cut and edited under the supervision of Phil Whitman. Lewis R. Foster is directing another of the series titled "Lost and Foundered" with Alberta Vaughn and Al Cooke featured. Foster was recently signed by Darmour. He was formerly director of the Laurel and Hardy comedies. The story department is preparing "Old Vamps for New" to follow the present Record Breaker film. Paramount Busy There are 22 production units at work at the Paramount studios. Eight new pictures are being cut and edited. Five are being filmed. There are nine in preparation, with early starting dates contemplated, indicating heavy production during the holiday season. "Burning Up" with Richard Arlen in the starring role began this week. A. Edward Sutherland is directing. RKO "Radio Revels" RKO is preparing for "Radio Revels" to start production December 16. Director Paul Sloane is enroute to New York with Crone Perfects Camera Time Saver (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 26.— George Crone, Sono Art director, has perfected a camera dolley which will save time and money in the making of dialog films. The device eliminates the camera tripod, being installed upon a permanent standard which is raised or lowered telescopically. The adjustment is made by a wheel placed horizontally in the floor. "Rip Van Winkle" and 5,000 Each Week Is N. Y. Hersholt Offer (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 26.— Jean Hersholt has been offered the starring role in a histronic version of "Rip Van Winkle" and $5,000 per week by a New York stage producer whose name is not known. Hersholt will have until January 15 to decide. The producer revealed to director Henry King, who is directing the Hersholt film, that his trip was for the purpose of seeing and hearing Hersholt. While producers have corralled the stage stars, stage producers have been making innumerable overtures to screen celebrities. It is not known what Hersholt intends to do. Fowler Finishes Fourth Film; Visits Exchanges (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 26.— Herman Fowler has completed the fourth of the series of 475 "Fowler Varieties." He left for a four weeks tour and will visit many of the exchanges. The Varieties run three acts to a reel. Three reels per week are to be releasd. RCA system is used for recording.