Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Apr-Jun 1930)

74 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD June 21, 1930 All Paramount and V itaphone Shorts Coming from Eastern Studios Both Companies Drawing Heavily on Players from Current Metropolitan Attractions and on New York Writers By HARRY TUGEND (Special to the Herald-World) New york, June 17. — All Paramount and Vitaphone shorts will hereafter be produced in the Eastern Studios. And you can blame it alt on Broadway, for proximity to the theatrical highway of the world is the main reason for this move. Both companies have been drawing their players from current metropolitan attractions and have been employing local scribes for a great deal of their material. nrHE Vitaphone studios are being enlarged to provide for the increased schedule. A majority of the Varieties will be originals by the Vitaphone staff of authors which now includes Wallace Sullivan, Burnet Hershey, Stanley Raugh and A. D. Otvos. Roy Mack is directing a second Vitaphone comedy by H. I. Phillips, columnist on the New York Sun. Inspired or enraged by the new traffic regulations, Philips has dubbed it “The Jay Walker.” Prominent in the traffic jam will be Chester Clute, Jimmy Donnelly, Milt Francis, William Malone and Charles Hopkins, Tr. Ziegfeld Stars in Varieties The reason for the unusual demand for down-in-front seats in the theatres can be traced to the increasing number of Ziegfeld’s most glorified in current musical shorts. Doris Leslie, star of “Simple Simon,” will display her talents in a Vitaphone musical comedy, “Let’s Merge,” which Roy Mack directed. She will be supported by Stanley Ridges. Florenz Ames and Lillian Fitzgerald. Harold Levey and Neville Fleeson wrote the original musical and lyrics. George Jessel has turned to shorts. Paramount has signed him for a two-reel comedy in which he will, of course, be starred. The completion of “Animal Crackers” has been temporarily delayed by the sudden illness of “Groucho” Marx. The large staff of physicians who have been in attendance on him have not yet decided whether it’s appendicitis or just something he ate. In the meantime Paramount is concentrating on a big short program, putting the finishing touches on “Heads Lip” and rehearsing “Laughter.” Second and Third Screen Operas John E. Iraci, president of International Broadcasting Company, which recently completed “Othello,” announces that the second and third of a series of forty screen operas will be “La Worza del Destino” and “La Giaconda.” The cast will be headed by Manual Salazer, tenor ; Abigal Alesio, soprano ; Rodolpho Hoyos, baritone, and Alberto Nicolich. basso. The picture, which will be produced at the They’re Hunting Story For John Boles Now ( Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, June 17.— Universal is having story trouble. Now it’s John Boles instead of Paul Whiteman. The original which Konrad Bercovici expansively and expensively contracted to write for Boles was adjudged by studio heads to be unsuitable. Appeals have been made to heads of other studios for material not contemplated by the latter for immediate production in the hope of finding a suitable vehicle. In the meantime, just as in the case of Whiteman, Boles’ salary goes rolling along. Metropolitan studios, will be directed by Roberto Natalini, with Angelo Maturo in charge of the musical accompaniment. Flies from Hollywood to Attend School Exercises (Special to the Herald-World) KNIGHTSTOWN, IND, June 17.— Making the trip by airplane from Hollywood, Monte Blue of Indianapolis, veteran actor, attended commencement exercises at the In Fan Mail Helps U; Laemmle, Jr., Hobby (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, June 17. — Fan Mail is a great burden on a studio but a valuable barometer of public attitude, according to Carl Laemmle, Jr. Encouragement of these letters and conscientious attention to them is one of the hobbies of the Universal organization. diana Soldiers’ and Sailors’ orphans home here. The actor, who is himself a graduate of the home, arrived in the morning for the commencement and remained during the entire exercises. He also visited Indianapolis while East. McCorey Option Taken By Fox for Long Term (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, June 17. — Leo McCarey will remain with Fox. His option was taken and he signed a long term contract. His first for Fox, “Roadhouse,” was made well within the allotted time and cost. It is reported that he refused a tempting offer from Paramount following a preview of “Let’s Go Native.” u Yankee Don” to N. Y Air Postage Cost $235 (Special to the Herald-Wo-ld) HOLLYWOOD, June 17.— Ten reels of film, packed in wood and weighing 135 pounds, made a trip to New York this week air-mail from Hollywood. It cost $235 to ship it. The film, “Yankee Don,” starred Richard Talmadge. Japanese L. A. Theatre Owner Is Bullet Victim ( Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, June 17. — Yochaiki Yasuda, wealthy Japanese theatre owner here, was shot and killed by two bandits, who escaped. He was returning home with his chauffeur when two bullets found their mark. NEW CONTRACTS (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, June 17.— Robert Edeson, Ruth Hiatt, Stompie, June Collyer, William Von Brinken, Three Rhythm Boys, Dorothy Burgess. Pathe. One picture. A Vivien Oakland, Daisy Belmore, Tempe Piggott, Frank Terry, Charles Hall. Darmour. “London Dry.” One picture. A Harry Sinclair Drago. MGM. Novelize “Madame Satan.” A Heine Conklin. MGM. “Remote Control.” One picture. A May Robson. Liberty Productions. “Mother’s Millions.” A Louise Fazenda. R K O. “Leathernecking.” A Leo McCarey. Fox. Long term. Director. A Jimmie Starr, Harry McCoy. Christie Writers. A William Watson. Christie. Director. Jack Holt. Columbia. Long term. A Nat Carr, Thelma Hill, Harry Barris, Ed Dearing, Spec O’Donnell. Pathe. “Two Plus Fours.” A Tom Moore, Roscoe Karns, Wheeler Oakman, William Davidson, Russell Hardie. Cruze. “Rainbow.” One picture. A Lloyd Hughes, Kenneth Thomson, Marie Prevost, Ray Cooke. “Sweethearts on Parade.” Columbia. Three Paramount Stars To Attend Veterans Meet (Special to the Herald-World) Gl LFPORT, MISS., June 17. — Three Paramount stars, Clara Bow, Elsie Janis and Maurice Chevalier, will attend the annual meeting of the Disabled Veterans of the World War organization, to be held at New Orleans June 23-28. They are all veterans of the World War. Three New Additions to Paramount Writing Staff ( Special to the Hera.ld-World) NEW YORK, June 17. — Paramount has signed three writers to its staff. They are Robert Terry Shannon, former newspaper editor, Keene Thompson, scenarist and short story writer, and Henry Myers, affiliated for many years with Broadway productions. They Were Wrong About Alice (Special to the Herali-Wo1 i ) HOLLYWOOD, June 17.— When Alice White was the top notcher of First National stars, she was given the reputation of being the most temperamental on their roster. Yesterday she was on the Metropolitan lot democratically dozing on the driver’s seat of a gravel truck while awaiting the call of Director Marshall Neilan to read her lines in “Sweethearts on Parade,” being produced by Christie Productions for distribution by Columbia Pictures.