The Film Daily (1935)

THE -c@H 1 DAILY Friday, June 7, 193!j UNIVERSAL NAMES 27 OF ITS NEW TITLES (Continued from Page 1) been allowed for the new lineup, which also includes 27 two-reel subjects, 52 one-reelers and 104 issues of the Universal Newsreel, it was stated by J. R. Grainger, general manager of distribution, in outlining the product. The first feature to be released is "Diamond Jim," with Edward Arnold, Jean Arthur and Binnie Barnes. It is already completed at Universal City under the direction of Edward Sutherland. Two pictures which are placed in the roadshow class are "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Phantom of the Opera." Early in September Universal will release a football picture using the magazine story by Karl Tunberg entitled "While The Crowd Cheers." Carl Laemmle, Jr., will contribute six productions of his own to the total list. The first will be "Hangover Murders," the novel by Adam Hobhouse which James Whale will direct. The second will be "Dracula's Daughter," by John L. Balderston, with R. C. Sherriff making the screenplay. This production will also be directed by James Whale. Another of Laemmle, Jr.'s productions will be one of two Margaret Sullavan pictures scheduled. Universal has already three stories from which to choose these two productions. They include "Within This Present" by Margaret Ayer Barnes, "Strangers At The Feast," by Beatrice Lubitz, "Time Out Of Mind" by Rachel Fields. Universal will introduce the European star, Marta Eggerth, in at least two pictures, the first of which will be "Song of Joy," by E. P. McEwen. Miss Eggerth will arrive at l'niversal City in August. Other productions for which stars have already been chosen include Edmund Lowe in "The Great Impersonation" by E. Phillips Oppenheim; Edward Everett Horton in "His Night Out," by Henry Irving Dodge; Carole Lombard in "Spinster Dinner." Cosmopolitan novel by Faith Baldwin; Karloff in "Bluecard's Eight Wives," by Bayard Veiller; May Robson in "Three Kids and A Queen," by Harry Poppy and Chester Beecroft; Chester Morris, Dorothy Page and Pinky Tomlin in "King Solomon of Broadway," by Albert J. Cohen and Robert T. Shannon; Jack Holt in "Storm Over The Andes," by Eliot Gibbons and Leclade Christy; Jack Oakie in "Fast And Furious," which will include scenes from the recently run automobile race at Indianapolis; Charles Bickford in "East of Java" by Gouverneur Morris, and Jack Holt in "Tall Timber" by Edward J. Eustace. Included in the program also are the following productions: "Her Excellency The Governor," by Nina Wilcox Putnam. "Beauty On Parole," by Paul Sidney. "Merrily We Live," by James Edward ("■rant. "Yellowstone." by Houston Branch. "The Invisible Ray." by Howard B. Higgin and Douglas Hodges. mi.." by Cherry Wilson. "The Suicide Club," by Robert Louis Stevenson. Buck Jones will contribute six westerns again. Among the two-reel subjects will he 13 M. ii tone pictures made with radio and vaudeville stars. 13 Universal Comedies, and one special subject entitled "Camera Thrills." The serials include Buck Jones in "The in" West"; "The Adventures of Frank Merriwcll," by Burt L. Standish; "The New Exploits of Tailspin Tommy." and another newspaper strip, "Flash Gordon." single reelers include 13 "0 ' lid, the Luckv Rabbit" cartoons, 13 Studio Novelties, 13 "Stranger Than Fiction" subjects and 13 "Going Places.' The newsreel will again feature Graham McNamee. Election of Downs Expected Election of Charles Downs as business manager of the New York cameramen's local is expected to occur at a meeting of its executive board Tuesday. Downs, who will succeed 0. V. Johnson, resigned, is now acting as manager pending an election. A LITTLE from "LOTS ►// By RALPH WILK. HOLLYWOOD JPON completion of his current picture, tentatively titled "Everything Happens at Once," W. C. Fields will take a four months' vacation from all picture work. He plans to set up headquarters at some quiet resort on the coast of lower California. T T T "Don't Bet on Blondes" is the new title of Warners' comedy feature formerly called "Not on Your Life," with Warren William. T T T Esther Ralston will be married Sunday to Wilburt Whitfield Morgan, crooner. T T T Arthur Johnston and Gus Kahn have finsihed the music and lyrics for "The Girl Friend," Columbia picture to feature Ann Sothern, Jack Haley and Roger Pryor. ▼ T T "Rip Roaring Riley," second of the Puritan action pictures has been completed and is now in the cutting room. T T T Arthur Strawn has been assigned by Columbia to do the screenplay for "Surglical Call," Margaret Sangster novel. t ▼ T Ruth Mix, daughter of Tom Mix, is now the wife of Harry Knight, champion Canadian bronco buster. ▼ T T Charles Ray has opened a florist shop to keep him busy when not working in pictures. T T T Eddie Cantor, who is about to start action in his next production for Samuel Goldwyn, still tentatively entitled "Dreamland," is soon to become author of another book. It is a textbook on radio advertising, for use at a number of eastern colleges, advertising agencies and broadcasting companies. T T T Keene Thompson, with Paramount nine years as a writer, has put his signature on a new one-year contract, thereby setting some sort of a Hollywood record. T T T Columbia has renewed its contract with Benny Rubin, scenarist. T T T Gus Meins will direct "Little Papa," a new subject in the "Our Gang" series. Ruth Hiatt will be the only adult in the picture. ▼ ▼ T Ben Versehleisser's initial production for Universal will be "Her Excellency, the Governor," by Nina Wilcox Putnam. He will also produce "Three Kids and a Queen," with May Robson as the star. The latter story is by Chester Beecroft and Harry Poppe. T T T Romer Grey, son of Zane Grey, has been signed by Paramount as a writer. Other writing staff changes HALF OF BIP RELEASES MUSIGALS--MAXWELI at the studio put Samuel Hoffenstein with Waldemar Young on "The Pearl Necklace," in which Marlene Dietrich and Gary Cooper wiill costar, and Vincent Lawrence temporarily on "Peter Ibbetson," now filming with Cooper and Ann Harding starred. T T T William West and Frank McGinty, vaudeville team known professionally as Willy West and McGinty, have arrived in Hollywood for their part in Paramount's "The Big Broadcast of 1935," featuring Jack Oakie, Wendy Barrie, Lyda Roberti, and numerous other stars of stage, screen and radio. T T T Clarence Brown, M-G-M director, began his film career as an assistant to Maurice Tourneur, in the production of Clara Kimball Young's "Trilby." Six years later he became a megaphonist in h|is own right and has since scored one of the most successful records in pictures. t r T Roy Del Ruth has imported several hundred yards of a wood fiber clothing material recently developed in Germany with which to garb the chorines in a sequence of "Broadway Melody of 1936," which he is directing for M-G-M. With this "cloth" the costumes will "clatter" in tempo during dance numbers. T T T Six screen hopefuls have signed test option contracts with Paramount. They are Jose Caraballo, George Eldridge, Robinson Neeman, Brian Donlevy, Marsha Hunt and Jane Rhodes. Caraballo, from Buenos Aires, played the lead in Ramon Novarro's independently produced "Against the Current." Eldridge and Miss Rhodes are singers. Donlevy is from Broadway. Miss Hunt, from stock, is being considered for leading roles. T T T CAST ASSIGNMENTS M-G-M: Lucien Littlefield, Harvey Stephens, Robert Barrat, Theodore von Eltz, Robert Warwick, Ralph Bushman Fuzzy Knight, Charles Trowbridge, Lionel Atwill, William Collier Sr. for "Murder Man"; Henry Kolker, Eric Blore, Jessie Ralph, Leona Maricle for "Glitter"; H. B. Warner, Mitchell Lewis, Billy Bevan, Lucille LaVerne, Claude Gillingwater for "Tale of Two Cities". RKO : Russell Gleason for "Leander Clicks"; Warner Richmond, Winston Hibler, Douglas Cosgrove, Jim Thorpe for "Pompeii"; Evelyn Venable, Hedda Hopper, Walter Brennan, Virginia Howe, Grady Sutton, Hattie McDaniels for "Alice Adams". WARNER: Addison Richards, Ward Bond, Murray Alper for "Little Big Shot." COLUMBIA: John Byron, Paul Weigel, Ivan Linow for "Black Room Mystery". (Continued from Page 1) closed until September, when worl starts on the new program. Mus icals to be brought to this country will include "Invitation to th< Waltz," with Lillian Harvey; "Th< Du Barry," with Gitta Alpar; "Olc Heidelberg," with Greta Matzler; "My Heart's Delight," with Richarc Tauber, and "Lilac Dominoes.' Among directors who will make the B. I. P. program are Paul Stein, Marcel Varnel, Paul Merzbach, Arthur Woods and Thomas Bentley said Maxwell. Number of musicals on the B. I, P. lineup is due to the fact that not only are they international in appeal but also in the United Kingdom, where musical festivals have beer eliminated by the cinema, audiences now turn to film musicals to satisfy their demand for this kind of entertainment, Maxwell explained. Converting of his circuit into one embracing de luxe houses has incidentally compelled the production of a higher-cost grade of negatives, he said. Maxwell denied a report that he has revived a deal to take over control of Gaumont-British. He stated British producers are not planning to submit scripts to the Hays code machinery in America. Alliance Films, B. I. P. subsidiary, now has 10 pictures here for tradeshowings preliminary to making distribution deals. Presnell Sees Curbs on Costume Pictures (Continued from Page 1) and writer, upon his arrival in New York yesterday from Hollywood. General themes demanded by audiences, in his opinion, are "human, modern stories." Lack of a sufficient number of leading men in pictures is seriously handicapping the producers, declared Presnell, as they feel they must gear their stories to these players' requirements and thus limit their subjects. Development of new talent is badly needed as such moves will automatically widen scope of stories, he pointed out. Presnell recently produced "Front Page Woman," among others, for the Warner studio, and prepared the production of "The Real McCoy." He was associated with Universal as a producer, until a few days ago when he resigned to effectuate other plans. Para.-Loew Product Deal Stays I Paramount sales executives yesterday emphatically denied possibilities of cancelling the product franchise held by the Loew circuit, as reported. The 10-year deal expires two years from next September.