The Film Daily (1935)

Thursday, June 13, 1935 DAILY |fl©IO PLAYS, 23 NOVELS ON WARNER PROGRAM (Continued from Page 1) vice-president in charge of production. Six Cosmopolitan productions, two of which will star Marion Davies, and six westerns are included in the lineup. Jack Warner also announced that he had obtained the services of Prof. Max Reinhardt to direct another feature of the same magnitude as his "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Titles of 42 of the attractions were announced, not counting the westerns, and it was stated that the schedule would be kept flexible to take advantage of new plays and stories of a timely nature as they come along during the year. Among the stage properties that will be made into motion pictures during the coming year are: "The Green Pastures," the Pulitzer Prize play by Marc Connelly. "Page Miss Glory," already completed as Marion Davies' first picture under the recent Warner-Cosmopolitan Productions affiliation. "Three Men on a Horse," by Cecil Holm and George Abbott. "The Petrified Forest," by Robert Sherwood, now playing Broadway, to be filmed with Leslie Howard in the same role he is playing in the stage play. Among the novels that will be made are "Anthony Adverse," by Hervey Allen; "Captain Blood," by Rafael Sabatini; "The Green Light,' by Lloyd C. Douglas, which will star Leslie Howard in a Cosmopolitan release, and "Dr. Socrates," by W. R. Burnett, starring Paul Muni, with Ann Dvorak. "The Charge of the 600," based upon the immortal Poem by Tennyson, will be made into one of the elaborate productions of the year. James Cagney will star in "The Frisco Kid,' which will afford him a characterization far different from any which he has done before. "San Quentin," by John Bright and Robert Tasker, will be along the timely lines of"G Men." "Special Agent," based on the activities of the Intelligence Unit of the United States Department of Internal Revenue, will be another topical production, with George Brent, Bette Davis and Ricardo Cortez. Rudy Vallee will appear in "Let's Pretend." "Lafitte, the Pirate," based on the exploits of this colorful historic character, will be made with an all-star cast. "Ceiling Zero," an aviation epic by Frank Wead, also a current season hit on Broadway stage, will be filmed with James Cagney and Pat O'Brien teamed. One of the colorful pictures on the program will be "Legionnaire," story of the French Foreign Legion, written by Harold Duckley and Roy Chanslor. "Invitation to a Murder," mystery play of the past Broadway season, by Rufus King, is another stage piece on the schedule. "Slim," based on the novel by William Wister Haines, will have James Cagney as a high-tension wire-worker. "Dress Parade" is now in production at Annapolis, with Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler teamed. Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler will also be teamed in "Colleen," a vehicle suited to the singing, dancing and acting talents of these two stars. Paul Muni will follow "Dr. Socrates" with "The Death Fighter," an original by Pierre Collings and Sheridan Gibney. "Lucky Me" will have Dick Powell heading the cast in a story of the struggles, hardships, loves and heart-breaks of three entertainers. Kay Francis will be starred in "I Found Stella Parrish," based on a story by John Monk Saunders. Sybil Jason, the five-andone-half year old child discovery from Capetown, will play an important part in this story. "You've Got to Learn Sometime," comedy drama by Richard Wormser, soon to be pub .*) WARNER CONVENTION SIDELIGHTS J^OS ANGELES— Bill Koenig felt right at home when he announced the exhibition wrestling match between Man Mountain Dean and Myron Cox. The tussle was a scene in "We're in the Money," with the delegates among the spectators. In "the good old days" Bill promoted wrestling matches in Minneapolis and Milwaukee. By the way, Dean and Cox also staged a match following the movie scene. Dean wore a jersey, marked "production," while Cox's sweater read, "distribution." Joe E. Brown, the referee, when he swung into action against "Man Mountain," wore a sweater marked "exhibitor." The comedian won many laughs with his bounds following his collisions with the 319-pound grappler. This morning's session of the Warner convention at the Hotel Ambassador will be opened by Grad Sears, who will introduce Jack L. Warner, and the entire morning will be turned over to the company's studio executives, including Jack Warner, Hal Wallis, Bill Koenig and the associate producers and supervisors, who include Henry Blanke, Earl Baldwin, Robert Lord, Sam Bischoff, Bryan Foy, Harry Joe Brown and Lou Edelman. In the afternoon, the delegates will attend a screening of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." at the Wilturn Theater. At night the final banquet will be held, with all of the company's stars present and Jack Warner acting as toastmaster. Prizes to the winners of Warner's "Californai Or Bust" contest will be donated tonight, with the stars who donated prizes presenting their own prizes to the winners. Among the stars attending the evening's festivities will be Paul Muni, Joe E. Brown, Dolores Del Rio, James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, Jean Muir, Warren William, Ricardo Cortez, George Brent, Margaret Lindsay, Mary Astor, Josephine Hutchinson, Verree Teasdale, AdoU phe Menjou, Glenda Farrell, Patricia Ellis, Ann Dvorak, Hugh Herbert, Phil Regan, Anita Louise, Barton MacLane, Frank McHugh, Olivia de Havilland, William Gargan, Claire Dodd, Everett Marshall,, Winifred Shaw, Allen Jenkins, Henry O'Neill, Maxine Doyle, June Martel, John Eldredge, Baby Sybil Jason, June Travis, Dorothy Dare, Errol Flynn and Martha Tibbetts. Seated with J. L. Warner at the speakers' table at the studio luncheon were Benjamin L. Warner, father of the boys, H. M. and Albert, Hal Wallis, William Koenig, Max Reinhardt, Mervyn LeRoy, S. Charles Einfeld, Gradwell Sears, Andy Smith, Jake Wilk, Leon Schlesinger, Sam E. Morris, Norman Moray, E. B. Hatrick, Ella Williams, Max Milder, Joseph Bernhardt, R. Mochrie, H. Bareford, Robert Schless, Carl Leserman, Sam Sax, Al Manheimer, W. S. McDonald, D. E. Griffiths, L. J. Halper. Everett Marshall showed the boys he could "carry a note." He got an ovation for singing "Wagon Wheels." lished in a national magazine, will also be produced "Frenchy," by Henry Meilhac and Ludwig Halevy, will be used as a starring vehicle for either Claudette Colbert or a star of similar importance. Edward G. Robinson will be starred in "Stiletto." based on the life and exploits of a famous man-hunter of the New York detective squads. "Thin Air," a "Cosmopolitan Magazine" story by Mildred Cram, will have Franchot Tone, James Melton and at least one big feminine radio personality heading the cast. "The Goose and the Gander," which stars Kay Francis and George Brent, has already been completed. "Radio Jamboree of 1935" will have an aggregation of radio and screen stars. "Snowed Under," adapted from the "Liberty Magazine" serial story by Lawrence Saunders, will see early production. Joan Blondell and Glenda Farrell will be teamed in "Blondes Prefer Gentlemen." Joe E. Brown will be starred in "Cops and Robbers" as an amateur sleuth who is always following the wrong clue. "The Little Big Shot," now in production, will present Sybil Jason, the Capetown darling, who makes her American screen debut with Robert Armstrong, Glenda Farrell and Edward Everett Horton. "The Skipper of the Ispahan" is romance, adventure and drama on the high seas and in the Orient. Bette Davis will appear in "Hard Luck Dame," by Laird Doyle. "Backfire," based on the building of Boulder Dam, will team Margaret Lindsay and William Gargan. Warren William will again play the lole of Perry Mason in two other Erie Stanley Gardner mystery yarns, "The Case of the Lucky Legs" and "The Case of the Velvet Claws." "The Patient in Room 18," mystery story by Mignon G. Eberhart, will be cast in due course. "Romance in a Glass House," dramatic story of a radio star married to a great stage star, will bring together Dolores Del Rio and Everett Marshall. "The Real McCoy" will present Alan Dinehart, James Dunn, Claire Dodd and Patricia Ellis in a story of a square sports writer who gets into trouble with crooked gamblers. "Marry the Girl," by Edward Hope, will be among the comedy-dramas. "Money Man," by Dashiell Hammett, will have an important star heading the cast Joan Blondell and Glenda Farrell will be teamed in "Miss Pacific Fleet." "The Trial of Dr. Beamish," based on the "Liberty Magazine" story by Walton Green, is an ingenious story about a college professor who conducts his own case when tried for the murder of his wife. Also included in the 1935-36 plans will be six westerns. WARNERS WILL ADHERE TO NRA PRINCIPLES West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Los Angeles — In its relations with exhibitors, Warners will continue to carry out principles of the NRA code as if it still existed, said Gradwell L. Sears, Warner-First National sales executive, in a short interview at the convention yesterday. J. L. Warner declared this will be the greatest production year in the history of Warners' 30 years in the industry. S. Charles Einfeld announced that 4,000 contracts, 36 per cent of the usual quota, had already been signed for next season's products. He said Warners are definitely in stage production and have found the way to obtain high-class material through stage plays. "Three Men on a Horse" will be road-shown all over the world prior to its picturization, thus providing an international campaign for the picture. He stressed the value of the alliance with "Cosmopolitan" from an advertising standpoint and said Warners' newspaper advertising budget will be the largest in its history. In connection with "Page Miss Glory", a national contest will be held to find the ideal Dawn Glory. Ohama Items Omaha — H. J. Champman, Columbia branch manager, is practically recovered from his long illness. Harry Lefholtz, Universal salesman, become a grandfather with the birth of a son to his daughter, Mrs. Al King. Ed Traybold, local news cameraman, shot Nebraska's flood scenes for Paramount News. St. Louis Squibs St. Louis — Construction of another new house in this area is announced by Ansell Amusement Co. It will be a 1,000-seater in University City and will be called the Varsity. Completion is expected by Oct. 1. William R. Gentry, local attorney, has been retained by Paramount to assist in its defense at the antitrust trial involving Paramount, Warner,s and RKO, set to start June 18. Louis Phillips, home office at | torney, also will be here. Missouri's new 1 per cent sales tax law, which includes admissions, starts Aug. 27. Many theaters in central and southern Illinois have reopened following settlement of the electric light strike. James Hall is spending a week as master of ceremonies at the New Yorker. Bernard J. Derby has left the film trade to represent a coal company.