The Film Daily (1929)

THE New Paramount Contract Signed by Give Brook Clive Brook has signed a new contract with Paramount. Brook, now on the West Coast, will arrive in New York next week to play the title role in a dialogue film, "The Return of Sherlock Holmes," to be produced at the Long Island studio under the direction of Basil Dean, English stage director. Following that, Brook will enact the principal role in "Escape," a talking film adaptation of Galsworthy's stage hit of the same name. This also will be directed by Dean. Laurel and Hardy Tour Planned Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, stars in Hal Roach M-G-M comedies, will make a seven-weeks personal appearance tour of eastern theaters during July and August. Although both of the comedians are graduates of vaudeville, this will make their first joint stage appearance. It is probable that they will be seen at the Capitol during the week of July 27. The Hal Roach studio which is ahead of schedule, closes for a summer recess next week. Coast Wire Service Fox Studios Starting Ten THREE COMPLETED AND 9 IN WORK AT FOX STUDIO "Tonight at Twelve" Started Universal has started "Tonight at Twelve," Owen Davis' stage play to be produced as an all-talker under direction of Harry Pollard. Principals are George Lewis, Madge Bellamy and Margaret Livingston. Upon completion of "Tonight at Twelve," Lewis will be costarred with "Red" Grange in "The Varsity Show." Other members of the cast already selected for "Tonight at Twelve" include Robert Ellis, Norman Trevor, Don Douglas and Madeline Seymour. Rehearsals under Pollard's direction have been started. Two Frederick Vehicles Pauline Frederick will star in two pictures on the 1929-30 Warner program. The first will be "Evidence" and the second "A Woman's Game." John Adolfi is directing "Evidence" with a cast including William Courtenay, Conway Tearle. Lowell Sherman, Alex B. Francis and Clarissa Selwynne. Fox Signs Football Players Fourteen players of the University of Southern California football team have been engaged by Fox to appear in "Words and Music." talking and singing picture. The feature is being directed by James Tinling and will feature Lois Moran and David Percy. Jobyna Ralston Signed Jobyna Ralston has been selected for the second feminine lead in "The College Coquette," Columbia alltalker now in production under direction of George Archinbaud. Featured in the cast of this vehicle are Ruth Taylor, William Collier, Jr.. and John Holland. Added to "Sky Hawk" Cast Billy Bevan has been cast in "The Sky Hawk," all sound aerial picturenow being made by Fox near Sierra Madre. Production activities at Fox Film have reached a high peak. Three features have just been completed, nine are in production and ten more will be started within the fortnight. "The Cock Eyed World" was the first to be completed of the new group. This is a sequel to "What Price Glory?" played by Victor McLaglen and Edmund Lowe and was directed by Raoul Walsh. John Ford has finished the final interior scenes of "Salute," the outdoor sequences having been made at Annapolis and Benjamin Stoloff has completed "The Girl From Havana." These lattei two are now in the cutting room. Of the productions now under way "Married in Hollywood" is one. This is the Oscar Straus operetta, with additional music by Dave Stamper, and will employ four stars: J. Harold Murray, Norma Terris, Walter Catlett and Irene Palasty. Another musical feature is "Sunny Side Up," cofeaturing Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell with original music and story by De Sylva, Brown and Henderson. Lenore Ulric's first starring vehicle, "Frozen Justice," is at the half way mark. Will Rogers is at work in 'They Had To See Paris," under direction of Frank Borzage. "The Sky Hawk," has just been started under direction of John G. Blystone. "Why Leave Home," a musical version of "Cradle Snatchers" with songs by Conrad, Mitchell and Gottler, is nearly completed. "Big Time," with Lee Tracy featured, has been in work for a week. "Words and Music" with Lois Moran and David Percy is almost completed. "Conquistador," featuring Warner Baxter and Mary Duncan, soon will be started by Alfred Santell. Of the features to be started within the fortnight, those given priority on the list are: "The Well Dressed Man," featuring Victor McLaglen, the "Fox Movietone Minstrels" and "Life's a Gamble" with Paul Muni in a leading role. A Little from a Lots >> Lawford Davidson Signed Lawford Davidson, former English actor, has been assigned by Paramount to play in Richard's Dix's new talking film, "The Love Doctor," adapted from the stage play, "The Boomerang." Dix will have as feminine support June Collyer and Miriam Seegar. Melville Brown will direct. McGuinness, Wurtzel's Aide James K. McGuinness now is executive assistant to Sol M. Wurtzel, general superintendent at the Fox studio. By RALPH WILK OOBERT LORD, one of the ** youngest scenarists on the Coast is being given important assignments at Warners. He will write the screen version and dialogue for "Hold Everything," using Arthur Caesar as his collaborator. He and Caesar also collaborated on "So Long Letty." * * * Our Passing Show: Leo Forbstein, Mathetv Betz, Harold Beaudine, Ben Bernstein at "The Big Pond"; Joseph Schenck, Samuel Goldwyn, Harry Rapf, Rupert Hughes, Harry Green, Ned Marin, Jack Robbins, Paul Bern, Ben and Harry Goetz, B. P. Schulberg, Robert Montgomery, Reginald Barker, Maurice Revnes, Victor Schertzinger at the premiere of "Top O' the Hill." * * * By the way, Louis Wolheim was an interested spectator at the premiere of "Top O' the Hill," he having played opposite William Boyd in "What Price Glory." Basil Rathbone, who had played opposite Helen Menken in "The Captive," was also in the audience. Boyd and Miss Menken are the leads in "Top O* the Hill." * * * There was much reminiscing t'other night at the surprise dinner tendered George B. Seitz by Bertram Millhauser. The guests included Spencer G. Bennet, F. W. Seitz, Eddie Snyder, Bud Redmond, Anton F. Grot, and Frank Redmond, who had been associated with Millhauser and Seitz for several years in the production of Pathe pictures. * * * Irene Rich and Will Rogers have been re-united at Fox. They played together in several Goldwyn pictures and Miss Rich recently rushed to the Coast to play opposite Rogers in "They Had to See Paris." 29 More Players Are Signed for Warner Film Twenty-nine more players have been signed by Warners for "The Show of Shows," bringing to 36 the total number of stellar names in the cast. Included are: John Barrymore, George Arliss Beatrice Lillie, Irene Bordoni, Jack Buchanan, Winnie Lightner. Frank Fay, Dolores Costello, Marilyn Miller, Monte Blue, Myrna Loy, Grant Withers, Ted Lewis and His Band Sally O'Neil, Lila Lee, Tully Marshall, Marion Nixon, Patsy Ruth Miller, Noah Beery, Lloyd Hamilton, Ben Turpin, Harry Gribbon, Edna Murphy, Marion Bvron, Viola Dana, Loretta Young, Lee Moran. Lupino Lane, Bert Roach, Alice Day Molly O'Day, Betty Byron, Shirley Mason, Bull Montana, Ike Rose Midgets and the Adagio Dancers. Cameramen's Union to Enforce 16 Hour Edict Cameramen working more than 16 consecutive hours in violation of orders of the local union, will be fined $200 for the first offense and repetition of the offense will bring suspension of five years. M-G-M Titles Changed Two new titles have been supplied for M-G-M pictures now in production. Edgar Selwyn's talking version of his stage production of last season, "Eva the Fifth," will be released as "The Girl in the Show," while "Twelve Hours of Love" is the final title for William de Mille's current talking production, formerly known as "Inhuman Ground." Christie Signs Murray Charlie Murray has been signed by Al Christie to star in one of the new Christie talking plays for Paramount. The production in which Murray will star for Christie will he from an Irish story by Vernon Smith. Al Cohn m preparing the screen play and will supervise production. Again Opposite Haines Anita Page, who appears opposite William Haines "Speedway," will again be seen opposite the M-G-M star in "Navy Blues," an all-talking production. This will be directed by Clarence Brown. Paramount Casts Heggie O. P. Heggie was chosen today by Ernst Lubitsch for one of the principal roles in "The Love Parade," musical operetta written especially for the screen and starring Maurice Chevalier. Novis to Sing in Talmadge Film Donald Novis, Atwater Kent national radio contest winner and singer of "There's the One For Me" in "Bulldog Drummond," will sing "A Year From Today," Al Jolson's theme song, in Norma Talmadge's first all-talking picture. The film has the same title as its theme song. "Young Eagles" Next Rogers "Young Eagles" will be the next starring vehicle for Charles "Buddy" Rogers. Written by William Slavens McNutt and Grover Jones, the piece will be guided before the camera by William Wellman, director of "Wings." Cast Opposite Richman Joan Bennett has been cast opposite Harry Richman in his first picture, tentatively called "The Song of Broadway." Miss Bennett has just completed a principal role in "Three Live Ghosts."