The Film Daily (1934)

THE DAILY Wednesday, Jan. 31, 1934 \ Little from "Lots" ^^ By RALPH WILK i HOLLYWOOD YV7. S. VAN DYKE has been asW signed to direct "The Thin Man," recently purchased from Dashiell Hammett by M-G-M. * * * Richard Wallace returns this week from New York with a load of story material dug up in the course of his New York visit. While in the metropolis Wallace recevied plaudits for his direction of Paramount's "Eight Girls in a Boat." * # * Glenda Farrell and Claire Dodd are additions to Warner's "One Man's Woman," with Pat O'Brien. * * * The Nanking government has denied M-G-M permission to film "The Good Earth" in China. * * * Edward Lowry, popular master of ceremonies, will make his film debut in Monogram's "The Ape," with Verna Hillie, John Sheehan and Brandon Hurst. William Nigh directs. * • * B. P. Schulberg at Paramount has assigned Gladys Lehman to write the continuity for "Little Miss Marker," Damon Runyon story, and Albert D'Anno to do the comedy situations for "Cosmetic." Karen Morley and Richard Cromwell will appear in Columbia's "The Most Precious Thing in Life." * * * Paramount's "Baby in the Ice Box" will be released as "She Made Her Bed." * * * "Snub" Pollard, one of the most popular of the silent day comedians, was signed for an important comedy role in RKO Radio's production of "Stingaree," which will co-star Richard Dix and Irene Dunne. Code Authority Denies Separate Zone in N. J. (Continued from Page 1) out of Southern New Jersey. Allied Theaters of New Jersey sponsored the plan. At present theaters in this area are served out of Philadelphia. In the Allied letter to the Code Authority accompanying the petition, assertion is made that one reason why the exhibitors seek a separate territory is because of "threats of reprisal" from an association in a neighboring territory. Conditions in Southern New Jersey differ from those in Eastern Pennsylvania, it is pointed out, and therefore should be handled separately. The letter, which says that the signatories represent 90 per cent of independent exhibitors in the section, seeks a public hearing in event the Code Authority denies its petition. George O'Brien in "FRONTIER MARSHAL" with Irene Bentley, George E. Stone, Berton Churchill, Alan Edwards Fox 66 mins. ACE WESTERN WITH STRONGER THAN USUAL STORY AND PLENTY OF ACTION AND SUSPENSE. There are so many merits in this western production that it should have no trouble standing up as a single feature in any pop house. Besides a suspenseful story allowing for plenty of action, the picture has a strong cast and it has been directed with plenty of punch by Lew Seiler. George O'Brien shines in the title role. Arriving in Tombstone on the same coach with Irene Bentley, who has come to meet her father and doesn't know that he has been killed in cold blood by Berton Churchill, the crooked Mayor, George immediately shows his bravery by overpowering a local bad man. On persuasion he accepts appointment as Marshal and proceeds to close in on the Mayor. The latter, caught trying to escape with bank funds, frames it on George, who eventually proves his innocence and brings about the Mayor's finish. A dashing performance is given by Alan Edwards, as a notorious deadshot. George E. Stone does well with the role of a storekeeper and Wh Gillette is effective a la Mae West. Berton Churchill registers as the villainous Mavor. Cast: George O'Brien, Irene Bentley, George E. Stone, Alan Edwards, Edward LeSaint, Ruth Gillette, Berton Churchill, Frank Conroy, Ward Bond, Russell Simpsen, Jerry Foster. Director, Lew Seiler; Author, Stuart M. Lake; Adaptors, William Conselman, Stuart Anthony; Cameraman, Robert Planck; Recording Engineer, Bernard Freericks. Direction, Action. Photography, Fine. Lionel Barrymore in "THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN" with Fay Bainter, Mae Clarke, Tom Brown, Una Merkel M-G-M 76 mins. SOMEWHAT FRAIL DOMESTIC SOBDRAMA HELD TOGETHER BY BARRYMORES FINE WORK. This can be classed as another Individual success for Lionel Barrymore, who portrays the father of a modern family, happy with comfortable conditions that enable them to carry on with ease, but who face near tragedy when the old man is accused of embezzling a large sum of money from his firm. The film takes considerable time to plant the individuality of each member of the family. Fay Bainter, the mother, loving, yet blind to her husband's distress until it is nearly too late; a son and daughter home on a college vacation, another daughter about to be married, and a flirtatious house-maid. Barrymore, previously coaxed into co-signing notes for $40,000, finds that the executive who arranged the proposed "loan" to another firm has absconded with the money. He faces arrest and disgrace, but the thief is caught and the matter cleared up for a happy ending. There is considerable suspense in the pix and plenty for the women to cry over. Cast: Lionel Barrymore, Fay Bainter, Mae Clarke, Tom Brown, Una Merkel, Mary Carlisle, Onslow Stevens, Henry Wadsworth, Eddie Nugent, C. Henry Gordon, Dickie Mcore. Director, William K. Howard; Author, Marjorie Bartholomew Paradis; Adaptors, Zelda Sears, Eve Greene; Scenarists, Edgar Allan Woolf, Florence Ryerson; Editor, Frank Hull; Cameraman, Hal Rosson; Recording Engineer, Douglas Shearer. Direction, Okay. Photography, Okay. New Exchange Group Is in Formulation (Continued from Page 1) under way, it was indicated yesterday by Budd Rogers, general sales manager of Liberty Pictures, of which M. H. Hoffman is president. Rogers said that, while he was not in position to reveal the names of the units expected to tie up with the new venture, he had already closed several important deals for key territories on the Liberty product that will serve as the basis. Two features, "Cheaters," from a story by Fanny Heaslip Lea, with Bill Boyd, Dorothy Mackaill, June Collyer and William Collier Sr., and "When Strangers Meet," based on a Zona Gale story, with Lucien Littlefield, Hale Hamilton, Barbara Weeks and Charles Middleton, already have been finished by Liberty. A third, "Take the Stand," suggested by Earl Derr Biggers' narrative, with Jack LaRue, Gail Patrick, Thelma Todd, Russell Hopton, Berton Churchill, Vince Barnett and Leslie Fenton, has just been placed in work by Hoffman. A Damon Runyon story, "The Big Mitten," will probably follow. Among other stories will be one by Reginald Wright Kaufman and another by Mrs. Wilson Woodrow. Chesterfield-Invincible Complete 11 Out of 18 (Continued from Page 1) Charley Grapewin, and "Birds of a Feather," with John Mil j an, Monroe Owsley and Shirley Grey, have just been completed. The twelfth picture goes in work Feb. 15. Chesterfield produces at the Universal studios, and Invincible at the Mack Sennett plant. Holding Over Again "Sweden, Land of the Vikings" is being held for a fifth and final week at the 55th St. Playhouse, with "La Frochard et les Deux Orphelines" ("The Two Orphans") following it next Tuesday. "Blood of a Poet" and "Thunder Over Mexico" will continue for a fourth week at the Fifth Ave. Playhouse. Strief and Vance in East Cincinnati— Fred Strief, president of Kenova Amusement Corp., and Willis Vance, president of Ohio Valley Independent Exhibitors' League, are on a New York trip. "Shanghai Express" Revival "Shanghai Express" will be the week-end revival attraction at the Little Carnegie Playhouse. SHORT SHOTS from EASTERN STUDIOS ; By CHAS. ALICOATE k II PRODUCTION on the musical comedy, as yet untitled, from the story by Arthur Jarrett, Royal Foster and William Watson, and now in work under the direction of Al Christie at the Eastern Service Studio in Astoria, will be completed tomorrow. Bob Hope and Leah Ray head the cast supported by a bevy of Broadway beauties. George Weber is doing the camera work with Fred Scheld and Warren Murray assisting on the production. • Pauline Moore, ingenue lead in "Murder at the Vanities," and several girls from the "Vanities" beauty chorus are among those who will support Jefferson Machamer, who will ■produce and play the lead in the first of the series of shorts to be made at the Photocolor Studio. Production on the shorts, which will be based on Machamer's "Gags and Gals" page in the Sunday "Mirror,"' is scheduled to get under way Friday. Don Malkames will co-direct. • The George Jessel program has been chosen to officially inaugurate the Hudson theater as a Columbia Broadcasting System auditorium, and on Feb. 6 Jessel will present a special show along with his regular broadcast continuity. • Work on the story, an original by Bert Granet, titled "Mr. America?' to be produced into a feature by Magna Pictures, headed by Meyer Davis, lias been started, with production scheduled to be set in the next two weeks. Bert Lahr and Lee Tracy have been signed to play the leading male roles. !'.'-■ b it: i', Cc. 1 trn it I Ea: 25 Speakers Scheduled At Vaudeville Hearing (Continued from Page 1) actor labor provisions of the motion picture code. Chairmen and speakers for the various groups at the gathering, which will be held by a sub-committee of the Code Authority, are as follows: Major L. E. Thompson and Joseph Bernhard, chairmen for the bookers section in which the following will speak: J. L. Luhin, Arthur Willi, William Havard, Harry Kalcheim, Stephen Trillin?, Sidney Piermont and Charles Freeman; Jack Partington, Sam Dembow, Jr. and George Skouras for the presentations producers group, speakers on which will be Chester Hale, Frank Cambria. Russell Markert, Florence Rogge, Leon Leonidoff, Boris Morros, Jesse Kay and Arthur Knorr; Marty Forkins for vaudeville producers, with Irving Yates and C. B. Maddock as speakers; Louis K. Sidney as chairmen of the actors and agents' section, with the following as speakers: Dorothy Bryant, Joe Laurie, Jr., Arthur Fisher, Fally Markus, William Lastvogel, Arthur Lyons, Morris Rose and Norman Mainwaring. The committee, following the hearing, will prepare a report containing recommendations as to whether or not the code should be revised, to the Code Authority, submitting it at the meeting scheduled for Feb. 9. The Code Authority in all probability will name a committee to study the report and recommend action.