The Film Daily (1937)

THE Thursday, Jan. 7, 1937 i^S DAILV 23 A "£MU" from Uotluwood "Ms // By RALPH WILK i HOLLYWOOD A MOTION picture producer at 45 may be an enviable distinction, but a few days before Hal Roach reaches the age of 45, he will celebrate 23 years as a producer. He is probably the youngest veteran in the industry. It was on Jan. 8, 1914, that the comedy maker started the production of his first picture with a bankroll of $850. Roach's first contact with pictures came in 1912 when he answered an advertisement for screen cowboys. He worked for the old Universal "lot" for $25 a week. In two years, he climbed from actor to assistant director. In 1914, he decided he had sufficient experience to join Dan Linthicum in a producing venture. Linthicum sold his share to Dwight Whiting, who later sold out to Roach. T T T m John Cromwell has been signed to direct "Prisoner of Zenda" for Selznick International. ▼ T T Nat Levine has agreed to release Gus Edwards, eastern talent scout, so that Edwards can accept a high radio spot. T T T Scott Dunlap, vice-president of Monogram Pictures, announces I. E. Chadwick, Ken Goldsmith, Lon Young and Dorothy Reid as supervisors to handle 30 pictures. Headquarters will be at Hollywood Studios, formerly Talisman. Chadwick has completed production on "The Legion of Missing Men," and "The Outer Gate." ▼ T ▼ Burton Lane and Ralph Freed have been assigned by Paramount to write the title song for the production of "Swing High, Swing Low," which co-stars Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray. T T ▼ Arthur Schwartz, Pacific Coast representative of the music publishing companies operated by Warner Bros., is en route to New York, where he will spend a month. ▼ T T Jack Holt's son, Tim, who graduated from an Indiana military school last year, has been signed by Walter Wanger. t ▼ ▼ J. Edward Bromberg has joined the featured cast of "That I May Zukor Gets Foreign Scrolls West Coast Bur., THE FILM 'DAILY Hollywood — Adolph Zukor, whose silver jubilee will be celebrated, starting today, has received congratulatory cables, testimonial scrolls and gifts from virtually all foreign countries. They include greetings from Australia and New Zealand inscribed on a kangaroo skin hanging from a boomerang, a Diploma of Honor from his native Hungary, an engraved parchment scroll from the Cinema Veterans of London and an engraved diploma from Chile. WHO'S WHO IN HOLLYWOOD • • • Introducing Interesting Personalities: No. 22 • • • OSCAR SERLIN. Associate producer. Worked through school and college by writing vaudeville sketches. Born in Russia. Attended DePaul Academy and DePaul University. First job was as doorman at Olympic theater to which he later returned as assistant manager. Wrote vaudeville acts. Promoted wrestling. Directed amateur shows. Studied theater in Vienna, Berlin, London and Paris. Contributed gags to newspapers. Was stage manager, general manager, then producer of Broadway shows. Most recently was in charge of talent department in New York. Adapted foreign plays for the American stage. Latter part of 1932, signed by Paramount as assistant to E. Lloyd Sheldon. Then associate producer on B. P. Schulberg's staff. Back to West Coast November, 1936. Quit Paramount post as '37 swung under way. Live," being produced by 20th Century-Fox. Rochelle Hudson and Robert Kent head the cast. ▼ T ▼ Walter Catlett will play a characteristic comedy role in "Wake Up and Live," the 20th Century-Fox picture now before the cameras with Walter Winchell and Ben Bernie in leading roles. T ▼ T Charles Griffin is in the featured cast of "The Last Slaver," co-starring Warner Baxter and Wallace Beery at 20th Century-Fox studios. T ▼ ▼ Walter Brennan, veteran character actor, has been signed for an important role in Samuel Goldwyn's production, "The Woman's Touch," starring Miriam Hopkins, it was announced today. The film is scheduled to go into production immediately, with William Wyler directing. T T T Evelyn Venable has been engaged by Columbia for a leading role in "Racketeers in Exile," in which George Bancroft is to be featured. Wynne Gibson and John Gallaudet will also be seen in prominent parts. Erie Kenton will direct. T T T Technicolor tests on fabrics, furs and females are being conducted behind closed doors on the Walter Wanger lot for the forthcoming fashion musical in technicolor, "Walter Wanger's Vogues of 1938," scheduled to go before the cameras on Jan. 15. First tests, taken yesterday, were of the $500,000 worth of furs. The methods of the Paris couturiers have been borrowed to insure absolute secrecy as to styles and designs. Additional tests will be made of materials for the gowns, now en route from Paris. ▼ ▼ ▼ Mamo Clark, has been signed by Grand National to play one of the feminine leads in a south sea island story which will be produced by the Victor Schertzinger-Zion Myers unit. This picture with its locale laid in the tropics will be the second production by this unit on its schedule of eight and will probably be directed by Myers. T r T Columbia's final choice for the role of the Grand Lama in Frank Capra's production of "Lost Horizon," is Sam Jaffe. Capra some time ago completed the Grand Lama sequences with Jaffe and then made them a second time with Walter Connolly in the role. Both men, of widely divergent physical type and acting technique made the figure of the 250 year old lama an outstanding and impressive one, and for a long time the decision hung in the balance. Then it was finally decided to use the Jaffe sequences. Arrangements were made with Max Reinhardt, to temporarily release Jaffe from "Eternal Road" rehearsals in New York so that he might fly to the coast for a number of important retakes. V ▼ T Glenn Tryon has been given a director's contract by Grand National to both write and direct for the Victor Schertzinger-Zion Myers unit at Talisman Studios. Tryon will direct the first of a series of eight which is the schedule for this unit but as yet no starting date or cast has been selected. t ▼ r Eric Linden and Cecilia Parker have been signed by B. F. Zeidman to head the cast of Grand National's "Two Shall Meet," which is scheduled to start shooting tomorrow. Linden and Miss Parker are the same team used by Zeidman in his initial Grand National release, "Sins of Children." v ▼ ▼ Hugh Herbert enthusiasts have finally given a title to a picture in which he cavorts. The title is "That Man's Here Again," and it goes up on the picture in which Herbert is featured with Tom Brown and Mary Maguire. The picture previously was titled "Love Begins." ▼ ▼ ▼ Andrew Tombes has been assigned a featured role in "Time Out For Romance," in which Claire Trevor and Michael Whalen have the leading roles for 20th CenturyFox. » T T Charles King, who was the singing star in "Broadway Melody," first of the motion picture musicals, is seeking a screen comeback in "A Star Is Born," Selznick International technicolor production, co-starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March. His role in "A Star is Born" is small but important, according to the announcement of his signing. ▼ ▼ T The Navy Department has assigned Lieutenant Commander Lucien B. Green as special liaison officer to work with the Samuel Goldwyn location unit now at Samoa for the exterior filming of "Hurricane," the Charles NordhoffJames Norman Hall South Sea story now in production. ▼ TV Camera work was started today at Paramount on "Danger, Men Working," film version of a comedymystery story written by Manfred Lee and Fred Dannay, who collaborate under the name of Ellery Queen. Leading roles are being played by Lew Ayres, Eugene Pallette, Benny Baker and Ruth Coleman under direction of Charles Barton. ▼ ▼ ▼ Polly Rowles, the Pittsburgh socialite and Carnegie Tech graduate, was yesterday assigned to her second picture by Universal. She draws the feminine lead opposite Karloff in "Night Key," a story without the usual Karloff horror angles which was written by William Pierce. Universal has borrowed Warren Hull from Warners to play the romantic lead opposite Polly Rowles. ▼ v ▼ Jane Wyatt, and Ray Milland, were yesterday given the top spots in "Wings Over Honolulu" by Universal. This novel by Mildred Cram goes in production next Monday, under the direction of Henry Pot (Continued on Page 33) Revue Craze Sweeps Studios West Coast Bur., THE FILM \DAILY Hollywood — Revue craze appears sweeping studio solons here with six musicals in revue style set for production this year, with possibly more in offing. Those scheduled for shooting are "Radio Revels," "Vogues of 1937," "Broadcast," "Gold Diggers," "Follies," new edition of "Broadway Melody," plus RKO's recently-announced "New Faces of 1937."