The Film Daily (1930)

THE Sunday, June 22, 1930 ■a&Hk DAILY I Timely Topics A Digest of Current Opinion — c— = Big Juvenile Supply for Rah-Rah Films WHENEVER a company announces plans for the production of a college picture the younger players in Hollywood hope to be cast in it. Little or no competition comes from veteran players. Director Sidney Lanfield, chosen by Fox Film Corp. to direct "Cheer Up and Smile." a story of campus life and Broadway high life found himself in a quandary. Wherever he went, on the studio lot or on the streets, he was accosted by young players seeking parts in the film. Lanfield is one of the youngest film directors and he is a friend to many of the youthful featured players. It was doubly hard to refuse his friends, but he had definite persons in mind for the leading roles. For the campus scenes he used as many of the younger players who had approached him for work as he could. He also attempted to create opportunities for their work to stand out. John Darrow, Johnny Arthur, Sumner Getchell and Buddy Messinger were among the boys used. Arthur Lake and Dixie Lee were Lanfield's choices for the leading roles. "I selected Arthur Lake," he explained, "because he personifies a large and typical body of college boys. His natural spirits, vivacity and youth were, of course, prime factors in his selection. But Arthur also has an unusually fine singing voice. Since the part called for a boy capable of capturing the fancy of radio and night club audiences, the fact that Arthur had a splendid voice made him the perfect choice for the role." — New York "Telegram" There were 192 films produced in Germany in 1929 by 92 separate production units. Along The Rialto with PhilM. Daly "yOUNG BLOOD is being given a chance with United Artists Chester Morris has a principal role in "The Bat Whispers" and Joan Bennett is featured in "Smilin' Through" when it is recalled that these likely youngsters made their film debuts only a year ago, this isn't such a sneazley break at all, at all commenting on Joan's film work to date, Warren Nolan sez: "These pictures did everything for her that Friday did for Crusoe" quite so, and after the shipwrecked Robinson Crusoe was washed up, he was again washed up every Saturday night by Friday so the story book sez, if we can remember back that far but of course this isn't the case with Joan, who is far from washed up, although a fastidiously cleanly young lady A LOT of scenes cut from the Byrd South Pole epic will be incorporated in a forthcoming Paramount production with an Arctic setting in order to give it an atmosphere of cold realism Gene Towne, well known author and man-about town, is in town from Talkietown Otto Warmack will produce Gene's new play, "Cross-Sea" Ruth Chatterton is scheduled to work in the screen version of "The Royal Family" at the Paramount Longisle stude around September Near one of the H'lywood studios is a quiet little refreshment parlor where the studio workers drop in for a shot between chats — er, pardon— a chat between shots A/fME. SCHUMANN-HEINK after fifty years of activity as a singer, proved she was still in the running by giving 30 stage performances this week at the Roxy in addition to two radio appearances and some of those youngsters in Hollywood think they are overworked D( |OT FARLEY, a Pathe player, claims she was one of the first actresses to go on location with a motion picture company she was under contract at the time to the St. Louis M. P. Company, the first organization to send a group of players on location Zelma O'Neal and her legal appendage, Anthony Bushell, return to Babbleville from Lunnon on July 1. Hal Hodes of Columbia has a serial, "Terry of the Times," produced by Carl Laemmle of Universal. PAUL SPECHT and his seductive orchestra start harmonizing Saturday eve at the Woodmansten Open Air Garden near Pelham Parkway Roxy will act as m.c. for the annual revel of the Greenroomers at the George Cohan theater Sunday eve an imposing list of talent includes Sophie Tucker, George M. Cohan, Will Mahoney, Blanche Ring, the Roxyettes and the Roxy Ballet Charles Ruggles, as further proof that he's no high hat, will be known as Charlie Ruggles in future Erwin Gelsey, Paramount scenario editor at Longisle, is spending his vacashe knocking tennis balls hither and yon .... A COUPLA song writers have issued a statistical statement to the effect that if their combined published music were laid end to end, the first sheet would start in New York and the last in Denver and if they piled 'cm all on top of one another in Denver, and left 'em there, what relief from here to Denver Joe Fliesler of the Eighth Street Playhouse is issuing weekly vest pocket amusement guides for his house quite appropriate for a little theater As USEF'UL as the bound in a rubber check. EXPLOITETTES A Clearing House for Tabloid Exploitation Ideas €) Guessing Contest Boosts "The Divorcee" A GUESSING contest was one of the exploitation stunts arranged for by Frank Hall, of the Fabian, Paterson, N. J. This Wedding Ring Guessing Contest was placed with the Paterson "Press-Guardian." The readers were asked to guess the number of wedding rings in picture and send it to the editor of the paper. The day previous to the opening of the contest, a story appeared on the front page, in a box, giving information about the contest, without divulging the nature of it, and stating that in the next day's paper the contest itself would appear. The next day, another story appeared on the front page with full details, and the contest itself, with a picture, appeared on the amusement page. Tickets were offered as prizes to the winners. —M-G-M MANY HAPPY RETURNS Best wishes and congratulations are extended by THE FILM DAILY to the following members of the industry, who are celebrating their birthdays: June 21 Ralph Block De Witt Jennings Joan Standing June 22 Marguerite De La Motte Charles Eaton Edgar Lewis Charlie Murray Harry Mills Leonard