The Film Daily (1930)

Sunday, June 22, 1930 DAILV PRODUCTION IN THE EAST WHO'S WHO AND WHAT'S WHAT IN GREATER NEW YORK STUDIOS STAGE PLAYERS TO BE FAVORED BY VITAPHONE Stage players will receive preference in casting all future Vitaphone Varieties, according to a statement issued by Murray Roth, director-inchief. It is Roth's contention that the stage trained actors give smoother performances, with fewer rehearsals, are not dialogue conscious, and have better recording voices. Roth claims that the average screen player is so busy concentrating on his lines that h© is obliged to sacrifice his pantomimic work. On the other hand, stage actors with retentive memories and natural ability to deliver lines can give more thought tcTTKe camera. Roth refutes the idea still prevailing in Hollywood that Broadway invaders are camera conscious. Most screen players, he says, are usually too fond of posing. As to photographic qualities, he claims that the theatrical folk screen just as well on the average, and that any camera deficiencies are made up by the fact that the stage player's voice is usually a better match for the part. The past few weeks have seen many stage favorites acting at the Eastern Vitaphone studios in Brooklyn. Among these are Sylvia Sidney, Walter Connolly, William Demarest, Lynne Overman, Berton Churchill, De Wolfe Hopper, Phoebe Foster, Ernest Glendinning, Hugh Cameron, Harry McNaughton, Ferdinand Gottschalk, Henry Hull, Madge Evans, Stanley Ridges, Ruth Etting and Barbara Newberry. Acting of a brand to match that seen in the best feature pictures is the aim of Roth which explains his decision to concentrate on trained stage players from now on. Foreign Language Shorts Warner Bros, is planning to make foreign language shorts at their Eastern Vitaphone studios. Production will start in a few weeks. New Writing Team Stanley Rauh and A. Dorian Otvos, who collaborated on numerous sketches for Broadway revues, have formed a writing team to work on Vitaphone Varieties. WALTON BUTTERFIELD Second year with Paramount (Now writing shorts at * NEW YORK STUDIOS) Short Shots from New York Studios By HARRY N. BLAIR They're getting nautical but nice over at the Paramount New York studios. The "Sap From Syracuse" has most of its action aboard an ocean liner, the setting of "Heads Up" is a yacht and "Laughter," soon to be produced, will make use of a speed boat. "Believe It or Not" Ripley is threatening to turn into a picture actor. This popular cartoonist just completed his fourth Vitaphone short the other day, under the direction of Arthur Hurley. Carol Lombard, who has been signed for a leading role in "The Best People," is a Cecil de Mille discovery. She will start work at the Paramount New York studio next week this being her first film venture in the East. Vitaphone seems to be going in heavy for the Sheas. Olive, of that clan, has appeared in a number of Vitaphone Varieties and now Loretto Shea will be seen in "The Emergency Case," a comedy featuring Hugh Cameron. Jack Kirkland, who recently joined the scenario group at the Paramount New York studios, is the husband of Nancy Carroll. Before writing for pictures, Kirkland was a newspaper man. Joe Penner, vaudeville comic, is the envy of the Vitaphone lot. The reason is that Hazel Forbes, the Ziegfeld beauty, went to Joe's aid in applying the proper make-up for his camera debut. Pierre Collings is scouting for story material for the next Claudette Colbert production to be made at the Paramount New York studios with Rouben Mamoulian directing. Jack Gardiner of Visugraphic, who is a bear for figures, estimates that their "Broadway Limited" has been seen by over 2,000,000 persons since its release last October. Only three years ago, Helen Kane, who appears opposite Buddy Rogers in "Heads Up," was simply one of a musical comedy chorus. Now she is among the highest paid singing comediennes in the talkies. Burnet Hershey, of the Vitaphone writing staff, has just finished dialogue and treatment on a two reel musical specialty to be directed by Murray Roth. The latest beauty prize winner is little Jeanne Ward Bradley, daughter of Marjorie Ward, on the "Heads Up" set. Little Jeanne took third prize in an Astoria, L. I., baby contest, making the fourth cup for her collection of prize trophies. Roy Mack and his staff, consisting of Phil Quinn, Ray Foster and Sam Marino, all look like boiled lobsters after spending several days taking exteriors for "The Jaywalker," a Vitaphone Varieties. O. V. Johnson, location chief at the Paramount New York studios, has gone to New London, Conn, to take atmospheric shots of the U. S. Coast Guard, for use in "Heads Up," now nearing completion. Harry McNaughton, now appearing on Broadway in "Lost Sheep," completed his tenth short the other day at the Warner studio, where he appeared in "Seeing Off Service," which also marks his third short for Vitaphone. Vitaphone Vitamins: Stuart Stewart, casting director, looking tan and fit after his vacation. .. .Joe Spray, lab. chief, Ed Savin, comptroller, Frank Condon and George O'Keefe, who make a commuters foursome on the B.M.T. express out of Flatbush every night.... the studio mob howling at Joe Penner's antics on the set, almost breaking up a scene.... the constant parade of Broadway pippins with screen aspirations. Heigh ho. The Eastern Vitaphone studio has enlarged its wardrobe department. Charles Allen, assistant director, is supervising costumes with Helen McCullough as assistant. While on a recent visit to the Eastern Vitaphone studios where her husband, Arthur Hurley, is a director, Irene Shirley, stage actress, suddenly found herself called upon to play a role in "Lost and Found," featuring William Demarest. Miss Shirley is one of a trio of leading ladies, the others being Lillian Bond and Joyce White. Helene Turner, one of the film editors at the Paramount New York studios, has just been assigned to cut "Laughter," which moved one of the studio wits to observe that it would probably be a "very ticklish job." PARAMOUNT ENLARGES WRITINGJTAFF HERE Increased feature activity at Paramount's New York studio is foreshadowed by the arrival of three veteran scenario writers from Hollywood to join the group of Broadway dramatists and staff writers already at work there. The new arrivals are Herman Mankiewicz, Sid Silvers and Paul Gangelin, each of whom is responsible for a number of current screen successes. The trio will join the studio's scenario group which already includes Donald Ogden Stewart, Austin Parker, Bertram Harrison, Preston Sturges and Gertrude Purcell, from the ranks of successful Broadway playwrights, and Jack Kirkland, Frances Agnew, William Laidlaw, Arthur Kober and Louis Stevens. Return to Location Plan Seen by Recording Expert Exterior scenes made on location will return to favor with increased perfection in methods of sound recording, in the opinion of C. A. Tuthill, sound supervisor at the Paramount New York studios. It is seldom possible, he declares, to accurately reproduce the natural sounds that would occur on the actual location and the present system of building exterior sets in the studio and faking sound effects is bound to be discarded after further advances are made in the present imperfect methods of recording sound. Paramount Features Set "Laughter," featuring Nancy Carroll and Frederic March, starts Monday at the Paramount New York studios, under the direction of Harry D'Arrast. "The Best People" begins a week from that date, following the completion of "Heads Up," now in production. Ginger Rogers in Demand Ginger Rogers, Paramount comedienne, has been signed to appear as feminine lead in an Aarons & treedley musical show, following her appearance in "Reaching for the Moon," for which she has been loaned to United Artists. PHIL ARMAND Chief Cameraman Ten years with Christy Cabanne. Lately with Warner Vitaphone International Photographer*, Local 644 233 W. 42nd St., Tel. Wisconsin 3465