The Film Daily (1930)

THE Sunday, July 6, 1930 <2^ DAILY PRODUCTION IN THE EAST WHO'S WHO AND WHAT'S WHAT IN GREATER NEW YORK STUDIOS STUDIOS HERE PREPARE EOR EXTRA PRODUCTION Extensive rebuilding plans are under way to increase film production space at the various studios operating in the East. The full schedule of feature and short subject product now being kurned out at the Paramount New lYork studio has led to a decision to puild a new annex on the ground now taken up by a back lot. Several additional stages will be available here to allow less interference between feature pictures being made simultaneously. Warners also is planning an addition to its Vitaphone studio. With Universal having acquired a kite in Manhattan on which it will 'juild an Eastern plant, and the Edifeon and RCA studios now in the bourse of renovation, ample faciliies will be available to allow for rreatly increased film production in (he East by next fall. SPANISH SHORTS SERIES I A series of from 15 to 25 Spanish Ind English short subjects is planned ly Warner Bros., with the first due Bo get under way at the Eastern l^itaphone studio within the next Ireek. Title of the initial number is ■The Way Out." Roy Mack will o-direct with a native director han ling the Spanish version. The series 5 to be extended after the first atch is completed. Sutherland Set Edward Sutherland, Paramount di:ctor, who recently completed "The ap From Syracuse," at the New 'ork studios, will remain in the East K" at least one more picture. His Oct production has not yet been lected. Busy Composers E. Y. Harburg and Vernon Duke, :aff composers at the Paramount ew York studios, have written a >ecial number for the forthcoming illy Rose stage revue. They are so preparing music for the stage vue. Ruggles' Next Charles Ruggles ' will be featured i Paramount's "Too Much Luck," > be filmed at the New York stuos in the early Fall. Short Shots from New York Studios By HARRY N. BLAIR Victor Schertzinger, having completed "Heads Up," will leave for the Paramount West Coast studios in a few days to direct "Rose of the Rancho." Arthur Hurley, of Eastern Vitaphone, will direct "The Recruits," featuring The Three Sailors. The action is laid in a recruiting office. A film version of the famous "Home Wreckers" sketch was recently made at the Paramount New York studios, with Willie, West and McGinty featured. Norman Taurog directed. What promises to be a cameramen's fraternity house has developed at a certain number on West 88th St., where Wheeler Jennings, Buddy Harris, Barney Haugh and Jack Etra, all members of Local 644, hang up their socks. A rare collection of old photographs showing stage favorites of former years was part of the props used in a comedy sketch just completed by Roy Mack, at Warner Bros. Eastern studios, with Chic Yorke and Rose King featured. George Folsey is head cameraman on "Laughter," Ernest Zatorsky is monitor man, Frank Cavett and Lester Neilson are assisting Harry D'Arrast in the direction and Pat Donahue is script girl. Stanley Rauh, staff writer at the Eastern Vitaphone studio, is quite pardonably proud of the fact that George Jean Nathan, noted critic, listed "Peerage," one of Rauh's stage sketches, as the best of its kind seen this season. Frances McHugh and Stuart Casey appear in "Why Continue the Struggle," which Mort Blumenstock recently directed at the Paramount studios hire. Milton Spierling, until recently secretary to Robert Presnell, former Paramount staff writer, has been advanced to the post of assistant director, with "Laughter" as his first assignment. Burnet Hershey has completed the dialogue and screen adaptation on "Excuse the Pardon," a prison story to be produced at the Eastern Vitaphone studios. Walter Connelly will probably enact the principal role. Johnny Weismuller and "Stubby" Kruger, both experts in water sports, will be featured in a short subject now in preparation at the Paramount New York studios. There's much similarity in titles of recent Paramount pictures made here, "The Laughing Lady" was recently completed and now "Laughter" is in work. "Young Man of Manhattan" is another recent picture with "Manhattan Mary" scheduled for early production. The advent of foreign language shorts at the Eastern Vitaphone studio is causing little worry to Burnet Hershey, staff writer, who was educated abroad and speaks and writes both French and German like a native. J. Burgi Contner has been signed by Color film Corp. as chief cameraman. He will be assisted by W. Barney Haugh, who recently returned from location in Labrador. Marie Carolan, who assists Frank Heath of Paramount's casting office, is going on her vacation next week and Heath is wondering how he's going to remember all those numbers. Most of the film unit which made "Vikings of the North" for Audio Cinema in Labrador, under the direction of George Melford, is reported to be scheduled for a trip to Siam, where another feature will be made. Larry Williams, Cameraman on the recently completed "Sap From Syracuse," has been assigned to turn the crank on "The Best People," which goes into production in two weeks. Jack Etra, one of the cameramen working in the East, passed up his share of a large estate in Poland, preferring to stay in America. The combined qualities of diplomat, salesman and mind-reader are required of Jack Muller and Warren Faber, who preside over the stage door at the Paramount New York studio, where hundreds of screen applicants apply each day, with an eye to future fame. William Steiner, cameraman on "Heads Up," is resting up after working straight through on a 50 hour stretch in an effort to finish the picture ahead of schedule. SHORTS USED AS TEST FOR BROADWAY TALENT Back of the decision recently made by both Paramount and Warner to concentrate all shorts production in the East, is the fact that these producers are using short subjects as a clearing house for feature talent. Both studios have practically discarded the screen test in favor of using promising players in shorts as a better means of getting a line on their abilities. In this way, such players as Frank Morgan, Kay Francis, Lillian Roth, Walter Huston and Norman Foster were unearthed by Paramount, while Warner Bros, became interested in James Rennie, Winnie Lightner, Vivienne Segal, Evalyn Knapp, Frisco, Joan Blondell, Ona Munson and Eddie Buzzell after seeing how well they went over in short subjects. TWO MORESCREEN OPERAS UNDERWAY ipST Production of operas on the screen in the East is progressing at a lively rate with "Samson and Delilah" now being made at Fort Lee and Audio Cinema planning to film "William Tell" at the remodeled Edison studios. Ginger Opposite Wynn Ginger Rogers, who recently appeared opposite Jack Oakie in "The Sap From Syracuse" at the Paramount New York studios, has been given the leading feminine role in Ed Wynn's forthcoming starring picture, "Manhattan Mary," to be filmed here next month. Miriam Hopkins for "Best People" Miriam Hopkins, Broadway stage actress, has been signed by Paramount for one of the principal roles in "The Best People," slated for filming at the company's New York studies next month. Kruger with Vitaphone Otto Kruger, recently seen on Broadway in "The Royal Family," has been signed by Warners for a role in "Mr. Intruder," which Arthur Hurley will direct. PHIL ARMAND Chief Cameraman Ten years with Christy Cabanne. Lately with Warner Vitaphone International Photographeri, Local,'644 233 W. 42nd St., Tel. Wisconsin 3465