The Film Daily (1931)

THE ■S^Hk DAILY Friday, January 16, 1931 ■ C LATEST HOLLYWOOD HAPPENINGS © ■ Coast Wire Service Ruth Chatterton to Make Three a Year for Warner Three pictures a year will be made by Ruth Chatterton for Warner Bros, under the term of a contract which the producing company announces was signed yesterday. Miss Chatterton will begin work on the new lot next fall upon expiration of her present contract with Paramount, and the first three pictures will be on the Warner 1931-32 release schedule. 4 Paramount Pictures Slated to Go in Work Among the features slated to go in work soon, under Paramount's plan to launch 28 productions in the next four months, are the following: "City Streets," co-starring Clara Bow and Gary Cooper, "Dude Ranch," with Jack Oakie, Stuart Erwi.n, Skeets Gallagher, Harry Green and Eugene Pallette, "Half Angel," from Mary Roberts Rinehart's story "Lost Ecstasy," and a Spanish musical production, with Roberto Rey, Ramon Pereda and Rosita Moreno. Paramount Signs Vilches For Three Spanish Talkers Contracts have been signtti by Paramount with Ernesto Vilches, the Spanish stage star, for the distribution of three of his own productions of Spanish talkies to be made in Hollywood. Production of the first picture will begin shortly. Melville Brown Finishes "Sec'y" Melville Brown has completed the direction of "Private Secretary" for RKO. The story is an original by Alan Brener Schultz and the cast includes Mary Astor, Robert Ames, Ricardo Cortez, Catherine Dale Owen, Kitty Kelly, Noel Francis, William Morris, Robert Gale, Charles Sellon, Katya Sorina and George Irving. Brown was handed a new contract by William LeBaron before the latter left for New York several days ago. Problem Play Wallace Beery was enacting his role of "Scorpio" in "The Secret Six" when a visitor at the M-G-M studios inquired of him the nature of the story. "Oh," he replied, "it's a problem play. Problems in photography— problems in sound apparatus." A LITTLE from "LOTS ►// By RALPH WILK (^ARLOS BORCOSQUE is directing the all-Spanish "CheriBibi," starring Ernesto Vilches, who plays a dual role. This is the first time that a foreign version has preceded the original for the home market. The story was originally bought for Lon Cheney. * * * Joseph Walker, who photographed "Dirigible" and other Columbia specials, is doing the camera work on "The Subway Express," ivhich Fred Newmeyer is directing. * * * Frank O'Neill, son of the late Jockey O'Neill, who is said to have ridden in 5,000 races, is employed at Fox Movietone City as a juvenile in French versions of Fox pictures. Young O'Neill spent his youth in Paris and speaks the language like a native. * * * Sylvia Sidney is to play opposite Phillips Holmes in "An American Tragedy." * * * Eddie Rubin, brother of Benny, is opening an office as an artists' representative. He was formerly with Lichtig and Englander and the Harrv Weber agency. He will also be Coast representative for Jack Curtis, the New York agent. * * * LeRoy Stone, who edited "Sunny," starring Marilyn Miller, is now cutting "The Mob," starring Richard Barthelmess. * * * Our. Passing Show: Carl Laemmle, Constance Bennett, Henry de la Falaise, Andrew Hervey. James Hallat the preview of "Millie"; Carl Laemmle, Jr., Hobart Henley, Hou ston Branch, Polly Ann Young, Lew Schreiber dining at the Brown Derby. * * * Norval Richardson, who wrote the books, "Mother of Kings" and "The Cave Woman" and who is a contributor to the Saturday Evening Post and Colliers, is in Hollywood. He has been in the diplomatic service for several years and has been making his home in Switzerland. He is represented by Charles Smith. Frank Goodwin of the Paramount sound department has completed recording the musical score for "Fighting Caravans." Eugene Merritt is becoming an authority on pictures appealing to children. He handled the sound on "Finn and Hattie" and will be in charge of the recording on "Skippy." * * * James Gleason and Marie Prevost have important parts in Marion Davies's new M-G-M starring film, "It's a Wise Child." Robert Z. Leonard is directing, and the cast includes Polly Moran, Lester Vail, Kent Douglass and Johnny Arthur. * * * Leading ladies in clusters of three are to be found in a trio of forthcoming Fox productions. Marguerite Churchill, Virginia Cheirill and Marion Byron are three types of co-ed beauty in "Girls Demand Excitement." Loretta Young, Joyce Compton and Joan Marsh are three examples of feminine attraction in the business, world in "3 Girls Lost." Fay Wray, Joyce Compton and Louise Huntington are the fair charmers in the story of the adventurous West, "Not Exactly Gentlemen." RKO Buys Abdullah Play "The Passionate Prince," a play by Achmed Abdullah has been purchased by Radio Pictures. John Howard Lawson has been assigned to prepare the new story for early filming. Boleslavsky to Do "High River" Richard Boleslavsky, Russian director recently signed by Radio, will do "High River," a satire on the foibles and follies of Americans. Charles Logue, well known screen writer and supervisor will write the dialogue. Laurel and Hardy in Another Laurel and Hardy are working on "Chickens Come Home" at the Hal Roach Studios. Mae Busch and Thelma Todd are the feminine leads. James W. Home is directing. Charley Chase Making "Rough Seas" Charley Chase is making a sequel to the war comedy, "High C'S," using the same cast. In the new comedy, "Rough Seas," Thelma Todd will continue her part as the French girl. Carlton Griffith will again portray the part of the superior officer, and The Ranch Boys and Charley Chase still make up the quartet around which the first comedy revolved. James Parrott will direct. Judels in Fox Picture Charles Judels has been signed by Fox for the role of Turk in "Women of All Nations." Also in the cast of this Flagg-Quirt film, directed by Raoul Walsh, are Victor McLaglen, Edmund Lowe, El Brendel, Greta Nissen and Bela Lugosi. Batch of Contracts Handed Out by M-G-M Neil Hamilton is now under contract to M-G-M for a long-term period. New contracts have been awarded Dorothy Jordan, John Mack Brown, Anita Page and William, Bakewell, prominent on the M-G-M stock player roster, also C. Aubrey Smith and Lester Vail, who came recently to the studio from the New York stage. Among other contracts just announced by M-G-M is that with Dudley Murphy, short story writer, who will prepare a scenario based on an original idea submitted by him. Arthur Gregor, director, has been placed under contract for directorial and editorial work for a period that will extend beyond the completion of the Spanish language version of "Min and Bill." Emile de Recat has been engaged to handle the translation of "The Big House" from English to Spanish and to supervise various technical details of the production. Adela Rogers St. John will do a treatment of the story, "Copy Cat." for M-G-M and Malcolm Stuart Boylan will write dialogue for an adaptation of the story, "Shipmates." New Connie Bennett Film Rehearsing on Pathe Lot Constance Bennett's next Pathe vehicle, temporarily titled "Lost Love," has been placed in rehearsal under the direction of Paul L. Stein. This is the special vehicle written for the star by Ernst Pascal. Joel McCrea has been borrowed from RKO to play opposite Miss Bennett. Others in the cast include Anthony Bushell, Louise Closser Hale, Paul Cavanagh and Frederick Kerr. First National Signs Robinson Edward G. Robinson, who has the principal role in the current hit, 'Little Caesar," has been signed to a long-term contract by First National. His next picture will be "The Tdol." for Warner Bros. Martin Brown is the author. Evolution Three yeais ago, William A. Seiter, while directing "Happiness Ahead." with Colleen Moore, became annoyed with one of the mob players. "Fire that noisy extra off the stage!" Seiter shouted. Today the same player is working at First National as the leading man to Loretta Young, in "Big Business Girl," which the same William A. Seiter is directing. The extra was Frank Albertson.