The Film Daily (1931)

Tuesday, January 27, 1931 HOLLYWOOD FLASHES \By RALPH WILK'm BOBERT COOGAN, five-year-old brother of Jackie, will appear in Paramount's screen version of "Skip py." Donald Cook will support Dolores Costello in Warners' "We Three." "Waterloo Bridge," Robert E. Sherwood's stage success has been 'turned over to Tom Reed by Universal, for screen treatment. M-G-M has placed Leslie Howard under contract. Dorothy Sebastian has been awarded the stellar role in Columbia's "Danger Ahead." William Nigh is directing. James Cruze will direct "Salvation Nell" for Tiffany. Helen Chandler has the leading feminine part. William Wyler has been assigned to direct "The Behavior of Mrs. Crane" for Universal. Holmes Herbert has been added to the cast of "Chances," Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. starring vehicle. Allan Dwan is directing. Enid Bennett will stage her comeback to films in Paramount's "Skip py." Robert Milton instead of Alfred E. Green will direct "You and I" f-or First National. Milton directed the stage version. Claude Gillingwater will appear in "Red Hot Sinners", Warner picture. Jean Harlow is to play the leaq) in Warners' "The Public Enemy." "The Maltese Falcon" has been restored as the title of "All Woman," in which Bebe Daniels will star for Warners. "The Front Page" from the Broadway stage hit, has been placed in work by Howard Hughes. United Artists will release it. Lewis Milestone is directing. British studios will make about 120 features in 1931. THE ■e&Q DAILY • • • THE FIRST feature western was made over 26 years ago by Colonel W. N. Selig of the famous pioneer Selig concern of Chi the Colonel decided to film a stage-coach holdup in a realistic manner he selected a point in the turn of the road on the old Leadville trail in Colorado as his location where many a holdup had actually taken place in the early 70's so the Colonel rehearsed the scene, which was perfect — up to a certain point the coach appeared around the bend in the road, when the bandits, headed by the gallant Colonel, brought it to a halt "Hands up!" they yelled to make it look realistic, a boy at the back of the coach jumped down and ran for dear life the bandits pursued him, firing blanks, and the kid dropped in the road, apparently dead the Colonel was congratulating everybody on the successful rehearsal, when the unforeseen happened a Mr. F. C. Atkins and party including several ladies were on their way to visit Colorado Springs Mister Atkins had just been regaling the party with some hair-raising tales about the bloodthirsty bandits who used to infest this neighborhood then they heard the shots from the "holdup" they rounded the turn in the road, and saw the bandits blazing away at the poor kid as he lay on the ground Atkins and his driver whipped out their guns, and began firing in earnest Colonel Selig was plugged in the arm and his hat shot off before the visitors could be convinced it was a movie scene they had interrupted after the excitement subsided, they finally shot the scene, but the bandits were pretty nervous about it in the film they looked more scared than the passengers in the stage-coach so in this manner, boys and girls, was the feature western born and in this manner old Colonel Selig, the pioneer film producer, was almost croaked • • •SARAH BERNHARDT is credited by Jack Fuld with being the direct cause of inaugurating merchandise exploitation tie-ups with department stores in the early days of film publicity a department store window in New York displayed replicas of dresses worn by the divine Sarah in her film, "L'Aiglon" before this time department stores had fought shy of giving window displays to film productions Jack Fuld writes about it interestingly in a special article for the current issue of "Le Messager," the French local mag • • • UNIVERSAL PUBLICITY dope to exhibs on the talker version of Tolstoy's "Resurrection" suggests that they avoid mention of Russia, princes and peasant girls in their newspaper and theater publicity, and play up the love angle that's just like not mentioning Little Eva in "Uncle Tom's Cabin" Glorifying the office stenogs is being attempted in the show being rehearsed for Warners' "Gaieties," with the Warner curies comprising the entire cast and it will cost the Warner execs three smackers to look at their secretaries who they can see every day for nothing Add Hobbies Will Rogers loves flying, and during his air trips he has written some of his best quips which get Congressmen up in the air, too Jeanette MacDonald just adores pretty gowns and wraps this is an absolutely unique hobby, no other girl ever having thought of this before Yvonne Pelietier keeps a diary "in which she details her every activity" • • • EMIL JANNINGS' first pix was produced by Messter in a small studio in Berlin which has long since disappeared Harry Bannister in an interview bragged about the cooking ability of his wife, Ann Harding, and said that she was so good he'd probably fire the cook and the cook read the item in the newspaper, and QUIT oops « « « » » » NEWS of the DAY San Francisco — Sol Lesser is here negotiating to establish a local house for the United Artists Theater Circuit. Austell, Ga. — The new Dixie, equipped with sound, has opened. Davenport, la. — The Pariser-Garden, operated by Julius Geertz has closed. San Francisco — John Smith, formerly manager of the Paramount, has been sent by that company to handle their Atlanta house. The Paramount is closed for re-decoration. Carrollton, O.— R. E. Bishop, formerly in this territory for Independent Pictures, has gone into the exhibition business and E. F. Albright has joined the Independent sales force to handle the Toledo territory. Lake City, la.— The Star theater, formerly operated by E. W. Brooke, has been taken over by D. W. Sievert. Cleveland — Ray Brown, former manager with Loew in Baltimore and Buffalo, is now with Associated Theaters as manager of the Union Square. Pittsburgh — "Mike" Simon has been transferred from Cleveland to the local Universal branch as special sales manager. Amherst, Wis. — Myron A. Neuman, manager, has reopened the Fox Lyric. The house has been redecorated and new sound equipment installed. Denver— Fox West Coast has bought the Del Rio at Las Cruces, N. M., from Abel Davis, who is selling for United Artists. MANY HAPPY RETURNS But wuhti «nd congratulation! a/a extended by THE FILM DAILY to the following; membera of the Induitry, who are celebrating thtlr blrthdaya: January 21 George K. Arthur Paul F. Burger George De Sylva Irving Talbot