The Film Daily (1931)

THE Wednesday, Jan. 28, 1931 « HOLLYWOOD FLASHES By RALPH WILK. "CRANCIS EDWARDS FARA(JOH, who wrote the screen play and dialogue for "Little Caesar", is writing the adaptation and dialogu.' for "The Impatient Virgin", which will be made by Universal. Zasu Pitts has been signed by Universal for "Gambling Daughters." Marguerite Churchill will appear in Fox's "Skyline" with Spencer Tracy. Robert Burns and George Brent also have been added to the cast. RKO has changed the titles of two pictures. "Ladies for Hire" becomes "Forgotten Women" and "Private Secretary" is now "Behind Office Doors." Una Merkel will play the role formerly assigned to Thelma Todd in First National's "You and I." Miss Todd has another part in "Broadminded." Due to the illness of Tom Douglas, Warners have signed Bramwell Fletcher for "Svengali," the next John Bar.rymore vehicle. H. B. Warner and Zasu Pitts will appear in "The Registered Woman," which Charles R. Rogers is producing for RKO. Harry Joe Brown i; to direct. Ford Sterling and Lucien Littlefield have been engaged for co-featured roles in "Powder Marks," the Irst of 10 "Headliner" shorts to be lade by Lou Brock for RKO. Jean Hersholt has been signed by H-G-M as a result of his fine work n "Daybreak". Ralph Spence has been signed to vrite two stories in which RKO will eunite Bert Wheeler and Robert Voolsey. TEN YEARS AGO TO-DAY IN All Till WW All IUI TIMI Capitol, New York, holds midnight >erformance for Hoover relief fund. * * * Federated expected to distribute >pecial Pictures' long features. * * * United Artists expect to release . W. Griffith picture in April. * * * ^ Five new theaters planned in ireater New York. Represent outlay f $775,000. -2&*l DAILY • • • IT WILL probably surprise most of the newsreel boys to be told that newsreel shots covering the world were made 35 years ago on June 9, 1896, James H. White, an American, and Fred Blechynden, an Englishman, started on the first tour of the world in the interest of newsreel shots they landed a great scoop, for the White Star liner, the Coptic, on which they sailed, was wrecked in a storm from San Francisco to Hong Kong so White climbed in the crow's nest and got some great shots the Chinese steerage passengers called him the "White Devil," believing that the pictures he had been taking on board were the cause of the storm these two pioneer newsreel men had the distinction of giving a kinetoscope show to the Mikado of Japan, who never before had seen a moving picture the Mik's courtiers kept putting their hands behind the screen during the performance, to see if they could "feel" the figures the Jap kink was so pleased that he called out the whole standing army in maneuvers so White could take a newsreel of 'em in practically every country they visited they came near losing their lives the natives attacked them on many occasions, thinking the movie camera was some kind of new "devil magic" the unique shots these adventurers secured on the first round-the-world trip 35 years ago would be priceless if an exhibitor could show them today but all record of them has been lost and while on the subject of Origins in the film biz, the first industrial film was made for the North Borneo Company in 1904 the directors of this Asiatic trading company commissioned the Urban Company, a British production organizashe, to visit Borneo and make a reel to show the shareholders how their dough was being spent in coffee and tobacco plantations just a couple of additional proofs that there is nothing really new under the cinematic sun * * * * • • • PARAMOUNT NEWSREEL made a strenuous effort to get Andrew Volstead, author of the prohibition enforcement act, to express his views on the Wickersham Commission report but Andrew declined, saying: "The American public would only hiss me if I made a newsreel statement." it's a cinch they wouldn't kiss him Harold Gabrilove, formerly of the Rialto on Broadway, and now assistant manager at the Capitol, Scranton, has been appointed deputy sheriff of that hamlet and Harold wears a big tin star 'nd every thin', b'gosh • • • BILL FOX, once prominently identified with the film biz, has donated $25,000 to help relieve unemployment in his home town of Woodmere, Longisle looks as if Bill saved a FEW smackers from the wreck The Prince of Wales, on board ship to South America, stood on the deck in a 60-mile gale, and kept grinding his movie camera Movietone and Paramount will now probably start bidding for his services Bob Carney and Si Wills, the Pathe comics, now doing a turn in vaude on the Fox circuit, are playing the Crotona in New York this week on the same bill with one of their shorts Major Edward Bowes' frau (nee Margaret Illington) is touring Florida with a party of friends Erpi chartered an airplane to rush a 100-pound amplifier to the Salem theater at Salem, Virginia, and it got there in time for the evening show • • • IN "CIMARRON'' we have the great land rush scene in 188'^, when the pioneers swarmed over the virgin wilderness where none but redskin and buffalo had hitherto roamed and in the background of this virgin wilderness we lamp a fine 1929 model of an oil well oops Arthur Hoerl is a busy li'l bee these days he's writing an original, adapting four more, writing a series of 25 mystery stories, doing comicstrips for radio broadcasts, and writing feature articles for newspapers he ain't human he's a Syndicate « « « » » » Short Shots from New York Studios _^ By HARRY N. BLAIR _ ^ THE first all-negro talking feature production i> now being made at the Metropolitan studios, Fort Lee, N. J., by the Micheaux Picture Corp. Walter Strenge, who photographed Dudley Murphy's "St. Louis Blues," has been appointed first cameraman on the job. * * * International Photographers' Local No. 644 is now installed in commodious new quarters at 251 W. 42)td St. The move was made under the generalship of Walter Lang, secretary, and Walter Strenge, president, ivithout so much as losing one phone call. The house committee consists of Frank Landy, Jack Ettra and Irving Kline. * * * The Greeks had a word for it, so they proceeded to make a talking picture at the RYA studios, which production is now being cut and edited for showing in neighborhoods with a Greek clientele. * * * "Pineapples" is the tentative title of the next Marx Bros, picture for Paramount. It will be a travesty on gangland and will probably be filmed in Hollywood. * * * Ruth Etting, Ziegfeld featured player, has been signed by Vitaphone to make a two-reel musical comedy in which she will have Jeanie Lang and other picture personalities in support. Miss Etting has already made three Vitaphone shorts. * * * Al St. John, whose comic antics have graced the screen since the days of Mack Sennett's Keystone Kops, has been signed by Larry Kent to make a series of shorts for Paramount at the Long Island studios. * * * Eddie Foy, Jr., just closed with Ziegfeld's "Smiles," will be starred in a new Vitaphone comedy. His previous shorts include "My Hero," and "The Heart Breaker." MANY HAPPY RETURNS Beit wiahes and congratulation! are extended by THE FILM DAILY to the following membera of the industry, who are celebrating their btrthdava: January 28 Ernst Lubitsch Robert W. Bischoff Charles Klein