The Film Daily (1931)

5 &W DAILV Wednesday, February 18, 1931 C> LATEST HOLLYWOOD HAPPENINGS © = Coast Wire Service = Roach Studios to Close During Month of April With but four more short subjects to be finished to complete the current production! schedule, the Hal Roach Studios will close for the month of April. Ben Shipman, business manager and general counsel for Roach, is now in New York conferring with M-G-M officials on production plans for 1931-32. Cast For "Hell Bound" Cast assembled by James Cruze for "Hell Bound," his forthcoming Tiffany special, includes Leo Carillo, Lolla Lane, Lloyd Hughes, Gertrude Astor, Richard Tucker, Murdock MacQuarrie, Luke Cosgrove, Marty Faust, Frank Hagney, Ralph l'nce, Harry Strang, Helene Chadwick and William Lawrence. Walter Lang is directing. Cavanagh in "Always Goodbye" Paul Cavanagh will play opposite Elissa Landi in "Always Goodbye" for Fox. Lewis Stone is also in the cast. Kenneth MacKenna and William Cameron Menzies will co-direct. Oakie Starts in "Dude Ranch" Jack Oakie has started work in "The Dude Ranch," which Frank Tuttle wiil direct for Paramount. June Collyer, Stuart Erwin, Eugene Pallette, Mitzie Green, Charles Sellon, George Webb, Joe Bonoma and Harry Walker are also in the cast. Story is by Percy Heath, Grover Jones and Lloyd Corrigan, with added dialogue by Herman Mankiewicz. Lucien Littlefield in Fox Film Lucien Littlefield has been added to Will Rogers' next Fox picture, "Cure For The Blues,'' from George Ade's story. Frank Borzage will direct. Blanche Friderici In "Madame Julie" Blanche Friderici has been added to "Madame Julie," which Victor Schertzinger will direct for RKO. O. P. Heggie, Anita Louise, Miriam Seegar, Lincoln Stedman, Halliwell Hobbes and Lester Vail have already been cast. Sennett Adopts Planes Mack Sennett has arranged with Trans-continental and Western Air Line whereby he may have the use of the company's planes to carry production units to and from location. The Sennett organization has been making considerable use of air scenes in recent pictures, principally "Air Minded Brides." Sennett also contemplates the purchase of a plane for studio use. A LITTLE from "LOTS ►// By RALPH WILK T3ETTY COMPSON is slated to ■^ do another feature for RKO as soon as a story is selected for her from several now under consideration. * * * John G. Adolfi has completed the direction of "The Millionaire," starring George Arliss. His recent releases include "College Lovers" and "Sinners' Holiday." * * * Robert Allen is a strong booster of the police department. T'other night, he stepped into a drugstore telephone booth and while he was talking, the proprietor closed the store for the night. Allen had to 'phone the police department for aid. * * * Lenore Coffee is reported to be establishing a record for writing an adaptation, continuity and dialogue for a production at Firsts National. She has finished more than twothirds of the work on "Bed and Board" in less than three weeks. * * * Marcia Manning and Nelson McDowell are supporting Eddie Lambert in the "Humanette" being produced by Leigh Jason for RKO release. * * * Fred Niblo and Richard Dix are in deep conference on RKO'S "Big Brother," in which Niblo is to direct Dix. J. Walter Ruben is adapting the story and Lou Sarecky is sitting in on conferences. * * * Robert W. Carney, cameraman, and Betty Zane Grey, daughter of Zane Grey, plan to leave Sunday aboard the Grey yacht for a honeymoon in the south seas. "Svengali" Finished "Svengali," John Barrymore's new starring picture, has been completed at the Warner studios. Archie Mayo directed the screen version of George du Maurier's famous novel "Trilby," in which Barrymore is supported by Marian Marsh, Bramwell Fletcher, Carmel Myers, Lumsden Hare, Donold Crisp, Louis Alberni, Paul Porcasi and Adrienne d'Ambricourt. The next Barrymore picture, which will soon go into production, will be "The Genius." Marian Marsh will again play the leading feminine role opposite Barrymore. Others selected for the cast are Donald Cook, Charles Butterworth, Reginald Owen and Carmel Myers. "The Genius" will be directed by Michael Curtiz. Universal Signs Russell Mack Russell Mack has been signed by Universal to direct features. Gertrude Astor, blonde film comedienne, makes her third Pathe comedy appearance in "Over the Radio." The other two fun films were "Live and Learn" and "The Boss's Orders." A new romantic team composed of Frank Albertson and Virginia Cherrill, Fox players, will make its debut in "The Fatal Wedding," to be directed by Benjamin Stoloff. Spencer Tracy will be featured. Warren Hymer's own special brand of comedy will be one of the highlights of the picture. Neil Hamilton rides one of Hollywood's most novel hobbies. He raises pigeons of all known varieties, maintaining extensive aviaries in Westwood. Daphne Pollard, diminutive comedienne now appearing in the Pathe comedy, "Hot Wires," played with Walter Catlett in the Mason Stock Company 17 years ago in Los Angeles. Today both Miss Pollard and Catlett are under contract to Pathe to make two-reel comedies. * * * Judith Vosselli, who plays in First National's "The Lady Who Dared," is probably the best accomplished feminine linguist in the movies. Born in Spain, of a Spanish father and a French mother, during her school days she studied German, English, Italian and Swiss and while traveling around the world she gained a working knowledge of Russian, Danish and Austrian. Lighton and Datig Re-Signed Louis D. Lighton has been given a new contract as associate producer for Paramount and Fred Datig has signed a new agreement as head of the casting department. our KTODiems: Qualifies Us as Specialists^ LE insurance Bruckman To Direct Woolsey Clyde Bruckman will direct Robert Woolsey in his first solo-star vehicle for Radio Pictures. Picture will be the first in which Woolsey was not co-starred with Bert Wheeler, Hoffmans Join Forces On Hoot Gibson Series M. H. Hoffman, following sale of his interest in Liberty Productions to H. M. Gumbin, has become associated with M. H. Hoffman, Jr., who is to make a series starring Hoot Gibson. Later he plans to> produce the features. Pathe Starts "Rebound" Rehearsals have been started at the Pathe Studio on "Rebound," which will star Ina Claire. Story is by Donald Ogden Stewart and was presented on the stage by Arthur Hopkins. Boles and Hobart Starred Universal will star John Boles and Rose Hobart in Arthur Somers Roche's "A Lady of Resource," which is now running in "Colliers". It will be Rose Hobart's first starring production for Universal. Added to Fox Cast Fifi Dorsay, Marjorie White and Ruth Warren have been added tc the cast of "Women Of All Nations,' which Raoul Walsh will direct foi Fox. Victor McLaglen and Edmund Lowe will be featured, with El Bren del and Greta Nissen in support. Elizabeth Forrester Cast Elizabeth Forrester has been giver a part in Constance Bennett's next picture" for Pathe. Hackett Working On Script Albert Hackett will assist in pre paring the script of Paramount's "Up Pops The Devil," which he wrote. Norman Foster, Carole Lombard, and Skeets Gallagher have been cast. Edward Sutherland will' di rect. Rochelle Hudson Cast Rochelle Hudson has been added to RKO's "Board and Room," which features Edna May Oliver, Hugh Herbert and Dorothy Lee. Fifty-Fifty When Robert Burns, blackface comedian from vaudeville, met Will Rogers on the Fox lot, Bob said: "I always wanted to be a cowboy like you, Bill. I tried, too, but never seemed to get the hang of it." To which Rogers replied: "Thafs all right. I wanted to do blackface on the stage, and I asked Ziegfeld to give me a chance at it, but he talked me out of the idea."