The Film Daily (1931)

THE 18 ■%£1 DAILY Sunday, April 12, 1931 Big Increase in Universale Shorts for 1931-32 New Program Will Include 150 Subjects and Four Talking Serials With approximately 150 one and two-reelers and four all-talking serials on the 1931-32 schedule, Universale output of short product next se ■>on will be the biggest and most distinctive ever offered by the company. Line-up of short subjects for the new year has practically been completed by Carl Laemmle, jr., and M. Stanley Bergerman, in charge of ^hort reel production. Fifty-two two reel comedies, with an array of star players, including Slim Summerville, George Sidney . Charlie Murray, Lloyd Hamilton, Daphne Pollard. Eddie Gribbon, Don I.. ("Steve") Brodie. Gene Morgan, Walter Merrill, and Charles Lawrence will be released. Directors under contract for the ^hort subject division at Universal City are Charles LaMont, Albert Keller, Stephen Roberts, Kurt Neunian and Harry Edwards, with others to be added. The writers include Sidney Levee, James Mulhauser, George Plympton and Henry Johnson. Prominent on the schedule is the 26 Christy Walsh Ail-American Sports Series, which will be one-reelers, ^tarring the" brightest names in various sport fields. Babe Ruth will appear in the baseball pictures of this series; Charlie Paddock will be seen in his specialty; and football will be represented by an outstanding figure, still to be determined, who will take the place of the late Knute Rockne in the series. Other sport celebrities will also be signed. \ brand new angle in shorts will be offered in "The Shadow" series, of which there will be 13 two-reelers. These detective stories from the best in Street & Smith's Detective Story Magazine are enjoying great popularity over the Columbia Network, and will be filmed with an all-star cast of Broadway players. The first subject has already been completed at the Audio Cinema Studio, in New '(i ork, under the direction of George Cochrane. In picture form, they will supply a much needed box-office stimulant in the shape of short dramatic films, of feature quality. Universal also steps out with a new idea in the "Dangerous Jobs" seiH s, 13 one-reelers, showing the heroes who risk their lives to get their daily bread — the Steeple Jack, THEATRE when Urn card has been punched for TEN ADMISSIONS to this theatre, the holder will receive, frmtii, one copr of the AESOP'S MOVIE FABLES BOOK, with the compliment, of the Management of this Theatre and The Van Beurcn Corporation, producers of Aesop', Film Fable,. CrnMland Rica Snorllifht and Vagabond Advenenre Series.— Released by PATHE. This card U non-transferable. The holder will please airn hta or her name and address below. Our Gang display for store windows. Tie-up arranged with the Dcnnison Co. Card issued in connection with Aesop's Movie Fables Book'' as a hook-up with the Van Beurcn shorts distributed by FKO Pathc. the Deepsea Diver, the City Fireman, the Air Mail Pilot, the Movie Stunt Man, and others. John Hix's "Strange As It Seems" series, now syndicated to 156 metropolitan dailies, will continue. They will be produced, as at present, in sound, color and dialogue. There will be 13 one-reelers in the series. In the one reel division also is "Oswald, the Lucky Rabbit," of which there will be 26. Following up its big success in the serial field, Universal will again make four all-talking chapter-plays des'gned for the lirst-run market. The new serials will be "Battling With Buffalo Hill." heroic story of the famous scout; "Heroes of the Law," romance of the men who battle against the underworld. "The Air-Mail Mystery." thrilling story of the government pilots; and "Danger Island," story of the struggle between whites and savages for possess. on of a magic isle. Henry McRae, who is in charge of serial production at Universal City, will shortly start work on the making of the new season thrillers. The Universal Newspaper Talking Newsreel, with Graham McNamee, will be well into its new plan of operation before the new season starts next fall. Editor Sam Jacobson is now assembling his own staff of cameramen throughout the world, and the reel, of which there will be 104 issues, will be produced entirely independently. Elaborate expansion plans arc now under way. Universal Has 24-Sheet On 1931-32 Short Product Universal has prepared a special 24-sheet featuring its line-up of shorts. The poster covers the following series: Christy Walsh All-American Sports Reel, Slim Summerville Comedies, Sidney Murray Comedies, Daphne Pollard comedies, Lloyd Hamilton comedies, Strange as It Seems, Universal Newspaper Talking News Reel with Graham MacNamee, and others. It is lithographed in bright colors and carries the title of each series in bold lettering below the illustration. Rita LaRoy Borrowed by Fox Rita LaRoy has been borrowed by Fox from RKO for "Hush Money." :m&.~zjsTnz JOE TRAUB "Comedy Writer" COLUMBIA PICTURES TELEVISION IDEA ADOPTED IN "VOICE 0FH0LLYW00D" Alfred T. Mannon's new "Voice of Hollywood" series is under way, with the first of the group to be released in about two weeks. Each issue will be made to look as though the pictures were being televised from a television studio. A specially designed set is being used for this purpose. In exploiting the "Voice of Hollywood" series, Tiffany has effected a tie-up with the Fawcett Publications, for "Screen Secrets" and "Hollywood Magazine." RAY FOSTER Cinematographer WARNER VITAPHONE RAU.H WARNER VITAPHONE