The Film Daily (1931)

THE ■cMHk DAILY Friday, August 28, 19^1 A LITTLE from "LOTS // mBy RALPH WILK. HOLLYWOOD TpHREE divisions of the U. S. Naval service are working on location with RKO Pathe's Bill Bovd production, "Suicide Fleet." The submarine cruiser, Ai-gonaut, under Lieutenant-Commander W. E. Doyle; the destroyer, Preble, commanded by Lieutenant-Commander T. D. Westfall, and the Noa, skippered by Lieutenant-Commander ^Stuart A. Maher, appear in much of the action. Six other destroyers and two ■seaplanes appear in the climaxing b tie scenes. * * Alice Hey ill Rice's famous yiovel, "Mrs. Wigys of the Cabbage Patch," is said to oe 'Hated as sixth, in Paramounfs series of jtroductiotis for children. It will, it is reported, follow "Tom Sawyer, Detective," with Junior Diirkin and Charlotte Henry in the leads under the direction of Norman Taurog. G. Raymond Nye and Edwin J. Brady are the late additions to the cast of Colum'^ia's newest Buck Jones feature, tentatively titled "Deadline." L« et*a Sayers, Robert Ellis and Knut Ericson are in the cast. Lambert Hillyer is directing. Ruth Weston, film actress, who reads and speaks English, French. German and Italian and has a partial mastery of Arabian and Swahili, will be seen in "Devotion," Ann Harding's next picture for KKO Pathe. Willie Hoppe acknowledged world's champion billiard player for years, has been signed by M-G-M to show the world how to play billiards correctly in a special short subject directed by Zion Myers. As a contrast to his polished worki Henry Armetta and Monty Collins have been hired to demonstrate clearly how not to play the historic old game. * * * It looks as though the talented Mae Clarke has secured the coveted role of Elizabeth in "Frankenstein." She has not had a moment's leisure since she was cast for "Waterloo Bridge." "Twenty Grand" followed and now before that is even finished, she is tentatively assigned to "Frankenstein." Clarke Gable has been given the male lead opposite Joan Crawford Ken Flies — Without Tarzan Ken Maynard, Tiffany's western star, flew from hlollywood to Cleveland in his new 220 horse power Stearman, to attend the National Air meet. He had a picture of Tarzan, his famous white horse, pasted on the plane. 'lady With A Past'' Next for Bennett Constance Bennett's next vehicle for Pathe will be "Lady with a Past," based on Harriet Henry's novel. E. H. Griffith will direct and Austin Parknr is doing the adaptation. Miss Bennett arrives in New York Monday on the Paris after a vacation abroad. m M-G-M's "The Mirage." This Jiidgar beiwyn play will oe directed by Clarence Brown. Russell i?'ord, i\ew lorK stage actor, has been a? signed a role m tnis picture. * * * Another of Universal's discoveries 2S ynaking her debut. Pauline Moore, the li-year-old dark-eyed miss from Harrisburg, Pa., iiua oeen given a stnall role in "i'wenty ^rana." Bert Roach was also adaed to the cast. Frederick Lonsdale, author of Ihe Last of ivirs. Cneyney," "The High Koad" and many other plays, IS now completmg an original scnpi lor Robert Montgomery at the i»iG-M studios, tne first of three scripts he is to prepare for M-G-M. + * * Hal Roach is personally dir^^'-ting the forthcoming ZaSu Pitts-V^-lma lodd comedy, "Pajama Party,' wnich started last week. Elizabeth i-'orrester has been signed for an important role. Buster Keaton is himself again. A week ago his pet St. Bernard Elmer, disappeared, and Keaton was so worried he couldn't think oj a single "gag." But Elmer was found, returned and now Keaton' s "raring to go." Edward Brophy, a Buster Keaton "find," is a production manager much in demanfl "on the side" as an actor. So much so that another studio borrowed him from M-G-M. "Now you are a real actor at last," Keaton told him. "You've been sold down the river." * * * "Private Lives," the adaptation of Noel Coward's stage play of the same name, will be Norma Shearer's next M-G-M picture, wi^h Robert Montgomery playing opposite her. Sidney Franklin will direct. * * * Production has started on "Dogs Is Dogs," the latest Hal Roach "Gur Gang" comedy under the direction of Robert McGowan. The story revolves around Pete the Pup or.d a police dog who essays the r<Tle of a heavy. * * * Virginia Bruce, one of the blonde show girls selected by Florenz Ziegfeld in Hollywood and taken East to appear in "Smiles," has been signed by M-G-M. * * * M-G-M has signed Nils Asther to a new contract. Asther has recent ly appeared in vaudeville. His next screen role will soon be announced. * * * Wallace Beery loves to "kid" t^larke Gable about the tatter's i^icalled "sex appeal." He had a piccure taken of himself among the M-G-M "Flying High" chorus girls, and autographed it to Gable — "Deal i^tartc, Just to show you what an amateur you really are . . . 'What a Man.' Beery." » * * John Miljan has a new fad. He trims formal gardens. Weird and fantastic are the shapes of hedges he has personally trimmed at his Beverly Hills home. "I can't tell whether they're supposed to be pictures of us actors or geometrical problems," remarked a fellow M-GM player, who inspected his handiwork. * * * Warner Baxter will play opposite Dolores Del Rio in Radio Pictures' "The Dove," which goes into production the first week in October. Herbert Brenon will direct. * * * Walter Thompson, who edited "Only Men Wanted, " an RKO Pathe comedy, will cut "Blondes Preferred," which will be directed by Ed Kennedy. * * * Andy Clyde, Mack Bennett star comedian, declares he can't understand why so many movies are going into bankruptcy, because there isn't any money in it nowadays. * * * Corson Jowett is the latest owner of a pilot's flying license. He has been assigned to do the sound work on an untitled Tiffany feature. He recently completed the recording on "Murder at Midnight." * * * Big Bill Lucas is busy as the narrator on "The Wild Life" series, the material for which was gathered by William and George Allen, naturalists and motion picture photographers. Elmer Clifton is sponsoring the series, which is being distributed by Talking Picture Epics. * * * Radio has discontinued the use of the titles "Glamour," "Pick-Up" and "Penthouse." * * * John A. Stransky, Jr., is doing the recording on "Left Over Ladies," for Tiffany. * ♦ * Claiming the fastest shooting record ever achieved by "Dick" Talmadge, final scenes of "Scare heads," his latest action featurt .vere finished yesterday. In the cast are Gareth Hughes, King Bag got, Virginia True Boardman, Trm Boardman, Jacqueline Wells, Josepj Girard and Walter James. Releasi date is set fui Sept. 1. * * * Lo--—" Sherman has been select d tc <j.,.ect Ina Claire in her nent Radio Pictures' production whii^ will be started about Oct. 4. H is story of New York's social set. * * * Douglas MacLean, associate pr ducer at the RKO Pathe Picture studio, has been assigned to super vise three pictures. He will guid the destinies of "Ladies of tht Jury," which is to star Edna May Oliver; "The Other Passport," a Harold MacGrath story featuring Irene Dunne, and "The Last Virtue," now being written by I. A. R., Wylie, novelist. * * * Johnny Risso, one-armed tennis expert, J. W. Johnson, Virginia Sale and Gertrude Howard have been as signed character roles in RKO-Ra dio Pictures' "Secret Service," st ring Richard Dix. The film, be directed by J. Walter Ruben, , based on the famous Civil War sp„ play by William Gillette. Others in the cast are Shirley Grey, Nance O'Neil, Gavin Gordon, William Post, Jr., and Frederick Burton. * * * Ralf Harolde is playing the prosecuting attorney in Radio Pictures' "Are These Our Children?", being directed by Wesley Rugglea. * * * Rowland Brown, Universal director, is at San Quentin prison to get j "atmosphere" and study prison routine for his production, "Gallows" j of which he is the author as well a i director. * ♦ * Francis Edwards Faragoh will prepare the screen version of "Oh,1 Promise Me!" the Lindsay-Robin-j 5on Broadway stage hit purchased' by Universal. Faragoh wrote the screen versions of "Little Caesar" ind "Iron Man." * * + Robert Alden, who appeared in; "Paramount on Parade," "Only th? Brave," and others, has been signed on a long term contract by Columbia. Wanted — Rejection Slips Found — a man who wants rejection slips. T'other day a man walked into our office and asked for rejection slips. We were rather surprised until he explained he was a property man at the Tiffany studios and wanted the slips for a scene in "Left Over Ladies," which will be made soon.