The Film Daily (1932)

THE Tuesday, August 2, 1932 EIGHT MORE WRITERS ADDED TO PARA. STAFF West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Within the last week e.'ght prominent writers have been added to the Paramount staff in preparation for the company's big production drive which calls for 14 features to be in production this month. Gouverneur Morris has been signed to write an original story for Maurice Chevalier tentatively entitled "The Pied Piper of Paris." Hope Loring, scenarist on "Wings" and "It," becomes a member of the editorial board. Claude Binyon, who comes from the ranks of newspapermen, will work on an original comedy for Stuart Erwin. Harold Shumate, fictionist, screen writer and film producer will collaborate with Frank Partos on the screen play for Zane Grey's "Heritage of the Desert." Douglas Doty, Sidney Lazarus and E. D. Leshin, veteran scenarists, have been signed to work on untitled stories planned for fall production. Maurine Watkins, the young Chicago reporter who created a furore with her first play, "Chicago," also has joined the writing staff. SELETTE IN NEW BEDFORD New Bedford, Mass. — Edward I. Selette, who has been connected with various New England theaters for the last several years, is now managing E. M. Loew's Strand here. He formerly was assistant manager of the Crystal and Olympic in this city. As one of his first business promotion stunts at the Strand, Selette is promoting a popularity contest. PUBLIX FT. WORTH CLOSING Fort Worth, Tex. — Publix is closing the Palace tomorrow. The house is scheduled to reopen Labor Day. The Worth, other Publix house, is doing fair business but plugging heavily on special stunts and feature nights. RKO Hollywood has reduced prices and business has almost doubled. RKO Majestic, former vaude house, is expected to reopen this fall. DUALS FOR RKO IN AKRON Akron, 0. — RKO Palace inaugurates a short policy of double feature bills this week. The policy will continue until the house starts its run of fall first-run releases, according to A. Beckerich. Return of flesh is being seriously considered to start after Labor Day. Recognition As M-G-M's chief sound engineer, Douglas Shearer's picture appears in fan magazine ads on "Strange Interlude," in which a new sound invention by Shearer has been employed to present the "hidden, unspoken thoughts of people." A LITTLE from "LOTS ►// By RALPH WILK HOLLYWOOD J-JERMAN BING, who was assistant to the late F. W. Murnau, and Harry Schultz are among the late additions to the cast of Mack Sennett's roadshow feature, "Hypnotized," it is announced by H. Lee Hugunin, assistant general manager for Sennett. Other members of the cast thus far include Charlie Mack, George Moran, Charlie Murray, Ernest Torrence, Wallace Ford, Maria Alba and Marjorie Beebe. The picture is now in production under Sennett's personal direction, with Georgie Sherman and Jean Yarbrough as his assistants. * * * David Hempstead, former RKO and Universal scenarist, is taking much interest in the work of Michigan athletes in the Olympic Games here. Hempstead is a graduate of the University of Michigan. * * * Karl Freund, ace cameraman, is photographing "Merry Go Round," which Edward L. Cahn is directing. Freund also did the camera work on "Back Street" and "Air Mail." Our Passing Show: Fifi D'Orsay entertaining the Canadian Olympic team at the Trent Carr studios, where Fifi is being starred in "The Girl from Calgary"; Ann Govednick, Chisholm, Minn., breast-stroke star, and her coach, Helen Manson, being photographed with Arline Judge, Anita Louise and other RKO Radio players. * * * Neil Hamilton is playing a leading role in "Animal Kingdom." His most recent pictures include "The Truth About Hollywood" and "Two Against the World." * * * Ken Maynard and his wife are spending their spare moments at Hermosa Beach, where they have taken a home for the summer. * * * Congratulations on the arrival of his first child, a daughter, have been pouring in on Norman Taurog, Paramount director of "Skippy," who is directing George M. Cohan in the 'Phantom President." Mrs. Taurog, who is a former motion picture actress, is a sister of Mrs. Mabel Cooper, mother of Jackie Cooper. * * * Mauri Grashin, former RKO scenarist, wrote "Exposed," an original, which Al Herman is directing for Eagle Productions. The cast includes Buster Collier, Barbara Kent, Raymond Hatton, Walter McGrail and Little Wheezer. * * * Phil H. Whitman and Leon d'Usseau are directing "The Girl from Calgary," starring Fifi D'Orsay. The supporting cast includes Paul Kelly and Eddie Featherstone. Harry Neuman is in charge of the photography. El Brendel will fill an important role in the Fox picture, as yet untitled, which marks the screen debut of Tommy and Charlie Chaplin. It is now being written by Frank Craven, nationally known playwright and will be directed by David Butler. Lita Chaplin, mother of the two boys, has completed her vaudeville tour and joined the youngsters in Hollywood. * * * Cecil B. De Mille has selected Harry Beresford, Lillianne Leighton and Sidney D'Albrook for roles in Paramount's "The Sign of the Cross." * * * Ben Lyon is to play the leading role in Fox's "Hat Check Girl," opposite Sally Eilers. Director Sidney Lanfield is making his selections for the other principal and supporting parts. Ginger Rogers has been assigned to an important role. * * * Ralph Staub has been approached by a group of Alaskan business men to direct and produce an epic of Alaska, beginning with early purchase of that territory from Russia, to the present day. It is their idea to assemble an all-star cast of Hollywood players and make the trip north. It would take nearly a year to complete the picture, as many spots in the story require both win ter and summer. As Staub is now at Columbia producing Screen Snapshots, he has declined the offer for the present at least. * * * Reliance Pictures will make "If Christ Came to Chicago." Jack Lait is doing the adaptation. * * * Amelia Earhart has arrived in Los Angeles for an extended stay with her husband, George Palmei Putnam, chairman of the editorial board at the Paramount studios. * * * Due to a change in characterizations, William Collier, Sr., has been signed to assume the role originally scheduled for James Gleason in "Madison Square Garden," which Charles R. Rogers is producing for Paramount. John J. McCarthy has been engaged by Columbia to direct Tim McCoy's next starring vehicle, "The Bullet Trail." It will go into production this week. Milton Krims wrote the adaptation from William Colt MacDonald's magazine story of the same name. * * * Columbia has assigned Lew Lipton, who wrote "Hold 'Em Jail," to work with Sid Silvers on the Wheeler and Woolsey next film "In the Jungle." Douglas Doty, Sidney Lazarus and E. D. Lashin have joined Paramount's writing staff. They have been assigned to untitled stories planned for fall production. STORY INVENTORIES CUT UNDER NEWBUYING POLICY West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Carrying large inventories of story material, sometimes running as high as $2,000,000 to ,53,000,000 for a single major studio, is being abandoned to a great axtent under a reorganization of personnel and methods in scenario department throughout the industry, according to C. Gardner Sullivan, executive scenarist with M-G-M. Story buying is now being conducted more carefully than at any time in film history, Sullivan points out. The trend toward more timely subjects makes it inadvisable for a prolucing company to clutter up its /aults with costly material which may be only partly used. Wild rdding for material by competitive studios also has died down, and stories no longer are bought merely to keep some other company from 'anding them, says Sullivan. AKRON TIVOLI SOLD Akron, O. — The Tivoli has been sold to H. E. Bickel by Mrs. T. H. Barden and H. L. Malone. House will continue as a second-run. COLONIAL CLOSED Akron, O. — Shea's Colonial, firstrun, which has been dark for several weeks, will reopen not later than Labor Day, it is announced. CIRCLEVILLE HOUSE SOLD Circleville, O.— Sale of the Cliftona to Harry Clifton by R. E. Reisinger has been announced. House name has been changed to the Circle. ESSANESS IN TIEUP Chicago — Essaness Theaters have made a tieup with the "Herald and Examiner" in a "Jigsaw Presidential Game" in which 50 automobiles are offered as the principal prizes. BIRMINGHAM BOMBING Birmingham — A dynamite bomb was tossed into the lobby of the North Birmingham theater recently damaging the front. REPAIRING AT MERIDIAN Meridian, Miss. — The Saenger is undergoing repairs as a result of damage when safecrackers dynamited the theater in an attempt to get the office safe open. Ben Blue for Films West Coast Bur. THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Ben Blue, famous vaudevillian, has Deen signed to appear in the forthcoming Taxi Boys comedy, as yet untitled, which goes into production at the Hal Roach Studios early this week. This will be the third of the new series under the direction of Del Lord.