The Film Daily (1934)

THE i;Tuesday,Ocr.23, 1934 d£S DAILY A TITTLE" from HOLLYWOOD "LOTS // By RALPH WILK jyr. H. HOFFMAN, president of I Liberty Pictures, returns this Iveek from New York after lining lap the four stories for the balance l)f Liberty's 1934-35 output. First livill be "Sweepstake Annie," adapted by Scott Darling from a story Iby Evelyn Law, and the remaining three will include a feature in which Ralph Graves will figure as author, director and principal actor; an Edgar Wallace story and a feature in which a number of songs will be 'used. ▼ ▼ ▼ ] "Reckless" is the temporary title Jof the Joan Crawford-William Powell co-starring production which lis soon to be placed before the cameras at M-G-M. Victor Fleming will direct from an original story by Oliver Jeffries. The cast to date i includes Franchot Tone, May Robison, Henry Wadsworth and Henry ; Stephenson. ▼ ▼ ▼ Ann Harding's latest RKO Radio ! vehicle, "Enchanted April," went into production Monday, with the star being supported by a cast including Frank Morgan, Ralph Forbes, Reginald Owen, Jane Baxter and Eric Blore. Harry Beaumont is directing and Kenneth Macgowan is producer. The film is an adaptation of the novel by Elizabeth Russell and the play of Kane Campbell and Rosalie Stewart. Samuel Hoffenstein and Ray Harris prepared the screenplay. ▼ ▼ ▼ Signing of Josephine Whittell, Hugh White, Ray Mayer and Ray Cooke yesterday completed the cast of Columbia's "Spring 3100." Maje,stic's next production following "The Perfect Clue," now in work, will be an original titled "Thunder in the Streets." T T T "Three Wise Guys," the story by Damon Runyon recently acquired by M-G-M, will be directed by David Burton. Bartlett Cormack is at present completing the screen adaptation, and the picture is due to get under way in the near future. ▼ ▼ ▼ "Murder in a Chinese Theater," a story by Joseph Santley, has been purchased by M-G-M and may serve as a William Powell vehicle, though this is not definite. ▼ ▼ ▼ Basil Rathbone, now in Hollywood for a featured role in the allstar cast of "David Copperfield," being produced by David O. Selznick for M-G-M, has revealed to friends here that he is completing a play which he hopes to produce on the New York stage next season. ▼ ▼ ▼ Edward Craven has been assigned by Paramount to "The Gilded Lily," starring Claudette Colbert. Wesley Ruggles is directing. ▼ ▼ ▼ Elizabeth Allen entertained at a cocktail party in honor of the 28th birthday of Sidney Kingsley, one of America's leading playwrights. Among those present were Herbert Marshall, Gloria Swanson, Sylvia Sidney, Jean Hersholt, Evelyn Laye, Peter Lorre, Frank Lawton, Zeppo Marx and Fritz Lang. ▼ ▼ ▼ A cloudburst at Lake Arrowhead held up production on "The Fight ing Trooper," starring Kermit Maynard. Ray Taylor is directing, with Charles Delaney, Barbara Worth LeRoy Mason, Robert Frazer and George Regas among the principals. The picture is being produced by Maurice Conn and his. new partner, Sig Neufeld, and is the first of a series of eight outdoor action pictures that will be released by independent exchanges. ▼ ▼ ▼ Alice Brady has been signed for a role in Warner's "Gold Diggers of 1935." Also in the cast are Dick Powell, Gloria Stuart, Hugh Herbert, Frank McHugh, Glenda Farrell, Winifred Shaw and Adolphe Menjou. ▼ TV Lou Brock, R-K-0 producer, still has a memento of his first job. It is a theater ticket stub, the first one he collected when, as a boy, he worked as a ticket-taker at the door of his father's moving picture theater. T T T Lee Tracy, Paramount star, has an alarm signal on his car which warns him when he exceeds the speed limit. Tracy enjoys fast driving, and had the little device installed as a precautionary measure against arrest and accident. ▼ vv Charles Bickford, now working in "Wicked Woman" at M-G-M, is well versed in the intricacies of Indian sign language. On a recent trip to the Century of Progress in Chicago, the actor carried on a lengthy conversation with some Indian performers in the traditional symbolic language of their tribe. Richard Wallace will finish directing Katharine Hepburn in "The Little Minister" within the next week and upon completion of the cutting will move to Fox, where he will direct one picture. ▼ rv Arthur Hohl has been added to the cast of the RKO Radio picture, "Romance in Manhattan". Under the name of Charles Wendling, Claudette Colbert's brother has been discovered working as an assistant director at Paramount studio, using his anonymity to fight the possible charge of favoritism, for he won his job on his own merits. ▼ T T "Me Without You" has been selected by Paramount as the definite title for the musical based on an original story, "One Hour Late" by Libbie Block, in which Joe Morrison, Helen Twelvetrees, Conrad Nagel, Arline Judge, Toby Wing, Ray Milland and Edward Craven have featured roles. Ralph Murphy directed. T T T John Monk Saunders, ace writer of aviation pictures, is now at work on the script of "Lafayette Escadrille," the picture of wartime flying and fighting which Warners will soon produce. v ▼ ▼ June Brewster has found a new use for old film. She has had several lamp-shades made from discarded strips of celluloid, and claims that unique and startling decorative effects can be obtained by this novel method. Salt Lake City Items Salt Lake City — Ralph McGowen I has assumed the duties at Fanchon ■ & Marco's Orpheum and Studio the' aters formerly handled by Albert i Stetson, who returned to the coast. "One Night of Love" has finishi ed its sixth week at the Orpheum and Stadium. "Girl from Missouri" and "Stamboul Quest" are holding over at the Gem for an extended run, while "Age of Innocence" moves from the Orpheum to the Stadium for a run. At a meeting last week, presided over' by C. E. Huish, president of the Utah-Idaho M. P. Exhibitors, theater owners endorsed, a policy of showing only clean films. Eddie Forrester Changes Grand Island, Neb. — It is understood Eddie Forrester, city manager for A. H. Blank in Hastings, will be moved here soon swapping places with Bob Dunnuck, present city manager, as soon as the latter recovers from his operation. Drought Area Back to Normal Kansas City — Conditions in the recent drought area are improved on the whole, and theaters are buying a normal amount, it is stated by Harry Taylor, Columbia branch manager, on his return from a trip. Cleveland Chatter Cleveland — John Becerra, manager of Warner's Variety Theater, is in the Long Island Hospital, New York for a serious operation. The zoning and clearance board meets today to complete the Cleveland and Toledo schedules. Ernest Schwartz, president of the Exhibitors' Ass'n, is still in the hospital. Otto Kapl has been re-elected president of the musicians' union. Jack Fier, who is on a good-will tour for Mascot, spent a few days here last week as guest of Nat Lefton. Warners Buy Two Stories West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — "Lady With a Badge," original by Frank Wead and Ferdinand Reyher, and "Broadway Gondolier," original by Sig Herzig, Hans Kraly and Ey Harbirg, have been bought by Warners. Delmar Daves is adapting "Lady With a Badge." Lutherans to Crusade Savannah — In convention here yesterday, the United Lutheran Church's committee on social and moral welfare recommended voting for candidates who will enact laws against objectionable films. 20 Planned in So. America Rio de Janeiro — A new studio has been built at Sao Paulo for making native pictures, which will amount to 20 for 1934-35. Louisville House Reopening Louisville — After being closed for some time, the National is being reopened by Royal Christiansen with pictures and stage shows. New Home for Columbus Variety Columbus — Local Variety Club has taken over the entire second floor front of the Neil House and is remodeling it for its quarters. Layout will include a little theater, lounge and bar. M. R. Clark is chief barker. Louis K. Sidney in Kansas City Kansas City — Louis K. Sidney of Loew's, Inc., arrived here last week for a visit. San Antonio Invites Movies San Antonio — Through Mayor Quin, this city has made a bid for part of Hollywood's film industry in the event Upton Sinclair is elected governor of California and makes it tough for the movies there. Cincinnati Squibs Cincinnati — A meeting of the local clearance and zoning board will be held Thursday to draft a new schedule under instructions from the Code Authority. Jim Wilson, who also operates the Woodlawn in Cheviot, has acquired the Riviera. Harold Harris is the new exploiteer for Columbia here. John C. Russell, Maysville exhibitor, has recovered from a serious illness. The Variety Club will hold a Hallowe'en Party and a Thanksgiving Dance. Charles Rosenzweig of First Division and Sam Galanty and J. A. MacFarland of Columbia were among the visitors who arrived here last week. U. S. Films for Antwerp Houses Antwerp — New management of / the Empire and Roxy will feature ' only American films. Anvers-Palace and Eden also have been launched with U. S. product. Westminster Film Holding Over "The Man Who Changed His Name," British production, is holding over at the Westminster Cinema.