The Film Daily (1936)

THE ■z*a DAILY Tuesday, Mar. 31,1936 A "JUttU" $m* Hollywood 'Ms ii By RALPH WILK "W/TTH three pictures remaining to complete his work for the current season, Executive Producer Sol M. Wurtzel has planned to put 16 films into production at 20th Century-Fox between March 30 and August 30. "Ramona," "Jeeves" and "Once Every Year," a Jones Family feature will round out his present season quota. T T T "Mountain Justice" is announced by the Warner Bros, studios as the next vehicle for Bette Davis. Norman Reilly Raine, has been assigned to write the screenplay, which will go before the cameras upon the blonde star's return here from her Eastern stay. ▼ T T "Sins Of Man" will be the final title for the picture, tentatively titled "Turmoil," in which Jean Hersholt has the leading role. T ▼ T William Davidson has been added to the cast of "Earthworm Tractors," the new Joe E. Brown vehicle now in production at First National. T T T Film rights to "John Barleycorn," Jack London's story, have been purchased by Darryl F. Zanuck for 20th Century-Fox. "Island In The Sky" by Leonard Lee and "Fifty Roads To Town" by Louis Nebel are other recent purchases. ▼ ▼ T "Two-Gun Buckaroo" will be the next in Warner Bros.' series of Western melodramas, with Dick Foran again in the leading role. Anne Nagel will have the feminine lead opposite Dick. T T T Jane Withers, 20th Century-Fox star, will return from her personal appearance tour Saturday, and on April 13 will begin work on "Public Nuisance No. 1," which is to be released in the Fall. ▼ t ▼ Irving Caesar, who recently completed the book for Damon Runyon's "Saratoga Chips" to be produced during the Fall on Broadway, has begun work at 20th Century-Fox Hollywood studios on the lyrics for "Mark of Zorro," film operetta starring Lawrence Tibbett. ▼ ▼ T Warner Bros, has signed Boris Karloff for a series of features. ▼ T ▼ Edward Earle will be seen in a character role in Walter Wanger's Building Stock Company Republic is building up a stock company of actors who will be trained for future stardom and is on Hie lookout for new and talented writers, it is announced by Nat Levine, Republic production chief. forthcoming "Case Against Mrs. Ames." T T T Lewis E. Gensler, who joined Paramount Studio a year ago this month, has signed a new 5-year producers' contract and has started preparatory work on four pictures. His first picture, "The Duchess," is scheduled to start April 6. ▼ ▼ T Fred MacMurray, has received a new seven-year Paramount contract. T T T Veda Ann Borg and Louise Bennett, two new additions to the Paramount stock players roster, have had their names changed and in the future Miss Borg, will be known as Ann Noble and Miss Bennett, will be billed as Louise Stanley. ▼ T T Tristram Tupper, novelist and short story writer, has joined the Paramount studio scenario staff to prepare the screen play of "The Duster," which A. M. Botsford will produce. T T T Paramount is giving two new screen players their first assignments. Terry Walker, former model and night club singer, who was discovered in a Miami, Fla., night club will have a featured part in "And Sudden Death." Elizabeth Russell, another photographic model, will get her first chance in "The Good For Nothing." ▼ T T A company of Columbia technicians is en route to Washington, D. C. from the Coast to film the U. S. Treasury Building and the Bureau of Printing and Engraving as sets for "Queer Money." ▼ T T Franclein MacConnell, until recently a reader for M-G-M, has been signed by David O. Selznick in a similar capacity for Selznick International. She will supplement her reading activities with writing of screen adaptations. T ▼ ¥ Wallace Smith has been engaged by Pickford-Lasky to adapt Leo Birinski's story, "The Gay Desperado." T ▼ T Lynn Riggs, Broadway playwright, has been signed by Selznick International to write the dialogue for "The Garden of Allah." He is the author of "Green Grow the Lilacs" and is considered a possible winner of the Pulitzer prize for his Broadway success, "Russet Mantle." ▼ T T Mary Knight, of the United Press, who is here from New York to interview important members of the film colony, led off by interviewing Jesse L. Lasky. She will follow with interviews with Mary Pickford, Francis Lederer, and others. t ▼ ▼ Gerard B. Lambert, Jr., formerly in charge of the theatrical and mo tion picture department of United Air Lines in New York, has been made Hollywood Traffic Manager for that company. T T T James and Lucile Gleason are planning a lecture tour of the country. The tour, which will run as long as the Gleasons can spare time from their film work, will take them to every section of the United States. Their talks will center about the stage and screen and will embrace the subject of writing for both mediums. T T ▼ Richard Boleslawski and Phil Ryan, production manager, have returned from Yuma, where they secured locations for "The Garden of Allah," to be made by Selznick International. T T ▼ Republic has bought "Without the Net" by Frank R. Adams. ▼ T T Sam Kaufman, color cosmetician, has been signed to handle the makeup on "The Garden of Allah." He was in charge of make-up on "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine," "Becky Sharp" and "Dancing Pirate." "The Penitente Murder Case" will open at the Embassy, San Francisco, about April 1. Harry Revier, who produced the picture, will roadshow it there. The front of the theater is being rebuilt to resemble a Penitente "Morada" (church) and special effects are being made. "Pat" Paterson, formerly with Columbia and Paramount, has been engaged to handle nationwide sales. ▼ ▼ T His work as director of "Murder in the Big House" has won for Nick Grinde a long-term contract with Warner Bros. -First National. Two roles were filled this week for "Queer Money," when Columbia assigned Nana Bryant and Victor Kilian to this production. ▼ t r William Clemens, who directed "Man Hunt" and "Law in Her Hands," is now directing "The Case of the Velvet Claws," for Warner Bros. T T T "Land of Promise," a Hollywood comedy, by Richard C. Aarons, will have its initial presentation at the Wilshire-Ebell Theater April 18 and 19. It will be directed by Donald Gallaher. ▼ T T Production is slated to start at Columbia this week on "Wedding Present," Paul Gallico magazine story, which will be directed by Herbert J. Biberman, former Theater Guild meg wielder. B. P. Schulberg is the producer. Marlene Dietrich and Charles Boyer have changed their cinema address from "Hotel Imperial'' to "The Garden of Allah." They were in "Hotel Imperial," which has had many production difficulties. The Selznick picture is being directed by Richard Boleslawski. Tim McCoy has gone to New York to open with the Ringling Bros.. Barnum and Bailey circus at the New York Madison Square Garden April 8. He will use his troupe of western performers for the entire circus tour and will not return to Hollywood until November. "G-Men of the North," starring Kermit Maynard, is in production. Maurice Conn will also make "Wildcat Trooper" and Joe O'Donnell is now writing the screenplay. "G-Men of the North" is based on a James Oliver Curwood story. T T ▼ William Anthony McGuire has been signed by M-G-M to act as an associate producer, writer and director. He is writing the screenplay for "Hats in the Air" and authored and did the script of "The Great Ziegfeld." Florence Eldridge has been signed for the role of Queen Elizabeth in "Mary of Scotland," now in production at Radio. John Blystone's book, "The First Twenty Years," on which he has been working for the past year, is now in the hands of the proofreaders and goes to press within the month, according to word received yesterday by the 20th Century-Fox director. T ▼ T Having recently completed the 20th Century-Fox picture, "The Country Beyond," Director Eugene Forde is now taking a short vacation, and has just returned from several days spent at Palm Springs. T T T Dick Polimer has placed Sidney Blackmer for the romantic lead in "Early to Bed," Paramount picture, in which Charles Ruggles and Mary Boland have starring roles. Seek New Cowboy Star West Co.ut Bur., THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Sol Lesser is searching for a new cowboy star, a fresh screen personality, rather than some actor who has already appeared in outdoor pictures. The lucky nominee will be cast in important roles with Richard Arlen in three of the six Harold Bell Wright and Zane Grey pictures, which he has contracted to make this season for 20th CenturyFox. If he makes good, he will be starred in the last three of this group.