Hollywood Filmograph (Jan-Jul 1930)

18 May 3, 1930 Fox To Hold Convention Here May 26th Winfield Sheehan and James R. Grainger Will Announce Program The week of May 26 will be an epochal one in the history of Fox Films. During that week Fox salesmen and executives from all over the world will foregather here for their annual sales convention, and during that session Winfield R. Sheehan, vice president and general manager, and James R. Grainger, general sales manager, will announce the lineup of 5'2 feature productions for the coming year. Though detailed information is not available currently the word has gone out from the studios that "Personality and Personalities" will dominate the picture productions planned with startling surprises promised. The Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, has been selected as headquarters for the 1930 sales convention of the Fox Film Corporation. Sol M. Wurtzel, general superintendent of the Fox studios, is in charge of preparations for the entertainment of the guests. 1 y 1 PLAN Columbia Pictures is considering plans for producing plays on Broadway as a preliminary to producing them as feature pictures. Plays with screen possibilities will be produced and those that go over with the legitimate audiences will be filmed. AT M-G-M Charles Dorety is playing in C. B. DeMille's present picture, "Madame Satan," at the M-G-M studios. WILLIAM MORAN playing WOODROW WILSON In Title Role Theatre Mart 605 No. Juanita Avenue May 5 to May 11 HOWARD HUGHES ^SIGNS SID GRAUMAN Joseph M. Schenck, president of United Artists, and other noted film executives, were witnesses to the contract signed by Sid Grauman, famous Hollywood impresario, to handle world-wide exploitation and exhibition of "Hell's Angels," $4,000,000 Howard Hughes air spectacle. Seated, left to right: Schenck, Grauman, Hughes; standing, left to right: John W. Considine, Jr., D. W. Griffith, Samuel Goldwyn. Announcement is made that Grauman's Chinese theatre has been definitely chosen by Sid Grauman for the world premiere of Howard Hughes' production, Hell's Angels," on May 29. Negotiations making it possible for the far famed Hollywood showman to return to the most magnificent theatre yet to bear the Grauman crest were concluded yesterday with Harold B. Franklin, president of the Fox -West Coast Theatres, Inc., which organization has been operating the playhouse ever since Grauman sold out his interests there last summer. The presentation will be entirely under Grauman's personal direction. As the result of arrangements made with Howard Hughes, the young producer, who has spent more than $4,000,000 and three years in the making of "Hell's Angels/' Grauman will roadshow the picture all over the key cities of the nation. The cast has Ben Lyon, James Hall and Jean Harlow, a Hughes discovery, as principal players. More than 20,000 extras were used in many of the major sequences. After six months of preliminary research and preparation, actual filming of "Hell's Angels" began on October 31, 1927. It will be presented as a hundred per cent talking picture, and with marvelous sound effects never before achieved on the screen. During negotiations, Grauman's Egyptian, the first two a day theatre with which Grauman pioneered his way into Hollywood was considered at one time as the logical spot for the premiere showing of "Hell's Angels," but the greater capacity of the Chinese coupled with its more modern equipment and more exotic atmosphere caused the decision to use the larger playhouse. With no theatre chosen and with no opening date announced, checks for reservations already started deluging the Grauman executive offices indicating the interest to be of such magnitude that it seemed advisable to lease the biggest theatre available for the engagement. ii{ PARAMOUNT-PUBLIX Although Adolph Zukor at the stockholders' meeting pointed out that there is "nothing on the fire right now" in regard to the reported Paramount-Warner merger, he did not deny the rumor that the deal may be closed. This was indicated t; hen he stated, "However, I cannot say what the future will develop." The name "Paramount-Publix" was adopted for the company at the conference, as well as an issuance of 1,000,000 additional shares for expansion authorized. The stock will not be issued at this time. 1 i 1 TO NEW YORK Lillian Roth is enroute to New York where she is to appear either in 'Hands Up," directed by Victor Schertzinger, or "Animal Crackers," starring the Marx Brothers under the direction of Victor Heerman at the Paramount Long Island studios. Miss Roth just finished the greatest part of her career in Cecil B. DeMille's picture, "Madame Satan" at M-G-M. NEUFELD SIGNED BY TIFFANY FOR SHORT FEATURES Sig Neufeld, for 18 years associated with Universal or connected companies, has been engaged by Phil Goldstone, Tiffany's chief studio executive, to head the department which will make unusual short novelty pictures. Neufeld was associated with Carl Laemmle as a film editor from the days of the "Imp," then went with Stern Brothers for thirteen years to handle production of their Universal comedies. Following this, he was in charge of Universal's short subject activities. Tiffany immediately will make three novel two-reel subjects in technicolor, 1 i y SCHEDULED George O'Brien is scheduled to leave this week for Arizona with Lloyd Ingraham, old-time director, and Everett Cheetham added to the cast of "The Last of the Duanes," Zane Grey's story, which Al Werker will direct. 1 i 1 BILL RAY LEAVES KFWB AND SIGNS WITH KGER, LONG BEACH Severing one of the longest engagements that any radio announcer has held at one time in these parts when he resigned from KFWB, Bill Ray has affiliated himself with KGER of Long Beach, and will be in complete charge of tnat station, and expects to build it up like he has Warner Bros.' station. His many friends on the air will be sorry to learn that he has left KFWB," for they have been sort of figuring him a part of the unit that will remain as long as the station does. However, we feel glad that he has made a tie-up that is satisfactory to him. y y y ROBERT DE LACY DIRECTS "BIGHEARTED" WITH ALL-STAR CAST Wtih Henry Gribbon, Vivian Oakland, Roy Hughes, Dorothy Gulliver and others in the cast of "Bighearted," Robert De Lacy is very busily engaged directing at the Pathe studios on the two-reel featurette. Terry Spencer is assisting Director De Lacey.