Hollywood Filmograph (Jan-Jul 1930)

14 May 17, 1930 Hal Roach Adopts A New Procedure $200,000,000 to be Spent On Pictures Here Handles Foreign Picture Versions in Different Manner After much experimenting and debating, the Hal Roach Studio changed their methods in the making of foreign versions of their comedies. Heretofore it was done scene by scene; first a scene was shot for an English version, then, with a change of characters and language according to the foreign version, the same scene was shot again, and with another change, once more. Now each version is completely finished before another is started. Laurel and Hardy think they can do better work with this method, as they do not lose the spontaneity. In the old way too much time was lost between scenes with the coaching of Spanish, French and German lines, and the changing of foreign characters. By the time the three scenes were shot these funsters felt that they had lost the feeling of the scene to follow; that the ad-libbing which usually is the cause of their funniest moments had grown stale. Each Hal Roach production unit, Our Gang, Charley Chase, Laurel and Hardy and the Younger Set, has adopted this new procedure and so far have found that much time and expense is saved. / 1 1 HAROLD LLOYD HAS BEST CAST IN "FEET FIRST" With the exception of a couple of small parts, the cast for Harold Lloyd's "Feet First" was completed yesterday with the signing of Alec Francis and Arthur Houseman, for two important parts in the production. Francis is portraying a venerable philosopher friend of Lloyd's, while Houseman has a character part that is outstanding in the fore part of the story. Robert McWade, loveable grouch of stage and screen fame, joints the cast today, and will remain with the company throughout the trip to Honolulu on the Malolo which starts May 24. McWade has one of the choicest parts in the story, and along with Barbara Kent, leading lady, Lillianne Leighton and Henry Hall completes what is probably the finest support Lloyd ever has assembled for any production. The comedian is now filming one of his biggest interior sets, the Embassy Club in Honolulu, and will be engaged in shooting interiors up to the time he is ready to start for Hawaii. He lost no time through the inclement weather of the past week, and probably for the first time since producing feature length comedies, he has adhered to a pro duction schedule laid out in advance. i i -f Benny Ryan and Harriet Lee, vaudeville headliners, appear in their second comedy for Vitaphone Varieties, "A Tenement Tangle," directed by Roy Mack. Ryan is a song composer of note. Harold B. Franklin Month Is Celebrated in Southland Harold B. Franklin month, first proposed by Fox West Coast Theatre managers as a gesture of admiration and tribute for their chief executive, is rapidly developing into a generous and enthusiastic expression of the public and industry as a whole. Every day new events of honor to the man who has meant so much to Los Angeles in building up a vast chain of theatres consecrated to the ideal of service to the public, are being planned and suggested by Harold B. Franklin many organizations of their own volition. A general resume of activities planned for the month is exemplary of the interest which the month is creating. Boys' Day was celebrated simultaneously all over the city on April 28th, with boys in complete charge of the operation of all Fox West Coast Theatres for that day. A mammoth meeting of all employees of the Los Angeles division of the theatre chain was held Friday midnight at the Boulevard Theatre, with speeches by executives and resolutions from all assembled employees warmly congratulating Harold B. Franklin and endorsing the month in his honor. Every service and business men's club in the city has arranged for a special luncheon in honor of the executive, with speakers narrating his achievements and his position in Los Angeles affairs. These include over twenty-three clubs and their various district branches. A Breakfast Club meeting is to be held shortly, which will be attended by motion picture leaders, civic officials, judges and many others of importance. Plans to honor Mr. Franklin at this breakfast are being arranged. A Chamber of Commerce banquet attended by many notables is to be staged a little later in the month with Harold B. Franklin as the guest of honor. One of the highlights of the month will be a day on which all the children in every institution for youthful dependents in Los Angeles and neighboring towns will be invited to attend free performances in the various Fox West Coast Theatre in their vicinity. This is Mr. Franklin's expression of appreciation for the many fine things that are being done to honor him. The act has been generously praised by leading charity notables as one of the finest treats ever arranged for the dependent children of Southern California. Every theatre on the circuit is planning to secure the finest pictures available to be shown during Harold B. Franklin month. Two mammoth contests, a Treasure Hunt and a Bathing Beauty Talent Hunt contest, are to start May 1st in all theatres in the local division. These will be open to all patrons and will provide splendid opportunities for the winning of many valuable prizes. Many other activities are featuring the celebration, which marks the third anniversary of the executive in Los Angeles. EMBASSY DANCING ACADEMY HAS POPULAR MANAGEMENT Ralph Marquette and sister, Jewel, have taken over the management of the old Embassy Dancing Academy on Broadway, inaugurating a completely new and better repertoire of refined ballroom instruction. The handsome ballroom has been done over in a most pleasing style. The teachers are Mabel Floyd, Ralph Marquette and Jewel Marquette. Each is proficient and charming. 1 i 1 "HARRY LANGDON IN "SOLDIER'S PLAYTHING" Harry Langdon has a change of costume in his new picture, "A Soldier's Plaything," which is nearing completion at Warner Bros. Heretofore he has worn one outfit completely throughout a picture. As the story centers about experiences in the World War, Langdon wears a soldier's uniform during most of the picture. However, in the sequences in which he wears civilian clothes, Langdon is seen in a newblack suit, grey vest, spats and soft felt hat. Bradley King Says the Field Is Broadening for Young Folks The field of motion pictures as a career is widening in its appeal to young people beyond the glamor of acting. Where a few years ago young people thought of pictures as a means of becoming actors, they now see .the industry offering great rewards in many other departments, according to Bradley King, scenarist and dialogue writer, who is now working on her tenth assignment for Richard Barthelmess, the talking version on "Adios,' 'a novel by The Bartletts. "I regard it as a wholesome indication for the future of pictures to see the growing interest 'that young men and women are taking in the technical and executive departments of the studios," said Miss King, who has a long record of success in writing for the cinema. "Once we were besieged by young people wanting to become actors. Now there are as many of them with ambitions to succeed in writing, directing or in the mechanical field as there were formerly in search of careers as actors." Plenty of Prosperity Ahead From These Indications The Exhibitors' Herald-World, under date of May 10, says that approximately $200,000,000 will be spent by the motion picture industry in connection with this season's product. Of this amount about $174,500,000 will be spent in actual production, while the rest will go to the erection of new sound stages and increase of general production facilities. From this it would appear that whatever the situation now, motion picture executives are far from gloomy over business prospects for the coming twelve months. More than 150 films will be made in color. Twelve of the large companies will produce approximately 400 feature pictures with the short subjects to be produced totaling well over the thousand mark. The plans are for quality pictures rather than quantity. i i 1 Wallace Smith Assigned to 'The Silver Horde* Indicative of the elaborateness of their forthcoming productions is the announcement from the executive offices of R-K-O that one of their most prolific writers, Wallace Smith, has been assigned by William LeBaron to write the picture version and dialogue for "The Silver Horde." This is the universally read novel by Rex Beach. The selection of Smith to concentrate on picturizing this story means that the production is to be made on a spectacular basis, since he has been assigned to only the biggest pictures. Smith but recently completed the picture version and dialogue for another of Beach's stories," The Iron Trail." Announcement of the planned massiveness of this screen opus has already been made. Both of these stupendous productions are to be made under the supervision of William Sistrom, prominent film executive, who recently became associated with the LeBaron organization i 1 1 H. B. FRANKLIN BECOMES DIRECTOR OF THE STATE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Culminating two years of progressive business leadership on the west coast, Harold B. Franklin, president of Fox West Coast Theatres, was suggested as a director of the State Chamber of Commerce by Harry Chandler, publisher of the Los Angeles Times, and the State Chamber of Commerce put its stamp of approval on the suggestion by electing H. B. Franklin director by unanimous vote. Franklin came to Southern California as president of Fox West Coast Theatres two years ago. His career in the East has been long and successful.