Hollywood Filmograph (Jan-Jul 1930)

HOLLYWOOD FILMOGRAPH 31 NEW YORK MAY 17, 1930 SECTION HOLLYWOOD mo R.K.O. Has 24 Productions to be Made Here Joseph I. Schnitzer Announces Excellent Program NEW YORK.— Thirty four alltalking, musical productions, 24 of which will be specials of the caliber of "Rio Rita," "Hit the Deck" and "The Cuckoos," comprise the 193031 production program of Radio Pictures, according to an annnouncement today by Joseph I. Schnitzer, president of the film organization. With six recently completed stages in operation, the R-K-0 studio is forging ahead on its most pretentious program of talking films. It now has twelve completely equipped sound stages, one of which is said to be the largest in the world. The greatest stars of the screen, stage and radio realms will be seen and heard in Radio Pictures during the new season, according to Mr. Schnitzer. " 'Amos V Andy' are the latest entertainment titans to come to the talking screen," he says. "Their picture will be of a quality that would stand up as great entertainment even without the presence of these artists — the greatest in the amusement world today. " 'Dixiana,' just completed, is another outstanding attraction. A greater operetta than 'Rio Rita,' it brings B e b e Daniels and Everett Marshall, Metropolitan opera baritone, to the screen in the most colorful musical romance ever filmed. "Edna Ferber's 'Cimarron,' with Richard Dix as the star, is another great special on our program. It is based on the Oklahoma land rush of the 80's — vibrant, gripping. "Then there is 'Present Arms,' Broadway musical comedy hit; two Rex Beach successes, 'The Silver Horde' and 'The Iron Trail'; a wartime musical comedy, 'Half Shot at Sunrise,' with Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey; and two specials directed by Herbert Brenon. "Among the starring talent under contract to Radio Pictures are 'Amos 'n' Andy,' Bebe Daniels, Richard Dix, Lowell Sherman, Jack Mulhall and Everett Marshall. In our stock company are Bert Wheeler, Robert Woolsey, Irene Dunne, Edna May Oliver, Betty Compson, Joseph Cawthorn, Arthur Lake, Dorothy Lee, Sue Carol, June Clyde, Hugh Trevor, Ned Sparks, Ivan Lebedeff, Ralf Harolde and others." THE BROADWAY SCREEN By FRANK VREELAND NEW YORK. — Local writers on the movies, both press and publicity, have, during the past few days, been almost paralyzed for words — which is pretty petrifying paralysis in their case. They have just encountered two film stars arriving from Hollywood who shunned meeting reporters, plain American citizens, and even Mayor Walker, whom everyone meets on arriving from somewhere, if they don't meet Governor Whalen. These stars were Douglas Fairbanks and Ronald Colman, and the latter proved to be so elusive that the writers are still in doubt as to whether he actually came to New York or just passed through the town as an idle rumor. Nobody could be found who would depose that he actually saw Colman — in fact, there was no evidence to prove that there really is anyone named Ronald Colman, at least when he comes to New York — if he comes to New York — provided he ever leaves Hollywood — which is doubtful — assuming that anyone has ever seen Ronald Colman in person outside the studio — and that anyone could really identity Ronald Colman if by great good luck they ever happened to see him in person outside the studio. The whole matter, you can gather, is pretty uncertain. Fairbanks, the other practically non-existent entity of the screen, so far as the New York press is concerned, generally arrives in town with quite a loud uproar, virtually with heralds to announce his coming, deputy heralds to check and double-check this original announcement, town criers to let everyone know that at this very moment Doug is installing himself in his hotel, front-line observers to serve notice that Doug is now climbing out of his hotel window and shinning up the drain pipe, and a goodly mass of trumpeters, radio announcers and honorary pall-bearers to give people a fairly accurate impression that one D. Fairbanks is resting quietly in our midst. This time Doug more or less surreptitiously dropped off at Harmon, just before reaching the big city, and buried himself behind the sand traps of the Sleepy Hollow Golf Club. That's no sort of name for a place housing the wide-awake Doug. The star, who stayed under cover till the sailing of the steamer that was to carry him abroad to watch the Americans in the English golf championship, may have thought it best to hide out while he practiced his own golf. We dunno. Maybe Doug's golf, like Ronald Colman, is just an idle rumor. Some day an astute press agent will smuggle a star into town in a black cape and domino, announce him as the "Masked Marvel Among Movie Moguls," and get acres of copy on the front page — even though he turns out to be Lon Chaney imitating a parrot in speech and make-up. Other stars continue to circulate around New York and have attention thrust upon them, which entails parting with autographs. Jack Oakie, for instance, is being called upon to let the public take a good, long squint at him everywhere. The other night he attended a big party at a hotel to celebrate the opening of a Broadway picture by another company than the comedian's. Jack, asked with the other celebrities to speak a few words to an adoring world, arose solemnly and said to the guests of this other company, "If it's a Paramount picture, it's the best picture in town." Paramount is preserving a nice balance of talent by sending Maurics Chevalier to Hollywood for his next picture, as yet untitled, and at the same time sending Charles "Buddy" Rogers east for his first starring vehicle at the New York studio, which will be that stage romp, "Heads Up." This is an important item in the lives of the studio technicians, electricians, property men and grips, for the genial Chevalier was so popular with them that they were willing to lend him a cigarette any time. They've heard from those who remember Buddy in his early student days at the Paramount school that he's very pleasant to have around the place, too,, though Buddy himself surmises he must be a studio pest, because he's always attacking a piano between scenes. Much interest attaches to his new trip eastward, since everyone wants to learn what new musical instrument Buddy has mastered since his last visit, and already a wild report has been denied that it's the zither. The screen is breaking out with golf pictures, evidently to remind those who may have overlooked the fact that it's spring. Besides such amateurs as Nancy Carroll and Charles "Buddy" Rogers in "Follow Thru," and Joe E. Brown and Winnie Lightner in "Hold Everything," and W. C. Fields in "The Gold Specialist,'" the regular golfers have decided that they, too, can waggle a club before the camera with sex appeal. So we now have headed this way Walter Hagen and Leo Diegel in the Mack Sennett film, "Match Play," and Glenna Collett, Tommy Armour, Johnny Farrell and Alex Morrison in a Pathe-Grantland Rice Sportlight, "Fairway Favorites." The American golfers in England will simply have to win for the sake of keeping up the box receipts of their movies. Madison Square Garden, according to announcement, is to be used as the background for the film production of "The Big Fight," in which Jack Dempsey did some neat footwork as an actor on the Broadway stage. Maybe, in view of the well-known way that the Garden can hypnotize crowds into attending, they can induce fight fans to pay $20 apiece for the privilege of being extras in this film. Henry Armetta HENRY ARMETTA Henry Armetta, widely known screen comedian of Hollywood, has been signed by Louis Brock, producer of "Broadway H e adliners" for Radio Pictures' short feature program, to a two-year c o ntract. Armetta will leave for New York on July 1, following completion of present contracts. Armetta's career is an inte resting one. A native of Italy, he came to New York in 1909 with the Italian Stock Co mpany and met with reverses. He became a valet at the Lambs Club, where ' met Raymond Hitchcock, who ga him a part in "The Yankee Consul." Fifteen years ago he left for Holl; wood, where he went into picture He will be recalled as the barber in "Old Arizona." He has played in "Sunkissed," "Mr. Antonio," "Ship From Shanghai," "Street Angel," "Half Marriage," "Jazz Heaven," "Lovin' the Ladies," and many others. The three little Armettas in Mr. Armetta's family, by the way, all believe their dad is the greatest actor in the world. Which may or may not have influenced Mr. Brock in signing him for important roles in his forthcoming shorts for Radio Pictures. S <£ S NEW YORK, May 12.— Universal Service.) — With the setting up of studios in Europe, Hollywood will become the Paris of the motion picture world, Jesse Lasky, film producer, said on his arrival on the North German Lloyd liner Europa today. Mr. Lasky, who is vice-president of Famous Players Lasky Corporation, made this prediction when he announced he had bought a studio in France for making of sixty talkies in French, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, Hungarian and German during the coming year. Most of these foreign pictures, the producer said, will be "carbon copies" of American successes. The manuscripts, the original films and some of the technicians will be sent from Hollywood. Asked whether this meant that Hollywood would lose its dominance, he said: "Hollywood will become with pictures what Paris has been with fashions. Every country should have, and must have, pictures in its own language.