Hollywood Filmograph (Jan-Jul 1930)

HOLLYWOOD F1LM0GRAPH 11 Howard Hughes Realises His Greatest Ambition Film Editor Writes What He Thinks of "Hell's Proves the Most Interesting Man in Pictures Today The sensational career of Howard Hughes, filmdom's youngest producer and director, will have a brilliant climax when "Hell's Angels" is presented to the public for the first time at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, May 27. Hughes, noted for his original and eytravagant production methods, has given Hollywood some of its biggest surprises in the past. Whether he will repeat in the case of "Hell's Angels" is the talk of the moment in film circles. Hughes has spent three vears of HOWARD HUGHES his youth, and $4,000,000 of his fortune, in making "Hell's Angels." This is the most time and money ever put into a film spectacle, silent or talking. All Hollywood is speculating as to whether he was justified in sinking this staggering sum in a single picture. Will he get it back at the boxoffice? This is a question which no one can safely answer at this time. Past experiences, however, has proven that Hughes is not the reckless spend-thrift he is popularly supposed to be. The same extravagance has characterized his previous productions, and in every instance he has made huge profits. His first film, "Two Arabian Knights," is said to have cost double the amount which any other producer would have spent on the same story. But it was a box-office sensation, and netted the young producer more than 50 per cent profit on his investment. ''The Racket," his next presentation, was also a cleanup at the ticket windows, and "The Mating Call," likewise, returned him a substantial profit. These films made money for Hughes despite the fact he paid handsomely to other companies to release them. With "Hell's Angels" Hughes will Makes Predictions It Will Smash Box Office Records By FRANK LAWRENCE Hollywood's most colossal film enterprise, "Hell's Angels," will soon culminate in a brilliant world premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre. No picture, undoubtedly, has been more widely publicized and more widely discussed in advance of its premiere showing than this gigantic air spectacle. Produced and directed by Howard whether or not the enormous outlay of time and money is jus^fied by the results. Is the completed picture all that has been striven for and does it confirm the advance predictions of those associated with its making? The writer, having devoted the past three years in cutting and editing this picture, is in a position to state, with no little authority, that "Hell's Angels," in its final entirety, will more than justify the pre-release claims of its most ardent boosters. It is safe to state that this film will not only establish a new mark JAMES HALL, HOWARD HUGHES and BEN LYON Hughes at a cost of more than $4,O0J,OO0 and requiring three years to make, it has created more comment among fans and members of the film trade than any previous production. Now that this epochal picture is about to be witnessed by the public, there is endless comment throughout both fandom and filmdom as to deal directly with the public, roadshowing his picture in all kejr cities, both in the United States and abroad. Sid Grauman, Hollywood's noted impresario, has been placed in complete charge of this world-wide presentation of "Hell's Angels." With utmost confidence in his picture, Hughes feels sure in his own mind that it will "click" wath the public and return a neat profit over and above its tremendous cost. Contrary to popular belief, Hughes is not making pictures for his personal amusement. Like other producers, he is in the business to stay, and to make money, because he realizes that pictures are judged as much by their box-office values as by their artistic qualities. in motion picture artistry, but in addition will hang up new box-office records in all parts of the w-orld. As a film editor, I have been a student of audience reaction for more than 30 years. And while "Hell's Angels" is a film of a distinctly novel character, and something more daring than any producer has heretofore attempted, I predict that it will make an extraordinary appeal to audiences and critics alike, and incidentally provoke more favorable comment than any picture that has come out of Hollywood in the past. It would be unfair to both the producer and the public to reveal at this time the nature of the unusual story which forms the basis of this pretentious picture. Suffice to say, it is one of the most original and realistic dramas ever screened, and a distinct credit to Howard Hughes' courage to invest millions in a film creation so devoid of the traditional Hollywood "hokum" which is regarded among the old-time movie-makers as surefire material for the box-offices. The finest of motion picture photography has gone into the making of "Hell's Angels." The aerial sequences, filmed by Harry Perry, the later Buton Steene, Harry Zech and a staff of some twenty other cinematographers, in my opinion, will never again be duplicated. "Hell's Angels" will stand as a monument to the abilities and the daring of these men who spent hundreds of hours in the air photographing difficult and dangerous air scenes. The dramatic sequences, filmed by Tony Gaudio and staff, are magnificent also, and will be permanent records of cinematographic artistry as applied to the talking screen. As many as forty airplanes, engaging in a free-for-all "dog fight," are shown in single gorgeous panoramas in the aviation section of "Hell's Angels." The public will probably never realize the skill and daring required by pilots and cameramen to photograph these scenes. More than 3,000,000 feet of negative were ground through "Hell's Angels" cameras during the three years of production. This has been cut and edited to 10.000 feet, and what is most amazing, not a single important sequence has been clipped from the finished film. "Hell's Angels," in addition to establishing a new mark in cinematic achievement, will be an everlasting tribute to the fighting flyers of the World War — a permanent historical document — made overwhelmingly real by the comparatively new medium of the sound and talking screen. It is a tribute also to the genius and courage of Howard Hughes, who has devoted more than three years of his youth to the creation of a "dream picture" — film which will not only upset movie-making traditions, but will be popular entertainment whereever motion pictures are shown, and with theatregoers of all ages and classes. i i 1 TO DIRECT JOE E. BROWN William A. Seiter is next to direct Joe E. Brown in "Running Wild" at the First National Studios. Director Seiter just finished "When We Were Twenty-One" on the same lot.