Hollywood Filmograph (Jan-Jul 1930)

HOLLYWOOD FILMOGRAPH Louise Dresser to Play Opposite Will Rogers Edgar Selwyn Ready to Start Directing Henry King Is to Di rect Star in "Lightnin' " Ever since Louise Dresser appeared in "Mother Knows Best" for Fox Films, we wondered why that studio failed to realize what a great actress Miss Dresser really was and that they had a real box-office attraction if they would only give her the proper vehicles. The first sensible move that the company has made in that direction was the signing of Louise Dresser to play opposite Will Rogers in "Lightnin' " which is to be directed by Henry King, with such fine players as J. M. Kerrigan, Ruth Warren and Helen Cohan as part of the cast. "Mother Knows Best" was made at the Fox Studios before the advent of the . talkies into public favor. Had it been an oral film, Miss Dresser, who migrated from the stage to the screen, would have been made one of our most talked about actresses. i i -f WRITER TURNS MERCHANT 'Tis said writers never worry over their looks. When one has tried an experiment that is supposed to bring back youthful tresses and suddenly becomes aware of the fact that it was a sad mistake and is forced to wear a close fitting hat, probably dark glasses, through the awful period of discoloration, what a thrill one would get should he stumble onto a tonic that would do all it claimed to do. From a scenario writer to merchant is the story that comes to us from Frances Fagan. Never having sold anything in her life but stories, and they practically sold themselves, sometimes for less than they were really worth, Miss Fagan got one of the greatest ideas a scenario writer ever had. After using a bottle of hair tonic that made the hair stay in place and get chummy instead of sprouting out in every direction, change the texture and stop it from falling out, Miss Fagan found herself the possessor of the formula by a strange trick of fate. What did she do with it? What does any thinker do with a marvelous idea? Listen! "I've gone into trade, as it were. I can't see what is going to stop me . . . the business practically runs itself now. People who used the tonic simply told others and now I receive orders from all over America, though so far I have not spent 5 cents in visiting these places. It not only restores grey hair to its natural color and is not a dye, but cleans the scalp, changes the texture and restores growth." "OH, SAILOR, BEHAVE!" NEW TITLE FOR OLSEN AND JOHNSON COMEDY The title of Olsen and Johnson's first talking picture vehicle, which' Warner Bros, are bringing to the screen, has been changed from "Nancy" From Naples," to "Oh Sailor Behave !" according to announcement made today by J. L. Warner, vice-president in charge of production. This is the Vitaphone adaptation of Elmer Rice's light comedy produced last season under the title, "See Naples and Die." Irene Delroy, Charles King, Lotti Loder, Lowell Sherman and Noah Beery will support Olsen and Johnson in the picture. Warner Bros, have broken a rule in changing the title of a picture after it has already had its world's premiere under a title, as they have in this instance. Olsen and Johnson have been working together for 14 years and are the outstanding team in public limelight, showing to packed theatres wherever they appear, as they are proving the past two weeks at the Warner Hollywood Theatre. "UNEQUALED REALISM," SAYS LEONARD WALLACE Most of us film reviewers have laughed at some time at Universal and Carl Laemmle. We did when Carl purchased the film rights of "All Quiet on the Western Front." Now we are lifting our hats to one of the greatest pictures ever made. "All Quiet" comes near being "The Birth of the Nation" of the talkies. As the great silent picture gave us a new definite conception of a motion picture, so Universal's talkie sets a standard of talking film construction. It is the most satisfying blend of sound, dialogue, action, and picture that I have seen. Remarque's book has supplied a great theme magnificently expounded; but to Lewis Milestone, the director of the film, belongs the credit of transforming that raw material into a beautiful and impressive picture. The sound accompaniment, shell fire, explosions, the machine gun's rattle, all the confused clangour of battle becomes a dramatic force that blends perfectly with the visual effects to produce in us profound emotional reaction. The dialogue used is all to the point and effective in its fine retraint. It is eloquent proof that the talking film can fuse action and argument into a whole that has, if anything, a greater power than the added effects of both the constituents. — From Film Weekly. "War Nurse," M-G-M Talkie, With Ail-Star Cast Selected "Babs" and "Joy," the two leading feminine roles of "War Nurse," which Edgar Selwyn is preparing to start at M-G-M, have been assigned to June Walker and Anita Page. Anita Page needs no introduction. She has had a long series of successful leading and featured roles at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. "War Nurse" is the much-discussed story of women's part in the war which has been running serially in a national magazine. The director, Edgar Selwyn, is also a noted New York stage producer, president of "Selwyn and Company." Selwyn divides his time each year, fifty-fifty between stage and screen. i i i "TALK ABOUT LUCKLISTEN TO THIS" Among the first successes of Jesse L. Lasky, motion picture pioneer, in the field of entertainment was with a vaudeville sketch titled "The Redheads." One of those who served as publicity man for this vaudeville skit was Laurence Schwab. Today, Lasky is first vice-president in charge of production for Paramount Publix. Laurence Schwab, who has since become a producer of musical shows with Frank Mandel, is co-directing a picture for Lasky's organization. The picture is the all-technicolor film version of "Follow Thru" and the two feminine leads are Nancy Carroll and Zelma O'Neal, both red heads. On the same lot is Clara Bow, filmland's most famous redhead. ■f 1 i SIGNS AGAIN Robert Z. Leonard, who rang the box-office bell with "The Divorcee," has been signed upon a new longterm contract with Metro-GoldwynMayer. Leonard is one of the few veterans of the silent screen to eclipse his past performances in the new talkie medium. He last directed Norma Shearer's latest film, "Let Us Be Gay," and is slated to screen "Rosalie" in which Marion Davies is starred. "Marianne" was Leonard's first talking picture. He followed this with "In Gay Madrid," in which Ramon Novarro was starred. i i i SCOTT'S WORK PRAISED According to advices from the Pathe Studios where Fred Scott is listed among the recent stars, the actor is said to have done his best work in "Beyond Victory." Scott is the hero in the tragic sequence and for the third time plays opposite Helen Twelvetrees.