Hollywood Filmograph (Jun-Aug 1929)

.10 July 13, 1929 Columbia Pictures Will Produce Plays First Motion Picture Co. to Enter This Field — To Get Re-Actions NEW YORK, June 12.— Due to the shortage that faces the film industry of worthwhile play material suitable for motion picture adaptation, Columbia Pictures Corporation announce their entry into the active field of play production for next season with an ambitious program. The stage plays to be presented will be produced in association with well known Broadway managers. Scripts will be assigned to individual producers whose experience and past successes best suits them to handle a particular type of play. Only the finest type of directorial talent and performers with Broadway reputations will be used for these plays. The program will consist of dramas, musical comedies, farces and straight comedies, all written by established playwrights of national repute. Among the many reasons that induced Columbia to enter the stage producing field, according to Jack Cohn, treasurer of Columbia, was a desire to secure a metropolitan audience's re-action to a play before bringing it to the screen. In commenting upon the venture, Mr. Cohn explained: "With the advent of the talking picture and the permanent place secured for it in the public's favor, my associates and ;myself realize that really good plays :by well known authors wil be difficut to purchase in large numbers. To safeguard the interests of Columbia Pictures as well as to make certain that we have a permanent field from which we can continually draw upon for Broadway successes by famous writers, the decision came about to produce our own plays with the best casts and directors obtainable. "This, I believe, is the first time any large motion picture corporation has ventured into the Broadway producing field with a program as large as Columbia's and working directly with New York stage producers rather than in opposition to them. "If the plays prove successes and earn lengthy engagements, motion picture adaptations will be made, otherwise, the vehicles will be dropped. Already, we have several scripts ready for fall production and are lining up more each day." As a first step in their program, Columbia announces the appointment of Mr. D. A. Doran, formerly scenario editor of Pathe, to handle the play situation for them. Mr. Doran's intimate knowledge of the theatre and the type of play most suitable for motion picture adaptation will make him of invaluable aid to Columbia in their present ambitious schedule of both productions of the stage and screen. i 1 1 H. B. Warner, who is responsible for some of the most outstanding characterizations yet given to the screen, plays the featured role of the prosecuting attorney in "The Gamblers," which opened Monday, July 8, at Warner Brothers Theatre. Hollywood Bowl Season Is Opened Tuesday Night Twenty Thousand Greet Noted Italian Conductor and Symphony Orchestra The Hollywood Bowl opened its series of summer concerts on Tuesday night with Bernadino Molinari conducting. Devotees of music to the number of approximately 20,000 flooded the bowl, and greeted the noted Italian conductor warmly when he made his appearance on the stand. The motion picture colony was well represented, as was local society; and both are liberaly included in the list of patrons and season box-holders. Though there was slight evidence that the orchestra is not yet sufficiently well drilled to respond to the dynamic conducting of the Italian maestro, particularly in some phases of Beethoven's First Symphony and the first of the two numbers of Mule's "Sicilia Cantora," it performed splendidly throughout. The light melodic quality of Corelli's "Suite for String Orchestra" was appreciated as an opening number, initiating what promises to be the most outstanding "Symphonies Under the Stars" season in the history of the bowl. The Scherzo from Tschaikowsky's "Fourth Symphony" was aptly rendered, and was followed by "The Pines of Rome," the Respighi symphonic poem with which Signor Molinari won so much favor last season. The steady rhythmic flow and cumulative vitality of the final movement resulted in spectacular climax as before, and all the past glory of Rome was indeed felt to be surging along the Appian Way. Mendelssohn, Edouard Lalo, Richard Strauss, and Ludwig Beethoven, with Alfredo San Malo as violin soloist, were represented on Thursday's program; while Mozart, Borodin, Respighi, and Mancinelli were on Friday's program with Max Pantelieff, Russian baritone, as soloist. The program for Saturday (tonight) follows: 1. Symphony No. 7 in A Major Beethoven 2. Tone Poem: "Death and Transfigura tion" Strauss 3. "Eakoczy" March (Hungarian March) Berlioz Throughout the next two months concerts will be given each Tuesday. Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Programs for Signor Molinari's second week follow: TUESDAY, JULY 16 "Autumn" from "The Four Seasons" Vivaldi Symphony No. 13 in G Major Haydn Perlude to Act 1, "Lohengrin" Wagner Dances from "Prince Igor" Borodin Overture — "Sicilian Vespers" Verd THURSDAY, JULY 18 Symphony No. 2 in D Major Brahms The Fountains of Rome Respighi Overture — Thannhauser .... Wagner FRIDAY,, JULY 19 "Spring" from "The Four Seeasons" Vivaldi Concerto No. 5, "The Emperor" Beethoven Soloist: Mme. Elly Ney, Pianist Concerto Grosso No. 10 in D Minor Handel The Sorcerer's Apprentice .... Dukas SATURDAY, JULY 20 Symphony No. 5 Beethoven Minuet for String Orchestra and Two Flutes from "Orfeo" .... Gluck Scherzo from "Midsummer Night's Dream" Mendelssohn A Night on Bald Mountain Moussorgsky Overture — Semiramide .... Rossini Paramount Spots Five Pictures on Broadway NEW YORK, July 12.— Paramount has five films in leading Broadway theatres this week. "The Four Feathers," the spectacular adventure film produced in sound by Schoedsack and Cooper, is playing to capacity business at the Criterion Theatre twice daily. George Bancroft's talking film, "Thunderbolt," is in its third week at the Rivoli. Adolphe Menjou's first talking film, "Fashions in Love," is at the Paramount. Maurice Chevalier's "Innocents in Paris" is at the Hippodrome, having already completed a $2 run at the Criterion and a week at the Paramount. Richard Dix's "Nothing But the Truth" is the attraction at Loew's State Theatre, having previously played the Paramount. 111 Fox has sigucd Daphne Pollard, formerly a London and New York musical comedy star. The two pictures in which she will appear are "Big Time" and ''The Sky Hawk." Chandler Sale Is Attracting Many The sale of brand new 1929 Chandler automobiles now being conducted by the Kelley Kar Company at 1225 S. Figueroa street has attracted a great deal of attention in film circles. More than a score of motion picture people have taken advantage of this sale to purchase new cars at discounts of from $300 to $800. The six-cylinder closed models are delivered as low as $895 and the eight-cylinder closed cars as low as $1195. The salesrooms are open evenings and Sunday's for the benefit of those who are unable to inspect the cars during the day. 111 President A. Lawrence Lowell of Harvard University has just received, on behalf of the University, a print of the film, "What Price Glory," to be preserved in the University archives. This Fox Film production, with Victor McLaglen and Edmund Lowe, was chosen by the department of Fine Arts at Harvard as one of the twelve best pictures of 1926, to be kept in perpetuity by the University because of their artistic merits. Leo Mc Carey Has Fine Picture The name of Leo McCarey is to be broadcast by the Pathe sales organization to the four corners of the globe, according to an announcement made late yesterday by William Sistrom, general manager of production. Seldom in the annals of motion picture making has a picture received the tremendous acclaim which this young director's initial effort in the talking field engendered before a "sneak" preview audience Friday night at Ocean Park. Titled "The Sophomore," this feature length opus is reported to have surpassed in number the amount of laughs from an audience ever credited to a hilarious screen comedy. Hillstreet 111 Elinor Glyn fashioned a typical "Glyn-ish" story for Billie Dove, and it really has its moments. There are portions in "The Man and the Mo | ment" at the Hillstreet this week, that convey the exceptionally pleasing quality of the star's voice, and at the same time one gets anew the definite impression that she has lost none of her beauty and charm. "The Man and the Moment" is a daring story — daring in the sense that a young couple, suddenly thrown together by force of circumstances, decide to marry in order to be rid of human encumbrances. In short, Billie wants to be rid of her guardian, while Rod LaRocque, the leading man, is anxious to break away from a designing married woman. With the accomplishment of their purposes, unknown to their friends, the action swings briskly into many thrilling and eye-filling sequences. These are characteristic of George Fitzmaurice, the director, whose eye for exotic detail is not missing in this production. LaRocque acquits himself admirably and his voice registers evenly on the whole. Other members of the cast, including Owen Lee and Robert Schable, do first rate work, with Billie destined to add many thousands of admirers on the strength of her pleasing voice. Anatole Frieland's night club revue is the spotlight stage attraction, with a group of lively entertainers. — "Dad." 111 MAKES FIRST TALKER Betty Farrington, last seen locally as the comedy maid in "The Royal Family" at the Belasco Theatre, has completed her first talking picture engagement, she having played the role of Ford Sterling's wife in the Columbia production of "The Fall of Eve," a farce comedy produced under Frank Strayer's direction, with a cast including besides Miss Farrington, Patsy Ruth Miller, Jed Proudy, Ford Sterling, Gertrude Astor, Fred Kelsey and Hank Mann.