Motion Picture News (Apr - Jun 1927)

1258 M 0 t i o 11 Picture X e zv s Universal Spending $15,500,000 Schedule for 1927-28 Includes Sixty-Seven Features; About Six Hundred Reels of Short Subjects WHAT Universal considers its most ambitious program is announced for tlie 1927-28 season. Sixty-seven feature productions are scheduled and approximately six hundred reels of short jjroduct will be released. This schedule will represent an expenditure of more than $ir),500,000, states Carl Laemmle. The schedule includes a dozen special ])roductions, thirty-three Jewel pictures and twenty-two of the thriller and fast action Western variety. The list of specials is headed by "Uncle Tom's Cabin," a pi'oduction with fortyfive principals in the cast which has been in the makino for two years, representing an expenditure of $2,000,000. Harry Pollard directed. It is expected that the picture will be road-showed. Next is "The Cat and the Canary," an adaptation of John Willard's stage plav which Paul Leni directed with Laura La Plante in the starring role. The third special Avill be ' ' Les Miserables," the Universal Film de France filmization of Victor Hugo's story. It has already Ijecn i)reviewed in many centers. A school scholarship tie-up has been arranged and four publishers are bringing out new illustrated editions of the book to be timed with release of the picture. "Big Guns" is another special which Irvin Willat is directing from a story by Richard Barry with the cooperation of the U.S. Navy. George Lewis is starred. "Love Me and the World is Mine," a story by Hans Bartach which A. E. Dupont is transcribing to the screen with Norman Kerry and Mary Philbin in the featured roles, is the next special. An exploitation camjiaign built around the revival of the familiar ballad is in progress. "Show Boat," an adaptation of Edna Ferber's pi;pular novel, is another special on the schedule. Harry Pollard is scheduled to direct the picture version as soon as he finishes work on "Uncle Tom's Cabin." "The Man Who Laughs," Victor Hugo's novel, will be screened as a Universal special for next year. Conrad Veidt will play the principal role and it is expected that ^Lnry Phiii)in will also appear in the production. Another special is the sequel to "The Cohens and Kellvs," which will be called "The Cohens and Kellys in Paris." This too, will be directed by Harry Pollard. Four Reginald Denny vehicles will also be pi'oduced as specials; they are, "Out All Night," "Good Morning Judge," "Painting the Town" and "Watch My Speed." Next in order is the Big Gun group comnrising thirty-three Jewels. Another Paul Leni production leads, "The Chinese Pai-rot," from the Earl Derr Biggers novel. ]\Iarian Nixon, Ilobart Bosworth and K. Sojin are featured. Next, "The American Eagle," a story of the American Flying Forces in the World War, written by Lieutenant Howard Blanchard, an American Ace. This will be an Emorv Johnson nroduction with Raymond Keane and Barbara Kent. The succeeding Jewels will be as follows: "Wild Beauty," starring Rex, the wild horse, directed by Henry MacRae from a story by Sylvia Seid. June Marlowe, Universal juniorbeauty, featured in the production. "Silk Stockings," a Laura LaPlante picture, directed by Wesley Ruggles, from the Broadway stage play "A Pair of Silk Stockings," by Cyril Harcourt. "The Small Bachelor," a William Seiter production from the P. G. WodehouseLiberty Magazine serial. Andre Beranger, Barbara Kent, Otis Harlan, Carmelita Geraghty, Gertriide Astor in the cast. "You're in the Army Now," a comedy written by Stuart Lake around the Army of Occupation. Mel Brown Avill direct. "He Knew Women," anotlier Paul Leni picture, starring Ivan Moskine and Lya De Putti, adapted from the musical comedy "The Peasant Girl," a Morris Gest production. "Midnight Rose," an all-star picture directed by James Young. "Back to God's Country," a James Oliver Curwood story directed by Irving Willat with a cast headed by Renee Adoree. "The Four Flusher, " a ^tel Bi'own i^roduction starring George Lewis, adapted from the Caesar Dunn stage play. "Finders Keepers," another Laura La Plante picture made by Wesley Ruggles. It is from the story by Mary Roberts Rinehart. "Cheating Cheaters," an adaptation of the Max Marcin stage play, made by Edward Laemmle, with a cast headed by Betty Conipson, in her first starring vehicle for L^niversal. "Alias the Deacon," an adaptation from a Broadway stage play, made by Edward Sloman with Jean Hersholt. John B. Hymer wrote the original play. "The Shield of Honor," an Emory Johnson thriller, dealing with the life and adventures of a police hero. "My Wonderful One," starring Mary Philbin. "The Girl Show," an all-star production directed by William Wyler from an original story by Charles Logue. "Thanks for the Buggy Ride," a Laura La Plante Jewel, directed by Wesley Ruggles. It is from a story by Byron I\Iorgan. "We Americans," an all-star production from the M. H. Cropper and Max Siegel stage play. "The Eternal Silence," a Jewel adapted from William McLeod Raine's story, "The Yukon Trail," with Francis X. Bushman and June Marlowe in the lead. Directed by Ernst Laemmle. "Thirteen Washington Squai-e, " a Mel Brown production with an all-star cast from the Broadway stage success by Leroy Scott. "The Stolen Ladv," an all-star production from a story bv William Dudley Pelley. "The Crimson Hour," a Mary Philbin picture, in which she is co-starred with Ivan Moskine, in the European play "I^ea Lyon," by I. Brody. "The Irresistible Lover," a Norman Kerry picture, directed by William Beaudine. "The Counsel for the Defense," a picture from the pen of Henry Irving Dodge. Edward Laemmle is the director. "How to Make Love," an all-star picture which probably will be made by William A. Seiter from a story now being written. "Hot Heels," a new picture from the pen of Gerald Beaumont. Directed by Robert Hill. Also, there will be seven Hoot Gibson Jewels, several of them written by Peter B. Kyne and the others by established Western authors. Next in order arc ten Thrill Feature series, consisting of five features made with Dynamite, the Devil Dog, and five Aviation Stunt pictures made with Al Wilson, the leading air-devil. The feature program also includes twelve Western features made with two Western stars and with the Universal Ranch Riders. All varieties of entertainment are offered in Universal 's one and two reel subjects. Included are Westerns, specials, serials, newsreels, and comedies. Heading the list are the Universal Junior Jewels. A new series of ten two-reelers, the second series of "The Collegians." A second series of ' ' The Newlyweds and Their Baby. ' ' twelve two-reelers made by the Stern Brothers. Also scheduled is the first 1927-1928 serial, "Blake of Scotland Yard," featuring Havden Stevenson, and directed bv Robert Hill. There are fifty-two Stern Brothers comedies, four series of 13 each, including the Buster Brown series, from the R. F. Outcault comics, the "Mike and Ike. They Look Alike" series, from Rube Goldberg's celebrated newspaper comic characters; "Keeping Up With the Joneses." from Pop Momand's widely famed comic strip, and "Let George Do It," also adapted from a George Mc]\Ianus comic strip. A new series of Gumj) Comedies also will be released, made with Joe ilurphy. Fay Tincher and the youngster, from the well-known Sydney Smith cartoons. There will be twelve in this new series, each two reels in length. Another neAV two-reel comedy series is the six Octavus Roy Cohen comedies made with Charles Puffy, the fat comedian. In the one-reel comedy field will be 26 Snappy Comedies, 13 of them to be known as Drugstore Cowboy Comedies, and 13 as Harold Highbrow Comedies, featuring Churchill Ross. Likewise 26 Oswald Cartoons, onereel animated cartoon comedies featuring a new character, Oswald the lucky rabbit, nuule for Universal by the Winkler Productions, Inc. The 52 two-reel Westerns will consist of four series of 13 dramas each. The several series are the Northwest Mounted Pictures, featuring Jack Perrin; the Texas Ranger Pictures, featuring Fred Oilman; the Stunt Cowboy Series, featuring Bob Curwood, and the Champion Kid Rider Series, featuring Newton House. The other four serials are "The Trail of .the Tiger," featurin? Jack Dauaherty, directed by Henry MacRae; "The Scarlet Arrow," featuring Francis X. Buslnnan, Jr., directed by Ray Taylor; "The Haunted Island," featiiring Jack Daugherty, directed bv Henry !\LacRae, and "The Vanishing Rider," featui-ing William Desmond, directed by Robert Hill. Finally. Universal will release 104 issues (two a week) of the International Newsreel.