Motion Picture News (Apr - Jun 1927)

May so, 1 9 2y 1949 Fifty-Eight From First National Thirteen Specials, Forty-Five Features Scheduled, Rowland Tells Sales Force at Hollywood TIIM lar,i,M's( array ol' pictures ever produced l)y First Natidual will l)o jn-oseiited duriufi: the coniing sciison, Ivicliard A. Rowland, general and production manaj^er, will state at the four day convent ioti of the company's sales force which will he lield at Burhank next week. A total of Hfty-eifjht productions arc scheduled for the year of which thirteen are listed as specials and forty-five as star and feature productions. Adaptations of stage l»lays, novels, short stories and original screen elTorts conijjrise the story material from which tliese attractions will l)e made. Production is outlined as follows : Norma Talniadge in a modern version of Dumas' "("amille. " produced hy Joseph M. Schenck and directed by Fred Niblo, now playing an e\ten(l(Hl engagement at the Glol)e theatre, N'ew York City. Gilbert Roland appears opposite the star. This production and Colh-en Moore's first for the season, an adaptation of the stage play "Lilac Time," are two of the specials. George Fitzmauricc will produce the latter with John McCoriiiick, general production manager on the West Coast, in charge. A Constance Talmadge special will be "Breakfast Before Sunrise," a Joseph M. Schenck production from a French play of Andre Baribeau's. INIal St Clair will dii-eet the screen version and Don Alvarado will play the leading male role. Another special will be the Ricliard Barthelmess starring vehicle. "The Patent Leather Kid" a filmi/ation of the Rupert Hughes novel. Adela Rogers St. John wrote the scenario and Winifred Dunn, the continuity. It is being produced by Al Rockett, Alfred Santell is the director and the supporting cast includes MoUie O'Day, Barthelmess' leading lady, Lucien Prival, John Koll), Lawford Davidson, Arthur Stone, Matthew Zetz, Kaymorul Turner and Nigel de Brulier. A Milton Sills special will be made from one of several stories now under consideration. The picturization of ''The Miracle," adapted from Max Reinhardt's production of the stage spectacle by Carl Vollmoeller, is listed as a special. The screen version will be produced by John McCormick. Maria Corda, Hungarian actress, will be seen in the screen version of Professor John Erskine's satire "The Private Life of Helen of Troy," which will be directed l>y the star's hus})and, Alexander Korda. Lewis Stone and Virginia Lee Corbin will have prominent parts and the picture will he made by Carey Wilson. George Fitzmaurice will make a number of specials one of which will be a drama trom an original story, produced ])y John McCormick; also "Louisiana," an adaptation of Edwin Childs Carpenter's stage play, "The Barber of New Orleans," which he himself adai)ted from his novel "The Code of Victor Jallot." John McCormick will jiroduce, Bess Meredyth will make the :><lai>tation and Billie Dove will have the leading role. Third of the Fitzmaurice specials is a story from the New York stage play "The Barker," written by Kenyon Nicholson; i>roduced for the screen by John McC^ormick. The Ralph Spence burlesque "The G(n-illa," an Alfred Santell production to be directed by Richard Wallace, is also listed as a special. Many Star Series Will Rogers will be starred in the Sam E. ]{ork production "A Texas Steer," a Charles Hoyt farce-conunly which, as a play, has been seen by audiences throughout the country. This will be a special, as also the picturization of the Harold I3ell Wright novel "The Shepherd of the Hills," for which a notable cast and director will be utilized. Aside from her special production Colleen Moore will be starred in three pictures, each produced by John McCormick. Among them are: "Baby Face," an adaptation of the Frederic and Fanny Hatton stage play, "Synthetic Sin" for which Winifred Dunn is preparing the continuity ; another is "The Head of the House of Coombs," Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel; the third will be announced later. Richard Barthelmess will be starred in four productions in addition to the special, but at present only one has been definitely decided upon. This is ' ' The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come" from the novel by John Fox, Jr., an Alfred Santell production under the production management of A\ Rockett. Milton Sills will have three pictures aside from the special, of which two have alreadv' been chosen. They are: "Burning Daylight," Jack London's Alaskan novel, which Wid Gunning will produce, and "Just a Sucker," a story of a fake oil well promoter. The third story is under consideration. Billie Dove will be starred in four pictures outside her leading role in "Ix)uisiana." First is "The Stolen Bride," Carey Wilson producing and Alexander Korda directing from the original by ^Ir. Wilson. Lloyd Hughes appears opjiosite the star and Armand Kaliz, Lilyan Tashman, Frank Beal, Cleve Moore, Otto Hoffman and Bert Sprotte are in the cast. Second is "The American Beauty," a story by Wallace Irwin, also produced by Mr. Wilson and in which Lloyd Hughes will again have the leading male role. "The Heart of a Follies Girl," third of the series, will be produced by Al Rockett from Adela Rogers St. John's story, and the last is "Once There Was a Princess," from a story by Juliet Wilbut Tompkins. Harry Langdon is scheduled for four pictures, stories for two of which are set ; "The Butter and Egg ALin," from George S. Kaufman's comedy stage play and a golf comedy, "The Nineteenth Hole." Stories for the other two are under consideration. Producer C. C. Burr announces a screen version of Edward Po])le's stage fai'ce "A Pair of Sixes," as the first of the farcical comedies for the new season starring Johnnie Hincs. Two other pictures are scheduled for this star but stories have not as vet been chosen. Six productions will star Ken Maynard, tlu! First National Western ace; five of the six are original stories written by Afarioii Jackson, the titles of which are: "The Caravan Trail," "Captain of the Strong," "The Royal American," "The L'plaiid Rider," and "The Canyon of Adventure." The sixth is "Gun CJospel," i'rom the story of W. D. Hoffman. Charles R. Rogers is the producer of the Mavnard vehicles. Jack Mulhall ami Dorothy Mackaill will be co-featured in a sei'ies of four pi-oduclions the first of which is "The Itoad to Romance," from an original story by .\l Boasberg, which will be adapted liy ]{ex Taylor and directed by John Francis Dillon. Number two is "Lady, Be Good," fr<tm the musical comedy by (Juy Bolton and Fred Thompson. Both" will "be Charles R. Rogers' productions. Third of the series will be produced by f]dward Small from the Avery Hopwood stage farce "Toadies' Night," and fourth, "Man Crazy," from the story by Grace Sartwell JIason, will be another Rogers' production. Charlie Murray will be featured in a series of four j)roductions the first of which, "East Side, West Side," will be directed by Richard Wallace and George Sidney will do the Dutchman in this story of the Irish and the Dutch. The second is "Down With McGinty," and the third, "Wine, Women and Song," is an adaptation of the stage play by Mortimer Thiese; George Sidney will also be seen in this film. The fourth story has not been selected. Astor-Hiighes Co-Featured Mary Astor and Lloyd Hughes will be featured in a series of four productions produced l)y Ray Rockett. First is "No Place to Go," a(laj)ted from Richard Connell's story, "The Isle of Romance," a tale with a South Sea locale; second, "Tell the World," an origiiuil by Howard Irving Young; third, "Do It Again," from Dixie AYillson's story "Help Yourself to Hay;" and fourth, "Sailors' Wives," from the novel by Warner Fabian. Five Robert Kaiu' jiroductions are listed in the Showman Group. "Harold Teen," from Carl Ed 's comic strip, will be one of these. "The Golden Calf" and "French Dressing," from stories recently published, have been purchased. Two others are yet to be selected from half a dozen stories now being considered. The Jess Smith jn-oduction of "The Poor Nut," from the stage play by J. C. and Elliott Nugent, is another '192V-28 release. Henry Hobart directing. Jack Mulhall aiul Charlie Murray are the featured players, with Jane Winton, Jean Arthur, Henry Vibart and Cornelius Kcefe in the oast. Sam E. Rork's j)roduction, recently completed, "The Prince of Headwaiters, " from the Liberty Magazine story by Viola Brothei-s Shore and Garrett Fort, is scheduled for early release. John Francis Dillon directed and Lewis Stone, Priscilla Bonner, Roi)ert A;,'new. Ann Rork, Jerome Patrick, Lilyan Tashman, E. J. Ratcliffe are in the cast.