Motion Picture News (Apr - Jun 1927)

May 2 0, 1927 1<>55 aiiiiiiiiillliitliilllililllliUHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuii/iiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiii] I IIIIII..IIIIIIIII iiiiiii^ ^ Studio Briefs ! llllllllllllllllllllllUltlllllllUUIUIUIUIllllllllllllllllllllUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIJIIIIUUIinillllllllllllUIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIi: ^lax Kiimnicli, \\\w icecntly •jrudunted I'rom scciiarit) writi r to director, will direct Arthur Lake in a series ot I'liiversal tworeel comedies which will present the youthful couiediau in the jjuise of a worldly-wise ilruji: store cowboy. A supporting cast is now beitifj selected. As soon as Lake has linished with his featured part in "Betty's a Lady'" he will hejrin work on the new series of comedies. Kimmich l)otli wrote and directed "The Shanjihai Jest," a Universal ^liort. \ictnr and Kdward llal]ierin. now producini: •"Dance Mai;ic" in conjunclion with Robert Kane for First National, announce tiie purchase of motion jjicture ripfhts to "Saiiuud lirold and Company," by the I'rcnciiman. ("herbuliez. It will be ])roduced as a -pecial witii N'ictor Halperin directinjr. Tnixcrsal Pictures has renewed the O])tion on the ionir term contract of Efldie Phillips, tlu" colle^-e lieavy in 38 of Car! Laemnde, .Jr.'s, "The CoUeurians." Phillips will continue to fjive vent to his malicious feelinirs in the series, which will run to 20. Now that the majority of the interiors of ••White Pants Willie"." Johnny Hines' newest comedy venture for First National, have been taken, the comedian is busily enjrajicd on location doinir the important exteriors under the direction of his brother, Charles llinc's, with C. C. Burr supervisins^ the entire production. A })olo match, for which crack nienibors of Hollywood polo teams have been recruited, will form one of the Janjrh sequences. On Charley Chase's set, at the Hollywood studio, a regular beauty tournament is in l>ro£:ress, as there arc forty-two girls in the comedian's latest comedy; they are headed by Lupe Vale/ and Viola Richard, Roach's two new tinds. Prominent roles in the Chase comedy are also played by Eric ^lavne and Gale Hcnrv. The world film rights to "Tell the World," an original screen story, by Howard Irving Young, has been purchased for First National by Richard A. Rowland, the company's general and i)roduction manager. Hal Yates, writer and director, has been .signed to a long period contract by the Hal Roach Studio. His assignments will include writing, directing and collaboration. Yates directed ^label Noi-niand in several of her comedies. Frederic and Fannv Hatton -vvill title "The Bugle Call" for Metro-GoldwynMayer. The picture stars Jackie Coogan in a "near-grown-up" role. Kdward Sedgwick directed a cast which included Claire Windsor and Herbert Rawlin«)n. Mitchell Lewis enters the eomedv field in Charley Chase's "Forgotten Sweeties." In addition to Lewis, Chase receives support from Shirley Palmer, Anita Garvin. James Parrott, "the brother of Charley Chase, directed "Forgotten Sweeties." New Cosmopolitan Lineup Ten Films Make U I) LarMi' Schedule: "Hrhiflhiil U/) I' a flier' and '*/he Lovelorn' on l/ist COS.MOPOLIT.W'S output for tinnew season will be ten pictures, three ^Marion Davies iiims, stories of Blasco Ibanez, I'eter B. Kyne, and screen adajdations of the cartoon scripts of George AIcMiinus and Chic Young. All of these productions will receive newspaper publicity and advertising in the Hearst publications. First on the new schedule is "Becky." an original news])aper serial by Raynor Seelig. It has already been made under the direction of John F. McCarthy. Probal)]y the Cosmopolitan production that will be given the most ])uhlicity next season will be "Bringing T'p Father," the cartoon strip by Geoige AIcManus which appears in newspapers throughout the world. A third Cosmopolitan picture will be "Business Wives," an original newspaper serial l)y Winifred Van Duzer which the Hearst papers and others will shortly publish by arrangement with King Features Syndicate. "The Lovelorn." by Beatrice Fairfax, with screen story by Hazel Livingston, is also included among the forthcoming C()snioi)olitan productions and will also aj)pear in serial form in the Hearst news pajters under the same title. The fifth picture will be a screen transcription of "White Shallows in the South Seas," Frederick O'Brien's book which will be known on the screen merely as "White Shadows"; it, too, will be serialized in the Hearst newspapers. Besides the five pictures mentioned an original >lory by Peter B. Kyne to be published in the Cosmopolitan Magazine will probably be produced as a special. A story by Blasco Ibanez of Columbus and his discovery of .\merica will also be made into a picture. Finally, three Marion Davies productions, •■guality Street." "Dumb Dora." Chic ^'oung's comic strip, and a third vehicle ^till to be selected, will complete the company's plans for the new season. The majority of the Cosmopolitan jiroductions will be serialized; they will run for a period of from one to two months and will be proceeded by elaborate advertising campaigns of quarter pages, half pages and full pages. Through arrangements with the King Features Sjndicate, "Becky" will be published by a large group of newspapers in United States and Canada. Paramount Studio Busv Approaching Peak of Summer Production Activities; Seven Starring Vehicles Going Into Work LAST year's record at the Pai-amount studios, when 16 pictures were in production at the same time, may be exceeded this year, as Paramount has nine jnctures under way and six more ready to l)e jdaeed in work within a few weeks. Present studio plans indicate that seven films will be in simultaneous production. James Cruze is about ready to begin direction on "We're All Gamblers Now," an adaptation of Sidney Howard's stage play, "Lucky Sam McCarver, " which will be Thomas Meighan's first picture on the West (Joast in three years. Selection for the supporting cast for Clara Bow in "Hula," her next picture, is now in progress anfl with the filling of the various roles shooting will begin. Clive Brook will act opposite the flapper star. Eddie Cantor's next vehicle will be "The Girl Friend," an original story by Jules Furthman, which is about ready to go into production. Prcp Jack Luden to Star in Paramount Pictures JACK LUDKX, a graduate of the Paramount Pictures School, will be a featured plaver on Paramcuint's line-up for 1927-2S. Jesse L. I.askv announced at the Kastern sales convention of Paramount that the young player, who during the past year was featured in F. B. O. shorts, would star in five Westerns. The title of three of them are: "Dude Ranch." "Shooting Irons" and "The Cactus Kid." Productions will start on the first in a short time. a rations are being made for Pola Negri, who upon returning from Paris will make one more picture before beginning work on "Rachel," to be based on the life of the famous Continental actress and directed by Rowland V. Lee. Josef von Sternberg, who is now directing "'Underworld," has been assigned the direction of Adolphe Menjou's new picture, "With Their Eyes Open," a story by I. A. R. Wylie, which has apjxvired in the pages of the Saturday Evening Post. Scheduled to go into production soon are "The Last Outlaw," starring Gary Cooper, who has Betty Jewel as leading lady, and ■•Ten Modern Commandments," in which Esther Ralston will receive direction from Dorothy Arznei', Paramount 's woman director. Five Pictures for June Release by First Nat'l Five new productions bearing the First National trade-mark will be released during June. "Naughty But Nice." a Colleen Moore picture, is scheduled for general release on ilay 19. ]\Iilton Sills' starring picture. "Framed."' formerly titled "Diamonds in the Rough," will be issued on lune 12. "The Land Beyond Law," Ken Maynard's newest Western vehicle, and •The Sunset Derby." with Mary Astor and William Collier. .Ir.. are scheduled for June "). On June 26 "'Dance ^lagic.'' Pauline Starke and Bi-n Lyons in the leads, will be released.