The motion picture almanac (1931)

108 The MOTION PICTURE ALMANAC 1931 executive secretary of American Red Cross. 1920-22. director of public relations. Motion Picture Producers & Distributors of America. Inc.: 1922-1920: director of Studio Relations, Association of Motion Picture Producers, Inc.. since 1926. JULIO. DON: Production executive: real name Julio B. Munoz; b. Honda. Colombia. South America. December 13. 1898; Q. 5 feet G inches; black hair and eyes; w. 170 pounds: p. Ignacia and Muriano Munoz. professionals: e. Peirce college. Philadelphia. Pa.; m. Maria Balcarel, professional; hy. boxing. Amateur US pounds champion of South America. 1917 to 1920; also active in tennis. No stage experience. His screen experience as producer includes the years 192S to 1930 in the capacity of president of Superior Productions. KAUFMAN. EDWARD: Supervisor of short subjects. Universal studio: b. Chicago. 111.. August 20. 1893; h. 5 feet 3 inches: gray eyes; w. 121 pounds; e. Paterson high school. Paterson, N. J. : is married. Formerly newspaper man with Philadelphia Times, New York Press. Baltimore News. Washington Times when all were under Frank Munsey Syndicate. Entered pictures in 1915 with American Film Company. Santa Barbara, Cal. KEARNS. J. F.: Secretary and treasurer. Rogers Productions. Ltd.. and Charles R. Rogers Productions, Inc.. Hollywood; b. San Francisco, January 18, 1879; p. I. and Helena Kearns; e. high school. San Francisco, Cal.; m. Kdythe Helen Hollander; two children. Nadine V. Plough and Audrey B. C. Kearns. Was in the mercantile Held prior to 1923 and chief accountant of Brazilian Meat Company, Rio de Janeiro. 1917-23; comptroller. Peninsular Productions. San Mateo. Cal., 1924-25; comptroller, Great Western Productions. Hollywood. 1925-26; secretary and treasurer of Charles R. Rogers Productions. Inc.. since 1926 and of Rogers Productions, Ltd., since 1930. KEMBLE. WILLIAM H.: Vice president and general manager of Triangle Film Corporation. Hollywood; b. Wilmington. Del., in 1887; p. Chamber E. and Anna M. Hudson Kemble; e. University of Pennsylvania; m. Emma Knox; has two sons and a daughter. Edward and William H.. Jr.. and Janet. Connected with the bond and mortgage department of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, the bond department of Spencer Trust Company. New York. W. E. Hutton and Company, members of the New York Stock Exchange. Entered the motion picture business as owner of a number of theatres located in New Y'ork City and Brooklyn, including the Brighton Beach Music Hall where he showed "The Birth of a Nation" in the summer of 1915. Took over the Brooklyn exchange of Triangle Film, after which he produced a number of motion pictures. Was connected with Thomas H. Ince as personal financial representative. Now is engaged in handling "The Birth of a Nation" (sound version) for Triangle. Business address: Hollywood Professional Bldg.. 7046 Hollywood boulevard; residence. 5110 Los Fcliz boulevard, Hollywood. KENNEDY, AUBREY MARK: Production executive; b. Winnipeg. Man., Can.. June 21, 18S7; h. 5 feet 8 inches; gray hair and blue eyes; w. 175 pounds; p. .Mary and John Kennedy, non-professionals: e. St. Mary's high school and St. Mary's Academy, Dayton. Ohio: divorced; hy. fishing and hunting. He has had 22 years of screen experience as a motion picture executive and playwright. Is the author of "Seeing Things." a farce produced at the Playhouse. New York City; "Marie Antoinette." a drama, also produced at the Playhouse; "The Darling." a farce, at the Majestic. Los Angeles; "The Tom Cat." also a farce, in London, England, and "Behold This Dreamer," a comedy, at the Cort theatre. New York. Was general manager of Essanay Film Manufacturing Company for three years; general manager of American Film Manufacturing Company, three years; director-general for Universal Film Manufacturing Company three years; also director-general for Goldwvn Pictures Corporation three years. Has also been director and author of innumerable pictures from one-reel Westerns to eightreel super-features. Was appointed executive vice president in charge of Synchrotone devices. KOENIG, WILLIAM : General studio manager. Warner Bros.-First National studios. Culver City, Cal.; b. .Milwaukee. Wis., in 1885; mother. Mrs. Jennie Koenig; e. high school; m. Nellie May Loomis; no children. KOHNER, PAUL: Supervisor. Universal Pictures Corporation. Universal City. Cal.; b. Deplitz. Schoenau. May 29. 1902; h. 6 feet: brown hair and blue eyes; w. 165 pounds; p. Helene and Julius Kohner. nonprofessionals; e. Vienna. Prague; hy. music and tennis. LAEMMLE. CARL: b. Laupheim. Germany. January 17, 1867; h. 5 feet 2 inches; grav hair and blue eyes; w. 140 pounds: p. Rebekka and Julius Laemmle. nonprofessionals; e. Germany; m. Recha Stern of Flieden. Germany, non-professional. From 1884 to 1885 he worked in a drug store in New York, then a department store in Chicago, next on a farm in South Dakota: returned to Chicago and went to work for Butler Brothers; later was employed as a bookkeeper for the wholesale jewelry firm of L. Heller & Company; then became a clerk in the stock yards for Nelson Morris & Company; also worked for the firm of Otto Young & Company, wholesale jewelers: thence to Oshkosh as bookkeeper in Continental Clothing house, and after four years was promoted to manager. Back to Chicago in 1906 and intended establishing a chain of 5 and 10 cent stores but became interested in moving picture theatres instead. Opened his first theatre, the Whiterront. on Milwaukee avenue. Chicago; two months later opened his second theatre on Halsted street; then established Laemmle Film Service, Chicago; the next year (1907). he established exchanges in Evansv'lle. Memphis and Omaha, and in June of that year returned to Europe for a visit. In 1908 he established exchanges in Minneapolis. Portland. Ore.. Salt Lake City, Montreal and Winnipeg. In April. 1909. he quit the Patents Company and became an independent, organized Imp Company, incorporated as Yankee Films Company; released his first picture. "Hiawatha." 989 feet in length, the second release being "Love's Stratagem." 954 feet long. From 1909 to 1912 he fought the Patents Company: and in May. 1912. Laemmle. R. H. Cochrane. Charles Bauman. David Horsley. P. A. Powers and W. H. Swanson combined their interests and formed Uni versal Film Manufacturing Company with offices at 1 Union square. New York City. Later that year Laemmle went to Europe and opened his first American independent foreign office. Laemmle and Cochrane bought out P. A. Powers and obtained control of Universal and in 1924 moved to their present quarters, Fifth avenue and 57th street; in 1925 Universal Pictures Corporation issued the first stock to the public and became established on the New York stock exchange. In June. 1926. Laemmle was stricken with appendicitis on board the S. S. Berengaria and operated upon in London. In December. 1926. he bought the Thomas H. ince estate near Hollywood and became a resident of California. On the anniversary of his sixtieth birthday he was honored by a great demonstration by all of Hollywood under the leadership of Mary Pickford and other celebrities of screen and stage who worked for him. "All Quiet on the Western Front" and "The King of Jazz." both completed in 1930. were awarded prizes by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. "All Quiet" aiso won the Film Daily poll and the gold meda: of honor of the Faculty of Arts. London, as the best picture of 1930. In September. 1930. Laemmle became a grandfather and 'Grand-daddy Carl" took the place of "Uncle Carl" as the industry's affectionate nickname for the veteran producer. Fitting observance was made in February, 1931. of his silver jubilee in the business, and a bound volume of letters received from exhibitors on the occasion was presented to him in Hollywood, the presentation being made bv Martin Quigley and William A. Johnston, general manager of the West Coast offices of Quigley Publications. In connection with the silver jubilee, a biography of Carl Laemmle. by John Drinkwater, was published this spring in England and America (Putnam's). LAEMMLE. CARL. JR.: General manager in charge of all production. Universal Pictures Corporation. Universal City. Ca. ; b. Chicago. 111.. April 28. 1908; e. boarding school near New York, and Clark School. Conceived, wrote, cast, supervised and edited the Universal Junior Jewel Series. "The Collegians." starring George Lewis, and featuring Dorothy Gulliver, as well as Havden Stevenson of "Leather Pushers." Was appointed general manager and associate producer of Universal. West Coast Studios, in complete charge of all production, in 1929. Some of the photoplays made under his direction are "Lonesome." "Broadway," "King of Jazz." "Little Accident." "Lady Surrenders." "Dracula." "Resurrection." "Free Live" "Seed." and "Iron Man." He produced "All Quiet on the Western Front." which won the Gold Medal Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the year 1930. as the outstanding picture produced that year. It also won the Film Daily poll as the best production of the year. LE BARON. WILLIAM: Vice president in charge of production. RKO Radio Pictures: b. Elgin. 111.. February 16. 1883; u. 5 feet 10 inches: light hair and blue eyes: w. 160 pounds; p. Marv Bundy and John K. LeBaron, non-professionals: e. high school at Elgin. 111., the University of Chicago and New York University; no stage training: m. Mabel Hollins. non-professional; hy. play writing. Wrote "The Echo." "The Very Idea." "Apple Blossom." "Her Rtgiment." "I Love Y'ou." "The Yankee Princess," "Moonlight." and "The Scarlet Man." Now is vice president in charge of production for Radio. LASKY. JESSE L. : First Wee president in charge of production. Paramount I'ublix Corporation: b. San Francisco. Cal. ; e. high school of San Francisco. He was one of the first men from the West Coast to go to Alaska at the time of the earliest gold rush and one of the first hundred to reach Nome, this after a brief reportorial experience on the San Francisco newspaper. On his return from Alaska he became a musician and leader of the Royal Hawaiian Band of Honolulu. When he came back to the States he capitalized nis experience by associationg himself with vaudevil'e enterprises, and presented a number of important musical acts in association with the late Henry R. Harris. In fact. Lasky's musical acts are still the recognized vaudeville standards for that character of entertainment. Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company, of which he was president and which he organized in association with Samuel Goldwyn and Cecil B. DeMille. began business in January. 1914. The company produced several of the famous Belasco dramas, including "The Rose of the Rancho." "The Girl of the Golden West." "The Warrens of Virginia." "The Governor's Lady," and "The Woman." Among the stars who appeared under the Lasky banner were Edward Abeles, Edmund Breese, Thomas W. Ross. Blanche Sweet. Dustin Farnum. Max Figman. Robert Edeson. H. B. Warner, the late Theodore Roberts. Edith Taliaferro. Wallace Fedinger, Edith Wynne Mathison. Victor Moore, Mabel Van Buren. House Peters, Charlotte Walker, Ina Claire. Fannie Ward. Donald Brian. Carlyle Blackwell. Laura Hope Crews. Rita Jolivet and Geraldine Farrar. When Famous Players Film Company and Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company combined in July. 1916, Lasky was made first vice president of the new corporation and has continued as such ever since. From the outset he has been in complete charge of the company's production, dividing his time between the big Lasky studio at Hollywood and the home office in New York, where he is in close touch with the activities of the Eastern studio on Long Island. LATH EM. FREDERICK: Born and reared in England. Produced shows at leading London theatres, before coming to New Y'ork. Among the most important of the musical comedies and operettas he directed in this country are "Mile. Modiste." "The Red Mill." "The Old Town." "The Prima Donna." "The Fair Co-Ed." "The Slim Princess," "The Red Widow." "The Enchantress." "The Rose Maid." "The Fire Fly." "Sybil," "The Madcap Duchess," "Sweethearts." "Princess Pat." "The Only Girl." "The Century Girl," "Eileen," "The Echo." "The Canary." "Apple Blossoms." "The Night Boat." "The Half Moon." "The Punch and Judy." "One Kiss. Caroline." "Love Song." "The Candy Shop." "Marjorie." Has directed "Bull Dog Drummond." "General Pose." 'Three Wise Fools." "The Wandering Jew." "The Lullaby." "The Great Pursuit." Now a Radio Pictures executive. LEVEE. M. C: Executive manager. Paramount West Coast Studio; b. Baltimore. Md.. January 19. 18S9; e. Chicago; married and has two sons, Mickey and Johnnie. Previous career in merchandising. Entered pictures in 1917. joining Robert Brunton at United Studios; produced "Isle of Lost Ships." "White Moth." "Sweet Daddies"; held executive positions with First National. United Artists and Paramount. LEVEY, HAROLD: Music director. Warner Brotners' Eastern Studio; b. New Y'ork City; h. 5 feet 10>» inches; gray eyes and light hair; w. 185 pounds; e. New York, Russia and Germany, specializing in composition and piano; m. non-professional; hy. golf. Composer of "Magic Ring." "Lady Billy." "Clinging Vine." "Lovely Lady." "Greenwich Village Follies." and many more. Entered picture business two years ago. LEWYN. LOUIS: Producer. Hollywood: b. Houston. Texas. December IS. 1892; h. 5 feet 10 inches; light blond hair and gray-blue eyes: w. 170 pounds; p. nonprofessionals; e. high school. Houston. Texas: also Berlin. Germany; m. Marion Mack, professional; hy. flving, was awarded Aero Club of America Aviation Medal of Merit in 1919, for first flight into the Grand Canvon of Arizona on the U. S. Air Service flight from the Gulf to the Pacific and return. Produced his first feature air picture in 1919 in wh.ch su h feats as changing from plane to plane and plane to train were shown. This photoplay was produced at Ellington Field. Texas, and released under the title of "Sky-Eye," by Sol Lesser, state rights. Originated a single reel novelty series depicting the life of screen stars in the studios and homes in Hollywood; this being released under the series title "Screen Snapshots." First series 1920. through state rights, second series through Federated Films exchanges, third series through rathe exchanges, following a series through Columbia Pictures. He produced a feature picture dealing with the adventures of a movie-struck girl in Hollywood, under the title of "Mary of the Movies." and released in 1923 bv FBO as a Columbia Picture. This photoplay was made in partnership with CBC Film Sales corporation, and due to the success of this picture. CBC announced a series of Columbia features and later changed the name of its selling organization to Columbia Pictures Corporation. He also produced the "Carnival Girl." in 1923. released by Associated Exhibitors through Pathe exchanges, and the two-reel comedy series, "Alice in Movieland." in 1927; released by Paramount ; also a series of short subjects, rel. ased as "Radiograms." 1928. and distributed by Columbia, the material being written by Ralph Spence. Also has produced a series of short subjects with RCA Photophone sound entitled, "Station Star." He also produced "The Voice of Hollywood." for release by Tiffany. The second series, consisting of 26 single reels, with screen stars broadcasting from Hollywood direct to the theatre, has an added novelty with all programs being presented as television broadcasts. This was the first television novelty series to be released. Also is preparing new novelty series entitled "The Unassociated Press." LIGHTON. LOUIS D.: Associate producer. Paramount Publix Corporation, Hollywood; b. Omaha. Neb., in 1S95; p. Mr. and Mis. William R. Lighton; e. University of Arkansas; m. Hope Loring Lighton: one daughter. Patricia Lighton. Experienced in newspaper work and in magazine fiction and novels: was scenario writer; has been associate producer for Paramount for five years. Wrote or adapted "Wings." "Penrod and Sam." "Boy of Mine." "Little Annie Rooney." "His Secretary." "It" and dozens of others. Produced Clara Bow pictures and "Shopworn Angel." "The Virginian." "Seven Days' Leave," "Tom Sawyer." "Skippy" and numerous others. LIPSCHULTZ. GEORGE MILTON: b. Chicago. 111.. December 12. 1S94; h. 5 feet 6 inches: chestnut brown hair and blue eyes; w. 1G0 pounds: p. Sari and David Lipschultz. professional; e. Medill high school and Chicago university; m. Joan Schirmer. professional: hy. boxing, swimming, baseball and hand ball. Presentation and stage experience musical director. Headlined Pantages circuit and Orpheum circuit as violin soloist. For five years musical director for Saxe theatres. Wisconsin, five years Warfield theatre. San Francisco, one year Loew State, Los Angeles, Fox theatres. Portland and Seattle. Musical director of "Katinka." In charge of synchronization. Fox Studios. Hollywood. Cal. LISSNER, RAY: Assistant director. RKO Radio Pictures. Hollywood : b. New York City. January 10. 1903: h. 5 feet 4 inches: brown hair and eyes: w. 115 pounds; p. Julia Manck and S. H. Lissner. nonprofessionals; e. Commerce high school; m. June Heide. professional. Started in the picture business with International Film Service. New iork. doing laboratory work (December 5. 1919): in 1920 he went with the Cosmopolitan Studios. New York, as office boy. then with Fox Film Corporation. New York office, as personal office boy to William Fox. Later worked as prop boy, script clerk, second assistant director with the following directors: Jack Ford. Herbert Brenon. J. Gordon Edwards and Harry Millard. In 1925 he became chief assistant director and personal business manager under contract to Herbert Brenon to date, on the following productions: "Dancing Mothers." "Beau Geste." "Great Gatsby." "God Gave Me 20 Cents." "Telephone Girl." "Sorrell and Son." "Laugh, Clown. Laugh." "The Rescue." and "Case of Sergeant Grischa," also "Beau Ideal." Worked at Cosmopolitan Studio. Fox, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. United Artists. Samuel Goldwvn. Inc.. and Iiadio-Keith-Orpheum. Assisted Fred Newmeyer. Nick Grinde. Paul Sloane and others. Member of the first executive committee of the assistant directors section of the director's branch of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. LIVADARY. JOHN PAUL: Technical sound director. Columbia Pictures Corporation. Holbwood; b. April 29, 1899, in Constantinople of French parents but is an American citizen: p. Paul J. and Marguerite Scott LeVadari; e. University of Athens. Greece. New England Consenatory of Music. Massachusetts Institute of Technology with degrees of bachelor of science and master of science from M.I.T. in electrial engineering and mathematics; not married. Completed his engineering education after being honorably discharged from