The Motion Picture Almanac 1929 (1929)

72 The MOTION PICTURE ALMANAC 1929 COWAN, JAMES R. : Production manajrer, Lonjr Island studio of Paramount ; b, Glasgow. Scotland, August 25, 1889 : e, hish school and private comnierciai t^chooLs ; first job in a bank. Since he war 20 years old, however, he has been connected with the theatrical buisinese. Only interruption was during the war when he served in a machine pun outfit and rose froni the rank of private to first lieutenant. Started with Klaw and Erlanger in the days of advanced vaudeville ; then went to booking offices of William Morris and served as traveling representative on tours of Annette Keller man and Sir Harry Lauder. He was asaociated with Elizabeth Marbury in production of "Nobody Home," "Very tk>od Eddie," "Love of Mike" and other shows. In that connection he came to know Waltei Wanj^^er and was associated with him in the production of "John Gerguson" and the Frank Bacon show, "Five o'Clock." During this same period he was associated with Lindsey Morrison in the production of stock in Boston. When Paramount took over the Balaban & Katz chain of theatres, he was buying short features for its chain of houses. Sam Katz put him in charge of the unit shows being installed in the deluxe houses of the Publix circuit. He directed the routing, arranged openings and helped put new productions into shape. In time he became manager of all the units. He was brought to the Long Island studio when it reopened and made head of production of short features. On January 1. 1929. he was promoted to production manager of the studio, ranking next to Mont a Bell, production executive, in control of production activities. FINEMAN, B. P.: b. New York City, February 22. 1895; p. Gonia Powell and Venis Feinman, non-prof eseionals ; e. New York college. New York City ; not married ; hy. aviation. No stage experience. Screen experience consists of producing for 10 years for independents, Kathryn McDonald and First National and F B O for two and one-half years, GRIFFITH. D. W. : r. n., David Wark Griffith: b, LaGrange. Ky., January 2, 1879; brown hair and grey eyes ; w, 190 pounds ; p, Margaret Oglesby and Jacob Wark Griffith, nonprofessionals ; e. University of Kentucky ; not married : hy. reading and music. Had 15 years stage experience ; also author of the play, "The Fool and the Girl ;" 12 years in stock and on tour. Screen experience includes production of "Birth of a Nation." "Way Down East." "Broken Blossoms." "Intolerance." "America" and "Lady of the Pavement." HUGHES. HOWARD: b, Houston, Tex. December 24, 1904 ; p. Alena Gano and Howard R. Hughes, non-professional.s ; e. Rice Ins itute. Houston, Tex. ; m, Ella Rice, non-professional ; hy, golf and flying. He has produced "Two Ai'abian Knighte" and "Hell's Angels." He is head of Caddo Productions. LAEMMLE, JR., CARL: b, Chicago, 111., April 28, 1908 : e. boarding school near New York, and Clark school. Conceived and wrote the stories for. cast, supervised and edited, the Universal Junior Jewel Series, "The Collegians," starring George Lewis, and featuring Dorothy Gulliver, as well as Hayden Stevenson of "Leather Pushers" fame. In the one year since his father appointed him to a resixinsible position in the production of Universal's pictui'es. some of the outstanding photoplays have been made under his sui>ervision. such as "We Americans." "Lonesome" and "Last Warning." while pictures of such importance and magnitude as "Broadway," "The Shannons of Broadway" and the Conrad Veldt pictures are entrusted to his supervision. LcBARON. WILLIAM: b, Elgin, III.. February 16. 1883; h. 5 feet 10 inches; tight hair and blue eyes ; w. 160 pounds ; p, Mary Bundy and John K. LeBavon, non-professionals ; e. high school at Elgin, 111., the University of Chicago and the New York university ; no stage training : m. Mabel Hollins. non-professional ; hy, play writing. Wrote "The Echo," "The Very Idea." "Apple Blossom.'* "Her Regiment," "I Love You." "The Yankee Princess," "Moonlight" and "The Scarlet Man." Now vice president in charge of production for R K O Productions (F B O). MACKINNON. DOUGLAS GEORGE: b. Mandalay, Burma, India ; h, 6 feet 1 inch ; light hair and blue eyee ; w. 175 pounds ; p, Annie Allan and Harry Douglas Mackinnon ; e, Los Angeles high school ; m. Ruth Palmer ; hy. yachting and polo. MANNON, ALFRED T. : b, Philadelphia. Pa.. December 2'J. 1897 ; h, 5 feet 11 inches ; brown hair and eyps ; w. 170 pounds ; p. May ReifF and George Henry Mannon, non-professionals ; e, Stuyvesant high school, New York City and Columbia college, school of ai'chitecture ; m, Marion R. Hiekson, non-professional. He is a production executive at Tec-Art Studios. Hollywood. McCORMICK. JOHN: b, Kansas City. Mo.. August 17, 1893; h, 6 feet 1 inch; brown hair and eyes ; w, 185 pounds ; p, Anne Phelan and James S. McCormick, non-professionals ; e, Broadway high school, Seattle. Wash., and the University of Washington ; m, Colleen Moore, professional ; hy, tennis. Began stage career as usher in a Seattle theatre. After leaving college became treasurer of Empress thea re in San Francisco. Realizing the coming ixjpularity of motion pictures, he entered this branch of the show business in 1914 ; bought rights to "Birth of a Nation" and "Tillie's Punctured Romance" for Pacific Northwest territory and exploited and sold pic ures in that locality ; then became affiliated with Sol Lesser, first as exchange manager in Denver of All Star Features Distributors, then as publicity and exploitation manager for the entire organization. After the World War, • in which he was commissioned an ensign in the Navy, he became publicity director of the newly organized First National Exhibitors' Circuit ; was Western head of this or.ganization, as it developed from a two room office until it occupied its present two million dollar studio. In 1027 resigned as general manager of First National Studio to devote his attention to producing Colleen Moore pictures for First National release. MOSLER, LLOYD: b, Portland. Ore.. March 13. 1900: h, 5 feet 10 inches; brown hair and blue eyes ; w, 162 pounds ; e. Central high. Spokane. Wash. ; m, Josephine Mosler ; hy. golf, tennis and swimming. Joined film row of Universal in 1915. Has worked on the following productions : "Ben Hur." "Flesh and the Devil." "Uncle Tom's Cabin." "The Cvit and the Canary." "The Temptress," "Thy Name Is Woman." "Strangers of the Night," "Red Lily" and "The Famous Mrs. Fair." MURPHY, JOHN LAWRENCE: Production manager of Harold Lloyd Cornoration ; b, Chicago, 111., 1894; e, Portland, Ore.; played professional baseball in the old Inter-Mountain League just prior to the war ; m. Hazel Connolly. Chicago. Enlisted in the aviation section in the World war, and immediately following his discharge went to Hollywood where he joined the Brunton Film Company; later went with the Rolin Film Company which was then producing the Harold Lloyd comedies in the old Bradbury M^nsion. Los Angeles. Participated in the building of the new Hal Roach nlant at Culver City and remained there until Lloyd branched out as an indenendent producer six years ago. Went with Lloyd corporation f s production manager. Is a m^mb^r of the KIks. Lakeside Golf Club and the Hollywood Athletic Club. POMEROY. ROY J.: b. Darjeeling, India: h, 5 feet I014 inches; light brown hair and blue eyes ; w. 158 pounds ; e, high school in England, Ohio, We.sleyan and Cincinnati School of Art; hy, portrait painting, electrical research and photography. No stage exnerience. Screen expeiience as director of Paramount's first all-talking picture, "Interference." and prior to this, head of the special photographic effects department for Paramount. POPPE. HARRY H.: b. Cincinnati, O.. h. 5 feet 10 inches : brown hair and '^yes ; w, 170 pounds : e. Grant high school. Stage experience as company manager and advance acrent for Baker & Castle Attractions. "Graustark" and "The Goose Girl ;" advance agent, American tour of the London Symphony Orchestra ; with the Cinfinnati Symiihony O'-chefitra and Heuck and Fennessy theatres. Cincinnati. Foregoing engagements covered the period from 1905 to 1913. Screen experience ^"ith Cosmopolitan Productions for five years : Houdini Pi'-ture Cornoration ; B. A. Rolf*^ Productions : Octagon Films : Yorke-Metro P'-oductions {Harold Lock wood) and David Horsley Productions. Now production manarrer of Pa+he Studios. Culver City. Cal.. with whom he has bpen connected since May. 1927, handling the following pictures : "The Leathernecks," "Office Scandal." "Shady Lndy." "Show Folks. " "Celebrity," "Power," "Th" Cop." "Man Made Woman." "Skyscraper," "The Blue D^nub°." "Gallagher." "Wreck of the Kesnerus," "The Angel of Broadway" and "The Fighting Eagle." REEVES. ALFRED: b, London. England. December 2. 1876 ; h. 5 feet 7 inches ; dark "rey hair and hazel eyes ; w, 135 pounds ; p, Ellen Rowden and John Reeves, professionals ; e, London public schools ; m. Amy Clara Minis'^er. prof*¥;sional : hy, iihotograjihy. first nights and motion pictures. His entire career has been entirely profes-^ional. In 1 895 he toured Gr^at Britain and France with Frank C. Bostock Circus and menacerie ; in 1897 toured as advance manager of Ijord George Sanger's circus in Great Britain ; in 1900 with Fred Karno's Companies in vaudeville. In 1905 he came to the United States as manager and producer and opened at Hammerstein's in New York with "A Night in an English Music Hall;" managed and booked this act and repertoire of Karno sketches until 1914 in the United States. In the spring of 1918 he made a trip to England, coming back .0 this country in the fall of that year with the production of "A Night in a London Secret Society." in which Charles Chaplin made his first American debut at Percy C. Williams' Colonial theatre in New York City, September, 1910. Played this and other repertoire acts. "Night in a London Club," "Night in an English Music Hall," and otheis un.il November, 1913, when Charles Chajilin went into i>icture8 with Keystone. In 1914 he again went to England on a theatrical tour and made appearances in many war entertainments for the wounded at Netley, Aldershot. etc. In 1918 he arrived in Hollywood and renewed connections wi..h Charles Chaplin, who had just started his own production studios ; later became president of Chaplin Studios, Inc., and general manager of Charles Chaplin Film Corporation, which position he now holds. SCHOEDSACK, ERNEST BEAUMONT: b. Council Bluffs. la., June 8. 1893 ; h. 6 feet 5 inches ; brown hair and grey eyes ; w, 190 pounds ; p. Ruth A. and Gustav A. Beaumont, non-profes.^ionals ; m. Ruth Rose, jirofessional ; hy, motion pictures. Co-producer with Marian Cooper of "Gra^" and "Chang." SCHULBERG, B. P.: b. Bridgeport. Conn., January 19. 1892 ; e. high school. New York City, and College of the City of New York. First position as reporter on the "New York Evening Mail ;" with them for two years and left to become associate editor of a magazine, "Films Reports," a journal organized in the interests of independent producers and exhibitors of the then exceedingly young and tender motion picture industry. As a-^ociate editor of "Films Reports" he built up friendships and contacts that enabled him, a year later, to select the producer with whom he desired to affiliate. Because of friendship he accepted a dual post of publicity director and scenario writer with the Rex Pictures Corix>ration, 11th avenue. New York City, and a year later went with Adolph Zukor when Zukor launched his Famous Players Company in 1912. Thus it came about that Schulberg exploited the first feature length, big name motion picture sold in America, "Queen Elizabeth," with Sarah Bernhardt in the title role. First venture in feature length production was the film, "The Prisoner of Zenda :" "Queen Elizabeth" was a French film, bought by Zukor for distribution in America. When Zukor's Famous Players Company combined with Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company in 1915 to become the Paramount Corporation, Schulberg retained his post of double duty. After several years with Paramount he made the decision to tiy his hand at independent production. During this period he saw the Elmer Clifton film. "Down to the Sea in Ships," and playing a minor role, that of a stowaway, was a little girl who attracted Schulherg's attention. He immediately wired his associate, who was in the cast, with the result that Clara Bow came to Hollywood to play in the Schulberg company. Clara Bow, under Schulberg's guidance, has since become one of the greatest box office stars the motion picture industry has ever known. In 1925. Schulberg rejoined the Paramount Cor|>oration in the capacity of associate producer^a position of tremendous responsibility. STERN, W. L. : b, San Francisco. Cal.. October 26. 1890 ; e. Commercial high school. No stage or screen experience. Business manager for Universal Pictures Corporation. THOMPSON, DAVID H.: b. New York City. May 4. 1886; h. 5 feet I0V2 inches; dark brown hair and eyes; w, 210 iwunds : p. Elizabeth and David Thompson, non-professionals ; e, Morris high school and New York law college ; m. Eleanor A. Thompson, non-professional ; hy. boxing, golf and bowling. Stage experience from 1902 to 1906 with the Proctor Stock company of New York City. Started screen career with the Edison Film company in 1910 ; with Thanhouser Film company from 1911 to 1914: with Metro f^om 1914 to 1921 ; with Fox 1921 to 1923 : with First National from 1923 to 1928 ; and next with FoxMovietone. WADE. MERLE: b. Oklahoma City. Okla.. 1907 ; h. 5 feet 10 inches : blonde hair and hazel eyes; w, 150 pounds; p. Etfie Chouteau and James Wade, non-professionals ; e. Wichita, Kan., high school and the University of California, Los Angeles ; not married ; hy, polo. Stage experience consists of appearing in stock in New York City. Screen experience, at present producing "Waca." WEST, ROLAND: b. Cleveland, O.. 1887: p, non-professionals ; e. convent and public