Movie Age (1927)

PAGE 6 MOVIE AGE Dedicate Paramount Sales Next 3 Months to Lasky; Coming Releases Announced Paramount has dedicated its selling efforts for the months of January, Feb¬ ruary and March to Jesse L. Lasky as a tribute to the product turned out this season and the pictures, now in the mak¬ ing, which will be released during the latter half of the film year. “I personally feel that we owe a great deal to Mr. Lasky and the production department,” said Sidney Kent. “There is nothing in a material way we could give him. Therefore, we are dedicating all our sales efforts in January, Feb¬ ruary and March to him as a mark of our appreciation for the wonderful product he has given us this season and for what we know is to come.” Some of the highlights of the Para¬ mount 100 per cent program produced under Mr. Lasky’s supervision since Au¬ gust 1 are: “Beau Geste,” “Hula,” “Swim, Girl, Swim,” “The Rough Rid¬ ers,” “The Way of All Flesh,” “A Gen¬ tleman of Paris,” “Service for Ladies,” and “Serenade,” starring Adolphe Menjou, “Underworld,” “The Woman on Trial,” “She’s a Sheik,” “The City Gone Wild.” Though those pictures released thus far have been marked for their combina¬ tion of story, production and box-office value, the productions to be released during the next three months are said to surpass them. Coming productions in¬ clude “Beau Sabreur,” “The Last Com¬ mand,” “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” “Old Ironsides,” and “Speedy,” the Har¬ old Lloyd production, heading the list. The following is a tentative schedule of product for the first three months of 1928: “Beau Sabreur,” the sequel to “Beau Geste,” directed by John Waters with a featured cast comprising Gary Cooper, Evelyn Brent, Noah Berry, Wil¬ liam Powell, Arnold Kent and Roscoe Karns. This special will be released January 7. Another released on the same date is a picture as yet untitled, co-starring Wallace Berry and Raymond Hatton, with Ford Sterling and Zasu Pitts in featured roles. “Love and Learn,” Esther Ralston’s latest, is scheduled for distribution January 14. Fred Thom¬ son’s second starring production for Paramount will be released January 21 under the title of “The Pioneer Scout.” Emil Jannings’ starring vehicle, titled “The Last Command,” will be released on the same date. Joseph von Stern¬ berg is directing this picture, which has a cast including William Powell and Evelyn Brent. Paramount’s picturization of Anita Buster Keaton Signs On Dotted Line for M-G-M Buster Keaton has renewed his af¬ filiation with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and will be starred by that organization in a series of feature comedies. The star list at the Metro-GoldwynMayer studios now includes Lon Chaney, Marion Davies, John Gilbert, Greta Gar¬ bo, William Haines, Ramon Novarro, Norma Shearer, Buster Keaton and Tim McCoy. The appellation, “the frozen-faced comedian,” was given to Keaton and has since been his trade-mark. His pictures include “The Three Ages,” “Our Hos¬ pitality,” “The Navigator,” “Sherlock, Jr.,” “Seven Chances,” “Go West,” “Battling Butler,” and “The General.” L o o s’ story, “Gentlemen Prefer Byondes,” is slated for distribution Jan¬ uary 28. Malcolm St. Clair is making the picture version with a cast compris¬ ing Ruth Taylor, in the role of the blonde preferred; Alice White, her girl friend; Chester Conklin, Ford Sterling as Gus Eisman, the button king, and Trixie Rriganza, among other celluloid celebrities. The first February release, shipped February 4, is a Zane Grey special pro¬ duction titled “under the Tonto Rim.” It has a cast comprising Richard Arlen, Mary Brian, Jack Luden and Guy Oliver. “The Traveling Salesman” is the tentative title of the newest Richard Dix starring production, which will be released February 11. “Doomsday,” starring Florence Vidor, with a cast in¬ cluding Gary Cooper and Lawrence Grant, will be released February 19. “Tillie’s Punctured Romance,” a new version of the old story, now in produc¬ tion at the Christie studios, will be re¬ leased February 18. Eddie Sutherland is directing the action of this production which has an entirely different story than that of the original picture. Fea¬ tured members of the cast include W. C. Fields, Chester Conklin, Louise Fazenda and Doris Hill. “Honky Tonk” is the tentative title of the first George Bancroft starring picture for Paramount which will be released February 25. Another picture scheduled for release for the same date is “Feel My Pulse,” with Bebe Daniels in the stellar role and Richard Arlen in the leading male part. The Paramount road show, “Old Ironsides,” heads the list of March releases. A featured cast includes Wallace Berry, George Ban¬ croft, Charles Farrell and Esther Rals¬ ton. Where Sunday Movies Are Illegal Test This Stunt Used By Toronto Theatre The problem of what to do when local ordinances or other Blue laws prohibit Sunday motion pictures, in order that something may be realized from the in¬ vestment in theatre and equipment on the off day, is partially solved by the stunt used by Charles Querrie, manager of the Palace Theatre, Toronto, Canada. As the province of Ontario prohibits Sunday shows, Manager Querrie ar¬ ranges a special lobby display for every Sunday, the exhibition comprising pos¬ ters, stills and announcements of com¬ ing attractions. The lobby is left open and many people walk in, during their Sunday strolls and window shopping tours, to look around. Each poster of coming attractions is properly marked with the date on which that certain pic¬ ture will be shown. There may be a law to prevent Sun¬ day movies in some communities, but there is no law to prevent the public from strolling in your lobby and seeing the advertising of coming shows. Columbia Completes Cast For Dana-Graves Comedy The addition of Burr McIntosh, Syd Crossley and Aggie Herring completes the cast of “So This Is Love,” the Co¬ lumbia comedy now in its third week of production at the company’s Gower Street Studios. Frank Capra, formerly Harry Langdon’s director, is handling the megaphone, with Viola Dana and Ralph Graves in the starring roles. Miss Herring and Mr. Crossley are graduates of vaudeville, while Mr. Mc¬ Intosh left the stage to appear on the screen. McIntosh is best known for his de¬ lineations of ogre fathers. He has di¬ vided the past few months between the Universal and First National lots, ap¬ pearing in such successes as “Break¬ fast at Sunrise,” “Silk Stockings,” “Naughty But Nice,” “See You in Jail,” and P. D. C.’s “The Yankee Clipper.” Billie Dove in Follies Film Preparations are being made for the immediate launching of Billie Dove’s next stellar vehicle for First National Pictures, “The Heart of a Follies Girl.”' This story is considered ideal for the beautiful actress, combining dancing with color and plentiful romance. Adela Rogers’ St. Johns’ magazine story was adapted by Carey Wilson, and Alexander Korda, who has just completed “The Private Life of Helen of Troy,” will direct the picture.