Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

116 MOVING' PICTURE WORLD January 8, 1927 Mae Murray Breaks With M-G-M — T emperament Hal Roach Planning For His Short Subjects House Mae Murray is expected back in Hollywood next week. It was learned officially that she no longer is on the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s payroll despite the fact that her contract calls for three more pictures, we are informed. Early in the week informants at the studio said they had heard of Miss Murray’s intention to return, but that they did not know definitely then whether she would report at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer lot. It was just before press time that we got definite word that Miss Murray was “through” with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and that Metro Goldwyn Mayer was through with Miss Murray. It was then that credence was given to what were termed “merely rumors and no friction — possiby just a puff of temperament,” when Miss Murray suddenly boarded a train for the East over a month ago. At that time reports, which all present indications now substantiate, were that Miss Murray, upon completing “Valencia,” objected to her next starring vehicle which was then titled “Diamond Handcuffs.” It would seem that her objections at the time were overruled. Anyhow, it is now learned from an unquestionable authority that Miss Murray’s departure was unknown to studio executives until she had boarded the train. The title of the picture which seems to have necessitated Miss Murray’s informal absence, has since been changed to “Women Love Diamonds,” with Pauline Starke in Miss Murray’s role. So far as could be learned up to the time of this writing there were no reports that any other producer was angling for Miss Murray’s services. Marcus Loew Better After being confined to his bed for over a month, Marcus Loew is once more seen about the Metro Goldwyn Mayer studios. Mr. Loew, it is now admitted, experienced during his illness a very grave period. The producer and theatre chieftain will probably return to New York late in January or early in February. Production Under Way at F.B.O. Studio At the F. B. O. Studios, Director Ralph Ince has commenced work on his Gold Bond, based on a story of Elkdom. The production which is untitled is a starring vehicle for Conway Tearle. Alberta Vaughan has also just commenced work in “Follow Your Hunch” which David Kirkland is directing. Tom Tyler has recovered from his recent illness sufficiently to leave the hospital and get before the camera in “The Knight of the Range,” which Bob DeLacey is megaphoning. F. B. O.’s 1926-27 schedule of over sixty features is expected to be completed early in May. Mix on Shipboard For the first time in his motion picture career it is said that Tom Mix has used a battleship for a locale. The sequence “shot” on board the U. S. S. California of the West Coast will appear in his starring vehicle “The Broncho Buster.” Because Hal Roach is now not operating a short subject theatre in Los Angeles does not mean that Roach has abandoned his plans about which we described in detail in this department several months ago. On the contrary, Mr. Roach, we learned officially, is more determined than ever to have a theatre in this city exclusively programmed with short subjects. We hear that Mr. Roach is in possession of architect’s plans for this theatre, and that but for a certain technicality he would have closed a deal giving him a site for his theatre on Seventh street, near Loew’s Theatre in Los Angeles. We gather that Roach now has another site, the deed for which is pending. On the subject of theatres, we gather at the Warner Studio that at last the Warner Theatre is to be an actuality. A steam shovel is already on the site of Hollywood Boulevard and Wilcox avenue. In substantiation (Continued on page 117) “THE FIRE BRIGADE” SETS NEW PRECEDENT (Continued from page 111) their cameras facing aft in several high powered cars, a detail of the men who grind preceded, trailed, and even sideswiped the mogul chariots which careened through the streets of Los Angeles on their way to the big fire. The conflagration was “shot” in four parts so as to enhance the spread of the fire from a row of apartments to the big Orphanage, erected as told in the story, by a grafting politician whose fire traps had already taken their toll in lives. Nigh made the fire sequence a masterpiece. The Orphanage set which still stands on the Metro-GoldwynMayer lot, represents alone an investment of well over $20,000, we are officially informed. This six-story front which possesses considerable depth, is built of a composition of asbestos and plaster, worked together in regular building mesh so that it appears as solid in reality as it does when projected on the screen. On the night when this huge set reddened the sky every precaution was taken. Vaporized gasoline escaping from copper tubes was ignited at vantage points by an electric apparatus controlled by a switchboard to the rear of the ground floor. In addition to the 300 Los Angeles firemen with all of their battling equipment, forty-four property men were concealed throughout the six stories of the set, careful to guard against any unforseen emergency. Nearly thirty powerful streams of water played upon the flaming edifice, obtaining their pressure from a water main and many hydrants which had been specially laid out for this occasion. Ray Swallows Smoke Charles Ray now admits to us that as Fireman Terry O’Neill, survivor of three brothers who are previously shown giving their lives to the cause, he inhaled more smoke and went through more flames than he has ever experienced in his lengthy career as a screen star. During the Orphanage fire sequence, Ray is literally buried under a load of falling debris which he states was nearly as heavy as it looked. At another time he states he was slightly scorched while he was pushing through a siege of flame to rescue one of the child inmates in the fire trap. Not overlooking a single detail to make the fire scene as literal, as possible, Louis B. Mayer, vice-president in charge of production at the studios, drafted the services of 1,400 orphans from the Los Angeles Orphanage. These children spent several days at the studio prior to the filming of the great exterior fire scenes. They were placed through several rehearsals each day by Director Nigh who was aided considerably by the assistance of Chief Scott as drill coach. Ey the time they were ready for the camera the kiddies scored as natural actors and actresses, their wonderment of the fire apparatus and admiration of the real firemen coming to rescue them mingling perfectly with the alarm for the most part which they had of the squinting cameras. Officials Cooperated In addition to the material cooperation of Jay W. Stevens, fire marshal of the State of California, who is credited with having originally made the suggestion to Mr. Mayer to film a picture which would be entertaining and at the same time show how lives and money are lost through needless firefighting, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer were aided in their production of “The Fire Brigade” by the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Doubtless Chief Scott helped most materially by surrendering practically all of Los Angeles fire fighters to Hunt Stromberg, who supervised the production. Fire Chiefs in Washington, D. C., New Orleans, New York City, Chicago and several other cities also contributed since they paraded their forces before Metro-GoldwynMayer cameras for the opening sequence in “The Fire Brigade.” It took over six months to produce “The Fire Brigade.” Again with the stamp of officialdom and the pledge of the producers to donate a generous portion of the proceeds toward a benefit fund for firemen of the nation, “The Fire Brigade” should recruit voluntarily an exploiter in every fireman in every city, town and hamlet where this “epic story of the heroes of peace” is shown. Roach Still Working For New Theatre