Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

January 15, 1927 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 199 Rowland V. Lee this week won the reward for making a great picture when he affixed his signature to a long term contract as a Paramount director. He won his spurs with Paramount through his masterly direction of “Barbed Wire,” Pola Negri's most recent vehicle. “Soundings” Next Lee’s first assignment under the new contract will be "Soundings,” A. Hamilton Gibbs’ best seller. Lois Moran, James Hall and Douglas Gilmore will play the leading roles. Production will begin February 1. Miss Ralston Leading Lady For Ed. Cantor M.-G.-M. Gives Miss Olmsted New Contract Gertrude Olmsted, who is playing the role of “Hilda Gregory” in “Mr. Wu,” Lon Chaney’s latest starring vehicle, has been given a new contract with Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Irving G. Thalberg, associate studio executive, announced last week. Miss Olmsted, who has been under contract to M-G-M as a featured player during the last two years, has appeared in a number of big film productions and is one of the most popular of the younger screen actresses. Is Popular Star Six years ago she won a beauty prize and a screen contract offered by the Elks in Chicago. Since her arrival in Hollywood she has steadily forged to the front as a screen player. In private life she is the wife of Robert Z. Leonard, MetroGoldwynMayer director. Lya de Putti, as she appears in Griffith’s Paramount, “Sorrows of Satan.” “The Long Loop” Gives Leo Maloney His Real Chance EO MALONEY’S next big outdoor feature under the Pathe banner is entitled, “The Long Loop on the Pecos.” This action picture, based upon the magazine story by W. D. Hoffman and scenario by Ford I. Beebe, was produced and directed by Maloney himself. January 9 is the release date of this attraction. Maloney portrays one of his typical two-gun men characters who thwarts the activities of an unidentified group of cattle rustlers known as “The Long Loop.” The role of Jim Rutledge gives Maloney full opportunity to display his riding ability, as well as histrionic talents which have won him a large following. “The Long Loop on the Pecos” was produced at a number of diverse locations. Scenes were not confined to Maloney’s Skyland studios atop the San Bernardino Mountains, as in the case of some previous features wherein the locale called for western village scenes only. Some scenes were taken at the studio city, but a large number were taken at the huge Borchard Ranch about 125 miles north of the Maloney city and at the LaSalle Ranch, some distance to the southeast. Buys Short Story Contracts have been closed by First National Pictures covering the purchase of the world motion picture rights in a short story by Elliott White Springs, entitled “Belated Evidence,” which appeared in Liberty. Wampas Elect Miss Kingston As “Baby Star” Natalie Kingston, brownhaired and brown-eyed, is the latest girl to be elected a Wampas Baby Star. Miss Kingston, a native daughter of California, is under a long term contract to First National Pictures, Inc., having made her debut with this organization in “Don Juan’s Three Nights.” More recently she played the lead opposite Milton Sills in “The Silent Lover.” Her first screen work was in support of Harry Langdon when that famous comedian was making two-reel comedies for Mack Sennett. She appeared in several productions with Famous Players-Lasky before joining First National. Rudolph Schildkraut in “Young April,” the DeMille feature released by P. D. C. Rowland Lee Has Contract With Famous Jobyna Ralston, and not Sally Blane, is playing leading woman opposite Eddie Cantor in his second Paramount starring picture, “Special Delivery.” Miss Blane has been assigned to the “Looie Fourteenth” unit to play opposite Wallace Beery. W. C. Fields Leaves For Mexico Tour After completing some retakes at the Paramount Long Island Studio for his latest starring comedy, "The Potters,” W. C. Fields will leave next week on a motor tour to Mexico. Although his next Paramount picture has not been announced, it will probably be written by Owep Davis, who, since joining the Paramount forces only a few weeks ago, has written the story for Thomas Meighan’s next picture and for Gilda Gray’s “Cabaret.” In the Colorart picture “The Barefoot Boy.” A Round of Fun The King Dines