Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

January 15, 1927 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 205 • Edna Marion To Continue In Her Comedies Edna Marion, formerly leading lady in Christie and other two-reel comedies, has been signed by Jack White to plaj the leading feminine role in a new Educational-Mermaid Comedy which will go into production at the Educational Studios shortly. Miss Marion’s recent success in a featured comedienne role in “Busy Lizzie,” another Mermaid Comedy, and her popularity as leading lady for Neal Burns in Educational-Christie Comedies won her this new honor in fast two-reel comedies. Chaplin Signs George Davis; “Circus” Role Charles Chaplin has chosen George Davis, featured in Educational-Mermaid Comedies, for an important role in his current production, “The Circus.” The Mermaid comic, who has appeared on the stage in nearly every country on the globe and who made a name for himself while clowning a.t the New York Hippodrome, will star on his contract with the famous lunster as soon as he completes work on his present Mermaid Comedy. Comedy Completed Fred Guiol has completed the latest Hal Roach Star Comedy for Pathe, featuring Mae Busch, in which the cast includes Jimmy Finlayson, Vivien Oakland, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Charlotte Mineau and others. H. M. Walker is titling the picture, which has no name yet. Lewis Signed Hal Roach has signed Mitchell Lewis to support Charley Chase in a new domestic comedy, with Shirley Palmer and Anita Garvin also in the cast. The picture is now in production, with James Parrott at the megaphone. Banks’ Release Pathe announces that it will release Monty Banks’ second feature starring comedy vehicle under the rooster trademark entitled “Play Safe,” on January 30. Famous Diver Seen Annette Kellerman, the noted diver, swimmer and dancer, appears as the star of “Sylph of the Sea,” a process camera novelty feature of Pathe Review No. 1, 1927 series. “U” Sets Production Wheels Turning on 1927 '-28 Shorts Carl Laemmle Announces $5,000,000 Budget; New Series and Novelties Added to Short Product List UNDER THE PERSONAL supervision of Carl Laemmle, president pf the Universal Pictures Corporation, who now is at Universal City, that company’s short production for the 1927-1928 season has just been inaugurated and the full scope of its plans announced. These plans embrace the most ambitious schedule of one and two-reel pictures ever attempted by Universal and will represent a total of more than $5,000,000 in production costs. Eugenie Gilbert, Pathe comedienne, wears a costume of gray satin trimmed with Simian skin. “ Snub Pollard ” in “ The Bum's Rush ” “The Bum’s Rush,” Snub Pollard’s latest two reeler for Artclass release, has been received in New York. It was directed by James Davis and Les Goodwin, produced by R. E. Christiansen, and offers a cast including Mavis Clare, Otto Friese, Dick Gilbert. Max Ascher and the juvenile, Bobby Nelson, who has been seen with Pollard in “The Doughboy,” first of the new Artclass series. Monkey Plot Bobby, a trained monkey, not only is a member of the cast of “Wild and Woozy,” the Educational-Jimmie Adams Comedy released for Laugh Month, but he also is the main reason for the plot of this fun picture. Bobby, as the sacred monkey sough by a scientist, draws a party of white explorers to a cannibal island Cullen Landis Heads Cast of Pathe Serial Cullen Landis has been signed to head the cast of “Crimson Flash,” a serial story by George Gray, being placed in production under the direction of Arch Heath and supervised by E. Oswald Brooks, Pathe serial production manager in the East. Landis has just completed his role of Bob Adams in the military mystery serial, “On Guard,” written by Major Robert Glassburn, U. S. A. In “Crimson Flash” Landis will essay the role of Jimmy Langwell, ostensibly an American importer, but in reality a secret service operative. Bobby Vernon Comedy Production work has been completed on “Duck Soup,” the new Educational-Bobby Vernon Comedy which stars Bobby Vernon in his typical country boy character. Bobby is his usual self only more so, as a boy who knows crops, but lacks information about night clubs. “We will take our hats off to no one when it comes to making short product,” states Mr. Laemmle. "In our short product department we have the pick of the industry — men who have proven over a period of years that they know the one and tworeel end of the game from the ground up. With a long experience and training in making this type of screen entertainment, plus our enlarged and more ambitious plans, all backed by a production budget far greater than ever before devoted to short product in any one year by any one company, Universal's outlook on the short product future is exceptionally bright. Universal exhibitors have a rosy season ahead.” Cohen H as Shorts Outstanding among the innovations to be found on Universal’s short product schedule for next year is a series of 10 two-reel comedies written by Octavus Roy Cohen especially for Charles Puffy and dealing with the comic side of “reducing.” This will be Cohen’s first break onto the Lead All Short Subjects — “U” — screen. Harry Sweet, a veteran in the screen comedy field, is the director, and the supporting cast includes such popular players as Gloria Gray, Arthur Rankin, Lydia Titus, James Bradbury and E-ud Jamison. Universal made another coup in acquiring the screen rights to all of Cohen’s negro stories of Saturday Evening Post and other fame. These stories will be used as the basis for a series of two-reeler comedies, also for the 1927-1928 market. Work on them will begin in a few days. Such familiar magazine figures as Florian Slappey and the Sons and Daughters of I Will Arise soon will be cavorting on the screen. Julius and Abe Stern, comedy veterans behind the Stern Film Corporation, have acquired the screen rights to “Mike and Ike, They Look Alike,” the famous (Continued on page 204) R i n T i n Sees a Wild Cat Rin-Tin of Warner’s “Hills of Kentucky,” thinks he sees a mountain wild cat.