Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

490 MOVING PICTURE WORLD HOLLYWOOD OFFIC1-' Waller Investigates Rumor Of Thompson’s Break With F. B. 0. Move Is Unlikely, He Finds — However, There Is Possibility That Sam Wood May Have Severed His Connections as Assistant Executive to Edwin King PERSISTENT reports out here are that Fred Thompson, one ot h .B.O. s biggest box office bets, would move his headquarters a few feet to the east or step into the FamousPlayers-Lasky studio, which immediately adjoins the F. B. O. lot, were thoroughly gone into this "week by MovingPicture World. February 12, 1927 Diplomacy Is Theme of Noted Hollywood Star It was gathered right on the F. B. O. lot from a particularly well informed authority that Thompson and Joseph C. Kennedy, F. B. O.’s president, have been intimate friends for a long time and that if there were any chance of the cowboy star moving his stable on Melrose Ave., Holhnvood, such announcement would first come from Mr. Kennedy in New York City. Talk About Wood In the same breath, however, there is talk about Sam Wood being no longer connected with F. B. O. Studios as assistant executive to Vice-President Edwin C. King. From what we gather high officials in the F. B. O. ranks took exception to Wood dividing his time between associate producing on the F. B. O. lot and actually directing a picture for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It seems that Wood had contracted to direct “Red, White and Blue” with the Culver City company before he became allied with the F. B. O. studio chieftians. Reports Are Denied It seems also that the understanding on the F. B. O. lot was that Wood would devote all of his time to F. B. O. production. When the time arrived for him to direct in Culver City in the day time there was considerable talk on the boulevards out here that Wood had relinquished his F. B. O. post. These reports were, however denied here and there at the time. From a careful survey of the situation and from intimations dropped here and there in the last few days it would now seem that a berth in the capacity of associate producer on the F. B. O. lot is now closed to Wood. Wither confirmation nor denial of this report regarding Wood could be officially obtained for publication on the F. B. O. lot during the past few days. Next week Tom Waller will have some announcements of exceptional interest. Watch for them. — The Editor.. Colleen Moore to Star in ‘ Miracle’ . Within the next six months First National will commence actual production on “The •Miracle.” We learned this at the Burbank studios the other day where Richard Rowland’s securing the screen rights to this stage spectacle ‘ still constitutes the chief topic of discussion. Colleen Moore will be starred in the adaptation to the screen production for which Mr. Rowland paid $150,000.00. Reports from a creditable source also say that George Fitzmaurice will be given the directorial honors in making, First National’s greatest picture. Grandfather a Rabbi, Mother Was Eskimo While going through the Fox studios the other day we were introduced to one Ray Wise. Wise is the son of a Jewish father whose father in turn was a San Francisco rabbi. On his maternal side he is 100% Eskimo. Wise who aspires to be a full fledged cameraman on the Fox lot within the next few months, came to Hollywood all the way from Candle, Alaska, which is described as being 200 miles north of Nome. Wise got his inspiration to come to Hollywood over a year ago when he said he helped Captain Kleimschmidt take some of the Alaskian snow scenes in that producer’s “Santa Claus.” Maloney At Work Leo Maloney has started workon “ ‘Two-Gun’ of Tumbleweed” for Pathe release. Ford I. Beebe adapted the screen play from the story by Robert J. Horton. Peggy Montgomery and Josephine Hill have big roles. Out in Hollywood you read all kinds of things and hear still more. The latest in this respect is to have a charming motion picture actress, accustomed to giving teas on lavish studio sets and riding about the boulevards in a Rolls Royce, talk about the business of nations. This is a part of a statement credited to have been made by Miss Talmadge and coming to us this week : . “Tolerance and better understanding between nations is the only solution for international peace. Motion pictures are attaining this and by showing actual conditions in different countries— how other peoples rear their families, and what living conditions are like. They are teaching us to love our neighbors, which is the first step toward the ultimate goal.” Cowboy May Get Jack HolCs Place Now that Jack Holt is definitely off the Paramount lot, Famous-Players-Lasky not having availed itself of an option following the recent expiration of his five-year contract, it would seem that Gary Cooper, native cowboy, has an excellent opportunity to fill Holt’s shoes. It was shortly after it became known out here that Holt was no longer with Famous that reports got under way that Fred Thompson, F. B. O. cowboy screen hero, might be persuaded to join the Paramount ranch. The details concerning Thompson elsewhere. And Gretta Garbo ! The house came to its feet to get a glimpse of a new kind of screen siren — one in a class all by herself. These Hollywoodians actually argued among themselves right in the theatre in their stiff shirts and jeweled dresses. Different than anything they had ever seen. A vamp in straight-laced screen clothes. No lasheen. No over-bowed lips. “Flesh and the Devil” has certainly “made” Gretta Garbo the way “What Price Glory” did McLaglen. One a he-man and the other an osculatory artist. Kissing and Miss Garbo should certainly be synonymous in every box office. Martha Sleeper, at the Hal Roach studio, seeks Joe Cobb’s advice about her costume for the Wampas Frolic on February 17. The Truth About Thompson of F. B. O.