Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

February 12, 1927 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 493 Letter From a Swedish Prince Major Ed«ard Bowes, managing director of the Capitol Theatre, New York, has received the following letter from Prince William of Sweden, who is in New Haven, Conn., who recently was a guest at the theatre, when he saw MetroGoldwyn Mayer’s “Flesh and* the Devil.” The prince, in part, wrote: “I want to tell you how pleasantly I remember the evening I spent with you as your guest at the Capitol when we saw together that very accomplished countrywoman of mine. Mile. Greta Garbo in “The Flesh and the Devil.” Always an artist of great talent, I was interested to see how her dramatic power has grown under your company’s direction. I wish you and your newstar all success.” Warners Rush Production On 1926 Program Before he left the Coast for New York, where he is now laying out next year’s schedule, Jack L. Wajrner gave the word for high speed on all productions now under way, and started preparation on several other stories, so that this year’s program can be finished early in May. Mr. Warner personally supervised the preparation of a script for a new and unnamed Patsy Miller feature. Meanwhile five companies are at work and it is expected that five more of the 26 Winners will be completed within the next month. Dolores Costello, starring in “A Million Bid” is at work with the company on a California mission set, which occupies most of the biggest stage on the lot. Alan Crosland is directing. Several realistic touches will be injected into the filming of “White Flannels.” Lloyd F. Bacon is shooting football sequences, with Jason Robards leading the team to victory. “Matinee Ladies,” May McAvoy’s initial starring vehicle under her new Warner Bros.’ contract, is in its third week of filming. Miss McAvoy enacts the role of an unsophisticated cigarette girl in a large cafe, and comes in contact with a seamy side of life heretofore unknown to her. Byron Haskins is directing. Two others are Monty Blue in “The Brute” and “Tracked by the Police,” featuring Rin-TinTin, the remarkable dog actor. Mayer Arrives in New York For Production Conferences Nicholas M. Schenck and Other Officials of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Will Take Up Most Ambitious Program LOUIS B. MAYER, vice-president and production head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, announced one of the most ambitious production programs in the history of that organization upon his arrival in New York to confer with Nicholas M. Schenck and other officials of the company in the home office. At the present time there are ten units working at the huge Culver City studios and a number of others are preparing to start. Carmel Myers as she appears in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture, “The DemiBride.” Murnau Ends Camera Work For “Sunrise” After seven months of work in this country, F. W. Murnau has completed “Sunrise,” his first American picture for Fox Films. In its present form the picture is said to have about a dozen sub-titles. Murnau, who is now in the cutting room editing it, will in all probability eliminate a few more. It is his aim to let the pictures tell the story of elemental love which forms the central theme of “Sunrise.” George O’Brien and Janet Gaynor have the principal roles. Since he returned a month ago to resume charge of Fox production activities in Hollywood, Winfield R. Sheehan has been in daily touch with Murnau’s work. It was Mr. Sheehan who engaged the distinguished German director to use an original techpique in producing a picture with American actors and the facilities of an American studio. Mr. Mayer indicated the immediate filming of the following productions among others : “The Trail of ’98,” directed by Clarence Brown ; “The Enemy,” directed by Victor Seastrom ; “Twelve Miles Out,” directed by Jack Conway; “Anna Karinina,” directed by Dimitri Buchowotzki; “The Unknown,” directed by Tod Browning; “The Callahans and the Murphys,” directed by George Hill; “Jenny Lind,” based on the life of the great singer; “Smarty,” directed by Robert 2. Leonard; “Captain Salvation,” directed by John S. Robertson ; “The Bugle Call,” directed by Edward Sedgwick; “Spring Fever,” directed by Sam Taylor; “The Thirteenth Hour,” directed by Chester Franklin; “Becky,” directed by John A. McCarthy, and “The Wind,” that will star Lillian Gish. Mr. Mayer indicated that with the expiration of players’ contracts his organization is renewing the majority of them. Among new contracts are those of Ramon Novarro, Renee Adoree, Aileen Pringle, Lionel Barrymore, George K. Arthur, Owen Moore, Ralph Forbes and Tim McCoy. New contracts have been awarded to Sally O’Neil and Joan Crawford. Besides the directors assigned productions, the following will soon start work on new M-G-M screen offerings : Edmund Goulding, Edward Sedgwick, Benjamin Christianson, Christy Cabanne, Marcel DeSano and Viatcheslaz Tourjansky, the latter brought to America from Russia. The starring and stock talent list includes Lon Chaney, Jackie Coogan, Marion Davies, John Gilbert, Lillian Gish, William Haines, Buster Keaton, Ramon Novarro, Norma Shearer, Renee Adoree, Patricia Avery, George K. Arthur, Lionel Barrymore, Eleanor Boardman, Estelle Clark, Lew Cody, Edward Connelly, George Cooper, Joan Crawford, Frank Currier, Karl Dane, Roy D’Arcy, Marceline Day, Ralph Forbes, Jacqueline Gadsden, Greta Garbo, Lars Hanson, Cecil Holland, Tonon Holtz, Maurice Kains, Nathalie Kovanko, Gwen Lee, Louise Lorraine, Tim McCoy, Marc MacDermott, Owen Moore, James Murray, Carmel Myers, Conrad Nagel, Tom O’Brien, Sally O’Neil, Gertrude Olmsted, Aileen Pringle, Bert Roach, Dorothy Sebastian and Claire Windsor. The writing staff now includes Frances Marion, A. P. Younger, Sada Cowan, Dorothy Farnum, Marion Blackton, Waldemar Young, Josephine Lovette, June Mathis, F. Hugh Herbert, Florence Ryerson, Byron Morgan, Albert Lewin, Agnes Christine Johnston, Bradley King, John Colton, Lorna Moon, Richard Schayer, Gladys Unger, Jack Cunningham, Elliott Clawson, Harry Behn, Lew Lipton, Edward Lowe, Jr., Ray Doyle, Douglas Furber, Joe Farnham, Marion Ainslee, Ralph Spence, Ruth Cummings, Sylvia Thalberg, Winnifred Eaton Reeve, Madeline Ruthven, Earl Baldwin and Hayden Talbot. Columbia Home Office Reports Good Bookings Important bookings .received at the home office of Columbia Pictures Corporation this week prove that the company’s “big twenty-four” are still hitting on high in all the exchanges. “Wandering Girls,” Columbia’s drama of modern youth, will open in two theatres simultaneously in Boston. Both the Modern and The Beacon Theaters, first-run houses in that city, have booked this production for the week of February 7. “Wandering Girls” was directed by Ralph Ince, with Dorothy Revier, Mildred Harris and Robert Agnew in the leading roles, with excellent support,