Moving Picture World (May-Jun 1927)

May 14, 1927 ctihom aimjLDici oniaoh 115 Contest Winners Visit Paramount School children of sever;il Connecticut cities and towns have completed the historical essay contest on “Old Ironsides” and Commodore Hull, conducted hy the New iHaven Register. The three winners were brought to New York today as the guests of Paramount to view the battleship fleet, inspect the Paramount Building and attend the matinee of “Old Ironsides” at the Criterion. More than 1,(100 school children participated in the essay contest, and Derby, the birthplace of Commodore Hull, was represented by Margaret Degnan, 14 years old. The other two winners were Leah Savitsky, of Shelton, and Lionel DeCosta, of Ansonia. Hull commanded the Nautilus and Argus during the Tripoli engagement anti later was promoted to Commodore and commanded “Old Ironsides” and the fleet in many historical battles. Rogers Starts Production of “The Road to Romance,” was started last week by Charles R. Rogers, who will produce the story for First National Pictures. Character Acting Not unlike his stage characterizations in “Lilliom” and “Peer Gynt” is Joseph Schildkraut’s role in “Plis Dog,” now in production at the De Mille studio. Brown; “His Dog” Karl Brown is directing “His Dog” for Cecil B. De Mille, under the supervision of Walter Woods, from the script of Olga Printzlau. The story is from an original of the same name by Albert Pay son Terhune. East and West Carl Laemmle greets Miss Chang Chin Yuen, the “Laura La Plante of China,” in Universal City. P, F. L. Graduate Elevated; Now A Western Star Jack Luden, a graduate of the Paramount pictures school, will appear on Paramount’s 1927-28 program as a star. Jesse L. Lasky announced at the eastern sales convention of the company that Luden, who has been featured in F. B. 0. pictures during the past year, will star in five Westerns. “Dude Ranch,” “Shooting Irons” and “The Cactus Kid” are the titles of three of these attractions. Production will start shortly on the first. Warner’s Greet Anchored Fleet With the opening of Syd Chaplin in “The Missing Link” at the B. S. Moss Colony Theatre Friday evening, May 6, the publicity department of Warner Bros, promoted an exploitation stunt that reached direct to the seamen of the 129 warships in the combined fleets of the U. S. Navy at anchor in the Hudson River and New York Bay. Through an arrangement with the New York Herald Tribune, 5,000 copies of that newspaper were delivered aboard the various vessels each morning during the stay of the fleet. The front page of the Herald-Tribune contained a welcome message for the officers and men, and the announcement that the seamen would be most welcome at the Colony Theatre where the Warner Bros, attraction is playing. Miss Logan In “The Blood Ship” Following the recent announcement that Jacqueline Logan had been signed for one of the principal roles in “For Ladies Only,” one of Columbia’s current productions, Harry Cohn, vice-president in charge of production for the company, announces that he has also contracted for her services for the feminine lead in “The Blood Ship.” Several prominent names are already identified with this production. Hobart Bosworth will play the leading male role of a shanghaied sailor. George B. Seitz will direct. Speaking of Speed — More than fifteen high-powered racing cars, which have scorched the tracks of Indianapolis, Altoona and Culver City, and burned the sands of Daytona and the clay beds of dry lakes in California, have been gathered for the thrilling auto race in “The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary,” which Erie Kenton is directing for Metropolitan. Denny Advanced To Super Picture Class By Laemmle Reginald denny has reached the pinnacle of screen success. By reason of his great box-office drawing power and the exceptional popularity of his recent Universal productions, Carl Laemmle has advanced him to the Super Picture class. Henceforth, all Reginald Denny Productions will be Supers, made in lavish fashion with a blue-sky limit on productions costs and calculated to vie with any photoplay offered throughout the industry. Reginald Denny Four big Reginald Denny Supers are scheduled for release during the 1927-1928 season. They are being made from unusual stories, with casts of all-star quality and by directors who have rung the bell consistently with the public. The four pictures are “Out All Night,” “Hutch” Thriller A Pathe Release Charles Hutchison, daredevil star, has full scope for his feats in “Pirates of the Sky,” a thrilling drama of the air lanes, which Pathe will release on May 22. Wanda Hawley appears opposite “Hutch.” Others in the cast include Crauford Kent, Jimmie Aubrey and Ben Walker. Charles Andrews directed for Productions, Incorporated. Buys Roche Story Fox Films have bought the cinema rights to the novel, “Come to My House,” by Arthur Somers Roche, which is now being run serially in a national magazine. “Good Morning Judge,” “Ask Me Another” and “Watch My Speed.” “Out All Night” is a rollicking farce comedy from the pen of Gladys Lehman, one of the cleverest writers for the screen. Pretty Marion Nixon, a Universal star in her own right, has been assigned to play the leading feminine role in this picture. William A. Seiter, responsible for many of Denny’s current successes, is in charge of the production. The cast includes Wheeler Oakman, Dorothy Earle, Alfred Allen, Robert Seiter, Ben Hendricks, Jr., and Lionel Braham. The second Denny to be released will be “Good Morning Judge,” from the pen of Peter Milne and Philip Hurn. This story is said to be an ideal Denny vehicle, aptly suited to the individual style of screen farce developed by Denny and which has made him a national favorite. This picture will be put into production as soon as “Out All Night” is completed. It will be directed either by Seiter or by Fred Newmeyer, directorial ace who recently joined Universal from Famous Players. The other two Denny Supers, “Ask Me Another” and “Watch My Speed” are being developed by the pick of Universal’s adapters. Both are fast action comedy stories which supply Denny with the light comedy and speed work in which he so ably excels. It is announced by Universal that the pick of the Coast will be engaged for the supporting roles in these two productions. Building on the success of such hits as "The Cheerful Fraud,” “Oh Doctor,” “Take It From Me,” “Skinner’s Dress Suit,” “Rolling Home” and “Fast and Furious,” Denny expects his new Supers to establish a new high mark in screen entertainment. Arthur Lake Is “U” Choice For “Betty’s A Lady” Arthur Lake, popular young juvenile, who is now completing a featured part in the Jewel production “Too Many Women,” has been assigned by Universal for a similar role in “Betty’s A Lady,” the Gerald Beau-mont story which James Flood is directing under the supervision of Arthur Shadur. “Betty’s A Lady,” stars Charles Ray and is scheduled to be one of the feature attractions of Universal’s next season program. James Gleason of “Is Zat So” fame is also featured in the cast.