The Moving picture world (May 1925-June 1925)

MOVING PICTURE WORLD May !6, 1925 Hal Roach to Co-Feature Well-Known Fun Makers AMONG the recent acquisitions made by Hal Roach for his stock company at the Culver City Studios are several names that have already made their mark as established stars or featured players in the comedy field. These players will be cofeatured in the Hal Roach two-reel comedies to be distributed by Pathe during the forthcoming season. Among these recent acquisitions are Al St. John, Lige Conley, Dot Farley, and Lucien Littlefield. All four are now appearing in the second comedy of the Hal Roach two-reel comedy series for Pathe, which is being produced under the direction of Jay Howe. Under the policy laid down for this particular series no single star or player is chosen for the leading role throughout the series, selections for the featured parts being distributed over the most meritorious comedy talent on the Hal Roach lot. Al St. John started his motion picture career with Sennett. He then joined Fox where he starred for several years in two-reelers and whom he left to head his own comedy company for Educational. Lige Conley, another well-known comedian in the cast, had an identical career. He also started with Mack Sennett and then starred in comedies first with Fox and then with Educational. Under Educational's banner he appeared as the star of the Mermaid Comedies. Dot Farley, one of the feminine members of the cast, has been featured in her own comedies, and Lucien Littlefield, deserted the features where he had gained an enviable reputation as a character actor, to create comedy characters for Roach. Besides Al St John, Lige Conley, Dot Farley and Lucien Littlefield, the cast of the second of the series of Hal Roach two-reel Pathe comedies, includes such well known names in the comedy world as Martha Sleeper, Marjorie W'hiteis, James Finlayson, "Husky" Hanes, W. H. Piatt, Harry Lorraine, George Rowe and Al Hallett. Shea Signs Winner Group Vincent McFaul, managing director of Shea's Hippodrome in Buffalo, N. Y., has signed a big First National contract for the coming season. He has contracted to play thirty-nine of the Winner Group of First National releases for the season of 1925-1926. This is the biggest single contract on First National's Winner Group yet signed up. F. J. A. McCarthy, branch manager in Buffalo, aided by A. W. Smith, Jr., of E. A. Eschmann's staff, acted for the distributing company. Metro Buys Sabatini Novel Louis B. Mayer has announced that "Bardelys the Magnificent," the romance by Rafael Sabatini, will be brought to the screen by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the motion picture rights to this best-seller having been acquired by this organization with a view to picturizing it on an unusually elaborate scale. John Gilbert will play the leading role in this special production. "COME OUT FROM BEHIND THAT HEDGE, BEBE, WE KNOW YOU 1" Rod LaRocque, Bebe Daniels and Edward Sutherland, leading man, star and director, respectively, of Paramount's "That Wild, Wild Girl." Miss Daniels is trying to make a noise like a correspondence school detective. Charley Chaplin and Mack Swain in "The Gold Rush," a United Artists' picture All-Comedy Programs Several Big Houses in San Francisco Find the Idea is Popular The all-comedy program, which has been steadily winning favor in important key centers throughout the country, has added San Francisco to its list of strongholds. A few weeks ago the Egyptian and the Aztec, prominent first-run theatres of the Golden Gate City, staged all-Pathe-comedy programs with such decided success that Max Graf, managing director of both houses, was led to express his entire satisfaction with the innovation in the following wire: "It is the first time that an all-comedy week has been tried in this city, and our business is beyond expectations." Now the Granada, another important firstrun house of San Francisco, comes to bat with an all-comedy program comprising the Associated Exhibitors feature comedy, "Introduce Me," an "Our Gang" comedy, and an Aesop Film Fable. The short-subject comedy offerings were from the Pathe program. Sills Cast is Completed First National Productions has completed the casting of Milton Sills' first starring vehicle, "The Making of O'Malley," according to announcement by Earl Hudson, head of the eastern units of First National. The supporting cast consists of Dorothy Mackaill, Claude King, Helen Rowland, Warner Richmond, Julia Hurley, Thomas I. Carrigan, Charles Graham, Allen Brander, Jack de Lacey, Blanche Craig, T. Wigney Percyval and Charles Craig. The picture is now in production at the New York studios of First National, and is being directed by Lambert Hillyer. Wanda Wiley's Latest Century A new Century Comedy starring Wanda Wiley has just been completed at the Hollywood studio plant of Century. The title is "A Hasty Marriage" and it was directed by Edward I. Luddy. One of the features of this comedy Is a bevy of especially selected girls chosen to enact the role of comedy bridesmaids. "A Hasty Marriage" is heralded as one of Wanda Wiley's best two-reelers. It will be released through Universal Exchanges.