Universal Weekly (1932-1936)

10 — 7 , UNIVERSAL WEEKLY November 5, 1932 ""Laughter in Hell" in Production A S THE Jim Tully novel, "Laughter in Hell," comes off the press and into the booksellers' g ^ windows, the moving picture of this graphic story, by one of the world's most vivid K m writers, goes into production at Universal City. The growing popularity of Pat O Brien, as evidenced in "Air Mail", caused Carl Laemmle, Jr., to give him the lead. The entire cast is interesting and full of boxoffice names. Tom Brown, Gloria Stuart, Berton Churchill, Merna Kennedy, Arthur Vinton, all have splendid roles, and there are also Douglas Dumbrille, Tom Ricketts, Arthur Wanzer, William H. Turner, Russell Powell, Clarence Muse and Tom Conlon. Tom Reed adapted the novel to the screen, and Edward Cahn is directing it. In "Laughter in Hell," Carl Laemmie, Jr., promises a remarkable performance by Merna Kennedy. Once before the Universal producing head snatched this girl from oblivion. She has the reddest hair in .Hollywood and the producers mistakenly tried to make her a milk-white ingenue. They failed. This time she is , , . II* t Ine new Merna Kennedy as she coming back in a role as provocative as her hair. Miss Kennedy is all washed up with good little girls. She is the laughter in Hell. "'Cagliostro" Now Becomes "The Mummy” with Karloff UNIVERSAL has changed the title of "Cagliostro" on its list of twenty-six productions for the year, to "The Mummy". "Cagliostro" was an original story by Nina Wilcox Putnam, written around a centuries-old legend. With the assistance of E. Richard Schayer, the story was prepared for the screen and the legend extended to date back three thousand years. The role of Im-Ho-Tep was tailored to Karloff, the "Frankenstein" monster, and fitted him so remarkably well that Carl Laemmie, Jr., resolved to launch him as a star in this production of "The Mummy". Karloff actually is a mummy in this picture, a mummy who comes to life by the chance discovery of an ancient formula and then attempts to drag a beautiful society girl back through the centuries with him in order to eliminate the three thousand years which separate them. "The Mummy" has all of the power that made "Frankenstein" great. Its sets were designed by the world-renowned artist, Willy Pogany. Karl Freund, the great camera expert, who shot "Variety" and awoke Hollywood to a consciousness of camera angles and the new camera technique, is producing "The Mummy" as his first directoral assignment. His cast in support of Karloff includes Zita Johann, David Manners, Edward Van Sloan, Arthur Byron, Bramwell Fletcher, and Noble Johnson. 'Destination Unknown' Announced To take the place of the picture "S. S. San Pedro," which has been withdrawn from the list of Universal produc, . L, tions, Carl Laemmie, Jr., appears in Laughter in nell l • x J xl has just announced the story by Tom Buckingham entitled "Destination Unknown." This production will feature Pat O'Brien and Ralph Bellamy, who were so tremendously successful in "Air Mail." The cast already includes Charles Middleton and Rollo Lloyd. Tay Garnett has been taken off of "Men Without Fear" and will direct "Destination Unknown" until conditions in the bull fighting sport in Mexico City improve. All of the important bull fights there were cancelled, owing to conditions which have affected sports in this country as well as in Mexico. In the meantime, "Destination Unknown" looms up as a remarkably fine story, and Universal will give it every possible ounce of production value. The feminine lead will be announced next week. The teaming up of Pat O'Brien and Ralph Bellamy is one of the results of the splendid work that these two did together in "^Air Mail". When "Air Mail" gets into its stride in the theatres, reputations of both will increase.