Universal Weekly (1932-1936)

Sept. 9, 1933 UNIVERSAL WEEKLY E 9 RSAL STAR BUYING CAMPAIGN John Barrymore to Star in ^^CounsellorAtLaw” Universal All Set In Portland and Seattle JOHN BARRYMORE will play the stellar role in "Counsellor at Law." This production, which has just been newly fitted out with a movie adaptation by its author, Elmer Rice, went into production at Universal City on September 8th. William Wyler will direct. Carl Laemmie, Jr. is anxious that as many of the original cast as possible should play in the movie version. Tests for the members of the original cast have been going on in New York for the last two weeks under the direction of Charles Beahan, eastern scenario and production chief. As a result of these tests, four members of the stage play left New York on Saturday on the Century. They are Clara Langsner, Malka Kornstein, Angela Jacobs, and Elmer Brown. Other members who are going in the movie version who played in the stage version, are T. H. Manning, Marvin Klein and John M. Qualen. Of all the players selected for the role, John Barrymore is the one Carl Laemmie, Jr. was most anxious to sign and least confident of signing. However, the unusual role of George Simon was so Intriguing to Barrymore, who had seen the play both in New York and in Los Angeles a number of times, that the contractual difficulties standing between Barrymore and Universal were overcome, where they had signally failed in the case of Paul Muni, through no fault's of Muni's. Elmer Rice was also delighted at the prospect of John Barry more playing the role, and left Universal City last Saturday confident of a splendid moving picture version of his play. He arrives in New York next Wednesday. As we go to press, Charles Beahan is sending to the coast J. Hammond Dailey, Vincent Sherman and Conway Washburn. Mr. Dailey played the role of Charles MacFadden, Washburn that of Arthur Sandler, and Sherman played in the Chicago company. Two-a-Day for “5. 0.S. Iceberg Universal yesterday started an enthusiastic search for a ttvo-a-day theatre on Broadway. Those tvho tvere privileged to see ‘*S.O.S. iceberg^’ when it arrived in this coun try, predicted for it a sensational success as a roadshow picture. Universal will start it off with a two-a-day run in ISew York. John Boles and Margaret Sitllavan in a scene from ‘'Only Yesterday,” which is just being completed at V nivcrsal City for release on October 23rd. JX RRANGEMENTS were completed this week whereby Uni•^versal first runs are definitely assured in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Wash. In Portland, for instance. Universal pictures are equitably divided between J. J. Parker's two theatres and John Hamrick's two theatres. The Parker theatres are the Broadway and the United Artists, whereas the Hamrick theatres are called the Oriental and the Blue Mouse. In Seattle, Universal product is divided between John Hamrick's Music Box Theatre and the Blue Mouse Theatre, and Jensen and Von Herberg's new coast palace, the New Roxy, William Hurlhut Adapting PREPARATION for the filming of Charles G. Norris' popular best seller, "Zest" got underway at Universal City this week when William Hurlbut, well known Broadway playwright and author of screen stories, was assigned by Carl Laemmie, Jr. to write the treatment and continuity. Hurlbut is one of the most prolific writers on the Universal lot. His most recent work was the dialogue for John M. Stahl's Only Yesterday," and the screenplay for his own story, "Ladies Must Love," featuring June Knight. "Zest" will be produced tor Universal's 1933-34 program.