Thursday, September 17, 2009

April 4, 1932



CONNIE TALMADGE JEWELS STOLEN FROM BUREAU

Santa Monica, April 4
When Townsend Netcher prepared a month ago to take a vacation with his wife, Constance Talmadge, motion picture actress, he placed $4,200 worth of jewels in a bureau drawer. They returned from their trip to find the jewels gone, Netcher reported to police today.




LIONEL BARRYMORE IS SUED ON NECKTIE BILL

Los Angeles, April 4
A suit on file today by a New York firm accused Lionel Barrymore, actor, of having purchased neckties valued at $116 and not paying for them. The complaint did not specify the number of ties.




JETTA CAN’T WAIT FOR LAW

Hollywood, April 4
Jetta Goudal, motion picture actress, kept right on going when her chauffeur was halted on a charge of speeding. Hurrying to her studio, the actress opened the door and started walking as soon as her car was stopped, a police report related today.




If Hollywood gossip can be trusted, Evalyn Knapp will walk altarwards one of these days with Donald (Donn) Cook.

La Garbo has applied for a European passport

Paul Lukas, actor, leaving Paramount, joins Universal.




Grant Withers, Loretta Young’s ex-hubby, is attentive to Sally Starr.




George Raft has been cast as the heavy in Paramount’s “Countess of Auburn,” and it’s likely that Richard Bennett will be supplanted by J. Farrell McDonald. Raft was Miriam Hopkins’ rough-house Romeo in “Dancers in the Dark,” and her word for him is “terrific.”




Andre Luguet, recent Hollywood recruit from Paris, has signed a contract under which his services for a long term will be devoted exclusively to Warner and First National pictures. He is seen on the screen in “The Man Who Played God,” George Arliss’ latest starring vehicle for Warner Bros. Luguet plays the part of the king for whom Mr. Arliss gives a “command performance.”




Charles Starrett, who plays opposite Billie Dove in “The Age for Love,” is a former gridiron star of Dartmouth University. Starrett played his first film role in a football picture, “The Quarterback,” while still a student at Dartmouth.




Eddie Quillan, featured with Maureen O’Sullivan and Roscoe Ates in “The Big Shot,” is a member of the “Hole-In-One” club, an honor coveted by every golfer. On the same program is Robert Montgomery and Madge Evans in “Lovers Courageous.”


From Luella O. Parsons



Los Angeles, April 4
Paramount has put the matter squarely up to Stewart Walker to select new faces and new talent. Walker, famous stage director and credited with the discovery of such favorites as Peggy Wood, Kay Francis, Mary Ellis, Charles Starrett, Alexander Kirkland and Blanche Yurka, will start a school on the Paramount lot.

This school is vastly different from the one that educated Buddy Rogers, Josephine Dunn and others at the Paramount Studios some six years ago. No amateurs can attend. Walker will find his pupils among young people who have always shown talent on the stage or in minor screen roles.
He will groom them in plays and motion pictures, developing them for important Paramount roles.

The original idea belongs to B. P. Schulberg, who has great respect for Walker’s knowledge of the stage and screen. The title given Walker will be “Creator of Stars,” and that, my friends, is something now. Am I right?




If Barbara Stanwyck ever changes her type and goes in for comedy I am going to register a nation-wide protest. There is no one who can be as tragic as Barbara and there is no one who can play these worldly young things with more emotional appeal.

Warner Brothers have bought a novel called They Call It Sin by Alberta Stedman Egan. Miss Stanwyck was in mind when the story was purchased. It’s about a girl whose life is ruined when she finds out she is a foundling, a girl also who loves the wrong man. Sounds very Barbara Stanwyck, doesn’t it?




Surprising that Janet Gaynor said thumbs down on Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. The critics, it is true, weren’t very kind to Daddy Long Legs but the public liked it and it made money. Janet, it seems, registered a vehement protest against playing the little girl part in Rebecca. Since they paid Mary Pickford a nice hunk of cash for it and the public seems to crave those Pollyanna yarns, Fox has decided to give the role to Marian Nixon.



Marian, who is small and slim and very young, although she has had considerable screen experience, took tests for Rebecca. All the office boys, stenographers and prop men were invited to express an opinion with the result that Miss Nixon was given the part.

Snapshots of Hollywood:



Jack Holt in a turtle neck sweater, giving several tourists from the Middle West a run for their money. He was lunching at the Brown Derby. So was Lew Cody who came in for his share of admiring stares.




Lily Damita sent a telegram to Lupe Velez congratulating her on her “Follies” success.




Lowell Sherman is contenting himself with playing a director in “The Truth About Hollywood.” He will not direct it.


ADLIBBING ON FIRST NIGHTS




By Wood Soanes
The Barrymore brothers – Lionel and John – are pitted against each other for the first time at the Fox Theater this week in the revised version of Maurice Le Blanc’s old French detective story, “Arsene Lupin,” which has been brought up to date for the occasion.

“Arsene Lupin,” while heavy-handed at times and not always impressive in its story construction, manages to remain consistently good entertainment, the while it permits students of screen acting to compare and contrast the methods and techniques of the two stars.

Perhaps the first surprise was the fact that the men are about the same height and that each possesses an entirely different technique, although they belong to the same school of exposition. Heretofore John has seemed to have an advantage of stature over Lionel.

The choice of this old play with its flamboyant melodrama was ideal for this case because the two roles are about as evenly matched as were those of the brothers in “The Jest,” in which the Barrymores appeared in New York back in 1919.



If you would like to see a movie actor with a jaw you’d love to sock, go to the RKO Majestic and see Eric Linden and Helen Twelvetrees in “Young Bride.” As “Good Time Charley Riggs,” Eric plays the role of a dance hall sheik who talks big business, big deals and big money and lets his wife make the living.

While the picture is not altogether pleasant and possibly the kiddies wouldn’t understand it (but where else can they go this week?) it is a powerful story.

Cliff Edwards adds to the merriment of the New York dance hall wisecracking crowd.

The picture has a modern youth cast and with the exception of Miss Twelvetrees, they show it, yet here is a picture of these youngsters you read so much about and perhaps it is better as it is. Arlene Judge has a golddigging role.

There is a boxing spotlight by Grant Rice, Earl Abel, a deep sea comedy, and RKO News.



With Roland Young, Jeanette MacDonald, Charlie Ruggles and Genevieve Tobin, Maurice Chevalier is not so hard to take in “One Hour With You.”

This light and airy comedy of a wandering wife (Roland’s) and Maurice and his young bride is filled with catchy songs and neat lines, some of which the kiddies understand.

(The poor kiddies; I wonder where they’ll go this week?)

Maurice is a young doctor with apparently but one patient, Mitzi, she being the love-hungry wife of Roland Young.

Young is a professor of ancient history. And Mitzi happens to be Jeanette’s best friend, and so she sends Maurice out in the middle of the night to see Mitzi.
And if you don’t like this, there is Ford Sterling in “Twenty Horses” and a color scenic “Honeymoon Heaven,” a cartoon and Paramount Sound News.



A new picture came into the Aztec Sunday, “Disorderly Conduct,” with Sally Eilers, Spencer Tracy, and El Brendel, and last but not least, Dickie Moore.

Spencer is a motor cop who arrests Sally, bootlegger’s daughter, and is demoted. Dickie is his nephew, one of several. The plot thickens and it turns into a sort of motor cop opera.

It is quite entertaining, and there is a comedy, cartoon, musical novelties and sound news.


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