April 9, 1932

MAE MURRAY FORCES SUIT OVER UPKEEP OF BROTHER

Los Angeles, April 9 (AP)
With the upkeep of her brother, William Koenig, as the point of controversy, Mae Murray, film actress, was at odds today with the county welfare department.

County Supervisor Frank Shaw announced he intended to proceed under the California pauper act to recover from Miss Murray money donated by the county department to keep Koenig’s family from destitution.

Miss Murray made no attempt to deny the relationship, but was indignant at Shaw’s announcement.

“I am surprised and naturally a bit indignant that any official should announce that he is going to take legal steps to collect some money from me before he asked me whether I am willing to pay it,” she said.

Records of the county welfare department show Koenig, under the name of William King, in November, 1931, his wife and their two children, had been referred to the department by the Assistance League as being in destitute circumstances. A total of $119.52 was advanced them.

Miss Murray, declaring she had not seen her brother since she was a child until 10 years ago, said she had him placed in a sanitarium and had advanced him money for several years.

“Finally, I concluded I had made a serious mistake in encouraging him to live in idleness,” she said. “I have here a letter from his wife which shows she agreed with me.”

“There should be some limit to generosity,” she added.




SALLY O’NEIL AND FILM PRODUCER ARE REPORTED ENGAGED

Hollywood, April 9 (UP)
Sally O’Neil, motion picture actress, and Arthur Lowe, vice president of Metro Goldwyn Mayer, and son of Marcus Lowe, film producer, are engaged to be married, Molly O’Day, sister of the actress, revealed today.

Declaring she had talked with her sister over telephone, Miss O’Day said, “I know they are engaged to be married, but I believe no date has been set for the wedding.”

Miss O’Neil is in New York, recently having returned from a trip to Europe. Her sister said she expected her to return to Hollywood soon to resume her motion picture work.




MIX SAYS NO PICTURE HAS $3,500 IN PAINT

Los Angeles, April 8 (AP)
Down in Tom Mix’s home country an entire barn is painted for a few dollars, the film cowboy said today as he prepared to answer a $3,500 suit George Townsend Cole, artist, brought against him for alleged failure to pay for a portrait.

“There isn’t $3,500 worth of paint in any picture,” Mix said.

“Down where I come from they paint a whole barn for a few dollars and you could be paid for having a liver pill advertisement painted on the roof, too.”

Mix denied he had ever authorized Cole to paint his portrait.




TOM MIX ASKED TO BUY TEMPLE

Los Angeles, April 9 (AP)
Despite the denial of Mrs. Aimee Semple McPherson Hutton that she was negotiating for the sale of Angelus temple, the Los Angeles Times said today Tom Mix, screen cowboy, had been approached by Rev. Paul Rader, evangelist, and his business manager, F. C. Winters, named as prospective buyers of the temple, for a loan of $50,000 to make the down payment.

“About a week ago,” Mix is quoted as saying by the Times, “the Reverend Rader and a man whom I was introduced to as Winters came to my home and asked for a loan of $50,000. They explained they wanted that sum to make a first payment on the property owned by Mrs. Hutton.”

Mix said he took no action, because “purchase of a religious temple is a little out of my line.”

Mrs. Hutton, who holds title to the big tabernacle and its Bible School, said yesterday it was “not for sale.”




MACK SENNETT TO LENGTHEN COMEDIES

Hollywood, April 9 (UP)
Mack Sennett, pioneer producer of film comedies, in announcing today he had signed a contact whereby his productions will be released by Paramount Publix corporation, revealed his plans to lengthen comedies turned out by his studios.

Sennett said he will produce three and four reel pictures – he called them “featurettes” – in the future. He said he had found dissatisfaction among the theater-going public over the practice of neighborhood houses to show two features on the same program. His so-called featurettes will substitute for one of the full-length features. The comedies are now of two-reel length.




PLANS TO WELCOME CHAPLIN STIR HEATED RIVALRY AMONG JAPANESE

Special Cable to the New York Times
Tokyo, April 8
Although Charlie Chaplin is coming to Japan for a rest and holiday, the desire to entertain him royally, and incidentally to gain some self-advertisement, has aroused the Japanese film companies to a frenzy of rivalry that would make a good Hollywood plot.

Mr. Chaplin’s Japanese secretary, Toraichi Kono, now in Japan, proposed to leave the arrangements for his welcome up to Kenichiro Kamimori of the Fuji Film Company.
This was more than the other producers could bear, so yesterday they formed the Rokkakai – meaning the Six Flowers Association – to welcome Mr. Chaplin.

The Six Flowers threaten that if they are not permitted to share in the glories they will radio to Mr. Chaplin – to warn him against the welcome prepared.




EDWARDS REMAINS SAME

Hollywood, April 9 (AP)
The condition of Snitz Edwards, veteran stage and screen comedian, showed no change today, although relatives planned to remove him to a hospital. He is critically ill from a malady believed to have resulted from drinking water while on a South American tour many years ago.


From Luella O. Parsons:



Mack Sennett, who reaped a glorious harvest with his bathing beauties and Keystone Comedies in the golden days of film making, is back again with an idea. This time he will make Featurettes – comedies that are longer than the ordinary feature. Paramount yesterday signed a contract to release these Sennett Comedies.

More pictures to fill the theaters is the crying need. Paramount realizes this, and, in signing the products of Charles and Mack Sennett, is rising to the occasion.

The Sennett galaxy includes the crooner, Bing Crosby; the singer, Donald Novis; Babe Kane, Charles Murray, Dorothy Granger, Harry Gribbon, Andy Clyde, Natalie Kingston and others who have signed for the Sennett comedies.




Wonder if you know that Charlotte Greenwood will probably play one of the comedy gals in the “Tish” series with Marie Dressler?
Surprising that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer never thought to put Charlotte in a Dressler picture before?




Did you know that Dorothy Jordan is on the Fox lot playing in Will Rogers’ picture, “Down to Earth”?




That Dorothy Lee is going to go back to the stage? Her contract is up at Radio and she is sailing through the canal April 14




Do you know that Marilyn Miller will be guest of honor at the Assistance League luncheon next Wednesday? That the league doled out $60,000 for charity last year?




That Frances Dee will cast her smiles at the men of the Advertising Club at the Biltmore when she is guest of honor there?




Just heard that King Vidor will direct Ronald Colman in “Brothers Karamazov.” King did a very worthwhile job on “Street Scene” and is at his best in serious drama. If he does the Colman picture that means it will be some time before he returns to the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer lot. He has not yet finished “Bird of Paradise” for Radio and when he does he will move over to United Artists to discuss the story, et cetera.




With Sally O’Neil in London, and her sister, Molly O’Day quietly at home here, we haven’t heard a word about these Noonan sisters in a long time. Everything’s going to be different now. Molly has found a job for herself. She plays the feminine lead in “Gigolette,” now being produced at Tec-Art. Gigolette, we are told, is the feminine for gigolo and it is the same type of story but told in reverse English.


Snapshots of Hollywood:




Maude Adams and Otis Skinner were given a great ovation by the film people at the opening of Merchant of Venice. The Robert Montgomerys among those at the performance. Dorothy Jordan and the ever faithful Donald Dilloway, Daisy and Paul Lukas, Marilyn Miller and another attentive don, Alvarado Edward Graham were among the stage people who paid homage to Miss Adams and Skinner.




Ivan Lebedeff, one of the best monocle wearers in Hollywood, was lunching with Polan Banks. Joan Crawford and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. entertained at the Ambassador following the premier of Doug’s picture. Paul Bern, Joan Bennett, Gene Markey, Heather Thatcher, Hollywood’s only woman monocle wearer, Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyon and Clark Gable were in the party. Mrs. Gable, who is in from New York, reported as being much entertained.




Groucho Marx gave a party in honor of his father’s seventieth birthday. A revolver was put at each place in case the guests didn’t like the conversation