April 13, 1932

HELENE ADMITS DIVORCE PLAN

New York, April 13 (AP)
Helene Costello, screen actress, returned from Europe today on the liner Lafayette. She refused at first to discuss the report that her actor husband, Lowell Sherman, had brought suit for divorce, then said it was true and finally decided to deny it.

She admitted however that she intended to sue for divorce when she reaches California.




KELLY COMES BACK TO FILMS AFTER PRISON

Hollywood, April 13 (AP)
Paul Kelly of the movies, who was held responsible in 1927 for the death of Ray Raymond, stage actor, will arrive here Saturday to attempt a comeback in pictures, Universal Studio executives said to-day.

Kelly’s screen career was interrupted by his trial, conviction and sentence to San Quentin Prison on a manslaughter charge. Since his parole, he has been trying for a new start on the stage in New York and Carl Laemmle, Jr., of Universal, recently placed him under a movie contract.

Dorothy Mackaye, stage actress, who was Raymond’s wife at the time of his death and who also served a San Quentin sentence, become the wife of Kelly in February, 1931. She was also paroled and returned to the stage. Whether she will accompany him here is not known.

After some ill-luck with his come-back attempts, Kelly played the leading male role on Broadway in the dramatization of “Bad Girl.”

Testimony at Kelly’s trial was to the effect that Raymond died as a result of injuries received in a fist fight with Kelly. Miss Mackaye was convicted on a charge of withholding information as to the true cause of Raymond’s death.




INA CLAIRE IN BLACK BUT NO ONE’S DEAD

New York, April 13
Ina Claire is wearing black, but no one’s dead. “It makes one look thin,” the actress explained.




WIFE OF COMEDIAN FOUND IN HOSPITAL

Hollywood, April 13 (AP)
Mrs. Gladys Banks, wife of Monty Banks, film comedian, sought by authorities after her husband reported her missing since last Thursday, was found today in a hospital. She had suffered a nervous breakdown.

Mrs. Banks, 32, known professionally on screen and stage as Gladys Frazin, had been under the care of a physician for some time. Her husband told police he believed she had wandered away from home while in a nervous condition. Banks and wife returned recently from England where they had resided several years.

It was not explained how Mrs. Banks found her way into the hospital.




From Luella O. Parsons:

The wager by certain of our New York intelligentsia that “Once in a Lifetime” would never reach the screen will be lost. Carl Laemmle, Jr. plans to put George Kaufman’s and Moss Hart’s satire on the screen within two months. He isn’t going to spare the movies. He is going to put on the play as it was written and not in any expurgated edition. Russell Mack who has just been signed on a new long term contract will direct it. Mack is the lad responsible for “Spirit of Notre Dame” and other current Universal features.




I have never known Hal Roach to sign any child star who was well known until he signed Dickie Moore; he usually prefers to develop the youngsters himself. Many of them join the “Our Gang” comedies while they are babes in arms. Jackie Cooper’s first job was at the Roach studios and dozens of other children have started there, but Dickie was not signed until he became a headliner.

The Roach studio opens officially May 2 when Dickie moves in. In the meantime, he is playing in Marlene Dietrich’s picture, “Velvet.” Two other newcomers to the Roach lot are Jules White, formerly co-director with Zion Myers of the dog series, and George Marshall, director of golf shorts.




All of Charlie Chaplin’s friends know Kono. He is the indispensible Japanese valet who watches over Charlie like a doting mother and who anguished when Charlie is indifferent to friends. He has been with the comedian for years, shielding him from annoyances of all kinds and making excuses when Charlie broke appointments. Kono is now in Japan with the Chaplin entourage. He is there because his honorable father passed away a year ago and left him a comfortable inheritance. Charlie is along to see that Kono gets all the money that is due him. Those who know Kono’s devotion say that even though he is now a rich man he won’t leave Charlie for here is the bona fide case of a man who is a hero to his valet.




Here is indeed a surprise. Larry Darmour is releasing his westerns through Paramount. Time was when the big companies turned disdainful backs on any of our independents, but the independents have been doing such good things they just cannot be ignored. Johnny Mack Brown, erstwhile football hero and leading man to Joan Crawford, Marion Davies and others of our screen headliners, will be the leading light in these thrillers. The first, called “S’wanee Goes West,” will have Phil Rosen as director. I’d like to see Johnny put over these pictures with a bang.




An underground whisper that came in a roundabout way is that Grace Moore has been approached to play the lead in “Bitter Sweet” by Fox. Of all the girls under consideration she would be the best, for her voice is the best woman’s singing voice that has ever been on the screen, and she never looked lovelier in her life than she did when she sang at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer dinner given to Vice President Curtis. Another rumor that persists is that Marilyn Miller is still the hot favorite for “The Merry Widow.”


Snapshots of Hollywood:



Ernst Lubitsch, thin and more attractive than he has been at any time since he landed in this country, was dining and dancing with Estelle Taylor in the Garden Room at the Biltmore.

Hardie Albright is getting his fox terrier plucked and groomed for the dog show at Pasadena.



The two Bennetts, Constance and Joan, and their bridegrooms, the Marquis de la Falaise and Gene Markey, were getting a taste of old Mexico in Olvera Street.


From Wood Soanes:



The United Press discovered the other day that Greta Garbo’s immigration permit had been extended to 1933, indicating to them that while she may be going back to Sweden at the termination of “As You Desire Me” and her M-G-M contract, she has no intention of remaining there indefinitely.

Other news from Hollywood concerns the decision of Charlie Chaplin to return there instead of pursuing his travels around the globe. His brother Sidney will accompany him. Douglas Fairbanks and his company are also sailing from Papeere, Tahiti on April 26, for home, with a new picture made.




Frances Marion has recovered from her breakdown and started for New York where she will confer with Mary Pickford on her next picture, which is to be, so the wise men tell us, a grown up role but dealing in comedy. Miss Pickford wants to make a bid for the family trade again.




A blessed event, so the M-G-M press department lets it be known, is expected in the kennels attached to the Fairbanks-Crawford home. The lady’s name is Woggles, a Scottish terrier, and as smart as a whip. Since Woggles spends all of her time on the set with Miss Crawford, that’s something else for the studio to worry about.


Frank Borzage is accompanying Noel Coward back to London. The object of the trip is to see the stage production of Coward’s “Cavalcade,” one of the three plays purchased for the screen by Fox.




Fox also purchased the screen rights to Frank Craven’s “The First Year” for the uses of Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell. It has been one of the standbys of Henry Duffy and Dale Winter for many years. Lynn Starling is to do the screen version.




Dr. Paul Schwarz, German consul-general at New York, paid a visit to Governor Rolph at Sacramento last week and announced that Emil Jannings, American-born German actor, has perfected his English and will return to Hollywood shortly to make more pictures.

Wallace Beery dropped into Oakland, Calif. yesterday, landing in his fancy new Bellanca plane at the Bay Airdrome in Alameda en route from Reno to
Hollywood. He has been vacationing since “Grand Hotel” and is to be the air mail pilot in the classic now being prepared. He expects to go on south today or tomorrow.

‘MAYTIME’ AS FILMUSICAL, WARNER PLAN

Last minute Rialto news –

“Maytime,” one of the greatest of all Shubert musical successes, may be made as a filmusical by Warners.




Myrna Loy has a new M-G-M contract, but her next appearance will be for Paramount in Chevalier’s “Love Me Tonight.”

M-G-M has also given contracts to Wallace Ford and Kane Richmond, while the studio has added Robert Young and Maureen O’Sullivan to the cast of “Strange Interlude.”

Allen Jenkins and Milton Wallace, now playing in the stage production of “Blessed Event,” will quit their roles to go westward for the screen version, in which James Cagney is to be starred.




Lyda Roberti, Polish actress, returns to Hollywood to play in “On Your Mark,” and “The Crooners,” for Paramount, and “The Kid From Spain,” for United Artists.




Pola Negri claims she’ll make a second Radio picture this summer.




An English noblewoman saved a motion picture scene with a safety pin during the filming of “The Wet Parade.” Lady Kathleen Villiers, visiting from London, was a spectator on the set at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio. Dorothy Jordan, about to do a scene with Neil Hamilton, tore her dress. A hurry call went out for a small safety pin. The property manager ransacked his toolbox and word was sent to the wardrobe department. Meanwhile, the titled visitor laughingly produced the necessary pin, helped Miss Jordan repair the damage, and the scene was “shot” as per schedule.




Cliff Edwards, the “Ukulele Ike” of vaudeville and musical comedy fame, plays one of the featured roles in “Young Bride.” In his part of a dance hall and pool room Romeo, Edwards is divorced from his ukulele, but his famous rolling eyes and facial contortions are very much in evidence.




What is technically known as a “gravel voice” and an irregular profile, have brought fame to Andy Devine, young player in “Man Wanted,” the Kay Francis starring picture.

Devine has high-pitched, cracking voice which is naturally funny. He discovered that it is one of his chief assets in pictures. In addition, he is big, awkward and likeable. He first came to public attention in “The Spirit of Notre Dame,” last season’s success.




PARAMOUNT INTRODUCES CARY GRANT

Actor Makes Talkie Debut in “This Is the Night”

Spotlighting Cary Grant who will be introduced to talkie fans via “This Is the Night” at the Paramount on Friday:

Born in Bristol, England – Six feet, one inch in height, 175 pounds – Has jet black wavy hair and dark brown eyes – Destined to follow in his father’s footsteps as a clothing manufacturer – Ran away from school to join theatrical troupe – Dragged back home, and again ran away – Toured England with “knockabout” comedians – American debut at New York Hippodrome – Returned to England to play in stock and study singing – Brought to United States as juvenile lead in musical comedies, playing opposite Jeanette MacDonald in her last engagement before she launched screen career with Paramount – Left Broadway at height of popularity to make tramp automobile trip to Pacific Coast – Persuaded to make screen test while visiting Hollywood – Placed under contract by Paramount.




SLIM SUMMERVILLE MOVIE HEADS BILL OF FEATURES FOR BEE JUNIOR PARTY

Yoo Hoo! Skinna-aay! C’mon over an’ see Slim. Yeah, Slim Summerville!
Where’s he gonna be, you say? Oh, at the Warner Bros. Theater. Yeah, The Bee Junior Club meeting Saturday morning at 9 o’clock. And there’s gonna be Zasu Pitts, that funny lady, with him. And she has more fun as the nurse to a baby, Cora Sue Collins, who thinks Slim is her father.

It’s the funniest thing you ever saw. Slim finds Cora in his car. Cora has run away from home. Cora’s folks notify the police, who stop Slim’s car and search for the baby. Cora insists that Slim is her father. Slim acts the part until his girl finds out that the baby has been calling Slim her Daddy. And then the fun begins.
Say, hasn’t it been hot lately? Just like Summer. Well, John Baxter, soda pop maker, has promised all of us a free drink of a new kind of soda pop when we go to the meeting. And won’t that taste good about noon time, when it gets warm.

Then there’s going to be one of the best orchestras in the country in a musical comedy, “Up to the Farm.” Detective Lloyd is in another of his thrilling adventures, entitled “The Poisoned Dart.” One thrilling adventure after another takes place as he and Diana Brooks go down to the Limehouse district of London. And Diana is expected to recover her jewel in this episode, too.

The 10 cents admission also allows members to take tap lessons from Miss Nella Belle Scott at 8:30 A. M. on the stage and to enter in the community singing with Roy Foster at the organ.

April 12, 1932

MARY ASTOR EXPECTS VISIT FROM STORK

Hollywood, Calif., April 12 (AP)
A new member of the family of Dr. and Mrs. Franklin Thorpe is expected to arrive in August. Mrs. Thorpe, who is known to film fans as Mary Astor, said today she expected the birth of the child to take place in Honolulu where she will go following a cruise of the south seas.

Miss Astor and Dr. Thorpe were married at Yuma, Ariz., last June 29. Her first husband, Kenneth Hawks, film director, was killed in an airplane crash, January 2, 1930.




MARY NOLAN IN NEW TROUBLE

Los Angeles, April 12 (AP)
Life is getting to be a series of court sessions for Mary Nolan, screen actress, who, while on the musical comedy stage was known as Imogene Wilson.
A warrant for her arrest and her husband’s arrest, charging failure to respond to a summons to be examined concerning their assets, was in the hands of deputy sheriffs today. The case involves two judgments against Miss Nolan and her husband, Wallace T. Macready, one for $783 worth of dresses and the other for furniture valued at $1700.

The judgments resulted from the operation of a gown shop by Miss Nolan. The actress has appeared in court no less than a dozen times in connection with claims for wages and merchandise resulting from her business venture. Both she and her husband are under sentence of 30 days each in jail for failure to pay wages, being at liberty at present on appeal bonds.




HAYS OPTIMISTIC FOR FUTURE OF MOVIES

New York, April 11 (UP)
Despite “the necessity of facing two economic revolutions in three years” – the advent of talking pictures and the 1929 depreciation of buying power – Will H. Hays today presented an optimistic report of the present situation in the motion picture industry.

Hays quoted an increase in audiences, attracted by steadily improving entertainment quality and an increasing variety in types of pictures, as the greatest present-day assets of the business.




WALLACE BERRY, DEMPSEY FIGHT FOR CAMERAMAN

Reno, Nev., April 11
Two “tough guys” with world-wide reputations had a fight in Douglas Alley yesterday.
One was Jack Dempsey, tough guy of the squared ring, and the other was Wallace Berry, tough guy of the silver screen.

It was only a friendly sparring match, however, for the benefit of new photographers and no blackened eyes or cauliflowered ears resulted.

Wallace Beery piloted his private airplane up here from Los Angeles in little more than two hours, landing at Blanchard airport. He came over for a short visit with his friend, Dempsey, and expects to return today.

The two old cronies were making the rounds yesterday and last night. Beery has a number of friends here.


From Luella O. Parsons:



Is England trying to compete with America in motion picture productions? More money is being spent and more American stars sought than at any time in the history of the movies. Two hundred and fifty pictures is the schedule for the coming year and many of these English born actors now in Hollywood are being engaged. Roland Young and Ernest Torrence are in London and Tony Bushell is on the way.

According to Cedric Belfrage, formerly of Hollywood but now of the London Express, the English aristocracy have become the greatest fans. The Prince of Wales is a nightly visitor to the theaters, but woe betide the ambitious theater manager who makes public these visits.



Said Belfrage:
“The Prince and Adolph Menjou became friends. They talked clothes and sports. Corinne Griffith was taken up by the elite. Greta Garbo, Marion Davies and Marlene Dietrich are the favorites. Miss Davies,” he said, “made herself very popular during her recent visit there when she was a guest of Lady Mountbatten.”




Saw Al Santell at the railroad station on his way north to look for locations for “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Far.” He had been all set for Janet Gaynor to play the lead in Rebecca, but he said the tests of Marian Nixon were so good that he had gotten over his disappointment at not having Miss Gaynor.

Ralph Bellamy will play opposite Marian. Bellamy, who is a very good actor, was all ready to leave with his wife for a vacation to the Grand Canyon when he was put into the role of the doctor. Any number of tests were made and the selection of Bellamy was not official until late Saturday.




From Wood Soanes:

Harry Edington, Greta Garbo’s personal manager, has left the M-G-M lot, where he was also employed as associate producer, and Hollywood is now convinced that the lady will not re-sign, at least not at the present $10,000 per week.

It may also be that M-G-M has come to the conclusion that Garbo’s box office allure has dropped below the $10,000 mark. The returns from “Mata Hari” didn’t set any new records and in “Grand Hotel” she has an expensive supporting cast including Barrymores, Joan Crawford and Wallace Beery.




Jack Sheehan has gone into “State’s Attorney” at Radio with John Barrymore; Berton Churchill into “Dark Horse” at Warner Brothers supporting Warren William; Edward Everett Horton into “Roar of the Dragon” at Radio and Olive Cooper and Gavin Gordon into “Faith” at Columbia.



Added to that, James Gleason has a writing job at M-G-M and is making a new series of two-reelers while Robert McWade has been added to the Harold Lloyd “Movie Crazy” cast in which Kenneth Thomas is also working.




Patsy Ruth Miller and Charles Ray are to be seen in a production called a vaudeville revue in New York and Fritz Scheff is also featured. The title is “Dilly Dally.” Ray’s old director from silent days is an extra in Hollywood now.




OPENING DAY AT PARAMOUNT WILL BE FRIDAY

The Paramount theater announces that hereafter its opening day will be on Friday, as compared to Wednesday, which has been change day since this theater opened its doors.
Marking this change is the news that Warner Baxter, star of “Daddy Long Legs,” opens in his latest picture, “Amateur Daddy,” Friday. Marian Nixon will be seen in the leading feminine role, opposite Baxter.

“Dancers in the Dark,” with Miriam Hopkins and Jack Oakie, remains an extra two days.

HOLLYWOOD IN REVIEW

Fox Studios Again Very Active

Roy Pomeroy’s New Producing Concern



Hollywood, Cal. – April 11

“Good stories and good writers first; then good directors, good artists and proper assembly and you have good pictures.”

Thus does Richard Rowland, vice president and ranking head of Fox Film Corporation, list the elements of screen entertainment in his first interview given since he took charge of Movietone City three months ago.

To the uninitiated this may seem an obvious and trite observation; to Hollywood and the writers of pieces for the screen it is novel and important. Seldom are writers publicly recognized in this industry; generally they are classed with studio gatemen – necessary, in a way, but plentiful.

But things are different on the Fox lot now. They changed with the new regime. Hollywood was antagonistic to President E. R. Tinker and Mr. Rowland and the other New Yorkers when they arrived to straighten out the muddled affairs of the concern. As operating head, Mr. Rowland has reversed the situation. The lot is one of the most active in town and pictures that have recently been previewed and a perusal of stories now in preparation show that something has had an inspiring affect on the Fox staff.

This is not Mr. Rowland’s first reorganization venture. He retired at twenty-seven, a millionaire, after selling out his interests to the General Film Company, then the picture trust. Louis B. Mayer got him back in 1914 to whip the old Metro Film Company into shape. Again he retired with a profit to his credit and was again drafted to form First National Pictures. He sold out in 1928 to Warners.

“In the old days almost anything got by,” Mr. Rowland states. “Today the age range of the audience is 18 to 25, but they seem to be smarter. We have to give them real entertainment. If we haven’t good stories, we must give them good showmanship – personalities, ideas, novelties.

“Stories are first, however. I don’t know of any star who wasn’t made by a good story. And given poor stories time after time, the best of them fade away.”

“We search everywhere just for ideas. We have writers who can develop ideas after the studio gets them. We may work months before we get just the right treatment, but it’s an excellent investment.”

There are several examples now in work on the lot. Fox bought “Chandu,” which is getting national circulation on the radio. The radio story is not suitable for pictures, so all Fox bought was an idea.

Another is being developed by Irene Kuhn, one of the writing staff. Mr. Rowland had an idea of topical interest, the nature of which is being guarded quite carefully by the studio. “The writing of this story is essentially a job of reporting. Mrs. Kuhn is a newspaper woman of wide experience, so we sent her out into the sphere of life the story will cover and she will do a reporter’s job in writing the script. We are applying her experience to our business and as far as we’ve gone with the idea, we believe we have an outstanding story.”




Other notes from the Rowland interview include: The public doesn’t just “go to cinema” any more. It shops for personalities or ideas… “Cavalcade,” the Noel Coward play, will be brought to the screen… Fox is going to engage only those who can play a variety of roles. Stars who can play only one character are too expensive; stories for them are too hard to find… “Count of Monte Cristo” and “What Price Glory?” will be remade as talkers.

Stories of timely and topical appeal are popular with the public…Stories are made before they reach the camera. If you depend on making a story on the stage or in the cutting room, you are sure of a failure… Too many people in the industry are trying to remember what they used to do. They should think only of tomorrow…

Pictures should not copy stage plays or Broadway tastes. The medium and the public are not the same… Forget sophistication. Heart throbs, tears and laughter are the elements for pictures… The only reason personalities are accentuated is because of the shortage of good stories.

Third dimension film is the next important step… Color’s only chance is in absolute perfection, as yet but a dream… Pictures should have a wider screen. Fifty millimeters seems the correct film width; not the 75 millimeters of Grandeur.

Since announcement was made a week or so ago by Charles R. Rogers that he was making eight pictures a year independently for Paramount, the independent situation has shown increased activity. Now Roy J. Pomeroy, the man who parted the Red Sea for “Ten Commandments” and who is responsible for many tricks used by the camera, has formed a new concern to make twelve pictures this year at an expense of $3,000,000. Space has been taken on the Metropolitan lot and the first stories are being prepared. There is considerable other activity, but with most of it the conversation outweighs the cash available.




A somewhat tense situation was created this week in the producers’ association when Wheeler and Woolsey jumped from RKO-Radio to Columbia upon the expiration of their contract. RKO immediately called attention to the recently signed agreement, by which studios agreed not to raid one another. Columbia, when the point of ethics was raised, merely pointed out that they had not yet signed the agreement. The raid was made last week; the studio signed this week.




Censorship note: In “Are These Our Children?” one of the most dramatic moments is the pleading of a mother with her son for him to return to the narrow path. As a climax he did and repeated the Lord’s Prayer with her. In Australia the prayer was ordered deleted by the censors. Reason: an unbendable rule that the Deity must not be mentioned in a film.




Marie Dressler is again teamed with Polly Moran in “Prosperity.”




RKO has gone in for “super casts.” This week the studio announced that John Barrymore and Dolores Del Rio would be teamed in an as yet untitled picture. Constance Bennett’s next will be “The Truth About Hollywood.” Two reasons impelled the switch of Miss Bennett from “Unmated” to the new story by Adele Rogers St. Johns. Considerable trouble was encountered in “Unmated,” the yarn of which needed many changes; RKO has had huge success in “Lost Squadron,” an inside story of behind the scenes in Hollywood. It is hoped that the “Truth” story will repeat this.


In conflict with the opinion of Mr. Rowland at Fox, that only experienced screen writers should prepare scripts for filming, RKO has employed a magazine editor without picture experience as story advisor and he has ordered a shipment of magazine writers who have never been inside a studio to be sent to the Coast.




Additions from Broadway who this week began their film careers include Adrianne Allen from “Cynara,” for Paramount’s “Merrily We Go to Hell”; Margaret Perry of “After All” in Metro’s picture of the same name; Phyllis Clare at RKO in “The Roadhouse Murder.”




When it was thought that Ernst Lubitsch would seek other fields, Paramount announced that they had re-signed the director. His success with “One Hour With You” made Paramount come to terms and he will have free reign in future productions, mush as had von Sternberg. On the same lot Richard Rogers, Lorenz Hart and Leo Robin, composers all, were engaged to do musicals for the studio.

Projection Jottings

New York, April 11, 1932

John Barrymore and Dolores Del Rio will appear in the main parts in a RKO-Radio picture, so far unnamed, according to an announcement by David O. Selznick. Mr. Barrymore is at present busy with “State’s Attorney,” while Miss Del Rio is working in “The Bird of Paradise.” The story selected for the two players is described as “a modern romance.”




Willie Fung, Tom Weng, Victor Wong and Wong Chung, West Coast Chinese actors, have been signed to support Richard Dix in “The Roar of the Dragon,” now in preparation by RKO-Radio Pictures. Hundreds of Chinese are to be used in extra and atmosphere bits for the film play. The picture, which deals with adventures in Manchuria, goes into early production, with Wesley Ruggles directing.




Paul Lukas, who took an important part in “Strictly Dishonorable,” has been turned over by Paramount for a new contract with Universal, it is announced. His first picture will be “Zeppelin.” Carl Laemmle, Jr. says that he expects to make at least four films with Mr. Lukas in leading parts.




“Memory Lane,” an original film story by Myron C. Fagan, will be the first of six color feature pictures produced by the Photocolor Corporation, according to an announcement from the company’s studios at Irvington-on-the-Hudson.




After a three-month vacation Ronald Colman is back in Hollywood to begin work in United Artists’ new film, “The Brothers Karamazov,” in which he will take the part of Dmitri. Mr. Colman spent the last part of his holiday in Shanghai and saw some of the fighting.




Kay Francis’s first picture for Warner Brothers, “Man Wanted,” will play a pre-release engagement at a Broadway theater beginning sometime within the next two weeks. The national release date for the new picture is April 23. It is based on an anonymous story which has been adapted for the screen by Robert Lord and is directed by William Dieterle. Others in the cast include David Manners, Andy Devine, Guy Kibbee and Una Merkel.




James Cruze has been engaged by Columbia Pictures to direct “Washington Merry-Go-Round.” Maxwell Anderson, assisted by Eugene Thackeray, is writing the screen story of the book. Mr. Cruze directed such silent pictures as “The Old Homestead,” “The Covered Wagon,” “Old Ironsides,” and “The Pony Express.” His talking pictures include “The Great Gabbo,” “Once a Gentleman,” “Salvation Nell,” “She Got What She Wanted” and “Racetrack.”




First National announces the release of four pictures during May, as follows: “The Famous Ferguson Case,” with Joan Blondell, Tom Brown and Vivienne Osborne; “The Rich Are Always With Us,” with Ruth Chatterton; “The Strange Love of Molly Louvain,” with Ann Dvorak, Richard Cromwell and Lee Tracy, and “Two Seconds,” with Edward G. Robinson.




Directorial assignments for four pictures are announced by Paramount. Richard Wallace will direct “The Crooners,” a story of radio favorites. David Burton will guide the destinies of “Come On Marines.” Marion Gering is to direct a so far unnamed film play in which Tallulah Bankhead and Gary Cooper will act the principal roles. Stuart Walker and Dudley Murphy will be co-directors of “Merton of the Talkies.”




Another S. S. Van Dine story, “The Campus Mystery,” is in production at the Vitaphone studio in Brooklyn. This is the tenth of the series of short Van Dine detective-mystery stories for the screen.




A gold loving cup was presented last week to George Arliss at Warner Brothers’ studios in Hollywood by the cast of his recently completed picture “A Successful Calamity.” The donors included Mary Astor, Evelyn Knapp, Grant Mitchell, David Torrence, William Janney, Hardie Albright, Hale Hamilton, Richard Tucker and others.




Two “Mickey Mouse” cartoons and two “Silly Symphonies” are in production at the Walt Disney studios in Hollywood. The former are to be called respectively “Mickey’s Olympics,” travesties on the forthcoming international games, and “Mickey’s Revue.” The symphonies are called “Flowers and Trees” and “Love Bugs.” A new song is out called “I’d Rather Stay Home With Mickey Mouse Than Go Out With You, You Rat.”