January 23, 1932

From Luella O. Parsons:
JAMES CAGNEY BEST MONEY MAKER OF WARNER STARS

Who do you think at this moment is at the tip top of Warner money makers? None other than James Cagney who broke so many records in Taxi and Blonde Crazy. Darryl Zanuck intends to continue to build young Cagney’s popularity by getting good stories. You’ll naturally expect Jimmy’s best screen gal, Joan Blondell, to emote opposite him.

GENEVIEVE TOBIN GIVEN LEAD IN BACK STREETS
Here’s a jolly surprise for you. Genevieve Tobin, who has been, probably, the only actress in Hollywood not rumored as up for the job in Back Streets gets the leading role. Rose Hobart was named, and dozens of other prominent leading women and stars.
Then Carl Laemmle, Jr. decided that Miss Tobin, who has heretofore played the wife or good girl, was a possibility. Later they decided she was more than a possibility, she was all right.




The happiest girl in Hollywood today was Vivienne Osborne. She told her friends that she was literally walking on air. Chief reason, because Darryl Zanuck bought her contract from Paramount. Another reason, because she was immediately told that she had been chosen to play the lead opposite Edward G. Robinson in “Two Seconds.” Her work in “The Ferguson Case” impressed Mr. Zanuck so much he decided she would be a valuable addition to the Warner studios.

ERNST LUBITSCH TURNS DRAMATIC
Hollywood, Cal – Jan 23
Ernst Lubitsch has turned dramatic again – and done it thoroughly. After making several light musicals, topped by “The Love Parade” and “Smiling Lieutenant” he has switched to “The Man I Killed,” an exceedingly heavy drama.
Artistically it is worth a million. And for that reason it is a production any studio should be proud to claim regardless of whether it makes money. To be sure, producers are in this business to make money, but even in these days they can stand to make a picture of such high quality that the entire industry benefits. “The Man I Killed” is such a film.

NEW POWELL FILM TO HAVE PREMIER
The first print of “High Pressure” William Powell’s second starring picture for Warner Bros, has been shipped to New York. There it will have its world premiere at one of the leading Broadway theaters within the next fortnight. Powell’s new vehicle was directed by Mervyn Le Roy, and the supporting cast comprises Evelyn Brent, George Sidney, Frank McHugh, Guy Kibbee, Evelyn Knapp, Lucien Littlefield, Allison Skipworth, Oscar Apfel and other notables.

HOOT GIBSON STARS IN HARD HOMBRE
In his new production which opened Saturday, Hoot Gibson appears as “Peaceful Patton,” the mildest young man in the entire southwest, who bears a strong marked resemblance to “The Hard Hombre,” a notorious outlaw feared by men and women. Hoot is given support by Lina Basquette as the heroine and G. Raymond Nye as the villain.

TINY FILM STAR TALKS FASHIONS
What every tiny woman should wear is outlined in an interview with Miriam Hopkins, film player. Measuring just five feet tall, Miss Hopkins believes she has successfully solved the problem of making her height appear chic in the present modes frankly created for women of tall stature.
“Large hats, materials with large designs, and frocks with ruffled skirts should be listed as untouchable for any woman measuring under five feet, three inches, states Hopkins. “The new long hemline offers a welcome haven for those of us who desire to appear taller.”

MAGAZINE COVER GIRL ON SCREEN
Gwili Andre, famous and fascinating girl of the magazine covers, graduates to a larger canvas. Her blonde beauty will be animated by the screen as the result of a contract with RKO-Radio Pictures.

January 22, 1932

FILM ACTRESS IS BRIDE TODAY
Hollywood, Jan 22 (AP)
A honeymoon trip to Hawaii was to be made by Miss Jacqueline Miller, known on the screen as Lucille Williams, and John H. Harris, wealthy Pittsburgh theater owner, following their marriage ceremony at 11 a.m. in Beverly Hills. George O’Brien, film actor, will be best man, and the sister of the bridegroom, Mary Harris, will be maid of honor.

BARBARA KENT SUED
Hollywood, Jan. 22 (INS)
Barbara Kent, film actress, today was sued for $15,000 damages by Betty Murray, who asserted she was injured in an automobile accident.


An aviation story for Lew Ayres is the very next Universal number chosen for him. Carl Laemmle Jr. who burns the midnight oil to get the right stories, has purchased The Empty Chair, an un-produced three act play of thrilling aviation during the World War.

A few Hollywood changes:
Winnie Lightner, seen this week in “Manhattan Parade” leaves Warner’s after her next picture, “Eight to Five” to freelance.
Wheeler and Woolsey, now on “Girl Crazy,” are to tour the orient for publicity purposes.
Boris Karloff, of “Frankenstein,” now has a long-term contract with Universal.
“Black Oxen,” or “As You Desire Me,” will be Garbo’s last under her present M-G-M contract.
M-G-M’s $700,000 musical, “The March of Time,” is to be cut up into shorts. The cast includes Marie Dressler, De Wolf Hopper, Weber and Fields, the late Louis Mann and many other old-timers.
Edmund Lowe, for nine years a Fox star, has been signed by Paramount to make “Sensation,” a picture with Claudette Colbert.

January 21, 1932

AMBASSADOR BILL IS SHOWING AT GRAND LAKE
Reduced Admission Price Announced by Theater Without Program Change

A new policy, whereby 2000 seats will be available at the new low 40 cents admission price, will become effective today at the Fox Grand Lake theater.
The finest of feature pictures and the present stage show will continue.
“Ambassador Bill,” Will Rogers’ newest comedy, is the current attraction.
With the picture is Peggy O’Neil’s newest stage review, with a big cast of variety entertainers, Jack Souders and his Merrymakers, and the Sweet Sixteen Sweethearts.
A group of selected short subjects includes a film act, a comedy, and Fox Movietone News.

From Luella O. Parsons:
Took myself to a theater in Glendale to take a private look at “A Lady With a Past,” Constance Bennett’s picture. Crossed my heart I wouldn’t review it but I have to say that it’s the best picture Miss Bennett has made. That Ben Lyon does a remarkable piece of work and David Manners is good too. Bebe Daniels accompanied Ben to the theater and they had to fight their way out. As for Connie, I don’t know how she ever got through the mob.



After spending the better part of 1931 denying that she was leaving Paramount for Warner Brothers, Ruth Chatterton finally made the leap and was formally installed in the bungalow by Colleen Moore with appropriate ceremonies on the First National lot.

George Brent, a newcomer to Hollywood, goes from his first screen test to a role as the leading man for Ruth Chatterton at Warner’s in “The Rich Are Always With Us.” Brent once got on the payroll at Fox, but nothing came of it. He is described as Irish, young, tall and handsome.



Minna Gombell was in Hollywood a year under contract before she appeared in a picture. Now Fox doesn’t seem to be able to make a picture without her. She was on the Fox and Paramount screens in the last week, and has appeared in ten pictures during the last eight months.

January 20, 1932

Excerpted from Luella O. Parsons
MARY WILL STAR SOON IN TYPICAL PICKFORD PICTURE
There will be no more Kiki or out of character parts for Mary Pickford. One, she has decided, is enough. Frances Marion, who probably understands Mary and what she can do on the screen better than anyone else has written a screen play called Happy Ending for Mary. Happy Ending will go into production in late Spring.
Douglas Fairbanks will be on his way in about a month. This time he wants to film the Solomon Islands and other places for another travelog. Doug did so well with his first “Around the World” it behooves him to get busy before some other adventurous soul steals his thunder.


Universal has announced its intention to close the studio during the month of March. By that time it will have caught up with schedule, which called for the production of 26 features by the end of February.

Dorothy Mackaill is starred in "Safe In Hell," a First National vehicle. She is cast as Gilda Carlson, a servant girl betrayed by her employer, turned into the streets, and finally corralled on an island inhabited by refugees from justice. Don Cook, seen formerly in Party Husband, The Public Enemy, Side Show and The Mad Genius plays the romantic lead.



Tully Marshall is the latest addition to the all-star cast of “Grand Hotel” being filmed at M-G-M. He will play opposite Wallace Beery, who is his business rival in the Vicki Baum story.
The cast of Grand Hotel now includes Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Beery, John and Lionel Barrymore, Jean Hersholt, Purnell Pratt, Murray Kinnell, Kathryn Crawford, Ruth Selwyn, and a dozen lesser lights.

Jimmy “Schnozzle” Durante, who was last considered a total loss by M-G-M, and then began to steal pictures is now the possessor of a new term contract. His next scheduled screen appearance is in “Turn to the Right,” the old stage comedy of reformed crooks.

January 19, 1932

FILM COMEDIAN FIGHTING SUIT
San Francisco, Jan. 19 (AP)

Harold Lloyd, film comedian, and his wife, were in United States district court of appeal here today to hear arguments on their appeal from a lower court’s verdict in a plagiarism suit.
Lloyd was sued by the late H.C. Witwer, a writer, for all profits from the film “The Freshman.” Witwer charged it was taken bodily from a short story of his called “The Emancipation of Rodney.” Witwer died and his widow, Mrs. Sadie S. Witwer, as administratrix of the estate continued the case.
On December 18, 1930 the United States district court in Los Angeles gave Mrs. Witwer a verdict, awarding her all profits from the film, ordering all negatives and positives destroyed, and ordering on a full accounting to determine the amount to be paid. An injunction restraining further showings of the film was also issued. The Witwers asserted they were entitled to at least $2,300,000.



The Film Daily’s poll of motion picture reviewers throughout the country to determine the ten best pictures of the year is finished and the list is headed by “Cimarron” with 273 votes out of 339, a higher average than was achieved by last year’s winner, “All Quiet on the Western Front.”
With “Cimarron: topping the list the other nine include in the order named, Street Scene, Skippy, Bad Girl, Min and Bill, The Front Page, Five Star Final, City Lights, A Free Soul and The Sin of Madelon Claudet. Runners up were Little Caesar, lacking only two votes of inclusion; The Smiling Lieutenant, Trader Horn, Royal Family of Broadway, An American Tragedy, Alexander Hamilton, Outward Bound, Public Enemy, Waterloo Bridge, and Daddy Long Legs.


Raoul Walsh and Henry King, two high salaried directors at Fox Films were released today by D.E. McIntyre, newly appointed business manager of the studio. Al Rockett, senior associate producer, is to take over the duties of Winfield Sheehan during the latter’s absence on sick leave.

From Louella O. Parsons:

Suddenly one fine day Paramount awoke to the fact that Miriam Hopkins was starring material. Important favorites have been signed and little Hopkins has played second fiddle but on several occasions she stole the show. In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde her characterization was a classic. Now Miriam is to be given parts commensurate with her ability and personality. Her first will be a talkie resurrection of Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife. Perhaps you will remember that was one of Gloria Swanson’s most successful silent pictures, made while she was at Paramount.




We have heard many rumors that the various film companies were going to cut down on their stock companies. Types of actors that are always available at any time and types that are not used in many pictures will be cut off the payrolls. Warner Brothers is the first to take this step. The options on the contracts of Don Cook, Winnie Lightner and Charles Butterworth will not be renewed.


Movie Tag Line:

A Great Actress Arrives!
New Personality! New Fascination!
The Incarnation of All You’ve Ever Hoped For In a Woman!
LIL DAGOVER
Snatched from Continental triumphs to bring you
THE WOMAN FROM MONTE CARLO
Mysterious story of a thousand loves with
WALTER HUSTON
WARREN WILLIAM

January 18, 1932

FILM BEAUTY ROBBED OF $20,000 GEMS
Thugs Break Into Home of Carmel Myers and Threaten Her and Maid

Carmel Myers, motion picture actress, was robbed of jewels valued at $20,000 today when she returned home to find two un-masked bandits hiding in her apartement.
Miss Myers and her maid, Mrs. Anna Moore, were backed against a wall where one of the gunmen held them at bay while his companion rifled the apartment.
Told she would have to be bound and gagged, Miss Myers persisted that her physical condition would render such treatment dangerous, and upon her promise to give the bandits half an hour in which to escape, they relented.
As they were about to leave, Miss Myers pleaded for the return of her wedding ring and one of the robbers threw it to her.
The pair apologized for the holdup declaring they were badly in need of money.


From Luella O. Parsons:

Not for two years has Claudette Colbert actually made a picture in Hollywood. True, she visited here only a few months ago but her pictures have always seemed to take her to the Paramount Long Island studios. She is returning soon to be co-starred with Fredric March in “The Fires of Spring.”

These Barrymores. Together they are incomparable. Everyone who has seen "Arsene Lupin" will subscribe to that sentiment. Radio Pictures was kind enough to lend John to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to play in “Grand Hotel” and now M-G-M is repaying David Selznick and his associates in full. They get Lionel Barrymore for a picture. John returns to Radio as soon as he completes “Grand Hotel” to be starred in “State’s Attorney,” and after that he makes still another for Radio. Lionel and John will not be in the same picture.

JOE BROWN IN DON JUAN ROLE
Joe E. Brown is an embryonic Don Juan in “Local Boy Makes Good” which chronicles the history of an uninhibited botany student who suddenly becomes the campus hero after a pretty young woman has applied psychoanalysis to his case. Cast members include Dorothy Lee, Ruth Hall, Eddie Nugent and Edward Wood.



WINNIE LIGHTNER IN MANHATTAN PARADE
The girlish figure of Miss Winnie Lightner now featured with Charles Butterworth in “Manhattan Parade” the Warner Brothers and Vitaphone picture in Technicolor at the State Theater was not attained, and is not retained without strenuous antics on the part of the comedienne. She punches the bag, boxes, undergoes rigorous treatments and sees to it that her diet has just the right amount and kind of vitamins.

January 17, 1932

ESTELLE TAYLOR’S INJURY SERIOUS
Hollywood, Ca. – Jan. 16
An automobile accident last Christmas eve, in which Estelle Taylor, film actress and former wife of Jack Dempsey, heavyweight boxer, was jarred and bruised apparently was more serious than her physicians realized at first. After “recovering” from the bruises, Miss Taylor began to suffer severe pains in the back, and as the result of another examination she was placed in a cast today because of a vertebra in her neck which was found injured.

ROLES ASSIGNED:

While Edward G. Robinson is completing his continental fling, the Warner assistants are beginning to gather the various strings together for his new picture, “Two Seconds.” Last week Preston Foster, who appeared in the stage play, was drafted to play the same part in support of Mr. Robinson.

William Haines will have the leading role when "Are You Listening" goes into production under the direction of Harry Beaumont. Others already selected for the cast include Madge Evans, Anita Page, Joan Marsh, Wallace Ford, Karen Morley, Maude Eburne and Louise Carter.

Natalie Moorhead and Bette Davis have been assigned roles in “The Feathered Serpent” which is the first of two Edgar Wallace productions. R. William Neill is the director. H.B. Warner and Walter Byron have already been assigned for this feature.

Shirley Grey, as the feminine lead, and Murdock McQuarrie, in the role of “Grim” have been added to the cast of Buck Jones’ special entitled, “Justice Rides Again.”


HOLLYWOOD TO YUMA TO RENO
The newest movie colony triple matrimony play is Hollywood to Yuma to Reno. Yuma is a new entrant in the game where, it is as easy to put on a matrimonial harness as it is in Reno to doff it. Yuma has taken its place in the matrimonial big league only recently. In California it is a five day job to be married; in Yuma it is only five minutes or less.
If you don’t elope to Yuma, you might as well not elope at all, Harry Carr writes in the Los Angeles Times.
Loretta Young and Grant Withers. Lewis Stone and Hazel Wolf.
Richard Dix and his bride.
Dorothy Mackaill and Neill Miller. Gloria Swanson and her Michael Farmer.
Marjorie Rambeau and Francis Gudger.
June MacCloy and Schuyler Charles Schenk.
That’s more than enough fame and drama to startle any quiet little desert town in a year’s time. It’s such a convenient place to elope, you can tell Jules to put on the lamb chops at Palm Springs, sprint a mere 100 miles down to Yuma and get back before he has burned the meat.

The Jetta Goudal salary fight, going on in the courts for years, has reached the Supreme Court and that body must decide whether an actress is justified in walking out because her interpretation of a scene doesn’t coincide with that of her director. Regardless of the decision, stars and directors will go on disagreeing about scenes. The verdict is usually in favor of the higher-salaried arguer.



Discontent over the terms of a talkie contract has come from an unexpected quarter. It is from the hilltop home of Ann Harding. Miss Harding believed that a recently signed agreement permitted her to refuse stories she didn’t like. There is a possibility, she indicated to a friend, that she will give up films entirely in a year or two.




Marie Dressler must be happy, having still been on this earth when 1932 arrived. An astrologer early last year predicted her death during 1931.

DRIVES OWN CAR
John Barrymore is one star who doesn’t like to be driven by a chauffeur. He always drives his own car.