The Washington times., 1928-12-18
KNELL SOUNDS
ON WESTERN
PICTURES
BY REGINA CREWE
Copyright, 1928. by King Features
syndicate, Inch

,SyHulCdbSt AHC.t
HOLLYWOOD. Dec. lit
would seem. as though the action
full Western pictures which
have SO long delighted our less
sophiscated movie audiences
might provide an ideal sport for
sound synchronization. Indian
whoops and cowboy whoopee, the
bark OF six-guns, even what the
Englishman called THE 'Ammer
of the 'Orses 'Ooves on the Ard
IghWay," would seem thrill pro-
vokers meriting attention in sound
pictures. But it is a coincidence
that with the advent of the un-
silent drama, the westerns are
vanishing from our ken like the
Old West itself.
Col. Tim Mccoy, who slew red
skins for Metro, has completed
his contract, and the cubs of
the Metro lion are reported
through with the great open
spaces. The same goes for Para
mount. Hoot Gibson, is planning
aviation pictures. Even the old
home of westerns" the FBO lot.
declares that they will be aban-
doned. Tom Mix has only one
contract. And they say he will
not sign up again. First Ma
tional and Ken Maynard seem to
be getting along nicely. But he
seems the last of the prominent
cowby stars to survive in that
capacity. As to Mix, the daddy
of 'em all, what Tom is planning
for the future only Tom knows.
And maybe not even Tom, him
self, has quite decided. To say
nothing of Tony. One thing re.
mains true. The passing of
western" pictures will take some
thing typfcally American. out of
the lives of the nations boy
hood.
Marion Davies will make two
distinct and entirely different
versions of ''The Five O'Clock
Girl, according to- the Metro
plenipotentiaries. The first will
be a silent version of the story.
This will. be adapted to movie
technique, with all the various
articles of the films utilized to
tell the tale. Then Marion will
begin all over again on a sound
and dialog Five O'Clock Girl"
This will be a literal translation
of the musical stage play. The
methods of producing it will be
more closely akin to that of the
theater than to that of the screen.
See them both when they reacn
your theaters. They will offer a
marvellous opportunity for you to
compare the. different values in
the sound and silent cinemas.
Most of the studio quit work
the other day to laugh at the
antics of Sam Hardy and Ray.
mond Hatton in their talkie
sketch, "When Caesar Ran a
Newspaper. These two begin to
look like another sure-fire comedy
team. They will follow their
newspaper farce with another
called Dear Vivian" Incident
ally. Arthur Caesar, Hollywood s
latest Broadway import. wants 1t
understood that the Caesar in the
story is Julius, and not Arthur.
Following the excellence of his
whisper test. Raymond Griffith
has been signed for a talkie
sketch called Post Mortems." :"
1t is the farcical yarn of a couple
of bridge playing eracksmen. who
forget business TO play a rubber
with the couple whose home they
have entered to burglarize. .
There is always the ver-end-
ing hullabaloo about fresh faces
for the films" TO hear them
tell it each, OF the producers is
securing the country with his
little lantern. like a modern Df-
ogenes seeking beauty and talent.
Why such devious methods are
necessary is one of the mysteries
OF Hollywood. And this thought
occurred to Fox casting df.
rector. BY the simple expedient
of putting an advertisement in
the classified ad section of the
Los Angeles Examiner enough
talent was secured to furnish an
entire new crop of stars. Sim.
plicity is most efficient after all.
Thef girl selected will star in
"NobodY's Children"