Evening star., 1928-11-04
FLASHES 5 7z!z zz91 zzz SCREEN
BY c. e. NELSON.

may not be necessary for candi-
dates to take the stump, make
prolonged tours to the voters,
deliver addresses every few min
utes. OF course, they may lose
the personal touch with the
voters. but new inventions will
play large part in the campaign.
For several weeks the Vitaphone
has been used as a vote-getter in
New York City. On the triangular
island on Broadway between
Forty sixth street and Forty
seventh and Times Square large
screen has been erected. About
so yards distant is a projection
room on top of tall steel stilts,
and speeches are heard and
seen" every night. 1t is estimated
that $4,000 persons hear the Vita
phone every evening.
When 1882 comes around. in
all probability television will be
the means by which campaign
speeches are broadcast. The
voter, sitting in his home in
Kansas or Montana. may hear a
presidential candidate making his
speech in New England And he
will be able to see it all, too-the
crowds neverything.
/ x x
THOMAS MEIGHAN is not
through with the movies.
Warner Brothers have signed him
to a contract for a Vitaphone pic
ture. The star, in the days gone
by, was considered cne of the big
drawing cards of the screen. but
his picture has not been SO we'll
received recently. At one time it
was reported that he would drop
from the spotlight.
Short Flashes.
THE Department of Justice is re-
ported to be making study
of several recent film mergers,
with view CT determining
whether proposed amalgamation
will conflict with Federal anti
trust laws.
Marion Davies will be starred
in The Five O'Clock Girl"
picture version of the New York
stage success. Metro-Goldwyn-
Mayer is the producer and Alfred
E. Green will direct.
The scene of the new Ernst
Lubitsch picture, King of the
Mountains" is laid in the Swiss
Alps. The huge set of the Holly
wood studio has been turned into
a dazzling Winter scene by five
day synthetic snowfall. Tech
nicians have covered the set with
tons of paper snow"
ParamountS first all-talkie,
Interference" is scheduled to
open in Los Angeles November S.
The feature players and takers
are Evelyn Brent, Doris Kenyon
and Give Brook.
King Vidor is making "Hallelu-
iah" in the neighborhood of
Memphis, Tenn. A large COM
pany of negro players has been
assembled for the cast. Movie
tone will be used for the sound
parts.
Anita Page and Bessie Love
have the leading feminine roles in
THE Broadway Melody" Charles
King, we'll known to the musical
comedy stage, has been signed to
play the leading male role, that
of a Song-and-dance artist of
Tin Pan Alley.
Esther RalSton and James Hall
have the leading parts in "The
Case of Lena Smith," colorful
Austrian story. Josef Won Stern
berg is handling the megaphone
Florence Vidor and Wallace
Beery are featured in Tong
War"
Mrs. Wallace Reid, at the Met
ropolitan studio, in Hollywood, is
directing production called
Linda" Helen Foster and War
ner Baxter have the leading roles.
Reginald Dennys new picture
will be called His Lucky Day."
He is just completing Clear the
Decks" which is almost ready for
production.
Harry Langdon has signed a
contract to make a full-length
talking picture for Hal Roach.
Heretofore. the comedian has ap-
peared only in two-reel comedies.
Mary Nolan has completed the
feminine lead opposite Lon
CLANCY in West of Zanzibar"
and she takes the chief feminine
part in Thirst" John Gilbert's
new starring vehicle. Ernest
Terrence, the character actor,
has been selected for the Gilbert
cast.
Nils Asther, who played with
John Gilbert in THE CoSSacks."
with Lon CLANCY in Laugh,
Clown, Laugh" and with Marion
Davies in "Her Cardboard Lover"
has been selected as leading
man in Greta Garbo's next pic
ture. Lewis Stone has the other
male lead, but the title of the
story has not been decided upon.
Soundproof sidewalks are the
latest innovations to reach the
motion picture studios of Holly
wood. A new paving deadenS all
sound and eliminates vibrations
caused by heavy traffic.
Dawn" the Edith Cavel1 nic-