Evening star., 1929-12-08
Flashes rom the Screen
BY c. E. Nelson.

will have special musical numbers
now being prepared.
Leila HyamS is to have the lead
ing feminine role in the William
HaineS picture, Fresh From Col
lege." Phyllis Crane will also hav'
an important part. Sam Wood
who is also directing the Duncan
Sisters in "It'S a Great Life" i
telling the Haines cast just wha
to do.
Marie DreSSler, once a leading
stage comedienne, has signed {
long-term contract with Metro
! Goldwyn- Mayer. She is to have {
featured part in the revue "Just
Kids" and she also has a part ir
the Greta Garbo feature, Anna
Christie"
The new colortone revue, "Tht
Flower Garden" will feature Cliff
Edwards and Sally Starr. In tht
same picture Lottice Howell, {
young colorature soprano, will
make her first screen appearance
Metro Goldwyn-Maye has pur-
chased the screen rights to tho
stage success Remote Control"
Adolphe Menjou, according tt
cable information from London, is
to sign a contract with the Fo2
organization.
Lloyd Hamilton is working on 8
new comedy, to be called Camera
Shy" He recently completed work
in Grass Skirts
The new Gary Cooper picture
Medals" will have a different
title when it reaches the cash GUS
toners. The producers decided tc
call it Seven Days Leave"
A MONG the producers there
= wages a verbal battle over the
possibility of transferring Shake
Speare to the sound Screen-anc
the final decision of the conflict
may come from the photoplay
patrons themselves. Doug anC
Mary, sometimes known as Mr.
and Mrs. Fairbanks, took the f1rsI
brave step in their production OF
The Tanning of the Shrew.'
While the picture was not-anC
probably was not expected to be
a leader among the box office at
fractions of the year, it drew eX-
cellent patronage, not only III
Washington but in other cities.
There is no getting away from
the fact that our first group o1
sound pictures have been confined
to certain lineS-muSical revueS
and thrill stuff. This fact has
caused the producers to search fol
something new, and several OF
them are convinced that Shake
Speare may prove an innovation
for jaded nerves. 1t is announced
that in the future we are to have
all the fine operas on the screen
so why not the classic writings?
To most theatergoerS Shakespeare
is human and understandable
The success of turning the ole
plays into screen features depends
upon directors and producers. Tho
method used - the manner in
which the plays are produced
will determine whether Shake
Speare'S writings can become
screen successes. The material is
awaiting a skilled magician of the
movie StudioS-not a bunch OF
hack writer's, poor actors and fly
might producers.
y X y
A FTER months of work, the cas-;
for the John Mccormack pic
ture has been completed by the
Fox company. It includes Alice
Joyce, Maureen O'Sullivan, Ton
Clifford, j. M. Kerrigan, John Gar.
rick, Farrell Macdonald and Ed
ward Schneider. First work on the
picture was done in Ireland three
months ago, and it is now being
resumed in this country.
Other pictures placed in pro.
duction by Fox are "PlaymateS,
with Janet Gaynor and Charlie!
Farrell; "By the Way, Bill" star.
ring Will Rogers, and "Yonde;
Grew the Daisies" which Bertholc
Viertel is directing. Other picture!
in the studio and almost ready fol
screening are High Society Blues,
''The Golden Calf" "The Dolla,
Princess" and Such Men art
Dangerous"
| A CCORDING to information
from New York, the Warne,
Brothers Vitaphone revue, 9TH
Show of Shows" has been givel
a special booking at the Metro
politan Theater, opening Decem
ber %. This particular picture
which is breaking records at tn
Winter Garden, in New York, ha
a cast of all stars. For instance
the prologue presents Hobar
BoSWorth, H. B. Warner and Viii
liam Courtney. Then comes ;
military parade, with Monte Blu
and chorus of 300; "The Flora
dora Boys" with Ben Turpir
Lloyd Hamilton, Lupino Lane an,
others; Skull and CroSsboneS,
featuring such players as TIE,
Lewis, Noah Beery, Tully Mar
shall, Bull" Montana, Wheele
Oakman, Shirley Mason, Carme
Myers and-but the list is entirel
too long to name all the players
THE Show of Shows" should be
three-ring circus of moviedom.