The Washington times., 1929-01-04
80 MILLIONS
TO BE SPENT
ON MOVIES
By REGINA CREWE
Copyright. 1929. by King Features
Syndicate, Incl

Syndicate, Incl
HOLLYWOOD, Jan. 3.--As the
New Year. baby star Of 1929.
bounds into being, the various
factors Of the motion picture in
dustry are planning expenditures
reaching over one hundred and
fifty millions Of dollars to provide
the populace with movie entertain
ment. These dollars are to be put
into the actual production of pic.
lures. Many more will be invested
in the erection Of sound stages,
the purchase of equipment, the
Improvement Of properties.
The greater portion Of this great
sum will be poured into talking
pictures. But the taikie hysteria
which followed Warner Brothers
sensational success with Al Jol-
sons vitaphoned film, THE Jazz
Singer" has waned. None of the
producers knows whether or not
tallies are come to stay. But
while they are popular at the
box-office, every concern must
plunge into the maelstrom Of
sound or be put out of business
by the competition.
1t has been discovered that
there is, and always will be, a
demand for good silent pictures.
And plenty of them will be made.
Even the taIlSies viii be produced
with silent versions. The raiding
of the stage for players with
voices has lost its wholesale
aspect. The star-makers have
found that movie players have
Just as good voices, and that they
can more than hold their own
with names from the theater.
Another hopeful sign Is that it
certainly appears as though fewer
poor pictures viii be made this
year than ever before, Quality,
rather than quantity, seems the
slogan. All in all it looks as
though the industry has grown
up sufficiently to forget its long
drawn-out infancy and emerge
from the chaos of the nursery as
an adult commercial art.
Nal st. Clair, the lanly director
who recently quit Paramount, has
taken himself for a ride to New
York in one of Mrs. Santa Fe's
buggies. As soon as he gets
there, he'll turn around and run
right home again. For Harold
Lloyd has signed him up to fiji
the directorial breach occasioned
by the illness OF Ted Wilde. Nal
will pick up the megaphone and
continue where Ted left off in the
filming Of TINT" which is the
working title of Lloyd's picture.
incidentally, although the film
has been in work for some time,
no leading lady has actually af.
fixed her name to a contract.
"John Elliott and wife, sailed
today for Panama. 'Mr. Elliott"
is really John Barrymore, and, of
course, the "and wife, part is
Dolores Costello. Just why John
hid behind the trick monicker re-
mains a mystery. He and Dolores
win meet the yacht Mariner at
Panama and from there cruise
along the South American coast
on leisurely honeymoon.
Lots OF people remember Ru.
dolph Valentino. Among others
Uncle Sam and the collector of
internal revenue. The collector
has filed a lien for estate taxes
against Rudy's executors, asking
them to hand over $S,545.
s----s
John Holland, who has changed
his name from Clifford, has been
chosen by Director Eddie Carewe
for the second male lead in
Dolores Del Rios .'Evangeline''
picturization. In addition to John.
five other names have been added
to the cast. These include Law.
renee Grant, equally wen known
on stage and screen, and Paul
McAllister, who plays the first
part Of the title in ''Noah's Ark"
John Holland, by the way. is a
discovery Of Director Henry King.
to whom believe he is under per-
sonal contract. Finis Fox, who
has written the screen adaptation
Of Longfellow's poem. told me
something of the story he has
evolved. Under Carewe's direction
it should be one of the most beau
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