Lasky Wants a Lorelei!

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 98, 16 July 1927, Page 23

Lasky Wants a Lorelei!

Gentlemen Prefer. .. ? SCREEN HEROINE SOUGHT Jesse L. Lasky has appealed to the. public to aid in the selection of a Lorelei Lee for the screen version of Anita Loos’ incomparable satire on a lovely gold-digger, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” It is a nice question, this selection of a Lorelei. She must have unmistakable appeal. She must be pretty. And she must be a shrewd, level-headed young woman. Lasky calls what he wants in Lorelei a “blonde personality.” That is, she may be a brunette, but she must have the expression of a wise little blonde. Not so easy. Lasky wants suggestions from all the readers of Anita Loos’s book. He has had a great many already, some nominating; established players, and some comparatively unknown but promising actresses. The invitation to the public to aid in finding the right type for the part stands until a girl is selected.

Lya Di Putti. European filmstar, will play the starring role in “Buck Privates,” under the direction of Mel Brown.

Esther Ralston launched a new fashion recently by appearing at a Southern California beach in a light rubber swimming suit.

Dolores Costello is heroine of “Old San Francisco,” a Warner Brothers’ production not yet shown.

William Haines is training with a pugilist for his fighter’s role in “Smarty,” his first Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture.

Carmel Myers is now in Europe. She will make “The Moulin Rouge” under the direction of E. A. du Pont. It is a drama of stage life, with Berlin and Paris as the locales.

Reginald Denny began work recently on “I’ll Be There.” He has a big cast in support, featuring Marian Nixon, Ben Hendricks, jun., Alfred Allen, Bob Seiter and Dorothy Earle. Virginia Lee Corbin, once a childstar of the movies, and now a fullfledged young lady, will appear with Billie Dove in “American Beauty.”

Lionel Barrymore, stage and screen .star, and the Karenin of Metro-Gold-wyn-Mayer’s production, “Love,” says it was his boyhood ambition to be a policeman.

Bebe Daniels, with three real estate deals to her credit in one week, may now be rated in the class of starrealtors.

Vera Voronina, recently added to the Paramount acting forces, fled from Petrogz-ad with her parents at the age ot 14 because of the scarcity of food in the Russian capital. Faith Thomas has completed the screen adaptation of Reginald Denny’s original story, “Now I’ll Tell One,” which will be the star’s next vehicle under the Universal banner.

David Torrence was for eight years with Maud Allen on the legitimate stage. His latest, screen appearance is with Florence Vidor in “The World at Her Feet.”

Lloyd Hughes plays opposite Billie Dove in “American Beauty,” as he has just finished in “The Stolen Bride,” Billie’s first starring picture. “Good Morning, Dearie,” has entered the movies, that haven of all good musical comedies. Famous PlayersLasky has selected this one for their blonde star, Esther Ralston.

Emil Jannings played his first picture part in 1915. Ernest Lubitsch was his director. It was in Berlin at the old

Union Studios, and the picture was called “When Four Do The Same.”

Finis Fox reached a total of 506 scenarios when he completed “Ramona” recently for Inspiration Pictures Corporation. Edwin Oarewe is to direct the picture, and Dolores del Rio will play Ramona. David Belasco’s stage play, “The Heart of Maryland,” is being filmed by Warner Brothers, with Dolores Costello as star, and Warner Richmond, Helene Costello, Carrol Nye, Charles Edward Bull, Erville Alderson, Walter Rodgers and Paul Kruger in the cast. * * • Avonne Taylor is the latest Follies beauty to desert the stage for the movies. She is playing her first screen role with Norma Shearer in “After Midnight,” Dorothy Sebastian and Joan Crawford are two other MetroGoldwyn actresses recruited from the Follies.

With his cast only partially complete, Douglas Mac Lean has started filming “Soft Cushions,” a comedy novelty. Sue Carol, Mac Lean’s “discovery” whom he recently placed un t der long-term contract, will play opposite the comedian.

Clyde Cook, Louise Fazenda and William Demarest will be promoted as a comedy trio by Warner Brothers in a series of pictures specially chosen for them. “Five and Ten Cent Annie,” and “A Sailor’s Sweetheart” are two already selected.

“Beware of Widows,” which probably has nothing whatever to do with Weller of “Pickwick Papers,” is a new production. Besides Laura La Plante, Walter Hiers, Paulette Duval and Tully Marshall help the fun in this vehicle.