United Artists, Limited

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 852, 21 December 1929, Page 13 (Supplement)

United Artists, Limited

Makers of Worth While Pictures

Ten years ago four of the leading personages in the film industry, Mary Pickford, Charles Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and D. W. Griffith, formed what was known as “The Big Four,” an organisation for the independent production and release of superlative picture attractions. Untrammelled by any time limit each picture was made by an independent unit. Today this organisation has grown to be the greatest independent releasing organisation in the motion picture industry, each picture still being made by an independent unit. Joseph M. Schenck, the chairman of directors, has gathered round him the best brains in the producing field, linking

up with such world renowned personages as Samuel Goldwyn, Florenz Ziegfeld, Dr. Hugo Leiserfeld, Irving Berlin and Arthur Hammerstein. Each one a peer in his own particular line, which includes, stage, screen and musical production. Added to this most important department of production executives is the wonderful array of personality stars -which includes Mary Pickford, Norma Talmadge. Gloria Swanson, Dolores Del Rio, Vilma Banky, Fanny Brice, Lupe Velez, Constance Talmadge, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas

Fairbanks, Ronald Colman, Harry Rickman, Gilbert Roland, Rod Da Rocque and Barbara Stanwyck. It has always been the aim of United Artists Corporation to lead the industry by the production of worth while pictures.

When one considers that, as an organisation, United Artists has the concentrated experience and judgment of the most expert, production abilities in the business, plus the greatest of star personalities, it cannot be wondered how they are able to turn out such a group of box office attractions. The new season’s releases have proved the biggest box office "bets” ever handled. Such sensational talkies as “Bulldog Drummond,” with Ronald Colman, “Three Dive Ghosts,” a comqdy supreme, “The Docked Door,” with Rod Da Rocque, Barbara Stanwyck and Betty Bronson have already created records in Dondon and America, while Gloria Swanson's “Trespasser” is "the” dramatic sensation of the year. It can only be likened in human interest to “Sorrell and Son.” A new Gloria Swanson entirely, with a speaking and singing voice that is a revelation.

Since the advent of audible pictures United Artists ’ Corporation have entered the short subject field. Not merely do they make fill-up subjects, but 12 musical featurettes, each with a cast of notable stars and musical composition under that able musical director, Dr. Hugo Riesenfeld, and produced in a way that would do justice to any feature production. Among the first of these subjects

to be seen in New Zealand are “Overture of 1812,” “Glorious Vamp,” “Irish Rhapsody,” "Tannhauser,” “Fall of Bastille,” etc., etc.

BABIES “DOUBLE’* IN FILM

The youngest twins in motion pictures, Barbara Ann Br.stetter and Beverly Ann Bustetter, celebrated their first birthday by appearing in “Three Dive Ghosts," United Artists’ all-talking comedy-drama, featuring an all-star cast now at the Civic Theatre. As only one baby is used in the picture, and because of the Californian law which prohibits a child from working more than four hours a day, Thornton Freeland, director of the picture, decided to hire twins so that they could "double” for each other.