Wonderful “Specials”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 852, 21 December 1929, Page 18 (Supplement)

Wonderful “Specials”

Un iversal’s Pictures for 1930

One can hardly be expected to grasp the momentous significance of what the expenditure of such an enormous sum as £2,500,000 on one single year's output of screen productions must mean, but some idea of the decided advancement in entertainment value of Universal pictures will be obtained from the fact that never before, in one year, has Universal expended more than £1,000,000, even though the year's production embraced some outstanding screen triumphs, notably “The Hunchback of Xotre Dame,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” and, more recently, “Uncle Tom's Cabin.”

•‘The advent of the talkies has encouraged our company to embark on production schedule far beyond the wildest dreams of the film industry,” stated Mr. C. F. Eskell, General Manager in Xew Zealand for Universal. “With all my wide experience in pic-

tures, It is almost Impossible to conceive what this tremendous outlay of capital is going to mean to the merits of our coming pictures. No greater number of pictures will be made, hence it is obvious that the quality of our attractions will be infinitely greater than ever they have been heretofore, and that is saying a lot.

"Three super productions head the list of superlative screen attractions that will bear the trademark of Universal,” continued Mr. Eskell; “ ‘Show Boat,’ which has already enjoyed remarkable seasons In Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin; 'Broadway,' based on the famous stage play which ran for years in Times Square in Xew York, and for which clamouring patrons night after night paid as much as £2 10s for a seat, and thirdly, ‘King of Jazz,’ featuring no less a famous musical genius than Paul Whiteman and his famous band. It is safe to say that ‘King of Jazz,’ will prove the surprise picture of the year.

"Headed by ‘The Storm.' Langdon McCormack’s well-known stage drama, Universal will produce eight special productions.

“Universal will also produce a series of pictures starring seven of

the most popular artists of the moment. Eaura La Plante will be presented in three productions entitled ‘Hold Your Man,’ ‘Soft Shoulders,’ and ‘Kiss Proof’; John Boles was two entitled ‘The Song of Passion’ and ‘Moonlight Madness.’ Boles was discovered to possess a remarkable singing voice, and his vocal accomplishments will be taken full advantage of in these two pictures. “Joseph Schiidkraut, the popular ‘Ravenal’ of ‘Show Beat,’ has been cast in three pictures that admirably : suit his histrionic capabilities, ‘The Mississippi Gambler,’ ‘The Bachelor Husband’ and ‘The Man About Town.’ i

Reginald Denny, with his fine English speaking voice, will appear in two outstanding productions, ‘Embarrassing Moments’ and ‘One Hysterical Xight.’ “Mary Xolan, one of the screen’s beauties, who has established herself as an actress of no mean accomplishment, will appear in four pictures, entitled ‘The Shanghai Lady,’ ‘Mademoiselle Gayenne,’ ‘Lipstick’ and ‘Ladies in Love.’ “Glenn Trvon and Merna Kennedy, the popular dancing duo of ‘Broadway,’ will also be featured together in three productions, ‘fiarnum Was Right,’ ‘Anything Goes,’ and ‘The

| Times Square Kid.' The final 'star' : series also presents a team in George | Lewis and Barbara Kent, who will apj pear in ‘Flaming Daughters’ and ‘Keep on Dancing.’ “There will be four all-star productions. The first is ‘The Drake Case,’ a most absorbing mystery story with a cast including Gladys Brockwell, Robert Fraser and many others. The second is the famous stage play, ‘The Climax’ by Edward Locke, the cast of which includes Jean Hersholt, Kathryn Crawford and Le Roy Mason. ‘Brawn of the Sea,’ from the story by Garret Fort and Paul Sydney’s novel, ‘She Belongs to Me,’ are the other

two productions that comprise this group of meritorious screen attractions. “A particular feature of our company’s new product,” concluded Mr. Eskell, “is the remarkable adaptability of our array of established screen favourites of the ‘silent’ picture to the talkies. Thus, in Universal pictures, screen patrons of many years’ following will not only be provided with the latest and most acceptable form of film entertainment, but at the same time will continue to have the pleasure of seeing and hearing the many artists who have become their popular favourites. Every |

picture released under the Universal banner will have, in addition to a 100 per cent, ‘talkie’ version, a ‘silent’ production for the theatres that will not be in a position to install ‘sound’ equipment in the near future. VETERANS CALL WAR SCENES THE REAL THING “It’s the real thing;” This was the unanimous verdict of 1,000 ex-servicemen, who comprise the British and German armies in the war scenes in “Three Live Ghosts.” i United Artists’ all-sound and alldialogue comedy-drama, after thev 1

had seen the "rushes” in the studio projection and sound room. The roar of cannon, the whine of bullets, the deafening crash of bursting shells, and the cries of the soldiers as they go “over the top,” create a realism never before seen or heard in a motion picture. ‘‘Three Live Ghosts,” directed bv Thornton Freeland, and featuring an all-star cast, including Beryl Mercer Charles Mc-Xaughton, Claud AllisteU Robert Montgomery, Hilda Vaughn. ! Joan Bennett, Shayle Gardner, Harrv I Stubbs, Jack Cooper, Jocelvn Lee | Nancy Price, and Tenen Holtz, is now [being shown at the Civic Theatre