Exhibitors Daily Review (Jul-Dec 1928)

Exhibitors DAILY REVIEW, MONDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1928 U. A. Officials Hear Pickford Test at H. 0. Zellner Brings Voice Tests Made by Mary For "Coquette" By W. R. W. Mary Pickford's voice was reproduced on the screen at the United Artists' projection room in New York, at a private showing to company officials. The tests were made by Miss Pickford, under the direction of Sam Taylor, at the Paramount studios in Hollywood, prior to Miss Pickford's purchase of the screen rights of "Coquette" for her first all talking picture. Miss Pickford's voice was brought from Hollywood by Arthur J. Zellner, who arrived in New York yesterday for a conference at the Eastern office. The tests were 400 feet long, made under the dual film process. The scenes were from "My Best Girl," which Taylor, who will direct Miss Pickford in "Coquette," also directed. Texarkana Managers In Blue Law Arrest Texarkana, Tex. — Arthur Hardin and Mrs. Hardin, managers of the Saenger and Strand Theatres were last week arrested and released on their own recognizance, on charges of violating the Sunday Blue Laws. Texarkana theatres were well patronized for the first Sunday pictures in the history of the city. The Saenger and Strand on Texas ground and the Gem in Arkansas, all played to huge audiences. The arrests will form a test for Sunday pictures for all towns in this section hereafter. New Amplification Method For Talking-Film Secrets (Continued from page 1) it, as near to the character supposed to be speaking as possible, to support the illusion that the voice is coming from the artist. Critics of present-day talking pictures have complained that the voices often seem to be coming out of the speaker's left vest pocket or down about his shoes, but with this invention, the "bi-aural" sense which judges sound according to the intensity with which it reaches each ear and thus directs the eye, was specialized on and the inventor thus far has obtained an illusion of direction within a few degrees of the one required. Cohen Opening New Florida Theatre Sindey S. Cohen, well-known independent exhibitor, is preparing to open his new theatre in Pensacola, Florida, in the early Spring and has sent C. J. McLane there to act as his personal representative. Benton-Comerford Playing 1st Nat'l A. W. Smith, Jr., Eastern Sales manager for First National, closed for the Benton Circuit, with principal theatres in Saratoga, Glens Falls and Plattsburgh, N. Y., for the complete First National product for the current season, both President Group productions and the specials. Smith also reports the closing of a similar contract with the Comerford Circuit of Eastern Pennsylvania, with principal theatres in Wilkes-Barre and Scranton. M-G-M 2-Reel Talkies Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer have signed Lionel Barrymore and Lowell Sherman to direct a series of two reel talking pictures for them. Griffith's Sound Dissolve D. W. Griffith, who gave to silent films the close-up and the fade-out, is now using in sound pictures, the sound dissolve and the sound fade-out. These effects will be presented in "The Love Song," in which William Bovd, Jetta Goudal and Lupe Velez appear. Fejos Returns to W. C. Dr. Paul Fejos, director, and Glenn Tryon, star, who have been in New York taking atmospheric shots for Universal's production of "Broadway," the celebrated Jed Harris stage success, have returned to California, leaving Arthur Cozine, New York location expert and production executive, to complete the New York shots nec» essary for the picture. i Graham Wilcox Making Television Film London, — The Baird Television apparatus and its use forms the theme of a new production which GrahamWilcox-P. MacLean Rogers are producing. It is called "The Third Eye" and is said to contain a thrilling novelty appeal. The entire Television process will be demonstrated as part of the dramatic story. PHOTOTONE RUSHES ON DIALOGUE O.K. Dialogue dancing sequences made by Eddie Quillan and Lina Basquette for the vaudeville rehearsal and performance scenes of Pathe's "Show Folks" are "sensationally good," according to a West Coast wire to Colvin W. Brown, executive vice-president, following the screening of rushes of this RCA Photophone recording. Benjamin Glazer directed the team of Eddie Kehoe and Company, otherwise Quillan and Miss Basquette, in a typical conversational dancing Vaudeville act in which lively patter was intermixed with agile steps and tinkling tunes. $5,000,000 British Theatre Corp. Formed London. — The Associated British Cinemas, with a capitalization of $5,000,000 has been formed and will be controlled by the British International Pictures. The Associated was formed to take over the Savoy Cinemas, Ltd., with about 20 existing theatres and the Scottish Cinema and Variety Theatres, with a like amount. Additional theatres of 3,000 seating capacity will be built, in three or four of the larger cities in the U. K. Barnes-Mclntyre Here George Barnes, ace cameraman, and Bob Mclntyre, casting head of Samuel Goldwyn corporation, are in New York at the Park Central. Both are here in connection with the new Vilma Banky picture, "Next Thing to Heaven," to be filmed in and around New York. WAFILMS, Inc. Walter A. Futter, Pres. for Library Stock Scenes 130 W. 46th St. New York Bryant 8181 Classified Advertisements Advertisements in this section, 6 cents per word. Cash must be sent with order. No charge for Box Number line. Minimum order, $1. 10% discount 12 issues or more. FOR SALE AN OLD AND WELL ESTABLISHED ORCHESTRA BUSINESS of Band Providers. Fully licensed, agency for variety, etc. Price £4,500. Commodious offices, extensive up-to-date library and music. Established 25 years. Open to every inspection and investigation. Write May Walter Orchestra, 81 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W.l. MOTION PICTURE AND "STILL" cameras rented, sold and exchanged. Portable lights for sale and for rent. Keep us advised of your wants. Ruby Camera Company, 727 Seventh Avenue. New York City. LOCAL FILMS MOTION PICTURES MADE TO ORDER. Commercial, Home or Industrial. We have excellent facilities and the best cameramen. Our price, 20c per foot. Ruby Film Company, 727 Seventh Avenue. New York City. BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES WHETHER YOU WANT TO HIRE some one or be hired ; buy or sell a theatre : trade or sell equipment, or do almost anything else in the motion picture business, an ad in this department will get you results. If you want us to word the ad for you, the services of our advertising experts are at your call. Simply tell us what you want to do. and how many words you want used. Exhibitors DAILY REVIEW. OPINIONS By W. R. WILKERSON MOVIETONE CITY. The Fox organization, both East and West, are certainly putting on the steam regarding Movietone City, soon to open in Hollywood. This plant, when opened, will present the finest in everything that could be put into a studio for the making of sound pictures, in addition to giving Fox, together with his Sunset Bldv property, more stage space than any other studio in the world. With this in consideration, the organization spoken of above, have plenty of reason to get steamed up. NEWS IN SOUND Speaking of Fox reminds us that we were talking to a representative of one of the big news weeklies and we asked him about the sound situation in so far as his releases were concerned. He replied, "I suppose we will get to it in time, when, I can't say." He went on further, "Do you know the cost of getting the equipment, by that I mean a sound truck, special camera, etc., for oneunit?" We said we did not. "Well, it will go well over $25,000 and when' you consider the extra cost in developing and printing and the number of units that have to be outfitted throughout the world, you have an item that is staggering. Add to this the amount of houses now wired for sound pictures and estimate the small gross to be had at this time, and you will have a glaring deficit staring you in the face." HOW ABOUT FOX? With the above figures in mind and the small amount of theatreequipt for running sound pictures, it occures to us that Fox is taking one on the chin at this moment in so far as his Movietone News is concerned. .But, somehow or other, if we were in the Fox shoes and had the chin to take it on, we would be glad to take it, feeling we had a punch to deliver in return. This Movietone News is great stuff and, in so far as we are concerned, more than anything else is resptmsible for our present talkie craze. TREM CARR. Trem Carr is fastly forcing himself to the front as a producer of independent product. He has been going along for the last couple of years unsung and hardly heard of, but his pictures have been doing a lot of talking. We hear great things about the "Isle of Lost Men." We hope Ray Johnston invites us for a screening. Vidor to Retire It is said that Florence l'id<>r. on the completion of her preseii' Paramount contract, will retire from "ictures and assume the role of Mrs. la^cha Heifetz, exclusively. Sea Melo for Rayart Next on the list of Ka\art' Box Office Twenty to go into production at Mack Sennett Studios is "Ships of the Night" Producer Trem Carr has lined up an excellent cast, headed by Jacqueline Logan, Sojin, Arthur Kankin, Andy Clyde, Glen Cavander. J. P. McGowan, Frank Moran and Tom Cur ran.