Exhibitors Herald (Mar-Apr 1924)

42 EXHIBITORS HERALD March 29, 1924 Everything Set for Naked Truth Dinner at Astor Hotel Distinguished Guests to Be Present — No Speeches But Bedtime Stories W ill Be Feature of Evening By JOHN S. SPARGO NEW YORK, March 18. — As the date approaches for The Naked Truth dinner, at which it is promised the naked Truth about the motion picture industry and its leading personalities will be exposed, rumors have been running like wildfire through film circles to the effect that prominent cinema executives and stars have been buying one-way tickets by the wholesale for points east of the Suez. But these rumors seem to be quite ill-founded. On the contrary all the indications are that the fourth annual gridiron revel of the Associated Motion Picture Advertisers, Inc., to take place at the Hotel Astor on. Saturday night, March 29, will see the most brilliant, distinguished and representative assemblage of picture folk ever brought together for a function of this kind. A MONG those who are going to face the music of two Paul Whiteman bands and hear the unvarnished facts about the films in a short series of five minute Bedtime stories are: Adolph Zukor, J. D. Williams, Richard A. Rowland, Harry O. Schwalbe, Louis B. Mayer, Rodolph Valentino, Bebe Daniels, Gloria Swanson, Thomas Meighan, Bert Lytell, Edwin Carewe, John Emerson, Richard Barthelmess, Ramon Navarro, Rex Ingram, Alice Terry, William A. Brady, E. A. Eschman, William Fox, and a host of others too numerous to mention. It will not only be the first time on record that ladies have attended an A. M. P. A. affair, but it will also be the first time in banquet history that no flashlights will be taken and no "speeches" made, though of course truthful Bedtime stories will be told without fear or favor. The Naked Truth story tellers will be Will Hays, D. W. Griffith, Doug Fairbanks, Rupert Hughes, Mary Pickford, Samuel Rothafel, A. M. Botsford and a "Big National Personality" whose identity is being withheld as a surprise. The party it is announced, starts promptly at 7 p. m. At 9 o'clock the A. M. P. A. will give the nation the air when Station WEAF will broadcast the Bedtime stories told by the illustrious guests. Following this will be the presentation of the prize-winning fifteen-minute comedy sketch on the movies by a Broadway cast and the introduction of the author who takes the $100 prize. Next will be the unreeling of what is described as a "Sensational Sinema production." Then comes what the publicity men call "Our Own Popularity Contest" to be followed by "the crowning of the King and Queen of Flimdumb." Following this there will be dancing until dawn. * * * The A. M. P. A. at their regular Thursday luncheon this week at the Cafe Boulevard went away from the beaten path and had as their speaker the Rev. Ray Petty, pastor of the Judson Memorial Church, of Washington Square, New York City. Not that any deductions may be drawn, etc., but it is a fact that the Rev. Mr. Petty had the most attentive audience of any speaker who has addressed the motion picture advertising men in many a meeting; and, by the same token, the most commendatory, judging from the applause which followed the address. There was nothing especially applicable to the trade in his remarks, but the sincerity and the truth of what he had to say made him a delightful visitor. Bruce Gallup in his capacity of barker brought him there and then passed the introduction honors to his own father, also a good advertising man, though not of the motion picture industry. * * * Former Governor Carl Milliken, of Maine, head of Pine Tree Pictures Corporation, was talking at the luncheon of the Independent Motion Picture Producers and Distributors on the subject "The Tenderfoot Producer," one of which he claimed to be. Said he; "The position of the tenderfoot producer in the motion picture business reminds me of a little "Happy Family" show which played the small towns of Maine a number of years ago. One of the strong features of the show was a lion and a lamb which occupied the same cage. "A friend of the proprietor once asked him if he didn't have trouble keeping his show going along and was told; " 'Oh, no. We never have any trouble. We go right along and show every day. Of course, we have to renew the lamb every once in a while.' "As a tenderfoot producer who has made a number of pictures I sort of get a feeling sometimes that I am like the lamb." * * * Pathe sent out a warning recently against some impecunious individual who has been visiting the various exchange centers and borrowing money from film men on the strength of being a brother of Harry Scott, the popular Pathe sales manager. Harry displayed keen interest in the travels of the imposter, and remarked: "If I could find out who that bird is that can borrow money on the strength of being mv brother, I'm going to declare myself in 50-50 with him on the gettings." One of the features of the recent Paramount Pep Club annual dinner dance was the showing of a film under the title: "The World's Worst Movie." Up to date no one has written to Pete Harrison charging that the title is misleading to down-trodden exhibitors. * * * For his work in making "America," Goldwyn Sees Elimination Of Original Stories (Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, Mar. 18.— The original story for the screen is a thing of the past. So says Samuel Goldwyn, who for years sponsored the original story written expressly for the screen and who brought more well known authors into the film world than any other individual producer. "Following a careful survey in which hundreds of theatre owners were consulted and an analysis of the successful productions during the past three months, I can safely say that the public today demands only well known stories or plays and that competition among producers for subjects of this type will be greater than ever during the next six months", says Mr. Goldwyn. "What the public wants are stories they know about. Subjects that they have either read, seen on the stage or have learned enough about through the newspapers and word-of-mouth advertising. Then they want to see these characters and climaxes relived in pictures. Famous books or popular plays will be my future policy, the same policy I have been following since I started independent production with such offerings as, 'The Eternal City', 'Cytherea', 'Potash & Perlmutter', etc." D. W. Griffith has been made an honorary member of The Minute Men of Lexington, the oldest military organization in this country. At the first showing of the film in Boston, the Minute Men were present to weigh the historical accuracy and dramatic truth of the pictured event. When convinced of the faithfulness and appeal of the scenes at the Common when 77 Americans met 800 British regulars, the Minute Men voted the honorary membership. * * * Word comes from the coast that Lou Marangf.lla, erstwhile press agent and A. M. P. A. and now Wampas member, has cast his lot with the grease paint artists of the screen. "Lou" as he is more familiarly known, has played his first bit in the Ruth Roland feature, "Dollar Down," which is being produced by the co-Artists Productions at the F. B. O studios. Arliss Pictures to Be Released by Selznick (Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, March 18.— By the terms of an agreement just concluded, Distinctive Pictures Corporation will release future George Arliss pictures through the Selznick Distributing Corporation. The first of these will be a comedy drama, "$20 A Week," which will be ready about the first of April. "$20 A Week" is based on the Edgar Franklin novel "The Adopted Father." Supporting Mr. Arliss in this production are Edith Roberts, Taylor Holmes and Ronald Colman. Harmon Weight, who directed all the previous Arliss pictures with the exception of "The Green Goddess," is responsible for this production.