Exhibitors Herald (1927)

28 EXHIBITORS HERALD March 19, 1927 Cosmopolitan Studio Is Sold To Warner Brothers Vitaphone To Have Advantage of Finest Equipment — P. D. C. Takes Over Gaiety Theatre as Home for ‘^'King of Kings” By JOHN S. SPARGO New YORK, March 15. — Just as the title guaranty company turns back the papers — and this is expected early this week — the big Cosmopolitan Studio will pass from the ownership of William Randolph Hearst to Warner Brothers. The deal was closed up to the point of signing the final papers last week, just before Harry M. Warner left New York for the West coast. The price was not made public, but it is understood to be in the neighborhood of three-quarters of a million dollars. The Cosmopolitan studio, which was reconstructed at a cost of more than $1,200,000 after a fire two years ago, is generally considered the finest and best equipped of any similar enterprise in the world. It also boasts of having the largest stage, one of the four being 200 by 200. All of the stages have a head clearance of 40 feet. The studio has 24,000 amperes of light — more than three times the amperage of any other eastern studio — the Paramount Long Island studio being second with 7,000 amperes. It is the intention of Warner Brothers to change over part of the big plant for use in handling their Vitaphone work. The remainder of the plant will be leased for the making, of independent pictures until such time as more room is needed by the Warners. Chester Beecroft, who has been managing the studio for Air. Hearst, will remain in his present position for Warner Brothers for the time being. P. D. C. Takes Over Gaiety Another of the so-called legitimate theatres will be turned over to pictures early next month when the Gaiety Theatre goes under lease to Producers Distributing Corporation. With the “Rough Riders” opening at the George AI. Cohan Theatre this week, this makes six Broadway legitimate theatres which are now playing pictures. The others are the Astor, Central, Sam Harris, Selwyn which are housing respectively the “Big Parade,” “The Fire Brigade,” “What Price Glory,” and “When a Alan Loves.” Producers Distributing Corporation will take possession of the house April 10th and remodel it for the home of Cecil de Alille’s “King of Kings,” which will open there on April 30th. Sk iff “C. Griffith Joins With U. A. Forces” runs a headline in one of the film papers and now a lot of us will wonder how G. Swanson, AI. Pickford and N. & C. Talmadge will cotton to the new addition of the family. On Other Side of Desk Clarence C. Schottenfels has moved over to the other side of the desk and instead of soliciting advertising for trade papers will now deal it out. At least that’s what a lot of people hope. “Shotty,” as he is familiarly and widely known, in motion picture circles, resigned last week from the advertising department of the Moving Picture World to accept the position as manager of sales, advertising and publicity for United Color Pictures, Inc. The latter named company has acquired the former Urban plant at Irvington. * * Jim Zabin, who is on the payroll of the advertising department of Famous PlayersLasky Corporation as James B., has blossomed out as a rival of Sinclair Lewis. Zabin is the author of a novelization of the “Campus Flirt,” Bebe Daniel’s picture, and if the clever handling of the story is any criterion, Russell Holman is doomed to lose a valuable assistant. 4: * * The Alotion Picture Studio Alechanics, Local No. '52, are going to get gay. The organization, which is affiliated with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and Alotion Picture Afachine Operators of United States and Canada, will hold its annual ball on April 22nd. The organization is composed of electricians, property men and other studio employees. Don Allen Suicides Alany persons in the motion picture industry were saddened last week by news' which came from Boston to the effect that Don Allen had committed suicide by gas in a Boston rooming house. For several years Allen reviewed films for the Neiv York Evening World and during this work made many close friends in the industry. Allen and his wife were an unusually devoted couple and shortly after her death, about two years ago, it was noticed that Allen commenced to slip. This was followed a little later by his leaving the World and disappearing entirely from motion picture circles. Little has been heard of him for many months past until the news of his death last week. The promotion of G. S. Yorke to the position of General Director of Publicity for “What Price Glory” is announced by H. Wayne Pierson, General Alanager of the “What Price Glory” Road Show Department. Yorke was in charge of the advance campaign on the picture from the time it went into production until it opened in November. Since that time he has been covering the campaign in national publications. Yorke joined the Fox organization in February, 1926. Pathe Basketball Champ In two of the greatest games played in the Alotion Picture Basketball league, Pathe won the title by virtue of their win over Aletro-Goldwyn-AIayer by the score of 43 to 42. The game was not decided to the last moment. Pathe has won 7 games and lost none, and can lose their next game to Consolidated and still will win the title. The Aletro-Goldwyn-AIayer team is second with 4 wins and 3 losses. In the second battle of the night, which proved just as thrilling, the United Artists Corporation Basketball team won its first victory, defeating Fox Film Corporation by the score of 31 to 29. This game was filled with fights and arguments. This means that Fox Film will finish third. * * * “What Price Glory,” the William Fox picture, having established itself in the large cities in this country now essays the foreign field. The picture was booked to open in London on Alarch 14th at the Plaza, one of the most important of the West End theatres. Nearly every other theatre in the West End made a bid to play this picture, one manager having offered to make over his legitimate house or any of his six music halls in order to play it. An attempt will be made to have Victor AIcLaglen address his fellow Londoners from Hollywood by means of the transcontinental and transmarine telephone hooked up with amplifiers in the theatre on the opening night. Fox Production Plans to Go in Work in April Set at 15 Million Outlay (Special to the Herald) NEW YORK, Alarch 15.— April ushers in at the Fox Studios the beginning of a twelve month production program that calls for an expenditure o f fifteen million dollars for next season’s pictures. The entire schedule for 192627 has been completed and more than $ 5, 0 0 0, 0 0 0 worth of completed pictures for next September are in the vaults, according t o announcement from the offices of Vicepresident Winfield R. Sheehan. New pictures for the coming year now completed include eight specials, three of which are “Sunrise,” “7th Heaven” and “Carmen.” Among the others will be “The Joy Girl,” “The Grand Army Alan,” “Prince Fazil,” “Frozen Justice,” “The Comedian,” “The Alud Turtle,” “Balaoo,” “None But the Brave,” “ Alacushla.” Twelve pictures will be made in the New York studio. At Fox Hills two stages will be added and an administration building. At the Fox studios in Berlin Air. Sheehan in June will confer with Carl Fruend. Jack Ford now is in Germany shooting scenes for a special. Exploiter Hunted on Grand Larceny Charge (Special to the Herald) BIG TIAIBER, AIONT., Alarch 15.— A warrant for the arrest of a man known as Franklin B. Field, an advertising campaign manager who handled popularity and business stimulating contests for theatres and newspapers, is held by the sheriff of Big Timber on a charge of grand larceny. He is accused of taking funds belonging to the Sweet Grass News. Activities of Field were first brought to the attention of the InterAlountain Film Board at Salt Lake City by A. AI. Russell, manager of the Rialto Theatre Company, at Bozeman, Alont., who said the man entered into a contract for a six weeks contest with the Rialto theatre and left owing $150 to the exhibitor. Cuban Exhibitors Sign Contract Omitting Price (Special to the Herald) HAVANA, Alarch 15. — Cuban exhibitors in a number of cases have signed contracts omitting not only the price but even production titles or other means of identification, according to Louis Goldstein, AletroGolciwyn-AIayer manager.