The Film Daily (1929)

DAILY Thursday, November 14, 1929 Greenwich, Conn. — The new Pickwick is scheduled to open today with Henry Sommers as manager. Talking equipment is being installed. Middletown, O. — The Strand, seating 2.000, has opened with a film and vaudeville policy. Sanford, Me. — E. M. Loew has opened his new State, seating 950. San Diego, Cal — The new Fox has opened. Eureka, Cal. — Redwood Theaters, Inc., has opened the new State here. Ft. Wayne, Ind. — A. M. Strauss, local architect, has drawn plans for the proposed Paramount here. The house will cost nearly $1,000,000. Livingston, Tex. — Work on the Happy Hour is being rushed to completion. Camden, Tex. — A house seating 800 is being erected by the Carter Lumber Co. Ft. Smith, Ark. — A new theater will be opened early next year in the old Palace building, according to announcement by Malco Amusement Co.. of which M. A. Lightman is president. Elyria, O — Publix Ohio Theater Corp. has acquired a site at East Ave. and Broad St. and will begin work next month on a theater to be erected there. Newark, N. J. — Work is under way on the theater being built at 982 Broad St. by the Fifth Avenue Playhouse Group of New York. Pratt, Kan. — Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Barron are building an $80,000 house here. (.Continued from Page 1) pany now is operating 196 theaters against 146 a year ago. A dividend at the rate of $2 was declared for the first time. Arthur Cohen was formally announced as successor to N. L. Nathanson, who lately resigned as managing director. The resignations of Hon. H. D. Ross and Sir Herbert Holt, directors, also were announced. Universal Plans Program for Xmas Holiday Trade SpeciaJ features of interest to the Christmas holiday trade will be released by Universal for the period of Dec. 22 and Jan. 4. A two-reel talking comedy starring Sunny Jim has been prepared expressly for the occasion. The title is "Christmas Cheer". Among the shorts scheduled for release during the holiday season are "Ozzie of the Circus," "Take Off," "Rivals," and "Outdoor Sports." "Show of Shows" to Open With 77 Big Names in Cast "Show of Shows" opens at the Winter Garden on Nov. 20. The cast is said to comprise "exactly 77" important players, not to mention "1,000 dancing girls." Chief among the performers is John Barrymore, who will be head on the screen for the first time in a scene from "Henrv VI." Claims Legit Critics Subsidized by Talkers Milwaukee — When his show "My Girl Friday," was criticised by a local newspaperman as "the worst play of the season," William A. Crew, author, director and leading man the day following the review announced from the stage that "newspaper critics are driving the legitimate stage out of business," adding that "they're subsidized by the talking picture industry." Crew said that he would "close the show Saturday and put 20 people out of jobs," concluding with a tirade which termed the reviewers as "half-witted and feebleminded critics." Capitol, St. John, Now RKO House St. John, N. B. — The Imperial, formerly owned by E. F. Albee for the past 16 years, has reopened as the Capitol, a unit of the new R-K-O of Canada, Ltd., which is affiliated with Famous Players-Canadian Corp. W. H. Golding is manager. Loew to Build in Long Island City Long Island City, N. Y. — Plans have been filed for a theater to be built here by the Loew interests. Following Suit St. Louis — Police here are considering following Philadelphia's suit in using talking picture equipment to record the confessions of criminals. Chief of Police Gerk now is investigating the practicability of the idea. Sunday Permit Objected to by Winthrop Clergy Winthrop, Mass. — Issuing of permit granting Sunday shows has met with disapproval of ministers here who object on the grounds that the issue should first have had a public hearing. The Selectmen declare that it does not meet with approval of ministers, but since it had been granted with due regard to state and town laws, it is felt that the general demand has been satisfied. 2,841 W.E. Houses Western Electric sound system installations in the United states now total 2,841, according to Electrical Research Products. Columbia, Mo., Churches Finance Sunday Show Vote Columbia, Missouri — Protestant churches here are financing a referendum election on the question of Sunday shows. J. Dozier Stone, operator of three houses here, has declined to take part in the voting and declares he will not abide by the results. Florida Towns Resume Fight for Sunday Shows Orlando, Fla. — Fight for Sunday shows has been resumed here. Petitions were circulated recently and a special election is to be held to settle the matter. Arcadia also is waging a Sunday show campaign, with the local press backing the movement. Block Against Sunday Shows Algona, la. — The city council has refused to call a special election on the question of Sunday shows here, despite a petition signed by more than 1,000 residents. Arrow Pictures' Assets to be Sold by Receiver Assets of Arrow Pictures Corp. will be disposed of at a receiver's sale to be held Nov. 21, 2:30 p.m., at Hudson Heights, N. J. The receiver will sell all rights, title and interest in about 200 productions, divided into two lots. Schedule A, consisting of pictures that are owned outright by the receiver, includes: Bitter Fruit; two Bennison Pictures; Blue Fox serial (15 episodes), Border series (6), Broadway series (14), "Chamber Mystery," "Crime and Punishment," "Daughter of the Don," "The Deemster," Great West series (2) ; "Hearts of Men," Hank Mann series (36), "Joseph," "Man Who Trifled," "Miss Arizona," "Mysteries of Mah Jon." Mae series (2), "Night Life in Hollywood" Penny Philanthropist, Rip Tide series (2) (1st and 2nd neg.), Stranger in Canyon Valley series (1st and 2nd neg.). Sport series (23), Tame Cat, Thunderbolt. When Desert Smiled, W. Fairbanks series (6), X.L.N.T. series (8), Whose Guilty. In schedule B, consisting of productions on which the receiver holds liens, are: The Deceiver, Days of 49 Serial (15 episodes), Ed Codd series (10), Gambling Wives (1st and 2nd neg.), C. D. series (2, 1st and 2nd neg.), Great West series (4), Hidden Light (1st and 2nd neg.). Jack Hoxie series (14) Little Red School House (1st and 2nd neg.). None So Blind, North of Nome, P.B.K. series (3), Riders of the Plains series (15), Speed series (9), Wild West series (6). Arnold Van Leer Made Assistant to Charnas Arnold Van Leer, manager of the Central, New York, has been appointed assistant to Harry Charnas. managing director of Warner-First National Broadway houses. FILMS AID TRADE, ART, SCIENCE, HAYS DECLARES {Continued from Page 1) day at a luncheon given by the New York Board of Trade. The screen not only has developed a gigantic business of its own, Hays said, but has become the most powerful ally ever known to business because of its influence in stimulating the purchase of all sorts of commodities and in introducing modern improvements, new styles, etc., to all parts of the globe. Equally important, Hays declared, is the service done by pictures in promoting better understanding between nations, thereby aiding world peace. Commenting briefly on professional reformers, Hays said that every attempt to shackle motion pictures is an attempt to retard the mental development of the race and to throttle the growth of American business. W. F. Canavan to Address Projection Council Today (Continued from Page 1) members of the press, after which there will be an open forum in which all will be invited to ask questions on various phases of projection. Thq luncheon will start at 12:30. Phono-Kinema Issue Planned A new issue of 100,000 shares of Phono-Kinema, Inc., no par capital stock, has been underwritten by A. A. Durante & Co., Inc., for public offering at a later date. The offering is to provide funds for expansion of the company's present manufacturing and distributing facilities. The company is engaged in the manufacture of sound recording and reproduction equipment and produces and distributes talking motion picture features and shorts. Order Your Equipment Early Suggestion that theater owners place their orders for sound equipment now in preparation for the Christmas trade is made by Irving Lesser, general sales manager for General Talking Pictures Corp. Thi? will prevent a last-minute rush, he says. Songs in F. N. Films on Air Songs for current and forthcoming First National pictures will be broadcast tonight during the Lehn and Fink-First National hour over WJZ. U. S. to Use Stan-A-Phone in Presenting Farm Data Use of Stan-A-Phone, portable film equipment, has been adopted by the Dept. of Agriculture as a means of expediting the presentation of the results of government researches to farmers and agricultural institutions throughout the country. A. Pam Blumenthal, head of the company, reveals that his firm has been approached by a number of universities "to outline plans for the making of talking films for classroom presentations on biology, chemistry and bacteriology." Blumenthal regards this as an indication that "talkies in the schools and in business houses are now a part of the American scene, and not merely an eventuality." Give and Take Baltimore — While the New was showing "The Cock-Eyed World" recently, Keith's, just across Park Ave. from it, advertised "Oh Yeah," in newspapers as "Every Bit as Good as 'The Cock-Eyed World,'" and J. Lawrence Schanberger, manager, had signs placed in the lobby with the same words. Morris A. Mechanic, proprietor of the New, advertised in the daily papers: "So good another theater is broadcasting it as 'The Standard of Perfection.' Can be imitated but never duplicated." But on the New's sign in front of the theater some one wrote: "Oh, Yeah?"