Motion Picture News (Apr - Jun 1928)

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2176 Motion Picture News Novel Tie-Up for Shorts M-G-M and Loew Theatres Plan National "Our Gang*' Movie Talent Contest; 25 Newspapers to Cooperate A NATIONAL publicity tie-up for short subjects is the plan of MetroGokhvyn-Mayer and Loew Theatres. On July 2, it is their intention to begin a national selection contest for children aspiring to become members of ' ' Our Gang," the Roach comedy unit. The contest will be concluded on August 4, and the children will be received over the period of four weeks. On each of six nights in the fifth week, all the young embryo stars for some one of the "Our Gang" roles will be assembled on the theatre stages to be chosen by popular choice. The winners will be assigned their particular role in a motion picture which will be made under the auspices of the local theatre. The Roach studios have prepared a scenario to be used as the basis of the motion picture which will be produced at each of the theatres with the winners playing the leading roles, while the others will be used as extras. A director and cameraman will be assigned by Roach to each of the theatres for production purposes. Roach has offered as first prize a contract as a member of "Our Gang," a prize which in cludes all expenses of the winner selected and his parents to Culver City. Eighty-nine theatres in 25 key cities will figure in the contest. Arrangements have been made with newspapers in each of the cities to carry each day details of the contest and entry blanks for the children. The cities in which this contest will be conducted are: New York, Washington, D. C, Baltimore, Norfolk, Richmond, Atlanta, Birmingham, Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans, Houston, Evansville, Canton, Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Dayton, Indianapolis, Harrisburg, Reading, St. Louis, Kansas City, Syracuse, Boston and Toronto. Trailers, stunts, lobby displays and programs in which "Our Gang" Comedies are featured will be employed by each of the theatres during the run of the contest. Each entrant for an "Our Gang" role will submit his entry blank accompanied by his or her photograph. Reproductions of leading canditates for honors will appear in the newspaper daily. Either the theatre audiences or a committee of judges to be selected locally will make the final selection of winners in each theatre. Christie Starts Work Four Comedy Companies in Full Swing on New Season s Product for Paramounfs Releasing Schedule WITH a brand new series just started and three other comedy groups working, the studios of the Christie Brothers on the coast have begun the production schedule to supply comedies for Paramount beginning early this August and continuing until July, 1929. The new series, "The Confessions of a Chorus Girl," stars Frances Lee, one of the Christie bathing girls who has been progressing of late. This series will also include Billy Engle, Sid Smith and others. "Skating Home" is the title of the first of these comedies which William Holland is directing. A special beauty chorus has been engaged for scenes backstage in a theatre, in a gown shop, and a night club. The girls include Natalie Joyce, Lorraine Eddy, Joan Marquis, Patricia Archer. Jack Duffy is now working in the first of his Sandy MacDuff comedies under the direction of Arvid Gillstrom. With the star appear Joan Marquis, Neal Burns, Eddie Barry and Stella Adams. "Hot Scotch" is the title of the first comedy, in which Duffy appears in kilts. The other two units, those of Billy Dooley and Bobby Vernon, are making "The Dizzy Diver" and "Stop Kidding," respectively. Dooley 's comedy will employ a submarine set, and is being filmed by William Watson from a story by Hal Conklin. Vernon is being directed by Walter Graham. In his supporting cast are Jimmie Harrison, Billy Engle, and Ella MacKenzie. Cleveland Protection Is Settled, Buying Ban Lifted THE buying ban is off in Cleveland. Exhibitor members of the Cleveland Motion Picture Exhibitors Association have been notified that the first run protection difficulties have been satisfactorily adjusted with the distributors and that, on June 25th, they would be released from their pledge not to buy new product. This announcement followed word from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer stating that their first and second runs in Cleveland must play and clear their pictures in forty-two days, thus making their product available to first run neighborhood theatres on the fortythird day after release. Last season pictures were not available to first run neighborhood houses until the 57th day after release. The forty-three-day protection period was accepted as a compromise, the exhibitors having asked for 28 days. Educational, Tiffany-Stahl and Standard Film Service Company had previously granted the exhibitor protection request. Line-Up Half Complete, Says Abe Stern THE Stern Bros, comedy line-up of 52 comedies for 1928-29 is about half complete, according to Abe Stern vice-president and treasurer of the Stern Film Corporation, who has arrived in New York from the coast, where he has been for the past several months supervising production. Twenty comedies in all are complete said the executive and most of them are already in the east ready for previews. The number represents about five two-reelers of each of the four series being produced by the Sterns. The four series are: "The Newlyweds and Their Baby," "Let George Do It," "Buster Brown" and "Mike and Ike." Of the first "The Newlyweds Unwelcome," "The Newlyweds' Court Trouble," "The Newlyweds Lose Snookums," "The Newlyweds Need Help" and "The Newlyweds' Headache" are counted done. Of the second "Rubber Necks," "Look Pleasant," "The Cross Country Bunion Race," "All for Geraldene," "Sailor Suits" and "The Hat Salesman" are finished. Finished Buster Brown comedies are "No Dogs Allowed," "Half-Back Buster" "Buster Trims Up," "Teacher's Pest" and "The Kitchen Mechanic." Three finished Mike and Ikes are "Just Wait," "Shooting the Bull" and "Fish Stories." Gotham Studios Have 6 Features in Work Perhaps the busiest production schedule that Gotham has ever experienced is now in progress at the studio on the coast where Gotham has six pictures now in various stages of 'filming. The films in work include "Times Square," which is being directed by Joseph Boyle; "The Head of the Family," which Erie C. Kenton is directing; "Father and Son," starring Noah Beery; "Through the Breakers," directed by Scott Dunlap; "Accusing Fingers," by Captain Ira Longworth, and "Circus Love," by Courtney Riley Cooper. Both "The River Woman" and "The Man Higher Up" are practically completed, Gotham reports. Pathe Offers 6 Shorts for July 1st "City Slickers," an Aesop cartoon, Topics of the Day No. 27, Pathe Review No. 27, Nos. 56 and 57 of Pathe News and "The Signal Tower, ' ' chapter 'five of ' ' The Yellow Cameo," are the short subjects listed by Pathe for release the week of July 1. The Pathe Review presents : ' ' Fliers that Really Know How," camera interview with Rube Goldberg, "Alone in the Great City," and "Power-Mass-Speed." Tiffany-Stahl Is Filming "Beautiful But Dumb" With Elmer Clifton directing, the Tiffany-Stahl unit making "Beautiful But Dumb" has gone to work. The cast is headed by Patsy Ruth Miller. The support includes Charles Byers, who will have the featured male role, George E. Stone, Shirley Palmer, Greta Yoltz and Bill Irving.