Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1931)

42 MOTION PICTURE HERALD April 11, 19 3 1 Lewis Warner's Death Mourned As Severe Loss Death of Lewis J. Warner, 22, who had just completed the first courses in the business training that was expected to place him eventually in the chair of his father, Harry M. Warner, president of Warner Bros., was the second tragedy in the Warner family. Sam Warner, one of the four brothers, died several years ago at the time that Vitaphone was coming into its own. Lewis Warner's end on April 4 came directly as a result of double pneumonia, but the illness started with septic poisoning following a tooth extraction in the middle of February. He was on his way to Havana on a vacation at the time the poisoning set in. By plane he was taken from Havana to Miami and thence by a special Pullman to New York. A series of operations upon the infected jaw were necessitated and these so weakened the patient that blood transfusions were resorted to. The seven weeks' fight for life ended Saturday night, at Doctors' Hospital. The body lay in state at Riverside Memorial Chapel until the services were conducted the morning of April 7 at Temple Emanu-El by Dr. Nathan Krass. Burial was at Salem Fields in Cypress Hills. The Warner offices in Chicago closed for the entire day, and branches throughout the world closed their doors from 11 A. M. to 1 P. M. A graduate of Worcester Academy, where he was an outstanding athlete, Warner continued his education at Columbia, but left school to go into his father's business. This was at the time that Warner Bros, took over the Witmark music publishing house. The past year he had been centering his training on the theatre phase under Spyros Skouras. then head of the Warner circuit, at the same time acting as a general executive. Lewis was the only son of Harry M. Warner. Besides his parents, two younger sisters survive, Doris and Betty. Jack Warner, Jr., is the only other son in the families of the Warner brothers. Th rows Out Suit Against M-C-M Judge Frank J. Coleman, United States District court, refused to grant a preliminary injunction to Ivan Abramson in his intended plagiarism suit against M-G-M on the film, "Reducing." Abramson contended the company had plagiarized from the picture, "Enlighten Thy Daughter," produced in 1917, and asked all profits from the film and $250,000 in damages. The judge, after reviewing the case, said : "I believe it would be merely a waste of the court's time to have a trial of the issues." "City Lights" Is Bringing Child ren Back to Theatre Providence — Child attendance has increased since the opening of "City Lights" a month ago. Exhibitors are anticipating a similar result from Paramount's "Skippy." Pathe's Soviet News Pa+he News, beginning with the current mid-week Issue, is presenting in six successive issues of the reel, the various phases of the revolutionary Russian Soviet five-year plan of industrial development. The first instalment of the "serial," pictures the wide expanse of territory and the variety of races affected by the "plan," with succeeding Issues going more into detail on the situation. An editor's Introduction precedes the pictorial records, noting In conclusion that "these pictures make no plea either for or against Russia's drive." Columbia Starts New Sales Plan Columbia has inaugurated a new sales policy, with Jack Cohn, treasurer, supervising, assisted by a sales cabinet of 10 members. They are Lou Metzger, sales director ; Abe Montague, Joe McConville, Lou Weinberg, Morris Safier, Wayne Pierson, roadshow director; Joe Goldberg, West; Phil Dunas, Middlewest ; Sam Moscow, South ; and Phil Meyers, New York. With the exception of Goldberg and Moscow, all members are in New York conferring with Cohn. "Dirigible" and "Subway Express" head the company's releases. Radio Broadcasts Dialogue of Features Through KFI Hollywood (QP) — Radio is using a new system of business building to aid exhibitors booking Radio product. The studio here is sponsoring a concentrated broadcast of its features. The dialogue of each picture is boiled down and broadcast by the Book Drama Players, headed by Guy Hedlund. Thus far, "Cimarron," "Bachelor Apartment" and "Millie" have been radioed in concentrated form, with commendable response. This week the players are presenting "Behind Office Doors," recently completed by Melville Brown, director. Station KFI is being used. Warner, Carideo To Replace Rockne in Universal Shorts Universal City — Universal has chosen Pop Warner of Stanford and Frank Cari deo of Notre Dame to replace Knute Rockne in the series of football shorts. The late coach met his untimely end on the way here to confer on the coming short series. 1 8 States Reported Seeking Billboard Tax to Cut Number The National Association of Real Estate Boards reports 18 states seeking taxation on billboards to cut down the number, particularly in scenic spots. The various states have different methods of taxation, but all aim at increases in the assessment. Sticks for Slaps And Canned Bark New Sound Aids Hollywood— (QP)— It's hard to believe your own ears in the talkies. A trip through the sound departments of Hollywood studios reveals a weird assortment of new-fangled gadgets to imitate various noises. One of the strangest is a wooden box with a key protruding from the side. When you turn the key there comes forth the perfect imitation of canaries singing. Pounding of hoofs is duplicated by rubber plungers working on a wooden board. A can with a resin string produces a dog's bark. Hinged sticks are slapped together to re-create the sound of foot-steps. Other sticks imitate a slap in the face. If you turn the crank of a large box the sound of a speeding train is evoked. A twist of another crank on a different box will "convince" you that a window glass has been crashed. Files reveal they have instruments to imitate crickets, cathedral chimes, crying babies, mooing cows, quacking ducks, squalling tom-cats, snarling tigers and innumerable other noises. Whenever possible, real sound effects are recorded and filed away in the library. Any unusual noise heard on a location will be recorded and tucked away for future reference. One of Hollywood's rare thunderstorms recently sent technicians scurrying to the roofs of numerous studios to get a genuine peal of thunder. Other crews have spent weeks at the harbor recording steamboat whistles and dock sounds. Not Interested, Repeats Capone Chicago — Al Capone, personally, has denied to Quigley Publications that an^: $1,000,000 film offer has been made to him. He did say that a man, representing to be from film interests, approached him in a Miami hotel last year, and that he merely "laughed," probably in the inimitable Capone way. "How would a picture offer strike you now ?" he was asked. "It wouldn't interest me," he replied. The vagrancy charge on which he was being held while interviewed was dropped for lack of evidence. Capone is not a vagrant, at any rate. SMPE Announces Tentative Progrann for Spring Meet Hollywood — The tentative program for the spring meeting of the Society of M. P. Engineers, May 25 to 29, indicates that as much time as possible will be allowed Eastern members to visit studios. Only one afternoon session will be devoted to papers. Two technical meetings will be held at night so that studio workers may attend. A banquet is scheduled for the Hotel Roosevelt Wednesday evening. 1