Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1929)

1192 Motion P i c t u r e .V e ; Europe Okays Sound; Is Ready For Developmeut Film Trade Commissioner Says Big Field Open ; Speedy W iring Europe offers a big field £or sound development from all angles, according to George R. Canty, film trade commissioner of the Department of Commerce, who arrived in New York this week from abroad. He will return to his post in November. Slowly, but surely Europe is going sound, Mr. Canty pointed out. The wiring of houses is proceeding, and the pace will bo greatly accelerated in the near future. When the sound revolution came, Europe, like America, was unprepared for it and was on the silent picture basis. However, the American talkies which have already been shown abroad have proved great box office attractions, and producers in Continental countries, as well as the British [sles, will get into sound production on quite a scale eventually. Mr. Canty believes that the making of talkie in the language of the country in which they are to be shown will be an inevitable development. He pointed out that while American talkies are great attractions because of their novelty, the novelty angle will wear off, and it will In necessary to have foreign language versions if the maximum box office intake is to be realized. There is a great field also for theatre development in Europe, Mr. Canty added. While there arc some line houses on the Continent, Mr. Canty believes the progress of tlie industry there will brine about the building of de luxe theatres in all the European key cities. Guest Buys Vancouver Site For New $200,000 House Vancouver. II. C, Oct. 3.— A $200,000 theatre will I reeled in Vancouver by Frederick Guest, of Hamilton. Ontario, theatrical operator. A building -Mi east Granville Street between Eleventh ami Twelfth Avenues, Vancouver, has been obtained at cost of $53,000. Site has frontage of si feet mi Granville St., with depth of 120 feet. Construction will begin next spring ami the plant will include latesl tvpe talkie apparatus. House will probably -cat 1,200, Puhlix House For Lynn Boston, Mass., Oct. 3. — Publix interests ■ lie to erect a $1.111111.000 theatre in Lynn according t" a permit issued by Superintendent of Buildings Dennis -I. Dinneen of thai city i" the Olympic Theatres, inc., I'ublix subsidiary. Structure will be lis by .TJ.'i and will -cat approximately 2,500. Morgan To Gen'l Talking Post ben Morgan baa succeeded Hank Linel a director "l publicity lor General Talking Pictures Corp. Mr. Linet goes to Columbia Pictures. OVER THE AIR Los Angeles — It was at the recent opening of "Street Girl." The usual business of celebs talking into the "mike." Radio's first picture and loads of excitement. The announcer grabs a Paramount executive much against the latter's will. Announcer: "Say something." Executive: "No, no." Announcer: "Yes, yes." Executive: "O. KM if you must. If it's a Paramount picture, it's the best show in town." Rapid Expansion Of FoxWest Coast In Western Sector (Continued from page 1191) scheduled to open in about three weeks. Special trains will carry notables of the Hollywood film colony here for the premiere. Eureka, Cal. — An 1,800 seat house nowbeing built here by Fox West Coast is scheduled to open in nine months. San Franci-co.— The El Capitan, reported to be one of San Francisco's finest neighborhood theatres, has been taken over from Ackerman and Harris bv Pox West Coast. Montana Chain Of Four Go Over To Franklin Missoula, Mont. — Four of Missoula's principal theatre-, owned by the HansenSimons interests, have been purchased by Fox West Coast. Fox Washington Holdings Mow Being Increased Seattle. — The Kiggins interests have sold three theatres at Vancouver to Fox West Coast and a fourth is being constructed. A 1,500 seal house is being built for the company at La Grand. With four theatres at Eugene ami Corvallis bought from Universal anil the latter's holdings at Seattle and Portland taken over on a management deal, Fox West Coast has now practically rounded out it> position in the Pacific Northwest. MeCook and North Platte i\ow In The Fox Line-Up Mi Cook. Neb. — Class and Chitwood, controlling four theatres hen and at North Platte, have sold out to Fox West Coast. Tiro In Mountain Stales Bought Boise, Ida. — The Main, at Iilaho Falls, Ida., and a theatre at Kemmerer, Wyo., have just been acquired by Fox West Coast. Seliji Appoints Simmons Coast Publicity Director Frank Simmons has been appointed stu dio publicity director in 1 [olIj « I to take the place of Minnie F. Todd, who recently rcsig I, ii is announced by A I Selig, director of publicity and advertising ai the Home Office, New York City. Simmons started his new duties Sept. 30th. Tax List Shows Assessed Value Of Film Houses Location Counts; Loew's State Leads Roxy And Strand Is Next A list of taxable properties in Xew York City with assessed valuation for 1930, made public this week, reveals the strength of real estate holdings of various film companies in the Metropolitan district. Location playing the important part some contrasting figures come to light; for instance, Loew's State leads the Broadway houses, the Roxy is second, the Strand third, the Capitol fourth and the little h'ialto fifth with only a hundred and fifty thousand dollars difference between it and the big Capitol. ' The Paramount 'valuation is included in the assessment of $15,000,000 on the entire building. The list arranged at the highest valuation follows: Loew's State. $5,150, ; Roxy, $4,550, 000; Strand, $4,000,000; Capitol, $3,350,000; Rialto, $3,200,000; Winter Garden, $2,500, ; Gaiety, $2,430,000; Century, $2,400, i ; Astor, $2,000, I; Rivoli, $1,930,000; Globe, $1,300,000. flu Fox Theatre, Brooklyn, leads in that borough with Loew's new Kings in Flatbush second and Lmw ' Metropolitan third. Zukor And Fox In Struggle For Chain Supremacy (Continued from page 1191) hold on the richest territory in the nation. In the South, the Hoblitzellc chain, newly annexed, gives Pox the beginning, at least, of a chain with which to buck tin formidable Saenger string, which recently passed to Publix control ami operation. With the Loew holdings in Texas key points, Fox. therefore, finds himself in a position which many construe to be strategically important. 'flu speed with which tin organization has been developed is being carefully watched by Zukor and other Paramount officials. Observers, noting tin drift toward iwo outstandingly large organizations, arc of the opinion that the current hectic activity in exhibition can result in only one eventuality; a race between Para in, Hint ami Fox all over I hi nation — and perhaps abroad until company alignments within the industry assume their final form. RkO Plans Reopening Of Damaged South Bend House South Bend, 1ml. , Oct. 3. Plans for reopening local Granada, damaged recently In a $75,000 lire are under way with ar rival of experts in decorating, lighting, etc. RKO, which operates house, stales recor sirnction i~ tu commence at once, i; -ge Brown, of Chicago, RKO construction de partment head, having arrived bj plane.