Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

October 11, 1 93 0 M o t i o ii P i c t it r e X ew s 19 Mayor Walker of New York Resigning Post Jan. 1 to Join Fox Legal Staff? Come Down to Earth, Bo! There's a certain element on the staffs of Broadway picture palaces which is due for a healthy kick in the pants because of its totally uncalled-for high-hattin* attitude when asked for press information. Some of them are managers, while others are alleged press agents, who are being paid only to publicize the film and stage attractions of their respective theatres, which job they sorely fall down on when a newshound attempts to secure the dope on current picture attractions. This week a reporter called the New York Strand no less than four times for names of attractions on the current program, and then gave it up as a bad job. "Too busy," was the theatre's reply. Some noive. Future Activity Of William Fox Puzzle on Coast Los Angeles — Status of William Fox, as respects his reported agreement with Fox Film, to serve as adviser for a five-year period, is being speculated upon here in view of the deal with H. L. Gumbiner. Fox is said to be the owner of the site on which Gumbiner's new house is being built and is to operate the office building which is to be a part of the structure. Gumbiner's new theatre is to open in January and, it is declared, will be the most pretentious house west of Chicago. There is an estimated $2,500,000 involved in the venture. A number of innovations will feature the theatre. Whether Fox is to be cut in on the profits of the theatre, or appear only in the part of landlord, has not been made clear. Gumbiner is the owner of the Tower. 950-seat house which he built at a reported cost of $426,000. With the cost of the land. running the total well over $1,000,000, many were skeptical, saying Gumbiner couldn't come out on the venture, but he proved otherwise by rapidly getting back his investment, with the house continuing in the black. MacLean and Boasberg to RKO Plant as Producers Hollywood — From acting to supervising is Douglas MacLean's hop in production. The former Ince and Christie star has been signed by RKO as an associate producer and will first handle the WheelerWoolsey comedy to follow "Hook, Line and Sinker." Al Boasberg, gag man, has also joined Radio in a capacity similar to MacLean's. He has been given no assignment as yet. Champion of Industry Decides To Return; Was M.P.T.O.A. Counsel; Fought Cohen {Copyright, 1930, by Motion Picti/re News. Reproduction permitted i^r.ly with credit.') James J. Walker, mayor of New York, is preparing to return to the picture business, it is learned on reliable authority. The veteran former counsel of the M.P.T.O.A. is to hand in his resignation Jan. 1 as chief executive of the world's largest city to join the legal department of Fox, states this authority. Report that Mayor Walker was joining Fox was promptly denied when it first cropped up several weeks ago, but the story now is that the mayor has definitely decided to cast his lot with that organization. Quits After Cohen Fight Walker was for several years the general counsel of the M.P.T.O.A.. following his projection into the limelight at the Cleveland convention, where the organization was formed. He resigned in 1922 at the Washington convention after a squabble with the then president, Sydney S. Cohen, who charged him with "sitting at Will H. Hays' feet." He had been a dominant figure in exhibitor work, touring the nation with independence as his battle cry. He led the fight against producer-distributor theatre operation, which was climaxed at the Minneapolis convention in 1921, where Adolph Zukor promised that Paramount would cease acquiring and building theatres. At that time he was minority leader in the New York State Senate, where he always championed the industry's cause. Scandals Not an Influence Even before the present investigations into New York scandals, Mayor Walker had determined to resign to join Fox, it is declared. It was rumored in the New York press also that he was to supplant Will H. Hays. When the story was first bruited about in late August, Motion Picture News telegraphed Mayor Walker for comment. The wire was never answered. takeTf^nTTTe"" cniT| ["tor those two hundred thousand ir / men ? Is It True That— A certain figure, looming large in public life, is about to abandon politics in favor of a big job with one of the major producer-distributor-exhibitors? If a theatre executive around Newark pried himself loose from a ma^ py chair more tito the The tip-off on the Walker yarn, first published in MOTION PICTURE NEWS on Ausast 30. More Truth Than Poetry Motion picture engineering "wizards" and technical "experts" are due for the shock of a lifetime shortly, when a noted personality makes known the details of a new invention which has only just emerged from his laboratory. The fact that the basic thought for its development has never occurred to anyone before, so far as is known, is most amazing because of its obviousness. Motion Picture. News learns exclusively that the device may result in the solution of one of the industry's greatest technical problems, possibly saving millions to producers and exhibitors in equipment, and, if it materializes, revolutionizing the particular branch for which it is intended. Johnny Bull to Grab 60 Houses In the States British interests will force British pictures upon the American market, going directly to fans in this country through a string of 60 theatres in as many key towns widely scattered over the entire country. Product from Great Britain, except in rare instances, has been unable to make headway in this country because of inability to secure distribution through the big companies, which control a healthy slice of the exhibition field, while independent distributors have not evidenced any enthusiasm for the foreign-made stuff and usually steer clear of it. Using the Cohan Broadway house in New York as the first stands, Capt. Harold Auten, understood to be acting on behalf of British International, London, and a group of English bankers, has under consideration building up the contemplated string of 60. Majority will have a weekly change policy. N. W. "Big Shot?' May Sock Back in M-G-M Suit Minneapolis — Something akin to an explosion which will be heard throughout the Northwest is expected to occur when and if M-G-M goes through with its suit against Ed Backus of the Grand Theatre Co., International Falls, Minn., for alleged breach of contract. For Backus, who is a member of the Backus-Brooks Lumber Co., is by way of being one of the Northwest's wealthiest men. and one of the leading political powers of the Northwest. About $11,000 is involved in the suit, with Backus contending he rates an adjustment on the film rentals concerned. With M-G-M understood to be prepared to prosecute its claim, retaliation is anticipated.