Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

30 Motion Picture News October 11, 19 3 0 Wide Film Dealt Solar Plexus Blow As Engineers Ignore It in New Standards A Definition Local wit says the Warners are already describing 1930 as the "past" year. Big Guns Keeping It Locked in Lab Because Industry Unable To Stand Financial Gaff Sonora, Seeing Stars, Is Blase Sonora, Calif. — For thirty days the townspeople have mingled with screen personalities. Hundreds of workers are here to film location scenes for Paramount's "Fighting Caravans," the Zane Grey story of the conquest of the frontier. Among those to be seen walking on Senora's main street as though it were Hollywood boulevard are Gary Cooper, Ernest Torrence, Lily Damita, 'fully Marshall, Eugene Pallette, Fred Kohler, Eve Southern, May Boley, Sid Saylor, Roy Stewart and James Marcus. Sonora is slowly becoming accustomed to its position as a second Hollywood, since scenes for "The Virginian," "The Border Legion," "The Texan" and "The Girl of the Golden West" have been filmed near the town within the past year. Smith Heads Division to Handle RCA Royalties J. O. Smith, who has been associated with RCA Photophone since its inception, has been appointed head of its newly created royalty administration department. It will function as a division of the department of recording operations headed by Lowell V. Calvert. The new department will handle administration of all royalties in connection with film producer licensees and Sonora's main street as though it were the use of copyrighted music in films made bv licensees. Hutchinson to Make Comedies for Big 4 Craig Hutchinson, identified with comedy production since 1915, has signed a contract with Big 4 to produce 12 two-reel comedies to be released at the rate of one a month. Practically official confirmation of the fact that the industry still has a long road to travel before there is wholesale commercialization of wide film came this week when the Society of M. P. Engineers — technical mouthpiece of the industry — made known the officially accepted dimensional standards for equipment and recommended practice, and completely ignored the wide picture factor. Motion Picture News learns authoritatively that technical and financial leaders are practically chaining wide development to the laboratory for the present, because of the industry's inability to shoulder the terrifically hugh investment necessary to finance the change-over. One authority told a News reporter that the sound switch would cost all branches between $350,000,000 and $500,000,000, and wholesale commercialization of wide pictures would involve a like amount. Economic status of the industry at present prevents its assuming this new burden for at least two or three years, he stated. Inability of representatives of large picture interests to get together on a standard width likewise acts as a checkmate, with various factors fighting for 55 mm., 60 mm., 65 mm. and 70 mm. This group has been holding periodical confabs for many months, but as yet has been unable to get together. The Society, it is understood, has instructed its technician members to withhold any public discussion of wide film until such time as a definite policy, and further development has been made. Few Dimensional Changes Not until this week has the Society officially approved standards for apparatus and recommended practice, which were likewise approved by the American Standards Association on Sept. 20. These standards remain practically identical with those {Continued on Page 35) Cain Gets Tiffany Post Sam Cain has been appointed Denver manager for Tiffany by Oscar Hanson, sales manager. He replaces Jerry Marks. Cain formerly managed the Universal branch at Denver. Mix's Daughter Signs Hollywood — Ruth Mix, daughter of Tom Mix. Western star, has been signed by Big 4 Film Corp. to appear opposite Wally Wales in "Red Fork Range," on which preliminary work has been started. Two Plus Two Equals Nine Chicago — Four weeks ago, Balaban & Katz's Oriental took a nose dive in box-office receipts. The second week went lower, resulting in hurried conferences and a general bolstering up of stage attractions. New shows were booked and the circuit heads watched for the spurt in business which never materialized. With a third consecutive "red" week staring them in the face, they decided upon a switch in masters of ceremonies and more changes in stage shows. Picturegoers still remained away, as evidenced by a fourth week of bum business. B. & K, executives have tried everything under the sun to perk up the Oriental's receipts — that is, everything except good pictures. Wide Films Soon London— "We shall have wide screen films very shortly," Eugene Zukor declared on a visit here. Trouble Gambles With Ron Gamble Seattle — The last few days have brought nothing but grief to Ron Gamble, managing director of the Arabian, key house of the Farwest Theatres, Inc., suburban chain in this city. In the first place, Gamble was attacked in his office in the theatre Sunday night, securely tied with a fish line, gagged, and relieved of more than $800 in cash, representing the house's receipts for the weekend just concluded. Then, to make matters worse, his car was broken into the following night and two reels of "Devil's Holiday" were removed therefrom, causing much consternation among theatre employees, patrons and exchange officials. Police have apprehended the culprits who made away with the film and have placed them in the city bastile, but so far have been unsuccessful in their search for the two youths who made off with the theatre's cash. Meanwhile, Gamble is hoping that he may be able to disprove the old adage that ill fortune always appears in three-fold cycles. Two is more than enough, in his estimation. Knox Reorganizes Erpi Engineering Activities Engineering activities of Electrical Research Products nave been divided by VicePresident H. G. Knox into three departments, commercial engineering, general engineering and reproducing. The reproducing department is being taken over as part of the scope of the present operating department. The commercial department, headed by H. B. Santee, will have charge of all recording and studio relations save major engineering development, as well as charge of financial relations with producers. For this purpose, B. L. Glaser, assistant treasurer, has been attached to the department. The acoustic consulting service, headed by S. K. Wolf, also is part of this department. The general engineering department, with t'r. F.. Mather as director, will be devoted to study of recording and reproducing problems, maintaining a staff of consulting engineers. Under the reorganization a group of field engineers, specializing in reproducing, are taken over by the operating department. This department, managed by H. M. Wilcox, supervises the servicing and maintenance of equipment in theatres.