Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

16 MOVING PICTURE WORLD Assigned to Coast A. F. Hickox lias been appointed special representative of extended run productions for Warner Bros, on the West Coast. Mayer Host to 1,600 It was a Mayer-y Christmas for the 1,600 persons who make their living at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio in Culver City. With Louis B. Mayer wielding the carving tools at the head table, a genial Santa Claus and host, a big parade of diners that included everyone from electricians to extras, disposed of more turkey than all the Presidents of the United States have received since 1S12, enough potatoes and rolls to form a statistical highway from the studio to San Diego, and a sufficient supply of fruit cake and mince pie to more than fill up such a few gastronomic'al crevices as were left at the end of the repast. F. P. Signs W. C. Fields W. C. Fields has been signed to a new Paramount starring contract by Associate Producer William LeBaron at the Long Island studio. Under the terms of the new agreement Fields will start his next effort in March, and a search for a story will be made in the meantime. Last Minute News Flashes Harry Davis was much improved as Moving Picture World went to press, according to a telegram from our Pittsburgh correspondent, dated 3:56 P. M December 30. It said: “Prospects for his recovery are now far brighter.” * * * Paterson, N. J., ministers will fight Sunday opening. The police will not make arrests but will entertain complaints. N. Y. Incorporations Number 7 For Week An increase in the number of John Gilbert and R S. Fenimore, operator of telephoto, who sent Gilbert’s picture 3,000 miles in minutes. companies as well as in the capitalization of motion picture corporations was noted in companies chartered by the secretary of state during the past week, in contrast to the past month or so, when the weekly average has been unusually low. Companies formed during the week were: Industrial Amuse ment Company, Inc., capitalized at 5250,000, with Daniel Shalek, Shenandoah, Pa.; Alfred and Lena Gottsman, New York City; Mamaroneck Playhouse Holding Corporation, Mamaroneck, 5100,000, Irwin Wheeler, New Canaan, Conn.; E. H. B. Watson, Harrison; Ruben P. Brewer, Mamaroneck; Glen Cove School Corporation, Glen Cove, $200,000, Salvatore Calderone, Charles W. Carman, Walter R. Jones, Hempstead; Malcolm Film Laboratories, Inc., capitalization not stated, Joseph R. Malcolm, Alexander and Abraham Marks, New York City; Silver Eagle Productions, Inc., $110,000, Harry D’Agostine, Angelo and Carmine Morreale, New York City; States Cinema Productions Corp., $10,000, Charles S. Goetz, Sam Citron, Murray Karp, New York City; H. and M. Amusement Co., Inc., $10,000, George G. Marrow, Louis and Harry A. Harris, New York City. Now Controls St. Louis Skouras Brothers has consolidated its position in St. Louis by concluding a deal through which the King's Theatre, Kingshighway Boulevard, north of Delmar, comes under its control. Goldman gets a substantial interest in the Grand Central, West End Lyric and Lyric Skydome. ■Starting January 1 the houses will be operated by the Grand Avenue Theatres managed by a board of three — Spyros and Charles Skouras and Goldman. To Build Chicago Studio The LTnited States Talking Film Corp. plans a $450,000 movie studio on the southwest side of Chicago, Morris E. Har, head of the company, announces. It will be at Kolin ave. and 45th street. Plan New Montreal House Famous Players’ Canadian Company will build a 3,600-seat theatre on S’t. Catherine street, Montreal. It will be called the Pantages and offer features and Pantages vaudeville. Muriel Kingston is a new Pathe serial star. She is playing in “On Guard” opposite Cullen Landis. Santa Brings John Marin Ned Marin, one of First National’s sales managers, is in receipt of a handsome Christmas gift presented to him on December 23 by ljis wife. The gift is a baby boy, born at the Lippincott Sanitarium, New York City. The Christmas baby has been named John. Mrs. Marin, who was the former Kathryn Seeman, daughter of S. W. Seeman, of the well-known firm of Seeman Brothers, is doing nicely and will return to her home at 316 West 79th street, early next week. John Marin weighs six and a half pounds. Davis Critically 111 Harry Davis, the well-known Pittsburgh exhibitor, is critically ill at his home. He was stricken on Sunday. His illness has caused the postponement of the Columbus ntass meeting of exhibitors scheduled for January 6 and 7, as Davis is chairman of the Board of Directors of the M. P. T. O. A. A New Screen Star Our Stock Market By Ervin L. Hall The quotations used in this summary are compiled daily by Newburger Henderson & Loeb, 100 Broadway, New Ybrk City, exclusively for the Moving Picture World. This week the market worked both ways, as was to be expected during the holiday period. An active day with an upward tendency was followed by a reaction which carried the entire list back to the starting point. Even the market leaders dropped back and showed no particular signs of getting any place. The amount of brokers’ loans increased this week and call money was also quite high. These factors had considerable to do with the trend of the market. Eastman Kodak continued its activity from last week, running up to a new high of 13694 for 1926 on Dec. 28th. The last previous high was 136%, established on Dec. 24th. This stock has no par value, and on March 30th was as low as 106%. The turnover this week amounted to over 20,000 shares. Like the rest of the list, however, it lost ground near the end, closing about 2 points under its high. Famous Players rallied a little this week, but did not hold the gain. The stock fluctuated between II514 and 112%. After running up to 7394 just before Christmas Fox Film “A” held the gain for a couple of days, and then under moderate selling dropped below 71. Loew, Inc., was quite active and ran up as high as 46%, and unlike the other film stocks continued to maintain its price. This stock has been holding up very well lately, and is now very close to its 1926 high of 4896 established on Dec. 6th. The low this year was 3414 on March 2nd. We are now at the end of 1926, and what the New Year holds in store for the Stock Exchange is quite a problem. Stocks will undoubtedly continue to foretell changing business conditions. At the present time business appears from all indications to be pretty sound; money is plentiful, employment is good, and people are spending money. Money rates have a very strong influence on speculation, and we can see no reason why money rates should be any higher than 5% on an average for the next three months. A great many stocks, however, are selling at very high prices from both the speculative and investment standpoint. It is always necessary in dealing with the stock market to be careful what security is picked, and we firmly believe that this discrimination is very necessary at the present time. If the market has a break, even the good stocks will be carried down, but they will not be affected nearly as much as present high priced speculative shares. AS WE HAVE SAID. THE MARKET IS HIGH: 1927 MAY NOT TURN OUT AS WELL AS EXPECTED, AND WE THEREFORE STRONGLY ADVISE A CAREFUL INVESTIGATION BEFORE MAKING COMMITMENTS.