The Moving picture world (November 1926-December 1926)

MOVING PICTURE WORLD MOVING picTimE Complete Fire Prevention Film WOIvLD For Education of Exchange Men On Wednesday afternoon in the projection room of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America, Inc., there was shown a two-reel picture that never will reach the public screens, and yet which is of very real importance. This film Is designed to be sliown in the 700 exchanges throughout the country and is designed to stress fire hazards to be avoided from strewing the film clippings on the floor to making imperfect patches that will jam in the projector and possibly cause an incipient blaze. The scenes showing the "wrong way" were studio produced, while the correcting methods of housing and handling were made along the film row of Albany, N. y., which now boasts entirely modern construction. There are something lil<e 700 film exchanges in the United States, now making about 2.j,000 shipments daily of about the same number of miles of film. Under the Hays building program the past three years, about one-third of these have been housed In modern structures with layout and equipment suggested by the National Board of Pire Underwriters, and the tilm is largely to educate emplojees in the proper use of this modern equipment. As the amount of positive stock used anually has been Increased in the last three ytars from 600,000,000 feet to 1,300,1100,000 feet, the need for the use of every precaution is apparent, and this picture aims not only to show fhe proper handling, but to assure the employee that when so treated there is not the slightest danger. The film is just one of the many activities of the Hays organization, which are quietly conducted outside the limelight of publicity. FOUNDED BY J. P. CHALMERS. 1907 Lichtman, Pnsident (Continued from page 1) His courage, his untiring efforts and his loyalty to United Artists have been the main factor in keeping us together and in making the organization the success which It is today. He devoted liis energies unceasingly, even during the days of his illness which was to take him. The names of United Artists and Hiram Abrams have been synonymous, and I believe it is the general opinion that Mr. Abrams was the outstanding figure in his line of endeavor. His passing is not alone a loss to United Artists but to the whole industry. "As a member of the organization I am personally grateful for all he has done for us. It is a source of consulation to know that he realized before his death fhe affection and sincere regard in which we all held him." Sol Weakening (.Continued from page 1) said. "It just isn't in me to keep out of pictures.'" And when Sol returns, the big news of the week will be that he has bought out Paramount or Universal, or all the big theatre chains. He's carrying pencil arid paper with him nowadays — and wTien Sol starts figuring. It means something. M-G-M Promotes Bern Paul Bern, writer and director, has been signed to a longterm Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract whereby he will assist Irving Thalberg, associate studio executive. Bern, while serving as general assistant to Thalberg, will also be directly in charge of the selection of new story material. Woods Joins De Mille Walter Woods, continuity writer, has signed a contract with Cecil B. De Mille. He will supervise productions, In addition to writing and adapting stories for the screen. Ar'Jiur Loew Returns wi b Print of Film "Najioleon" Arthur Loew, executive of tlie foreign department of MetroGoldwyn-Mayer, the youngest film export executive in the world, returned November 10 from a six weeks' inspection tour of the European offices of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. A little black bag which Mr. Loew carried contained fourteen reels of the film "Napoleon,'' which has supplied headlines to the theatrical pages of Fronch papers for six months. Mr. Loew was accompanied by Morton Spring of the M.-G.-M. foreign department and Howard Dietz, director of advertising and publicity, who returned with him on the S. S. Paris. Subsidy Due in England "Government subsidy of British motion picture producers is almost a certainty," declared Simon Rowson, head of Ideal Films, Ltd., one of the foremost distributors of motion pictures in Europe, who has been in Los Angeles for a few days. He spent several hours with William R. Fraser, general manager of Harold Lloyd Corporation, discussing the foreign film situation, and also visited Lloyd. Patheites Dance The Pathe Club had a party in the Bl Papio room of tlie Hotel McAlpin, Thursday evening, November 11. Besides a specially arranged entertainment program, a group of Pathe stars were present and proved highly popular with a group of invited guests. Dancing was a feature. Illness Delays Film The illness of Florence Vidor, due to a fall from a horse in the West, has delayed the beginning of production on "Afraid to Love," at the Paramount Astoria studio. Frank Tuttle will direct. Call "Big Parade" Best The readers of Photoplay Magazine have selected MetroGoldwyn-Mayer's "The Big Parade" as the best motion picture of 1925 and Photoplay's gold medal is awarded. Credit for the achievement is distributed between Marcus Loew, Director King Vidor and Irving Thalberg. The magazine's honor roll for 1928 lists John Gilbert, Rudolph Valentino, Clara Bow, John Barrymore, Adolphe Menjou, Lois Moran, May Allison, Gloria Swanson, Emit Jannings, Itamon Novarro, Belle Bennett and H. B. Warner. Italy Moves to Restrict It ha.s been reported iu the Italian press that a commissioner of experts, financiers and prominent political men in Italy has been appointed by the Italian Ministry of National Economy for the purpose of increasing the domestic production of motion pictures and with a view to restricting the Importation of lllms from abroad. Mail Early, Please The I'ost Office Department requests all branches of tlie motion picture industry to cooperate with It in facilitating the sending and. delivery of mail during the Christmas holiday season. Kxhibitors are asked to educate the public in their communities. Friedgen Directs Series J. Kay Friedgen will direct a series of two-reelers for tlio Volga Film Co., an independent. Production will begin at th<; Tec Art Studios In New York next week, Friedgen recently announced that his directorial name will be John Raymond. Postpone "Glory" One Day %\illiani Fox's prtniieit of "What Price Glory" has been postponed from November 22 to November 23. The musical score and stage setting caused the one-day delay. COMING AND GOING Charles E. McCarthy of Famous Players has returned from an Inspection of the West Coast studios. • * • Lem Stewart and Sam Palmer of Publix Theatres went to Atlanta to supervise the opening of the Georgia Theatre this week. • • • W. A. V. Mack, I'athe's midwest division sales manager, left New "york tbis week to tour his district. Detroit was the first stop. • • • ■V'ic Shapiro of United Artists and Paul Sarazen, representing Samuel Goldwyn, have gone to Chicago to arrange for the nremlere of "The Winning of Barbara Worth" at the Orpheum on November 27. • • • Charles Reed Jones of Chadwick Pictures spent last week-end in Philadelphia talking distribution with Louis Berman of Independent Film Corp. • • • Edward A. Golden, president of Golden Distributing Corp. of Boston and New Haven, has returned tc Boston after a week in New York City. • • • Arthur JI. Fournier, composer of operettas, has returned to t<os Angeles. • • • William SIstrom, general manager of the De Mille and Metropolitan Studios, is In New York to talk new product with P. D. C. home ofllce executives. Mrs. Adams, head of the western story department, also Is here. • • • W. J. Morgan, P. V. C. sales manager, Is back from a lour of the South and Middle West. Ho sold Saenger the "Success Series." • • • Clara Kimball Young returned this week from Europe. • • • Eddie Cantor has left New York for Hollywood to prepare for work on "Special Delivery" for Paramount. Saunders Opens Offices Claude Saunder.s has opened offices at 171 Madison avenue. New Y'ork, to handle all phases of advertising and exploitation. He formerly was exploitation supervi.sor for Famous I'layer.s. Rap Quota Plan Canada Is nKaliut a Htrlet quota plan and favors a co-operative Krhcnie among the Dominions of the BritlMh Kmpire. it is reported In Ottatva government cIrcleN. She «oaIil leave the quota Idea to the derlHlon of the reMpottlve members of tlir Kmpire. She ei«pe«"Iall> uri;e>i that a picture made In auy part of the Flnipire -with a certain percen(:iKe of llrltiMh or lowil capital and a IM^rceutaKe of Mrltlvli nuIijectn In the cant, Mhall he dc«'med a BritlxU pictiirp and Hhall fiualir.v i.ndcr any quota rriculatioii.