Universal Weekly (1920, 1923-27)

September 4, 1926 Universal Weekly 17 Fire Razes Stem Bros. Hollywood Studio But Will Not Effect Release Schedule THE Stern Brothers Studio, at 6100 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, Calif., where Stern Brothers Comedies are made, was almost completely destroyed by fire a week ago. The conflagration got out of hand and threatened many adjoining buildings, several of them motion picture properties. No companies were working in the Stern Studio at the time, two watchmen being the only ones present. The origin of the fire has not been ascertained. The fire, although causing a property loss estimated between $400,000 and $500,000, will in no way upset the ambit i o u s production schedule of the Stern Brothers for the coming season, as that company is fully six months ahead of its schedule and will have ample time to rebuild before additional comedies are required to meet their scheduled release dates. The studio loss is understood to be fully covered by insurance. Julius and Abe Stern, the president and treasurer of the Stern Film Corporation respectively, are in Europe for the Summer. It is likely they will return at an early date to supervise the rehabilitation of their studio plant. Beno Rubel, secretary of the producing corporation, and New York representative, left the Universal Home Office for Los Angeles early in the week to supervise the fire-loss checkup and to initiate the rebuilding program. “We are very fortunate in that our production is more than six months ahead of schedule,” he said on the eve of his departure for the Coast. “That gives us plenty of time to look over the ground and re-establish things before we have to start work on the last half of our 1926-1927 product. “The fact we are so far ahead of schedule saved the day for us as regards to negatives. When work was stopped at the Stern Brothers Studio for the Summer, all comedies then in the making were completed and shipped to New York. The fire, therefore, did not set us back even by one day in our current release schedule. “As a matter of fact, we are more than 75 percent completed in our coming year’s production schedule for two of the Stern Brothers series. These are the new Buster Brown Comedies and ‘The Excuse Maker’ series. Nine of each have been completed and prints of most of them already are in the Universal exchanges. This means that for these two series we are set as far ahead as next May. “We have seven of the thirteen ‘Newlyweds and Their Baby’ pictures on hand, most of which are already in the exchanges. The same number of the ‘What Happened to Jane’ series is in the East, and six of the ‘Let George Do It’ comedies are already in the exchanges or in the Universal laboratory at Fort Lee, N. J. “The far-sightedness of the Stern Brothers in keeping their production so far ahead is well evidenced in the present situation. No other company, to my knowledge, is so well advanced, and even with the probable handicaps we may encounter, the Stern Brothers product will not have to relinquish first place in production or in the availability of early prints for exhibitor previewing. “This far-sightedness has been a great advantage to the Stern Brothers ever since the policy of advance production was inaugurated. As a result of the large number of comedies of the coming year’s product which have been available to exhibitors for pre-release showing this Summer, many of ‘The Newlyweds and Their Baby’ comedies, ‘The Excuse Maker’ series, the ‘Let George Do It’ series and the other Stern Brothers tworeelers have been shown and have established decisive popularity with the public. This has given the Stern Brothers product a threemonths break on the Fall market, actually establishing their new series as box-office successes well before they are supposed to reach the screen. This situation is reflected in the volume and quality of the bookings and in the prices the new Stern product is commanding. “Whatever may have been the results of the studio fire, and I will not be able to determine this until I am on the ground, it should not materially effect Fall production, especially as far as costumes and sets are concerned, as under the new production policy of the Stern Brothers, new sets and costumes are used for each picture of the new series, which are being made at greatly advanced production costs and aimed in every possible way at firstrun audiences.” Stern Comedies To Plav Pantheon Theatre, Chicago TED SCHLANGER, Universal’s short product representative in the Chicago territory, reports that “Buster’s Girl Friend,” one of the new Buster Brown comedies, and “George’s In Love,” one of the new “Let George Do It” series of comedies, both made by Stern Brothers for Universal release, are soon to be shown in the Pantheon Theatre, Chicago. “Jane’s Flirtation” doesn’t seem to be going so well for Earl Mack. Wanda Wiley, on the other hand, appears to be blissfully unconscious of any hitch in the proceedings. This comedy is one of the “What Happened to Jane” Stem Brothers series.