Variety (Dec 1926)

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V Wednesday, December 1, 1926 PICTURES VARIETY — WORLD'S RECORD STUDIO STRIKE OFF BY NEW AGREEMENT Walkout Averted—Settlement Details Beino Adjusted in Coast Fight Picture studio strike is off. That the threatened "big walkout" on the coast Dec. 1 would be avert- ed at the eleventh hour was forecast in last week's Variety. Last week Variety reported that the film prdoucers and the unions were getting together in conferences that indicated a working agreement or understanding. Many of the big west coast pro- ducers were in New York with At- torney Loeb, their legal counsel, here from California, as well as Fred Beetson, secretary of the Cali- fornia Association of Motion Pic- ture Producers. A number of ses- sions with the heads and represent- atives of the combined labor crafts involved resulted in an agreement whereby the union men will remain on duty pending the ironing out of the coast situation. The agreement covering the new conditions on the coast were virtu ally accepted by the producers and the trade crafts before the end of the week, with both sides signing it this week. Further Conferences While the unions are not claim- ing a great victory, they have car- ried things to a crisis, which is ex- pected to be amicably straightened out as further conferences are held on the west coast situation. The unions involved had agreed to call a general strike in all the plants and studios at midnight Nov. 30 If the film producers did not ac- cede to demands made by the Cali- fornia unions. Things had reached an acute stage, as it was not an Individual eflfprt centered upon the stagehands and picture operators; it held elec- trical workers, painters and deco- rators, carpenters and joiners — in in fact, all union manual labor used in studio and film manufacture. FILMS AND DANCING Brockton, Mass., Nov. 28., The Ward Street theatre here combines dancing with film pro- grams and has found it a profitable policy. The pictures, a feature and comedy, are shown from 8 to 10 p. m.; dancing from 8 to 11 o'clock. The admission is balcony 20c. and dancing 40c. Those who prefer may sit in the balcony and watch either the Alms or dancers, while the latter can watch the movies between dances. McVicker's on Grind Runs, Roosevelt Reserve Seats Chicago, Nov. 28. Policy changes for two of the loop picture houses have been decided upon by Balaban & Katz. McVicker's, "in the red" since Paul Ash moved to the Oriental and until Warner Brothers leased it temporarily for Vitaphone, will play first runs on a popular-price grind for two to four-week runs. The new policy will go into effect Dec. 27, when Warners' first Vitaphone show closes. At the same time the Roosevelt, now holding the policy to be in- stalled at McVicker's, will switch to a two-a-day special film with either a $1.50 or $2 top. All seats will be reserved. f'Beau Oeste" has been booked to IrUuiKurute the reserved seat i*lea at the Roosevelt. It will run for 10 weeks, with "Old Ironsides" to fol- low. HIRAM ABRAMS' LAST TRIBUTE An announcement appears in this Adolph Zukor edition of Variety, written by Hiram Abrams shortly before his death. Its appearance Is ex- plained in the following letter: New York, Nov. 22. Editor Variety: In view of the recent passing of Mr. Hiram Abrams, beloved president of United Artists, it will undoubtedly interest the motion picture industry to know that one of the last mes- sages he wrote is contained in this issue of "Variety" in his personal tribute to Mr. Adolph Zukop. We have allowed the an- nouncement to run just as Mr. Abrams approved it, as we feel certain that he would have liked it to be so. I am sure that these facts will be as interesting to all others as they will be to you. Arthur W. Kelly. Vice-President-Treasurer. GILDA GRAY'S U.A. FILMS $2,000 WEEKLY AND 50% Agrees to 3 Pictures Within Year for United Artists—One More, 'Cabaret,' for F.P.-L Gilda Gray is to make three pic- tures for release through United Artists. A contract for the appear- ances of the star under the manage- ment of Samuel Goldwyn in a series of screen productions has been closed in New York. Gil T. Boag, husband and personal representa- tive of Miss Gray, closed the ar- rangements with an attorney rep- resenting Goldwyn. The arrangement calls for Miss Gray to receive a drawing account of $2,000 weekly for the period of a year, during which time at least three or posisbly four pictures are to be made. The weekly drawing account is to be against the star sharing 60 per cent of the profits of the pictures. Goldwyn is to undertake the pro- duction and financing of the pic- tures. The books of United Artists were displayed to show that pictures re- leased though that organization are running between $2,000,000 and $2,500,000 in gross. This includes the picture classed in the regular program features and not first given extensive Broadway runs. Gilda Gray is under contract at present to Famous Playors-Lasky for another picture. The returns that the star received on her first production, "Aloma of the South Seas," have been so gratifying to the P. P. executives they are going to present her in a picture entitled "Cabaret," a story of Chicago night life adapted from an original story by Jack L&lt This week is the final one of the tour the star is making of the Pub- lix theatres, where she has been repeating her performance of a year ago as a box office record-breaker. Her final stand is the Howard. At- lanta. Next week she will jump to Cleveland and play a single week at Loew's State on percentage. Work on her production for Fa- mous Players will begin about I>ec. 18 at the Long Island studios. REED DIRECTING MENJOU Luther Herd is to again direct Adolphe Menjou. It was Reed who directed "The Ace of Cads." Now that he has finished his second pro- duction. -.Yew York." Reed h ft for the coas-t Sunday to direct M^njou's Beit, as yet untitled, Small Town Off Curfew Ames, la., Nov. 28. Curfew shall not ring in Ames Chief of Police W. J. Cure told it to the l»arent-Tea«her Association here. Chief Cure and the teachers and parent! agreed the curfew is a poor substitute for parental supervision in the matter of children staying out nlglttt* NEW PARAMOUNT DOES IT 1ST INK IN TIMES SO. Almost Unbelievable ures for Daily and Week- ly Business in Picture Theatre Charging 99c Top—40c Morning Ad- mission and 75c Until 6 P. M. — Advantage of Holiday but Friday, Final Day of Week, Hurt by Storm — Long Perform- Business at Other LONG LI NES DAILY When Friday night on its first week rolled around, the Famous Players-Lasky, Paramount and Publix executives knew that they had achieved two remarkable feats: opened the wonder theatre of the world with that same theatre cre- ating a world's record for receipts for the motion picture business, if not for any other amusement enter- prise within four walls, by showing a box office statement totaling $80,180 for its initial period. Those figures were almost beyond beliefr Many along Broadway re- fused to grant that the house could have held that amount of money in seven days. Here is the way that it was done: Saturday $12,974 Sunday 14,303 Monday 9,910 Tuesday 10,062 Wednesday 9,460 Thursday (holiday) 14, .00 Friday 9,010 The final day of the Paramount's week was one of constant rain. At night just at the theatre hour one of the worst downpours of rain dur- (Continued on page 11) BILL HART'S STATUE Seattle, Nov. 28. Bill Hart, who recently attended the Custer celebration near Billings, Mont., was so well pleased with the treatment the people of that Mon- tana town gave him that he decided to erect a $20,000 statue, "A Range Rider of the Yellowstone," on the rimrocks that skirt that city. The announcement that the picture star would give that sum has been made by the Chamber of Commerce of Billings. The statute was designed by C. C. Crlstadora from poses by Hart and his horse. The pattern study has been shipped east to be cast in bronze at Providence, R. I. In his letter of presentation Bill said: "I selected Billings as a repre- sentative spot of the vanished open range, but I admit I am just a bit influenced by the bigness and broadness and humanness of your city." Largest Rental for Week On Coast; 'Navy/ $16,670 Los Angeles, Nov. 28. The Los Angfles exchange of Famous Players-Lasky got the largest revenue ever paid on the West coast for one week's run of a picture on the first wofk of "We're in the Navy Now," when Frank L. Newman, managing di- rector of the Million Dollar, paid over $10,670. The distributing or- ganization shares in 65 per cent of the gross profits above the operat- ing expense of the house. The pic- ture, on that particular week, grossed $39,000. On the second week the picture grossed around $30,000, with the exchange getting approximately $ 11.700 for the second week's rental. ZUKOR—AND PICTURES By TERRY RAMSAYE (Author of "A Million and Ono NighU—The Hittory of the Motion Picturo") FOX AND ROXY With the new Paramount on its way, tulk now veers to the opening of the new Koxy the- atre at Proud way and 50th street, due for February. With it reappears and more strongly, reports that William Fox will have a large interest in the Roxy house, cither throUfch lno exhibition of his pictures or by rental or opera- tion, with Roxy remaining as the managing director. It is claimed that a main reason for the Fox connection will be that otherwise William Fox would have to build his own Broadway house for pro- tection to his improved brand of films. It has been claimed that the Roxy theatre, without rental offsets, will run to $700,000 an- nually. The new Paramount (Publix-F. P.) is said to be charging off $12,000 as weekly rent for the theatre (with off- sets through the office build- ing adjunct). That amounts for Paramount to $624,000 annual- ly. The Roxy has a capacity of 6,200 against the Para- mount's 3,600. WHITEMAN MAY PLAY AT AL'S INAUGURATION Made New Record at Capitol, Detroit—Extra Show Given Detroit, Nov. 28. If New York Wtate political in- fluence has its way, Paul Whiteman will cut his Publix tour short with the elimination of tho final stands in St. Louis, to play the Inaugural ball and appear at the inauguration exercises in Albany, N. Y., Dec. 31- Jan. 1, when Governor Al Smith is relnductcd into the gubernatorial chair to succeed himself. Major Hoymes, representing the Governor, is here consulting White- man and James F. GillcHpIe, his per- sonal representative, who in turn have referred the major to Sam Katz. The financial terms have been arranged. It is up to Katz whether or not Whiteman will dispense the music at the Governor's inaugura- tion. A new record was established here by Whiteman Friday at the Capitol, when an extra show be- came necessary to accommodate the overflow lobby attendance. It's the first such extra performance In the history of the theatre. The Whiternanites' hall at the Oriole Terrace was also a huge success. Verifies F. & R. Merger Minneapolis, Nov. 28. Finkelstein & Ruben officials here admit that tentative inquiries have been made concerning a pro- posed merger of their 121 movie and vaudeville theatres throughout the Northwest with the 40 theatres in the Saxf's Wisconsin chain. Fancy for the moment, beside the splendors of the screen of now and the glories of theatre architecture as exemplified in the new Para- mount Theatre, the contrasting, tawdry triviality of the penny ar- cades of two decades ago. Those little arcade purveyors of peep- show pictures in the by-streets! Rut they prospered because they offered amusement to the amusement hun- gry at a price—one penny for a few seconds of thrill and illusion. In one of those obscure penny parlors, at Rroadway and 14th street in New York, was the germinal be- ginning of the international and world-wide organization of the Fa- mous Players-Lasky Corporation and its renowned Paramount Pictures. Zukor on 14th street The proprietor of that pregnant arcade enterprise In 6th avenue in 1903 was Adolph Zukor. The films were still in their initial novelty stage of evolution then, with most of the novelty worn off by nearly 10 years of uninspired exploitation. But just then, at this low ebb in motion picture development, the art of telling stories on the screen was born. When the camera achieved the art of narration the motion pic- ture began to reach toward an inde- pendent career. The screen theatre movement be- gan in 1905, in Just such social and geographical circumstances as the arcade had arisen a decade before. Adolph Zukor was a part of that movement, opening the Comedy theatre in Union square on that same 14th street in 1906. The Comedy was insignificant In itself and mighty in its contribution to the future. Meanwhile, remote from 14th street another strand of destiny was being woven in the unfolding career of Jesse L. Lasky. Chance and the propinquities drew the adventuring young Lasky toward moving pict- ures. He had produced vaudeville acts, also owned a phase-career crowned with the highly successful but highly unprofitable introduction of tho cabaret idea to America in the briefly effulgent project of the Follies Rergero in New York. In 1912 In 1912 Mr. Zukor learned, through a relay of film contacts, of the production of a four-reel pict- ura drama with Sarah Rernhardt in the title role of "Queen Elizabeth." With associates. Including Edwin S. Porter of "The Great Train Rob- bery" and Daniel Frohman, promin- ent In the theatre, head of the Act- ors' Fund and brother of the famous Charles Frohman, and Elek John Ludvigh, then and now counsel for Mr. Zukor's company, Adolph Zukor acquired the American rights to "Queen Elizabeth," for the desper- ately venturesome price of $18,000. It was a bold and desperate step for the timid and new little Enga- dine company. In 1926 • Contrast 1912 with today. Not very many months ago there was a conference of Famous Players-Las- ky executives to debate a difficult situation in the world market for Paramount pictures. The session was full of doubts. ''If we do this," observed a de- partment head, referring to the ac- (Continued on page 301)) ALVARADO FOR 5 YEARS Los Angeles, Nov. 28. Don Ah at ado, for Fox in "Tin Monkey Talks," has been engaged by United Artists for five-years, to appear in both Norman and in- stance Talmadge productions. LILA LEE'S CONTRACT Los Angeles, Nov. Efl Lila Lee lias been sighed i»y <*<• il B. DeMille, under a flvc-y* 11 con* tract, with yearly opt i..-. Miss Lee is the u it'.- of Jnflrv Klrkwood. screen uotor. (5STUMES PRODUCTIONS PICTURES INDIVIDUALS SCHNEIDER — —ANDERSON 229 W 36 ST NEW YORK