Variety (Dec 1928)

Wednesday, Dectmber 8. IMS PICTURES VARIETY DRS. BEHIND SEX FILMS Talkers for Blind Hays Organization May At- tempt to Go Beyond Own Ex h i b i t o r- Members to Cleanse Picture House Field of Offensive Pic tures^Daily Newspapers Accepting Questionable and Misleiftding Ads Atlanta, Dec. 4. Talking pictures seerti. quite the thing for blind folks. At a recent preview of "The Home Tbwners" (WiB) the Howard management invited a group of sightless people to the per- formance. Paul Donehoo, blind coroner, said he, got a clear impression of what it was. all about and could visualize what was going oh from the spoken lines. and skin exhibitors. They have No. li 2 and 3 Versions, with the ver- sion called for according to who- ever may be in th6 theatre watch- ing the show for violations of de- cency. . Misleading Ads Paily newspapers in several cities are acciepting the lurlng^ and Promoters Advertising themselves I misleading advertisements. The BERN'S CORNELL TALK University Invites Pathe Producer to Speak—Coming on to N> Y* Los Angeles, Dec. 4. Paul Bern, Pathe producer, has accepted an Invitation to lecture Dec. 13 at Cornell on moving pic- tures. Lecture will be under the auspices of the Goldwln Smith foundation. This is the second In- vitation from a university to Holly- wood within the past month, pre- vious instance being Wisconsin in- viting Joseph Dubray.A.S.C. Bern goes east Dec. 8, accompa- nied by Erwln Gelsey, Pathe story chief, the two flying to Chicago; Following his talk at Ithaca Bern will return to New York for pro- duction conferences. He will be back in Culver City by Christmas. Gelsey Will remain'in NeW York. FOm Ad Men Discussing line Rate Discrimination by N. Y. Dailies CENSOR MENACE a« physicians publicly getting be hind some sex films is an added wnsoring menace to the growing prevalence of the offensive sex pic- .' The Hays organization states that H holds pledges from its exhibitor- members that no more sex films will be played in their theatres. N/»*- Withstanding this statement, it is Mid that thiB Stanley Company rtai. offered one cf the doctor promoting «ex films a list of bookings throngh Pennsylvania towns where Stanley has theatres. The Stanley Company is an afflli ated Hays-exhlbltor-merhber, also the Keith circuit. Keith's is report- ed to haveaeopened its dark house. Temple, Detroit, last week for a sex picture, securing $1,500 weekly rent- al for the house, while another Keith theatre at Indianapolis has lately played a sex picture. Last week In Baltimore, the Schanber- gers* Auditorium, legit, permitted in a sex film, Schanbergers are Keith- affiliated. The Stanley chain appears to have been the most easily ap- proached of the Hays exhibitor- members for the sex film promoters, liist week in Newark, N. J., the Stanley compfi.ny allowed a white Blave traffic picture in one of its theatres (Fabian) there. One inci- dent of the Stanley company stand- ' Ing for sex pictures is that when a censoring board refused to okay a Bex film submitted to it and which had been billed for a Stanley house, the film's promoter secured a restraining order against the cen- sors' interference, and the Stanley teompahy permitted the picture to bpen. 18 Deletions News of Wheeling. W, Va., printed a displayed advertisement of a raw film show that carried an underline stated it had been endorsed every- where by women's clubs, civic offl- cials, physicians, teachecs, etc. No statement was made by that; daily if it had investigated the truth of the announcement. As a matter of fact, the advertisement was packed with false statements. The picture shown In Wheelmg was not a sex film, but . a states Tighter with a lurid title.. It was used to build around a living pic- ture show and the advertisement read "Living Models." An illustrated chart of a . woman's, body is said to have been employed, in conjunction with the lecture. The objective sought bv the "doctor" giving the lecture was to excite curiosity as to the contents of the book sold m the lobby; One of the doctors of the three or four operating in this mahher takes 40 minutes for his lefcture. He dwells altogether upon three books on sale, describing each to the curi- osity point. Most of the sex films are assem- bled pictures, without production or production costs. Bits of many pic- tures are pieced ^ together In one. That one is composed as far as pos- sible for what otherwise would be an all stag picture. Because of 4he nature of the picture and Its lecture, segregation of audiences Is adopted as a means of appeasing the author- ities, . ' 1, It Is claimed that there is much fixing of the authorities In towns Where sex films appear. Promoters follow suggestions in exhibition, from reports to square the grafters, if the bribe takers are called upon for an explanation of why the sex film was allowed to exhibit. Columbia Burning Columbia's home office is so ex- cited over coast reports that M- G-M has purchased the Arthur. Hopkins' play "Redemption" it threatens legal prOciedure If Metro uses the title. The independent claims that over a year ago it publicized "Redemp- tion" as a work of "rolstol, which It was bringing to the screen and that since then it has sold that production on the sti-ength of the title to a number of iexhibitors. Hays' Plea KING CHANGES FEATURES Los Angeles, Dec; 4. Burton King, supervisor for Ex- cellent Pictures, has. switched and will make "Montmartre Rose" as the first talking picture on the pro- gram instead of "The Splendid Hour." "Rose" will have 1,500 feet of dialog. . King has signed Albfert J. Kelley to direct "The Cleanup," news- paper story. In the current issue of the Christian Ehdettvor .World, one of .the >nost Influential re- ligious publications In this country, is an interview with WiU Hays, secured by : Andrew Phillips. In It Hays asks the church s support' of the motion picture industry, with the publication editorially in favor: A. J. Balaban's Offer; Supervise Sound on Coast Chicago, Dec. 4. A. J. Balaban, special attraptibn 1 man and presentation director for .Balaban & Katz, 'is reliably re- I ported to have received an attrac- tive offer to supervise talking pic- tures on the Coast. In i>artlal con- firmation of the report Balaban is leaving the; first of the year for two months' vacation along, .the Pacific and may remain .there. Frank Cambria will take over Bala- ban's work while tho latter, is away. j, ■, A. J. Balaban, one of the found ers of B. & K., originated the pic ture house prescntatioi. and unit policies. He has been the govern- ing mind in the policies of the. B & K. hou.sea. Fox's 75 News Trucks EAST FOR DIALOG Los Angeles, Dec. 4, Tiffany-Stahl plans to send Fred Windemere to New York with Belle Bennett and a company of players, to direct dialog sequences for t "Reputation." Film Is being com- I plcted here silent. Wlndemere Is Bell Bennett's hus- band. COLOEED FILM LEAD CHANGE Los Angeles, Dec. 4. In the filming of the all-Negro picture. "Halleluiah," Honey Brown, brought on from the east by King Vidor, remains, but the lead will , now be played by Nina McKInney. p^-eijrn 'CoDV* Rulecl Out formerly of "Blackbirds." . rorcisn v^vpjr _ loriut-iiy ui I Federal Court has ruled for By September 1, when it Ih; set to issue dally. Fox's Movietone Newsreel will have 75 working crews permanently assigned throughout the world. . ■ : ■ . - ■ A few days a;go a crew left for the Holy Land. Others are being aHsembled as .rapidly as crack si- lent news men complete their talker training. The talker reel wljl not mean tho abandonment, for a con.siderable pe- riod, at least, of silent crews. But Movietone is being worked up to the stage where It will eventually cover all of the. posts now helJ down by silent cameramen. >s'ewspaper discrimihatloh against amusements wilt be discussed this week at an informal luncheon in- spired by A. M. Botsford, director of advertising, for Publix theatres. Those joining with Botsford In try- ing to crystal ize film company sfn-... timent on advertising include Vic Shapiro (TTnltcd . .Ai:tlsts), A. P. Waxman (Warners'),. Jerome Beatty . (First National), Harry Kclchen- bach ainlversal), and Howard D.letz CM-C-M). ' Paraniount-Publix and its agent, HanfC-Metzger, have . be?n practi- cally alone thus far in contending for run-of-tbe-papcr 6.m\ .vommer- cial space rates on a contract baslSi ^ ■. Three New York dalllos,-Telegram, Mirroif and Graphic, . how griant pene^ral contracts t6 amusement ad- vertisers. The newspaper .attitude towards theatrical advertising goes buck to the old ny-by-night days wlien such" • .space was rightfully classed as a financial risk. It wUs also a com- positor's problem' with snuvll line- age, V many ahbrevlntlons, tough prbol'rroaiUng; and other niech.'lhical gl'lcf. : . • Pivramounl-Pliblix has as.sumcd. the attltiide " In the last '.two years that It is a responsLblp bu.slh.ess insLitutlon, ndvertlslng 62 \yeeks a, y6ar and should enjoy. space rate oontracts, The matter first came to a head when the company wanted to splurge, with big space for the opening of the Paramount, theatre. New York. The dallies at that time refused to budge,, so Pvibllx selected three mediums and did Its splurging exclusively in them, The New York State Publishers Association 'has taken a strong stand against any reduction • of. amusement rates. As a resuU dailies are unwilling to make any com- promises. Lack of an organization . or a concerted program among the advertising directors of the film comp.anies ha.s thus far .prevented them frorh doilng anything ni'ore .ef-. fectlye than pleading; To gain an idea of the cost to fllm companies occasioned by the in- ability" to obtain contract discounts on gross lineagCi the following talle of flgure.s showing the contract rat« per Uric and the discriminatory amusement r;ife per line gives the (llfferontial: Line Rate In Florida, where a sex picture yrtia playing in an affiliated Publix hideaway theatre (Jacksonville), a tumult followed locally after Va- riety arrived with its story of the obnoxious fex fllms. It was dis- closed tiiait the'censbrs had not ap- proved the film showing in Jackson- ville. It was then reviewed and 18 cuts ordered in the picture before it could resume. That meant the cen- sors considered there were 18 ob- jectionable scenes in that. film. Of the 16 or 20 sex pictures now exhibiting, one prbrrio.ter has: six; another, Ih Chicago, has three, while the doctors appear to be operating three or four sex film shows. It is said at the Hays office that upon Its:own field being cleansed of sex films, there will be a move- ment by Hays to remove that class of picture from the film market en- tirely. The Hays people are not too sanguine of its success gen- erally, but believe the urgency of the situation will be helpful in the campaign. While Hays believes it has copies of the filthy lectures delivered at -i-eome-ot-the-sex-film-shows, J;fl.=.pxa?^. mote tho sale of obscene books ■ sold in the lobby, it is said that there is a code of signals from th,e front to the back of a theatre play- • ing such an exhibition. When one is seen taking do%vn the lecture, the signal flashes it back stace and the lecturf; is toned down. This i.s not unlike th" method adopted by yu-w burlosnuc shows with cooch dancers Robson's "Institute" Unknown Chicago, Dec. 4. Dr Wm. N. Robson, sex film pro- moter and lecturer, is unknown here. Neither is the American In- .stltute of . Social Hygiene, pf which Robson claims to be educational director. i Records .at the American Medical Ass'n fall to find a. Dr. Bobson listed,' while In both social hygiene institutes and along film rpw^Dr. Robson has never been heard of. Extent of sex , films recently played around middle and . north- west much less than in east. Sale of sex books counts for more than gross of picture itself here with even hreak On film satisfactory. PATHE'S 8 IN 31 DAYS' Los Angeles, Dec. 4. Pathe studio is wasting no time inserting dialog. Shooting schedule calls *or the treatment of eight pictures from Nov. 5 to Dec. 12, an average of nTibut f6ifrdayg" tO~each subject. ROACH HITS IT UF Lo3 Angeles, Dec. 4. For the first time in eight years Hal Roach will direct two pictures consecutively. Second film is al- ready in work. Roach's late custom has been about one.a year. Hun of papor. Dully News %iM Journal J.STi. TItncB R^' •Dr. Wm. N. Robson is touring in the east with a sex film show dis- guised as a stage perCormance, with "living models" . and "illustrated charts." In. his advertisements, ap- parently accepted by daily newspa- pers without investigation, he pror claitns 'himself "Education, dir^-f-tfir of the American institute of Social Tlygione in Chicago." ^AnJlnriiiiry J2y3'3»i?t3^j)f .Jts Ciii- c.ago office as to status and. location of^Dr. Robson or his "institute" brought the above ri^ply. Newark, N. J.,: Dec. 4. The limit In sex pictures and titles was booked into a chain theatre in N'ew Jersey last week but with- drawn without being advertised, fol- lowing protest from ajUthoritics. Miss Pickford's Leading Man Los Angeles, Dec. 4. Mary Plckfbrd, after a long search for a leading man. has selected Johnny Mack Brown, former foot- Ijall player under contract to M-O-.M. He will have the lead . In Co- fiuetto," Miss Pickford's all-talking l)i( turc for United Artists. Cioorge Irving is set to play law- yer In same cast. Dorothy Parker on ^'Mme. X" Los Angeles, Dec. 4. Dorothy ParKfj^ poetess, will write tlio dialog, for "Madame X," whlv-h Lionfl JMrryrnOre .will dir.ecl- f.,r M-f;-M. I'njrhK:Mon Is slat^-l to bfuin Def. I"). Jjoiiyl'is Fairbanks, Jr.; has tlK- son r"l<'. Fox Film Corp. enjoining Dora Film Co., Glglio Amus. Co. and Producers' Security Corp. from rc I leasing "The Four Dare Devils," foreign indie. Fox was concerned because of Its own "Four DevIfB" special. Fox had purchased the negative to"the fOTfelgn- ptctui-e which PDG had distributed. " Defendants were charged with participating in a duped negative , conspiracy. . Par> Ed. Supers . . Los Angeles, Dec. 4. George Yohalem, assistant to Jack Bachman, and Ed ward V en - turini have been appointed assist- ant editorial supervisors by I'ara- mount. They will work under su- pervision of David->tc;l!!nick., nii>nlH. 1.50 1.CM) . I.OO .or, ,! (t .110 .IK) .7r, .4.- .45 .40 Arnorlcan ; .!>0 Triliuno .70 Mirror • ."d Worlfl .''■[' Kvo, "WiivUl ..<V> IVluKrutn i .40 PfiHt 40 IVklyn TCiRle , .2r. R'klyri Htnnil.ird-Tnlon .. .2ri B'klyn TltneH .22 Radio's Preference The film companies and theatres resent the special low. rates ac- corded to R.'idio, which they classify as direct opposition to their bu.sl- ness; There Is also a fecllrig among the: film.men that, they are badly slighted in the matter of pii>)lif lty. The legitimate . theatres get the breaks, althbufrh 70 odd Uie.atres devoted to the .speaking stage u.se' only a little more lineage even dur- ing the hcighth.of the scasbn than a dozen l^ro.ndw.'iy film theatres; and: a few neighborhood house.s. Oliver Talking at Last Los Angeles, Dec. 4. Guy Oliver, after in 310-silent pic- 1 tures for Paramount, is going ■ to talk in "The Dummy." It. will be i the iOtli time ho has operated a .screen elevator. He has be<;n . a sh'Tiirr 150 times and a cattle rustler ■Qn-" jO -:or„Tn.ore o,ceaslonH.,_ Perez's TitleB and Dialog Los Angeles, Dec. 4. After titling the silent version o.*" "Jlla Captive. Woman," 1:"N, I'a '1 Perez was retained to wi-it" tli" d.i.'ilog'for the'BOUnd vr:iyi<,u of th:; p.ctuve. Luther Reed Withdraws Los Angeles, Dec. 4, l'\ilHrig 1.0 please Winnie .Sheehan on "Headlines," his first picture for Fox, Luiher Reed asl<ed for. and oh- tained ))ls'release a.s production su- pervisor. P,ijt thre" reels of the pi"turi h ut been cut ;ind tilled. i KELLY'S WIS. P. A. Chicago, ii'.'C. 4. Andy Kelly, recently h'lndllng I.nl.lif.jiy. for th'< Democratic or- r;irM/.a<ion in Chicago, has been ;.!,if<-.i in fl!!ir:f> of expl'iit.ation for i!:f. w i ■ •■n ill 0;''iiti-es. llf'a !'!i; iri"rs in Milv.-aukce.