Variety (Dec 1929)

VARIETY FOREIGN NEWS Wednesday, December 4, 1929 A British Film Field By Frank tilley London, Nov. 25. First prosecution against a dis- tributor under the films act opened last, week when F.B.O. (of this country) was summoned for alleged non-compliance with quota. Board of Trade prosecuted and claimed F.B.O, had distributed Just over -6% of British-made film Instead of the 'requisite 7%. F.B.O. claimed it had another film w^hich would have put jt over the quota, but contrary to their anticipations this was not ac- cepted for registration as a British-, made. Action adjourned for a week. F.B.O. is controjled by the' Ostrer Brothers, who bought the stock from the Bromheads when the latter retired from Gaiimont- British Corp. Payment of the second install- ment, due the, Bromheads under their agreement to sell their Gau- taont-rBrltish holdings to Ostrers' was made Nov. 16. Third and final payment is due later. Rumors are that the Ostrers haye still not com- pleted tl^e detil with Fox and also that they found the rhoney to take lip the treasviry stock irt-Gaumbht- British from outside sources, with Lord Beaverbrook again mentioned ,as concerned. in this country 310 British engineers and around 200 other British workers. Of this 600-odd, W. E. claims to be employing 400,. of whom .215 are engineers. W, E. also claims its total complement of Anierican enir ployees here, on all duties,, is only 34. This seems to leave RCA with 17 Americans and around a dozen British workers on its wiring and maintenance.. New Copyright Bill W. il. Adamsoh, M. P;, introduced into Parlianient Nov. 22 a new cbpy- ight bill to limit demands owners of copyright miay make on per- formers. Briefly, what the bill seeks is every published copy of .a musical composition bearing printed notice of the reservation of public, per- formance; .no fee of more than two pence ia published copy, as fee for public .performance,, and: right of aiiy one to perforni .If public per- formance is permitted, provided the performer pays the fixed fee or Is in possession of a. ''public, perforin- ance" copy. Tightening Up Censor board tightening lip on talkers. Universal had plenty trou- ble with "Shanghai Lady," and P.D.C. stuck with "Racketeer." New Censdr Head To replace the late Right Hon. T. P, O'Connor, M.P., as president of the British Board of. Film Censors,- the- honie. office has Intimated to" the Manufacturei's* Association ' It de- sires Edward L. Shortt, king's coun- sel, and a former Liberal member of Parliament, to, be appointed. Mr. Shortt was, honie secretary during 1919, His appointment, as president of the Censor Board was -announced by. thie association Nov. 22. • Talker Position From two ends, the public and the exhibitor^ talkers are not .such a complete knockout as publicized. Exhibitors' Association has been running^ a questionnaire among , its members and so far has received just over 1,000 replies, claimed to show that programs are not figured tO: stand-up unless they are 50% silent. As a rough national a.ver age, it can be figured here that tak ings went up around 25% on the novelty boom. They slid in a fairly short time to under 15% advance and ai'e now, in districts where wired theatres are. the rule, to the former level of takings on silent programs, and in some cases loxfrer. A straw vote taken over the Manchester area on the public pro -duced-34vl69-votes for "sllfent- films and 20,197 for talkers. Business in London's West End these last cou pie of. weeks has also shown a de cided drop, due In part to the ap proach of Christmas, but also in part to the passing.of the novelty phase. "Four Feathers" (silent) at the Carlton, Is still doing the best business in town, while "On "With the Show" (TIvolI) is fair and "Great Gabbo" (New Gallery) mod- erate? "Woman to "Woman" (Amer icanrmAde British talker) pulled well- on its-opening week. "They Had to See Paris" (Capitol) doing well. Matinees everywhere off, ex cepting at the Carlton. Picture House Pests Stench bombs, sneezing powder anr) fireworks are becoming more pr lent In picture houses since ,thc .dvent of sound. In many parts of -.0 provinces the pest has be cOn. 5 so bad a deputation went to the Hom6 Ofllce from the Exh^bs Asc:-.elation last week, and this may lea.-", to stronger legislation dgalnst the sale as well as the'use of these nuisances affected by our nativ sihirt Alecks. Socialists and the Stage Are we nearing a state-aided the- atre, with a Labor government In power? .. Question arises- from the move of the indpendeint Labor Party to subsidize the' Masses Stage and Film Guild, a move supported by Jaimes R. Clynes, George Lansbury, G. P. Trevalyn and F, Roberts, all members of the Cabinet. . Lansbury Is .the minister who. wants to teiar down the railings, around London's private squares and have mixed bathing arid sun baths In Hyde Park. An advisory committee has Fen- ner Brockway for chairman, and the scheme, which figures to show films 'not usually seen in commerclial the- atres," is supported by Miles Malle- son (playwright - actor - Socialist), Lewis Casson, Sybil Thorndike and Dennis Neilson-Terry. They plan to open with Upton Sinclair's "Singing Gaolbirds" early next year. JOE BROWNING Presentihg "A Timely Sermon" /Assisted by Joe Browning, Jr. This we6k, Nov. 29, Michigan- Theatre, Petrolt, In Charles Nlgge- Meyer's "Mauratlion Frolics.", Direction Abe- Lastfegel, Harry Lenetska, Wiiiiam Morrie Agency. R.*K.-0> direction, Mdrri* & Foil. Bits and Pieces Several members of the Royal Family, arid a nuriiber of Members of Parliament, attended a private view of. Warners "Disraeli" the morning of NoV. 21. More would have been there but for the funeral of the late T. P. O'Connor. Gaumont's sound newsreel, re- corded on its .own system, British Acoustics, goes Into a number of the Gaumont-British theatres next week, rest of the circuit playing British- Movietone News. Several distribs'burning over the discovery that they have been gypped on returns by houses play- -ing.. tallcers. on^percentage. __Diatrli)s have had no check, and now find they have been short-chariged plenty. So they say. But there aren't more fhan two or three cases at that. Coast Wdrrying Over > Spanisb Accent in Talkers Holl3rwopd,. .Dec. . 3. Frodupers now engaged in making talker , versions . for the Latin- Amerlcari . countries are stulriped with the problem of striking a gen- eral acceht which will meet with the approval of the average thoJitre- goer In Spain, Mexico, Central and South American cbuntri(!3. Actors, having Castilian accent are satisfying jiist a small portion of the Spanish speaking countries. The impression that in all other Spanish speaking countries different dialects are used is not correct, but they do use their own modisms, identified in America as "slang." words and .phrases which have a certain riieaning in bne country" have an entirely different one in an- other.. All speak Spanish urtder- standablfe to each other, but Holly- wood is worrying about how to get away from the Castilian accent monopoly. Chatter in London Releases Week of D^c, 9, Americarf: "Venus" (UA); ."Haunted House" (FN); "Forbidden Houra" (M-G); "Smilin" Terror" (U); "Chinatown Nights" (Par); "Celebrity" (PDC): "Confessions of a Wife" (Gau- mont); "Two Sons" (Argosy).. British—"Alley Cat" (British & Foreign). Frerich Woman in Flames" (W. & F.); "Bedroom Slippers" (Butcher). Personal Jarii6s V. Bryson, head^ of Univer- sal --ei-e, left for New York without anv previous intimatiori Nov. 19, Frod W. Baker, chief of Butchers Film Service, Inde' distrlbs, elected tp Board of Trade Advisory Com- mittee under the film.s act. Re- . places T. G. Eldei', formerly of Welsh-Pearson-Elder. Latest space.selling racket among trade press Is to send fulsome laud- atory wires to production heads after preview of pictured . Lord Rothermere is credited with an intention of revamping the film features In three of his biggcpt dailie.c. Up to Nov.. 16 Western Electric has .equipped 366 theatres in this country and three studio sound stages. Following some questions asked in the House of Commons as to the. admission of American engi- neers here, Margaret Bonficld, Min- istry of Labor, stated in the House there were 51 such engineers work- in/? under permit on erection and maintenance of talker equipment. She added that the two American companies, W. E. and RCA, employ Switches Consequent on the taking of a controlling Interest in the labor daily newspaper, "Daily Herald," by ddhams Press, owners of trade and fan magazines, "Kine Weekly," oldest film trade paper, unloads some of its staff. Lionel Collier, review editor, goes to "Plcturegoer," fan monthly, aS editor; Pat Mannock^oes fronii the fan mag to "Doily Herald" as film critic; Gilbert Stevens, former as sbclate editor of K. W., goes to the "Herald" as show business ad so llcitor. Monica Ewer, "Herald's" present film critic, turhs over to drama. Changes now in effect with bd hams takirig possession of" the "Herald" in March. Labor Party retains 49 per cent interest and conti'ols policy. A Stop "Atlantic" was due to go into the Repal for a pre-release run Dec. 7. The German version was scheduled to play part of the run' for 'con trast. ■ . Arrangement now ctlriceUed with iio 'information available from Brit - ish International as to 'the reason. L. A.'S SPANISH TALKER Los Angeles, Dec. 3. Lower Main street gets its first experience " with ""Bearchlightir"" to - morrow night (Wednesday) when Jacqueline Logan and others in the cast of "Sbmbras Habaneras" ("Havana. Shadows") appear in person at the Teatro Mexico, where the film opens for a fOur-day run. It's the firs* local presentation of an all-Spanish talker. Theatre was form^erly a legit stock house, drawing trade from approximately 35,000 Spanish speak- ing residents of Los Angeles and nearby towns. Gaumont Farce Ti&lker London, Dec. 3. GauriiiDnt British is doing a talk- ing plPture made from the farce, "Alf's Button." "Tubby" Edlln will play the role he created; on the stage, and a spe- cial vamp role has been written for Gypsy Rhoumaje. Alexander Oumansky is staging two pretenlous ballets of his own arranging in the film. Dubbing Congo Film Los' Angeles, Dec. 3. Explanatory . lecture on "Up the Congo," film on African women, which World Wide will release for Alice M. O'Brien, is being dubbed in Spanish, C*:"nan, French as well as English. Dubbing is being done in New tovk. FOREIGN RIVALRY Washington, Dec, 3.. Sweden and Denmark rivalry i.s now being extended to sound pic- txires, says, a report to the De- partment of Commerce. Sweden lins the edge with nine houses wired with Anlerlr.m equipment. Denmark has six in Copenhagen and two in other cities. U. S. Plays in Vienna Vienna, Nov. 20. George N. Marton, Viennese im pre.^ario, has the Austrian rights to three American plaj's, "It's a Wise Child," "Subway Express" and "Strictly Dishonorable." ^ iMai^ton^s^f a Uier^pro d uccd .iiiEuoa d way" In that territory last ."joa.son with succops. AMERICANS ABROAD Paris, Nov. 23. Allen Dwan and wife (formr.T Marie Shelton), Mr. ajftd Mr.s. Raoul Walgh, Mr. and Mrs. Darryl Zan nuck,. Pola Negri, Mrs. Milton J. Schwartz (William Fox's daughter), Mrs. Jack Cohn. Xiondon, Xov. 22. Chick Tork "holed out" in one— or at least-says he did. Stunt oc- curred In one of London'0 pea-soup fogs, so the world will haye tp ac- cept It. : Christmas productions for this year are **SleepIne Beauty" at Drury Lane, "The Wlridmill Man" at the Victorian Palace for matinees only; "Where the Rainbow Ends" Holborn Empire for matinees only; Lyceum "Puss In Boots"; Playhouse "Peter Pan"; Garrlck "Treasure Is- land"; Scala "Babes In the Wobd." Fid Gordon will Itiave reetson to remember his first West End ap- pearance. While he was on the stage at the Victoria Paljuie they looted his dressing room for 800 bucks, Rachmajilnotf has. written an- other piano piece. He got |25 for the one everybody strums. Fall visitors iall gone hack. Ai'thur Dent and Sam Eckman, of. Metro,, . got in a huddle at a trade lunch over tlie gobd old sub- ject of .British films in . America- Dent -woiuldn't have any: he's hadi experience. Eckman kicked hack by saying English were better treated in New York than Ameri- cans in London and won - hands down.. Betting the Eton topper will go. "•The Barretts of Wimpole Street" by Rudolph Besler gives Elizabeth Brotpning,' sonnet monger, the gra' big hand. , Maisie Gay is baick at the Palla- dium and the town's got something to laugh at, ' Jessie Mathews is packing her bags. ■ Tallulah ha.s taken another flop.' ''He's Mine" 'comes off after four weeks. sonie : \vise gink has the, idea men could brighten London by wearing pa jama, suits In the streets. "The gigs are. giving the stunt the okey. Ann Casson, Sybil Thbrndike's daughter, has written another play. She's only 13 but it's getting a habit. Pola Negri, on her way to Paris and divorce; wept all over the boys who intervie-wed her on the boat. Joe Cohn is here on a holiday. Kenneth Hunt, Jack Hylton's manager, is now managing for Am- brose, band leader at the Mayfair Club. Edgar Jackson, formerly editor of the "Melody Maker," has taken Hunt's place. _ Raoul Walsh " here. John Glelgud Is the town's latest Hamlet. , . ■. Beatrice Harrison, cellist, packing for the states.' Latest gag Is to try and solve the Dussoldorf mysteries. Will Goldston has written a book about conjuring and things. Remairque told . Gene Tunney he ought to be an author. Louis Gautler is the new Presi- dent of the Magicians' Club. Lilian Davies is new to principal boys' trousers. "The Circle of Chalk," flop Chinese play, revived in Birmingham, with- out Anna Miay Wong. Frank Boor has completed 10 years as manager ot the Hippb- drome. After seeing "Journey's End," Stockholrii's gone dotty on English plays. Frank Vpsper's got the flu. So has most everybody else. Tommy Lome's got a show of his own. Chic York and Rose JClng left for South Africa. / . Two Rubes , are the latest nite club hit. British International turned down talker rights of "Outwrtrd^Bound" at $40,000. , Francis Brugiere, arty film mer- chant, exhibits his photographs Some of the boys say they under- stand them. Book written on Phillip Snp^yden•s rise to fame. Ernest Procter has painted Dellus listening to his own music. Leslie . French, understudying at tlie Hippodrome, led "Mr. Cinders in the suburbs through the Illness of= Hindle--Edgar.; ^ -^^^-^^--^ Dorothy Ward missed being lead Ing panto lady at the Drury Lane through having another contract Fi-ank E, Franks\jias written one act, two murders, and a gag or twb, Dlok Henderson at the Palladium Hack from HollywoPd. Thief, left a German war novel in West End house. Escaped before it rould be forced back on him, " Aiidroasan and Saltcoats Players TOBIS LEGAL AHACKS MAINLYJGIUNST FOt X.- i'arlfl, Dec. 8. Tox continues aa the main attack t>f the extensive litigation engage* In by Tobis-Klangfllm against any and all exhibitors using sound-on* film equipment and releases, clalni. Itig the Movietone process is 4 patent infringement Tobls pro- ceeds against Western Electric and' the exhibitor Is made a co-defend* ant. The Only product using tha Movietone recording exhaustiyoly la Fox. Other distributor^ can alter- nate, with the disk recordings. Not alone Fox Movietone News but the Fox features are solely re* corded on the Movietone principle thus eliminating Fox f com all Ger- man-speaking territory, including the.X3erman half of Switzerland and also the Scandinavian countries. ANOTHER AM, MOVEMENT Budapiest Exhib* Threaten tq Close In Protesting Foreign Talkepb Washington, Dec. 3. Believed to.be shooting at Amer- ican td.lker.s, exhibitors In Buda- pest have entered a protest with authorities against, granting a li- cense to show a ta,lking pictm;e In foreign tongue. Report to the Commerce De*! partment adds that the exhib? threaten to close their houses it another such film is licensed. . Paris. Nov. 25. Roger Treville. French-English* riian, who has played is London, is set for Adblphe Menjou's bi-lingual'; talker for Pathe in the second lead-. Inff male role. Like the star, Trevilie Is accomplished in both langruages. As soon as Menjou is fully re- covered frorii his apjpendicitis oper* atlori at the American h.cspital here, Jean de ; Limur will comrnence shooting. The story is ready. Screen test of Mag Lemonler, star of "Broadway' in French, was not satisfactory. She was to have played opposite Menjou . iou's Cast Havana^ Gha:tter By Rene Canizareai Havana, Is'ov. 22. Getting ready for the new winter season,: T*tndr.ring how the market smash •will aJYect tbe tourists___;^ Opeh 'arb the Mpntmaftre and La Verbena cabarets. Chateau Madrid rbadhouse. Seville-BIltmore Hotel opens Dec. 5. Racing starts around Dec. 15. Three Orchestras Here .V An addition to the night, life is the Sans Soucl roadhouse, un3er the management of Fernand'>:: ai^ Vila, the Montmartre owner.-; li is making a play for the better class. Three orchestras furnisn music. One is an Argentine or- chestra for tangos only, other is 4 native Cuban,, and the third is all. jazz. Paramount Changes Publix has taken charge of the Saenger interests in Cuba. Arthur L. I'ratchet now rules over all liere. Publicity by Marion E. Ferrera. Best theatres on the Island are Publix. Marti theatre, with talkei .s. gavp up and now is playing a Spanish musical stock. This hoii-se, oldest in Havana, has been On the red toy six years, dark most of the time.. Stock company-has a chance. ' "El Mundo," leading riewsptiper ol Cuba, has changed its drama editor. Juan Bonlch.is ofnclating. Ap- proved by everybody. Plug for U. S. A. A new regulation by the National Radio Commission says all local ra- dio stations, must close by 10:30 p. m. to give , the fans a chance to get the U. S. broadcaster.«!. This measure was brought about by the constant squawking that the local stations Only broadca.st records and .some bUm singers. n score heavily in "The Old Lady Sho-Wfl "HeF^^Medals:"-^^ "-^ Tallulah gets $2,600 a wook .or a Palladium (vaude) run. Anim'ated cartoon in front "Shrew," 4.t the Pavilion, proved a big draw- Highbrows herp go dithery whenevci a cartoon'.s .iround. Godfrey Winn, one time film 1^^^ and stage juvenile, has ehnokoo the lights 'or journalism. So hart Ko- ward Cai-rlck, one of tho C'i :iif;!=. one time art dlrectr