Variety (Dec 1929)

Wednesday, December 4, ld29 PICTURES VARIETY MARKET ZOOMS, Fox Halts at Best of Previ- ous Day Near SS—Loew Strong Around 47, and Par Goes Into High of 5l%--Short Covering Helps List—Banik Accu- A^Peek's Enough! Hollywood,. Dec, 3. Fox employees un^ortynate enough to draw four weeks' va.cation without pay are mak- ingf periodical visits to th€| stu- dio to $ee if their namesi still a.ppear on their office dooi^a. If . removed they know the lay-off is indefinite. ' 8FORPD6LIX OPEN BY FEB. ! Twelve new houses, here and abroad, are contemplated by Pub- lic. Eleven are now under con^ srtuction. This Includes Manches- ter, Eng. Another not yet under blocks from around 22 to better than , , ^ -xt ». m m 29. Explanation came with the h^^l^^?,-", Nashy.Illv^^^^^ messagre on the news ticker, giving an outline of Hoover's flttitude to ward certain rail combines. Wes The chain will open eight new houses by Feb. 1. This Includes some lately acquired and others Maryland is largely held by thep^°^^«;JJ°"«^P^J^;« ^^^^ mulation May B* Holding ] B^& 0.,^and is ^in^po^^^^^^ Peeksklll, N. T.; Amusements Back from a new rail map in the south. Similiar Suits [Ft. Fairfield, Me.; Denver; Staten I Island, N. T.; Ft. Wityne, Ind.; Matter is cited here because the Lynn, Mass.; Salem, Mass.; Ham r«>>nr>c> » ve I ^"^"5 B- * ^'^^^^^ MAY LAST THREE DA iS stockholdings in western Maryland, Of theatres to rieopen, Bellevue, I jiist as it is suing Fox and Warner Niagara Falls, turned on the lights for their ownership of stock in oth- Thanksgiving.. Paramount, New ler companies in the same industry. HaVen iDecj Sy, Paramount, Syta Wall St; has looked for sbnie time cuse* N. T. (Dec. 6); State, An- ion the B. & O. suit as an adminis- de^rson, Ind. (December);. Aurora, tratjon gesture, and the disposition IH. (December); Seneca, Buffaltf is to look upon the Fox and Warner (December); Brainerd, Minn. (De U's War Camp Hollywo6d, Dec. 3. More than 5,000 acres of waste land, 60 miiles south of Los AngeleSj have been leased by Universal for the filming of war scenes to* be included in ••All Quiet on the Western Ftont." Studio plans to es- tablish a German military camp thiere. Cast of 2,000 extras will be forced to remain in the camp for six weeks. Brookhart Again and Early—Reformers, Too Colombia, N. Y., Will Be R-K-0 Straight Pic Stand By AL GiREASON The stock market took what, may prove to be a definite turn yester day for the better, with a rush of short cpverinfl apparently baaed on 1 g^^g like manher. How^ever, they I certiber); Paramount, Montgomery, President Hoover's- message to Lu-g fresh in the public mind and j Ala., are others Congress, indicating administration Kj^a^t works against the stocks in- favor toward certain railroad com-1 y£^lyg^— o^j^^ also in favor of any campaign the downtown, interests may have toWard the amusement business. Warner Bros, did poorly all yes terday, high at 42% (for a stock that pays $4 a'nd is niaking $6.35 ties jumped 3 to 8 points, mostly on I a Share) and low at 41%, and moy covering by old shortg,r;but the ing in relatively small volume on strike in the Skouras picture hoiises amusement group took but a minor the list's upturn, whereas it had has been effected. A new agree part in the fireworks. It was sug- been extremely active Monday on naent has new terms/ with the mu gested that their disposition to lag the drop (62.000 shares . changed slc.Ians yielding In their contention behind the rest of the market might hajids that day). that the houses ^should pay for defi be explained by failure of the ^ Paramount acted true to form as | nite player minimUmfl bears to sell them in volume due to | the leader of the amusement group. It was a bit Final papers were signed yester day (Tuesday) by Walter Reade and RKO whereby the Columbia, N. T;, will become the RKO theatre upon completion of alterations and j gpecjfjll.aeasion. Washington, Dec. 3. Conig:res3 is back on the job. To- day the President's message wa» read. Yesterday organization start- ed and a flood of some - 400 bills were dumped in the House cropper. Proceedings started with a laugh at the Senate when the latter seiit over the customary resolution in- forming the lower bodjtthat It was ready for. business,, after doing nothing in the way of business throughout several months of its bines, thcT tax reduction, action on tariff, and carrying out of the con- structive program already drafted by the White House and Big Busi- ness. Leading issues and some special- ST. LOUIS STRIKE OVER Musicians Returning to Theatres; 145 Instead of 300. • Settlement St. Louis, Dec. S, of the musicians' enlargement of present seating ca- pacity from 1,232 (three floors) to; 1,934 (two floors). Opening is al- most certain by next Labor; Day," 1930. It will play talkers Only, as there wU b,9, no stage. For four months the RKO-Reade contract has been in existence with the original transfer to provide for the erection of a BO- story office aiid theatre building. This plan has been abandoned. A number of things held up the deal, but every- thing was completely adjusted when Yesterday's Prices LPADING AMUSEMENTS Net High I/OW tAst Chge. 41.000 Fox 52 08% --1 1,800 Loew 47 46% 46% -f- % 4,800 Pap 62 60% 61% + % 800 Path A... SV*. 7% 7% »T,200 KCA 38 SSy* 38 +i 0.200 RKO ..... 17% 17 IVA + % COO Shu 13% 12 12 — % •.-6.700 TTB- 42% 41% 42% + % BONDS 8,500 fox Thr.. 11% 10% 11% 1,800 O Thr 83% 32 33% BONI>S ^,000 Keith .... 80 80 80 6.000 lioew .....103% 102% 103% -f % 6,000 Par ...... 98 98 »8 6,000 Pathe .... 60% 60 50 6,000 Shu* ..... 62 62 62 •New low for all time. Musicians are expected 6ack In a bit off in volume, but I the theatres Friday. Strike has been moVedTup consistently and with no on since Sept. 17. About 800 musi setbacks like the other?. It started clans effected. . ^- at 50%, about unchanged, and Under the new tenns number of pushed up gradually by fractions musicians employed Jim been cut to through 51 to 52,.closlng close to "6. These are to^be.ail^^ the top. Eastman Kodak on a iows: Skouras,^whlch^6mdri^ small Jurnover advanced 5 points Ployed «2 men, 46; St. Louis Amuse- to 185, where it stood at the gong, ' ^« Indenen- ment Co., 134 to 62; and Indepen- dent houses from 89 to 37. + % - % -1% -1% Higher Ground The situation ::was particularly satisfying to Wall Street, in a tentative way they took the view that it wovld probably continue, more ' slowly perhaps, to advance for another two days, lacking yes terday's snap and ballyhoo, moving with determination into, . , ^ Smewhat higher ground. One pf directed verdict In their favor. J|?Srr^asons the Street is pleased ' Six charges a^lnst them, grow With the apparent turn at this '^.V.^.^L^^l"!^!.'"! Sunday Victory in Iowa Pea Molnea, Dec. S. : Xiuther and Richard Day of Cen- terville, la., defendants In trials butlffrowlng out of the Sunday show War at Fairfield, have received a their large earnings. Another and more plausible explanation was that Wall Street Interests, desiring to enlarge their holdings in the show business, were holding the* stocks back while they carried dut a campaign of accumulation. Whatever the reason, Fox moved Sluggishly all day, low at 52 and ''i"''^'- "^^f ^"^J!fj; I proved, until the old shorts have here than on the previous day ] J when this stock was under severe momer;^'ia that yesterday's «^ort h^e^ Vict^JT theatre on Sunday, r"'"/\oa^v'LvwlfSs'thatTt^^ ^ote ever re XTs'i ir^an'd opp'oTt?Alty JoTthe corded in the town, AJgona went market to absoVS December tax for f^n^a^^ ^hre^ ^o one in a sales without bringing on a brealc. I special election. The constructive side is pretty well convinced that the better levels will be maintained, or even Im One man in the upper body, though, had a laugh all his own. That was Senator jSmith W. Brook- hart, R., of Iowa, author and spon- sor of the proposal to place the mo- tion picture industry under federal control. The senator's laugh, his friends state, came with the published ria- ports that in filing the suits against Fbx and Warners the Department of Justice thinks the,^ investigation of its handling of that same In- dustry's, mergering in the past Wa» Reade this weiek: made an outright now out of the way. buy of the Hotels America and . Senator . Brookijart wants to know Manhattan and the St. Regis restau- vvrhy Fojt and Warner are the only rant in West 47th street, giving ones and still believes the threat- Reade at 360 x 100 footage on 47th ened investigation that came hear street alone. . reaching the surface at the close RKO signed a 10-year contract at of the last regular isesslon will come $300,000 a year, with the Reade of- durlngr the neit six months while flee to turn over the theatre plans the present body Is on the Job. completed. Brpokhart's bill Is before the corn- Mutual burlesque will continue mitte^. He Is on that committee at the Columbia for the remainder and says he Is going to get action, of the season, at least. Remodeling Over In the House the District will start early In spring. of Columbia conimlttee faces a coh- The hotels and restaurant are not slderable shake-ul> with the pbssl- to be demolished, as the flhal papers blllty of Frederick Zlhlihan, R., Md., with RKO provide only for the the- | giving up the chairmanship. This atre portion of. the present Colum- bia. with othdr changes presents fur- ther conipllcatlbns on the propoised Sunday closing of the district by Lahkford of Georgian Sunday Until that committee Is set noth- ing car> be forecast as to w'hat will happen. Xiast session, after flst fights, etc., the blil was forced out of the. silb-committee to the gen- is mending nicely. pressure. Yesterday the general turnover was the biggeist in weeks (3,644,000 shares) with the ticker lO 'mlnutes late at the close. In- teresting situation here, with Fox problenls apparently solved and a sudden decline, of interest. On: the facei of it. It looks strange, and Wall Street took the obvious view that special considerations were holding the issue back. On the other hand, Loew, in ■which there could not well have be^n much of a shdrt interest, did very well, nioving up to. new re- cent high on the, movement at bet- ter than 47, from its low of the day before at 41. Whoop'rng It Up PAR'S SEGOim CONVENTION Paramount will hold a convention Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the been driven in. By that time tax jjotel Roosevelt, with all the com- saies ought to be fairly well com- | pony's district and branch mana- pletfed. The. two movements fiur Ished, trading ought to go into a| period of quiet. Stock sold to establish a. loss can- not be repurchased -until the expira- tion of 30 ■ days, which makes it I gers in this country and Canada present. Sidney R. Kent will pre- side, with Jesse iU Ijasky outlining production for the balance of the 1929-30 season. Arch Reeve, publicity head on the perfect for a dull market of little I yest coast, IS coming In to attend price change until repurchase starts Uhe. ponferenciesi; after Jan.. 1, at which time a fairly sharp upturn is looked for. After the shorts have covered and tax sales are -flnlshed there will be no incentive either -way for the loiigs or the shorts for the time being Probably bears will sell at the end /this la the semi-annual conven- tion of Par. NO STAGE SHOW Syracuse, N. T., Pec. S. When Publix opens Its new house of This advance, but In any event I in Syracuse, N. T., the Paramount, tomorrow (Thursday), stage shows will be among the missing, although the house can accommodate them. All-sound Is policy. Publix units at one time played Lioew's. Ambrose's Painful Yell It's not always the players who get hurt at a football game. Ambrose Dowllng, Radio's radiant foreign head, had the experience Saturday, He couldn't yell loud enough for the Army-Notre Dame eral grathering with a final vote aflTalr on the bench so he attempted only flodged by much careful han- to perch on a nearby fence. - dHnfif the majority members Mr. Dowling's fractured shoulder ptnown to be opposed to the shut up, openly stated to be but the be- ginning, of a general move for Sun- day closing throughout the country. Expected delve by the lobbying Committee Into the organizations maintained here by the paid re- forming groups has how reached the stage where Senator Caraway, chairman of the committee, will have to make dome move. Rep, George H. TInkham, R., Mass., ba« demanded the senator and his com- mittee chiecic up .on this phase.. Looks nice plenty of action ahead for the reformers and those'they wish to reform,, with publicity cer- tain for the reformers in their at- tempt to reform. ttUTH EOLAND'S ^'EENO" Ruth Roland will begin wOrk on her first talker, "Reno," by Cor- nelius Vanderbllt, Jr., as soon as | the latter finishes the screen adap- tation. Miss Roland is under contract to make two pictures for Sono-Art. Her second production will be an original, "Miss Sunshine." MAEIE DRESSIEB'S OFFER ISducatlonal has offered Marie Dressier $2,000 tb appear in shorts for that company. Comedienne has not yet accepted, it is understood. Par's Buy tor Narcy Hollywood, Dec. WB BITTS RADIO SERIAI. Hollywood, Dec. 3. Warners has purchased the rights from Radio to produce the "Alex the U'S REPAIR JOB Hollywood, Dec. 3. _ "tTnTvet^saFHas'eom^ with important tax. selling cOm pleted strong interests are not go ing to encourage any higher prices Anyhow, Wall Street was glad to 1 until they have made their repur seize upon the commotion of a chases at levels not too far from message froixi the White House as the sales, an excuse to Whoop things up. The Shuberts Big' Drop bulla haven't had much to work in yesterdays' market RKO did on for a long, long time, and.they almost nothing, ruling below 18 as .5^1] t; jQ^liis^oppoKtunlty:.-wi th-both-Uheretof orer^^-w things in general first manifested before the close .and holding Prac- a»rect a new version or uoiiege Zf iela^^ T'''''^ This tlcally all Its gains from 33 or R^^^^e e^^^^^^ wns uefore the message -was re-, thereabouts. „x^_^n^ leased and puzzled the tape readers, Pathe improved, the "A" stock | ^^^^"'P'^' /because it was obvious that there getting up through 8 for the first was no large short account out in time in weelcs, although the com- M-G Title Change the carriers. Leader came from an mon was listless. "Road Show** becomes "Happy unexpected quarter in Western No market interest In Shubprt at Day§" under a change of title by ^farylund which jumped in big I (Continued on poge 10) 1M-G-M Paramount has purchased "Blow Great" series, alone with a supple- ' mentary deal with Siidie Wltwer, widow of H. C. Witwer, for the dialog rights. Latter will have to be apiprove* by probate court. the Man Down" from Thoma.-' Broadhurst. Want It for Nancy Carroll. Hersholt Rieplaces Hollywood, Dec. 8 Illness p r e V e n 11 n g Rudalpa Schildkraut front woi'king, Jean Carr Confesses to Path* Alex Carr has confessed Judgment Hersholt "goes to Radio to repl9.?e|ln the Supreme Court for $1,500 in in "Case of Sergeant Grisl a." | favor of Pathe Sound Studios, He said he and P.athe had ia con- Remaking for Dialog Itroyersy over the ownership of cer- Hbilywbdai^Dec^^ Universal will talkeri'ze "What Uvas made by which he agreed to Happened to Jones," formerly made [ PO-y this sum as a silent with Reginald Denny, Glen Tryon will have the lead More Laying Off Hollywood, Dec. 3. Slackening up of production at Universal caused the lay off last Norma Shearer's "High Road" Hollywood, Dec. 3 M-G has bought Frederick Lons- | weok of 15 sound technicians, with dale's play, "The High Road," as ; 10 more oxpccted lo bi^ made Idle a .starring talker for Norma Shi'-'iror. j iliis ■^►""■•■k.