Exhibitors Daily Review (Jul-Dec 1928)

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Exhibitors DAILY REVIEW, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1928 KENNEDY PUZZLES HOLLYWOOD After Nucleus of Big Producing Organization — But for Whom STUDIO GOSSIP Bj .1. HARRISON EDWARDS Joseph P. Kennedy, has all of Hollywood guessing. He arrived last week and immediately took on the aspect of a very busy man working from the FBO headquarters. This same Kennedy person "burnsup" the chissling scribblers in that he refuses to do any talking to anyone from the press at any time and the scribblers can't believe it is true, they don't know what to make of it. To think of some one in the picture business too busy to see a scribler, or even to answer a letter or phone call. And the very thought of a man heading a producing and distributing organization, whose very backbone is "publicity" refusing to give out a story. This reality is too much to bear. Concentrating on Fathe Kennedy seems to be concentrating all his attention to Pathe, checking over finished production and talking to his production heads about new product. He can be seen going in or out of his office or the Pathe studios early in the morning (too early for the scribblers) and leaving late at night. To every inquiror that happens to corner him he gives the same reply "I have nothing to say". And that always means nothing. Rumors There are rumors around Hollywood that Kennedy is raising havoc with a lot of the studios in that he is checking up on the length of time different star players have remaining on their present contracts, and if it is not too long to wait, he interviews the star, offers them a proposition and. it is said, "always gets his man" much to the consternation of the studio who holds his services at this time. It is thought that Kennedy has in addition to Gloria Swanson and Tom Mix; Adolphe Menjou and John Gilbert, and it his intention of getting two more stars of major proportions and this being done will start an entirely new distributing and producing organization along lines schemed on a different principle than exists today, and have the star make only two pictures a year. Columbia Loans Dorothy Revier to Fox Dorothy Revier, Columbia's popular blonde star, has been borrowed by Fox to appear in the featured role of a newspaper story soon to go into production under the direction of Fred Newmeyer. After completing her Fox engagement. Miss Revier will return to Columbia to whom she is under longterm contract. She is scheduled to appear in several of the company's outstanding productions this year. Hugo Stays West United Artists has decided that it la most important to them to have Hugo Reisenfeld in Hollywood, so Reisenfeld has obligingly consented to stay and keep on making musical synchronizations for the pictures of that company. Fritzi Ridgeway and Lucien Littlefield will have featured parts in Vilma Banky's next, "Childs Fifth Avenue." • * • Josephine Dunn has been added to the cast of Fox's "White Silence". • * * Tom Reed has renewed his contract with Universal for six months. • * * Farrell McDonald will have a part in "Strong Boy" which Fox is making. • * * Wesley Ruggles is directing the dialogue of "Port of Dreams" featuring Mary Philbin. » • • Norman Bnrnstine has signed a new contract with Paramount. • • • Marcella Daly has been added to the cast of "Tong War". • • • Lilyan Tashman has joined the cast of "BroadwTay" for Universal. • * • Dudley Early will write the dialogue for "Nightstick". • « * Tenen Holtz has a one year contract with M-G-M. • • * Mai. St. Clair will direct "Saturday Night Kid" for Paramount. • * * Robert F. McGowan, who has ever guided the destinies of Hal Roach's Rascals, otherwise and better known as "Our Gang", is putting his tots to work again next week. This will be their first camera work in the past three months. • • • Jack Holt has left for a cattle ranch in Arizona with a company of 50 to make scenes for his new western. • • * Tim McCoy has gone on location to film parts of his latest cowboy picture. • • • Charley Chase, Hal Roach comedy star, will start production tomorrow on another of his society farces for release by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The direction will be in the hands of Jimmie Home. What! No Women? All men in the cast is a novelty being tried in "Friendship," a two-reel movietone subject at Fox's. Robert Edison, Donald Gallaher, Edward Earle, Joseph Striker, Carl Miller and Paul Fung, Chinese actor, are in it. Eugene Walter, playwright, not only wrote, but directs it. ALL-BRITISH PICTURE UNDER WAY ON COAST By J. HARRISON EDWARDS British Dominion Film Company, an English producing organization, is going to have a picture made in Hollywood and Marshall Neilan is going to direct it. These British companies seem intent in crashing the American market somehow or other. They have tried a lot of things, using American directors and players in their productions made on the other side, but that did not seem to have much effect in gathering in dollars from American exhibitors, now the Dominion Film Company have hit on the idea of making one in Hollywood (at the Metropolitan studio) with an all-English cast, and seeing what effect thafy might have. The picture will 1)e known as "Behind the Headlines" and it will be a newspaper story. Production to start within thirty days. M-G-M Puts O.K. on Bristolphone Apparatus (Continued from page 1) corded pictures to be run on a device other than W. E. unless the tonal and reproducing qualities of the equipment is as good as W. E. M-G-M Determines Quality In order to determine the quality of the Sonora-Bristolphone apparatus installed in the Strand, Sam Shurman, Milwaukee manager of M-G-M visited the Strand in Madison last week, listened to the installation and put his stamp of approval on it_for M-G-M and agreed to turn over the W. E. discs for "White Shadows of the South Seas" to manager Fred Desormeaux for the run of the picture, although the Strand only held a contract for the "black and white" silent picture. "Lilac Time" Next Week Manager Desmoreaux informed a correspondent for the Exhibitors Daily Review that he was highly satisfied with the great business being done and the reproduction of Sonora-Bristolphone and that he was going to run this picture for seven days and had booked the First National production "Lilac Time" for next week and would give it a seven day play also. He said "there seems to be some trouble with First National though, for I was informed today that, inasmuch as I only had a contract for the silent production they would not furnish me with the discs. "I got Ned Depinet, First National sales manager on the phone, and told him I expected to receive the discs with "Lilac Time" and if I did not, I would not run the picture and would close my house for the seven days, entering suit for the amount of damages incurred, feeling that the disc records were just as much a part of the picture as a cue sheet, a poster or a press book." At the time of going to press the Exhibitors Daily Review was not able to reach anyone in the home office of First National for their version of the Madison booking. OPINIONS By W. R. WILKERSOX STUPID Whoever was responsible for holding the crowd of ticket holders in the lobby and on the street in front of the Rivoli Theatre Friday night until 8:50 should be packed and sent back to the carnival he evidently came from. It was the most stupid piece of theatre managment it has ever been our misfortune to witness, and the injury to the Rivoli, to United Artists, to Miss Talmadge and her very fine picture "The Woman Disputed" and to motion pictures generally, can not be reckoned. "Sound Your A" Changed Announcement was made today by Fox that the two-reel Movietone subject announced as "The Blew Danube" will be released under the title of "Sound Your A". This is an alldialogue subject by Sidney Lanfield and Ben Holmes, with Harry Lehrman directing. Luddy Directs Lake Edward Luddy has beenselected to direct Arthur Lake in his first feature length starring vehicle for Universal, "Campus Kisses", according to an announcement by president Carl Laemmle. CONFUSION It was the opening performance of the latest Norma Talmadge production and as such had special significance. Added to this, United Artists, very generously, gave the entire receipts to the New York American Christmas Fund. Picture was scheduled to start at 9 o'clock. People that had no intention of going in the theatre, were allowed to fill the lobby, hoping they might get a glimpse of a picture star or some famous personage. Whenticket holders began to arrive at 8:15 or 8:30 they could not get near the entrance. A man in uniform informed them the doors would open at 8:45. The crowd became so dense, patrons arriving in their cars could not get out in front of the theatre as the street was packed. Once the doors were open, there was a mad rush to gain admittance. When inside confusion was added by the fact that so many people arriving at the same time made it impossible for the ushers to seat them. Patrons were walking up and down the aisles trying to locate their seats. Much criticism was heard on all sides for the cheap, and very undiplomatic supposed piece of showmanship (if you care to call it showmanship — we have another word for it). * * * WHO BENEFITED? It was most evident that this "hold-out" was arranged to give the public passing the theatre the idea of a tremendous opening with a hope of enticing them to the box office. It this was the thought, and it could be the only one, it missed by a million miles, for had any one person been attracted by the mob and wanted to go in, it would have taken them all night to reach the box office, and for this reason, a lot of seats were unfilled and unsold. Added to this the fact that most everyone in attendance were pushed and mulled around to such an extent that he or she were in no frame of mind to enjoy the excellent attraction offered on the screen. The managment of any theatre should have one thought in mind at all times, PLEASE THE PUBLIC. • • • THE PICTURE "The Woman Disputed" is one of the best of Miss Talmadge's many good pictures. It was ably directed by Henry King with unusual photography by Oliver Marsh. The supporting cast was of high order.