Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1924-Mar 1925)

38 EXHIBITORS HERALD February 14, 1925 F. B. O. Holds Convention and Gives a Dinner-Dance Wampas Frolic at Ambassador Cinema Event of the Year — Samuel Bischoff Erecting Permanent Village at California Studios By HARRY HAMMOND BEALL Hollywood, February 3. — Production and sales executives of the F. B. O. held a three-day convention last week in Los Angeles. A feature of the sessions was a dinner dance in the Cocoanut Grove ballroom of Hotel Ambassador attended by the executives, stars and directors. Among those who attended the convention were: Harry M. Berman, general sales manager, who came from New York for the meeting; J. I. Schnitzer, vice-president ; A. A. Schmidt, district manager ; B. P. Fineman, studio manager, and A. A. Hunt, of Seattle, Harry Cohen, of Los Angeles; Sid Goldman, of San Francisco; Sid Weisbaum, of Denver, Abel Davis, of Salt Lake City, and William Mathews, of Portland, branch managers. W-A-M-P-A-S is the combination of letters that is being broadcast all over California this week in anticipation of the 1925 Wampas Frolic and Ball to be held next Thursday night, February 5, at the Ambassador Hotel Arena. It has always been the most socially brilliant cinema event of the year, and filmdom is agog with preparatory thrills, for the film colony will be there en masse if past performances are to be taken as any criterion. Every screen press agent is working to put over the Ball. Ray H. Leek is directorgeneral and Norman Manning, general manager. Pete Smith is chairman of the finance committee. The publicity is in charge of George Tandy. Outdoor advertising is being handled by Jeff Lazarus, of Paramount theatres; exploitation by Roy Miller; ticket sales by Si Snyder; invitations by Joe Jackson, and Ike St. Johns, and the floor committee is headed by Marcus Larkin. Entertainment is up to E. O. Van Pelt. It will be an elaborate program of seventeen acts composed of headliners from the screen and stage worlds and destined to make it a memorable show’. In addition to this entertainment, there will be the presentation of the Baby Stars and also the in Even the big chief had to buy. Violet Avon, Wampas Baby Star of 1925, met Carl Laemmle, president of Universal, at the station on his arrival on the Coast and Uncle Carl had to dig into his pocket and buy a box for the Wampas Frolic to be held on February 5. troduction to the public of all the celebrities of filmland who will be present at the Ball. Fred Beetson, of the Hays organization, is chairman of the Committee on Public Relations. Tony Martin is handling the printing. The list of box holders reads like a blue book of society, stage and screen. * * * A $500,000 expansion program which includes erection of a new stage and the building of a permanent village was announced this week by Samuel Bischoff, president and general manager of the California Studios in Hollywood Work on the new stage is under way under the supervision of Jack Mintz, studio manager. The construction of a country town as a “close in location” for picture companies will start this week. ♦ * ♦ The Sixty Club of Hollywood, patterned after the Sixty Club of New York and the Embassy Club of London, was organized this week with the election of officers. The club is preparing to erect a home at McCadden and Hollywood boulevard, with four large ballrooms, and dining rooms, lounges and other conveniences. The officers and directors include president, Frank Elliott; secretary-treasurer, Charles Furthman; managing director, A. E. Brandstatter ; directors, Charles Chaplin, Norman Kerry, Sidney Chaplin, Charles Kenyon, Jack Gilbert, Ward Crane, Jesse Hampton, Victor Fleming, John Considine, Jr., Clarence Brown, Monte Brice, Harry Edwards, Frank Elliott, Arthur J. Klein, How’ard Hawks, Jack Conway, Ray Griffith, Robert London, Jack Warner, Lew Cody, Maurice Elvy, l^mett Flynn, Jack Ford, Monta Bell and Charles Furthman. * * * The injunction suit of Charles Chaplin against Charles Amador, who styles himself Charles Aplin, to restrain the latter from using the make-up of the former for stage and screen purposes, is set for hearing on February 10 in the Superior court in Los Angeles. Chaplin alleges in his application for the injunction that the attire he wore in many of his best-known pictures is “peculiar and individual to himself,” and the costume and “droll grimaces of simulated seriousness and surprise” constitute his good will and vogue, and that he was the first to adopt them on either stage or screen. Film showings of both actors will be made in court, and both may appear in the disputed make-up. m * m Al Hoxie, Jack Hoxie’s younger brother, is the first of a string of western stars Morris R. Schlank, of Anchor Film dis Claire Windsor “plugging” for the Wampas Frolic Ball; and using Bert Lytell as the substantial support. As it appears she has plugged him in the heart — but she really has a right to. tributors, has signed for several series of thrilling outdoor pictures. * * * H. M. Herbel, well known Eastern film man, is appointed general sales manager of Century Film Corporation, according to an announcement by Julius Stern, president Mr. Herbel at present is touring Canada in the interests of Century comedies, but expects to visit the company’s studios on the Pacific Coast next month. * if * Under a new contract with William Fox in effect this week, Alma Rubens will be featured in special productions on a fiveyear schedule with a certain number of weeks out of each year for recreation or free-lance work with other companies. Her first starring vehicle with Fox has not yet been announced. Miss Rubens lately completed the leading feminine role of Paula in John M. Stahl’s feature for First National release, “Fashions for Men,’ a picturization of Molnars famous play. * * * Wyndham Standing, who returned recently to Hollywood from picture-making in New York and abroad, is signed for a Universal special. Standing was chosen by William Seiter, the director, to be featured with Laura La Plante, who will play the title role in “The Teaser,” to be made from the well known stage play. * * With the granting of a divorce decree in the Paris courts to Mrs. Araminta Durfee Arbuckle, wife of Roscoe (Fatty) Arbuckle, the latter is quoted as stating that it opens the way for his wedding with Doris Deane, the formal announcement of which will be made very soon. * * * After seven years of directing comedies. Ale Goulding, who has signed a long term contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, is to fulfill his desire to make feature-length dramas. His first picture will be “The Girl’s Rebellion,” from the Rupert Hughes story. With the addition of Goulding, the directorial list of M-G-M at the Culver City studios now includes Reginald Barker, Monta Bell, Frank Borzage, Tod Browning, Hobart Henley, Rex Ingram, Marshall Neilan, Fred Niblo, Victor Seastrom, Victor Schertzinger, John M. Stahl, King Vidor, Josef von Sternberg and Erich von Stroheim. i