Exhibitors Herald (1927)

EXHIBITORS HERALD 11 July 30, 1927 ' Leading Theatres Booking Comedy Films in Summer Two Fires Sweep ' De Mi lie Studi os; $150, 000 Dam age (Special to the Herald) HOLLYWOOD, July 26.— Two spectacular fires, occurring within a few hours ! of each other, swept the DeMille Studios, Culver City, last Monday night, causing loss estimated ibetween $150,000 and $200,000. The first fire, which broke out about 9 o’clock, consumed a shipwreck set being used for scenes of “The Wreck of the Hesperus.’’ The estimated loss was $20,000. About 11:30, flames broke out afresh and extended to several of the large stages, wardrobe rooms and sets. In addition, a [ large amount of stage equipment and electrical supplies were consumed. One large stage, which was not being used at this time, was destroyed and three others damaged. Firemen from Los Angeles assisted the Culver City forces to keep the blaze away from an arsenal where 600 pounds of explosives were stored. The administration building, 200 yards from the building destroyed, was not damaged. The administration building, which is old Colonial in style, was erected by the late Thomas LI. Ince, and is a landmark in the motion-picture world. The work of rebuilding the sets, stages and buildings destroyed was started at once. Sam Goldwyn lost many hundreds of dollars’ worth of costumes for his forthcoming Gilda Gray production, and the Goldwyn offices were slightly damaged. Production will not be delayed, it is announced, on either the Goldwyn picture or any DeMille product. Son of Blank Chain Head Escapes Vienna Riots on Last Train Cable Does Not Say Whether Father Was Along (Special to the Herald) DES MOINES, July 26. — Raymond Blank, son of A. H. Blank, head of the Blank theatre chain, narrowly escaped the destructive Socialistic riots in Vienna last week, according to his cable to the Register. Although he is touring Europe with his father, he did not say whether the latter was with him at the time. “I caught the last express passenger train leaving Vienna,” he cabled, “and as the Lirnited gathered speed on its way to Switzerland, tracks were torn up and destroyed behind us.” Young Blank pictured Vienna during the first riot as “a city of terrifying night, with the thousands of electric lights darkened as mobs battle recognized authority for control of the famous metropolis.” Connelly of Colonial Drowns at Bay Beach ( Special to the Herald ) GREEN BAY, WIS., July 26.— Earl E. Connelly, manager of the Colonial theatre of Green Bay, was drowned recently at Bay Beach. Public Wants Humorous Element in Dramas Too Preponderance of Comedies in Programs in All Territories Shown by ** Herald” Survey By ERNEST A. ROVELSTAD Comedy rules the screen this summer. That is the nation-wide verdict of the box office as interpreted by the bookings into theatres in all parts of the United States and Canada. That means also that the comedy has the upper hand in the preference of the public at present. Determined to show all branches of the industry what the picture-going public desires in its entertainment, the Herald went to its correspondents covering every section of the continent to gather data on bookings into leading theatres for the current six weeks period, including the present week and others immediately preceding and succeeding it. Correspondents were asked to list the long features of the period, the kind of production, the producer-distributor and the name of the theatres. The tabulation speaks for itself. That comedies are decidedly in the ascendancy is evident throughout, with far more comedies shown than drama, Westerns or any other classification of subjects. Three outstanding revelations from the survey are these ; Comedies lead all other types of productions in total number of bookings. The majority of comedies booked is not affected in any marked degree by the territory. Comedy stands out as an essential of most productions that are not ‘"‘straight comedies;” in other words, the comedy element is ivanted even if the production is a dranm. Western or of any other classification. Illuminating as indicative of the trend of the public’s wants, and of the producers’ application of supply to demand, is the comment of Alex Sayles, manager of the Leland theatre in Albany, N. Y. Sayles, a former city editor of an Albany newspaper, who from his newspaper training is particularly fitted to sense audience likes and dislikes, states the case completely and succinctly with these words, “The audience today wants comedies.” The public does not want “the heavy stufif of the past,” Sayles declares, adding; “In other words they want to enjoy a laugh.” Sayles shows that he has solved the greatest problem of the exhibitor — learning the public likings — by the following observations : “My audiences, at least, do not desire as much in the way of sex pictures as in the past. These seem to have had their day. “We get our biggest crowds from a comedy-drama, but it must be understood that the comedy is clean-cut and not of the slapstick ordinary variety that we sometimes encounter, apparently with the idea of making a tworeel picture into a six-rceler and by so doing spoil the whole business.” Dowling for Comedies Another interesting theory is presented by H. Bluechel, owner and manager of the Dundee theatre, suburban Omaha house, which caters to high-class neighborhood trade, to the business men and their families. Manager Bluechel suggests that demand swings on a pendulum. “The demand for pictures seems to run in cycles,” he finds. “Just now it is comedy, but I believe we are just about at the turning point. It has been comedy for some time, but I am signing up drama for this fall.” Bluechel declared he was not speaking from the standpoint of his own preferences but from the box office verdict, and he has no stage shows — only an organ (a good one, the correspondent adds) — so that his pictures must stand or fall on their own merits. Pat Dowling, sales and publicity manager of the Christie Film Company,