Exhibitors Herald (1927)

EXHIBITORS HERALD 13 July 30, 1927 Equity Drops “Closed Shop”; Adopts Cooperation Program Producers to Offer Economy Plan Thursday (Special to the Herald) HOLLYWOOD, July 26.— The producers’ comprehensive plan to reduce costs of production will be announced at a dinner to be given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Thursday night. The producers are now busy considering the suggestions of directors, writers, actors and technicians, made at five meetings the past two weeks. Douglas Fairbanks will preside at the dinner. Last Monday night the producers met the actors at the Biltmore hotel. The greatest need is closer cooperation among all divisions, with intelligent system, the actors held. Conrad Nagel, as chairman of the actors division of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, proposed several innovations. He urged study, of the story before shooting begins, that rehearsals be held, at least once in costume with the entire cast assembled. Among the players who attended the ses* sion were Richard Barthelmess, Wallace Beery, William Boyd, Lionel Belmore, Ron* aid Colman, Chester Conklin, Lew Cody, Hallam Cooley, Louise Dresser, Robert Ede* son, Louize Fazenda, Douglas Fairbanks, George Fawcett, Raymond Hatton, Edmund Lowe, Leatrice Joy, Lois Moran, May McAvoy, Mack Swain, Blanche Sweet and Lois Wilson. Joseph M. Schenck and Samuel Coldwyn were chairmen. Other producers present were Cecil B. DeMille, Sol Wurtzel, James R. Grainger, Wntteron R. Rothacker, Edwin King, Louis B. Mayer, E. B. Allen, Henry Henigson and Fred W. Beetson. The producers’ committee met the technicians on Tuesday night and the latter advocated abolition of the old Kleig lights and substitution of incandescent lighting, and greater use of supersensitized film. Wilfred Buckland, art director of the DeMille Studios, read a statement on cooperation. Hibernians Object to Picture Against” Irish ( special to the Herald ) TROY, July 26. — The Ancient Order of Hibernians in Rensselaer county, N. -Y., is up in arms over the showing of a certain picture in Troy, recently, that is said to l^ve created an unfavorable opinion relative to the Irish race. A protest was lodged last week at a county meeting of the organization and later it was decided to present the protest to the national convention in Buffalo. Roberts Represents Pathe in Europe Now ( special to the Herald) NEW YORK, July 26. — Charles Roberts, who has been in charge of the foreign publicity for Pathe Exchange, Inc., for several years, has been appointed Central European sales representative for the firm and sailed from New York July 16. The territory to be covered by Roberts includes Austria, Hungary, Czecho Slovakia, Poland and Switzerland. Producers Propose Plan To Cut Cost At Studios Hodkinson Charges **Only Pressure of Economic and Legal Necessity” Will Alter Executives* Policies Equity has decided to drop the “closed shop” plan as far as the studios are concerned. This decision was reached at a meeting of the Equity Association at the Writers’ Club in Hollywood last Tuesday night, with 800 in attendance, including actors, actresses and others. This action was one of the three importailt developments of the past week in the economy movement in the industry, with which the Equity decision is closely linked. Other developments were : A comprehensive plan for reduction of production costs is being worked out by the producers following a series of meetings and will be announced Thursday. W. W. Hodkinson, formerly a power in the industry and the organizer of Paramount, declared that “only the pressure of economic and legal necessity” will make the present leaders of the industry “cooperate toward any useful end.” Conrad Nagel, chairman, issued the the Equity session. Nagel stated the producers have extended the hand of friendship to the actor and all other workers and are bending every effort to eliminate differences. The proposed cut in salaries has been revoked for the present, Nagel pointed out, thus removing the incentive for actors and actresses to join the Equity. He added that the executive committee, composed of forty actors and actresses, had decided against radical action. Milton Sills, also a founder of the Equity, was another speaker. It was apparent from the opening of the meeting that sentiment was against the “closed shop.” “We are faced with a definite situation,” said Nagel. “We can advance to a crisis which would probably split the industry wide open and boomerang against us as much as the producers, or we can take the hand of friendship in the spirit that it is extended and seek to iron out these abuses about the conference table. In case we advance to this crisis, we must meet opposition from our own people in our own camp.” Hodkinson Attacks Industry Executives (Special to the Herald) NEW YORK, July 26.— ‘After twenty years of experience with the type of men who sit in the high places in the industry I am convinced that only the pressure of economic and legal necessity will make them cooperate toward any useful end,” W. W. Hodkinson declared in a statement here last week. He declared the industry needs a “complete new business structure,” charging that "present mass production and especially distribution are obsolete.” “Bring the movie admission prices back to normalcy, eliminate block booking, and the picture business will again enjoy prosperity,” Hodkinson predicted. warning against a closed shop” at Mr. Sills read a resolution providing that the “Equity shop policy” be held in abeyance and its adoption by acclamation was almost unanimous. Frank Gilmore, executive secretary of the Actors Equity, urged the members to follow the advice of the executive committee. He asked that the committee demand of the producers a standard form of contract and said that such a contract should be framed by Actors Equity. The members thereupon voted to demand such a contract from the producers. The details of the contract were not discussed, although it is known that such a contract will provide for a maximum number of hours which an actor can be forced to work and also insure him proper rest periods. Eire Ruins Interior of Apollo Theatre (Special to the Herald) HOLLYWOOD, July 26.— Fire early Monday morning, July 18, destroyed the interior of the Apollo theatre, the house owned and operated by Hollywood Theatres, Inc., at 5546 Hollywood Boulevard. Firemen had difficulty in keeping the blaze from spreading to adjoining buildings. The damage was estimated at $10,000. Origin of the fire is unknown. 0*Brienf Kramer Join Gotham Publicity Crew ( Special to the Herald) NEW YORK, July 26.— Richard B. O’Brien, who has left the Paramount publicity department, has joined the Gotham publicity staff under the direction of Lon Young. Lou Kramer has been appointed to handle studio publicity on the West Coast. Maepherson Recovers (Special to the* Herald) HOLLYWOOD, July 26.— Jeanie Maepherson, scenarist for “The King of Kings,” has returned to the Pathe-De Mille studio after a nervous breakdown.