Exhibitors Herald (1927)

August 13, 1927 EXHIBITORS HERALD 9 Smiling Through ” Rufus McCosh ONE evening about 6 o’clock I’m sittin’ in my office in the Plummer building on Hollywood boulevard, waitin’ for a party who said they would be in to see me at 5 o’clock sharp, when the phone rings. “Hello,” I says. “Benjamin Price Publicity and Exploitation?” asks a female lady’s voice. “You guessed it, sweetheart — that’s us,” I says. “Put Mr. Price on the phone, boy,” she says, “Mr. Cullen of Chamber of Commerce wishes to speak to him.” “Mr. Price speakin’,” I says. “Oh excuse me, Mr. Price,” she says, “you talks so much younger than you looks.” “So’s your old grandchildren,” I says. She ain’t kiddin’ me none. “Hello, Benny,” says Jim Cullen, “Have you still got Gloria Grayson on your list?” “Sure,” I says. “What’s chances of havin’ her meet the vice-president of Portuka, South America, at the Santa Fe depot at 9 o’clock tomorrow morning? We just got a wire about it, and the secretary’s out’a town, so I’m fixin’ a reception. You know, ‘Big South American official welcomed to California by South American beauty, now movie queen of Hollywood’ — pictures and the et cetera. Gloria’s from South America, ain’t she?” “Sure,” I says, “Mobile, Ala. You ain’t give me much notice but I’ll see what I can do. She may be at home now. I’ll call you right back.” I got Gloria Grayson on my list all right. Met her at a party one night about two months ago and she agreed to let me be her personal press agent. She ain’t never paid me yet but it don’t hurt me none to have it known that I’m Gloria Grayson’s press agent, so I don’t push her for money. A thousand bucks a week that girl gets but she’s always broke. No foolin’ — she must use money for kindling. I calls up and she’d just come in. “Nine o’clock?” she says, after I’d told her. “Well, I can make it if you can, Benny. Be here at 8 and I’ll drive you down.” “O. K.,” I says and phones Jim Cullen we’ll be there. We gets there in time next mornin’ and the sun is shinin’ and as usual there is a lot of people to meet the train, which makes a great hit with the vice-president who thinks they’re there to meet him. And when Gloria gets excited at seein’ someone from dear old Portuka and kisses him right on his whiskers and the crowd cheers, he sure takes it big, and don’t object none when the cameramen calls for an encore. The fact that Gloria don’t speak! his language don’t worry him any more’n it does the rest of us. He must’a grew about two inches, makin’ 5 feet 3 in all, and I bet he goes home and, chases the president right out’a the country. As we’re drivin’ back to Hollywood from L. A., I decides it’s a good time to strike Gloria for a check. “Great stuff, honey,” I says. “Them pictures will show up fine. And wait till you see the writeups you’ll get. I worked hard to get that publicity for you,” I says. “Several others was crazy to do it.” “Yeh?” she says. ‘Tl'l bet Mary Pickford and Norma Talmadge was on their knees to you.” “No foolin’,” I says, “this’ll do you a lotta good. Lissen, darling, could you let me have a check for the $200 you owes me. I gotta pay a lot of bills this week.” (Continued on page 12) Slow Return on Investment Ends Era of Super Pictures Universal May Wait Several Years for Profit from “Uncle Tom”; “Patent Leather Kid” Is Only Million Dollar Film on Schedule of First National (Special to the Herald) HOLLYWOOD, August 9. — ^Wall Street, which was heralded as a dominant figure in the recent wage scare, will play a prominent role in future picture making, according to the inside talk which one hears around the studios. Financial Interests Now Bearing Down, It Is Said The hand of the financial interests is already in evidence in the studios, say those in the know. It is gripping the money bags from which come appropriations and this, according to the Herald’s informants, is spelling the doom of the million dollar attraction. It is believed that the producer who has an epic up his sleeve will have to talk long and fast to get the wherewithal to make his super special in the future unless he can convince these interests of ample returns on the investment. Paramount was the first to put the ban on big features. It is said that too much was expended on “Wings,” “The Wedding March,” “The Rough Riders” and “Old Ironsides” to warrant going in for more of like nature. Many millions of dollars went into these and several other pictures. “Wings” has not been released, and through an agreement with another company it is said that still another aviation picture is being held up.^ P'irst National has but one million dollar picture on its 1927-28 season's list, “The Patent Leather Kid.” Fox Has Two High Ones Two of Fox’s big specials, “What Price Glory” and “7th Heaven,” undoubtedly will net that company a nice profit. The F. W. Murnau picture, “Sunrise,” has not as yet been released. While “7th Heaven” did not cost a million, by reason of the simplicity of the story and not having expensive stars in the leading roles, the other two are expensive pictures. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has but one picture in production at present — “The Trail of ’98” — that runs into big figures. This is an epic of the gold rush of 1898 and besides employing about 40 principals required locations in Alaska and other points far distant from the studios at Culver City. Universal Deep in “Cabin” “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” Universal’s picturization of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel, has cost a million or more and has taken about two years to produce. Accidents, sickness, poor weather and other circumstances held up production U to Repeat Title And Cast at Finish (Special to the Herald) NEW YORK, Aug. 9.— Universal will begin this fall to add a trailer to each picture repeating the title and the cast of characters, according to an announcement here. By the innovation it is hoped to refresh the memories of patrons who at the finish of the picture have forgotten these points. In the meantime stickers will be pasted on all cans asking projectionists not to stop running the film until the trailer has been shown. and the costs mounted daily wherever the troupe went. When the company returned to the studio greater progress was made and the final scenes have just been shot. It is doubtful if Universal will get back the expenditure before several years. Many thousands of dollars were spent on “The King of Kings” by De Mille, and while it is too early to predict its ultimate grossage it will take many theatre bookings to get back the original cost. No super productions are on this season’s schedule of De Mille-Pathe. Wall street has figured that on a picture costing a million, the stars and directors get $250,000. The movement to develop new talent (at smaller salaries) is therefore going forward to meet the wishes of New York bankers. — R. M. Lent Visits Canada to Abide by U,S. Quota Law (Special to the Herald) HOLLYWOOD, Aug. 9.— Paul Leni, one of Universal’s foreign directors, who is here on a visitor’s quota permit from Germany, had to re-enter the country from V ancouver, Canada. He is scheduled to direct “The Man Who Laughs,” starting August 15. Rush Construction of U~A*s Property House (Special to the H era-id) HOLLYWOOD, Aug. 9.— Construction of a new property and storage building at the United Artists studios on Santa Monica boulevard is being rushed. The structure will be two stories high, and will house the office of Sam Hill, superintendent of studios. Kelsey, Vet, to Play in Role in **The Gorilla^* (Special io the Herald) HOLLYWOOD, Aug. 9.— Fred Kelsey, veteran motion picture actor and director, has been assigned the role of Mulligan in “The Gorilla,” which A1 Cohn adapted to the screen for Edward Small. Brent Returns Home (Special to the Herald) HOLLYWOOD, Aug. 9.— Evelyn Brent returned from a location trip to the desert last week. She is featured in “Beau Sabreur,” Paramount film.