Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Oct-Dec 1928)

22 EXHIBITORS HERALD and MOVING PICTURE WORLD October 27, 1928 Politics Takes to Sound Films And Makes 'Em Stump Speakers Movietone in Open Air Stands Them Up on Broadway with Speeches for Al Smith Starting When Evening Theatre Crowds Mass — 50,000 Hear Addresses Every Night (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Oct. 23. — Politics has taken to sound pictures, as ducks do to water and synchronized fihns are being used as stump speakers for the first time in a campaign. The increased impetus in the development of sound productions coupled with the fact of a presidential year is a combination that political managers have grasped with both hands. At the same time that sound pictures are proving of value to political parties, the move is a tremendous exploitation boost for synchronized productions. Movietone Used in Smith Campaign Movietone is standing them up these nights on Broadway in one of best political ballyhoos ever devised for a presidential campaign. On the triangular island between Forty-sixth and Forty-seventh streets and Times Square a large screen has been erected. About 50 yards distant sits a projection room on top of tall steel stilts. Banners on the tower read: "Speeches here every night on Smith and Roosevelt and the issues of the Campaign by Movietone." "Schulberg, Who's He? I Never Heard of Hun" (Special to the Hcrald-World) NEW YORK, Oct. 23.— B. P. Schulberg, associate production manager for Paramount, is in town from the West Coast. A voice over the telephone calls the Paramount offices: "Mr. Schulberg, please." "Who?" asks the Paramount operator. "Mr. B. P. Schulberg," repeats the voice. "Spell it," requests the Paramount operator. "B-F S-C-H-U-L-B-E-R-G," spells the voice. "Never heard of him," the Paramount operator comes back. The Paramount operator should read EXHIBITORS HERALD. WORLD. Then she would know who B. P. Schulberg is, and every other personage in the motion picture industry! The speeches begin when the evening theatre crowds start to jam Broadway, and continue until midnight with only short intermissions. Thousands stand massed upon the island and on the street corners. Mounted police have been put on duty to control the shifting crowds. It is estimated that as many as 50,000 hear the Movietone speeches every evening, and not even a hard downpour of rain is enough to drive the listeners away. Surprising Number of Subjects It is surprising the number of subjects that are shown. The free show and political rally begins with a short speech by Franklin D. Roosevelt, followed by Al Smith. Mrs Roosevelt, Senator Royal S. Copeland, Senator Pat Harrison, Willard Mack, the playwright, Mayor Jimmie Walker, Movietone shots of the Democratic convention in Houston, Ben Bernie and his band and many others. And when the crowds begin to grow tired, perhaps, a Movietone community singing stunt, led by Homer Rodeheaver, Billy Sunday's song leader, is flashed on the screen, Rodeheaver leads in a rousing "Sidewalks of New York." Movietone acquits itself well. The speeches can be heard distinctly for more than a block in every direction above all the thunder of traffic. Many strangs tricks of acoustics are demonstrated. The voices can be plainly heard on Forty-sixth street almost to Sixth avenue. The sounds seem to travel up the side streets better than they do in the open of Times Square. Several dead spots can be found relatively close to the screen, but on the whole the voices can be heard distinctly at a range where visibility has faded from the screen. Will Television Be Next? This is a campaign by Movietone and radio. What will the campaign of 1932 bring forth? Television, perhaps! In the next campaign will presidential candidates be chosen with a regard for their screen and voice assets? Neither Smith nor Hoover is called a good Movietone subject. The candidates of 1932 will probably of necessity have the screen and voice personalities of a Jolson. Be that as it may, the Movietone ballyhoo in Times Square is entertaining thousands nightly in this open air theatre which charges no admission. Fear Epidemic, Bar Minors (Special to the Herald-World) SALEM, IND., Oct. 23.— Fear of an epidemic of scarlet fever here has caused the local health officers to prohibit the attendance of children at local motion picture theatres. Two deaths have occurred. Warners Obtain Meighan to Make Talking Picture (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Oct. 23.— H. M. Warner president of Warner Brothers, announced yesterday that Thomas Meighan has signed a contract with his organization to star in Vitaphone talking pictures. Warner feels that he has accomplished a great stroke for Vitaphone in obtaining this outstanding screen personality for his first speaking role. Thomas Meighan adds one of the most popular screen names to the roster of Warner Brothers Vitaphone stars, who already include Al Jolson, Dolores Costello, John Barrymore, Fannie Brice, Monte Blue, Pauline Frederick, George Arliss, Sophie Tucker, Texas Guinan and others. World Wide Postpones Opening of Its Selling Season Until January (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Oct. 23.— The opening of the selling season by World Wide, has been set back to January, to allow the inclusion of several important productions not available before that date, it is announced. S eider, on Vacation Trip, Sends Cards from Paris Cards have been received from Paris from Joseph M. Seider, New Jersey exhibitor leader, vacationing in France. Seider was conspicuous for his absence from the Toronto convention, of the P T O A, for which he did valuable work in connection with the uniform and standard exhibition, contracts. C. B. Goes After $200,000 (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 23.— CecU B. De Mille, chairman of the Motion Picture executive committee of the 1929 Los Angeles Communitity Chest, has announced the objective of a collection of $200,000 from the motion picture industry. Fox Angling for Three Large Chains of Theatres; 334 Reported in Deals (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Oct. 23. — Three large strings of theatres, both inside and outside of Greater New York, for which negotiations are now being made by William Fox, will be known as the Fox Metropolitan Playhouses, Inc., according to A. C. Blumenthal. Fox theatre scout. The deal involves many more theatres than the Metropolitan string of theatres, approximately 160, understood to have been lined up by Fox, according to Blumenthal. No definite statement could be had from Blumenthal who, however, admitted that negotiations on a small scale are underway for theatres and that a statement will be made within a week. William Fox was out of town and could not be reached. Contracts for the majority of the 160 or more theatres in Greater New York are already signed and the remainder will be signed within two weeks, according to individuals who claim to have been instrumental in lining up the independent exhibitors for Fox. But this was not confirmed by Blumenthal. Blumenthal would neither deny nor verify the press reports that 334 theatres will be taken over by Fox and that negotiations are being made for the Schine and Netoco Circuits, nor could anyone in the Fox organization be found who was responsible for these reports. However, deals of large proportions afe undoubtedly underway.