Exhibitors Herald World (Jan-Mar 1929)

38 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD March 9, 1929 tures. The 'talkies' can't convey the personality of the actors, nor subtleties of characterization. They will fall of their own weight, and the stage will regain the financial support of those who have gone to movies because there was nowhere else to go." Which represents another interesting opinion at a time when comments on the new pictures are as divergent as the interests of the individuals making the comments. Two thousand Postal Telegraph offices are helping to exploit Colleen Moore's "Lilac Time" by arrangement with Walter Lindlar of First National. All the offices in New York tre carrying a "Lilac Time" window card, and offices in other cities will follow suit as the picture plays there. Here is the Fifth avenue and 46th street side of the Postal corner in New York with a card in each window. Audiens Benefit Speaking Stage, Says Head of Repertory Shows (Special to the Herald-World) NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 26.— The "legit" speaking stage is on the eve of one of the brightest epochs in all its centuries-long history, thanks to its supposedlydeadly enemy, the talking pictures. This double-edged tribute to audiens voiced by Edward Ewald, head of his own repertory company at the St. Charles theatre, doesn't mean exactly what it seems to mean. It doesn't mean, for example, that Ewald believes the talkies are contributing anything to a great art. Quite the contrary. The audiens are aiding the legitimate stage, he believes, because they are supplanting the silent pictures. Says Films Never Hurt Stage Ewald, a passionate believer in the artistic traditions of the spoken drama, had been asked about the oft-made claim that the talking pictures are to take the place of both the spoken stage and the silent pictures. With the quick response of a man whose greatest enthusiasm has been touched off, he made a gesture of disdain and said "bosh !" "The talkies," he said, "can never replace the spoken stage, any more than the movies could replace it, nor displace it in the affections of real lovers of the drama. "The 'movie fans' may not have realized it, but the movies have never hurt the art of the spoken stage. Speaking purely in a financial sense, they have taken support from the spoken stage, and lured many good actors to their own ruin. But they have never touched the real art of the theatre. They have touched only the pocket-book of the theatre. Supplanting Silent Pictures "Now come the talkies, and we hear the claim that they will drive the legitimate theatre out of business. That's perfect nonsense. "The talkies have shown already what effect they are having. They are supplanting the silent pictures. They had a field to themselves so long as they remained silent. Then they were a photographic art — not an art of the theatre. "The talkies are showing the movie-goers the importance of lines and the spoken voice in any play, and now the movie-goers won't return to the silent films. In their place are the 'talkies,' no longer a photographic art alone but an attempt at the art of the theatre. Says Stage Will Benefit "The talkies won't satisfy the public, not even the public which attended the silent pic Ohio Movie-Phone Rights Placed; Gusdanovic Buys Pacent for Two Houses (Special to the Herald-World) CLEVELAND, March 5.— Edward Casanave has obtained the sales rights in Ohio for the Movie-Phone sound-on-film device. He has opened offices at 419 Film Building. He also is handling a non-synchronized device with 50 sound effect records, and equipped with three turn tables. Pacent reproducing devices have been purchased by Paul Gusdanovic, Cleveland, for the Regent and LaSalle theatres. Direction By Remote Control Near: DeMille (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, March 5. — The audiens have created the necessity of directing by remote control, says Cecil B. DeMille, making "Dynamite" for M G M. Yesterday the directors did their stuff close to the cameras but today they sit in a glass booth 30 feet above the stage and transmit their instructions by a loud-speaker. Now scenes are photographed in Hollywood and synchronized via telephone wires in New York. Grace LaRue and Nugent Signed for Vitaphone Shorts (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, March 5.— Vitaphone continues to set a fast pace in the signing of acts and sketches for its short product. J. C. Nugent, Broadway star, will appear in his own sketch, on which Bryan Foy, in charge of short talking picture direction, now is at work. Grace LaRue, musical comedy star, will sing some original songs written for her, in another act. Whiting and Burt, vaudeville team, have just completed a playlet in which they sing several songs written by George Whiting. Isa Kremer, dramatic contralto, renders folk songs and ballads in twelve languages in a number she has just finished. LeBaron Announces RCA Construction Program For Audien Production (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, March 5.— Bringing the total expenditure to $500,000 another quarter of a million dollars has been appropriated for the construction program in progress at the RKO Studios in Hollywood, it was announced today by William LeBaron, vice-president in charge of production of Radio Pictures. Included in the new structures to rise at the studio are new buildings for the recently created music department as well as for the wardrobe and property units. Constituting an innovation within the confines of a motion picture studio, the music building will be devoted to orchestral and composing activities incident to synchronizing forthcoming Radio Pictures. The schedule calls for a complete music library, audition rooms and a full-sized rehearsal hall which will be used to drill the chorus and ensemble numbers in such productions as "Rio Rita" and "Hit the Deck," which RKO will make as all sound and dialogue Radio Pictures. The complete building program will make the RKO Studios one of the largest and most modern in the West. Existing stages are already sound-proofed and new sound stages are to be built. The RCA Photophone system of talking pictures apparatus has been installed in the sound stages. Projection rooms, especially adapted for sound reproduction are among the new units to be constructed. Tobis Apparatus Will Interchange with All American Sound Machines (Special to the Herald-World) BERLIN, March 5.— Tonbild Syndicat states that it is possible to show on Tobis apparatus all sound films of normal 35mm width bearing the sound track inside the sprocket holes. In the same way Tobis reels as corresponding with the above mentioned measures can be shown on apparatus of foreign origin such as Movietone, Photophone, Phonofilm, Cinephone and etc. Paramount Signs King (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, March 5.— Claude King, wellknown actor of the London and Broadway stage, has been signed for an important role in Paramount's "The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu." The cast also includes Warner Oland, Jean Arthur, William Austin and is being directed by Rowland V. Lee.