Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1929)

24 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD October 5, 1929 Bait Crocodiles with Hippopotami to Qet Shots for "Trader Horn" Elephants Great Engineers, Says New York Sun Reporter, Home from Africa Ahead of M G M Company — Pygmies Interesting By DOUGLAS FOX NrEW YORK, Oct. 1. — Endless patience and more than the usual amount of perspiration have gone and are going into the filming of "Trader Horn" in the heart of the Dark Continent, the Herald-World was told today. WE were talking to John W. McClain, youthful reporter for the New York Sun, who has just returned from Africa where he spent six months with W. S. Van Dyke, M G M director, on location in the jungle, on mountains, on the banks of precipitous rivers, filming the classic story of the man who, in the old days, was known to his friends as Zambesi Jack. $1,200 a Day to Move Safari The crash of rhinoceri plowing through the scrub, the bellowing of crocodiles, the howling of hyenas, the roaring of lions and the many other sounds of animal and native life in the jungle and on the veldt are being recorded for the ears of metropolitan audiences in this first professional sound picture to be made in Africa under difficulties which seemed, for a time, insurmountable. "We went by steamer to Mombasa," McClain said "and by rail to Nairobi where all the big game hunters fit out their expeditions. Nairobi is the headquarters for most of the expeditions in the Kenya and Tanganyika countries. From Nairobi we went on safari to Murchison Falls, between Lakes Victoria and Albert, the sources of the Nile. Our 32 cars burned more than 600 gallons of gas a day. It cost us $1,200 a day to move our safari. Photographing Pygmies "Some of our most interesting experiences were with the pygmies some distance west of Murchison Falls. We got to a pygmy village and explained our peaceful intention, invited the chief of the village to summon more of his kind so we could make some pictures. A pygmy beat a drum made out of a solid block of wood. Perhaps the sound was relayed through the jungle. At all events it was not long before the little people appeared in considerable numbers. "We found out later that they talked in a definite code by means of the tomtom. We were in need of fresh vegetables. No one left the village. The drummer, or whatever they called him, just sat down to his hollow instrument and started tapping out a message. The next day we were showered with quantities of fresh vegetables. The Natives Get the Word "News of our coming preceded us wherever we went. Fairly soon we were able to converse with the natives. While all had their own dialects, all also sooke what is called Swahili — a combination of French and native dialect. "Some of our most beautiful shots were of Murchison Falls. There the river, which is fairly wide, converges to 15 feet and, with tremendous velocity, shoots over a cliff for more than 400 feet. It's a magnificent spectacle. We caught and pictured crocodiles at the base of the falls by baiting our traps with dead hippopotami. We found that the crocodiles there seldom attacked humans. They stuck to the rapids at the foot of the falls and fed on fish stunned by their 400-foot trip from top to bottom. The crocs got very fat and never gave us any trouble. Build Three-Mile Trail in Two Days "We had to build a trail from our camp three miles to the falls. We carried five cameras, reflectors, sound equipment and a lot of other material. The British Government said that it would take a small army two months to build a trail. We did it with five men in two days. We made good use of elephant trails on our way up the mountain. These animals are great engineers, chose just the right places to go, uproot trees and shove aside rocks. They are great believers in comfortable roads and are willing to work a bit to make them so. It probably isn't work for them, anyway. "Which reminds me that we got some very good elephant pictures. Van Dyke is doing pretty good work. Miss Edwina Booth is great. She's doing a remarkable job in acting without a sun helmet — something which the British declare is suicidal. Not a Case of Illness "When I left there had not been a single case of sickness in the whole safari. The doctor made us take five grains of quinine every night and that kept away the fever. In some places, though, the mosquitoes were so thick that we had to go to bed under our netting with sundown. "It is not uncommon to find beautiful roads with not a wheel mark on them. The natives, it seems, work out their taxes to the Government in roadbuilding. I've driven for 25 miles along a perfect red gravel highway without seeing the track of a single other vehicle. Which, considering the condition of the road, indicated that no traffic had used it for at least two weeks. Wireless Proves Real Help "Only yesterday I got a message from an amateur wireless operator in Clifton, New Jersey. He had been in communication with our outfit at Rhino camp, and reported that Trader Horn had just arrived and that all was well on location. By means of this wireless in the camp we were able to keep in constant touch with our base at Nairobi. "I'd like to have stayed on indefinitely, but was recalled by the Sun." McClain accompanied the M G M expedition on a six months' leave of absence from his paper. While he was in Africa he sent reports of progress to M G M headquarters in New York and wrote a weekly diary (which got there a month late) for the New York Times. 1 Oregon Exhibitors Form An Allied States Group; Elect Frank Blight Head Hanson and Steffes Address Meetings— Franchise Plan Wins New Endorsements Exhibitor endorsement was given the Allied States and Tiffany-Stahl franchise plan last week in several localities where the franchise was presented for the first time, and in addition to the success of these meetings Allied States grew to the extent of one more member when independent Oregon theatremen formed an organization at a convention in Salem, to be called the Allied Exhibitors' Association. Frank Blight of the Blight theatre, Salem, was chosen president; Walter Tebbets, Oriental, Portland, vice-president; and G. E. Jackson, Circle, Portland, secretary and treasurer. The organization will keep close watch on legislation affecting the film business, it was stated. Oscar Hanson, general sales manager of Tiffany-Stahl, and Al Steffes, director of Allied States, both of whom were present, were elected honorary members. New strength to the Allied organization was also seen in the listing as added counsel last week, the following: Harry A. Huffman and Judge Thurmon of Denver, Anthony P. Jim and Fred Herrington of Pittsburgh, Nathan Yamins and Ernest H. Horstman of Massachusetts, Steve Bauer and Henry A. Staab of Milwaukee, A. B. Momand of Shawnee, Okla., and Homer Holmgren of Salt Lake City. In Portland, Ore., Hanson told a meeting of exhibitors that in his opinion "the Tiffany-Stahl franchise alone will determine the future of the independent exhibitor. Since leaving the East," he said, "Mr. Steffes and I have addressed meeting in the Middle West and West, and nowhere have we encountered anything but enthusiastic expressions regarding the franchise." He and Steffes left Portland for San Francisco and Los Angeles meetings. The franchise was also endorsed last week by the board of the Southeastern Theatre Owners' Association, meeting in Atlanta. The endorsement resolution was introduced by Roy. E. Martin. Directors attending were George E. Ricker, president and chairman; O. C. Lam, vice-president; Love B. Harrell, secretary and treasurer; Walter J. Brackin and E. F. Boyd. Tiffany-Stahl's Canadian organization held a meeting for the explanation of the franchise in Montreal last week, under the direction of Carl J. Goe, assistant general sales manager, and Phil Hazza, general sales manager for Canada. Extradition Barred by France in Theft Case (Special to the Herald-World) NEW BEDFORD, MASS., Oct. 1.— Victor Murgler, who is wanted here in the theft of $32,000 in a theatre deal, is still at large in Paris. Local police have returned from France without him. Murgler opposed extradition and a delay of at least three months in hearing the cases in the French courts resulted in the return of the New Bedford authorities. Whether they will again go to Paris for him is a matter of doubt, police say. Start New Fast Trains From Chicago to N. Y. Two railroad companies, the New York Central and Pennsylvania Lines, started new fast trains between Chicago and New York September 29. The new trains pulled out of their terminals at 2 p. m. and at the same time in New York their sister trains departed for the West. Fox Acquires 64 Midland Theatres in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa in $4,000,000 Deal (Special to the Herald-World) KANSAS CITY, Oct. 1. — The transferring of the Midland Theatre and Realty Company in Missouri, Kansas and Iowa to Fox West Coast Theatres, Inc., was announced here this week in a $4,000,000 theatre deal. The deal involved 64 theatres, eight of which are neighborhood theatres in Kansas City.