Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Apr-Jun 1930)

June 7, 1930 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 53 Prosperity Is Fast Returning, Grainger Tells Sales Force Attending Fox’s Sales Convention In Movietone City FROM NEW YORK Harley L. Clarke John F. Coneybear J. R. Grainger Clarence A. Hill Courtland Smith Joe Lee Clayton P. Sheehan Irving Maas Jack Sichelman Carl Neilson E. C. Grainger Edward Schnitzel William J. Kupper Glendon Allvine John Nolan I. Lincer Max Roth Maurice Ahern Patrick J. Flaherty Lee Balsley A1 Lewis Arthur Dickson Harry H. Buxbaum Roger Ferri FROM TERRITORIES Joseph J. Johnson Joseph Hanna London Pittsburgh Walter Hutchinson Clyde W. Eckhardt London Chicago Harry F. Campbell Harold Loeb Boston Chicago Harry J. Bailey Louis Dreher Montreal Chicago W. C. Bauchmeyer W. C. Bachmeyer Cincinnati Cincinnati Sam Berg Lester Sturm Boston Detroit James Dermody A. Knapp Albany Detroit John Dillon B. L. Dudenhefer Washington New Orleans Herndon Edmond J. H. Huber Washington Winnipeg George W. Fuller George Landis Atlanta Indianapolis John W. Fuller M. A. Levy Charlotte Minneapolis F. J. Harley Harry Melcher Athens, Greece Milwaukee Thomas Jennings Jack Lavin Boston Chicago Edgar Moss Tom Young Philadelphia Memphis F. J. Kelly W. E. Scott Philadelphia Kansas City R. G. March R. A. Higdon St. John Kansas City J. P. O’Loghlin Clarence R. Blubaugh Toronto Omaha Sydney Samson H. Gottlieb Buffalo Des Moines J. P. Ryan C. E. Hilger Havana, Cuba Dallas Ben Simon Stanley Mayer New Haven Des Moines I J. Schmertz W. A. Ryan Cleveland Oklahoma City Ira H. Cohen H. Reigelman Pittsburgh Des Moines David Davidson R. J. Morrison Cleveland Denver Sam Wheeler Ben Dare Pittsburgh Denver Cites 90 Per Cent Gain in Fox Business Recorded in Quarter New Department Devoted to Foreign Versions — Company Going in Strong for Outdoor Pictures By DOUGLAS HODGES HOLLYWOOD, June 4. — Prosperity is fast returning and by midsummer conditions will be back to what they were before the stock market crash, said James R. Grainger, general sales manager of Fox Film Corporation, in an address before the convention last week at the Ambassador hotel. Backing up his statements with totals of gains in revenue, Grainger declared that despite the disturbing factors of the period, in the first three months of this year “our business showed a 90 per cent increase over the past three months.” Grainger announced that the sales department of Fox will be increased during the year, permitting a number of promotions of ace salesmen to managerships and the promotion of an equal number of managers to executive positions in the New York office. Sol M. Wurtzel, superintendent of productions, announced a new department at the studio which will be devoted exclusively to the production of foreign versions of trice Lillie, one for Ted Healy, one for John McCormack, one for Michael Bartlett, four for Edmund Lowe, three for Milton Sills, three for J. Harold Murray and three for Lois Moran, four for Victor McLaglen, two for George O’Brien, and three for Marjorie White. The list of productions includes “On Your Back,” “The Spider,” “Women of All Nations,” “This Modern World,” “Girls Demand Excitement,” “The Big Trail,” “Com SAID GRAINGER TO FOX SALES CONVENTION: “Our business showed a 90 per cent increase over the past three months” and conditions will be back to normal by midsummer, with prosperity making a rapid comeback. features. He said that the first foreign version done entirely in Spanish has been made of “One Mad Kiss,” the Fox Movietone which introduces to the screen Don Jose Mojica, grand opera star. Probably one of the most interesting announcements of the week was Grainger’s statement regarding outdoor pictures. Fox is apparently going in for them in a big way. “Westerns of the old style,” said Grainger, “passed out with the dawn of talking pictures. Fox Film pioneered in an entirely new type of outdoor romance with ‘In Old Arizona.’ It had action, romance, a robust entertaining story, excellent players and picture scenic backgrounds. The public loved it. “Since then we have made ‘Romance of the Rio Grande,’ ‘Lone Star Ranger,’ and ‘The Arizona Kid.’ All are stirring outdoor romances. The old Western largely appealed to the juvenile kind but this class of production finds a great following among adults and children alike. So Mr. Sheehan has created the outdoor romance department which will make this type of picture exclusively.” Sheehan Names Productions Winfield Sheehan, vice president and general manager, made public the list of 48 feature length productions which the corporation intends to produce during the coming year. The list includes two for Will Rogers, four for Janet Gaynor with a different leading man in each one, five for Charles Farrell, one of which includes a co-starring feature with Miss Gaynor, six for El Brendel, four for Warner Baxter, one for Bea mon Clay,” “The Cisco Kid,” “Renegades,” “The Painted Woman,” “Are You There,” “Just Imagine,” “The Man Who Came Back,” “Sez You Sez Me,” “On the Make,” “A Connecticut Yankee,” “See America First,” “Luxury,” “Scotland Yard,” “Son o’ My Heart,” “Network,” “Blondie,” “Up the River,” “Going Nowhere,” “Follies of 1931,” “Soup to Nuts,” “The Play Called Life,” “Alone with You,” “One Night in Paris,” “Barcelona,” “Living for Love,” “Hot Numbers,” “The Heart Breaker,” “The Sea Wolf,” “She Wears the Pants,” “The Princess and the Plumber,” “Woman Control,” “Her Kind of Man,” “The Red Sky,” “Oh for a Man,” “Devil with Women,” “Young Sinners,” “She’s My Girl,” “Men on Call,” “Wyoming Wonder,” “No Favors Asked,” “Last of the Duanes” and “Fair Warning.” Newspapers Best Story Sources Sheehan revealed that the front pages of the newspapers of the world are the best source of story material for motion pictures. Sheehan, a newspaper man himself before joining Fox, which has shown a 400 per cent increase in business in the five years that he has been in charge of production, told of a system in use at the Fox studios. “A daily digest is made of interesting and; novel news items from the newspapers of the world,” it was stated. “This digest is: printed and copies are supplied to all writers, executives and directors. Often a careful reading of these excerpts will suggest a story idea to someone. The idea is discussed, and if it can be worked out logically it forms the basis for a popular film story.”