Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1930)

October 4, 1930 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 23 CHIC" CHATS EH. GRIFFITH, Pathe director who did • such a fine job in the production of "Holiday," says he does not believe the talking motion picture will ever really replace the legitimate as an amusement medium. The principal reason seems to be that there will always be a sufficiently large portion of the theatre patronage insisting on the stimulating performance of dramatized human action. Regarding the adaptation of stage plays to the talking screen, Griffith points out the great possibilities therein due in the main to the feasibility of creating, through exterior shots and elaborate sets, the atmosphere of the story. Besides adding to the effectiveness of a play thereby, the picture method of play production makes for greater ease of understanding, which is a Mtal factor when the varied type of picture audience is taken into consideration. There is also the possibility that the viewing of easily understood picturizations of stage plays will have a tendency to draw people to the legitimate who are not in the habit of attending. There is no reason in the world why the stage and screen cannot work hand in hand with the advent of the talking picture. One more has been added to the foreign invasion of the United States via the port of New York. The 55th street Playhouse is showing the Italian version of "The Lady Lies." That makes one more dictionary we have to tote around when looking at pictures in this town. Speaking of European invasions, the other night when the Cohan theatre opened for the showing of English made pictures, it looked like a review of the diplomatic corps. Flags, uniforms and a detachment of infantry accompanied the group from the Fidac organization, which helped the house to open its doors to Broadway. Incidentally, this house has become an asset to the appearance of the big street, since its renovation under the direction of Harold Auten. AAA Fox theatres in the Metropolitan district have done away with vaudeville in conjunction with the motion picture feature in a number of neighborhood houses. The Audubon uptown had always given the variety bill as an added attraction, but discontinued it with the reopening of the house after summer alterations. The same is true of Fox circuit theatres in the Bronx and Brooklyn. It may be that vaudeville is losing its grip in New York, or it may be that the expense involved in staging a vaudeville show cannot be adequately covered at the box office. Whatever it is, the old time combination just "isn't what it used to be!" AAA Mike Simmons, latest gavel breaker of the A M P A has given the boys and girls Heywood Brown and the Tiffany Chimp as feature attractions on two successive Thursdays. Broun didn't speak very long, and the Chimp did not speak at all, which was fine. Wonder what next? AAA Thelatest Broadway advertising stunt: On the sidewalks of Times Square and surrounding territory, is painted in white the outline of a large footprint. Within the boundary of each print is lettered, "Al Jolson at the Capitol," and each one points in the general direction of 50th street and Broadway. It's a good idea, but we would pause and inquire as to who will be delegated to erase the marks after Jolson's engagement ends. We merely want to know because we would enjoy going over to watch him do it. — "Chic Aaronson." See Big Improvement in New Process for Wide Screen Use Laboratory Device Attached to Printing Machine Said to Process Ordinary Negative with No Graininess or Sacrifice of Quality — Invented by Ernest Stern (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Oct. 2. — Results of a newly invented processing method for the showing of films on a wide screen was exhibited this week at the Paramount theatre at a private showing attended by officials and producing company engineers. One-half reel of regular 35 millimeter film was run off enlarged on a screen 27y2 by 40 feet in size. It was explained by means of subtitles that heretofore it has been impossible to take 35 millimeter film and enlarge it to a proportion as in the demonstration at the Paramount without sacrificing the quality of the picture and exhibiting the graininess of the film. Attached to Printing Machine With the new system, which was inventedby Ernest Stern, it is possible to take ordinary negative and after processing it_with the new method, it is claimed no evidence of graininess or sacrifice of quality is noticeable. The improvement is a laboratory device attached to the printing machine, and is understood to be inexpensive and adds nothing to the cost of production. Closeups and scenic effects were exhibited at the private viewing, which numbered • among the audience representatives of practically every producing company as well as engineers from RCA and Western Electric. Call Improvement Remarkable Several observers, in commenting on the demonstration, said that the processed film did show a remarkable increase in quality over ordinary negative heretofore shown on the wide screen. It is generally conceded that the use of wide film is of very great value in the showing of pictures from the exhibitors' standpoint, since it serves admirably to add to the effectiveness of many types of productions not only in widening the scope of the picture, but also as a means of attaining unusual scenic effects. The principal obstacle in the way of gen Al Missed This By Leaving Early Whoever put it there, and when and how, no one will probably ever know, but hiding in the room in the Congress hotel, Chicago, in which Al Steffes stopped, during his brief visit there last week, was a tear gas bomb, which was discovered about 2 A. M. by a woman who was straightening the rooms for the next guest. Although no harm was done when it exploded, the woman let out a shriek that wakened the household. Unfortunately for the "joker," the joke was on him, for his "victim," whoever that might have been, was not there, and Al had had to hurry away on an 11 o'clock train, although he had just arrived that day from Niagara Falls. Thus another "bomb" episode comes into print, with no particular damage done, other than frightening a poor woman, but rousing a good deal of curiosity. eral use of wide film, however, has been the excessive cost to the exhibitor, which in the case of the small theatre owner in particular, has made it impracticable at the present time because of the expense incurred in sound installation. Special projection machines are necessary to run wide film, _and. the average exhibitor is not able to afford the addition to his overhead expense. "Such a development as has just been demonstrated, if proved practical, would bring the possibility of wide film pictures within the financial ranee of all exhibitors, large or small, it is said. H. M. Warner Believes "Illusion" Is the Basic Law in Making Films (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Oct. 2.— H. M. Warner, president of Warner Brothers, when asked what, in his opinion, was the basic law in pictures, a question that has been discussed and is being discussed at various times by critics of motion pictures, said: "If I were asked for my honest-to-goodness attitude on formulating a law that might be termed basic for motion pictures, I would do so in one word. The word is 'illusion.' Under that heading comes everything that the experts and the theorists of dramaturgy and movie technique elaborate: construction, unity, character drawing. Illusion must shed its glamor over every picture whether of realistic or fantastic tenor. Let it have illusion and it is a fine picture; let it lack that and it is ready for the scrap-heap, no matter how wellconstructed it be." Proceeds of Dinner in Cartoonist's Honor to Be Given to Charities (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Oct. 2.— The net proceeds of the dinner to be given as a testimonial to Harry Hershfield, cartoonist, on October 11, in honor of his birthday, will be divided among the following theatrical charitable organizations: Catholic Actors' Guild, Episcopal Theatrical Guild. Jewish Theatrical Guild of America, the N. V. A. and the Actors' Fund of America. Harry Reichenbach will officiate as toastmaster. Two-Way Television to Be Feature of Meeting OfSMPE October 20-23 (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Oct. 2.— A demonstration of two-way television by the Bell Telephone laboratories will be one of the features of the fall meeting of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers to be held at the Pennsylvania Hotel, October 20-23, according to the program committee.