Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1930)

42 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD October 11, 1930 ~ ihe Sound ¥>oX ~ HOLLYWOOD. NOT all the funny people are in comic strips. There's a gentleman in this town who has both the Katzenjammer kids backed off the Sunday paper. Nobody knows where he came from and nobody knows where he's going to. At the present writing he is engaged as exploitation man for a theatre, but it's an even chance he will be selling vacuum cleaners or demonstrating a combination tooth paste and cake batter by the time you read this. If you meet him in a crowd you'll know it's he because he'll be selling you something. Not trying, but selling. It is rumored that he once saw an airplane catch on fire four thousand feet up in the air. He turned around to the man next to him and sold him the plane before it fell another hundred feet. At three thousand feet the wind fanned out the flames, so he rescinded the contract. At two thousand feet it caught fire again, so he started a raffle for the burning plane, collected all the money and gold watches in the crowd, raffled the plane off, called the company on the wire to buy the burning machine, signed the paper closing the deal, and watched the plane fall the last five hundred feet. He wasn't even breathing hard. AAA He's always thinking up stunts for picture exploitation. Whenever a picture comes out identifying itself with some particular town, like "Moby Dick" and New Bedford, Mass., he writes long and impassioned telegrams to the Chambers of Commerce, setting himself up as a local son, admitting that his family have been residents since the Indians were driven out of the country — admitting, in fact, that his family did it — and demanding that the mayor set aside a "Moby Dick" day, during which schools are closed, business is suspended, and there is a band parade by the local firemen, all wearing banners saying "See Moby Dick at the Plaza," banners paid for out of the city treasury. This is called a publicity stunt. He walks into half a dozen stores, tells the owners he is a representative of a certain paper, and sells them advertising space for a special truck on the picture, thus risking ten to fifteen years minus good behavior in the penitentiary. And then he goes to the paper and convinces them that they ought to run the special two page truck. He gets it. AAA He knows how to get service over the phone. He calls up a printing plant. "Is this Mr. Cantee? This is Mr. Jim Blow, President of Blow Pictures. I' want you to rush me fifteen thousand throwaways of such and such description. If you don't give me your best price on them, and deliver them in half an hour, you'll lose my account. Deliver to the Merry Theatre. Goodbye." Mr. Cantee is in a perspiration. A call from the President. Maybe they'll get the whole account? He makes the throwaways at a special low price, rushes them out, and then finds that our hero is President Blow. What can he do about it? Our hero says, "What's the matter, I'm paying for it, ain't I .* You don't mean to say you'd give better service to President Blow than you would me, would you? Of course not. I know you treat all your customer equally. Now don't be angry. I'll write you out a pass to see 'Moby Dick.'" He gets away with it. He's still alive, at this writing. I know he was ali\( this morning, anyway, because just today he sold the local Miniature Golf Association the swell idea of running big posters on their golf courses, at their expense, reading, "Down with Daylight Saving. It Will Ruin the Movies." —NORMAN KRASNA. Executive Prophesies Long Wait for Novices (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 9. — C. Graham Baker, First National executive, says there are hundreds of highly competent actors, stars in their own right, who have been lured to Hollywood by tales of rich contracts issued to obscure actors and actresses. There are thousands of others, amateurs and novices arriving and on their way from all parts of the world, he points out. "But with the army of experienced, capable actors who have been on the ground a long time patiently waiting, what chance is there for the host of inexperienced players?" he asks. Change from Physical To Psychological Marks Film Progress: Laemmle (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 9. — Carl Laemmle, Jr., general manager of the Universal studios, believes that the screen's tendency toward depicting the psychological instead of the physical struggle of its characters is an unmistakable sign of progress. "Crude melodramatic action is no longer the limitation of the cinema," Laemmle declares. "There are numerous examples of subtle and delicate drama translated to the screen without any sacrifice of their spirit or significance. "The realization of this has emboldened Universal to undertake the production of a number of splendid stories which would have baffled us a short time ago. 'All Quiet on the Western Front' is an illustration in point. Laemmle believes that victory of the psychological aspect may be attributed to the fact that more intelligent and artistic minds are directing the destiny of pictures today. New English Company Synchronizes Sound (Special from the Department of Commerce) LONDON, Oct. 9.— The Vocalion Gramophone Company has erected a studio at Haves, England, where films are synchronized with sound on disc. The firm employs a large staff of men. Films are delivered from motion picture studios and re-run in the "broadcast" record studio. Fifty sound synchronization versions have already been completed for British and American distribution and 30 more are now in work. Berlin Film Workers Would Drop Pre-Titles (Special from Department of Commerce) BERLIN, Oct. 9.-— The "Dachsorganisation," an associatoin of film artists and laborers, has started a movement to abolish introductory titles in sound pictures. The organization contends that the tiles are no longer necessary. The first picture without introductory titles to be shown is a Dreyfuss film directed by Richard Oswald. Dolores Del Rio's Illness Halts Work on "The Dove" (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 9.— Production has been indefinitely postponed on "The Dove," United Artists' picture co-starring Dolores Del Rio and Walter Huston, pending the recovery of Miss Del Rio from her protracted illness. Huston has contracted to make two pictures at other studios, after which he will take a three-months' vacation in Europe. "Seed" Rights Bought By Carl Laemmle, Jr. (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 9.— Carl _ Laemmle, Jr., has purchased Charles Norris' "Seed," giving Universal talking motion picture rights to one of the best selling novels of the season. Actors to Remarry HOLLYWOOD.— Barbara Bedford, actress, and Al Roscoe, actor and director, have announced their intention of remarrying. They procured a wedding license this week. Michael Vavich Dies (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 9.— Michael Vavich, actor and president of the Russian American Art Club, died here this week.