Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1930)

November 29. 1930 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 19 25 United Artists Theatres in West Nucleus of National Chain Schenck Quits Studio Duties To Direct Circuit Expansion Will H. Hays Weds In Quiet Ceremony (Special to the Herald-World) WASHINGTON, D. C, Nov. 28.— Will H. Hays, president of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors, Inc., and Mrs. Jessie H e r r o n Stutesman, widow of James F. Stutesman, former U. S. minister to Bolivia, were married yesterday at the home of the bride's brother, Col. Charles D. Herron, who lives in Bethesda, a suburb of this city. Mrs. Hays is the daughter of Mrs. William Parke Herron of Crawfordsville, Indiana. Her father was the late Capt. William P. Herron of the 72nd Regiment of Indiana Volunteers, in the Civil War. For 40 years, he was president of the First National Bank of Crawfordsville. Will H. Hays Belasco Suffers a Relapse; Slight Chance of Recovery (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Nov. 28.— David Belasco, who is ill with pneumonia, has suffered a relapse, it is understood, and his physician states that he has not rallied and is suffering from general weakness, and chances for his recovery seem to be slight. Mae Clarke to Become John McCormick's Bride At Wedding Next May (Special to the Herald-World) LOS ANGELES, Nov. 28.— John McCormick, motion picture producer and former husband of Colleen Moore, and Mae Clarke, stage and screen actress have made announcement of their engagement. Plans have been made to have the ceremony next May 14. Prior to coming to Hollywood Miss Clarke was on the New York stage. Mrs. Sam Harris Dies (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, No^.. 28.— Mrs. Sam H. Harris, former stage actress and wife of the theatrical producer, died here after a short illness. She made her stage debut in November, 1904, in the Liberty theatre here, in "Little Johnny Jones." Policy of Cooperation with Independents to Dictate Location of Houses Resulting from Fox Fight (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 28.— Out of United Artists' initial step in opposition to Fox West Coast Theatres— a theatre chain in California, Oregon and Washington for the showing of United Artists pictures — will grow a national string of houses, according to Joseph M. Schenck, head of the company. The Pacific Coast chain will consist of 25 theatres, an extension of the original 15 announced, all of which will be completed by August, 1931. This is a nucleus, however, of a more comprehensive system of theatres, which will operate throughout the United States and which will embrace the 20 theatres already operated by United Artists. Schenck announced that he is abandoning his duties as head of the United Artists studios and that he will be succeeded by Samuel Goldwyn. Goldwyn's production duties consist of he wishes to cooperate with all independent making ten pictures, six of which are to be produced by the Art Cinema Corporation and four by Samuel Goldwyn Productions. Eleven other United Artists films on the 1931 program comprise one Douglas Fairbanks, one Mary Pickford, one Charlie Chaplin, three Roland West, three Howard Hughes-Caddo and one Gloria Swanson. Lesser and Anger Assisting Sol Lesser and Lou Anger are Schenck's chief aids in his campaign to erect a big Western theatre organization. Schenck will give his entire time to construction, distribution and financial problems. Lesser is devoting most of his time to choosing sites for the erection of houses. Each of these will have 900 seats. The first two are to be built in Pasadena and Santa Ana, while six others will go up in nearby cities. Five will be in Los Angeles. Negotiations are said to be underway with Harold B. Franklin, former head of Fox West Coast, who may link the new circuit he is organizing, with that of United Artists. Schenck refused to give any details in regard to these negotiations. Schenck made it clear that United Artists will not build in opposition to any exhibitor who already shows United Artists pictures. He asked that the fact be emphasized that John Barrymore Recovers HOLLYWOOD. — John Barrymore, who contracted jungle fever on a trip into the interior of Gautemala recently, has recovered and is proceeding on his cruise with his wife, Dolores Costello. Will Someone Please Step in and Settle This? Writing under the heading "Africa Is Collegiate," an editorialist in the Chicago Tribune slyly inquires whether African lion hunters get their ceremonies from football pep meetings in American colleges, or whether the pep meetings get them from the Africans. The writer, evidently just back to his desk from a visit to a current motion picture of Africa, wonders if the "rah, rah" is not African and insists that "the college cheer leader is as natural as the leaping impala." If colleges didn't copy the ceremonies from the savages, then the savages must have gone "collegiate" listening to football broadcasts picked up on the chief's radio, he thinks. exibitors "100 per cent." Cost Up to $200,000 Schenck will spend all his time next year on the West Coast, supervising the chain as construction and development progresses. The cost of each theatre will be between $150,000 and $200,000, he said. "For several years," Schenck declared, "United Artists has operated about 20 theatres in principal cities of the United States, but now we plan to build many theatres in smaller cities, and socalled neighborhood in the larger ones. "We plan to cooperate thoroughly with the independent exhibitor and do not intend to go into a territory where an independent has an adequate theatre. If an independent exhibitor in a certain territory has an old house with obsolete equipment, I hope to help him rebuild his house, or_ go into partnership with him and build a new one. "United Artists does not plan to sell any stock, the building program being financed with our own money. Fifty-one per cent of the stock of the new theatre company will be taken by the United Artists Company, the rest by individual members. Among the latter are Chaplin, Fairbanks, Pickford, Gloria Swanson, Goldwyn and myself." D. W. Griffith is another. Caddo to Continue with U A "Due to the vast expansion of the United Artists theatre building program," Schenck continued, "and the growth of the distribution organization, I have prevailed upon Samuel Goldwyn to take over all production activities of the Cinema Art Corporation. This will be in addition to Goldwyn's activities as producer for the United Artists Corporation. I will now be permitted to devote my entire time to the enlarged construction policy of the theatre expansion and the distribution organization. Goldwyn's remarkable success as producer assures the public and exhibitors of a high standard of entertainment." Schenck disclosed that the proposed purchase by Howard Hughes of a block of stock never materialized, but that Hughes will continue to produce pictures for United Artists distribution. The production schedule calls for an expenditure of approximately $15,000,000 during the balance of this year and 1931. The theatres will be modernistic in design.