Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1930)

26 EXHIBITORS HERALD -WORLD December 20, 1930 United Artists' British Company to Distribute Columbia Product Lou Metzger, Columbia s Special Foreign Representative, Will Retain Post In Cooperation with English Concern s Manager (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Dec. 18.— Columbia product for 1930-1931 will be released in Great Britain by United Artists Corporation, Ltd., under the terms of a deal closed this week and announced by Arthur W. Kelly, president of United Artists Corporation, Ltd. Lou Metzger, Columbia's special foreign representative, with headquarters in London, will continue in that position, cooperating with Maurice Silverstone, general manager of the English corporation. COLUMBIA'S program as affected by the the deal includes nineteen long features, as well as eight outdoor productions of full length and five Lou Metzgar groups of short subjects totaling 78 pictures. Included in the nineteen feature films are: "The Criminal Code," Martin Flavin's prison play, directed by Howard Hawks and acted by a cast that includes Walter Huston, Phillips Holmes and Mary Doran. "Arizona," Augustus Thomas' play; "Dirigible," air spectacle with Frank Capra as director and starring Ralph Graves and Jack Holt, with Fay Wray and Hobart Bosworth also in the cast; "The Miracle Woman," adapted from Alice Brady's "Bless You, Sister," and presenting Barbara Stanwyck; "Tol'able David," audible version of the Joseph Hergesheimer story, with Richard Cromwell, Joan Peers, Noah Beery and Henry B. Walthall; a second Holt-Graves vehicle as yet untitled. "Virtue's Bed," Courtenay Savage's stage sucecss; "Fifty Fanthoms Deep," an undersea story; Joe Cook in "Rain or Shine," direction Frank Capra, cast including Joan Peers, William Collier, Jr., Dave Chasen, Tom Howard and Louise Fazenda; "Africa Speaks," film record of the fourteen months spent in the jungle by the Colorado African Expedition. "Subway Express," from the stage play and directed by Fred Newmeyer; "Madonna of the Streets," adapted from W. B. Maxwell's "The Ragged Messenger," featuring Evelyn Brent and under the direction of James Tinling; "The Woman Who Came Back"; "Brothers," starring Bert Lytell; "The Last Parade," with Jack Holt starred and Tom Moore and Constance Cummings in the cast. "The Lion and the Lamb," E. Phillips Oppenheim's story, directed by George B. Seitz, cast including Walter Byron, Carmel Myers, Raymond Hatton; "Lover, Come Back," Helen Topping Miller's McCall Magazine story; "Meet the Wife," Lynn Starling's comedy, a stage play. The short subjects include Screen Snapshots, Specialties, Curiosities, Rambling Reports, Krazy Kat Cartoons. handed. Roberts, it was said, loitered around the theatre the morning of the robbery, sizing up the place for the most opportune moment. The other three rode around that section in a machine waiting for the signal telling them the time for the holdup had come. About noon, when the janitors had gone to lunch, Roberts gave the signal. Roberts then crossed the street to eat. James Murray, manager, was the only person present when the lone bandit arrived. Several hundred dollars were taken. Christmas Eve Party of RCA Victor Over Radio To Feature Celebrities (Special to the Herald-World) CAMDEN, N. J., Dec. 18.— An imposing list of names, which includes half a hundred of the most popular entertainers on the air, gives promise that the two hour RCA Victor Christmas Eve Party, which will be broadcast from Station WEAF over an NBC network, Wednesday evening, December 24, at 11 o'clock, E. S. T., will be one of the outstanding programs of the winter season. Both the Victor and Radiola Division of the RCA Victor Company will act as sponsors on this occasion, and John B. Kennedy, associate editor of Collier's Weekly, will be master of ceremonies. Nathaniel Shilkret will be general musical supervisor of the program and will also conduct the Victor Orchestra. Other orchestra leaders scheduled to appear are Leonard Joy and Rosario Bourdon, and special musical features will be presented by the Green Marimba Orchestra, the Russian Balalaika Orchestra, and a saxophone octet. In addition to appropriate Christmas musical selections the program will include the latest and liveliest of new songs and dance numbers. Many stars of the stage and screen will be guests in the studio and they will be invited to greet the radio audience. R K O Reporting Planning New Theatre in Omaha (Special to the Herald-World) OMAHA, NEB., Dec. 18.— RKO interests are giving thought to leasing or acquiring a second theatre in Omaha for the showing of films for which time is now lacking. The Omaha Orpheum has a weekly change of program and this, it is pointed out, does not permit of an outlet to show other pictures that are annually produced for RKO by various companies. Former Usher in Group °f(sF°nrllBr?^;dIt!!,Taken Al1 Albany Houses Open (Special to the Herald-World) ^ INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 18.— Arrest of four 18-year-old youths has solved the holdup recently of the Fountain Square theatre here. One of the quartet arrested is Robert Roberts, a former usher at the theatre, who is said to have laid the plans which were carried out by another sin<,dc For Sunday Benefit Show (Special to the Herald-World) ALBANY, N. Y., Dec. 18.— All motion picture theatres in Albany, N. Y., were opened last Sunday for the first time in many months. Proceeds went to the Christmas fund. There was a big attendance. Alfred E. Smith Endorses "All Quiet" (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Dec. 18.— Alfred E. Smith, former governor of New York and presidential candidate, in a letter to Carl Laemmle of Universal, has endorsed the choice of the Motion Picture Academy of "All Quiet on the Western Front" as the finest picture of the year. The letter follows : "Dear Mr. Laemmle: "This is to express my sincere congratulations on the success of 'All Quiet on the Western Front.' I just heard that the Motion Picture Society of Arts and Science has voted this picture the Bnest of the year. "May I add my endorsement to their choice? (Signed) ALFRED E. SMITH." Republic, Old Broadway Legitimate House, Soon To Be Wired for Sound (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Dec. 18.— The Republic theatre, one of Broadway's older legitimate houses, has gone the way of the motion picture with the announcement that it is to be wired for sound and run on the "grind" policy. The lease on the house was terminated by Oliver D. Bailey, several weeks prior to its expiration on the first of January, and will be taken over by Arthur Hammerstein, who owns the building and has a lease on the plol which still has 15 years to run. The Republic was built in 1900, and more recently was the scene of the exceptional run of "Abie's Irish Rose," the Anne Nichols play. This is the second Broadway legitimate house to be wired for sound motion pictures recently, the other being the small President theatre further up Broadway. Film Guild Is Planned for St. Louis; Foreign Films (Special to the Herald-World) ST. LOUIS, Dec. 18.— A Film Guild is to be organized at a meeting to be held at the Young Men's Hebrew Association on December 18. Gilbert Harris, the moving spirit in the plan, has the backing of many men and women who are interested in seeing motion pictures which the regular theatres cannot show profitably. The Guild, if formed, will bring to St. Louis Russian, German and French motion pictures. For the most part these importations will be silent, although some talkies will be utilized. For a time the foreign pictures will be shown at the Young Men's Hebrew Association as part of its regular entertainment program. If the response warrants it a little motion picture theatre will be built Warner "Fourth Alarm" Booked in Many Houses (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Dec. 18.— Warner Brothers have booked W. Ray Johnston's "The Fourth Alarm" for a week's run at the Harris theatre, Pittsburgh. Jim Alexander of the Alexander Film Service closed the booking. Earl Cohen of All Star, San Francisco, has closed a similar run at the Embassy theatre, San Francisco, and George Montgomery of All Star, Los Angeles, has booked the picture for a week in the Majestic, Los Angeles. Herman Rifkin, who has the New England rights, played the picture last week in five different week stands including Boston, Lynn, Portland, Springfield and Providence.