The Film Daily (1924)

THE ma DAILY Sunday, January 6, 1924 Vol. XXVII No. 4 Sunday. Jan. 6, 1924 Price 25 Cents Copyright 1923, Wid's Film and Film Folks, Inc., Published Daily except Saturday, at 71-73 West 44th St., New York, N. Y., by WID'S FILMS and FILM FOLKS, INC. Joseph Dannenberg, President and Editor; J. W. Alicoate, Treasurer and Business Man ager ; Maurice D. Kann, Managing Editor. Donald M. Mersereau, Advertising Manager. Entered as second-class matter May 21, 1918 at the post office at New York, N. Y., undei the act of March 3, 1879. Terms (Postage free) United States. Outside of Greater New York, $10.00 one year; 6 months, $5.00 ; 3 months, $3.00. Foreign $15.00. Subscribers should remit with order Address all communications to THE FILM DAILY, 71-73 West 44th St., New York, N. Y. Phone Vanderbilt 4551-4552-5558. Hollywood, California — Walter R. Greene, 6411 Hollywood Blvd. 'Phone, Hollywood 1603. London Representative — Ernest W. Fredman. The Film Renter, 53a Shaftesbury Ave., London, W. I. Paris Representative — Le Film, 42 Rue de Clichy. Central European Representative — Internationale Filmschau, Prague (CzechoSlovakia), Wenzelplatz. * Duplex Laboratory To Be Opened in Long Island City Ready For Business Next Summer H. O. Carlston, President of the Duplex »M. P. Industry, Inc., announces that this organization will, by next summer, have developed in Long Island City, a modern and thoroughly equipped laboratory and that this plant will allow for an extensive enlargement of the Duplex equipment. In the past, the Duplex organization has been producing laboratory equipment, etc., and it is said that their work in this connection aided materially in solving problems which the Technicolor organization faced. Robinson Doing "Cytherea" Sets Clark Robinson, who designed the sets for "The Eternal City," is doing the art work for "Cytherea," George Fitzmaurice's new picture. Mary Alden plays one of the principal roles in it. Ban on Normand Films The State of Kansas has banned all Mabel Normand films as a result of the coast shooting affray in which she is involved. Memphis has taken similar action. Foreign Distribution of Motion Picture Productions L°lr 220 West 42nd St. New York, Chick. 2355 Cables — Geokann, N. Y. Oe<~ £etj£otJfflan $ut&0tmber Shorter Features? Exhibitors say they want shorter features. Yet, on Friday, three New York exhibitors approached Marcus Loew and urged that the big pictures on the Metro schedule for 1924 run 10 reels in length and not eight. Print Trouble (Continued from Page 1) also found great difficulty with prints during the past year or so. "Normally, we should get about 60 runs to a print," he said. "But because of something that is happening, we are lucky to get 25. Where colored shots are shown, the replacement is tremendous after the first few showings. In our territory we have a lot of very poor machines. I know that. Indeed. I should say that half of the machines in our territory are operated with a crank and that about in the same number of instances, an exhibitor only has one machine." Friedman's Comment Joe Friedman, also from the Northwest, commented that in the Northwest a larger percentage of fires had occurred than ever before, and he attributed this to the fact that operators overloaded their reels, either with very long features, or by putting too much of the show on a large reel. "I feel certain that this' has resulted in much of the difficulty and the many fires. This is certain; where an operator places a very large oversized reel of film on his machine, the pull is bound to be felt, especially at the start, and the strain on the sprocket-hole must be intense." Distributors Pay Cubberly pointed out that in the end it was the distributor who paid for the wear and tear on the prints, and no 'one else. "No matter how much the exhibitor is to blame," he said, "in the end, the distributor pays for all the trouble. He must replace, patch the torn sprocket-holes and otherwise take care of his prints as best he can. This is not an important item perhaps, to the old line distributing companies, but to the operator in the state right field, it is a serious matter because in a territory like ours — a 2J/2 per cent territory — very often the cost of new or additional prints is quite as much as the price we pay for the product and this makes the operation burdensome and difficult." Up to a little over a year ago, the Eastman Kodak Co. had sold stock unperforated, but at that time the Kodak Company issued notice that thereafter the perforations would be taken care of without additional charge; to check as far as possible the varying perforations which resulted through different producers and laboratories handling the stock. Gregory Here From Chicago Glenn G. Gregory, country salesman for Selznick out of Chicago, is in New York for a few days. The Week's Headlines Monday "The Covered Wagon," elected best picture of 1923 with 53 votes. "Merry-Go-Round" second with 26 votes. New revenue bill contains no provision for removal of seating tax. Provides for lifting of all admission taxes. Mexico bans Pathe and American Releasing because of scenes showing Mexican nationals in unfavorable light. Tuesday New Year's Day. Wednesday Arthur S. Friend resigns as president of Distinctive to resume law practice. Retains stock interest and place on directorate. Reported split between Jesse L. Lasky and William S. Hart. Mixed opinions on prospects for 1924 from financial authorities. Federal Reserve Bank optimistic. Stoll of England reported after American managers to bolster vp English presentations. Offer made to William Fait of Rochester. Thursday Governor Smith urges repeal of censorship in New York State. Fight looked for in Assembly. English court decision fails to protect first run exhibitor from competitive advertising of same feature. Friday First National seeking $3,000,000 gross in January. Sales drive started. Horace T. Clarke going to Orient to establish better foreign connections. Famous Players sells back 40 per cent interest to Saenger Amusement Co. Henry Ginsberg of Preferred back from trip says theaters are doing big business but tl at independents have trouble getting play dates. Will H. Hays bound for Hollywood on annual production visit. Saturday Exchangemen report trouble over poor prints in many sections of the country. Claim alignment on perforations is poor. Government renews investigation into Famous Players in Jacksonville. Grants First National New Trial (.Special to THE FILM DAILY) Utica, N. Y— The Appellate Division at Rochester has set aside the verdict obtained by the Alhambra Amusement Co. for $17,500 under a breach of contract against Associated First National, of New York. A new trial has been granted First National. The Alhambra claimed it entered into a contract with the defendant to purchase twenty-two shares of stock for $2,220 and that these were to carry them with them the right to the use of films produced by the defendant for 25 years. The Alhambra claimed the distributor broke its agreement causing damages of $40,000. Open Sunday in Jersey City William B. Quinn, director of public safety in Jersey City, will countenance the opening of theaters in Jersey City on Sunday for "wholesome and harmless entertainments." The performances must be of a semireligious nature. Stuckel Resigns H. Elliot Stuckel, general press representative for "The Hunchback" on the road, has resigned from Universal. He has gone to Pinehurst on a vacation. Pathe'News No. 1 AMERICAN OLYMPIC SKATING TEAM LEAVES FOR ABROAD — Our champions taken in action at Newburgh, N. Y. THE MUMMERS PARADE AT PHILADELPHIA— Extravagant bizarre costumes mark the unique celebration of New Year's: Day in the Quaker City. THE BOK PEACE PLAN— By special arrangement Pathe News presents to thei nation the opportunity to vote for or against tlie prize-winning plan in the Bok Peace Plat» Contest; the Jury of Award; the Plan itself. today HALS ROACH'S WILL ROGERS COMEDIES "Wit With A Wallop" 2 reels Pafhecomedy ^r-r^r. ^— FIRST WITH THE BES1 KINOGRAM; THE VISUAL NEWS ^ALL THE WORLD COSTUME: FOR HIRE New York's Newest and Foremost Costume Rental Organization BROOK.; .I"* 3 W40TJ!ST.N.Y.C..