The Film Daily (1924)

jf Jl£ :9& brAktreet of FILHDOH ^recocmizei Authority Vol XXIX No. 54 Wednesday, September 3, 1924 Price 5 Cents SIGNS By DANNY Show the way the wind blows. Yes? Right. Now that you know that, know this: that during the past few years the three important circles representing production, distribution, exhibition, have been growing smaller. Year after year. Does this mean anything to you ? It should. There is a world of meaning in this ever narrowing circle. There are fewer producers in business today than several years ago. Fewer distributors. And year after year sees constantly enlarging chains; constantly decreasing number of exhibitors who operate one or two houses. The bigger fish keep sivallowing the smaller ones. The circles will grow smaller. The trend of the business seems that .way, There is nothing on the horizon to stop it. In all p7-obability the economic pressure will contiyiue to develop it. Take as an instance the chain theater idea. Two concrete examples: East Chicago exhibitor. Told by representatives of Mid-West Circuit (so he says) that if Mid-West booked his house. His film rental would be reduced 50 per cent. And he would get "better pictures". And then this: From the circular (devoted to selling stock). Of the National Theaters Syndicate of California: "Contracting for films is one of the big factors in the operating cost of this business. The aggregate saving made by a syndicate over individual theaters represents a small fortune in films alone. For example: Prior to acquiring Richards Theater of Modesto, the former manager had contracted for a certain group of films which cost him $1,470. In contracting for these same films this Syndicate secured them for $750, or a saving of 49 per cent." Is it any wonder that the circle indicating producers, and distributors, narrows? Is it to be wondered at that there will be a further contraction? What is to stop it, and how is it to be stopped ? Especially when a business shows such health as this. As demonstrated by the Government tax figures. Issued a few days ago. Which showed general amusement taxes. As over 7j^ (Contimicd on Page 2) Edwards-Truart Deal Director Series Through Hoffman's Company— First To Be "The Jest" J. Gordon Edwards Prod, will be distributed through Tififany-Truart in association with M. H. Hoffman. As noted, Edwards' first picture for his own organization will be "The Jest," the rights for which he secured from the author, Sam Bennelli, during a recent trip to Itab'. Abraham Carlos will represent Tiflany-Truart as Edwards' manager. Carlos was with Fox when Edwards was director-general, arid has his own production unit with Richard Talmadge as star. Edwards just returned from Los Angeles where he arranged to make his pictures at the United Studios. No arrangements for physical distribution have been made. Part of the Tiffany-Truart product is handled through national distributors and part through state rights. After Big Plot Coast Producers Dealing with Curtiss Officials for Garden City Land as Studio Project It was reported yesterday that a group of Hollywood producers had started negotiations with the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Co. of Garden City to take over the land and buildings owned by the company there as the nucleus for a large studio project. The coast group is understood to have been influenced by the experience of German producers who have sticcessfully converted aeroplane and Zeppelin hangers into studios. At the Curtiss office, it was admit (Coiitinued on Page 2) No Trouble, T. O. C. C. Reports The T. O. C. C. declared yesterday tliat its members had experienced no trouble because of the breaking of negotiations with Local 306. The Chamber intends checking up on reports that some members, as individuals, had signed "306" men. Rowland Leaves for East (.Special to THE FILM DAILY) Los Angeles — Richard A. Rowland, having completed conferences on fall production for First National, left yesterday for New York. South Illinois Hit One Third of 260 Theaters There Closed Because of Idle Miners — Conditions Grave (Special to THIl FILM DAILY) St. Loui.s— Financial crises are facing many theaters in Southern Illinois which are served by St. Louis exchanges. About one-third of the 260 houses in the coal fields adjacent to St. Louis are dark and others are playing but part time, one, two or three nights a week. For weeks and months the large mines in that territory have been closed completely or working but part time. Thousands of miners have left the district to work in other fields or in different lines of work. The miners who have remained haven't had any real money since early last Spring. They have been living on credit at the corner store {Continued on Page 3) Row in Minneapolis (Special to THE FILM DAILY) Alinneapolis — Theater managers arc having trouble with the stage hand union here, whose demands include a daj' off in seven days and managers are opposed to this. They have informed the union that compliance with that demand is impossible. A settlement has been reached with operators and musicians and a two year contract signed. Labor troubles have been settled in St. Paul on the same basis. Christie Arrives; Dowling Here Al Chrisle arrived yesterday afternoon on the Majestic. He did some advance work in England for "Charley's Aunt." Pat Dowling, publicity and advertising director for the Christies is in town from Los Angeles, $137,000,000 Budget 72 Million for Pictures, Remainder for Equipment, in Program Announced on Coast Joseph M. Schenck announced in Los Angeles yesterday that Coast producers had drawn up a budget of $137,000,000 to be spent on production and building during the coming year, according to the Associated Press. Of this amount, Schenck said, $72,000,000 will be spent in the production of the 680 pictures scheduled for the year and the remainder for new buildings and equipment. There is a discrepancy in the number of pictures as announced by Schenck and the poll taken recently by THE FILM DAILY. This publication discovered the total from all sources would be 803 and this included state righters and those companies not members of the Hays organization on the Coast. Efforts made to clarify this situation by telegraph yesterday failed to materialize at the hour of going to press. Goldwyn Coming East Los Angeles — ^ Samuel Goldwyn leaves for New York on the 8th with prints of "Tarnish" and "Potash and Perlmutter", en route to Europe. He expects to be gone a.bout two months. George Fitzmaurice will make his next picture in the interim. Ince To Make "Enticement' Hollywood— Thos. H. Lice will next produce "Enticement," by Clive Arden. The scenario has been completed by Bradley King and casting is now under way. ^, — " Easty Delayed Jesse L. Lasky will not return to New York until Sept. 18 or thereabouts. Pressure of work on the Coast detains both him and Walter Wangcr. Theaters For U. K. Famous Players (Canada) to Enter Field — News to Parent Organization (Special to THE FILM DAILY) Toronto — The Famous Players Canadian Corp., Ltd., will enter the theater field in Great Britain probably within a year, according to one of the leading officials of the company. This corporation is almost wholly a Canadian organization, announce(Continucd on Page 2) Polo to Work in England (Special to THE FILM DAILY) London — While Eddie Polo appeared in a Newcastle theater, he announced he would shortly start work on a series of pictures here. Strikes Out $550,000 Chas. Brabin's Claim Against MetroGoldwyn Reduced by Court Order — Metro Admits A Claim Attorneys for Metro-Goldwyn were successful vesterdav in reducing the claim of $583,000 in damages filed by Charles Brabin, to $33,000. It will be recalled that the suit was filed following Brabin's return from Italy where he was succeeded in the direction of "Ben Hur" by Fred Niblo. The papers alleged' he was entitled to $500,000 for loss of prestige, but the court yesterday ordered that claim out on the ground that it was impossible to replace such loss by money. Under a second ruling, technical in nature, an additional $50,000 was struck out. Metro-Goldwyn admitted that 4523,000 was due Brabin for salary, computed on a yearly basis of $27,000. There is another special claim of $10,000, as part of Brabin's suit.