The Film Daily (1924)

If ll£ :^BRADSmET of FILHDOM «RE(OCMIZEl Authority Vol. XXIX No. 56 Friday, September 5, 1924 Price 5 Cents ROSES By DANNY Note the way Carl Laemmle "pins a rose." On Will Hays. At the rate of over $1,800 per pin. Or rose. Beeause that's what a column in the well known Satevepost costs. And the Universal column, for the current issue. Is chiefly devoted to Hays. Picture and all. Above the photo of Hays appears this quotation: "No man can produce great things unless he i '^horoughly sincere in dealiiiy with himself ."—LOWELL. And under the cut says Carl Laemmle : "I'd .atlici i/Iii a rose on a man while he lives, and is able to appreciate its perfume, than send it to him after he is dead, when he isn't al)lc to appreciate anything. I am carrying out the idea here in publicly expressing my thanks to Will H. Hays for what he has done for the moving-picture industry —particularly with relation to clean pictures which the whole family can sec and enjoy. To this great work he has brought the same earnest effort and intelligence which characterized his fine campaign for President Harding, and his reorganization of the post-office department as Postmaster-General. "Mr. Hays realizes, as we all do, that the moving-picture is a great source of entertainment and education. I have given him every co-operation in his campaign for "clean pictures, and many months ago I instructed all my directors to make only those pictures which please and refresh the mind. "And looking at the splendid pictures which Universal has produced, and which are now before the public, I am pleased to note the prevalence of clean, fine romance — such as 'The Signal Tower.' * * *, etc. Then he goes on about other Uniersal specials. Mighty clever. Mighty interesting. Good reading matter. Good propaganda. Fine stuff all around. Congratulations, Carl Laemmle. Again ^ you hit the murk. "Bob" Kane In Deal Reported Former Famous' Produc tion Chief Will Make Pictures For Paramount It was reported yesterday that Ho hert T. Kane, former production head for Famous Players would make a series of pictures for Paramount distribution. At Famous, it was admitted that such a deal had been discussed. An ofificial declared, however, that nothing of a definite nature had beenjidecided. It is possible that Famous may handle one and perhaps two of the pictures Kane proposes to make, but such an arrangement hinges entirely around the type of productions, their general calibre and story material. Modern Story in "Inferno" Fox will release "Dante's Inferno" this week. It is one of the company's five "Giant Specials" for the new season but combines a modern story and allegorical spectacle based on the famous literary classic. Fox declares the picture is "essentially a strong, dramatic modern story, conceived by Cyrus Woods, into which has been written the vision of the immortal Dante as visualized by Henry Otto." Lloyd Tries Out "Hot Water" "Hot Water", the new Lloyd pic ture was slipped into the Symphony on upper Broadway very quietly last night so that Lloyd could get the reaction of the public to a series of sequences that had not been tried out previously. Jackie Finishes "Rag Man" Jackie Coopan has finished work on "The Rag Man" and sails tomor row for the Near East on the relic mission. July Business Better Tax Returns $6,226,088, an Increase of $l,08fi.'582 Over 1923 Figures (S/yei-ial to THE FILM DAILY) Washington — .\dmission tax collections in Julv totaled $6,226,088, an Micrease of slightly over $1,086,582 as con\pared with Julv. 1923, when the collections were $5,140,506. This tax was collected on the business done bv the theaters in June, under the old revenue law, the change in admission taxes becoming efTective Tulv 3. . . The report of the Commissioner, however, shows that the repeal of the seating capacity tax which became efifective at the same time, cost the Government $813,147 during the month. May Gut GoodWill Famous Considers $8,000,000 Elimination to Offset Criticism — Earnings Ample for Dividends Famous Players is considering the elimination of its good-will as an item on the balance sheet. The matter has been discussed by the directors of the company as a means to end criticism. Good-will appears on the financial statement as slightly more than $8,000,000. This item can be written ofif in view of the fact that the present surplus is about $10,000,000. There is nothing definite about this procedure, Elek J. Ludvigh, treasurer said yesterday. The Evening Sun carried a rather lengthy article on the financial page yesterday outlining the proposed plan. The Sun said, in part: "Oiificials of the company point out that while the 'good-will' account must be regarded as conservative, its inventory policy is even more conservative. Every film, no matter what it costs, is written down, officials saj', to a nominal value of $1 at the end of two years, although it may have an actual value of $100,000 or more. Forty per cent, of the entire cost is written off in the first three months of the life of a film. "Out of an inventory of say 800 pictures carried in the corporation's library as made in the past, 600 are probably more than two years old and consequently valued at $1 each, say officials of the corporation, although 200 might still be current and be producing revenue, while an additional group would have what is known as 'reissue' value." Ludvigh is confident that the company's earnings for the third and fourth quarters of 1924 will exceed (Continued on Page 2) Eastman Theater Celebrates Rochester, N. Y.— The Eastman theater is celebrating its second anniversarv. Steffes Won't Run Allied Meeting at Kansas City Sept. 22 Will Have to Select A New Chief (Special to TUB FILM DAILY) Minneapolis— W. A. Steffes, chairman of the Allied States Organization will not be a candidate for reelection when the organization holds its next meeting at Topeka, Kan. Sent. 22-23. Kansas and Missouri will hold a convention at the same time. It is quite likely that action of some sort joining these two units with Allied will develop then. At Work On Revisions Move On to Unite All Exhibitor Groups on One Committee to Handle Uniform Contract An interesting plan involving the future operations of the uniform contract is under way at the Hays office, according to report. It calls for the formation of a permanent, continuing committee to meet as often as it may be deemed necessary and to consider all matters concerning changes and suggestions relative to the standard form contract. As yet, the scheme is purely formulative. One of the important angles concerns an equal representation from each exhibitor faction so that the committee, as a whole, can be regarded as a group acting for the industry. There will therefore be on it, a representative of the M. P. T. O.— the p'Toole organization, one representing the Allied States Organization, one from the T. O. C C, since the local body (Continued on Page 2) Bermuda for Parts of "Peter" The Sun reported from London yesterday that Herbert Brenon intends shooting the pirate ship se(|uences for "Peter Pan" in Bermuda and that about £150,000 would be spent on the production. This is approximately $650,000. A. M. P. A. Elects Next Week The A. M. P. A. will hold its annual election next Thur.sday. A. M. Botsford is slated for the presidency to succeed Victor M. Shapiro. The only contest in sight involves the vice-|)residency. Charles W. Barrell and Arthur Brilant are bidding for that post. What Of U. G. I.? Future of Important Italian Company in Doubt — May Cease Production (Special to THE FILM DAILY) London— Kine's Rome correspondent, in discussing the U. C. I. and its future, declares the company s plans arc uncertain. With the recent resignation of A. Barattolo, a new regime took charge, but nothing has been said about new plans. It is reported production will cease. The company has on hand a considerable number of pictures which have been kept in its vaults for about a year without being shown publicly. Some time ago, the U. C. I. and an English organization were mentioned in some sort of a deal, but it fell through.