The Film Daily (1924)

, brAdstreet r FILMDOH 2^«RE(0CMIZEI Authority SIX No. 10 Sunday, July 13. 1923 Price 25 Cents ;k Booking Fight in the Northwest— Exhib rs Asked to Support Independents ?cial to THE FILM DAILY) ^apolis— The Northwest exinit has declared war on block Theater owners have refa call to arms to support in■nt producers and distributors, ter sent out by W. A. StefEes first step in a battle aganist nl". letter 'claims block bookmg is ihle for the poor quality of ;■ that it tends to eliminate the 'owner; throttle competition, is called the industry's protec'ainst monopoly; takes control 'theater out of the exhibitors (Continued on Page 12) 'Rudy" Starts In Sept. | Griffith To Make Three Pictures For Famous Players; Starts in Fall in Acquires Foreign Rights ard L. Klein Co., has acquired distribution on 24 "Felix hs 12 Alice comedies, 11 rie's each based on a popular nd six kid comedies from MarT Winkler. They are all in one irith the exception of the kid ies. The first of the song ser11 be "The Last Rose of bum Ritz Preparing for First PictureSeveral Weeks More on "Sainted Devil" For Famous Rudolph Valentino has three or four more weeks' work on the "Sainted Devil," his second and last picture for Famous Players. The production has been held up because of adverse weather conditions. Ritz is preparing for the first Valentino picture under that banner This is expected to be "Cobra" and actual work will probably start in September. At the moment, it appears that the picture will be made in the East but the question of adequate studio faciHties is important and one that is receiving a good deal of consideration. No director has been selected as yet J D. Williams is on the Coast. At the recent A. M. P. A. luncheon when Williams announced his plans for six a year, he said he was going to Hollywood to line up directors for two specials. One of these may be for Valentino. Contract Understood to Be Signed— Producer Takes Over Entire Staff Along About November When "The Dawn" Will Have Been Completed — No Confirmation It is understood that David W. Griffith has signed a contract with Famous Players to direct a series of three pictures. The arrangement was closed before the producer left for Germany to shoot exteriors for "The Dawn", his eighth and final picture for United Artists. For some weeks it has been known that, so far as money matters were concerned, all was far from satisfactory with the Griffith organization. It is understood that, as part of the deal with Famous, Griffith was advanced sufficient funds to complete "The Dawn" and with it, his contractual relations with United Artists. Barrymore in Berlin (Special to THE FILM DAILY) BerHn— Lionel Barrymore is at the Ufa studio at Neubabelsberg to apin "Decameron Nights tor )chs Signs Lopez nt Himself Will Conduct Piciilly Orchestra and Supervise Performances A Ochs on Friday afternoon a' final contract with Vmcent z well-known musician to act ipervising manager of the new ''dilly theater which Ochs will at Broadway and 52nd St. in a weeks. , . , ,e figure is high, but Ochs thinks IS succeeded in securing a sure(Continued on Page 2) "Commandments" in Criterion When "The Ten Commandments" closes at the Cohan theater the end ^^_ __ _ of August, it will be moved to the ^ ^;,^Q^ Prod. Werner Kraus Criterion. By that time Pfrothy^jan ..^,^^ Miracle" in Vernon of Haddon Hall," will have wlio appea _^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^.^^^^^ completed its run. ' ^^^^ = "Ben Hur" Features Reviewed Page baptain January Principal ^ Vanderer of the Wasteland Paramount ^ Hollywood Previews 9 The Sawdust Trail Universal ^'■ /ine of Youth ^ Metro-Goldwyn l^ Short Subjects 1^ Griffith will be away for about six week^. There will be about six weeks' work on the picture when he returns to the States. It is estimated that he will actually be engaged on his first Paramount picture by November. He will produce in the East and will take with him his existing staff, most of whom have worked with him on all his recent pictures. Eventually, it is quite likely that the affairs of the D. W. Griffith, Inc. will be wound up. This will be a rather delicate and long-drawn out process. Its assets are considerable, including all of those pictures handled by United Artists to date and the new one, "The Dawn", which will undoubtedly be a winter release. Of course, the Griffith pictures will be released by Paramount as specials. , Griffith will realize a flat sum per week for his services. The salary Roma {which means Rome) Her vou are Surrounded by 384 churches. Yes there are that ^^^f^^^h^^^^rs^ii^:^'.,.. , tions of by-gone days. And ^OUpiea w i mentioned in connection with the new internal afifairs. Within his, steeped to the hit is a sm g i_ ^^^^ .^ staggering. It runs into five of Americans. Rebuilding a period of earliest ^''^''^^^^^^ ^ the city of Jerusalem which housed Ben Hur and those associatea '^^'g^uSfdVoTRome. On a splendid plateau. ^^^^^^^ Ur^^:^ aqueduct and the city walls. There ^"^^^^^ P^r^^.^^/^^^^" ^Xh set ever built for a picture: the "Joppa Gate through whi^^ streamed the populace; the goats, the cows, ^^^ ,^^^f !;^^^'';,\"h pulsating throng In which Lew Wallace graced his hero with every trick of imaginable melodrama. IT'S A GATE And it's more than that. Remember the big sets of "Intolerance"? Remember the huge walls of "Rpbm Hood -d d you see the big set in "The Queen of Sin'' which was made " A^^^na under the name of "Sodom ^"d Gomorrah Well, the^ were big sets. All of them. Each of them. But this Joppa Gate ** (Continued on Page 4) deal is staggering. It runs into five figures. At Famous, it was declared that Adolph Zukor was at his farm near New City, preparing for the annual Paramount golf tournment. Elek John Ludvigh declined to make any statement. At the Griffith offices, Gerritt J. Lloyd declared the story was without foundation. Hays To Coast Will H. Hays left for the Coast Friday on one of his periodic visits to Hollywood. He will be back in J New York in about four weeks.