The Film Daily (1924)

iTHE :^« brAdstreet of FILMDOM r^RECOCMQEI Authority Vol. XXIX No. 37 Wednesday, August 13, 1924 Price 5 Cents Goldwyn To Europe iailb Shortly to Buy Story Material — Fitzmaurice's Next An Untitled Story Hollywood — Samuel Goldwyn ;aves for New York shortly, en onto to Europe where he expects ^ close several deals for story mater I. He will bring East with him rintS of "Tarnish" and "In Holly ood with Potash and Perlmutter". He will return to America in Noniber, but in the interim there will = no delay in production. George itzmaurice's next picture is untitled. 1 Movember, he will start work on •Ila Dallas" and by that time, uidwyn expects to have definitely cured the vehicles for which he is aking his trip abroad. Production ill be centered here. Want Lillian Gish for "Louise" Lillian Gish has rejected an offer 11 Gustave Charpentier to appear I version of the opera, "Louise", h will be made in France, be -e of her contract with C. H. 11. Negotiations for "Peter Pan" _; understood to be still under way. Back with Associated It is understood that W. Christy .banne has arranged to complete i original contract with Associated chibitors and that, for that purpose, cton Pictures have been formed in bany. t) Hearing Moves to 'Frisco {Sptcial to THE FILM DAILY) |"jan Francisco — The Federal Trade mmission has arrived here from s Angeles. Brouse Dead nninent Canadian Exhibitor 111 A ew Hours — One of Original First Nat'l Franchise Holders (Special to THE FILM DAILY) Ottawa — Harry M. Brouse, is id from apoplexy, after an illness only four hours. Brouse was in fifty-fourth year, and during his amassed an estimated fortune 500,000. use was the owner of the Imand Franklin, in this city, and also owned the York, Toronto, was one of the original directors franchise-holders of First Natal and was interested in various Ner theater enterprises, being one he largest real-estate holders here. is survived by his wife, one son a daughter. What a title to boost and exploit! "The Breath of Scandal," a Preferred Picture, directed by Gasnier and released by B. P. Schulberg Productions, Inc. — Advt. Ind'p'ts Meet Soon Move Now On to Get Unanimous Support for Campaign Against Booking Combines A meeting will be held sometime next week of those state right operators who discussed booking combines and closed territories a few days ago. The plans discussed at the first meeting have been embodied in a letter which has been sent to all members of that branch of the industry in order to secure a unanimity of ac tion before any actual steps are taken. As noted, it is thought an educational campaign conducted direct to exhibitors on the dangers of booking combinations would prove an effective manner in which to check the practice which independents feel is developing in certain sections of the country. (Continued on Page 5) McConville Through (Special to THE FILM DAILY) Los Angeles — Bernard McConville, supervising director of Jewels, has completed his contract with Universal. There has been no renewal. Grant Carpenter has been added to the Universal staff. Selling 17 Prod. Dist. Corp. Block Booking This Year — Mooney Back From Trip The Producers Dist. Corp. is selling a group of seventeen pictures for the fall. Paul C. Mooney, general sales manager, returned yesterday from a six weeks' trip during which he touched New England cities and traveled as far west as Omaha and Kansas City Mooney came back with a firm idea that the new season would be a prosperous one. He said the unusual crop situation in Kansas would reflect extraordinary prosperity in that part of the country for many months to come. When asked whether or not he had experienced any exhibitor opposition to block booking, Mooney said he had not and pointed to the number of first-run contracts he had closed while away. Vitagraph in Santa Ana? (Special to THE FILM DAILY) Los Angeles — The Anaheim Bulletin reports that Vitagraph will build a $250,000 studio at Santa Ana. The paper quotes Albert E. Smith as saying that work will start in the fall. Katz After Product? Reported His Visit Here Concerns Pictures for Proposed Detroit Theater It was report yesterday that Balaban & Katz ii 1 every "intention of going ahead wi. their projected Detroit theater and that Sam Katz is in town to get an idea of what pictures will be available for the house, should the plan go through. It is understood that Katz feels that there is considerable money to be made in Detroit with a new theater proposition and sees no reason why B. and K. should not go in. The Kunsky chain hold the Detroit First National franchise, play Paramount on percentage and have booked about fifty per cent of the Metro-Goldwyn line-up. Universal owns the BroadwayStrand, but, as noted, will probably have some open time for outside pictures. Fox shows its first-runs at the Washington. It is therefore important for Katz to know rather definitely how he would stand for pictures before starting an expensive investment. Kineto Debts $411,864 Liabilities of the Kineto Co. of America, which is in the hands of a receiver are placed at $411,864 and the assets about $474,122. Of the $68,300 in stock issued, all of it is held by Urban M. P. Industries, Inc., also in the hands of a receiver. Plan Production Conference When R. A. Rowland reaches the Coast a production conference is planned. Mrs. Florence Strauss, see-' nario editor, is on her way West. Both of them will meet with Earl J. Hudson and John McCormick. Looks For Boom Lifting of Admission Tax Will Boost Business, Says Film Man in Forbes Column Discussing further the prosperity trend in films, B. C. Forbes in the N. Y. American quotes his "exnewspaper man who is now a factor in the motion picture industry" as follows: "The recent Federal tax revision measure abolished the levy on all theater tickets from fifty cents downward. This has influenced public patronage upward in the few cool spots of the country, and is expected to increase theater audiences throughout the Winter season." On mergers, the article says: "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer the three(Continued on Page 5)