The Film Daily (1924)

iTHE :^brAdstreet of FILHDOM Authority VOL. XXIX No. 47 Monday, August 25, 1924 Price 5 Cents RED FLAGS By DANNY We'ing waved. By the indeH ndent producers. And disiibutors. Particularly by Joe jirirandt. And Ike Chadwick. Jl\ ho don't like the outlook. And on't hesitate to say so. In lain, unvarnished expressions. A'hich. When boiled down, ook something like this: They find the exhibitor — the so called "independent" (whatever that is) exhibitor isn't keen about "independent" product; is going in for block booking; won't pay a decent price for pictures made by independent producers and see trouble ahead. If this doesn't change. That Chadwick and Brandt see this >\\\ new. That it should alarm them B-as well as all other "independent' iroducers and distributors— is natiral. And right. Because if you lon't think they have somethmg to vorrv about you think again. They lave .much to worry about. And here isn't a sign of anything to enourage them except this: It is reported from several sections. That exhibitors are holding back. On block booking. Giving the reason that there are too many good pictures in sight. To tie up with any company. For 30 or 50 pictures. Why Brandt and his brethren hould talk right out is easy to unlerstand. Last Spring they had yours ruly talk to the organization. With vhich they are affiliated. If memory lervcs it seems to me yours truly told hem practically what they are now laying. And my good friend Sydney iohcn criticized the remarks and said hey weren't constructive. They vcren't intended to be either constructive. Or destructive. They wcr ■and were intended to be — the truth We have yelled about keep■ ivg open time. Until the vocabulary is exhausted. We have yelled against block hooking. And will keep on. Because it won't do. Even though we admit. And agree. That from the distributom' vieivpoint. It has many decent, honest reasons. Large distributors cannot exist. Except by block booking. IndiI'idual sales of individual pictures cost far too much. (.Continued on Page 2) "An enthralling subject deftly handled forebodes for B. P. Schulberg's Gasnier production, 'The Breath of Scandal,' a good place on the list of next season's big film successes," says M oving Picture World. — Advt. Texas Faces Trouble Legislative Flood Hitting Theaters Expected— M. P. T. 0 Preparing for Active Campaign (Special to THE FILM DAILY) Dallas — Anticipating a number of adverse legislative bills, the M. P. T. O. is at work trying to meet the situation. The state has 1)cen divided into its legislative district and a local chairman for each appointed. A state-wide meeting of these chairmen will be held shortly. The M. P. Journal says there is plenty of promise that action will be needed. This paper predicts that the msot dangerous situation exists with respect to rentals, basing its opinion on the fact that feeling exists over the large and increasing amount of money leaving the state without any great (Continued oh Page 2) "America" in Censor Triangle (Special to THE FILM DAILY) London — D. W. Griffith will visit London, en route to America from Germany, to attend a showing of "Love and Sacrifice" ("America") which has been banned here. The matter will probably be taken up again then. Coast Won't Talk No Statement on Grand-Asher Deal — First Picture Finished Saturday (Stccial to THE FILM DAILY) Los Angeles — Officers of the M. P. Directors Holding Corp. state that no action has been taken by them on the Giand-Asher deal for distribution of their proposed twenty pictures. The first picture was completed on Saturday, and so far as can be observed here, the production schedule will be carried out. EfTorts to again reach Sam Grand 5nd Harry Asher in Boston on the long distance telephone failed Satur dav. Both were reported out of their offices. Inter-Ocean Closes Banner Product B. II. Shoningcr of Intcr-Ocean has closed a deal which disposes of four Banner Prod, for Cuba. Michigan Meets Oct. 14 (Special to THE FILM DAILY) Detroit— The Michigan exhibitor unit will meet at Saginaw Oct. 14-15, a definite date having been set. Profits $1,350,801 Famous' Six Months' Statement Shows Earnings of $4.32 on Each Share of Common Stock Net operating profits of Famous I'layers for the six months' period ending June 28, 1924, totaled $1,350,801.51, according to a financial statement issued on Saturday. After making the usual deductions and making allowances for the preferred, tlie report shows earnings on the common stock outstanding of $4.32 per share. Another for Stanley (Special to THE FILM DAILY) Philadelphia— The Stanley Co. in conjunction with Marcus Bcnn has i)urchase(l the Orient theater. The house will reopen Labor Day, considerably altered. Weingarten Plans Another Herman Weingarten, owner of a iiuniljcr of theaters in Brooklyn, plans another house for Jamaica, L. I. It will he located on the south side of lamaica Ave. between 175th and 176th Sts. Butterfield Still Buying Lansing, Mich. — W. S. Butterfield has purchased the Colonial from Claude Cadj'. This gives Butterfield two theaters here, the Regent and Colonial, while Cady still holds two, the Capitol and Gladner. Schenck Out (Special to THE FILM DAILY) Los Angeles — Joseph M. Schenck has resigned from the West Coast Theaters, Inc., and has disposed 6i his stock to Adolph Rainish. Pressure of Schenck producing interests is the reason. After Pictures Theater Owners Productions Formed — W. A. True Interested in It Theater Owners Prod., a Nevv York corporation, has been formed in Albany by T. F. McMahon, attorney, who handles legal matters for the Theater Owners Dist. Corp. The new company, according to William A. True, who is president of the T. O. D. C, has been organized to acquire pictures. True said Saturday that it did not necessarily follow that product acquired by the new unit would be distributed by the T. O. D. C. He intimated that there were several deals under way.