The Film Daily (1928)

THE ilimday, August 5, 1928 I \ (iimiK'd (in siU'iit pictures because c opines sound is the thing. And (1 determined to sidestep mistakes, c merely sits, suspended between caven and hell with the odds pretty mcli in favor of the devil. And the istributor sells no pictures. . . . Merely by way of adding paprika 1 the stew, those legitimate stage riiducers who have been monkeying ir weeks with Vocafilm. are now all it. Cameras start grinding very oon. Release? Well, it's like this: ;arle Mammons holds distribution of 'ocafilm product under a 14-year infract. These legit plays will be i.ide with Vocafilm. Two plus two ill equals four. There you are. . . . A Decision Tuesday. He has been stoutly lamtaining right along that he ludd do it. He wants a rest. He ,ints to forget pictures and some \ the people in them. He has been iiikering for a boat and the MediI lanean. .\11 in sight now, for Dick owland is about to step down from 1 important chair at First National, he ifs and the buts are all vvashed p. savs Dick. The discussion is iiished. So is his contract and out ? steps into free air, a much jauntier idividual. . . . Further indications of the upset liich is to prevail. The wires report 'inaha and its neck of the woods are uinb dizzy over sound. Exhibitors lu't know which way to turn. Silent I tures are taking it on the chin. ^ihody seems to want them. Yet .Lcpt for a woefully small number houses, nobody is able to use lund. Minneapolis faces a similar Midition. Ditto for Memphis and ennessee. And for Des Moines ul Oklahoma City. One result — id serious, too — of the demand for lund which producers and distribu'is have created. Well, it's up to icm. . . . Color. George Eastman invites a "up of notables to Rochester and lere demonstrates his new process I IT amateur motion pictures. Simple. J he public buys special film, slips a Iter on the regular Cinekodak, lets grind, sends the negative to Kodak ark for development, attaches a spe'al lens to the projector, sets up the ;reen and projects films in color. tooks like a sure bet for the amaur picture makers — you don't know hat nuts folks become over the lea — and that means the public will Bradually cultivate a desire to see ictures in color. That brings you ?ain to the next step in the forward Evelopment of the perfect motion icture. Eastman knows it. Workig on the process for professional 5e. Don't overlook this. It's fraught ,ith much possibility. . . . Axe swinging business. Twentyve more let out at First National ludios. Mr. Kennedy is spending 'isy days on the Coast. H he stays at there long enough Hollywood .ill develop a permanent case of 1 I lattered nerves. . . . i, Mr. De Mille n Wednesday: Ceebee and Louis J tayer. And in one camp. That's ^''hat it looks like. Now you'll ad I i lit here is a very interesting situa Way Up in the Air (Continued from Page 1) tion. Hollywood has it all set, however. De Mille is to join M-G-M if — here's the old stumbling block — Ceebee finances his own pictures. Somebody at Metro must have had a good squint at the Pathe cost sheets. Anyway, there the deal rests for the minute. De Mille, you know, never puts any of his money into production. He makes 'cm, but somebody else supplies the cash. Been going on that way for years and there's no reason why De Mille should change now. You'll see. . . . Keep an eye on Victor. Moving along silently, but definitely on sound. Supplying theaters with stock records for use over the Western Electric disc system, thus making it possible to use mechanical music for all pictures. Years of experience in recording being brought into play. . . . Latest bulletin. Indianapolis territory holding back on buying. The reason? Sound pictures. Almost anything that happens these exciting cian, etc. — both niemijers of the A. F. of L. at odds. Electrical union claims wiring of theaters for sound is their job. I. A. T. S. E. etc., says otherwise. Deadlock. Sandwiched in between is the sadly harassed film business. Equipments are being held up in a half dozen cities and it looks as if the situation would become national. . . . Nund)cr three. W. E. so far behind on equipment that exhibitors, placing orders today won't get it until sometime in 1929 — early, maybe.... Rochester informs Eastman is at work on his color process for professional use. Obstacles to overcome, but the indications arc favorable. Meanwhile the public finds color on its doorstep to play around with. It's easy to figure. Turn over the calendar and imagine what will happen. Producers, agreed more or less than color is the next development, will find themselves propelled into it faster than they figured. If economical and A Snootful Every day, the Wanamaker stores carry a bit of homely wisdom about life and its cross-channels in their display copy. A current extract : "As a general thing, it is the quiet people who do the best thinking and perform the most good work. "Idle people who have the least to do overtalk, while those who are constantly occupied have little time or opportunity to devise and exploit upsetting affairs. "Any gun that goes off half-cocked is dangerous. "Almost every day there is an account in the newspaper of careless things said and done writhout proper consideration." There isn't a bulletin board in any executive headquarters in New York or in Hollywood that couldn't properly be cleared off to make room for this kind of advice. — From FILIVI DAILY editorial July 20, 1928, reprinted by repeated requests. days can be traceable to the same technically right, why not? Why source. The boys carrying film under the arm are finding the going verra tough indeed. Their bosses are responsible, if there is any consolation in that. ... A wall or rock on one side. A narrow road. A big truck and a limousine. Adolph Zukor in his career has found himself in some tight spots, but this one was not to be blinked at. It was on the road from his estate to New York. The car was bunged up. Zukor escaped untouched. Lucky industry! . . . Piling Up Thursday: These are swell days. Thursday comes along and adds another headache. Producers naturally hot after stage talent for sound pictures. All sorts of deals under way. Actor's Equity, the guardian angel of the acting profession, learns it and gets mighty busy. Result it. is a general order to all members to lay oft contracts until said Equity has a chance to look around and see howit's going to work out — for the actor.... . . ^ , That's one situation. Here s another. The electrical union and the I A. T. S. E. — stage hands, electn shouldn't a beautiful red rose show red on the screen?.... Pictures, good pictures. The backbone, the rockbottom foundation of this whole business regardless of presentations, sound, third dimension or what have you. Look at the Roxy, New York. Doing phenomenal business with "The Street Angel" and holding it over for a fourth week, a precedent for America's ace theater. Wise Carl Laemmle Friday: Uncle Carl demonstrates that he knows his onions: A command to the Universal studio force: "With or without sound and talking, Universal pictures must have good stories with suspense and appeal; they must be well conceived, well directed, well photographed. All the music, or sound or talking in the world will not take the place of the four cardinal principles of the motion picture — story — direction — motion — photography." There is nothing to add. . . . Official. Dick Rowland bids First National a fond farewell. Future plans he has not. Europe beckons and Rowland will heed the call. The First National crowd doesn't feel any too happv about it. Dick has been a familiar and well-liked personage there since 1921. Now the chair in his office is empty. . . . The majesty of the law. The Federal Trade Commission files its block-booking suit against Paramount. Weeks in coming, but now action is looked for. You know, government suits take precedence over private suits in Federal courts. It appears, therefore, that there will be no long-winded business of delays in this instance. Which, we think, is a good thing for the sooner this business structure finds out what sort of a foundation it is reared upon, the better for all participating in it. . . . The crying need for de luxe theater operators is again demonstrated. Loew takes over the new Stanley theater in Baltimore. Not enough high-powered showmen to run the i)ig theaters which have sprung uf) like mushrooms in the past few years. Nothing peculiar to Baltimore in this. You'll find it everywhere. . . . Newspaper Magic Today: Making Joe Kennedy talk for the public prints is one tough job. Yet Edwin Schallert of the "Los Angeles Times" pulls some newspaper magic which turns the trick. The result is a highly interesting interview with the industry's big mystery man. Because the folks in this business are unaccustomed to stony silence and because Kennedy's ideas are extremely interesting, the reprinted yarn which appears on page one is well worth reading. And even if you don't agree, remember Kennedy represents a group of important banking interests who now have and will continue to have some things to say about the destinies of several large organizations and the people in them. . . . Signed and sealed. De Mille goes to Metro. Ceebee statementizes his delight. Louis Mayer dittoes. It appears as how De Mille will make pictures like "The Ten Commandments" only. Extra super specials. We thought negative costs were coming down The lines overseas are growing tighter. England making deals with France and Germany. France making deals with England and Germany. Germany making deals with France and England. Eyes still turn toward .Kmerica, always the big market for pictures. Yet producers on the other side are cementing their inter-continental relations. Significant move. Every time another link is welded in the chain, the danger m reduced playing time for .Aimencan pictures becomes greater. V\ here it will end onlv a seer can tell. We do know it will be a day for general mourning if this business loses its grip on foreign markets. KANN Warners Jumps 10 Points Warner Brothers Pictures was the sensation on the Curb yesterday, with a turnover of 77,000 shares, scoring a rise of 10 points to 59^ f''?"\ ^Jl^ closing price of Thursday of 49JtThe chief basis for the activity was the prospect of early listing on the Stock Exchange.