The Film Daily (1928)

Exhibitors DAILY REVIEW, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1928 I Warners Begin Eastern Prod. Dec. 15 Bryan Foy Starting for New York to do Short Product December 15th is the date set lor the re-openiug of the old Vitagraph Studio In Brooklyn, by the Warners, after a shut down of many years. Arrangements are now under way to move the Vitaphone short subject department from the Warner Bros, studio in Hollywood to the Vitagraph studios in Brooklyn. Bryan Foy, pioneer director of short subjects for Vitaphone, will leave Hollywood for New York in the near future and complete arrangements for immediate production. According to the present plan, Foy will go to New York to sign some of the leading musical comedy and dramatic stars of Broadway to appear in Vitaphone productions. One and two reel acts, sketches and playlets will be made with these people at the Vitagraph studios. During the period of preparation in New York, the short Vitaphone subjects will continue to be made at the Warner Bros, studio in Hollywood at a capacity program. Ruggles Directs Talkie Wesley Ruggles will devote this week to the direction of dialog for his latest Universal production, "Port of Dreams." Several highly dramatic sequences of the picture will be made audible, and the screen talkers will include Mary Philbin, Fred MacKaye, the Ruggles "find" who makes his debut in this picture, Edmund Breese, Otis Harlan and ethers. The synchronized musical score of the picture has been completed. This will be Ruggles' first direction of a talkie, and is preparatory to his work on the next Laura La Plante feature, "The Haunted Lady," on which work will start next week, and which will be largely in dialog. Krassin — Nobile Pictures Due Soon Scenes, taken during the daring rescue of the Nobile polar expedition by the Russian icebreakers "Krassin," "Malygin,"' and "Persay," will arrive in New York soon, according to an announcement by Amkino, representing Sovkino of Moscow in this country. The picture consists of six reels and includes the scenes taken from the airplanes piloted by M. Babus-hkin and by M. Shukhnovsky, who was responsible for the discovery and rescue of the Malmgrem group of the Nobile expedition. Gluckman Heads Biophone Sales (Continued from pape 1) him as manager of sales will be George H. Wiley. An installation in a down-town New York Theatre is being completed and within a few days a showing for the exhibitors in the New York teritory will be held, so that the exhibitors can see and hear the Biophone Machine. The policy of this Company is that exhibitors should not buy or contract for any machine until seen and heard. Dorothy Dwan, wife of the late Larry Semon, will go to Ontario to be leading lady for the Thunder Bay Film Co. * * » Jaiie Keckley has been added to the cast of Pathe's "Noisy Neighbors." * » * Garrett (Jrahaiii has been signed by Pathe to write the titles for "The Shady Lady.'' * * * Frank Shaw, master of ceremonies at "Coffee Dan's" in Los Angeles, has been signed to appear in a Vitaphone presentation, "A Little Bit Of This And That." * » • Ethel Dolierty and Louise Long', Paramount screen writers, have renewed their contracts with the company. * * * Eva Von Berne, one of the European "finds," failed to register and M-G-M are not renewing her contract. » * * WaUace Beery is now a licensed pilot of airplanes'. * * * James Hall, for the first time in months, is busy doing nothing between pictures. He and Ruth Taylor will probably make another picture. * * * Rex Lease has replaced John Darrow in "The Younger Generation," which Columbia is making. * * * Lewis Milestone will direct Emil Jannings in his next picture which will be from an original by Victor Schertzinger. Bankers — K A O^ — Radio Represented on Board (Continued from page 1) Murdock, Lehman Brothers and Blair & Co., Inc., will be represented by Walter P. Cooke, Elisha Walker, Edward F. Hayes, R. C. Hunt, Louis E. Kirstein, Monroe C. Gutman and Paul M. Mazur. Christie Starts "Kid" Actual talking started this week in the new Christie sound studios where the first talking production to go through the microphone is Douglas MacLean in "The Carnation Kid." The players who will talk in the first Paramount-Christie feature production besides Douglas MacLean, the star, are Frances Lee, Lorraine Eddy, Wm. B. Davidson, Francis lIcDonald, Maurice Black, and others. "Submarine" Booking With November 11 set as the official release date of the "Sea and Hear'' version of "Submarine," important circuits and exhibitors of first-run wired houses everywhere are rapidly booking Columbia's undersea special. Grauman to Produce Sid. Grauman, famous exhibitor of the West Coast, has decided to produce a talking picture. So far, notliing has been decided on, by way of a story, cast, etc. but his mind is made up and a picture will be made. Talking Movie Prize Contest The New York Evening Graphic, is offering a cash prize of $50.00 for the reader sending in the best letter based on the question of whether they do or do not like talking pictures. We would like to see some of the answers. WILLIAM JOINS C. B. DEMILLE AT M-G-M William C. DeMille has been signed by M-G-M to direct talking pictures, Louis B. Mayer announced Monday. As Cecil B. DeMille recently affiliated himself with M-G-M and is now preparing to direct his first production for that company, this will place the two brothers, who have been picture pioneers, with the same organization. Warners Complete First Foreign Talkie The first talking picture in a foreign language has been completed at the Warner Bros. Vitaphone studio in Hollywood, according to an announcement made today by Jack L. Warner, vice-president in charge of production. The title of the production is "Zwie and Fierzigste Strasse" and the principal players are Ann Codec and Frank Ortli, both internationally famous. Although the majority of the lines spoken are German, there are a few lines of French included. Three songs, two of them in German and the other in French, are sung and in the American presentation of these numbers they are easily understandable, so good is the pantomime of the artists. Jim Tully at A.M.P.A. The A.M.P.A. announces that not only will Dr. Lee De Forest be a speaker at this week's meeting, but that Jim Tully, famous author of "Jarnegan," etc., will give a talk. Colbert With Richman Claudette Colbert is the lucky. United Artists has selected her to play opposite Harry Richman in his big all-talkie production, "Say it with Music.'' Miss' Colbert once made a picture with Ben Lyon, but has made her greatest success on the speaking stage. Old Favorites Signed Henry B. Walthall and Edmund Breese have been signed by J. L. Warner for the Warner production, "From Headquarters." This picture stars Monte Blue and will be directed by Howard Bretherton. "Desert Song" Suit Won by Warners (Continued from page 1) as a talking picture infringed upon his stage rights. The verdict was an unequivocable victory for Warner Bros, and establishes a precedent for the future. Max Steuer appeared for Macloon. i THE BOOKER Let's take the case of the booio in the exchange. Here is the nj important fellow in the motion ture industry, and he is given smallest credit. On his should! 85% of the responsibilities of film exchange rests. He is the that is always wrong, when so!' thing happens. His job coy everything from janitor to sa manager. He sells, he books, daily correspondance with exhibit! is more than the rest of the org zation put together, he gets datesi undated contracts, he helps iron difficulties caused by dumb salesn he receives all the complaints ; attempts to rectify them, he is main contact between exhibitor i exchange. And in order to funct these many duties he is generii at his task in the exchange all and most of the night. If he d get a few hours off some eveni he can generally be found aroi the theatres trying to talk exh tors to set in some playing ti for undated pictures. That works. * * * CREDIT And what does the booker get all this? A salary, that in mi cases, is smaller than any ot! member of the organization exec ing the office girls and the boysiB the poster room. When there ii sales drive with cash prizes offe by the home office to the winni he generally gets the smallest or nothing at all. He is the "pat of the office. His superiors fight i scold him as does the exhibitor he gets a bad print or a "miss-oi The salesmen order him around it it were not for the ability and generous mind of most bookers lot of salesmen would be out o job, for the bookers cover them in a lot of cases, this covering cq ing as a result of a lot of hard wc mostly at night, working out d culties caused by verbal proi"i to exhibitors in order to get to take their pictures. The has a tough job and gets littlt ..e from the industry.