The Film Daily (1929)

THE 7350"* DAILY Wednesday, September 11, 1929 AND THATS THAT By PHIL M. DALY IF YOU happen to see that energetic and dynamic person, Murray Roth, director-in-chief of Warners eastern Vitaphone studio, over in Brooklyn, dashing around with more than his usual vim, there's a reason. They have him on the lil old merrygo-round rushing around looking at vaude acts and trying to figure if it's possible to convert 'em into screen material. The vaude actors, incidentally, are getting to know him, and when they spot him in the theater they act if Shubert, Erlanger and William Brady were all out front. Why shouldn't they? They're all trying to make the pictures these days. * * * You bimbos who are just living from now until Oct. 1, waiting for that Film Golluf Tournament, will be pleased to learn that we have dug up something for you of vital interest. By all means see Grantlund Rice's latest talking Sportlight, "Duffers and Champs." There are only 4.000,000 golfers making this world tough for their families to live in, and we have no specific count from Statistician Jimmie Cunningham as to how many there are in the fillum business. However, that will be determined at the Gedney Farms Country Club at White Plains on Oct. 1. For they'll all be there. Rice makes his tips on playing very easy to take. His talk in the reel is illustrated with such golf stars in action as Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Farrell, Armour, Waterous and others. Here's your chance, boys, to knock 'em dead at the tournament with some inside technique. * * * Bob Farrow, genial general manager of the Newark Motion Picture Studios, drops us a line from Washington, D. O, showing a sketch of the family bus towing the wife and kids on a vacation tour. Bob noted a sign on a Washington theater in blazing lights: "'Dark Streets,' With Kate Smith in Person." * * * Famous Film Conversations "We'll take him plenty." t>o THEIR FIRST JOBS ADOLPH ZUKOR was an apprentice to a merchant Along The Rialto with PhilM. Daly, Jr. WALTER E. GREENE, National Theater Supply Co. ace, has fallen for the vegetarian bug Lon Young, who heads Audible Pictures, leaves tomorrow for the Coast to resume production work J. F. McAloon, Phil Reisman's aide, is on a sales trip to the Middle West Tom North, who is a real veteran of show business, is in Noo Yawk for confabs with Amedee J. Van Beuren, head of the Van Beuren Corp., of which North is Middle West representative Al Selig leaves for the Coast today, a visit to the T-S studios "Bill" Sistrom of Pathe, certainly is entitled to take a bowon the product he's turning out for Pathe. He's visiting at the home office Joseph P. Kennedy, after that wonderful Lunnon ovation for Gloria Swanson's new fillum which he produced, has boarded a ship on the return journey Eddie Quillan duplicated his personal appearance success at Pittsburgh and Philadelphia Arthur Abeles, general manager of the Century (A. H. Schwartz) circuit, is planning a newspaper advertising campaign in Noo Yawk papers Fred Niblo, after a visit to nine western states and two Canadian provinces, says poor reproduction is making pitchur patrons silent film-minded Doris Dawson, who's been advancing rapidly in fillums, has three broken ribs and severe shock, due to an auto accident Warners is splurging on "Say It with Songs" in 107 newspapers of 87 large cities John Mescall, Coast cameraman, was the only pitchur representative in the national amateur golf championship Those Disney cartoons surely are going over big Some exchange managers are so interested in relief plans, it is said, that their minds are off film business 44 My experience with my first talker leaves me with the conviction that another director would have been a handicap, rather than an aid to me. However, I cannot possibly pass judgment on other people's problems, ff JOSEPH VON STERNBERG No.38 Industry Statistics By JAMES P. CUNNINGHAM Statistical Editor, The Film Daily No.38 Twenty-four thousand men are on the membership roster of the I.A.T. S.E. & M.P.O. (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and Motion Picture Operators), the unionized factor which controls the destiny of manpower behind the scenes and in projection booths. The organization maintains direct contact with its vast army of members principally through 680 branch locals scattered throughout this country and Canada. Virginia has a total population of 1,700,000, according to the last official census reports, which place this state 21th in the list of 48 states. It boasts of several hundi-ed motion picture houses but not a single straight-policy vaudeville theater within its borders. * * * One hundred and thirty-five of Canada's 930 motion picture theaters were sound equipped on Aug. 1, 1929. This figure represents oneseventh of the country's total. Timely Topics A Digest of Current Opinion Frankness in Films Held Induced by Talker Craze IT might be argued that the talking epidemic has had a good deal to do with the simultaneous outbreak of comparative frankness. Even though it is customary to refer any new tendency to the advent of dialogue, it might be true that the influx of stage plots and stage directors and stage writers, all trained in a medium which has been more accustomed to plain speaking, has had its effect out West. J. C. Furnas in "N. Y. HeroMTribune" * * * Feels Sure Georgia Will Listen to Allied's Proposal CERTAINLY it is no secret that the Allied States Exhibitor Ass'n is eager to bring the Georgia group into its fold, but these Southerners have remained aloof. Just as they invited a representative of the national exhibitor organization to appear before them three months ago, so now the Georgia Ass'n will receive emissaries from the Allied States organization. Because they are not merely civil, but exceedingly courteous and thoroughly open-minded, the members of the Georgia unit show a willingness to hear any leader who might be able to make constructive suggestions for their welfare. Anna Aiken Patterson in "Weekly Film Review"Atlanta * * * Warns Against Danger in Return of Deposits BEFORE arbitration went into effect in 1923 it was the practice of distributors to require advance deposits from exhibitors to insure fulfillment of contracts. A return to this practice — a decidedly reactionary suggestion — would unquestionably force a return to the policy of demanding advance deposits once again. Gabriel L. Hess TEN YEARS AGO TO-DAY IN Marshall Neilan buys "Penrod." * * * Moe Mark announces plans for 20 Mark Strands in key cities.