The Film Daily (1929)

DAILY Sunday, September 22, 1929 EBBS FILMDOM'S NEWSPAPEB TlflSTr I FILM DIGEST KIBKKItY1 Vol XUX Nr 70 Sunday, Sept. 22, 192S Price 25 Cents JOHN I. ALICOATF Editor and Publisher Puhlished daily except Saturday and holidays at 1650 Broadway, New Vork, N. Y., and copyright (1929) by Wid's Films and Film Folks Inc. J. W. Alicoate, President Editor and Publisher; Donald M. Mersereau, Secretary-Treasurer and Cleneral Manager; Charles F. Hynes, Managing Editor. Entered as second class matter, May 21, 191b. at the post-office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. Terms (Postage free) United States outside of Greater New York $10.00 one year; 6 months, $5.00; i months, $3.00. Foreign, $15.00. Subscribers should remit with order. Address all communications to THE FILM DAILY, 1650 Broadway, New York, N. Y. Phone Circle 4736-4737-4738-4739. Cable address: Filmday New York. Hollywood, California — Ralph Wilk 6425 Hollywood Blvd. Phone Granite 6607. London— Ernest W. Fredman, lhe Film Renter, 89-91 Wardour St., W. I Berlin— Karl Wolffsohn, Lichtbildbuehne, Friedrichstrasse, 225. Paris— P. A. Harle, La Cinematographie Francaise, Rue de la Cour-des-Noues, 19. The Industry's Date Book Sept 28 Oct. First issue of Hearst Metrotone News (sound). Sept. 30 Annual Golf Tournament of Kansas City exhibitor at Oakwood Country Club. Premiere of "Applause" at the Criterion, N. Y. "Sunny Side Up" will begin a Broadway run at Gaiety, N. Y. World premiere of "Rio Rita" at Earl Carroll, N. Y. Oct. 7-10 Meeting of S.M.P.E. at Toronto Oct. 29-31 Annual M. P. T. O. A. Meeting at the Peabody Hotel, Memphis. Dec. 9-10 Meeting of North Carolina ex hibitors' unit at Pinehurst. "Blackmail" ■By JACK ALICOATE Oct. Building Race at Toronto Toronto — A building race is taking place in the East End of Toronto, Ontario, with two moving picture theaters in course of construction at top speed. One is an independent house which is being erected by J. J. McCabe at Parliament and Winchester St., the structure costing $40,000. A few doors away the Bloom and Fine syndicate, operating a group of suburban theaters, is rushing construction of a similar house. The race is being watched with much interest. (.Continued from Page 1) sions. Ben Franklin, who was a pretty fair writer himself, had a way of settling things of this sort in a jiffy. He would take a sheet of white paper, draw a line down the middle, put the good points on one side and the bad points on the other and add 'em up. Here goes. The story of "Blackmail," while obvious, is well done. The background is interesting and gives us some fascinating shots of delightful old London. The directorial treatment is excellent in spots. The dialogue brings us, for the first time, a true touch of Piccadilly itself with its delightful London slang and colloquialisms. There is a most excellent characterization by John Longdon, who plays the blackmailer. Now for the Noes. It is slow, much too slow, moving at times with the swiftness of a Chinese funeral. The photography for the most part is flat and uninteresting. The members of the cast with one exception are ordinary, and, if that one sequence that held our attention so compellingly, where the artist-villian all but ruins the gal and then gets stabbed for his trouble, can kid its way by the censor boards, then, they will stand for anything. The good old Mack Sennett chase at the finish might still be the McCoy over in England, but it went out of style here with the passing of free lunch and women's underclothing. "Blackmail" may mean all the world to the critics of London town but to us it's an average production, not bad, — not good, but, for our English friends, promising. We might add by way of comment that "Blackmail" was made at Elstree Studios by British International, was brought to this country for display by Maurice Arthur Dent and is being presented by the newly-wedded Sono Art-World Wide combination. Norfolk House Reopens Norfolk, Va. — The Arcade, destroyed by Fire last December, was reopened last week by the State Amusement Co. Miller Manager at Racine Racine, Wis. — Harry Miller for the past year manager of the Granada now is manager of the Majestic. Let Us Solve Your Problems ! Over 20 Years of Experience Qualifies Us as Specialists in MOTION PICTURE INSURANCE Stebbins, Leterman & Gates INCORPORATED 1540 B'WAY N.Y.C. TELEPHONE BRYANT 3040 Financial STOCK MARKET (QUOTATIONS AS OF FR1DA High Am. Seat 30J4 Con. Fm. Ind. . . 23 K Con. Fm. Ind. pf d. . 26 East. Kodak 206; do rts 5 H Fox Fm. "A" 97 Keith A-O 35!^ *do pfd Loew's Inc 66^ do pfd 89J4 M-G-M pfd 25 Para. F-L 71-^ Pathe Exch 9 do "A" l&H Radio K-O-A 36 ♦Univ. Pict. Pfd Warner Bros 58^ *do pfd CURB MARKET *Bal. & Katz . . Columbia Pets. *Film Insp. Fox Thea. "A" Gen. Thea. Eq. vtc. 64 J4 ♦Griffith, D.W. "A" ♦Intern. Proj ♦Loew do deb. rts ♦Nat. Scr. Ser. Nat. Thea. Sup. ♦Univ. Pict , ♦do pfd , CURB BONDS Am. Seat. 6s 36.. 80 80 ♦Warner 6lAs 28 , Low 30 23^ 25J4 203 Stt 95 35% 635-g 8954 25 70 854 18-/g 35 S6>8 33^ 33 27^ 27 62/8 44M 4454 Close 30/ 23/ 26 204 SH 97 35/8 112 65 8954 25 7054 18/s 3SH 20 57^ 52 80 33 !4 3/ 27 62 'A 55 30 25/ 4454 20 80 198 Y) Sales 400 1,100 900 3,900 12,300 4,200 100 8,800 100 100 9,300 Roxy "A" do units do com Skouras Bros. United Art. . . do pfd Univ. Ch. com. do pfd OVER THE COUNTER 26 27 5 33 5 65 2 72 29 30 6 34 10 75 82 100 300 800 600 800 500 000 100 800 Fannie Brice Starts on U.A. Picture Tomorrow Fannie Brice's first United Artists picture, based on "The Champ," an original story by Joseph Jackson, will be placed in rehearsal tomorrow. Gertrude Astor and Pat Collins have been added to a cast which includes Robert Armstrong and Harry Green. The picture is being directed by Thornton Freeland. Max Marcin and Harry Green are working on the dialogue. Naugatuck House Wired Naugatuck, Conn. — The Alcazar has installed talking pictures. ♦LAST PRICE QUOTED BROOKS THE NAME YOU GO BY WHEN YOU GO TO BUY COSTUMES GOWIMS AND UNIFORMS | 1437 BWAY. N.V TEL SS80 PENN. .ALSO U.COO COSTUMES TO RENT; WANTED a man with Film Industry Contacts An opportunity is available on a leading trade paper for an experienced solicitor of dynamic personality and positive character to cover the picture field. He must know the business and have personal contact with producers and space buyers. Only a man of unquestioned integrity considered. Remuneration is attractive and unlimited to the right man. Please give resume of past performances. Replies will be held in strict confidence. 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