The Film Daily (1929)

THE Timely Topics A Digest of Current Opinion Music More Important As Talking Films Develops I do believe that music will be of the highest importance in the next ten years of screen expansion. I also think that within three years we will have a titanic revolutionary picture that will do as much for talking films as "The Birth of a Nation" did for silent ones. I know, through long experience, the remarkable possibilities of the motion picture medium. I consider it the one great force that can eventually bring about a practical brotherhood of man. It cuts across distance, boundary lines and differences of race and creed. Cecil B. De Mille A Film Need Not Be Above Audience's Head This idea that a film may be too far above the heads of the great western audience or the great eastern audience is bunk. There is no such thing. If a film, or any work for that matter, combines a simple genius in depicting the story with a true understanding of what is being done, it will be a success, not alone for a "certain level" in audiences or in big cities, but for everyone. Rouben Mamouliun, director Imaginary Spectator An Aid to Film Acting "I never act for any one person in the audience or to all of the people in it. I act always for some one I picture as representing for me all of the audience put together. And so with the pictures. I play to my imaginary spectator, and it is almost as if I had an audience." Irene Bordoni THEIR FIRST JOBS BRADLEY BARKER office boy Along The Rialto with PhilM. Daly, Jr. T OUIS B. MAYER is one of the four members named to the committee for the 1932 Olympiad in Los Angeles Al Jolson is to at last have a Hollywood house named for him, the proposed $2,000,000 structure to be erected next door to the Warner there It is Pathe' short subjects week at the Mark Strand theaters in Noo Yawk and Brooklyn, a number of the crowing rooster subjects being offered at both houses Australian officials, observes "The Los Angeles Herald," fear that the screen propaganda of American motion picture interests will lead to complicated politics there. Now, if they really want to see complicated politics, let them get a job in a studio. Hank Linet is receiving felicitations on his switch to Columbia Pictures Joe Daly, veteran of the sound equipment field, has been commissioned by Sydney E. Abel, general sales manager, to open a new RCA-Photophone office at Boston Rajah Ferri, Fox dynamo, put over the advance campaign for "The Cock-Eyed World" at the B. F. Keith in Boston A real asset was gained for Allied States Ass'n, through the New England unit affiliation, in the aid which will be extended by Nathan Yamins, veteran exhibitor leader S. Mukai Seattle's only Japanese exhibitor, has wired his house, and is sure that his Japanese clientele will visit the house oftener, in order to better their English pronunciation Lee Marcus being put in his place by the ol' woman who wanted to see "Street Girl" and squawked when he told her they were sold out, to which she chirped: "Whatinell ye got de boxoffice open fur." Charles Farrell is scheduled to arrive in Noo Yawk today for the premiere of "Sunny Side Up." P. L. Thomson, director of advertising and publicity for Western Electric, and Arthur Dent of British Internationa] Pictures will talk at the AMPA luncheon today And Artie Stebbins doing things at the Million Dollar Roundtable of the Life Insurance Underwriters Ass'n convention at Washington 51 NUMBER 51 Industry Statistics By JAMES P. CUNNINGHAM Statistical Editor. The Film Daily rpOTAL exports from U. S. irt 1929 will approximate 250,000,000 linear ft., a tremendous increase over 1913 exports which total 32,000,000 ft., jumping steadily in eleven years to 178,000,000 ft. in 1924 then to 235,000,000 ft. in 1925. remaining at that figure for the next few years. In 1927. there was a slight decrease under the 1925 figure, 230,000,000 ft. having been sold in the latter period. MANY HAPPY RETURNS September 26 Best wishes and congratulations are extended by THE FILM DAILY to the following members of the industry, who today are celebrating their birthday: Victor Kendall Herman Rose Willard Stonewell Thursday, September 26, 1929 -AND THAT'S THAT By PHIL M. DALY f\\ER on Broadway at 46th Street. " Al Grey has the citizens yawping and gaping nightly as they view the girlies caught in the gigantic spider web high above the roof of a building. The brilliant ballyhoo is for "The Great Gabbo." And they sure make a pretty sight as they dangle there in all sorts of alluring poses, garbed in their fly costumes which, as you can infer, isn't muclof a costume. A gent slightly under the influence of raspberry juice stood alongside us the other night and kept clawing our sleeve as he gurgled: "Ain't zhay pretty flishe— such booful flishe. Zowie!" Then he staggered across Broadway, and the next minute was climbing the side of the building. A cop yanked him down. "Wherej'd dy' tinky' rgoin'r" he inquired, not unkindly. The raspberry guy sez: "Aw, lenune go, ossifer. Those girlie flishe are waitin' for me to come up an' play spider." Empey Club Chatter (By Charley Schwartz) Conversatioyi between two exhibitors: "Did you hear the thunder last night?" "No, I didn't hear it in Brooklyn." "Why, it was so bad you could hear it in China." Mebbe. But the acoustics are very bad in Brooklyn." "I Re-Double" (Se: Jack DeLacy) When contract is fairly high, and Dummy has supported the make after denying another suit bid of the declarant, leading Trump right up to the declarant is occasionally a sound and winning lead, and at times the one defense to save the game. Famous Film Conversations "Will he sign up?" TEN YEARS AGO TO-DAT IN Exhibitors arrive to attend United Pictures conference. * * * Wall Street interests reported seeking to build theater chain.