The Film Daily (1929)

DAILY Friday, October 11, Timely Topics A Digest of Current Opinion €) Finds Efficiency Has Entered Picture Making FROM the business standpoint, the motion picture industry has settled down and is operating along the sound, commonsense lines which govern other American industries. Reckless extravagance is no more. Waste of time and effort has been eliminated. It is no longer the "motion picture game"; it is the motion picture business. Will H. Hays * * * Thinks Talkers Tend to Neglect Cinematic Elements IN its first excitement over the new trick of speech, the talkie forgot that it was still a movie; it chose to exploit the phonographic and to neglect the cinematic. But the cinema is still the greater marvel, it is younger and more mysterious than the talking machine; and as the talkie develops it will choose such material as does not too violently conflict with its cinematic nature. Gilbert Seldes * * * Musical Uplift Vital to Life of Sound Films THE present type will shortly give way to pictures which are partially silent, and even in some cases totally silent. And, best of all, we may look forward to that happy day when the theme song —that tawdry invention of Tin Pan Alley minds for the entertainment of morons — will be completely eliminated. Precisely as the silent film with its music progressed steadily upward by making an effort to appeal to the intelligence as well as the emotions, so sound-pictures with music must follow the same path or die. Dr. Alexander Russell, Director of Music, Princeton University THEIR FIRST JOBS FRED J. McCONNELL Reporter Chicago Daily Along The Rialto with Phil M. Daly, Jr. EDGAR MOSS and his Philadelphia champions will get 15 grand of the 50 G's, William Fox will distribute for outstanding results in the 1928-29 season It's the third time the Phillies have won first honors Harry (Bux) Buxbaum, Noo Yawk, is second with an award of $7,500 in the results announced by "Jimmy" Grainger Try to get Sam Warshawsky, demon RKO publicist to talk about anything but Radio Pictures' big smash, "Rio Rita" Fox's gang has started its annual departmental bowling tournament, Moe Krane advises An accord has been reached by Al Lichtman and Artie Stebbins, who agree that Artie is the weeds when it comes to playing bridge Leopold Friedman .said he went down to the piers t'other day to meet himself coming in Phil Reisman and his crowing rooster gang have sold the jubilee features second run in 18 Loew houses of Greater Noo Yawk Speaking of bookings, Educational talking comedies this week have 192 playdates in the Greater City There is a display of Disraeliana at the Warner where George Arliss in "Disraeli" is proving a hit Claire Windsor is laughing off reports of her engagement. E. F. Albee has sent checks for $150,000 to the building fund of the Cathedral of St. John, the Devine New Market, Noo Joisey is in the throes of a "blue" law fight And then there is the' one about the woman who was told her pass had expired and replied: "Do you wonder, with the poor ventilation you have here?" Irene Rich is to make a personal appearance tonight at the Roxy, where Will Rogers' "They Had to See Paris' 'is opening. First print of John Barrymore's "General Crack" has arrived in Noo Yawk Hizzoner "Jimmy" Walker is to speak Sattiday from the stage of the Academy of Music, Fox house . Premature is the talk of a company formed by Colvin Brown ■and Sam Rork, for no company has been formed as yet Irving Thalberg is one of the judges of personal experience stories for "The N. Y. Mirror." 64 NUMBER 64 Industry Statistics By JAMES P. CUNNINGHAM Statistical Editor, The Film Daily TOTAL number of theaters permanently closed or dismantled in a year exceeds, by several hundreds, the number of new house openings, although total seating capacity does not change, due to the fact that houses permanently closed are of the old type, all having small capacities, whereas new houses are being built much larger, following the present trend in modern theater construction. It is estimated that capacities of the old-type structures range from 200 to 500 top, with theater operators of the present day installing from 1,000 to 6,000 seats in their new ventures. MANY HAPPY RETURNS October 11 Best wishes and congratulations are extended by THE FILM DAILY to the following members of the industry, who today are celebrating their birthday : Lillian Hackett Anna Hogan James McWilliams Maurice Pivar Nellie A. Spencer -AND THAT'S THAT By PHIL M. DALY NEVER JUDGE a gink grease spots on his vest. is one of the resolutions for the 1 Year which we have decided to up to. It came about as the rei of a little experience at the Stat theater at Forty-Second St. and ill enth Ave. We sat reviewing a i| chur in the gallery. Alongside us greasy gent sez: "Kin I bone a ciji We proferred the Murads. T came the voice again: "Gotta matci We proffered the Dunhill ligli which Mysterious Mame gave us our birthday. Then we became absorbed in the pitchur that we o\ looked the fact that the greasy g hadn't returned the lighter. An hi later we walked out. * * * A half hour after that we it; absorbing one of Pa Gerson's \ per cent pure pineapple drinks Forty-Seventh St., when we sudw ly bethought ourself of the Ugh We made a wild dash back to Stanley. "Wotta chance?", sez talking to ourself as usual. '" Dunhill lighter is gone, and w will Mame say?" Up to the bald we crashed. And there was , greasy gink sitting there where < had left him. He handed us lighter. "I was gonna leave it « the house manager," sez he, ' between you and me, they're not be trusted with lost property tur, in. * * * We strolled downstairs togetl "Why did you make that crack ab house managers?", we asks. "S kid," sez he, "I useter be one i self." He left us in the lobby, i we turned to Manager Terhune ; told him the story. Terhune's cc ment was: "What he says is no do true about Broadway managers — not Seventh Ave. managers." * * * Slight Oversight Just ran across a birth notice our file: "Karl Dane, Oct. 12, 186 We're 43 years late, it's true, but notice is still good. TEN YEARS AGO TO-DJ IN Famous Players to issue $10,0 000 in 8 per cent cumulative ] ferred stock. * * * Joseph F. Lee leaves Louis Mayer organization. * * * Hobart Henley leaves 125th studio, New York.