The Film Daily (1929)

THE Friday, October 11, 1929 m -Z&>* DAILY Fox Silver Jubilee Drive Gets Under Way Tomorrow {Continued from Page 1) Twenty-five years ago Fox, who had come to this country as a r>oor immigrant boy brought from Hungary by his family, made a modest start in the film business. For $1,b(>b.b7 he bought a one-third interest in a tiny theater of 146 seats contrived out of a store on Broadway, Brooklyn. From that inconspicuous start he has risen to be one of the leading business men in America, holding nearly 1,000 theaters, with a seating capacity of almost 1,000,000. From a circumscribed studio at Fort Lee, N. J., which the Fox company inaugurated when it was found necessary to produce its own pictures for tilling an expanding theater chain, the organization now has two huge studios in Hollywood, and a magnificent new plant with soundproof stages and other conveniences at Fox Movietone City on the road from Hollywood to Santa Monica. There are also studio facilities at the Fox plant in New York. Laboratory equipment of Fox has grown from a ramshackle building at Fort Lee, first used in 1914, to plants in New York and Hol'ywood. A production capacity of 56,000 feet a day has soared to 1,000,000 in the New York laboratory alone. To the old facilities for handling silent films have been added the apparatus for developing and shipping Fox Movietone film. Sound by this process is recorded on the film with the picture. Exchange offices have grown from half a dozen to 130 branch offices throughout the world. There has been a corresponding expansion in personnel. From ISO workers the number of people employed by the Fox orK.inization has grown to many thousands. Movietone Considered One of Greatest Feats Fox numbers among his greatest achievements the bringing to the screen of the Movietone system of sound pictures. With the development of Movietone has come an equally swift expansion of the Fox theater ho'dings. Two years ago Fox took over the Roxy. He already had an important group of theaters in leading cities. Since this move he has completed de luxe houses in Brooklyn, Detroit, St. Louis and San Francisco as well. Fox also has secured control of and reorganized the West Coast Theater chain. From 2S0 theaters located in California, lOregon and Washington, this organization has expanded into Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Kansas, Missouri and Iowa. Theater Expansion Program Now Being Continued In the Northwest the former Saxe circuit has been welded into Fox-Midwesco Theaters of approximately 60 theaters. The Asher Circuit of seven houses in Chicago is now under Fox control. Fox-New England Theaters is now managing the former Poli circuit of 20 theaters in New England. Fox Metropolitan Playhouses, Inc., now control 130 theaters in Greater New York. New Jersey and upstate New York. The Schine circuit has been added to this organization. In the Southwest the Hoblitzel circuit is now under Fox Control. The expansion is continuing. New England Houses Set for Silver Jubilee Week New Haven — Managerial forces of the Fox-Poli chain have been mobilized by General Manager Herschel Stuart, to put over Fox Silver Jubilee Week, starting tomorrow. 50 Wisconsin Theaters Taking Part in Drive Milwaukee — About 50 Winconsin theaters will participate in Fox Silver Jubilee Week starting tomorrow, under a campaign mapped by General Manager Harold J. Fitzgerald. Sydney Myers Prepared for Chicago Observance Chicago — General Manager Sydney Myers of Fox Chicago Theaters is set for the Fox Silver Jubilee to be observed starting tomorrow by the six local Fox houses. Fox West Coast Theaters Getting Behind Move Los Angeles — Houses of the Fox West Coast Theaters chain are getting behind Fox Silver Jubilee Week opening tomorrow. Neglect of Poster, Menace to Industry, Cravath Incorporated in his address at the regular weekly meeting of the AM PA yesterday, Glenn Cravath, poster artist, stated that the "neglect of poster advertising" is a menace to the film industry. In addition to illustrating his talk with a series of posters, he portrayed the advantages that are being neglected through the lack of proper appreciation of the poster medium in advertising. Fox Bookers Placed Under Home Office Supervision Bookers of Fox exchanges throughout the nation have been placed under supervision of Clarence Hill, in a centralization plan completed by James R. Grainger, general sales manager. Hays Writes Foreword to "The Soul of France" Will H. Hays has written a foreword to "The Soul of France." produced by Jacques Haik with the cooperation of the French government which has its American premiere tomorrow at the Film Guild Cinema, New York. A. special showing of the film, which tells of France's part in the World War, is scheduled tonight under auspices of Paul Claudel, French ambassador. *6 I Si YEARBOOK 1920 '^fcf^1 WHAT IMPORTANT FILM FOLK SAID ABOUT the 1929 Film Daily Year Book Ralph A . Kohn Budd Rogers Gotham Productions John C. Flinn Pathe Exchange "It will be a great help to me during the coming year." "Valuable book — I have it under my elbow for a constant and ready guide." "Very inviting in text and* type and I am sure will stand up to the daily usage which its predecessors have been subjected to." E. W . Hammons President Educational Film Exchanges "A very valuable book." 1930 Edition Now In Preparation— Out In January