The Film Daily (1929)

THE iSEE*; DAILY Wednesday, October 16, 1929 Timely Topics A Digest of Current Opinion Declares Fox Reached Top Because He Dared HIS parents weren't on calling terms with the Astors — but his grandchildren will be. John Jacob's folks had actively retired from inn-keeping, and moved uptown, long before the Foxes settled in lower New York, to lay another superfortune foundation. That responsibility shortly and prematurely devolved upon son William, and so deprived him of the advanced schooling without which nobody is supposed to get very far. All sound thinking isn't a college graduate. Necessity confers degrees of common sense, as distinguished as certified doctorates. In proof of which, William Fox is celebrating his Silver Wedding to motion pictures. Circumstance designed him for a minor tradesman, or a petty manufacturer, but he refused to recognize his unfitness for command and kept his thoughts in shoulder-straps. The Fox theater chain, Fox production units and Fox realty holdings, sprang from a dank basement shop and the conviction that there were just as good fish in the future as any the past had caught. He didn't brood over sour-grapes, or meagre backgrounds — he was too busy watching his fore grounds to waste energy on inferiority complexes and wishing rings. Instead, he explored possibility — and landed in a trashy nickelodeon. It wasn't much, but it was a fair start — which is all that anybody's entit'ed to. He plowed back his profits into the soil that produced them — which is, alike, sound husbandry and fundamental business law. He did nothing you couldn't have accomplished, and accomplished it under the noses of a million contemporaries immeasurably better financed and trained for the same job. You had as much money and as much experience — but you didn't care as hard or dare as hard. Consequently, the Foxes, the Astors, the Fords and the Firestones, will be social landmarks and industrial dictators when your grandchildren are inheriting obscurity, the suburbs, and knowledge that Grandfather took a University course and expected it to replace initiative, pertinacity and imagination. Herbert Kaufman in the "Netv York Daily Mirror" THEIR FIRST JOBS LOU METZGER inspector Film Exchange, Portland, Oregon Along The Rialto with PhilM. Daly, Jr. THERE'S plenty of interest to convert the Embassy, theater. The policy should 1 reels sure stepped plenty on ti Samuel Goldwyn and hf» ; Yawk three months, his fi;-^. ■■ demned" Roxy's Sunda^ ong the Main Stem in Fox's plan >o Yawk, into a sound newsreel ^ popular one The newsWorld Series pitchurs ntire staff will remain in Noo task being premiere of "Conconcert broadcasts are just a year old, and plenty popular "Station S-E-X" is the snappy title of Clara Bow's new fillum, and she's to be a radio announcer in it Standard Film Service Co., Detroit independent, is celebrating its sixteenth year in business Once a showman, always ditto, goes the old saw, and Crockett Brown, mayor of Nashwauk, Minn., and one of our veteran subscribers, is preparing to go back into the business with a new Nashwauk house Tommy Burke, a leader in arbitration in the Minneapolis territory, will use his experience to advantage, having been drawn for jury service. It'll be rather quiet after arbitration Director Henry King demonstrated that he still can do the maestro act, the occasion having been a personal appearance of Lupe Velez at the Park, Tampa. King's new fillum is being made in and around Tampa Rudy Vallee's back in Manhattan after completing "The Vagabond Lover" for Arrkayoh And Maurice Chevalier has arrived from France yesterday George Jessel has arrived for the dinner to be tendered him by the Jewish Theatrical Guild Opening time of the Astor, Reading, Pa., had to be advanced two hours to handle crowds for Universal's "Broadway" Warner Oland's bought a coupla islands off the Coast of Mexico Joe (Harold Lloyd) Reddy's in Noo Yawk for opening of "Welcome Danger" Wonder if Pat (Christie) Dowling ever corresponds with his Atlantic City namesake Police Commissioner Whalen got an eyeful and earful of "The Return of Sherlock Holmes," Long Island-made talker carrying the Paramount brand, Tuesday morning at a special exhibit at the Criterion. 68 NUMBER 68 Industry Statistics By JAMES P. CUNNINGHAM Statistical Editor, The Film Daily AMERICAN producer dis■^ tributor interests use 150,000,000 feet of negative stock and 1,000,000,000 feet of positive yearly in the production and distribution of feature and ;short subject product, 70 per cent of which is Concentrated in this country, with 30 per cent of the stock being used to market product of American interests abroad. Yearly average for the last five years is calculated by authorities in the raw film field to be the same as figures quoted above for the current period. MANY HAPPY RETURNS October 16 Best wishes and congratulations are extended by THE FILM DAILY to the following members of the industry, who today are celebrating their birthday: Al G. Ruben Mollie O'Day Rex Bell Lloyd Corrigan Bernard McConville Frank Ormiston AND THAT'S THAT By PHIL M. DALY JOHN LODER and Jeanette Loff were on their way to the set at the Pathe studio where they were appearing in the all-talker "The Racketeer." A voice issued from one ol the projection rooms and Lodet stopped in his tracks. "I know that voice," he said "Whose is it?" "You ought to know it," said Jeanette. "It's your own." Pretty soon they'll have thea sound reproductions so perfect thai there'll be no possible doubt. * * * Mur-Ad If your stenographer chews gum while you're dictating, be nonchalant! Light a Murad and chew a hunk o| tobacco. * * * Nursery Crimes Pussy cat, pussy cat Where have you been? Out with a fillum man Lapping up gin. * * * "What's Trump?" (Scz Jack DeLacy) "Don't pre-empt with two suit show them. Empey Club Chatter (By Charley Schwait-) Harry Reichenbach, recently nj turned from abroad, informs us th;, 50,000,000 Frenchmen are right. * * * Famous Film Conversations "See me tomorrow." Woof And maybe Don Hancock w warble to you the one about the g who came back from an automob ride with one muddy foot. She i considered. TEN YEARS AGO TO-DA IN Frank R. Wilson joins D. Griffith as confidential advisor. * * * Original titles of reissues must made clear Trade Commission nil % % % Sol Lesser purchases world rig on the George Beban film.