The Film Daily (1930)

THE ■s&mi PAILV Friday, January 10, 1930i Timely Topics A Digest of Current Opinion — €)= Better Results Expected From Plasdng Percentage PARAMOUNT has announced its decision to eliminate certain pictures and sell another group. The eliminations, it is felt, would prove poor box-office, so they will not be made. On the other hand, the producing unit feels the new additions will bring them in. This seems to be a potent argument in favor of playjng percentage. Paramount has rearranged its schedule because most of its contracts are now made on percentage scale and it is now directly interested in the success of the picture in the individual theater. Percentage makes it a partner in the profits and it is more eager to give the exhibitor profitable pictures instead of figuring the flat rental basis. Of course, Paramount and all other companies always have sought to make a good product to influence bookings for the following season, but now it has a more direct interest in the fortunes of each individual picture and not merely the group. Jay Emanuel in "The Exhihitoi-" * * * Sound and Talking Pictures No Longer An Experiment TO-DAY it is no longer a question of experimentation. The success of the sound and talking film is a demonstrated fact. So much so that the footlight theater of Broadway has suffered a stroke of fear and bewilderment from which it is not likely to recover for years. There is a reason for this. The reason is, now that the films speak they provide a more satisfactory entertainment (because of the breadth of their view and the comprehensiveness of their approach) than does the stage, and they don't cost so much. Quinn Martin in Neiv York "World" • THEIR FIRST JOBS GEO. FITZMAURICE painter Along The Rialto with PhilM, Daly, Jr. PAULA GOULU, returned from Hollywood press-agentry experiences, has sold "Smart Set Magazine" a yarn entitled "Easy" and intends to go into this fiction-writing business with serious intent Ray Kirkwood, who was associated with I nee for a decade, which sounds longer than 10 years but isn't, sails Saturday for abroad with plans to produce talkers in English and Spanish * * * * "Molly," balled in "The Grand Parade" which Pathe made, will be sung by Peter Higgins, tenor, as a feature of the RKO hour over WEAF in a coast-to-coast NBC hookup Tuesday night Joseph Santley, recently of Broadway but now of Hollywood, will direct Helen Twelvetrees and Fred Scott in a circus talker which Pathe will make. All the w. k. circus noises will be included and only the aroma of sawdust, peanuts and pink lemonade (if these things have aromas) will be missing * * * * Chester Conklin will give the girls of the 86th St. neighborhod a treat for three days beginning tomorrow, when he appears as the vaudeville headliner at Proctor's 86th St J. P. Goring, the Criterion manager with a penchant for statistics, has figured out that "The I-ove Parade" is 21,300 tickets ahead of "Wings" in a similar period at the same house Ned E. Depinet plans a society premiere for the world debut of "Son of the Gods," First National color special starring Richard Barthelmess. The class event is to take place in either Palm Beach or Miami, and Barthelmess will return from abroad in time for the doings Gary Cooper will be starred, with Beryl Mercer in support, as a special portion of tomorrow night's Paramount-Publix Radio Hour Victor McLaglen, though 6 ft. 3 in., is the smallest of seven brothers, it is chronicled by Walter Winchell. The Columbia press dept. again breaks into flaming print. Both Hortense Schorr and Frank Spicker are starting their fourth year with the firm W. J. McDonald has finished editing 26 Victor Gems for Columbia and is still cutting other pitchers up for this company J. F. Clemenger, who used to be an asset in trade paper work in these parts, is back in New York, now working on the recording of radio broadcasts. He recently was production director for Columbia Broadcasting System. Do you know the important milestones of the industry over the last dozen years? The FILM DAILY YEAR BOOK for 1930 will give them to you in chronological order. JANUARY lO-MANY HAPPY RETURNS Best wishes and congratulations are extended by THE FILM DAILY to the foUowing members of the industry, who are celebrating their birthdays today. Francis X. Bushman Douglas MacLean Pauline Starke Louis Stern -AND THAT'S THAT By PHIL M. DALY HANG UP another record for speed in the way of a Broadway opening. The occasion was the gala opening of Tiffany's "Party Girl" at the Gaiety on Broadway. "Sky Hawk" was playing at this house and scheduled to close at 10:45 P. M. on Dec. 31. Just exactly one hour and a quarter later — on the stroke of the New Year — "Party Girl" was opened and greeted the throngs of merrymakers along the Mazda Boulevard. Al Selig, director of advertising and publicity, can take a brace of bows for this publicity stunt. He had his staff on their toes, and the electric signs, lobby displays and all else that goes with a Broadway opening were in evidence as the crowds rolled in. * * * Martin Starr, as secretary of the AM PAS, speaks for that organization and tenders the members the following for the coming year: "That the coming New Year bring unto you the complete realization of all your day-dreams, hopes and ambitions, and that every day of the forthcoming 358 be replete with a new, sublime and beautiful adventure." * * * Well, that's how a guy is affected who works for a concern publishing "True Romances." And not to overlook Macfadden's other publication, "Physical Culture," next year Martin is going to say: "That the coming year bring you an abundance of wim, wigor and witality, and that every day will be replete with a new, sublime and beautiful muscular development on your wegetarian diet." ♦ ♦ * Parts That Stand Out Ruth Chatterton and Clive Brook in "The Laughing Lady." Beautiful team work that builds with gripping power to a smash clinuix and sets their work on a pinnacle that will make it tough for any other leading players to duplicate. Australasian Films reported merging with J. C. Williamson in Australia. * * * Republic Distributing gets distribution of Chaplin films from Hallmark. * ♦ ♦ Texas exhibitors join M.P.T.O.A. Meeting of First National franchise holders scheduled at Atlantic City. TEN YEARS AGO TO-DAY IN