The Film Daily (1930)

THE THE M V\M Mil. OF FILM DOM AIL Till NEWS ALL THE TIME VOL. LII No. 69 Friday, June 20, 1930 Price 5 Cents Pathe Re-entering Serial Field With Five Planned RKO, FOX PRODUCTlOR STANLEYTOUSES Nine in Work, Six Being Prepared at M-G-M Admiral Byrd — conquers the screen ^.By JACK ALICOATE^ WE HAVE just witnessed the most unusual and powerful cinema document of all time. "With Byrd at the South Pole" will live forever. It is a priceless production jewel to add to the Paramount P u b 1 i x treasure chest, a daring and fearless photographic achievement on the part of the cameramen, Joe Kucker and Willard VanderVeer and last but most important, it is the must significant historical contribution to date by the motion picture industry of America to the peoples of the world. To this generation, as well as posterity, it gives an honest and inspiring picture of the humor, heartaches, trials and hardships of that intrepid band, led by the courageous and colorful Admiral Byrd in his two years' conquest of the South Pole. "With Byrd at the South Pole" is noble — tremendous — unforgettable. Should Play Everywhere II SHOULD l)e seen by every man, woman and child in America. It is already backed by the most farreaching and legitimate publicity and exploitation campaign the amusement business has ever known. It should be played as a special and have the enthusiastic backing of every organization in your town or city. "With Byrd at the South Pole" is an unusual opportunity for the exhibitor, a compelling feather in the cap of Paramount, a decided achievement for the motion picture industry and a vivid and dramatic summary of a tremendous accomplishment in which every red-blooded American may well join with Admiral Bvrd in pardonable pride. No Production Letdown in Sight This Summer at Metro Studios West Const Bureau. THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Xo let down in activity is in sight at the M-G-M studios, where nine pictures arc in production and six are being prepared for work. Eleven pictures, eight of which are on the 1929-30 schedule, have been completed and (Continued on Fane •! ) SUPERLAB AND C1NELAB ARE JOINED BY MERGER Superlab Corp., of which Max Mayer is president, and Cinelab, Inc., headed by J. H. Smith have merged. The equipment of Superlab is being moved to the Cinelab Building, 33 West 60th St., where the combined facilities will occupy larger quarters on the third floor. Officers of the new company will include Smith, Mayer and William (Continued on Pacie 4) R. V. Anderson to Handle 'U' Newsreel Distribution Richard V. Anderson, prominent in the newsreel field, has rejoined Universal as head of distribution of the company's Newspaper Talking Newsreel in which Graham McNamee does the talking. Sam B. Jacobson continues as editor and production head of the reel. Favorites A fan writer tells his flock that Janet Gaynor's favorite actress is Mary Pickford, whose favorite is Lillian Gish, while Gary Cooper prefers Charlie Chaplin, and Ruth Chatterton favors Emil Jannings, etc. Now how about getting Lon Chaney to tell which of himselves he likes best. ONE SALES UNIT PROPOSED FOR ALL SCREEN CONCERNS Negotiations are under v7ay for the establishment of a sales organization to handle practically all motion picture screens. The Beaded Screen Corp. is understood to be one of the principal factors behind the proposed merger, and the Raven Screen Corp. is among the companies already approached to join in the consolidation. Each product is to be manufactured and sold under its own name. Tri-Ergon Files Appeal in De Forest Decision Wcuhington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — An action to compel the issuing of a talker patent, and representing in effect an appeal from the decision won last March by De Forest Phonofilm in the inter i ( ontinued vn Pane 4) Serials to Attract Young W ill be Rushed by Pathe Jolson on All Fours Harry Richman says that Al Jolson, in making "Sons o' Guns" for United Artists, has plunged into his work with such enthusiasm that he is walking on his knees and singing on his elbows. Pathe is to re-enter the serial field and five productions of this type already have been lined up with a view to having the first one read) for release early in September, it is announced by Phil Reisman, who returned a few days ago from a week of conferences in Culver City with (Continued p»i Pane 4) Big Booking Deals Stir Up Protests From Indie Exhibitors Philadelphia — RKO has closed a deal for the showing of its product in the Warner-Stanley houses in this zone, and Fox is understood to be on the verge of concluding a similar deal. On learning that these negotiations were under way, the M.P.T.O. of Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware began agitating against them and resolutions were passed yesterday urging consideration for the independent exhibitors. M. P. T. 0. A. COMMITTEE FOR 5-5-5 M. J. O'Toole, secretary of the M.P.T.O. A., yesterday received word from M A. Lightman, president of the organization, that the following committee would represent the national exhibitors' body at the 5-5-5 conference in Atlantic City on June 30. R. R. Biechele, Kansas; Jack Miller, Illinois; Jack Harwood, Ohio; Charles Piquet, Xorth Carolina, and M. A. Lightman, Tennessee. Two Hecht Theaters Go to R-K-0 Sept. 1 Newark, N. J. — R-K-O has exercised its option on the two Harry Hecht houses and will take them over Sept. 1. The theaters are Rivoli, Rutherford and Regent, Kearny. Hecht has three other houses in his chain which are not included in the deal. SixFoot Singers Samuel Goldwyn's office is making tests of baritones, who are six feet or more in height, for the Evelyn Laye film, "Lilli." In a cigarette, it's the taste, and in a baritone, apparently, it's the timbre.