The Film Daily (1930)

THE IE NEWSPAPER HEM DOM ^ ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME Tuesday, July 22, 1930 Price 5 Cents ichigan Censorship Bill Stirs Vigorous Fight iVERHEAD CUTS TOJiELP WINTER NETS arners and Publix May Install Miniature Golf The Mirror a column of comment RNER BROS., in its plan roduce "Illicit" first as a talkpicture and then as a stage , is doing something that has ■n proposed and discussed at ious times as an experiment th trying. If a successful stage uction, which plays only New Tk and a few other metropolitan Iters, is a valuable piece of property SI the films because of the advertisthat has accrued to it, a successdpicture, which can obtain 20 times -much advertising in half the time, (1 uld likewise be valuable for reduction, especially with the stars J the film appearing in the stage ■iMon. ■W. HAMMONS expresses it very ily when he says that comedy is the i>eranto of entertainment. It has lln the impression among many that l'sic holds this position. The wider \ it-al of comedy, both internation» and generally, lies in the fact it it can take in millions of juve iio, although they haven't de■oped an ear for music, are quick >nd to any action that is laugh! :ing. * * * MUSICAL PICTURES, incidentally, jtvt beKim to slide abroad the same they have over here. Inability of J flat screen to effectively repro ce tin sparkle, color and effer scence that are indispensable to eretta may be set down as a chief >r the failure of such films. 'om a practical viewpoint, most of laborate pictures have missed cause of tremendous outlay involv compared to the value of the en rtainment they provide and the nount of cash business they pull in. Plan Conversion of Dark and Unprofitable Theaters Following the lead of Fox, the Warner and Publix organizations are considering the installation of miniature golf courses in some of their houses. John N. Ledbetter, vicepresident of the Miniature Golf Courses of America, says that representatives of all three companies have been in conference with him on the subject. Houses that are now dark or unprofitable will be converted. 7 LONDON MUSIC HALLS GIVE IN TO TALKERS London (By Cable)— After about 50 years of presenting stage entertainment, the seven music halls of the Summers Brown Circuit will shortly open with talker policies. Western Electric system is to be installed. Halls involved are the Croydon Empire, Kilburn Empire, Islington Empire, Hammersmith Palace, I 1 f o r d Hippodrome, Camberwell Grand and Clapham Grand. Another Invasion Malone, N. Y. — Schine's Grand here is making a bid for Canadian patronage by advertising its shows in newspapers of the Dominion. Many Quebec towns just across the border are without theaters. PARIS TALKER CONFAB MAY WIND UPT0MORR0W Paris (By Cable) — Conclusion of the talker patent conference, resumed yesterday following the return of Will H. Hays from Berlin, is expected to take place tomorrow, at which time the American contingent hopes to sail for home. Yesterday's meeting adjourned until this morning without an agreement being reached on the understanding adopted last week. Starr Elected Director on DeForest Radio Board Herman Starr has been elected a member of the board of directors of the De Forest Radio Co. Theater Interests Line Up Against Michigan Censorship Feminine Angle Apparently with a view to overcoming the lack of appeal in prison pictures for feminine patrons, Warner Bros, plans to produce a jail film dealing with women. It is by Melville Grossman, temporarily titled "Bad Woman," adopted by Maude Fulton, dialogue by Arthur Caeser and acted by May Boley, Martha Mattox, Vera Gordon, Blance Friderici and others. Lansing, Mich. — A censorship bill, introduced in the city council, and which would have the effect of a state-wide regulation, will be vigorously opposed when it comes up for hearing tomorrow night. Publix, W. S. Butterficld and H. M. Richey are among the interests lined up against it, and C. C. Petti John of the Hays ' Min e is coming here from New York to work for the defeat of the measure. The bill provides for a board of five persons to pass on all pictures and is similar in substance to the Hudson bill in Washington. Inasmuch {Continued tm Pag* 4) Trimmng of Expenses Will Reflect in the Coming Months Campaigns against unnecessary theater overhead now under way by several of the producer-exhibitor organizations are expected to have a highly beneficial result in the net earnings of these companies next fall and winter. The paring of expenses, which in nearly all cases have been running on the basis of the abnormal business of last season, is figured to put the houses in line to show a profit with trade at anywhere near normal. ACTIVE MARKET ON COAST WANTED FOR FILM STOCKS West Coast Bureau, THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — A movement to create an active market here in amusement stocks is now under way. The executive group of the Los Angeles Stock Transfer Ass'n. has gone on .ecord as heartily in favor of the .dea, which was initiated by brokers, prominent business men and the public of Southern California, who tee! chat they are penalized by the dis-ance separating the East from the West. He Made Good West Coast Bur. THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Five months ago Gregory Gaye was grateful for $10-a-day extra jobs. Director David Butler gave him a chance to portray a French aristocrat in Fox's "High Society Blues," and now he is a featured player, his next appearance to be as a principal in "Renegades" with Warner Baxter and Noah Beery.