The Film Daily (1930)

THE THE NEWSPAPER OF FILM DOM 411 THE NEWS ALL THE TIME VOL. LIII No. 30 Tuesday, August 5, 1930 Price 5 Cents Another Slash Is Made in Musical Productions U. S. PATENT POOL WITH DEFOREST LIKELY Star System Will Be Continued by Radio Pictures Silver Jubilee — for Warner Brothers By JACK ALICOATE^= Today marks Talkers Today somewhat of a Are 4 Years Old double anniversary for that up-and-at-'em firm of Warner, Warner and Warner. Twenty-five years ago, to be chronologically correct, this very month, the Warner boys entered the picture business via an exchange in Pittsburgh, not far from where the Ohio joins the Monongahela. Four years ago to this very day they presented to an apathetic public the first sound talking picture, destined, as the book of futures unfolded, to completely revolutionize the amusement business of the world. In the interim what they have accomplished would read like a tremendous romantic business fairy story set to the tempo of a Horatio Alger titanic adventure. May we add our bit of congratulations to Warner hers on this the occasion of their Silver Jubilee in motion pictures. Send 'Em Home Smiling Styles in enterta inment change. What knocks 'em side ways as novelty today may be cold as a raspberry frappe tomorrow. Like our poor relations, however, one thing we will always have with us. The demand for laughter and the apparent everlasting lack of supply to meet that demand. A show, be it talker, silent, vaudeville or legit, that gives 'em a Rood supply of solid laughs, with an occasional chuckle thrown in for pood measure, is never a bust. It was some years ago that George M. Cohan, who might safely be catalogued as a fair showman himself, issued the sage advice; "Send 'em home smiling." Pretty good ad{Continued on Pane 2) RKO Officials Believe in the Value of Personalities West Coast Bureau, THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Although the trend among some major companies, according to their own a/inouncements, is to place stories ahead of stars, Radio Pictures intends to stick to the star system and William LeBaron has a promising list of material that is expected to shine along this line. At present RKO's outstanding stars are Amos 'n' Andy, Bebe Daniels and Richard Dix. Others recognized as stars or within one-picture distance of that honor include Betty Compson, Evelyn Brent, Sue Carol, Arthur Lake, Everett Marshall, Bert Wheeler, Lowell Sherman, Jack Mulhall and Robert Woolsey. west coastTheaters chase bad business West Coast Bureau, THE FILM DAILY Los Angeles — To back up his contention that bad business can be turned into good business by the right kind of effort, Harold B. Frank* Jin reports that the Criterion and State here are enjoying mid-winter patronage; the anniversary show at (Continued on Pane 2) Censor Relents After having banned Universal^ "All Quiet on the Western Front," the New Zealand censor has relented and the picture now will be exhibited in that country, according to a cable jeceived yesterday by Carl Laemmle from Here Mclntyre, Universale Australian general manager. Australia banned the Remarque book, but passed the film. EXPECT SPANISH HOUSES 80% WIRED IN TWO YEARS Washington — Out of some 3,400 film houses in Spain, it is estimated that from 50 to 80 per cent will have sound equipment within 18 months (.Continued on Pane ?.) Sunday Golf Barred; Picture Shows O. K. Beacon, N. Y. — A chief of police with ideas after an exhibitor's own heart is in authority here. Following the example of Newburgh, the chief has ruled against miniature golf on Sundays. Picture shows, however, are allowed to run. Number of Musical Films Being Further Reduced Fox De-luxing Golf Fox Theaters, which will open its first indoor golf course at the Kew Gardens, to be followed by courses at the Audubon and other houses,, plans to put "demitasse golf" on a de luxe basis. The Kew Gardens course not only will be thoroughly landscaped, but will even have an artificial sky. Reacting to box-office experience and exhibitor pleas, producers are making another reduction in the number of musicals for next season, a FILM DAILY checkup shows. Although the option exists that certain good musical films can make money, producers generally agreed thai it's a tough job to make pictures of tli is type that can gross enough to pay the high costs. As a result, scenario editors have been instructed to go slow on musical material. Bankers Here Expected to Take a Hand in Bringing Truce Negotiations to bring about a talker patent pool in this country taking in Western Electric, RCA Photophone and General Talking Pictures (DeForest) are expected to get under way shortly under the sponsorship of interested bankers, THE FILM DAILY learns The recent decision obtained by G.T.P. over the Ries patent and the suit filed by this company last week against RCA are understood to be the chief factors behind the move. G.T.P. is not a party to the patent agreement made in Paris recently, and, should the high courts sustain its cases against W.E. and RCA, the bankers fear troublesome complications. WARNERS TAKING OVER SCHINE HOUSES IN SEPT. Cleveland — Warner Bros, will take over the S.chine houses in Ohio, in accordance with the recently reported deal, about Sept. 1, it is stated by H. S. Marks, head of the Warner theater department here. This will add about 30 houses to the chain. Unwanted Distinction Mt. Pleasant, Tenn. — This town, with an official population of about 2,000 and about that many more to draw from in the immediate vicinity, has been given the distinction of being one of the largest towns in the world without movies. But it doesn't care much for the honor and pleas have gone forth in an effort to induce someone to build a house here to replace the one destroyed by Fire last February.