The Film Daily (1930)

THE Wednesday, September 3, 1930 ■<%ti DAILY 11 See New Prosperity on Way depression Put To Run By Good Films By AL LICHTMAN Vice Pres. and Gen. Mgr., United Artists THERE is no depression among theaters playing the kind of picures that the public is anxious to ee and hear. Economics can't be lamed for inferior pictures, and the nly pessimists are those with duds n their hands." The good pictures coming along o\v are putting the so-called depresion on the run. Productions havlg originality, strong plot, plenty f action and punch, will always get le business. With more of these lms being turned out now, a handMnely profitable season is ahead. Green Lights Ahead! Jeic Season Calls for Higher Standards By GRANT L. COOK Executive Vice-President, Tiffany Productions WE ARE looking forward to the | greatest picture season in many lears,. and we have prepared ourelves accordingly. We are conInced that the industry as a whole I rapidly climbing the upgrade, and lir absolute faith in the future is lepressed more convincingly in our Lgmented line-up of product than ] could possibly be in words or figIres. I The unique place "Journey's End" lade for itself in the history of picIres and the remarkable public reIponse to its greatness make it learer than ever that great picIres will result in great box-office f turns. Tiffany is proceeding on lis maxim and has made "Journey's Ind" the objective of its producjbn standard for the coming season Ir the simple reason that we befcve the coming season will show ■ch a tremendous advance in prosjrity that nothing short of the best Hill be in demand. Bankers Go Movie Laymen visiting Wall St. these days report that they get a great kick out of hearing dignified bankers talking about the drawing power of film stars and picture hits. Since the financial institutions have become so heavily involved with the amusement industry, there are many corners of the money mart where theater attendance and box-office figures are discussed more than ingot production and car loadings. A Contribution from Fox Film T^OX FILM has given the new prosperity a healthy send-off by presenting exhibitors with "Common Clay," which not only signalized the opening of Fox's own Greater Talkie Season, but has revived interest and spread cheer in other circuit and independent houses. This drawing card is a sample of the aces that are to come, says Winfield Sheehan. The Fox sales forces, under the generalship of James R. Grainger, will split $75,000 next month in cash bonuses for good work the past season. Additional incentive for greater effort in 1930-31 is provided by an extra $10,000 from Harley L. Clarke to augment the $75,000 that will be awarded again next year. All of which means that Fox looks forward to its biggest year. Production, Presentation Are Chief Problems By JOE BRANDT President, Columbia Pictures XJEVER has the motion picture industry faced a year as fraught with potential success as that just passed. The readjustment following the advent of sound is practically complete with approximately 80 per cent of the theaters of the country already wired and the remainder equipping as fast as the installations can be made. The constant and consistent improvement in the technique of both recording and reproduction has helped immeasurably. The picture-going public is now thoroughly sound conscious and sound satisfied. With that tremendous hurdle successfully negotiated our problems have become solely those of production and presentation. The determination of the majority of producers to create only the best in motion picture entertainment is reflected in such recent great successes as "Hell's Angels," "Journey's End," "Abraham Lincoln," "All Quiet on the Western Front," "Old English," "Rain or Shine," "Common Clay" and others. Also, the tremendous advance that has been made in the field of exhibition, which has transformed the presentation of motion pictures from a business to an art, has won millions of new patrons to our theaters. I can see nothing but everincreasing success and permanence ahead for the industry. Green Lights Ahead! — Readjustment Completed, Bright Times Ahead By L. A. YOUNG President, Tiffany Productions [ FIRMLY believe that the picture industry is facing an awakening thai will put behind us forever all talk of unsettled conditions and a dark outlook on the future. The motion picture business as a whole has been passing through a period of readjustment, due entirely, in my opinion, to the sudden transition from silent to talking pictui Today we are wholly justified in looking forward to the brightest season in many years. The industry is becoming more and more stabilized, and will be much the better for the thorough shaking up it has had through the advent of talking pictures. It isn't the old times we want back. It is the prosperity and advancement of the new era that is upon us that will make our industry greater, more firmly established and more certain of its own greatness. Green Lights Ahead! Elasticity in Production Policies is Urged By C. J. SCOLLARD Executive Vice-President, Pathe Exchange [ SEE an elastic production policy, which will permit pictures to be made close to release date and thus in step with the ever-changing public taste, as a solution of wha_t ails the box-office. Producing a season's array in advance gives a company amusement merchandise that may become frozen assets before released. Green Lights Ahead! Rapidly Getting Back to Normal Stride By H. B. FRANKLIN President, Fox West Coast Theaters AM sure that the barometer of business is on the rise and that reports in the next few weeks will show that business is rapidly approaching its normal stride. Such constructive optimism will not only be reflected in fields related to the picture industry, but also will have a wholesome, stimulating effect on general business . . . with consequent benefit to the theaters. Staten Is. Opening Gives Publix 6 in New York Area Opening of the Paramount, Staten Island, about Oct. 10. will give Publix six houses in Greater New York. House will seat 2,300 and provision has been made for stage presentations. Other theaters being operated in this area are the Criterion. Paramount, Rivoli, Rialto and Brooklyn Paramount. Al Hoffman Managing U. A. Minneapolis Branch Minneapolis — United Artists has transferred Al Hoffman, manager of the Chicago exchange, to take over managerial duties of the local branch, succeeding Harry Lotz, special representative, who has been in charge since the resignation of Tom Burke. ■ Green Lights Ahead! Salt Lake Zoning Confab Salt Lake City — The local territorial zoning and protection conference got under way yesterday. Representing exhibitors are John J. Gillette, Andrew Murdock and J. E. Ryan. Distributor delegates are: Joe A. Huff, Universal; Charles L. Walker, Fox, F. S. Gulbasen, Paramount. Green Lights Ahead! Future Rivoli Bookings Eddie Cantor's "Whoopee" is slated to follow "Monte Carlo" at the Rivoli, New York. Subsequent bookings for this house have Harold Lloyd's "Feet First," scheduled to follow the Cantor film, and Charlie Chaplin's "City Lights," set to come in after the Lloyd special. "Follow Thru" has been booked into the Paramount for the week of Sept. 12. Green Lights Ahead! Berlinger Acoustics for Mt. Eden The Mt. Eden, Bronx, is being given Berlinger Acoustics treatment. Consolidated Amusements owns the house. Green Lights Ahead! Coast House To Revive Hits West Coast Bureau. THE FILM DAILY Los Angeles — Principal Theaters has reopened the Alhambra with a policy of showing revivals of talker hits. Green Lights Ahead! Mpls. Protection Meet Sept. 5 Minneapolis — A meeting will be held Sept. 5 by the local Film Board of Trade to discuss the question of protection requested by Publix in this territory. ■ — Green Lights Ahead! Establishing Play Service Viola Irene Cooper, authors' motion picture and radio representative, is moving the latter part of this week from <>24 Madison .Ave. to 9 Fast 59th St.. where she will put out a weekly bulletin of plays and books produced abroad. 'Roxy,' Too In his weekly radio broadcast the other evening, S. L. Rothafel included an optimistic note. 'Roxy' told about, 10,000,000 listeners that the "picture theater, with its universal appeal and popular form of entertainment, is a barometer of general conditions and economic prosperity and he believes that the increasing business marks the advent of better times.