The Film Daily (1930)

THE THE M YYNJ U LI. OF FILM DOM AT^iH ^ All Tilt NEWS ALL THE TIME VOL. LIII No. 66 Wednesday, September 17, 1930 Price 5 Cents Paramount Making At Least 6 Outdoors, Says Lasky AMPLlTjHEATER FINANCING AVAILABLE 8 to 10 Weeks Needed on Comedies, Says Darmour The Mirror —a column of comment FIFTY PER CENT less vaude acts arc now working than a year ago Vaudeville, once a bigdough collector in the amusement field, has gone staler than yesterday's silent picture star. Unlike its worthy contemporary, the motion picture, it has lacked enterprise. No entertainment has made as much progress, mechanically and otherwise, during the past two bits of a century, as pictures. Vaudeville, on the other hand, has remained stagnant in a pool of unoriginality. No doubt talkers have exercised an injurious influence over vaude attendance. But had vaudeville kept up and at 'em, it wouldn't be in its present doldrums. The film industry, comparatively a novice in the entertainment scheme of things, has outdistanced a more seasoned competitor through its ability to gauge and satisfy modern amusement requirements. USING THE paring knife on the overhead, a number of circuits are replacing male ushers with girls Perhaps, hiding behind the economical phase of this policy, there's a showmanship idea. It's safe to bet that male customers prefer to be guided to seats by attractive young things rather than the sterner of the species. MANY FEATURES now average better than 80 minutes in length Which is the producers' reply to exhibitor shouts, heard, some months back, for more footage. Now the job is to keep padding out of features and instead make entertainment that holds up all the way through to the last kiss. Short Shooting Schedules Are 111Advised, Producer Declares West Coast Bureau, THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — For the proper making of a two-reel comedy, from eight to 10 weeks of work are required, according to Larry Darmour, producer of the Louise Fazenda, DaneArthur and Mickey (Himself) McGuire comedies for RKO. Short shooting schedules are particularly ill-advised with comedies, Darmour says, and high standards can never (Continued on Page 6) FRENCH FINANCING UNIT PLANS TO DOUBLE CAPITAL Paris (By Cable) — -Having financed the production of 17 French pictures in its first year of existence, the Union Cinematographique Francaise is planning to increase its capital from 2,000,000 francs to 4,500,000 francs. Prominent banking officials are directors of the company. More Eastern Supervision for Fox West Coast Chain Increased supervision of the operations of Fox West Coast Theaters from the Fox headquarters in New York will be discussed at a conference to be held in the East within a few days, with Harold B. Franklin, head of the Coast circuit, sitting in. Franklin is due in New York today from Los Angeles. Green Lights Ahead! "Motion pictures are entering a more prosperous period than they have enjoyed in three years. Our business for the last six months is 40 per cent ahead of the previous six months. Since it has been a fact for years that the theater box-office accurately indicates the trend of prosperity, industry throughout the country should look to the approaching months with a smile." — JAMES R. GRAINGER, vice-president, Fox Film. Construction Now Will Mean Big Saving, Says Eberson Although the general impression exists that Wall St. has tightened the purse strings to theatrical enterprises, ample financing is available for conservative activities in the construction or reconstruction of theaters, according to John Eberson, leading theater achitect. The willingness of banks to provide such funds is partly influenced by tt"> lower cost of construction work at this time, Eberson states, and circuits (Continued en Page 5) Canada Planning "Film Weeks" To Boost Non-U. S. Productions Ottawa — A series of "film weeks" will be held in Canadian cities to boost pictures other than those from the U. S., it is announced by Major F. J. Ney, secretary of the National (Continued on Page 6) TRIBUTE TO MILTON SILLS PLANNED BY FILM COLONY West Coast Bureau, THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Funeral plans for Milton Sills, who died suddenly of a heart attack Monday night while playing tennis with his wife, Doris (Continued on Page 6) More Outdoor Productions Are Planned by Paramount Time Will Tell They have formally unveiled the portrait of Eddie Cantor in the United Artists offices. He made" Whoopee," and now he has to hang for it. Is that justice? At least six outdoor pictures are planned by Paramount for the current season, said Jesse L. Lasky, who has just returned to New York from the Coast, in an interview with THE FILM DAILY yesterday. "Fighting Caravans," just completed, is not a remake of "The Cov (Continued on Page 5) NEW FIRM WILL UNDERTAKE PICTURE SYNCHRONIZATION Picture synchronization work is included in the activities of the new Grofe-Wiedoeft Ensemble, with a partnership personnel comprising Ferde Grofe, composer and orchestrator; Rudy Wiedoeft, saxaphone virtuoso and record star, and H. Emerson Yorke, former recording executive and more recently casting director at Paramount's New York (Continued on Page 6) "Her Man" Pathe has an honest-to-goodness lulu in this corking melodrama in a Havana dive setting, where the beautiful heroine who wants to be good is carried off by her sailor hero after one of the liveliest fights that ever took place in a waterfront joint. There's strong drama, deep human appeal, comedy, plenty of action, colorful background — just about everything to give it big and wide appeal. Cast is topnotch, inc'uding Helen Twelvetrees, Phillips Holmes, Marjoric Rambeau. Ricardo Cortez. James Glcason and others. Ace direction by Tay Garnett. Should be a natural. GILLETTE.