The Film Daily (1930)

—2&"l DAILV Monday, December 29, 1930 Academy Holding Symposium on Art and Technique Plan Series of Meetings On Coast Starting Jan. 21 Hollywood — The first of a series of meetings for the study and discussion of the art and technique of talking motion pictures, will be held on Jan. 21, by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Committee on Art and Technique Programs, it has been announced by Frank Reicher, chairman. The topic will be "A Symposium on the Art and Technique of Motion Picture Production" and will be discussed by Lawrence Grant, Milton Schwartz, William K. Howard, Clara lierenger and Jesse Lasky. Lasky will take as his text "What I would do if I were the writer." Miss Berenger will take the question from the production angle and Schwartz will discuss "What the Moving Picture Public Wants." The committee handling these programs was appointed by the Academy president, William C. DeMille, under authority of the board of directors. Members of the committee are Frank Reicher, chairman, Helen Ware, Jason Joy, Edmund C. Goulding, Edmund Lowe, John Goodrich, Plarry Rapf, William C. Menzies, Douglas Shearer and Howard J. Green. The meeting will be for Academy members only. — A Happy New Year — Pittsburgh Exhibitors Will Meet January 20 Pittsburgh — At the last meeting of the board of directors of the local exhibitors' organization, it was decided to hold the next general meeting on January 20. It will be a luncheon and business affair at the Hotel Henry. — A Happy New Year — Caskey with Columbia Pittsburgh — Robert E. Caskey, for eleven years a salesman with Paramount, has left that company and joined Columbia. He replaces Harry Tardy, formerly of Omaha, who is now connected with the business in Chicago. Dog Days Talkers, in some cases, are going to the bow-wows. Dog interest is being injected into a number of new features, two of which, "The Devil to Pay" and "Shepper Newfounder," are now current on Broadway. Roxy himself is understood to have selected the title of the latter picture playing his house as he figured it a better holiday week kiddie draw than its general release John Hancock, "Part Time Wife." Less andiBetter Dialogue West Coast Bureau. THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Howard Estabrook, on his own suggestion accepted by RKO officials, will hold dialogue to a minimum in the screen version of "Madame Julie" which he has been commissioned to prepare. Estabrook nurses a theory that a burden is being placed upon modern pictures by an excess of dialogue. His formula for the ultimately perfect talker is less and better speech — that is, a greater amount than necessary to perform what was once the function of printed subtitles, but less than is required by a stage performance. Radio Pictures Opens New Studio Addition West Coast Bureau, THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Completing building activities at Radio Pictures studio, a huge class A fireproof structure housing the drapery and property departments has been opened. Drapes totaling $500,000 in value and properties of equal valuation have been moved into the new storehouse. Frank Vert, head of the drapery department, has engaged seven additional workers. Sam Comer, head of props, has added three employees. A battery of 12 new sewing machines, two embroidery machines, a pillow-making machine and a complete dyeworks have been added to the drapery department. The building, covering an area of 32,000 square feet, is claimed to be the largest of its kind in the industry. French Studios Plan 200 Talkers in 1931 (.Continued from Page 1) French production a great boost. In 1929 this country made about 50 silents only. The current year's output amounts to more than 100 French talkers and numerous dialogue pictures in other languages, so that the 1931 figure should be well above the 200 mark. Pathe-Natan, GaumontFranco Film Aubert, Haik, Osso, Braunbcrger-Richebe and other companies are steadily increasing production. More than 500 French theaters are now equipped for sound, with 75 per cent of the apparatus being of high standing. Mme. Schumann-Heink Urges Women To Fight Germany's "All Quiet" Ban An appeal has been issued by Mme. Ernestine Schumann-Heink to the mothers of Germany to work for the lifting of the ban recently placed in that country on "All Quiet On Western Front." Mme. Schumann-Heink, who lost a son on the German side in the war, says: "The action of the censors in prohibiting this glorious picture was absolutely unjustified. It should be shown everywhere as a tremendous argument against war. We must all work against war. I speak from the heart. I lost a son in the war, and many of my own people suffered and are still suffering. Do I think the decision of the German censors is irrevocable? Certainly not. "All Quiet on the Western Front is the truth — the brutal truth about war. And the truth must prevail. Rouse yourselves, you mothers of Germany, and hasten the day!" Short Shots from Eastern Studios ,By HARRY N. BLAIR] QINGER ROGERS had the honor of introducing what promises to be Broadway's next song sensation, over a commercial radio program on Friday night. The song is called "I'm Mad at Me" and was written by John Green and Edward Hayman, composers of the famed "Body and Soul." It will be featured in a forthcoming stage musical. Lawrence Tibbett worked until far into the night on Christmas Eve, making additional scenes for his latest production, filmed on the West Coast. The Paramount studios here used for the purpose. Monroe Owsley, featured in Paramount's "Sex in Business," is an experienced racing driver and could quit acting any time he chose, to adopt a racing coreer. A pet monkey brought back by Claudette Colbert as a gift for Mr. and Mrs. Jimmie Gleason, caused lots of excitement at the Paramount New York studios when it escaped from its cage. The monk was finally captured on the studio rafters by Irving Ostroff of the property department. "TEN BEST MANAGERS" BEING PICKED BY PUBLIX (.Continued from Page 1) Publix in 1931 in selecting the best promotion timber from its entire field of theater managers. Under the plan, which was suggested by John F. Barry and approved by Sam Katz, the activity of every manager will undergo the keen scrutiny of his district manager, who will make nominations for what will be known as the Publix 100 Per Cent Club. These nominations are to be approved by the division managers and at the end of the year the final selection of the ten members will be made by a home office committee. No limitation is placed on the number of managers who may be nominated to the 100 Per Cent Club. Selections will be determined by exceptional advertising campaigns, skillful program arrangement, elimination of unnecessary expense, overage on quota, community contact, character observation of company routine (preparation of reports, not holding out unpaid bills, etc.), and general showmanship and ability. In addition to being placed in line for promotion, each member of the 100 Per Cent Club will receive a $3,000 life insurance policy (in addition to the $1,000 policy given every theater manager) in favor of any beneficiary he chooses, a trip to the annual convention of executives and district managers, a substantial cash bonus, district managerial training, and other advantages. NEW THEATERS Brookline, Mass. — Krolyn & Brown, architects of Boston, are preparing plans for a theater to be erected here at an estimated cost to exceed $150,000. Burlington, Ont. — Plans, are in progress for the erection of a $2s,000 theater here b Rex Hume. George T Evans of Hamilton is the architect. Michigan City, Tnd. — The erection of a 1,500-seat theater here at an estimated cost I of $300,000 is being planned by Warner Bros. Phoenix, Ariz. — Contracts have been awarded for the erection of a 2,500-seat house here by the Fox West Coast Theaters. Watseka, 111. — Al Dahlquist of Milford has been awarded the contract for the building of a theater in this city. Getting the Original Just to show how snappy these Warner boys work. J. L. Warner wired New York for a comedian on the order of Billy House, the vaude headliner. Two hours after receiving the wire, Walter Meyers had Billy's own signature on a contract. And two hours later, the star player was on the way to Hollywood.