The Film Daily (1935)

BIGGER INDIE MARKET SPURS DARMOUR PLANS (Continued from Page 1) the scope of the stories. Topical themes will be sought in story material. First production, "Fire Trap", by Pierre Courderc, an expose of insurance racketeering, is now in preparation. All films will be made at the Darmour Studios. Cleveland Clips Cleveland — P. J. Wood, business manager of the I. T. 0. of Ohio, in Cleveland last week to attend the general meeting of the Cleveland Motion Picture Exhibitors Association, said that the boost in film censorship tax from $1 to $3 per reel has increased the censor board's revenue from the average of $4,000 a month to $18,000 for the month of September. President Ernest Schwartz and secretary G. E. Erdmann were hosts at the luncheon meeting. William James, nine times president of the Ohio state exhibitors' organization, who has been very ill for the past few months, is sufficiently recovered to spend some part of each day in his office at the Lillie Savings & Loan Company in Columbus. Warren Irons and Morris Zaidins have formed Sweepstakes, Inc., for the sale of "Sweepstakes" in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. They have opened offices in the Film Exchange Bldg. Eddie Golden of Republic spent Friday here with Nat L. Lefton, J. 3. Jossey and S. P. Gorrel. Leo Jones of the Star Theater, Upper Sandusky, is around again ifter a spell of sickness. Col. Nat Wolf, Warner zone manager, was in New York to attend he opening of "Midsummer's Night Dream". Wolf reports the Hanna Theater is practically sold out for he opening performance on Oct. 18. "Broadway Melody" is holding a third week downtown. On the program of events of the Variety's Club's clambake on Oct. 6 at the Allerton Hotel will be ieano, screeno and keeno. Commit;ee of arrangements is headed by •'rank Drew. Opening of the Mayfair Casino, afe-theater converted from the )hio Theater, has been postponed a Oct. 22. Carl Kahn's new Civic Theater, 'ostoria, has set back its opening j Oct. 22. Interested in Legit Jock Whitney is reported interestd in buying screen rights to "Porgy nd Bess," Theater Guild play. "Play, Genius, Play," show prouced by Lew Cantor and soon to pen on Broadway, is understood to ave Warner backing. The same roducer is reported as having acuired rights to "Eden End," play y J. B. Priestley, shortly to be resented in New York. ▼ T T • **u • :fWAS eight years ago this month that Warners gave the world the first speaking voice on the screen with Al Jolson in The Jazz Singer" appropriately enough, Warners have just presented to The Museum of Modern Art Film Library to be preserved for posterity, a print of this first talk film a print of the first all-talkie film, "The Lights of New York" and an historically important series of experiments in sound film through the years 1925 to 1928 so the following ife story of the Warners compiled by the Film Museum is timely for so much of the Motion Picture IS Warners ▼ T T w • *.THE, 0LDEST son of a Polish immigrant . . Harry Warner started in business at 14 in Youngstown, Ohio he opened a shoe repairing shop there in 1896 . . in 1900 he branched out into selling bicycles his brother Albert joined mm then a third brother, Sam, while employed at an amusement park at Sandusky, Ohio, saw movies for the first t e du consequence, Sam and Albert toured "The Great lrain Robbery through Pennsylvania and Ohio towns ▼ ▼ T • *, T, Lu THLE Yinter of 1903"04 Harry's bike shop was closed when the four brothers took a store in Newcastle, Pa. furnished with 91 chairs rented from an undertaker and opened it as a motion picture theater . Sam operated the projector Harry and Albert looked after the busin.ess ■ and 15-year-old Jack, besides being handy boy, occasionally sang songs to illustrated slides T T T • • • THEY SOLD the Newcastle store in 1904 and for the next six years the brothers were engaged in the rental and distribution of films in 1912 they decided to become producers and from 1913 to 1923 produced "quick ies" when as Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc., they branched out into more expensive and ambitious productions including several starring John Barrymore and Lubitsch's memorable "The Marriage Circle" ▼ ▼ T • • • IN THE year 1925 they purchased the Vitagraph Company and at the same time first Sam and then Harry saw the sound films then being developed by the Bell Laboratories they obtained the exclusive use of Western Elec tric's sound system for a term of years from then until the spring of 1926 endless experiments were carried on by the brothers, first at the Flatbush studio and afterward at the Manhattan Opera House Y Y Y • • • IT WAS on Aug. 26, 1926, that "Don Juan," with John Barrymore, a silent film with synchronized orchestral accompaniment, was shown to the public as a result, a number of theaters throughout the country were wired for sound ....... and Warners went ahead with short musical and dramatic subjects and with synchronized musical scores to silent films finally, on Oct. 6, 1927, "The Jazz Singer," in which Al Jolson spoke once and sang often, came to Broadway T T ▼ • • • AS FATE would have it none of the Warners boys were there to enjoy their triumph that memorable evening for the day before, Sam Warner died worn out by constant overwork during the years 1925-27 when the sound film was being carried from the laboratory into the practical realm of popular entertainment • • • THE FIRST all-talking film, "The Lights of New York" was released by Warners in 1928 and by the end of that year the ei'a of silent films was ended NEW ZEIDMAN FIRM PLANS 16 FEATURES (.Continued from Page 1) franchised, while the company will buy interests in other important regional distributing firms. Ben Solomon is secretary and treasurer of the corporation, which was organized by Fitelson & Mayers, attorneys. All financing has been arranged. Initial picture in the series will be ready by the middle of January, stated Zeidman prior to returning to the Coast from New York. « « « » » » September Acting Award Handed to Fred Astaire (Continued from Page 1) and Robert Donat in "The 39 Screen Writers' Guild voted the Gay Deception" screenplay by Stephen Morehouse Avery and Don Hartman as the month's best, with honorable mention to Lillian Hellman and Mordaunt Shairp for ''DJar^ Angel" and Jack McGowan, bid Slivers and Harry Conn for Broadway Melody of 1936". Detroit Doings Detroit— Arthur Cowden is managing the Cowden theater, formerly the Hippodrome, for Julius Fischer Ralph A. Philbrook, former theater owner, was defeated for mayor. Don Randall has formed Randall Picture Service at 381 Holbrook Ave. to put on programs for organizations. William Green, former publicity director of the Broadway-Capitol, returned here last week as personal agent of Rubinoff. R. G. Ganstrom, cameraman, and Harold Christensen, director, for Jam Handy Picture Service, have left to make a commercial at the West Coast Service Studios in New York. William Renicke of Jam Handy went to San Diego last week on a commercial. Detroit Labor College has opened a series of foreign films. Ohio Studies Admission Tax Cleveland — Ohio tax commission is gathering data on the amount of money it could raise on the basis of a 3 per cent tax on admissions up to 20 cents and 10 per cent on admissions over 20 cents, P. J. Wood, business manager of the Independent Theater Owners of Ohio, told members of the Cleveland Exhibitors Association in meeting last week. Women's Branch for Philly Club Philadelphia — A women's auxiliary of the Variety Club has been formed, with Mrs. Sam Gross, president; Mrs. Belle Weiner, vice-president; Mrs. Jay Emanuel, treasurer. Twenty-one women have joined. The second entertainment sponsored by the club will be held Nov. 18 at the Met, with a gala show planned.