Hollywood Filmograph (Jan-Jul 1930)

HOLLYWOOD FILMOGRAPH U Producers Defend Their Stand President of Corporation Reveals Some Interesting Facts June "14. 1930. To Whom It May Concern: To meet the attacks made upon the public exhibition of the talking motion picture film. "Ingagi," undoubtedly resulting from either the deliberate or inadvertent misquoting of the statement of facts at any time heretofore made by me, as president of Congo Pictures, L'td., its producers, I deem it necessary in an effort to clarify any existing confusion or misunderstanding on the part of the public and such others who may in any manner be concerned therein, to make the following statement of facts: It is not and has never been the intention or desire on my part or that of the producers of "Ingagi," to either misrepresent or in any manner mislead the public in connection with the public exhibition of the "Ingagi" film, and if any misrepresentations or misleading statements were ever made of and concerning the film, they were made by over-zealous house managers, publicity agents or representatives without the sanction or knowledge of its producers, over whom the producer exercises no control, in their effort to induce and persuade the public to attend the exhibition of the film under the license usually taken by the showman, and which has ever been the practice in connection with all forms of entertainment offered to the public. Representing the producers of "Ingagi," as its president, I desire to be committed unqualifiedly to the statement and representation by me at any time heretofore made, namely: That eighty-five (85%) per cent of the "Ingagi" film was made by various expeditions on the African and East Indian continents; most of which was originally sold to the Ince Film Library and others, and from whom in turn Congo Pictures, L'td., acquired title; that in assembling portions of the film made by the several expeditions, it was found necessary to include the element of story entertainment in proper sequence and use of the theme or story based upon the tribal legend described by generally conceded authentic writers upon the subject and which may be found in any well equipped library throughout the world. This portion of the film which was made in Hollywood under the supervision and direction of Wm. Campbell, prior to the acquisition of the film by Congo Pictures, L'td., constitutes not more than fifteen (15%) per cent of the entire "Ingagi" film as publicly exhibited. So much for the question of authenticity and any representations made regarding it. TO OPEN NEW ACTING AND WRITING ACADEMY HERE SOON EDWARD CLARK for 35 years a well known Broadway actor, author, director, producer, and at present engaged on the writing staff of Paramount Studios, is leaving that organization to open an academy of stage and screen arts at the Little Theatre, located at 8620 Sunset Boulevard. In addition to teaching stage and screen players, Mr. Clark will present full-length stage plays every month, so that studio executives and theatrical producers can keep in touch with the development of the academy and its players. Some of the stars who have appeared in his plays, under Mr. Clark's direction, are Louise Dresser, Ernest Torrence, Frank Fay, Nancy Welford, Lowell Sherman and George Bancroft. There is but one other issue involved in which the public could be normally interested and that is the question of censorship based upon its basic object and purpose of not permitting the public showing of any play or motion picture that tends to corrupt the morals of the youth and others, and in this regard we wish to be committed to the statement that there is not a single scene in the entire "Ingagi" film that comes within the basic object and purpose of censorship in this day and time of our present civilization, based upon standards that include a desire for knowledge of and concerning the generally unknown human and animal life, in the more remote and not generally accessible parts of the world. In conclusion, as the issues have evolved and are now fairly formed, it would seem logical to conclude, from the fact that this film has been showing unmolested in many cities throughout the United States since early in April of this year; that it consistently furnished a great degree $35 BIT IN "HELLS' ANGELS" IS WORTH $3500 TO PRODUCER Just at a time and moment when "Hell's Angels" needed a good hearty laugh to break the monotony of too heavy dramatic treatment, Howard Hughes, producer-director, injected a piece of . by-play with Granville Davis playing the part of a waiter. Mr. Davis received, we learned, $35 per day for his bit in the picture. He did a nose dive with a tray of dishes that was worth $3500 to the production at that very time. Howard Hughes was so elated with the scene that he felt the actor was underpaid, so he gave him an additional day's work — in the parlance of the studios he "Carried" Granville Davis on the payroll, although he didn't work. 1 i i Jt -.*? :< ■f i i CAST SPLENDID ACTOR First National has cast Theodore Von Eltz for a splendid part in "Kismit," starring Otis Skinner, under the direction of John Francis Dillon. 1 i i SPEED A new color printer has just been perfected at the Harriscolor Films Laboratory which can turn out 50 feet of color print per minute. This printer has a new patented shuttle mechanism. 1 i 1 IN "ADIOS" Barbara Bedford has been cast for a very fine part in "Adios" at First National, starring Richard Barthelmess, under the direction of Frank Llovd. of innocent entertainment to the public generally; that the sudden avalanche of attack is instigated by a source representing those who find that their theatre box office receipts are materially affected through the public showing of "Ingagi" throughout the country. I hope, in the very near future, to establish to the patrons of motion picture theatres and the public at large, the real motive on the part of those desirous of and attempting to crush and prevent the continued public exhibition of this highly entertaining motion picture film, "Ingagi," and thereby for the first time, through this instance, bring to public notice the insidious and pernicious methods employed against all independent efforts and enterprises in the film industry, now resulting in its almost complete annihilation. Respectfully, CONGO PICTURES, L'TD. By N. H. Spitzer, Its President. RENTALS Half Price During Our 25th Anniversary Sale Half a Million Dollars' Worth of the Finest Furniture in All the World Offered for RENTAL TO THE MOVING PICTURE STUDIOS Be-HANNESEY ART STUDIOS H22 No. Western Avenue Hollywood RENTALS Phone HE. 4105 You'll Find a World of New Things Ready