Hollywood Filmograph (Jun-Aug 1929)

JUN 13 I9?9 THE PASSING WEEK Equity! The announcement that had been due for some time, bristles forth, and with it comes the statements of the various organizations and individuals concerned with it. Meanwhile in the street and the studios is being discussed excitedly the pros and cons of the issue. (■?■ t£* (,£• The Shriners took possession of the city. Whoopee galore, with the parades, colorful costumes prevading the local atmosphere, instead of the Junius Pluvius, or commonly known rain. The usually sealed gates of the studios were flung open to the visitors, and they were permited to roam about at will. However, the sound stages remained barred. i&& t&9 t&& If the third dimensional screen can become a reality, instead of an experiment as it is at present, the screen impression will have reached its highest point. But just now it remains a laboratory and workshop problem with much to be overcome before it will reach the public eye. To the inventive mind who found it impossible to realize on sound devices, the field of third dimension offers vast opportunities for those who would find "gold in them thar' films." t0& t3* i3* The much publicized impending marriage of the "sweethearts of the films" has finally come to pass. Now Doug, Jr., and Joan can return and find cameramen and the newsmen treating them as plain Mr. and Mrs. without the previous efforts of overemphasizing their love affairs in pictures and the news. t£* «<?* ^* Universal engages for their scenario department, Professor Walter B. Pitkin of Columbia. He will act as consulting advisor on scenarios and will supervise one of U.'s forthcoming super-productions. &?* ti?* c5* Something has happened in the merger market. The U. A. and Warner deal figured but little in the print this past week, with trade though firmly believing that all is over with this deal and that both units will remain as before until a new merger is hatched, or until the proposed R K O, Paramount, Warners and U. A. plan actually becomes a reality. «5* ^w ^* Not to be outdone by other columnists, including the great O. O. Mclntyre, we must also mention the columnists' favorite, Barney, the Newsboy. Barney, whose newsstand is outside the Biltmore, has been accorded space in many newspapers because of a particularly beaming personality in spite of being crippled, and has just been accorded further recognition by Alan Hale and Sid Grauman, who have discovered that the youth has a voice. They suggest him as a prospect for the sound picture. ', HOLLYWOOD ilmograph VOL. 9, No. 23 JUNE 8, 1929 Equity Producers Deadlock May Last Several Weeks-Little Fireworks Expected in Fight Equity Not Barring Film Players From Its Ranks — Miller — 500 New Members Added Since Tuesday Contract Demand; Action From American Federation of Labor Not Seen as Probability THE Actors' Equity-Motion Picture Producers controversy over the Standard Contract and full Equity Shop demanded by the actors' organization this week was at a virtual deadlock after four days. Little open animosity was displayed by either side, and despite an expected protraction of the fight, none of the usual excitements attendant upon a strike were expected to develop. Highlights of the events following the sudden announcement of Equity's stand by President Frank Gillmore of Equity on Tuesday afternoon were : First — 200 new members, or old members re-signing, were added to the Equity lists here between the announcement and the producers' ultimatum. Second— after considering the Equity demand until near dawn on Thursday morning, the producers, through their Association (The Motion Picture Producers-Distributors Association), refused to accept the proposed Equity 50 Engineers Leave to Set British Sound NEW YORK, June 5— First group of fifty Western Electric sound installation engineers sailed last Thursday for the British Isles to begin a whirlwind installation campaign which is planned to put Western Electric equipment into 130 British theatres between now and the middle of September. There are already forty-four Western Electric wired houses in the British Isles. The fifty men have been selected from the American installation department and will remain abroad until September when they will be rushed back to throw all their strength into installation work which is expected to reach a new high peak in the fall. There are at present 1912 theatres in the United States wired with Western Electric equipment, and 125 in foreign countries. Installations are being made at the rate of more than 250 per month. ■f -f -f Mayer Directing at M-G-M Edwin Justus Mayer, playwright and scenario writer> has been assigned by M-G-M to direct his first picture. The picture, an adaptation of Alice Duer Miller's play, "The Springboard," will be scenarized by Mayer, and will star William Haines. Mayer's most notable contribution to the stage was "The Firebrand," in which Joseph Schildkraut was featured. contract and the full Equity shop. Third — between that time and late Friday afternoon 300 more had been added to the Equity lists, making a tota of 500. Fourth — a checkup of opinion discovered that the American Federation of Labor, with which Equity is affiliated, is not expected to enter into the fight, for some time to come, at least. Neither side would comment on the possibilities of such action. Fifth — a number of Equity payers, reported as around two dozen by Friday afternoon, had refused to sign the present Standard Contract, now in operation, and which was negotiated over a year ago by the Actors' and Producers' branches of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Sixth — The Academy, through its Secretary, Frank Woods, issued a statement which officially placed the Academy as entirely unconnected and uninterested in the controversy. Seventh — Rumors that the Equity Contract demand was a move to force stage actors into pictures and to oust the film players were reported to the Equity offices, it was stated. whares Miller, Tocar Equity representative, decaring the reports unfounded, issued the following statement: "Equity does not bar motion picture players from its ranks. In the event of Equity Shop becoming operative, motion picture players will have the same status for Equity as stage players. We now have in the neighborhood of 1000 members who have not played on the stage, or who havt left the stage for some years. We are accepting applications from a large number of non-stage film players this week." Equity's complete enrollment now playing in pictures, or at present on Continued on Page 6 Hands-Off On Equity -Stand of Musicians At a midnight meeting of the Musicians Union local here on Thursday night, the Equity-Producers controversy was passed up entirely. No mention of the conflict was brought into the meeting, which featured the appearance of Joseph N. Weber, president of the union. Weber discussed the recent National Convention held in Denver, Colorado, and told members of plans to protect the union musician from the encroachments of the talkies, formulated at the convention. Local union officials announced a hands-off policy on the Equity-Producers contract battle, stating that any possible action of the musicians union here would be advised from the New York national headquarters of the union. 1 1 i Gaumont to Handle T-S British Releases The Gaumont Company of Great Britain will handle release of Tiffany Stahl productions throughout the British Isles, according to contracts recently signed between the two organizations in New York. The negotiations were completed last week at the Tiffany-Stahl home office, between Grant L. Cook, T-S Vice-president, and William Gall, Gaumont General Manager and Arthur Lee, Gaumont American representative.