Hollywood Filmograph (Jun-Aug 1929)

HOLLYWOOD FILMOGRAPH 33 "The Four Feathers'1 Doing Fine In New York Adventure Film Playing To Capacity House In Fourth Week NEW YORK, July 19.— A popular "subject of conversation in motion picture circles these days deals with the fine success now being enjoyed by "The Four Feathers," the spectacular adventure film produced by Messrs. Schoedsack and Cooper, and which is now in its fourth week of capacity business at the Criterion Theatre. Not since that smashing hit, "Wings," jturned away hundreds from the box office matinees and evenings two years ago has a $2 film done such business at the Criterion as the newest occupant. The reason for the showmen's wondering comment is this: "The Four Feathers" is a sound production, but contains no dialogue, and to judge by the public's reaction toward new ;films, it definitely clamors for talking films. Why, then, is "The Four Feathers" triumphing over all its dialogued competitors? Among the answers vouchsafed are the fact that it is a remarkable action motion picture with a story that grips "the emotions; that it boasts a cast of extremely popular players, including William Powell, Clive Brook, Richard Arlen and Fay Wray; that it contains several of those big spectacular thrill scenes which history has proved as necessary ingredients in the formula of every big $2 film hit. These amazing scenes are the attack oi a herd of flame-maddened hippos ppon two men in a frail canoe, the flight of a tribe of baboons from a iungle fire, and the fierce assault of the war-like Fuzzy-Wuzzys upon a gallant British Square. Then, too, that invaluable adjunct of the show business, — word of mouth advertising, has noised it about town pretty well that "The Four Feathers" is a combination of "Beau Geste" and 'Change," and comprises a mighty acceptable two hours' entertainment. In any event, the welcome accorded :he film by Manhattan is a pretty tribute to the acumen of Jesse L. Lasky in deciding that "The Four Feathers" would be most effective without the use of conversation, but that its dramatic and emotional qualities would be much enhanced by the stirring musical score and especially arranged sound effects. t The six-foot-four Schoedsack, one of the members of the film, waited ,/n New York only long enough to Jread the praise given it by the New York dailies before setting off again ,pn another mysterious assignment. It is reported that his destination is the Straits Settlement and that whatever the nature of the picture he brings back with him at some future time, St will be a sound production. This trip Schoedsack is not accompanied by Merian C. Cooper, the ;erstwhile war aviator, journalist, exlorer, author and co-maker with him f "Grass" and "Chang." Cooper is how one of the operating heads of a huge commercial aviation company in New York. Problems of Small Exhibitor May Be Solved NEW YORK, July 18.— A serious attempt has been made in New York to bring about some solution of the problem which is facing the small exhibitor due to the cost of sound pictures. S. R. Kent, Paramount; James R. Granger, Fox; Claude Ezell, Warner's and Phil Reisman, Pathe, all sales managers of their companies, have been formed into a committee to work out ways and means from the distributors' standpoint. They are holding frequent sessions and before the end of the month will meet with a committee of five exhibitors appointed by the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America to present their plans. & je 4t Movietone Plane Is a Success NEW YORK, July 18.— Fox Movietone Air News plane, equipped for photographing both action and sound, is more than accomplishing its purpose of popularizing Movietone News and incidentally aiding in the work of making the public air minded, according to reports received in the New York offices of the Fox Film Corporation. The plane has been on its good will flight for a little over a week and has thus far entertained Gov. John Trumbull, of Connecticut, and Gov. Frank G. Allen of Massachusetts as well as the leading municipal executives of the main cities in New England. The officials are taken on flights in the plane and recordings of their voices made, as a part of the ceremonies in each city in which the plane makes a stop. Following the New England tour which will be completed this week, it is planned to have the plane visit nearly 50 other cities in all parts of the country. The trip is in charge of Major A. E. Holland, with Will C. Sievert as pilot, and exhibitors in the cities visited are given a good break by the personal appearance of the crew in theatres with showings of a special Movietone picture on aviation events. • i 1 Former Exhibitor Is NEW YORK BRIEFS Being Sued NEW YORK, July 18.— Silvester Z. Poli, who sold the chain of New England Theatres bearing his name to William Fox a year ago for $26,000,000 is being sued in New Haven, Conn., for $1,300,000 commission on the deal. Edward P. Eagan, of East Hampton, Mass., and Pasqual Bereglio and James A. Mahoney of Springfield, Mass., are the plaintiffs in the suit. 1 i 1 Talkers may bring the plays of George Bernard Shaw to the sceren, despite his refusal to sell any for silent versions. He also intimates that he may be tempted to write an original. NEW YORK, July 18.— Morton Downey and wife, the former Barbara Bennett, who have been making pictures for Pathe, have sailed for London where Downey has a four weeks engagement at the Cafe de Paris. &•?* «^* v5* Glen W. Dickinson of the chain of theatres bearing his name in an around Kansas City, has bought two additional houses from Glen E. Klock, bringing his total up to 26. t£* (^* fr?W Talkie pictures are given the credit, or discredit, for having closed all the legitimate, burlesque and vaudiville houses in Louisville, Ky. except for one picture house with a "tab" show. «l5* ((5* (,?* Loew Theatres in Greater New York will hereafter change programs on Saturday and Wednesday instead of Monday and Thursday. The change becomes effective tomorrow. (July 20th). c5* c^* *5* Radio-Kieth-Orpheum has created a new bureau in its New York office to create and develop headline talent for vaudeville houses. ^* t^» «,?• England has formed a large company for the manufacture of film with a paper base made from a new process for which 50% increase in strength and 25% increase in transparency is claimed. t5* ^* <*?• Charles E. McCarthy who has been roadshowing talkers with a Paratone portable projector in North Dakota, has turned over the outfit to his brother and started for Hollywood to produce. c5* t5* ^* Disc device of General Talking Pictures Corporation is now being sold in England by British Talking Pictures Corporation, which also handles the DeForest Phonofilm there.. c5* t5* *3* Universal is admittedly searching for a site of a building which will do for studio purposes with the avowed intention of starting production in the East. Shorts probable with stage talent. ti5* i£* c^* Western Electric announces that it has received 89 orders for talking picture equipment from Australian theatres. Eighteen houses in that country are already operating with W. E. c?* <^* t5* The Russian Soviet has issued instructions cutting and limit production costs on future pictures to 80,000 rubles. Anyone's guess is good as to what that amounts to in money. Richard Walton Tulley has been given the option of turning over all contracts on "The Bird of Paradise" to Grace A. Fendler who won a plagarist verdict from him, or go to jail. <2& t&R i£fr World Wide Pictures has secured the distribution rights to Mack Sennet's first all talkie feature "Midnight Daddies." %2& t£& ((5* J. Frank Brockliss, managing director for Tiffany-Stahl in Paris, is here consulting with Grant L. Cook, vice president. <<?* ^* (£• England has solved the problem of talking pictures for deaf people with a device of ear phones equipped with an amplifying control to vary the volume. (*?* (^* t?* Universal Pictures Corporation announces that it will continue its complete service plan which has proved successful during the past two seasons. t<5» t5* (£• Jimmy Walker Pays Vaudeville a Big Compliment NEW YORK, July 19.— James J. Walker, Mayor of New York, paid vaudeville, as an industry and the artists of vaudeville, a rare compliment this past week. At the invitation of Hiram S. Brown, president of R-K-O, New York's popular Chief Executive spoke on the final program, until next Fall, of the R-K-O Radio Hour. It had been announced in advance that Mayor Walker would speak on "The City of New York," but when the time came and he found himself before the microphone, surrounded by Sophie Tucker, Gus Arnheim, Eddie Leonard, Bill Robinson, Tom Kennedy and the other stars of vaudeville, he apparently changed his mind and devoted the eight minutes allotted him to eulogizing the profession and paying tribute to the new regime of Radio-Keith-Orpheum and the "Radio Family." i i 1 Hiram Brown Attends Chicago Meeting NEW YORK, July 19.— Hiram S. Brown, president of Radio-Keith-Orpheum, and Joseph Plunkett, general manager of theatre operations, journeyed to Chicago on Thursday last to attend the convention held there last week of the RKO Productions, makers and distributors of "Radio Pictures", which will be featured next season in RKO theatres. An ambitious program was outlined at this convention and those vaudeville theatres which include sound features on their bills apparently have an interesting series to contemplate. // // Is Good Enough for Filmograph It Sure Should Be Good Enough For You SARDI'S RESTAURANT Sardi Building 236 West 44th Street New York Filmograph's New York Headquarters — 903 Sardi Building And We Eat at Sardi' s