Motion Picture News (Apr - Jun 1927)

1254 M 0 t i 0 II Picture X c ic s Roxy Theatre Added to Fox Chain "Cathedral of the Motion Picture'' to Be Producer's First Run in New York; Roxy Remains at Helm; Other Houses Building THE KUXY, New York's newest picture palace, has been sold to William Fox and the Fox Theatres Corporation, it became known this week, by Herbert Lubin and associates. S. L. Rothafel continues as director of this, as Avell as the other Boxy theatres to be built under Fox control, and ^vill act in an advisory capacity to the Fox circuit. This deal was rumored many months ago, .but strongly denied at that time. The negotiations have long been under way, and probably forestalled the construction of a Broadway house by Fox. Reports this week were to the effect that the Roxy circuit would be extended to the principal capitals of Europe by Fox eventually. Roxy Theatres, Inc., now has under construction Roxy's Mansion, between .58th and .59th streets on Lexington Avenue, New York, and has drawn plans for Roxy's Midtown, 75th and Broadway. These are included in the deal. Fox pictures will of course receive preference, sriving Fox a Broadway first-run for the first time, although it is announced that the "best product obtainable in the open market" Avill continue to be played in the future. The consideration involved in the deal was not named, l)ut Mr. Fox placed the valuation at $15,000,000 and said "you can say that that is what we paid and more." To Mr. Fox the acquisition of this theatre is, as he described it, "the supreme achievement of his life." There are now .31 houses in the Fox chain, with the Roxy, and the nine Fox theatres and two Roxy houses under construction, will swell the total to 42. Contrasted with this, Mr. Fox described the "hole in the wall" in Brooklyn where he began his career as a theatre operator. Back in 190.S, his other business not being very profitable, he decided to become a theatre owner. Hi-: financial resources were limited, but lie managed to scrape to Motion Picture and Columbia Notables Confer LEADERS of the motion picture industry and professors at Columbia University met Friday, March 2.5, when the conferences between the movie men and the educators were begun with a meeting of the Union League Club of committees appointed by Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler, president of Columbia University, and Will H. Hays, president of the M.P.P.D.A. The conferences are expected to result in the establishment of courses of motion-picturemaking at Columbia in photography, archifpcturp business administration, scenario writing and other phases of the motion picture industry. Among the committee members are several prominent movie figures: Adolph Zukor, R. H. Cochrane, Nicholas M. Schenck, William Fox and Frederick C. Munroe and Carl E. Milliken. On the committees are the following educators: James C. Egbert, Director of University Extension. Frank D. Fackenthal. Secretary of Columbia University, William A. Boring, Director of the School of Architecture, Walter L Slichter. Professor of Electrical Engineering, Daniel D. Jackson, Professor of Chemical Engineering, James P. C. Southall, Professor of Physics, and James Kio Finch, Associated Professor of Civil Engineering. get her some .$1,600, with which he purchased "the smallest theatre in Brooklyn," at 700 Broadway in that city, which had a seating capacity of no less than 146 persons. A second-hand piano (at a cost of .$.30) furnished the music — a point Avhich Mr. Fox compared with the magnificent organ in the Roxy, as showing the forward march of the motion picture during the vears from 1903 to 1927. Opposition to Ohio Block Booking Bill Renders Passage Unlikely PASSAGE of the bill prohibiting block booking and compulsory arbitration in Ohio seems unlikely, as many prominent exhibitors of the state appeared at a hearing on the measure this week and opposed its passage on the grounds that block booking is a necessary trade practice and arbitration is a success in Ohio and throughout the country. The bill is similar to the one sponsored by the exhibitor unit in Indiana which failed of passage. P. J. Wood, business manager of the Ohio exhibitor unit; J. J. Harwood, president of the Cleveland association; H. T. Palmer, arbitration representative for northern Ohio, and Fred Desberg, of Loew's Ohio theatres, were present at the hearing, as was C. C. Pettijohn of the Film Boards of Trade. An attorney representing George Schade of Sandusky was the only speaker in favor of the measure. Judge Harry Ball suggested to Schade's attorney that the bill was unconstitutional because it sought to deprive contracting parties of the rights to contract. The attorney admitted he questioned the constitutionality of the bill. ]\lr. Rothafel in a supplenientary statement said : "This affiliation brings to us the forceful personality of William Fox, one of the ]iioneers . of the industry. I have known Mr. Fox intimately for 1-5 years, and have admired his great fearlessness, his vision and his great success in building his corporation to rank as one of the great forces in the motion picture industry. He seeks an ideal M-hich he sees exemplified in the theatre which we have the honor to direct, and I have a feeling of great security and assurance, not alone because of his advice, counsel and guidance which he is so fitted to impart, but also because of the knowledge that the affiliation will give him an impetus to produce films of a quality to merit presentation in the theatre that we so proudly call 'The Cathedral of the Motion Picture.' I am very happy indeed and am sure that the success of our enterprise is assured." Philip Russell, of Wing & Russell, and Edwars Sonnenschein, of Sonnenschein, Berkson, Leutman, & Levinson, Chicago, and Harry G. Kosch, Xew York, were attorneys for the Roxy circuit, with Saul E. Rogers acting in a legal capacity for Fox. Hugenberg Controls Ufa, Is Latest Report According to a dispatch to the " Xew York Times," not officially confirmed, HeiT Hugenberg, German publisher, has virtually acquired control of the Ufa, together with Otto Wolf, iron and steel baron. Hugenberg is a strong reactionary, and it is feared in some quartei-s that he will use the motion picture screen as an added means of propaganda. His newspapers have been waging a bitter war against American productions. •lust what will happen to the .$4,000,000 loan to Ufa by Famous Players and l\IetroGoldwyn-Mayer has not been announced, although it is understood that Ufa-Haus, held as security, was sold last week for 15.000,000 marks. New Butterfield Theatre at Niles, Michigan . The W. S. Butterticld Theatres, Inc., began work Monday, March 21. on a new 1,200-seat theatre "at Xiles, Mich. T. W. Ready, well known citizen at Xiles, is liiiancing the project. The Butterfield interests have taken a long term lease on the building which will cost about $300,000. The architects are ]\Iyrle Smith of South Bend and W. P. Whitnev of Chicago. Rome Has Only 45 Seats to Each 1,000 Population "II Cinema Italiano" states that there are 54 picture theatres in Rome with a seating capacity of 35,900, according to advices to the Department of Commerce from Trade Commissioner J. E. Wiiolean at Rome. This is 45 seats per 1,000 inhabitants. Paris has the same projiortionafe number.