Motion Picture News (Apr - Jun 1927)

2270 Motion Picture N e zv s Raymond S. Peck, Director, Canadian Government M. P. Studios, Dead A Raymond S. Peck SSOCIATES ill the motion picture, government and business circles of Canada were shocked on May 27, to learn of the death of Raymond S. Peck, director of the Canadian Government Motion Picture Studio, Ottawa, in Ottawa Civic Hospital after an illness of three weeks, death being due to meningitis and complications, including symptoms of sleeping sickness. Mr. Peck was in agony for one week but lapsed into a state of coma nine days before he died. In his passing, the Canadian Government has lost one of its most capable officials. He had brought the Government's film establishment from a small venture in 1920 to an organization that, in 1927, was known throughout the world. At the brief funeral service in Ottawa Friday evening before the body was shipped to Chatham, Ontario, for burial, there were countless representatives of the Government, Rotary Club, Y. M. C. A., Masonic Order, the moving picture business, the Ottawa Community Orchestra, Canadian newspapers. World's Poultry Congress, Canadian Confederation Committee, Canadian National Railways and other organizations with which he had been prominently identified during his life time of 41 years. Mr. Peck began his career as a newspaperman and served with papers in London, Windsor and Detroit. He then became travelling representative for the Nash automobile company and the Firestone Tire Company, in the Southern States. Returning to Canada in 1917, he became a department manager with Canadian Universal Films at Toronto, and later manager of exchanges for the old Mutual Films. Prior to joining the Canadian Government in 1920, he was editor of the Canadian Moving Picture Digest of Toronto. During the last Imperial Conference in London, England, much of the discussion there regarding the moving picture situation within the British Empire revolved around data which Mr. Peck had prepared in Ottawa and which had been taken to the conference by Rt. Hon. W. L. M. King, Prime Minister of Canada. "U" and Stanley Seek Footholds in Ohio Westward Move of Theatre Company Arouses Interest; Film Firm. Operates Through Schine Company WITH both the Stanley Company of America and Universal seeking theatre footholds in Ohio that state becomes an important factor in the next development of the two circuits. The reports of tiic Stanley activity evoke considerable interest as this move marks the first advance westward of the circuit which, with West Coast Theatres, controls First National Pictures. Stanley and West Coast now are engaged on what is regarded as a nationalization of theatres. Stanley has an immediat". building program of $10,000,000, while West Coast also is si)endiiig millions fortifying its position on the Coast. In Cincinnati Stanley is dickering with Dan Conroy, president of the First National Bank of Portsmouth for acquisition of the three houses, these owned in whole or part by him. These include the La Roy, 1,600Beat house, showing a split week combination program of first run and four acts of Keith vaudeville; the Lyi-ic, straight picture house and the Columbia. The first two are owned outright by Conroy, who has a one-third interest in the Columbia, with Fred Tynes owning one-third and Tynes' silent partner the remaining third. Stanley, it is stated, wants all three houses or none, for the city now is in the throes of a price war which has every local house except the La Roy playing 15 cent matinees. The La Roy is 50 cents at night and ail other houses 25 cents. With the La Roy operating imder a "nut" of around $3,500 on the week, some extent of the effect of the slashings may be gained. Chris INLilavasos, who operates the Garden is declared to be dickering for a buyer, and, it is said, Avould welcome overtures from the Stanley circuit. Meanwhile, Variety Amusement Co., recently formed Cleveland chain, also is declared to be attemjjting to obtain a foothold here. In Cleveland, Universal is entering the theatre field, through its subsidiary the Schine Enterprises, which operates around 70 theatres in upstate New York. The company is reported to already have gained footholds at Van Wert, Salina, Lima, Bucyrus, Sidney and Sandusky. Several Cleveland exhibitors, owning out-of-town houses have been approached regarding sale of their houses to the Schine interests. Latin Players Arriving For Work in Fox Studios The S. S. "President Polk" of the Dollar Line which arrived in New York this week brought three new types of Latin beauty and personality for the studios of the Fox Film Corporation. From Naples, Genoa and Marseilles the "President Polk" transported the winners of the search for screen talent inaugurated and carried out by Fox Films in Italy and Spain last winter. The three are Senor Antonio Cumellas of Spain, Avinner of the contest for Spanish men; Signorina Marceila Battellini of Trieste, winner of the Italian contest for girls, and Signor Alberto Rabagliati, who won the contest for Italian men. With Signorina Battellini is her mother. The group will stay in New York for about a week and will then proceed to Los Angeles by way of the Panama Canal, arriving in Hollywood about June 23. About 70,000 persons entered the contests in Italy and about 30,000 in Spain. I J. S. Woody Severs His Connection With Goldwyn Because his plans for the screen production of "The Rise and Fall of Jesse James," compel him to leave Sam Goldwyn, J. S. Woody is returning to the motion picture industry in order to supervise the immediate production of the film depicting the life of the American bandit. Mr. Woody was granted a limited leave of absence by Mr. Goldwyn but this proving inadequate Mr. Woody was forced to terminate the business relationship. Mr. Woody made his first venture into the legitimate theatre recently by launching Frank Keenan in Eugene Walter's play, "Different Women" at the Woods Theatre in Chicago. Theproduction of the life of Jesse James will be based on the life of that character by Robertus Love. Mr. Walker has worked for some time on the screen treatment and continuitv. Warner Bros. Releasing Four Films in June The Warner Bros.' program of releases for the current month shows that four pictures, "The Black Diamond Express," "Simple Sis," "Dearie" and "What Happened to Father, ' ' will, in the order of their enumeration, come to exhibitors on June 4, •June 11, June IS and June 25. Monte Blue, Edna Murphy and Claire McDowell are in the first release, Louise Fazenda and Clyde Cook in the second, Irene Rich, William Collier, Jr., and Edna Murphy in the third, and Warner Oland and Flobelle Fairbanks in the final film scheduled for the month. John Barrymore to Act in Modern Story Instead of "Cellini," announced as John Barrymore 's next production for United Artists, Barrymore will play his first modern screen role in five years in ' ' The Tempest, ' ' an original story adapted by Fred de Gresac, described as a "realistic love drama." Frank Lloyd, director of "The Sea Hawk," will direct the new Barrymore number, the star's second independent production through United Artists. The story has three male characters.