Motion Picture News (Jul - Sep 1929)

August 10 . 19 29 531 Major Albert Warner Jack L. Warner Harry M. Warner The Late Sam Warner Vitaphone's Ihird Anniversary I August 6, 1926 THERE was a change of bill at the Warner Theatre on Aug. 6, 1926. The programme announcements read : "Warner Bros. Present Vitaphone and John Barrymore in 'Don Juan,' supported by an all-star cast." This was the introduction to the world of Vitaphone and while it would be asinine to intimate that the public was not tremendously interested in John Barrymore and his picture, the fact remains, its chief concern was in the new fangled thing discovered by the Warners for adding music to the screen and thereby promising it greater flexibility. Nothing was said, or intimated, at the time about Vitaphone adding anything but music to the screen. As a matter of fact, in the Warner publicity department the term, "talking pictures," was taboo. And there was good reason for this. Every talking picture apparatus, including Edison's kinetoscope, had failed miserably. It had got to a point where the term, "talking pictures," was anathema to the big producers. A study of that first night bill is interesting for Time plays many pranks. The thing that looks so clever to-day is likely to look like a piece of downright insanity a year from now. It is to be said of this opening bill that it looks better to-day than it did three years ago, if anything, gives greater proof of the absolute showmanship which has characterized so many of the moves of the Warners since they began their climb to the position they now hold in the picture industry. This programme opened with a Vitaphone prelude, its first number being an address from the screen delivered by Will H. Hays. This address dilated on {Continued from page 596) New York Newspapers Forecast Success NEW YORK newspaper writers, both editorially and in reviews, enthusiasticall.v heralded the advent of Vitaphone at Warners Theatre, Aug. 6th, 1926. Excerpts were as follows: Mordaunt Hall, in the New York Times: "Nothing like it ever before." F. D. Perkins, the Herald-Tribune: "Links sight and music with complete success." John S. Cohen, the Evening Sun: "Unquestionably one of the wonders of the world." Charles Pike Sawyer, the Evening Post: "Vitaphone reproduced sound perfectly." Richard L. Stokes, the Evening World: "Reproduction sumptuous and thrilling." Bernard Steinberg, the New York American: "Musical marvel of the age." Eileen Creelman, formerly of the New York American: "Marched triumphantly into the motion picture industry." Following are portions of editorial comment: New York Times: "No single word (Vitaphone) however compounded, is quite adequate to suggest the amazing triumph which man has at last achieved." New York Herald-Tribune: "The sound seems to come from the singer or the instrument, quite as though a living performer occupied the stage." . New York Sun: "Vitaphone in its perfected synchronization is certain to delight moving picture audiences." Etude: "Here, at last, was a perfectly synchronized sccreen representation with the spoken word and with music." August 6, 1929 THE occasion of the Third Anniversary of Vitaphone was marked on Tuesday night of this week by the presentation at the Warner's Theatre of the latest production starring Al. Jolson, entitled "Say It With Songs." The occasion was far from being the gala affair that marked the debut of the talking picture at this same house three years ago. This principally because that the public in the few short years that have intervened have come to accept the talking picture. The program accompanying the Jolson feature contained three of the subjects that were first shown three years ago. They are the address by Will H. Hays welcoming this new factor in motion picture industry which coupled sound with motion ; the overture played l)y tb.(_ New York Philharmonic Orchestra and the solo by Giovanni Martinelli "Vesta La Guibba" from "Pagliacci." It was the latter short subject that again stirred the house to tremendous applause. Then there was an address by a representative of the Warner Brothers, the information being given that this was a birthday party that the audience was present at, the Third Birthday of \'itaphone and that in order that they might best judge of the tremendous strides that had lieen made since the fiilst program was shown, a natural color trailer for 'Gold Diggers of Broadway," one of the forthcoming Warner Bros, productions would be shown. In this Conway Tearle acted as master of ceremonies. "Say It With Songs" was welcomed with terrific applause when its main title was flashed and the initial appearance of Jolson was drowned out l)y a terrific din from the audience.