Motion Picture News (Mar - Apr 1926)

1072 M o t i o 11 Picture News MARCH 6 1926 Mono ft Tictvke JVEWS VolN™ Founded in September 1913 Publication Office: Lyon Block, Albany, N. Y. Editorial and C7eneral Offices: 729 7th Ave., New York City Branch Offices: 845 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, III. Room 616 Security Bldg., Hollywood, Calif. level which Fox Films has set. He has a high mark to shoot at in trying to surpass the product of recent months, but the plans outlined give every hope of reaching it. With the four Peter B. Kyne stories, the Golden plays, the Belasco masterpieces, the Hoyt successes, "What Price Glory?" and other rich veins of story material, plus the facilities in studios and personnel being lined up, backed by the driving force of Mr. Sheehan's dynamic management. Fox pictures should be worth watching for. And with Jimmy Grainger on the job at the sales end, the future looks rosy all around for this organization. Editorially Speaking THE sale by Sol Lesser of his West Coast Theatre holdings to a group of First National franchise holders ami executives, reported this week, comes as a somewhat unexpected conclusion to the negotiations which Lesser has been conducting for several weeks with Eastern banking interests. This, following upon the sale to Samuel Goldwyn of "The Winning of Barbara Worth," leaves Lesser free of connections or alliances at the moment, and his future moves will be watched with great interest. The consideration involved in the two transactions will undoubtedly place him in a financial position of complete independence, but those who know him best are likely, to doubt that he will be able to remain long away from the industry in which he has played such an interesting role. T 7" NIVERSAL'S balance sheet for the year, made public / / this week, is something to be proud of, showing, as it does, profits of nearly two mill ion dollars. Universal has gone in for considerable expansion this year, and the increase in the number of special productions, accompanied by a general higher gearing up of studio activity, meant increased sales effort if profits were to be maintained. The 'fact that the net profit is sufficient to meet the dividend requirements many times over is gratifying evidence that the increase in production quality has paid handsomely. w INFIELD R. SHEEHAN is once more in Hollywood, prepared to grapple with the mighty job of keeping production going full blast and at the high CECIL B. DE MILLE is in New York tor a four weeks' stay, the longest he has made in years, and the outcome of his conferences with I'.l).('. officials is expected to be the most elaborate program which this producer-director has yet essayed. He has brought with him a print of '"The Volga Boatman," which is expected to mark something of a departure in screen fare. In organizing his own forces De Mille has had many problems and difficulties, but the coming season should see him in his proper stride. XVY any list of really fine pictures a large O. K. should be f J placed opposite the name of Producers' Distributing Corporation. This concern is coming along very rapidly in its product. The facts prove it. For example, three pictures recently shown deserve very high rating: "Three Faces Fast." by all odds one of the finest melodramas ever made and certain to hit home with audiences everywhere; "Fifth Avenue." a style shozv dc luxe plus an interesting story: and "The Million Dollar Handicap." which, our scouts tell us, is just about the last word in racing pictures. . .This is an unusual group for any company at one time. They art box-office films: well-made, interesting in story and treatment— and. 7chat is even more important, individual and distinctive. Editorial 1071 Second Editorial Page 1072 Pictures and People 1073-76 Exhibitors Service Bureau 1095-1101 General News and Special Features 1077-94 Short Subjects and Serials 1 105-06 Pre-Release Reviews on Features 1 109-14 Newspapers Opinions on New Features. 1134 Construction and Equipment Department 1121-28 Regional News from Correspondents 1115-20 Features and Short Subject Release Chart 1 l/'I9-34 Box Office Reports 1102-03 Short Subject Reviews 1107-08 Joseph M. Schenck (right). United Artists' production chief, has added a new accomplishment to his many activities — athletics. He is here seen with his trainer, Douglas Fairbanks, who is said to be something of an athlete himself. March 6, 1926 MOTION PICTURE NEWS Vol. XXXIII. No. 10 Published weekly by Motion Picture News, Inc., William A. Johnston, President; E. Kendall Gifiett, Vice-President J William A. Johnston, Editor; J. S. Dickerson, Associate Editor; Oscar Cooper, Managing Editor; Fred J. Beecroft, Advertising Manager; L. H. Mason, Chicago Representative; William McCormack, Eos Angeles Representative. Subscription price, $2 per year, post paid in United States, Mexico, Hawaii, Porto Rico. Philippine Islands and some other countries; Canada, $3, foreign, $6.00. Copyright 1925, by Motion Picture News, Inc., in the United States and Great Britain. Title registered in the United States Patent Olfct and foreign countries. Western Union cable address is "Picknews." New York. Entered as second-class matter January 31st, 1924, at the postomce, Albany, N. Y.. under the Act of March 3, 1879.