Motion Picture News (Mar - Apr 1926)

1074 Motion Picture News i A"HY" ARRIVES MONG the arrivals in New York City from the Coast last week was Hyatt Daab, better known as "Hy," who came to take up his new duties as director of advertising and exploitation for Film Booking Offices. He found a beautiful desk clock awaiting him, as well as a new memo pad with the notation: "Don't make any dates for Friday night, for on that night we are going to take you out and give you a bang-up feed.'' 1 he walls of his office were decorated with a series of "welcome" signs of a humorous nature, and nothing was left undone by his many friends in the Home Office to make him feel at home at once. "Who's the new kid on our block?" Three directorial aces at the De Mille studio, William K. Howard, Rupert Julian and Paul Sloane, talk over Donald Crisp, the latest addition to the group of megaphone wielders producing for Producers Dist. Corp. release. T MIDNIGHT WAMPAS HE program of this year's Wampas Frolic has been received, and a glance at the elaborate book prepared evokes the thought that "those West Coast boys certainly do it up right!" For the program is a young book of no less than 1 20 pages on enameled paper, beautifully printed and replete with novelty, humor and interest. The Frolic, which is reported to have been a tremendous success, included such features as a ballet of 50 youngsters under eight years of age, Doraldina, presentation of the Baby Stars, Doug. Fairbanks and his trainers in a game of Badminton, Clyde Cook in eccentric dances and highlight scenes from "Ben-Hur," "Kiki," "The Midnight Sun," "Irene," "The Wanderer" and "The Volga Boatman." Congratulations should be extended to the Wampas boys, both for the Frolic and for the splendid publication which they prepared to accompany it. YWISE CASTING VETTE GILBERT, the great French chanteuse, is the latest addition to the splendid cast assembled for the Ufa production of "Faust." She will play the role of Martha, the other principal members of the cast being Emil Jannings and Gosta Ekman. F. W. Murnau is directing. Photographic copies of the sketches for the principal scenes of "Faust" have reached the New York office, and if they are carried out as faithfully as there is every reason to expect, "Faust" should be one of the most beautiful and at the same time most powerful film epics ever screened. J SHOWMAN-WRITERS NEEDED • I. SCHNITZER, vice-president in charge of production for F. B. O., sees the greatest need of the screen at the moment as writers with showmanship. "Stories," says Schnitzer, than ever the thing. What we l.ced more than anything else are -N i T\ I f , A ff* M?K /\ »>» ^^E^ -5^S /vB . * ) A ^^ L^ifl 2£7%Vi!q.o t * \ ■ •Wroffiw i ■ L_ % 0 Director Clarence Brown passes on the make-ups of ISorma Talmadge and Roland Colman for a scene in "Kiki," now nearing completion at the United Studios in Hollywood for First National release. writers who combine practical showmanship with actual writing ability. We need writers with ideas and these ideas must be boxoffice ideas. We must have the big story idea well produced with a good cast, rime-worn themes are absolutely worthless unless the treatment of the story gives it originality and appeal. If our best writers could study the distribution phases of our business for a few months; if they could take the place of the exhibitor and learn his problems at first hand, they would benefit immeasurably. I am convinced that the new year will bring forth many new writers and they will be men and women who, besides being able to write good, dramatic stories, will also possess the practical showmanship which is so essential today." Sensible words, and a sane summing up of the whole problem as it exists in regard to screen stories and, especially, originals. THERE FOR PREMIERE HE opening of "Ibanez' Torrent" at the Capitol theatre. New York City, last Sunday had the added brilliance of the presence of three stars, just arrived from the Coast — Ricardo Cortez, who plays the leading male role, Alma Rubens, his bride, and Gertrude Olmstead, who has been loaned by M-G-M to First National for one of its Eastern productions. Owen Moure, who returns to the screen a leading man for Peggy are more Hopkins Joyce in "The Skyrocket? for Associated Exhibitors' release, and whose work has aroused much favorable comment.