Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1927)

1892-D .1/ o t i o 11 P i c t u r c N e zv s European Production Is Showing Increase for New Year GERMAN and Russian film production is showing a marked increase, with indicidations of additional activity for the new year. A number of new producing units have started work at Staaken, a little village on the outskirts of Berlin, prominent European stars are turning their attention in that direction. Defu Pictures, producers of First National's German films, are the occupants of the Staaken studios, which are said to be the largest in the world. They occupy a plot 1,000 feet by 900 feet. In the past few months a half dozen pictures have been started, three of which are still in production. Two others have had successful premieres and the other is now being cut. The Motion Picture section of the Department of Commerce has been informed that the big WUFKO studio at Kiev, Ukrainia, is nearing completion, and that production activities will get under way there shortly after the new year. This company has produced a number of pictures during the last year at the Odessa studios, and will probably increase its production schedule for next year. U. A. Names Riesenfeld Appoints Noted Director as Managing Chief of Theatre Circuit; Assumes Duties at Once JOSEPH M. SCHENCK, President of United Artists Theatre Circuit, has appointed Dr. Hugo Riesenfeld managing director of United Artists Theatres. Accompanied by Lou Anger, Vice-President and general manager of United Artists circuit, Dr. Riesenfeld left New York for Chicago Monday and will open the United Artists Theatre there on December 26th. Dr. Riesenfeld, who withdrew as managing director of the Colony Theatre in New York for Universal to assume his new duties with United Artists, will in all probability make his headquarters in Los Angeles, so that he can score all United Artists pictures where and when they are being filmed. His duties, however, will compel him to spend much of his time traveling. Hugo Riesenfeld In taking over the managing directorship of the United Artists houses, Dr. Riesenfeld expressed himself as being immensely pleased, because it will satisfy his ambition to offer the feature picture as the chief item of his show, merely pointing the surrounding musical features to the film. He is decidedly opposed to vaudeville in picture houses. The Colony was the fourth Broadway motion picture theatre Dr. Riesenfeld managed. For eight years he was managing director of the Rialto and Rivoli theatres and for five years the Criterion. In the Fall of 1915 Dr. Riesenfeld presented in a New York legitimate theatre, Clara Kimball Young in ' ' Trilby, ' ' a World film, and later he supervised New York presentations of "The Battle Cry of Peace," in which Norma Talmadge had her first major opportunity. A native of Vienna, Dr. Riesenfeld studied at the Royal Academy and the university there. He was also first violinist at the Imperial Opera House in his native city. In 1907 he came to America to become concert master for Oscar Hammerstein's opera company at the Manhattan Opera House in New York. Before he became managing director of the Rialto and Rivoli theatres he was musical director, and as such he scored Douglas Fairbanks' "A Good Bad Man," which opened the Rialto. Canadian Catholic Bishops Against Sunday Shows Exhibitors in the Province of Quebec and Eastern Ontario may feel the effect of the pastoral letter issued by the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church, signed by 17 archbishops and bishops of the various ecclesiastical provinces of Montreal, Quebec and Ottawa and strongly condemning Sunday entertainments. Catholics were called upon to refrain from attending pictures on Sundays and holy days and are forbidden to take part in any such amuse ments for which an admission fee is charged, even though the revenue is for charity or religious purposes. The letter was read in all Roman Catholic churches and adherents of that faith were instructed to avail themselves of all lawful means to banish the Sunday show. The edict went into effect Sunday, December 4, in many cities where Sunday performances of motion pictures have been the rule and not the exception. Mary Duncan Cast for "Four Devils" Role Mary Duncan, who played a part in the stage play, "The Shanghai Gesture," has been cast by F. W. Murnau to play the siren in "The Four Devils." The actress' latest screen work was in the recent Fox release, "Very Confidential." She is now working in ' ' Soft Living, ' ' but will be available to work under the German director early this month. Flora Finch has been cast for a featured part. Dione Ellis, Charles Morton and Barry Norton are also being considered by Murnau for parts. Several sequences for the new picture have been scenarized by Marion Orth. Evelyn Brent in New Bancroft Vehicle The female lead opposite George Bancroft in his first vehicle as a Paramount star has been assigned Evelyn Brent. The title of the picture has not yet been chosen, but it is now in the course of filming under the direction of Victor Schertzinger. Victor Varconi Acting in Tiffany-Stahl Feature Tiffany-Stahl Productions have acquired the services of Victor Varconi, Hungarian actor, through the courtesy of Cecil B. De Mille. He will play the male lead in "The Tragedy of Youth," which is being directed by King Baggott. D. C. Thompson Orient Agent for Kinograms KINOGRAMS' foreign service was augmented this week when Donald C. Thomson, war correspondent and photographer, signed a long term contract with the Educational newsreel to take charge of Kinograms work in the Orient, where he will reorganize the Kinograms staff and establish camera centers in Shanghai, Japan, the Phillipines, Siam and other Oriental countries. As soon as the work of reorganization has been completed, Mr. Thompson, accompanied by his wife, will head an expedition into East India and Africa, Kinograms to hold exclusive rights to all news pictures gathered on the trip. Mr. Thompson has been around the world 17 times and has just returned from a motion picture expedition into Asia, pictures of which will be shown in Kinograms releases in the near future. In a conversation with Captain George McLeod Baynes, president of Kinograms Publishing Corporation who aided Thompson in the release of his Russian revolution picture, "BloodStained Russia," Thompson was prevailed upon to establish headquarters in Asia for the newsreel.