Motion Picture News (Apr - Jun 1928)

2182 Motion Picture News Pathe Rooster Crows Lustily as Photophone Makes Trademark Record MR. PATHE, the All-American rooster chosen at Madison Square Garden as the bird most suitable for screen duty as a replica of the Pathe animated trademark, has caught the spirit of the times and had his voice recorded on the RCA Photophone. In future Pathe pictures which are synchronized with the marvelous new sound device, Mr. Pathe will bring his barnyard war cry to the screen, crowing lustily just preceding the unfolding of the titles. Colvin Rrown, Executive Vice-President of Pathe; John C. Flinn, Vice-President, and other executives, are highly pleased with the vocal efforts of the feathered gent, known to screen fans the world over for a quarter of a century as the Pathe trademark. There were some misgivings at the RCA Photophone Studios when Norton B. Cooper, of Closter, N. J., the owner of Mr. Pathe, unleashed him from a gilded cage under the kleigs. The big question in the mind of Richard Currier, head of production for the RCA Photophone, and his staff, was whether the rooster would crow in this rather strange environment. Cooper, who had had the bird manicured and rouged for the occasion, asserted that he would crow 'till the cows came home, but all the while there was revolving in Mr. Currier's mind the problem of where to get a double in the event that Mr. Pathe closed up like a clam when high on his perch before the mike. Frank Gillmore Foresees Bright Days for Legitimate Actor FRANK GILLMORE, executive secretary of Actors' Equity Association, in his annual report to the association published in ''Equity," makes some interesting comment on sound pictures, in which he sees the legitimate actor coming into his own. Mr. Gillmore 's report on this subject follows : "Several times within the last few weeks I have been asked about the new talking pictures which threaten to flood the market shortly. They are certainly a wonderful invention and if they be all that is claimed for them I think you actors of the speaking stage are going to come into your own again. "I have nothing but respect for the motion picture player, but up to now the most important part of his equipment as an actor has never been called upon. Four-fifths of our technique, yours and mine, depends on the voice, and what years of practice it takes to make that sufficient unto our needs. I wonder if some of the truly beautiful creatures which float across the screen today will be quite as successful when they have to speak the lines of a long part. To do this their voices must be carefully modulated without a trace of accent except when the characterization calls for it. Some of us of the legitimate have been told that we don't possess screen faces. T wonder how many in the future will suffer from the accusation of being minus screen voices? "We are aware of the keen business sense of the successful screen producer, but I Avonder if he has foreseen all the difficulties in his new venture. A speech, a stunt or an act as demonstrated by the Vitaphone is one thing, but the drama requires memorizing and very careful preparation. We usually rehearse four weeks and often consider that inadequate without an additional two weeks of actual performing. That will entail much preliminary expense to the studios, as you will have to be paid for those rehearsals, besides, how will you be able to time your laughs, to regulate your pauses and other effects without testing them out before an audience. It will be awkward when the talking machine continues on mechanically, thereby killing several gusts of laughter. Screen directors are accustomed to megaphone their instructions, but under the new conditions they must be silent or the recording instruments will give them away. "As I see it, there will have to be two directors — a stage one and a screen one — and I hereby and herewith call upon the American Arbitration Association to settle their differences. In the talking film the market will be restricted to the English speaking countries and profits reduced While the expenses will be much increased. I recognize that the talent of the inventors will create a tableau as large as our present stage so that the characters will not be bunched and have to hiss their words into one another's ears 'as at present. "In conclusion I beg to repeat that any way you take it the new talking films will mean increased employment for you but will never actually replace the regular drama. ' ' RCA to Synchronize 10 Pathe Specials Pathe Exchange, Inc., announces that ten of its big specials on the 1928-29 program, including "The King of Kings" and "The Godless Girl" will be synchronized through the new RCA Photophone process. In addition to the two DeMille productions, Pathe has selected the following specials and features for RCA Photophone synchronization : "Show Folks," with Lina Basquette, Eddie Quillan and Robert Armstrong; "The Spieler," with Jacqueline Logan and Alan Hale; "Annapolis," with Jeanette Loft' and John Mack Brown; "Ned MeCobb's Daughter," with Anna Q. Nilsson and Robert Armstrong; "Noisy Neighbors," with Eddie Quillan and the Quillan family of eight; "The Leatherneck," starring William Boyd, with Lina Basquette, Robert Armstrong and Alan Hale; "Square Shoulders," with Junior Coghlan and George Duryea; "Listen Baby," with Lina Basquette and Eddie Quillan. The premiere of "The Godless Girl" at the Gaiety Theatre in New York and the Biltmore Theatre, Los Angeles in August will be the world's first demonstration of RCA Photophone, the organization created by the combined engineering staffs of General Electric, Westinghouse and Radio Corporation of America. New Ark. House Designed For Orchestraphone The increasing popularity of the "Orchestraphone," is reflected in the construction of a new theatre at Cullendale, Arkansas, especially designed for featuring this synchronizing instrument. Architects of this house, which has been named the Folly, have provided special tone chambers at the sides of the stage for the installation of Orchestraphone horns, and have included a room in the rear of the theatre in which the instrument itself, together with the library of records has been placed. The Folly, a 500 seat house is most modern in every detail, and is owned and operated by W. W. Henderson, manager of the International Pajjer Company mills at Camden, Arkansas. Mr. Henderson is generally enthusiastic about the splendid pulling power that the Orchestraphone has demonstrated since the opening of his theatre some weeks ago. Vitaphone Inaugurated at Reading, Pa. The Vitaphone season was inaugurated in Reading, Pa., on June 18, in the Strand theatre, a house seating 1,800 persons, and Which, it was announced will be the new home of Vitaphone during the period of the construction of the new million-dollar Astor theatre on the site of the old Arcadia which is being demolished. The opening Vitaphone performance at the Strand was "Glorious Betsy," So great is the anticipated popularity of Vitaphone attractions in Reading this summer that special arrangements have been made for handling especially big crowds at the Strand. The Strand is controlled by the Franklin Theatre Company chain. Christie Announcement Due from Coast Soon Charles Christie, vice president of the Christie Film Company, returned to the Coast on Saturday after a month spent in New York. While in New York he conferred with Paramount officials on the sound picture proposition. Mr. Christie is expected to make an official announcement of his company's plans regarding sound pictures within the next few days.