Motion Picture News (Jul - Sep 1930)

September 2 7, 1930 Motion P i c t u re News 31 Season Opens Without Legit in Cleveland Cleveland — This city of over a million population is confronted with the situation of seeking all of its theatrical entertainment in motion picture theatres. For the first time in many generations the amusement season has opened without the presentation of a legitimate play. However, if announcements materialize, the Shubert Hanna theatre will present Ethel Barrymore and her daughter, Ethel Barrymore Colt, in "Scarlet Sister Mary," the end of this month. The Ohio, the home of Erlanger controlled productions ever since it was built, is dark. Landow and Graham Join Phil Reisman's Staff Mike Landow and Harry Graham are the latest additions to the Universal sales force. The former has been given supervision over the Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington offices. Landow formerly was associated with the Nathan Appell Enterprises, York, Pa. Graham, who has been named special representative in the Middle West, formerlv was district manager for Pathe. Loew Profit Jumps 3 Millions for 40 Weeks Net profit of Loew's, Inc., for the forty weeks ended June 6 is reported at $11,781,924, as compared with $8,215,034 for the same 1929 period. Operating profit for the fnrty weeks totaled $15,568,856. with depreciation and taxes reaching $3,786,932. These compare with $11,345,942 and $3,130,908, respectively, for the corresponding periods in 1929. Cincinnati Firm Plans Newsreel and Shorts Cincinnati — Rapid Film Co. has been established here. Officers are George Kaufman, president ; M. O. Martin, vice-president and general manager ; Ralph Lembeck, chief of production unit, and Robert Perry, sound engineer. The company will produce newsreels, shorts and publicity pictures, in addition to manufacturing and distributing its own sound recording and projection outfits. Services for Sills Hollywood — Cecil B. De Mille presided at memorial services for Milton Sills Wednesday night at the Academy of M. P. Arts and Sciences. Louis B. Mayer, Conrad Nagel, Lawrence Grant, M. C. Levee and Clinton Wunder were speakers. "U" Shelves Pictures Hollywood — Universal has shelved "St. Johnson," the W. R. Burnett story in which John Wrav was to have been starred. "Len" Fields in Town Leonard Fields, who recently joined Universale West Coast writers' staff, has arrived from Hollywood, via aeroplane, for a brief vacation. Hoeffler Appears with Film Providence — Paul L. Hoeffler, explorer, made a personal appearance with his film, "Africa Speaks," st the RKO Victory theatre. Stop Us If We're Wrong EL. HARVEY, managing editor of Fox • Movietone News and the Embassy newsreel theatre, is back from London, where he supervised the opening of the British Movietone News Theatre. . . . E. L. predicts that soon each capital abroad will have this type of house. . . . Tiffany is starting work on "The Third Alarm," which, it states, played 9,500 theatres as a silent. . . . Now the wise guys are calling miniature golf the "synthetic sport." # # * Dorothy MackaiU, F. N. star, made a personal appearance Thursday night at the New York p-rcmiere of "The Office Wife," which gives the lent/down on what business* executives do when they 'phone their wives they're working. . . . Looks like a deliberate play to the women. . . . Three Sono Art World-Wide pictures played simultaneously in Rochester first runs — "Once a Gentleman" at the RKO Temple, "Blaze o' Glory" at the Strand and "Moulin Rouge" at the Little. * * # Some inside dope on Fox spilled by Walter Winchell: "Harley Clarke, the head of Fox Films, has 89 per cent, of Jenkins Television. . . . They argue that Fox will be back at 60 by Nov. 15." . . . He also divulges that "the Doug, Jr., and Joan Crawford crash rumor was started by a former flame." ... It is rumored that Warren Nolan has some big plans in mind. ... P. S. He denies the report. * * * LI NIVERSAL is crowing some more about ' "All Quiet on the Western Front," the picture having broken records in Rochester and Syracuse. . . . Jocelyn Lee, screen eyeful, who is suing Director Luther Reed for a divorce, denies that she tossed plates and glasses at him. . . . The most interesting part of the story — whether she scored any hits — is omitted. . . . Archie Mayo is slated to direct "Doorway to Hell." . . . Probably wants to see what "Hell's Angels" look like. # * * Al Selig of Tiffany has created a novel cutout booklet for the chimpanzee shorts. . . . Each Happy New Year The Tiffany Chimp, star of the novel series of two reel comedies which Tiffany is releasing, is in New York for a brief visit. A round of receptions and entertainments is being staged for the star by Al Selig' s advertising and publicity force. picture is described in verse and illustrated with a sketch. . . . It should prove a great sales aid. . . . Universal' s talker serial, "The Indians Are Coming," is now playing the Brooklyn Paramount. . . . Out there they think New Jersey is the Far West. . . . The Roxy, which booked the serial for Saturday morning performances, is now playing it daily. A Paramount publicity hound sends word that "Clara Bow is vacationing in San Francisco following the completion of Her Wedding Night." . . . Tut! Tut! . . . That's no time to take a vacation. . . . Edward H. Griffith and Horace Jackson, Pathe director and adaptor, respectively, cleaned up all the sights in New York within the space of a week and have returned to the Coast. . . . Incidentally, Ned used to write books on theology during his youth. * * * HERE'S an optimist for you. . . . Col. W. S. Butterfield, pioneer and topnotch exhibitor, bulletins to the Empeynews : "After a hot summer the Michigan Circuit is now operating at full swing and, while the fall business is not quite up to last year, the outlook is very good." . . . Jessie Estelle James has lost her suit against Paramount for $50,000 for failing to cast her in "Jesse James," film version of the life of her outlaw grandfather. . . . That'll make the old guy turn over in his grave. * * * Gordon White threw' a nice little luncheon for the press boys and girls and, being White, did things up brown. . . . The whole affair was ;■<•)■ y educational, as well as entertaining. . . . "Gentleman Bob" Doidge proved another perfect host. . . . June McCloy, having clicked in shorts, gets a term contract from Paramount. . . . Who is the prominent film executive who cadges cigarettes from his secretary — sex, female? . . . Only days to do your Christmas shopping. * * * At the moment of going to press Warren Nolan was being buried from sight under an avalanche of rumors. . . . Tiffany's chimpanzee star paid the Empeynews office a visit this week and demonstrated in person that he's got the goods. . . . Janet Gaynor. having worn out a spot on the mourners' bench after a little tiff with Fox, steps in front of the camera this week in "The Man Who Came Back." . . . Now, no puns on that title. Lou Guimond is a miniature golf casualty. . . . He aimed at the ball and made a hole in one of his ankles. . . . It's all right, though ; Lou doesn't walk much, regardless of how much he talks. . . . Niles Krichbaum, Akron exhibitor, is organizing his friends for a rabbit hunt Nov. 5. . . . Each hopes to get a left hind foot for luck purposes. * * * The line of males wishing to see Nancy Carroll in the flesh forms at the right. . . She will appear at the Brooklyn Paramount during the week of Oct. 3. . . . Wish we had a pass and an introduction. . . . Warren Nolan's rumor department has duly notified this department that Gloria Sivanson is not in New York City and is absolutely not the 57 ladies seen by excited fans. * * * Melville Brown, director, says he "judges the public somewhat by its fondness for the comic supplement." . . . Maybe that's the answer to "what's the matter with the movies?" . . . Claudia Dell has been in Hollywood for six months and has had to work every minute. . . . Now she's trying to promote a vacation in order to see if Hollywood resembles the fan magazines' idea of it. Cantor in Cleveland Cleveland — Eddie Cantor, who has been in Cleveland for ten days, during which time Mrs. Cantor was operated on at Cleveland Clinic, has signed to appear at the RKO Palace for the week of October 11.