Motion Picture News (Jul - Sep 1930)

32 Motion Picture News September 27, 19 3 0 Independents Readying for Bull Market? Independent exhibitors may expect a bull market on independently produced films within the next few months, according to John R. Freuler, head of Big 4 Films, who has just returned from the Coast, where he made a study of production conditions as they affect state right companies. Verifying a story which appeared exclusively in Motion Picture News last week, Freuler reported renewed interest on the part of independents on the West Coast, with numerous companies preparing to start work. "Never since the inception of the industry has the independent market presented such an attractive field as today for those pioneers who have faith in it, and the courage to act on that faith," Freuler yesterday told a representative of this publication. "The period of novelty which the speakies have enjoyed during the past two years is ended, and something more than mere sound and talk is now necessary to infuse a lasting success to this reincarnated art. "More and more is production talent realizing that the independent market offers a rich field, a movement which is constantly bringing to the latter field stronger directors, better stories and better actors. It now remains for the independent, with a minimum of overhead and freedom from tradition, to study audience requirements. Imbued with a belief of present day needs', such an organization may enter upon the market with optimism and a feeling of equal opportunity." Freuler Lining Up 1930-31 Schedule for Big Four Big 4 Film will distribute during the new season six "mellers" and two specials in addition to the previously announced series of six Westerns with Wally Wales. A deal been closed with Craig Hutchinson for 12 two-reel comedies to be released, one every month. Work Assumes Duties As RKO Division Head San Francisco — Cliff Work, hay district manager of Radio-Keith-Orpheum, has been appointed Pacific Coast division manager, to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Frank Vincent, who was forced to retire by ill health. He will assume his new duties at once with main offices at Los Angeles. Jack Gross, formerly city manager for RKO in South Bend, hid., will succeed Work as bay district manager. Seven Circuits Sign Up For Universal Product Seven independent circuits in Greater New York, in addition to the RKO Metropolitan chain, have booked Universal 193031 product solid, the company The n are M Rosen blatt Circuit. Harry Harri . Brandl Bi 11 irn Salkin and Sydney Cohen. Outdoor Vogue Sono Art-World Wide will concentrate on outdoor dramas during the new season, states Budd Rogers, head of company sales, with ten pictures of the type being added to the new season schedule. These are designed for action fans and children, Rogers declares, stating that stars of the new pictures soon will be announced. George W . Weeks will produce the new series, work on the first of which gets under way in about three weeks in Hollywood. Arthur Hoerl will adapt "Hell Bent for Frisco," planned as one of the first pictures of the group. Budd Rogers M.P.T.O.A. Seeks Public Opinion On Film Tastes Direct contact with theatre-goers, with the objective of learning the trend of public opinion and capitalizing it in production, is being sought by the M. P. T. O. A., as a result of a suggestion made at an AMPA meeting by Walter F. Wanger, Paramount general manager of production. Theatre managers are to be the local agents in the move, the information they gather being sent to general headquarters for classification and analysis. A concrete plan to put the innovation in force will be decided upon at the Philadelphia convention of the organization Nov. 10-12. Speaking of the move, National Secretary M. J. O'Toole said : "The plan simply proposes the gathering of public opinion with respect to the kind of pictures most desired and then classifying it and making it as applicable as possible to the work of production managers. In this way they will always have something definite to guide them. The experience of the past is now their principal guide. But as public tastes change and these changes are first made evident to the theatre manager, some definite way of keeping in direct touch with this evolution in public thought will be agreed upon. "The zones could be made the unit, with sub-districts, so as to facilitate the handling of the work. Definite lines of procedure could be followed to enable the public to make their desires known. No guarantees could possibly be given to serve this or that territory with special kind of pictures." Newsreels in Close Race Omaha — Paramount, Pathe and Fox News all have sound units here from Chicago to cover the sixth National Eucharistic congress, which opened on Monday and closed Thursday. French Ignoring U. S. Protests in German Accord Paris — In the face of American protests, the French Cinema Control Commission is going ahead with plans to consider a Franco-German accord, which is the final step preparatory to government approval of the proposed pact. American distributors have protested through the American embassy that the accord plan violates the Franco-American agreement concluded in 1929. The proposed agreement will permit French dialogue films made in Germany to enter France without being classed as quota films. French talkers made in America, however, are classed as American films and must come within the United States' quota. New York Country Clubs Go for Talking Films Outdoor sound picture entertainment has become quite the rage at a number of New York's exclusive country clubs. Two programs recently were projected by RCA Photophone portable sound reproducing equipment at the Fenimore Country Club at White Plains and the Westchester Country Club at Rye. At the latter club, a program presented to about 1,000 members and guests created so much enthusiasm that a second show was given to an audience of nearly twice that number. Wanger, Schulherg to Launch New Schedule Hollywood— Walter F. Wanger, general manager of production at Paramount, and B. P. Schulberg, managing director of production, leave Oct. 10 for the East to launch a program of increased production at the New York studio. They will be accompanied by Sam Jaffe, production manager, and Ernst Lubitsch, who will assume new duties as supervising director at the East Coast plant upon his arrival. British Firm Opening Cohan as N. Y. Outlet Thomas F. Whyte, formerly house manager of the Rivoli, New York, is managing director of the George M. Cohan, which Friday begins operation as New York outlet for British International Pictures. The first attraction under the new regime instituted by Captain Harold Auten is "Young Woodley." The house will operate under a grind policy. Premiere Dates Changed Hollywood — Oct. 2 is to be opening date of Raoul Walsh's "The Big Trail." The opening date of "Madam Satan" has been changed to Sept. 24 and "Just Imagine" will have its premiere Oct. 10. Holcomb Joins Big 4 Minneapolis — G. E. Holcomb has left on a tour of local territory for Big 4 Film. having been added to the latter's staff at the Celebrated Pictures Exchange.