Motion Picture Daily (Jun-Aug 1931)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Wednesday, Augusf 12, 1931 Rowland Job in N.Y.-Hits Coast Studio Guesses (Coiifi'iiiifd from payc 1) augmented — or aggravated — yesterday when a Coast report was printed stating that Harley L. Clarke plans to shift Rowland to Hollywood as the first step in a clean-out of the Fox production staff. There were allegations of dissatisfaction with Winfield Sheehan's regime to give color to the story. "Ridiculous," said Rowland last night to Motion Picture Daily. "I am positive that such an idea is furthest from Mr. Clarke's thoughts. Mr. Sheehan is one of the industry's most capable production executives and couldn't be bettered. There are some people who are always starting a lot of rumors to cause discontent." In addition, there is Rowland's aversion to jobs in Hollywood, the veteran executive having fought shy of them for the last ten years. Clarke could not be reached for a statement, but Rowland said he was confident that the Fox president would emphatically deny the Coast report when it is brought to his attention. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" Loew Not Cutting Organists — Sidney Columbus — Louis K. Sidney, executive of the Loew production department, in a letter to Russell Bovin, manager, Loew's Ohio, spikes a recent rumor to the effect that the circuit would dispense with all organists. "There is no truth in the statement. Pay no attention to such stories" is quoted from Sidney's communication. Bill Dalton, feature organist, at the Ohio, has just been signed for another year. "BUY RIGHT — BUT BUY NOW" Record Ad Boost CixcixxATi — On opening day of current attractions, RKO increased its total display advertising to a summer record of approximately 7,200 lines in three local dailies, of which 3,400 lines were used for regular group advertisements prepared locally, and 3.800 lines represented syndicated copy on "Politics." "BUY RIGHT — BUT BUY NOW" Leases York Houses York, Neb. — Lester Rush of Nevada, la., who recently purchased the York and Sun theatres has leased both houses to W. H. Cochran, formerly of Wood River, Nebr. Rush is secretary of Allied in Iowa. He owns three other houses. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" Chrissis Gets Site Chicago — Title to the store property at 5038 West Madison Street has been acquired by D. J. Chrissis, district manager of Warner theatres. Brokers deny knowledge of plans for the erection of a new theatre on the site, which is now occupied by a chain grocery. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" Ralston Gives Birth Holly wriOD — Esther Ralston, wife of George Webb, yesterday gave birth to an eight-pound daughter. Fox Breaks Up Circuit Into Units (Continued f"'" tKilf 1) arate units. Practically all of the excessive cost of the home office will be eliminated immediately. Fox says. Henceforth the home office will have more to do with service than with operation. The general managers will be responsible directly to the board of directors of each local company. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" English Dialogue Singapore's Choice (Continued from page 1) which will be opened coincident with the 150th anniversary of Bangkok. There are also two houses in Singapore equipped for sound, one refrigerated and so constructed that the roof may be slid back in pleasant weather. American talkers are well received due to the fact that English is the semi-official language of the country and is taught in all the schools. "BUY RIGHT — BUT BUY NOW" G-M Developes New Cell Coupling Cable A new cell coupling cable for use in sound equipment has been developed by G-M Laboratories, Inc., which asserts that it has five times the capacity reactance of standard microphone cable. The use of this cable reduces the attenuation of high frequencies, resulting in increased brilliancy of reproduction, says G-M. "BUY RIGHT — BUT BUY NOW" Levine Starting Serial Nat Levine, president of Mascot Pictures Corp. and Director B. Reaves (Breezy) Eason have completed casting for "The Galloping Ghost" at the Tec-Art Studios. Harold E. (Red) Grange, known to millions of football fans as "The Galloping Ghost" of the gridiron heads the cast which includes Dorothy Gulliver, Walter Miller, Gwen Lee, Francis X. Bushman, Jr., Theodore Lorch, Tom London, Eddie Hearn, Ernie Adams, Tom Dugan, Frank Brownlee, Connie Grouse, Edward Piel, Sr., George McGrill, Bert Goodrich, and Stepin Fetchit. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" Makes Hurried Trip Sylvia Sidney has gone to Hollywood, but will return to New York in time for the world premiere of King Vidor's production of "Street Scene," which opens at the Rivoli August 27. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" Three Years for Bandit Ha.milton-, O. — A youth bound over to the grand jury on charge of having held up the Publix-Palace box office and obtaining around $100, changed his plea to guilty in common pleas court and was sentenced to three years in the state reformatory. Amusement Stocks On Upward Swing (Continued from fope 1) shares. General Theatres was the tenth most active stock on the board, indicating a continuance of recent selling. Eastman Kodak was the leader on the upside, closing more than 6 points higher at 140>^. Wall Street anticipated action taken on the Paramount dividend and that stock responded readily to the general improvement, closing at 23^, up \y&. Fox gained one-half point on a heavy turnover, while fractional gains also were made by Warners and Consolidated Films. Loew's moved up 2 points. Gains made by Warner Brothers convertible 6s and Paramount issues featured the trading in amusement bonds. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" Make First Run of Rochester Century Rochester, N. Y. — Suddenly shifting its policy, Publix has revamped its 2,200-seat Century, downtown house, into a first-run theatre and launched a series of first-string films in effort to revive the house's former popularity. Publix, after closing the 3,200-seat Eastman when the house ran into a hole and pulled the city average down, focused on the Regent, off center from the theatre district. The Century stood them up for the first weekend with Chevalier in "The Smiling Lieutenant." "BUY RIGHT — BUT BUY NOW" Construction Starts On Biggest Theatre Plans have been filed for the largest of the Radio City theatres which will have a seating capacity of 6,049. This is to be the tenth unit of the Rockefeller-Radio City development and will be known as the International Music Hall. Plans call for a 30 story office building to be erected on the west half of the block bounded by Fifth and Sixth avenues. Fiftieth and Fifty-first streets. Estimated cost is set at $7,000,000. Excavation is already under way. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" Cast Opposite Sterling Aileen Cook, musical comedy ingenue, has been engaged by Paramount to appear opposite Ford Sterling in "Twenty Horses," second of the Sterling two-reelers being made at Paramount's New York studio under the direction of Al Ray. "BUY RIGHT — BUT BUY NOW" Free Until Needed Although now on the Coast, District Attorney Grain yesterday asked surrender of John C. Flinn and Henry F. Lally in connection with the Pathe studio fire case. Supreme Court Justice Dore permitted their freedom for the present under $7,500 bail. "BUY RIGHT — BUT BUY NOW" Reopens Friday Preparations for the reopening of the Hollywood Theatre, New York, on Friday with Constance Bennett in "Bought" have been going on all week. The house is being gone over very thoroughly by painters and cleaners and being air conditioned for the fall and winter season. 1-Man Policy Out, William Canavan Says (Continued fron, puye 1) the Chicago difficulty for the two sides won't get anywhere making faces at each other, "but it never will be decided on a one-man-in-the-booth basis," Canavan predicted. If it is, he said, he would be inclined to revoke the charter of the Chicago union. "BUY RIGHT — BUT BUY NOW" New Radio Network With Film Affiliate (^Continued from page 1) it is said, will feature film favorites. Later, it is expected, the network will branch out eastward. KNX, Los Angeles, is the key station. RKO is an affiliate of National Broadcasting and Paramount owns 50 per cent t)f the Columbia Broadcasting System. "BUY RIGHT — BUT BUY NOW" Warner Houses Book Nat Levine Serials Bernard Mills of Standard Film Exchanges, Albany, has booked the entire Warner circuit in his territory for "The Vanishing Legion," Mascot's first serial of the season. Mills points out that this sale marks a revolutionary change in the Warner Bros, atticluded in the deal will play "The tude toward serials as all theatres inVanishing Legion" at all performances, rather than for matinees only, the previous policy. The Ritz of Albany will play each episode a full week, and the Lincoln of Troy will show it four days. Other Warner theatres that have scheduled the serial are the Aladison and Albany of Albany; the Warner, Wellsville; Warner, Medina; Warner, Jamestown ; Warner, Hornel ; Warner, Dunkirk ; Warner, Babcock ; Stanley, Utica ; and Warner, Olean. Mills is now in New York for a conference with Jerome Kessler and Charles Reed Jones, manager and publicity director of Mascot. "BUY RIGHT — BUT BUY NOW" New Assistant Gen' I Att'y of RCA, Firms Frank W. Wezencraft, a forrn_er mayor of Dallas, is now assistant general attorney of RCA. Colonel Manton Davis is vice president and general attorney of RCA and its subsidiaries are in charge of litigation and legal administration. Robert D. O'Callaghan, who has been associated with Otto S. Schairer, vice president in charge of the patent department, as attorney, has transferred his activities to the law department, thus unifying legal administration in one departrnent. Frederick Leuchner will continue his duties as assistant to the general attorney. "BUY RIGHT — BUT BUY NOW" Plans Offices Business offices will be shortly opened in the film district of the International Cameramen and Sound Technicians Union where free employment service to members will be inaugurated.