Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1931)

May 16, 1931 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 23 Dialogue Must Meet the Action, Says Fairbanks 62,365 Theatres Throughout World; Erpi Claims 40% of 19,984 Wired At least thrice yearly there appear estimates of motion picture theatres operating throughout the world. The latest figure, emanating from London trade circles, places the total at 62,365, of which 22,731 are reported in the United States and over 5,000 in the British Isles. Sound installations at picture houses, states the survey, represent a total of 19,984 for the world, of which 12,500 are in America, 5,401 in all of Europe and 905 in the Far East. Western Electric, it is said, claims approximately 8,000 Erpi installations, representing about 40% of the world's wired theatres. >' London — Dialogue will have to be han' idled so that it does not retard action before talking pictures will be made that move 'thinking audiences, Douglas Fairbanks told ^newspaper men here on his arrival to await :the coming of his wife, Mary Pickford. ' "Dialogue retards tempo," he said. "This lis the tragic phase of the talkies." He pointed to the Zeppelin scenes in "Hell's jAngels" and certain war shots in "All Quiet on the Western Front" as the most impresbive manifestations of the audible screen &rt. He added that while Sergei Eisenstein, the Russian director of whom he has expressed great admiration, is right in his theories, his ideas are destructive. Mary Pickford sailed May 12 from New York for Plymouth, where she will be met ay her husband, Douglas Fairbanks, revealjing before departing on the Bremen that ohe may appear on the London stage before returning. Prior to any stage engagepnent, however, she plans to visit several European countries with Fairbanks. The ;tage appearance would be for only six or jight weeks, she said, and would not intercere with her next picture. Paramount May Release Its ' English Productions Here Paramount pictures now in production at he British and Dominion studios at Elstree, England, will probably be part of the comoany's release schedule for 1931-32 in this i:ountry. j The first, "These Charming People," is Uready finished, and "Two for Divorce" is :et for production this month, though cast .nd director have not been selected. "These Charming People" is about to be released in Canada and Australia. Public to See Sales Trailer I The public will be given an opportunity D see the trailer Paramount made for its ales conventions, during the 25th anniverary jubilee week. Originally the trailer pst $60,000, but the one to be shown pub|cly will be cut down to about three reels pd all sales talk eliminated. j Plan Product Parleys ; Des Moines — Round table discussions of jroduct are being planned by the Allied pits of Iowa and Nebraska, according to eports. Besides members, the meeting (Vould have present representatives of the roducing companies, and also authorities n contracts. Begin Shorts Theatre Boston — Excavation has been started for le Terminal theatre which is to be built at le Terminal station of the Boston & Alany and New Haven railroads. The the;re, to seat 600, will be devoted to news;els and short subjects, running continuusly from 8 A. M., to midnight. Townsend Readies A Midget "Amp" Hollywood (QP) — After eight months of research work, a new midget amplifier has been practically perfected by Percy Townsend, working under supervision of Carl Dreher, Radio's sound supervisor. The new midget device utilizes no microphonic tubes and, it is claimed, is capable of delivering undistorted output greater than any apparatus three times its size and cost. Lightman Circuit Centers All Business in Memphis Memphis — All business of Malco Theatres, Inc., of which M. A. Lightman is president, will be handled from the Memphis offices of the circuit, following transfer of the accounting department from Camden, Ark., to be joined with the booking department, which has been conducted separately here under Lightman's direction. The accounting department is in charge of M. S. McCord, secretary-treasurer of the company. Bans Gangster Films Worcester, Mass. — Police Chief Thomas F. Foley has ordered all theatre managers to desist from the showing of gangster pictures, acting under instructions of the censor board, with approval of the mayor. One gangster picture had to be withdrawn upon issuance of the order. High Tide for Sea Films The vogue has turned to sea pictures — at least to include them. Four are in the offing, each carrying an epic title — "Titanic," by Howard Hughes, "Transatlantic" by Fox, "Leviathan" by Universal, and "Oceanic" by Warner-First National. Universal Signs Carrilio Leo Carrilio was signed yesterday by Carl Laemmle, Jr. to play the lead in "Lasca of the Rio Grande," adaptation of Frank Duprez' poem, which goes into production in June. Carrijlo will be featured in at least one other picture on next year's Universal list. Columbia Secures 'The Rented Body' "The Rented Body," Rupert Hughes' short story, has been secured by Columbia for production during the coming season. Jones Returns to U.S. from Europe Paul Fortier Jones, the mysterious "Colonel Lawrence" of the newsreel world, arrived this week from a three-and-a-half-year sojourn in Europe, centering in Paris, where he represented Pathe News and various foreign aspects of Pathe Exchange, Inc. With the coming of the Courtland Smith administration of Pathe News, Jones' connection with the enterprise terminated. Jones will spend a month in New York on motion picture and related matters, after which he will depart on a new mission in foreign fields. It will be recalled in the newsreel field that a number of unusual performances were achieved in the European field by Pathe News, markedly in the earlier days of sound news reporting, due to the attentions of Jones. Presumably he alone knows precisely how various pictures got across the sea. He operated in various confidential capacities for departments of the government through the world war and is the author of a number of books including "With Serbia Into Exile." Merritt Buys Two From Publix at Birmingham Birmingham — Purchase of the Strand and Galax from Publix has been consummated by Frank Merritt, president of Birmingham Theatrical Co. Purchase of these two gives the company five downtown theatres. They have been operating the Empire, Royal, and Capitol under Marvin Wise interests. The Alabama will continue to be operated by Publix. Staub May Go to England to Make Series of Star Reels Hollywood — Ralph Staub, producer of "Screen Snapshots" shorts for Columbia, is considering an ofifer from British producers to make a series of star reels in London, depicting the home, studio and sport life of English and European players. Bert Starkey in Films Hollywood (QP) — Bert Starkey, former vaudeville headliner and pal of the late Louis Wolheim, j^esterday signed to support Richard Dix in "The Reckoner." Irene Dunn will appear opposite Dix in "Frontier."