Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1925)

2540 Motion Picture News EYTON ABROAD FOR PARAMOUNT Named Foreign Production Chief c HARLES EYTON, who has been general manager of the Lasky studio in Hollywood practically since its beginning, has been relieved of his duties at his own request and has been appointed general representative or the Paramount production department abroad. He will sail for Europe in the near future to arrange for the filming abroad of certain big pictures and to put into operation ideas he has for the making of American pictures in England, France and Germany. One of the first things Eyton will do upon arrival will be to confer with Sir James M. Barrie on the production of an original story which Barrie is about to write for Betty Bronson and which will be produced in London next Summer. Paramount plans to have a Barrie-Bronson picture each Christmas for several years to come, as a result of the tremendous success of "Peter Pan" and the promised success of "A Kiss for Cinderella." Rapf Sees Era of Improvement Rumors of Resignation Flatly Denied; All Companies Striving for Quality PICTUKES the coming year -will be the best in the history of the industry, not only from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer but from all companies, in the opinion of Harry Rapf, associate studio executive of that firm. Mr. Rapf. who sailed Wednesday on the Berengaria for a short vacation abroad, sees unprecedented efforts being made at the present time toward a higher quality of product on every hand. He has supervised 33 productions in the past year and a half, and feels the need of a rest badly, he says. Mrs. Rapf and their son, Maurice, accompanied him abroad. Rumors of his resignation from MetroGoldwyn-Mayer were flatly denied by Mr. Rapf, who stated that he had renewed his contract for a period of years before leaving the Coast. "We are very proud of the average we have maintained in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer product the past year," said Mr. Rapf in an interview. "However, we are anxious to do even better the coming year and will spare no effort in that direction. We want to make every picture as good as possible next year, even if we have to cut our schedule slightly to do it. "Aside from the practical difficulties in the way of meeting release dates, and so on, there is one big difficulty at the present time. Money, studio facilities, actors, directors — these we have, but no one today can get together enough man-power in the writing end. Story-brains are the hardest thing of all to find/ "It is a question of imagination plus training, and after you find a man with the requisite imagination it is not so easy to find the time to train him in the difficult language of the motion picture. I have always believed in giving an opportunity to new brains, and have taken ten people into the organization in the past year in the hope that they might develop into good screen writers. Two of them have shown some promise, but if it wen only possible to spend more time with them greater things might be accomplished. The difficulty is to find the time while absorbed by a thousand and one production details to engage in the development of new talent. "We must have better screen stories. Where a play producer may bring out only a handful of plays each season, and each of those plays may represent years of work by au author, we must find 52 stories each year, and it is virtually impossible under actual producing conditions to spend the amount of time that should be taken. "An example of the way it should be done is afforded by the script just completed by Benjamin Christensen, the Scandinavian director whom we signed some time ago. He has just finished it, after eight solid months of work, and it is without a doubt the most remarkable and interesting script I have Har^y Rapf, associate studio executive of MetroGoldwyn-Mayer, with Mrs. Rapf and their son, Maurice, taken in New York City prior to sailing for Ei'rore this week. ever read. A child could almost make a good picture from it, it is so complete. And during all that time he has been seeing American pictures, studying American audiences, analyzing American taste, until today he has a better conception of those things than some domestic directors. "But unfortunately we cannot always take so much time in getting the story right. If we could, the general average of picture quality would rise, but the time has not yet arrived when it is practical. Despite that, however, every one of the leading companies is working harder than ever before, and has the most ambitious plans for the coming year ever laid out. I am confident that you will see the finest product in the history of this business coming from the studios the coming year." He also expressed particular enthusiasm over "Ben Hur," which he saw assembled in 17 reels before his departure from the Coast, and "The Big Parade," for the development of which from a small idea he gave credit to Irving Thalberg. Whitehurst Interests Win Baltimore Control The fight which has been waged between the banker faction in the Century Theatre Company, operating the Century and Parkway Theatres, Baltimore, and the Whitehurst Combined Interests, to get enough stock to control the voting power and the destinies of the two playhouses in the future, has practically come to a close. Dr. J. H. Whitehurst, president of the Century Theatre Company has announced that the interests he represents has acquired enough stock to control the voting power. Xcither of the properties will be sold, it is understood, and the four theatres — Century, Parkway, Garden and New — operated by the Whitehurst s will continue to be operated on a co-operative policy as heretofore, it is said. Much stock has been purchased by the Whitehurst Interests during the past week, it is understood, they even going so far as to radio stockholders on ships at sea to purchase their stock. A large amount of stock has been deposited with the Fidelity Trust Company, Baltimore, which the banking faction asked, and they will continue to receive it so that the cohesive minority might be formed for protective measures it is understood. Famous Loses Verdict for Non-Delivery IM. HIRSHBLOND, owner of the Tracy Theatre, Toms River, was • adjudged winner by the Film Board of Trade of Philadelphia over Famous Players for the latter's non-delivery of a Gloria Swanson film contracted for. The board ruled the fact was established, Hirshblond has a contract with Famous for the playing of a Gloria Swanson picture and that Famous must turn over to him the next Swanson picture made, which would be "Stage Struck." The decision establishes the precedent that where pictures are contracted for with a certain star they must be delivered, or in the event that they cannot be then the next picture made by that star must be delivered.