Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

X o v c m her 2 9 . 19 3 0 M o I i 6 n Picture News 21 Bankers Buffaloed By Budget Business? Admit Ignorance? Showmanship Wins Oh, Mr. Ripley! Hollywood — Winnie Lightner has named her son, who is now 2 years old, Richard Barthelmess Holtrey. And, according to the P. A., although they work in the same studio, she has never met Barthelmess. M-G-M Beats N. Y. To Post on Move To Reduce Costs Hollywood — They beat the New York influence to it on the M-G-M lot. Slashes of overhead were instituted on the big Culver City lot fully two weeks before Nick Schenck, Bob Rubin, Charles C. Moskowitz and Felix Feist arrived here. As a result when the Eastern contingent appeared in Hollywood to point out to Louis B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg the need to trim costs, they were met with a program and figures to demonstrate that this was already being done with additional cuts on the way. Prior to decision of Schenck to go West. New York headquarters had been telephoning the Coast with far more frequency than prevails under the normal routine of studio business. Those calls emphasized the necessity of effecting economies wherever consistently possible. The studio took the hint. Le Maire, Verschlieser Warner Supervisors Hollywood — Rufus Le Maire and Ben Verschlieser have been signed by Warners to augment the supervising staff recently installed. Darryl Zanuck will have charge of Warner production, it is stated, and will give the okay on stories and players. Jack Warner, as in the past, will have the top hand in all matters, however. While plans for the moving of the Warner outfit to Burbank have not been officially confirmed, studio employees have been ordered to be ready for the change and it is expected that by the first of the year everything will be in readiness to go to the First National plant. New Contract for Dressier Hollywood — Marie Dressier has signed a new long-term contract with M-G-M. She now is appearing in "Reducing" in which she is teamed with Pollv Moran. Series for Brown Hollywood — Joe E. Brown is to star in a series of First National pictures when the new production period starts the first of the year. Wall Street Moguls Stunned by Intricacies of Industry; Willing to Wait Early indications from the field of battle indicate that the major companies of the industry, on the spot with their bankers because of high overhead and rising production costs, will win the conflict. Spurred into action as a direct result of a bankers' mass meeting down town some weeks ago, at which the entire situation in the business was reviewed and decision reached that something had to be done about it, industry executives, as noted, seized the hint and prepared to get their houses in order. This is now actively in work. The bankers decided, as pointed out in Motion Picture News last week, to give the trade full opportunity to effect the adjustments necessary in slashing budgets. The inclination now is to continue their behind-the-scenes activity without stepping into the business any more actively than they have thus far. The reason for this revolves around the realization that motion pictures are a perishable commodity and entail handling by experts who know the ropes. The bankers are believed to understand that, while their knowledge of assets and liabilities may adjust the balance of the scales on a more even keel, they are lacking in the fundamentals of showmanship knowledge which mark operations in the three major branches of the business. Jack Hess Sees Too Many Stars Chicago — Jack Hess pulled a speedy one in utilizing Mae Tinee's estimate of the two Spoor exhibitions as a composite review. Adding up Mae's two estimates, Jack found they totalled seven "stars." and properly advertised the bill as a seven-star program. Correct, but confusing to a lot of people who hadn't seen the reviews. These latter perplexed ones immediately wrote Miss Kurner for verification, and elicited the following reply from her via Saturday's Tribune: "In answer to inquiries I would like to say that I did not give 'Danger Lights' seven stars. Ridiculous! 'Niagara Falls' received four stars. 'Danger Lights' was awarded three stars. Both pictures are on the StateLake's program, but they have no connection save that both were photographed by the new 'third dimension' process. M. T." Just a little more of that stuff known as publicity. Goetz in Town Ben Goetz. Coast representative for Consolidated Film IndustrieSj leaves for Hollywood today. He spent exactly four days in the big town. 140 Houses Dark Los Angeles — Overseated condition of many situations is shown by report that 140 Fox West Coast Theatres are dark out of the 600-odd theatres of the chain. The majority of these are understood to have been bought to end competition, so they will remain dark until business takes a turn for the better. Bankers' Eagle Eyes Scan Effect Of Court Rulings Bankers are viewing with concern the possible effect of the arbitration and credit decisions by the Supreme Court upon the financial structure of the industry. Millions of dollars in rentals and expensive delays are involved in the two actions, as well as the enforcibility of contracts. Arbitration was discontinued in the industry last October, but the credit system has been kept in force, being relied upon to prevent exhibitors from running out on contracts. With this safeguard for distributors removed, individual deposits are expected to be resorted to by distributors for their protection. F. & M. Route Changed; Singer to Produce Fanchon & Marco has reorganized its route, appointed Harry Singer eastern production manager and is placing a manager in charge of each unit. Singer formerly was with RKO. He soon will open a new Chicago office. A new headquarters is being established at Milwaukee, where new scenery and new costumes are to be stocked and acts coming east rehearsed. St. Louis formerly was the eastern contact point. The route now covers 52 weeks and as many managers to be employed will handle publicity on their attractions and advance campaigns for the unit following. M. D. Howe, general booking manager, will have supervision over the managers. Labor Tilt at Portland Over; Two-Year Deal Set Portland. Ore. — Labor troubles at local theatres here are over for the next two years. Contracts have been signed by officials of M. P. Operators' Union No. 59 and Fox Broadway, Paramount. RKO Orpheum and Rialto theatres whereby the present wage scale will be maintained for another two vears from last September, at the end of which period the union operators ask for another raise of $2.50 a week minimum to the present scale.