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M 0 tio n P i C I u r e X e ;; a
23
Sales Managers, Carrying Burden of Costs, Seek More Say in Production
Skol!
Chicago — "Foer Hennes Skull" (For Her Sake), the first Swedish-made talkie with Scandinavian dialogue to play Chicago, opened at the Julian in midweek. The house, located near Chicago's Swedish section, did capacity business for two days; with even a flock of Norwegians swallowing their pride and journeying over from North Avenue to listen in.
Public Session In Canada Film Probe Planned
Toronto — There will be a one-day public session in the inquiry into the affairs of film companies in Canada under the Combines Act, according to Peter White, K. C, Toronto lawyer who is the commissioner conducting the investigation. The public session will be held so that every interested person who has a complaint can be heard and also to enable the public to know what is going on. White said.
"The Combines Investigation Act provides that all investigations shall be conducted in private except as otherwise ordered by the Minister of Labor," White declared. "For some weeks I have been conducting private investigations principally with the affairs of the Famous Players Canadian Corp., one of the corporations named in the order-in-council appointing me as commissioner."
The future conduct of the inquiry has not yet been determined, White intimates.
Cleveland to Get Warner 1st Run
Cleveland — Warners are entering the first run field here, taking over the Cinema. 1,000-seater. The house will be remodeled and renamed. It now is dark.
The Cinema was built two years ago by Louis Israel. It has varied its policy from first to second runs. Western Electric equipment is being installed.
Flesh Policy Again
Changed at Lima, O.
Lima, O. — After one week of split week policy, films and flesh show, the Ohio has changed again, and will show pictures only the first half of the week and pictures with flesh the second half. The gag is to spot in the strongest films the first haff, and the weaker films along with the acts. The house plays M-G-M, Radio, Fox, United Artists and Universal. The house returned stage unit^ last Thursday.
Can't Deliver Unless Listens to What N. Wants, Is Claim
Coast Y.
Giving sales managers more voice in determining what types of pictures are to be made and who is to appear in them is being talked about in New York as one way out of the production doldrum which confronts the industry today.
The idea is not new by any means, but the extent of the authority which would be vested in the heads of the sales organizations under this privately di?cussed plan, has never been tried previously.
Sales managers feel that they carry the burden ; that no matter how much Hollywood spends or how terrible pictures may turn out to be, it's up to them to roll up grosses that will return the investment, plus a profit.
On that basis, those discussing the plan argue, sales managers should have far more authority in the selection of stories and casts. Several of them, at least, admit privately that art for art's sake doesn't figure in such a set-up and that, if the added power they are seeking is forthcoming, there will be no room in the scheme for what they call "creations."
In other words, proponents of the plan insist, if the sales department is charged with showing profits on each picture, the dominant factor in doping out what product will go best is something which sales managers must determine.
If. because of internal bickerings and jealousies over authority, the scales cannot be tipped, the concluding argument which is advanced is that the responsibility must be removed from the selling force and shouldered bv the studio.
New Zealand Probing Tax Tangle As Sales Resume
Sydney — Protests by American distributors that New Zealand taxes, totaling 25 per cent of the gross, make operations in that country impossible, are about to result in a government investigation. The industry, here and at Wellington, is supplying figures for the committee to probe.
In the meantime sales, which were suspended several months ago, have been resumed.
122,775,046 Is U. S. Population
Washington — Continental United States has a total population of 122,775,046 revised figures of the census bureau show. Montana was the single state which lost population in recent years. California, registering 65.7 per cent had the largest gain. New York state's population was listed at 12.588.066, New Tersey's at 4,041.334, Connecticut's at 1,606.903.
Censors Would
Cincinnati— Witness "Exhibit A" in the ridiculous edicts emanating from the office of the Ohio censor board at Columbus.
After that assembly of film czars had cast its searching optics on a Mickey Mouse cartoon, it barred the picture from being shown in Ohio because it showed a cow reading Elinor Glvn's "Three Weeks."
School Showings Unlawful, Rules Judge in Utah
Salt Lake City — Use of school auditoriums for showing of films and other entertainment when admission is charged constitutes unfair competition and is barred in an injunction issued here by Judge James W. McKinney against members of the board of education of the Summitt school district.
The action was brought by George Beard, proprietor of the Coalville Opera House, who said the competition was unfair because the school paid no taxes or license fee and entertainers are put to no expense for fuel, heat or light. The court declared the school had been given broad powers and rights, but that he did not believe the legislature intended the school should be used for commercial purposes.
The decision has been awaited with keen interest throughout the state, where many schools and churches are competing with theatres.
Portable Sound Equipment Ready
Walter Futter's Wafilms Prod, will handle the new sound system launched in New York this week by George Roos, Hollywood cameraman, who will build portable equipment for newsreel and local work, and a fully-equipped sound truck for regular outdoor production.
The portable device is to sell for $4,250. exclusive of camera, but including silencing and adjusting the camera head. The truck outfit will be marketed for $15,000.
Transcontinental Flight Basis of Sennett Comedy
Mack Sennett is in New York, preparing a comedy that will have a transcontinental air flight as its big punch, and Marjorie Beebe, comedienne, and Paul Perry, cameramen, are to fly here from the Coast. Shooting will start at the Newark Airport, where Sennett has made arrangement for the rigging up of a studio in a plane.