Movie Age (1927)

SEPTEMBER 3, 1 927. PAGE 9 Walkout and Lockout in Chicago May Spread Sympathy Strikes in Other Cities May Tie-up Entire Theatre Industry in the Nation Following Situation in Windy City McGuirk Month Opens With Five Big Pictures From F. N. In September During September, the opening of the John McGuirk Month sales campaign,, First National Pictures, Inc., will re¬ lease five productions, one special and four pictures from the Showman Group for 1927-28. Joseph M. Schenck’s Norma Talmadge special, “Camille/' will be released gen¬ erally on September 4, following its eight and a half weeks at the Globe Theatre, New York, at the $2 top ad¬ mission scale, and its six weeks’ run at popular prices at the Rivoli Theatre, New York. Ken Maynard western picture, “The Red Raiders,” is also set for September 4. Ann Drew is Maynard’s new leading woman. Maynard is seen as an army officer in the exciting western pioneer days when Indian fighting was still a frequent occurrence. Another Charles R. Rogers’ produc¬ tion for First National, “Smile, Brother, Smile,” from A1 Boasberg’s scenario, will be generally released on September 11. Jack Mulhall and Dorothy Mackaill are featured in this traveling sales¬ man comedy. The release for the following week, September 18, is “The Life of Riley,” the new stellar vehicle for Charlie Mur¬ ray and George Sidney. On September 25, the new Richard Barthelmess picture, “The Drop Kick,” will be released. This is the college story made from Katherine Brush’s novel, “Glitter,” in which Barthelmess appears as a hero of the college gridiron. Film Daily Golf Tourney To Be at White Plains, N.Y. The next semi-annual golf tourna¬ ment will be held under the auspices of The Film Baily at Bonnie Bfiar Country Club, White Plains, N. Y., in mid Sep¬ tember. The committee in charge has not as yet set the date, but will do so shortly. The tournaments which have proven very popular over a period of years, are always open to out of town film folk. As a matter of fact, the last two or three tournaments have drawn to it a number of exhibitors and exchangemen from cities outside of New York. There are several exhibitors who always make the journey for the tournament. Over two hundred players will attend. The prizes, which are always plentiful, are supplied by many of the prominent producing and distributing organiza¬ tions, as well as individuals in the busi¬ ness. 33 Laboratories To Be Established For Amateur Movie Makers Consolidated Film Industries, Inc., is about to complete plans whereby lab¬ oratories will be established in thirtythree exchange cities to take care of the anticipated growth in amateur movie making. As much as can be taken care of in a twenty-four hour service will be covered by each key city. Charlotte Greenwood Signed For “Baby Mine” Another stage favorite has joined the motion picture stars, it was learned last week, when Louis B. Mayer, vicepresident in charge of producton for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, announced that Charlotte Greenwood, eccentric dancer and actress, had temporarily deserted the New York stage to play the leading role in “Baby Mine,” an adaptation of the stage farce, now a starring vehicle for the comedy team of Karl Dane and George K. Arthur. Miss Greenwood left New York August 17 for the Culver City studios. Columbia Offers Cortez In “By Whose Hand?” Harry Cohen, vice-president in charge of production for Columbia Pictures, an¬ nounces that “By Whose Hand?” has been selected as the vehicle for Ricar¬ do Cortez’s production for the company. “By Whose Hand?”, which will be one of the company’s early releases for the coming season, will go into produc¬ tion this week. It presents Ricardo Cor¬ tez in a role he has never before essay¬ ed — that of a society detective in a thrilling story of mystery and intrigue. Hal Roach’s Second All Star Arrives in N. Y. “The Second One Hundred Years” which is the title of the second of the ten All Star comedies that Hal Roach is producing for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, arrived in New York this week. The cast includes Jimmy Finlayson, Cliver Hardy and S. J. “Tiny” Stanford. The entire motion picture theatre in¬ dustry faced a closing situation this week when Chicago picture theatres, and vaudeville houses that show pictures, closed their doors Monday night. The closing came as a result of a contro¬ versy between the exhibitors and ma¬ chine operators. The first indication that the trouble might spread came when trouble began in Baltimore, Md. Operators in the Maryland city seriously were consider¬ ing a sympathy strike Tuesday, and ru¬ mors of sympathy strikes in other cities began to circulate. The situation in Chicago became more stringent when it became known that the exhibitors’ agreement with the mu¬ sicians of the city expires next Sunday and that a futher tie-up of the theatres was contemplated. The theatre managers of Chicago re¬ sorted to a lockout of operators after the union had ordered the operators in the Orpheum circuit houses to walk out following a controversy between the pro¬ jectionists and the management of one of the theatres. The exhibitors retaliated with a lockout of operators in all thea¬ tres belonging to the organization. The order became effective at 6 o’clock Mon¬ day night. Ninety per cent of Chicago’s theatres closed at the appointed hour and the out¬ lying theatres did not open for business that night. Fifteen thousand persons were affected by the strike and lockout in Chicago. Chicago exchangemen decided to cut off all films to all motion picture thea¬ tres in the district. Members of the ex¬ hibitors’ association said that they were ready to fight the unions to a finish. King to Make Series Instead of Merely One Film For U. S. Instead of merely one picture, as was first stated, Henry King has signed with United Artists to direct a series. Mr. King was expected to ar¬ rive in New York last Monday. Production will start in December on the first of Mr. Kings series of United Artist pictures. The name of this initial production will be “The Darling of the Gods.”