Movie Age (1927)

PAGE 6 MOVIE AGE * Marcus Loew, President of M-G-M, Dies Suddenly Theatre and Producing Magnate Passes Away While Sleeping; Had Been 111 Several Months Death came quietly upon Marcus Loew at 6:50 o’clock Monday morning, at his home in Glen Cove, N. Y. He was in the midst of slumber and that tem¬ porary sleep was transformed into the last slumber from which there is no awakening. He had been suffering from a heart affection for several months. A phy¬ sician had been with him the entire night just before his death and at his bedside were Mrs. Loew and his two young sons. He was 57 years old. Two months ago Mr. Loew was taken to Saratoga in the hope that the change might prove beneficial. His condition took a turn for the worse the first of last week, however, and he was brought home on his yatcht, the Carolina, which landed him on a pier on his Glen Cove estate, “Pembroke,” one of the show places of Long Island. Marcus Loew was owner of one of the largest chains of theatres in the world and president of Metro-Goldwyn Pictures Corporation. He was recog¬ nized as one of the most important fig¬ ures in the film industry. He opened his first motion picture theatre in Cincinnati and New York when the industry was young, convert¬ ing his penny arcades, which were mak¬ ing him rich, to this purpose. His en¬ trance into the vaudeville field likewise was modest, but it helped to swell the profits that already were pouring in. Exploiting the opportunities in cheap amusement by opening new theatres as fast as profits from the existing ones permitted, the former furrier found success to compensate for early failures in other business endeavors. In New York City alone more than 8,000 per¬ sons at one time were entertained each night in Loew theatres and his daily re¬ ceipts ran into hundreds of thousands of dollars. Marcus Loew was born in New York City, May 7, 1879. His schooling was meager, having been interrupted when he went to work at the age of 9 years. The great number of theatres which he has started will remain as a monu¬ ment to the efforts of this mighty film magnate. Fox Short Subjects Are Announced for First 3 Months of New Season For the first three months of the 1927-28 season, the Fox short subject schedule as announced by E. T. Gomersall, short subject sales manager of Fox Films, will include five comedies, six Varieties, and the usual issues of Fox News. The release date of the first Vari¬ ety, “The Salmon Run”, is set for Aug¬ ust 21. It shows the athletic salmon and their struggle upstream toward home. “The Kangaroo’s Kimono,” first animal comedy of the new season, is scheduled for August 28. On the September program are “Twenty Legs under the Sea,” an Impe¬ rial, is listed for September 11. “Sky Frontiers” a Variety picturing an as¬ cent to the icy peak of the Bavarian Alps, is scheduled for September 4. “A Fool and His Money,” new Van Bibber comedy with Tyler Brooke in the title role suported by Duane Thompson, may be seen September 25; then there’s “Under Colorado Skies,” a Variety reel showing the magnificent scenery of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. October will bring the following: “Her Blue Black Eyes”, second of the Imperial comedy series, on October 9. “Argentina,” a Fox Variety October 2 release, pictures the charm and beauty of this picturesque South American re¬ public; another Variety for October 16 will be “Northern Alaska Today”, a scenic adventure depicting the striving of man against nature; an animal com¬ edy, “Capt. Kidd’s Kittens,” is sched¬ uled for October 23, and finally, “The Romantic Alhambra,” a Variety to be released October 30, shows Old Spain, its quaint gypsies, and the atmosphere of Moorish days. “The Darling of the Gods” To be Henry King Picture Henry King will direct “The Darl¬ ing of the Gods”, Morris Gest’s first film production, it was announced last week from Hollywood by John W. Considine, Jr., General Manager of Jos¬ eph M. Schenck Productions. The leading character of the Japan¬ ese Princess Yo San will be selected by Mr. David Belasco, who produced “The Darling of the Gods” on the stage with Blanche Bates in the Yo San role. Al¬ so, David Belasco was co-author of the play with John Luther Long. Mr. King, who directed “Stella Dal¬ las,” “Tol’able David,” “The Magic Flame” and other distinguished films, leaves Los Angeles next week for Chi¬ na and Japan for research work and to study atmosphere and locales in the Orient, preparatory to direction of “The Darling of the Gods”, which will be pro¬ duced by Morris Gest in association with Joseph M. Schenck. Production of “The Darling of the Gods” will be begun in December, 1927, at the United Artists Studio in Holly¬ wood. Block 1 -Sheet is New First National Accessory Service First National’s advertising and pub¬ licity department has a new accessory. This time it is a four-color block 1sheet suitable for the lobby frames of the high class big first run theatres and for sniping on old buildings, fences, tel¬ egraph poles and ashcans. The block 1-sheet will attract the eye and hold the attention, it is claimed, wherever it is posted. This is a service which will be much appreciated by exhibitors many of whom discard the pictorial 1-sheets and have block 1-sheets of their own made up. The bigger theatres in particular are not using the pictorial 1-sheets in the lobby as they did in the past, pre¬ ferring especially painted art cards pre¬ pared by their staff artist. The custom¬ ary lithograph pictorial 1-sheet does not lend itself to sniping, which is strong¬ ly in favor with small and large film theatres alike. First National’s block 1-sheet will be supplied with all future releases, start¬ ing with “The Crystal Cup.” It will be printed in four colors, with the picture’s title in type large enough to stand out vividly no matter where posted. McDonald to Play “Kelly” in New Universal Comedy Universal’s frantic search for a typi¬ cal “Kelly” to appear in the farce com¬ edy, “The Cohens and Kellys in Paris”, which is soon to start production under the direction of William Beaudine, was ended this week with the announce¬ ment that the coveted part would be played by J. Farrell McDonald. George Sidney has already been signed for the role of “Cohen”, Kate Price as the ge¬ nial Irish mother, and Vera Gordon as “Mrs. Cohen”.