Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

106 MOVING PICTURE WORLD January 8, 1927 NT OY\ that it is all settled and * 1927 is to be the “biggest year yet,” in the history of the industry, let's all get down to work and help make it so. There are going to be plenty of big pictures and plenty of fine theatres to show them in, so there is no need for particular concern about this end of the business, for here we have apparently the pernickety little god of luck fairly well roped. But there is only one way to make the year 1927, the “biggest yet” for all of us and that is by getting more people to come into the theatre. If 17.000,000 people patronized motion picture houses daily during 1926, let us try to get 20.000,000 or 2d, 000,000 to come in during 1927. That way lies sure prosperity. This can only be accomplished by advertising — intelligent and co-ordinated advertising and team work by all branches of the industry. Pictures must be sold every step of the way from the studio to the box office, and sold not only specifically and individually, but with the further idea of making every possessor of a pair of eyes in the country, a motion picture fan. Here’s to 1927! * Will H. Hays will do the honors at Carl Laemmle’s Diamond Jubilee, which takes place at Universal City on Jan. 17, the date on wffiich Universal’s president celebrates his sixtieth anniversary. A regiment of oldtimers, who have been with the “Grand Old Man” of the motion pictures, ten years or more, will join in giving him a big banquet, at which General Hays will preside. All the industry will join in wishing “Uncj’e Carl” many years more of the good health, fighting qualities and independent enterprise, which have marked his useful and constructive career and which have made his great organization world wide. * W. E. Mulligan contributes the following : The closing days of 1926 will be a pleasant memory for members of the Associated Motion Picture Advertisers who Were guests of the Cheese Club at joint luncheon in the Twin Oaks Thursday, December 30th. The combined attendance of the two clubs numbered about two hundred, and approximately two hundred voices roared with laughter and four hundred eyes fought back the tears when Lew Fie'ds and Joe Weber put on their famous number, “Oh, Mike How I Luff \ ou,” for perhaps the millionth time. Sentimental memories of old Broadway were recalled by these grand old thespians, and the assembled publicists, newspaper and show men generally were stirred to a high pitch of enjoyment. Major Edward Bowes introduced Vesta Victoria as a guest of honor, and she pleased the hard-boiled multitude by singing “Waiting at the Church.” Sissle and Blake supplied more excellent entertainment for the occasion. The master of ceremonies was Harry Hershfield, president of the Cheese Club, and the appreciation of the A. M. P. A. for the pleasure afforded was voiced bjr Walter Eberhardt, its chief executive. * Julius Singer, general manager of Universal’s short subject department, is sitting on top of the world this week. He might be said also to be dancing atop same, for has not Manny Goldstein imparted to him the information, that the year’s production appropriation for Universal’s short product will be $5,000,000, no less, to be spent solely in making pictures for Julius to sell. Who wouldn’t be happy — unless it were some other salesmanager, whose company is going to spend less than Universal? As Julius remarks : “It looks as if Laugh Month is going to last all through the year for me and my young men. In other words Laugh Month is to become Universal or vice versa, just as you prefer.” * Max Ehrenreich, chief representative for United Artists in South America, is sojourning in New York, enjoying a few luncheons with Arthur W. Kelly, vicepresident in charge of foreign sales for that big organization. He predicts a record year for U-A’s “big-time” pictures among our southern neighbors for 1927. Frank Pope and George Harvey, whose offices at ProDisCo adjoin the roof of the new building going up on West 46th Street in the rear, and who have been planning to make a summer garden, with potted palms, easy chairs, etc., on said roof, as soon as the building was completed, now wish that they hadn’t indulged in day dreams. Instead of the peaceful sylvan vista, which they had hoped would delight the tired eyes of the ProDisCo publicity department during the long summer afternoons, they will have to gaze upon a flat and unsightly Brick wall, which the builders have erected just half the height of the windows, through which Frank and George have been wont to gaze toward Sixth Avenue. The wall is flush up against the ProDisCo windows and inasmuch as it rises some eight or ten feet above the roof, which in their mind’s eye they had seen as a potential Broadway beauty spot, they are wondering now what is going to be staged behind that brick partition. * Mike Mindlin, as noted a while back, has followed our suggestion and dubbed his snappy little theatre at No. 66 Fifth Avenue, “The Neighborhood House of All New York.”With his clever and novel programs he is making it the gathering ground of every discriminating picture fan in the greater city. This week he shows “Between Two Worlds,” a feature that played the Capitol a few years ago, but which had no general distribution afterward. Our guess is, that he will clean up with it. Here’s a thought for any enterprising theatre man, with a small house, in any good sized community. Write to Mike Mindlin or his aide-de-camp Joe Fliesler and maybe they’ll tell how they do it. WINSOME Sigrid Holmquist served lunch last Monday with her own fair hands to a horde of hungry newspaper men and others on the S. S. De Grasse of the French Line, with the expert co-operation 'of A. L. Selig of Tiffany, who helped form the line for her. Otherwise there might have been casualties, for in the eagerness of the guests to partake of Miss Holmquist’s home-cooking and the report that a bowl of real Swedish punch was hidden somewhere about the ship, there was real danger of some one being stepped on in the first rush had not Maitre d’Hotel Selig prepared for it. Professor Selig, when the near-riot had calmed down and everybody had been fed with the various delectable Swedish dishes, which Miss Holmquist had prepared, announced that while in the star’s native land it would have been the proper thing to salute their hostess with the Scandinavian “Skoll!” as the party was held in America, it would be best if everyone left the ship quietly. They did ! * Bert Levy, famous cartoonist and vaudeville star, has ventured into the scenario field under the aegis of Metro-GoldwynMayer, whose staff he joined this w7eek. Bert is as original in his ideas and in his handling of a subject with pen or brush as his act in vaudeville was unique, which is saying a lot, and it will be interesting to watch for the first output of his showman’s brain in his new connection. As the friend of nearly every newspaperman in the United States, as well as the popular idol of countless “vode” audiences, who now may be included in the motion picture’s, he ought to go great. Bet Howard Dietz had something to do with his coming to M-G-M. * Picking the “ten best” pictures of the year, The New Yorker, our esteemed contemporary, casts five votes for “What Price Glory” and five for “Variety.” We call this playing safe. Or is it because the editor of The New Yorker is only an occasional picture-goer? On the other hand we know quite a number of fans, who have confessed to buying tickets for both these attractions several times. Perhaps, too, that accounts for the solid character of the vote. But it is also evident that The New Yorker’s editor is not a picture “shopper.”