Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

402 MOVING PICTURE WORLD February 5, 1927 Newspaper-Radio War Rages MOVING PICTURE WORLD FOUNDED BY J . P. CHALMERS, 1907 Published weekly by CHALMERS PUBLISHING COMPANY, 516 Fifth Avenue. New York, N. Y. Telephone: Murray Hill I 61 0-1 -2-3. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations. John F. Chalmers, president: James P. Chalmers. SY.. vice-president: Alfred J. Chalmers, vice-president: Eliza J. Chalmers, secretary and treasurer: Ervin L. Hall, business manager: F. G. Ortega, editorial director. Managing Editor — Epes W. Sargent; Associate Editors — Sumner Smith, Merritt Crawford: Advertising Department — -C. Schott-enfels. Gus Fausel : Circulation Manager — Dennis J. Shea. Branch Offices: James Esler, 5434 Glen-* wood Avenue. Chicago; Tom Waller. Taft Building. Vine Street and Hollywood Blvd.. Hollywood. Cal. Subscription price: $3.00 a year to countries where stamps are not necessary for postring; $3.50 to Canada; $6.00 to other countries requiring stamps for postage. Copyright. 10 26, Chalmers Publishing Co. Copyright throughout Great Britain and Colonies, under the provisions of the Copyright Act of 1911. (All rights reserved.) . Other publications: Cine Mundial. Pub lished in Spanish and circulating in all Spanish speaking countries of the world. Spanish and English books. 5 VOL. 84 NO. 6 — 1 ' mJ — ' . " '—■» General Electric Has New “Talking Movie” An invention of the General Electric Company of Schenectady, N. Y., to be known as the "Photophone,” or talking movie, was demonstrated at the State Theatre in Schenectady, N. Y„ last Saturday before a number of engineers and scientists, connected with the company, and who had been working several years in perfecting the device. The demonstration was in charge of C. W. Stone, of the General Electric Company. In •explaining the apparatus, Mr. Stone said that it would be possible to cut out either the production or the sound, further explaining that the pictures and sound could be either recorded at the same time and place, or at different times and at widely separated points. Open Way to Compensation Persons employed in motion picture production in New York State, and who do not receive more than $25 a day in wages nor over $100 a week, will be included in the provisions of the workmen’s compensation law of the state, providing a bill introduced in the Legislature last week by Senator Greenberg and Assemblyman Alterman, both of New York City, is passed and signed by the Governor. A similar bill last year died in committee. Married 18 Years On Monday evening S. L. (“Roxy”) Rothafel and Mrs. Rothafel celebrated their eighteenth wedding anniversary at their home, 3 72 Riverside Drive, New York City. The staff of the Roxy Theatre, “Roxy’s Gang” and officials of the Roxy Theatre Corporation presented him with a silver after-dinner coffee service. “Roxy” told his friends his business success was largely due to happy married life. ( Continued from preceding page ) newspapers have had another scare. This was the action of the Shepard stores in Boston in deciding to use radio advertising exclusively through the medium j of “shopping talks” that are frankly presented to the public ; as advertising'. The Boston decision resulted m a conference in New York City in which newspaper and radio magnates participated. Much acrimonious language passed over the table. The radio men kicked because newspapers now list radio programs in stereotyped fashion. "Paul Whiteman's Orchestra” appears in print simply as “orchestra” and the “Ipana Troubadors” as ‘‘songs.” Even a talk by a well-known man is likely to be listed simply as ‘‘talk.’’ This, obviously, is to keep out free advertising of trade names. A newspaper official told the radio contingent that their daily programs ought to be classified as paid advertising rather than be allotted news space. Conference Gets Snappy “But that would cost my company at least $3,000,000 a year at run-of-paper rates,’’ protested ] a radio man. “Then you have been getting away with $3,000,000 worth of free advertising space a year, and it’s got to stop,” retorted the newspaper man snappily. The conference adjourned without accomplishing anything, except a reiteration by WEAP of its policy, adopted not long ago, of refusing advertising contracts unless the companies offering them signed agreements that their use of the radio would not include any reduction in their newspaper advertising. This won a point for the newspapers, but the other raxlto companies are not following WEAP. That company has a fight on in Washington to retain exclusive use of its wave-length, and would welcome the support of the newspapers to win it. So apparently it is very willing to make concessions at this time. Washington the Battleground Undoubtedly Washington will be the seat of the battle. Newspapers and radio will fight it out tooth and nail in the House and the Senate. Radio, through its political affiliations, has made some powerful enemies lately. Among them is Senator James E. Watson, who found all Indiana broadcasting stations closed to him and therefore is very sore. He probably will have something to say in the Senate about wave-lengths, which are controlled by the Department of Commerce. Radio Movies Possible With new inventions bobbing up every day it is impossible to predict the future with any degree of certainty. Even motion pictures, as well established as they are, are not safe from outside competition. The newspapers are worried over the unheralded invention of an Englishman. It is a device that can be used with any radio, through which the folks at home can see motion pictures of entertainers while they put on their acts. This device would tremendousI ly increase the advertising power of the radio as well as cut in on the motion picture industry. It I is not fantasy hut fact. The de vice, the inventor says, can be sold for as little as $60. He is seeking financial backing, and, because of easily understood circumstances, having extreme difficulty in finding it. This invention certainly would affect motion pictures, particularly news reels, because views of events in different parts of the country could be shown in the home — prizefights, track meets, world series baseball games, and other sporting events — providing the promoters of these events agreed to their transmission over the radio. The probabilities are that amateur sporting events — ahd not professional sports — would be thus transmitted. Hearst and Ochs Compete To those who do not comprehend the remarkable scientific discoveries of recent years this may sound like a pipe dream. But it is true. Witness the progress of radio within the past few years. William Randolph Hearst and Adolph Ochs of the New York Times know that it is not a pipe dream. Hearst has selected his star men, whether ordinary reporters or executives, and has sent them forth to all parts of the country, which he has systematically divided into districts, to acquire proxies to vote in at a forthcoming meeting of the Associated Press. Ochs is on the same track. Why? A. P. Photo Service Soon With the approximate perfection of instruments that transmit photographs over wires and through the air, it is a recognized fact that the Associated Press will eventually — within a few years — supply rapid service in live news photographs. The sending of photographs over wires will be perfected first; the perfection of radio photographs will follow very shortly. Wired photographs will be “still pictures, radioed photographs can be motion pictures. Hearst is looking toward sole control of radio photographs for his great string of newspapers. He holds the largest number of memberships in the Associated Press and He is out to cinch enough votes, through the acquisition of proxies, to dominate the A. P. So is Ochs. If either one of them succeed, they can show motion pictures of a world series outside their newspaper offices or in auditoriums — with or without admission charge — and thus add to the name of their newspapers an incalculable prestige. Success would bring many other benefits. The Boston Angle A New York City newspaper man very much in the “know” remarked that this age of scientific discovery has become the complex age. No one, no matter how versed in affairs, can predict the immediate future. It is a case of dog eat dog, and the devil take the hindmost. The newspaper-radio controversy gets under real headway in New York not only because of the Boston episode but because Helene Carson, who originated the Boston idea of advertising exclusively over the radio, now is in New York organizing (Continued oil page 420 COMING and GOING Gerald K. Rudolph, publicity manager for Fox Films, has returned from Buffalo, where he conducted a contest to name the new Fox theatre. * * * Carroll S. Trowbridge, general representative of the Christies, is on a trip covering New Haven, Boston and Albany. He has been on the road practically all of the time since October in the interests of “The Nervous Wreck.” * * * William J. Morgan, P. D. C. manager, has returned from Canada. * * * H. M. and Jack L, Warner attended the V i t a p h o n e-‘‘Don Juan” opening last Sunday night in Baltimore. * * * John J. Hayes of Hollywood Producers Finance Corporation has arrived in New York with prints for the independent market. * * * Olive Borden has arrived on her first visit to New York to play the title role in the Fox film, “The Joy Girl.” This Allan Dwan company left Wednesday to take exteriors at Palm Beacn. * * * H. S. Manus, vice-president of American Cinema * Association, has left on a four months’ tour of exchanges, starting with Montreal. * * * A1 Lichtman, general manager of distribution of United Artists, has returned from a three months' visit to the West Coast. * * * B. F. Zeidman has brought the first print of "The Beloved Rogue” to the New York United Artists office. He will return to Hollywood in about ten days. • * * Cresson E. Smith, handling middle western sales for United Artists, has left on an exchange tour. * * * Eddie Silverman, Warner Bros.’ sales manager, is on an exchange trip that will include visits to Chicago, St. Louis, Omaha, Kansas City and Minneapolis. * * * Vera Veronina, Russian actress, has arrived in Hollywood. Stie will play in Paramount’s “Soundings.” “The Red Mill” Released Marion Davies’ newest picture, "The Red Mill,” is being released throughout the United States. The first presentation of the film took place on January 28 at Loew’s State Theatre, Los Angeles. This is Miss Davies’ first picture since '‘Beverly of Graustark.” Westland in Production Ben Westland, well-known Los Angeles newspaper man has deserted the editorial rooms for the motion picture studios and is now performing in the capacity of production manager for Bill Cody, star of western feature productions for Pathe. Warners Transfer Wildman Truly D. Wildman of Warner Bros.’ Oklahoma City exchange has been transferred to Dallas and will assume the management of that office. W. J. Byrd of the Dallas office goes to Oklahoma City and will be branch manager of the Warner Bros.’ exchange there.