Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

476 MOVING PICTURE WORLD February 12, 1927 The United Artists basketball team. Left to rig-ht: Arthur Randsburg, Jack Red field. Jack Wrege, A1 Rothstein, Morton Le Voy, Leo Samuels. SPORTS The Motion Picture Basketball League, which has created much enthusiasm and a great following among the various companies. has gone one step farther in the good fellowship campaign and will run a series of dances throughout the season, along with the games. At a recent meeting of the M. P. A. A., it was definitely arranged to give three dances in conjunction with the basketball games. The first will be held on Friday evening, February 18 at Stuyvesant High School, N. T. C., where all the remaining games of the tournament will be played. On this merry occasion, Fox Films will clash with Metro-Goldwyn in the first game, and United Artists will meet Consolidated. The second dance is scheduled for Friday, March 4, when Fox will meet Pathe, and Metro will play Consolidated. The third game, arranged for March 25, will also take place at 'Stuyvesant School. That night the champions of the tournament play an all star team picked from the teams of the four other companies. Friday night, February 11, two games of the tournament are to be played off. The Pathe team, still in the lead and going strong, will open the first game of the evening at 8:30 sharp, playing Consolidated. In the last contest Metro will battle United Artists. STANDING TEAM WON LOST Pathe 3 0 Fox 3 1 Metro 1 2 Consolidated 1 2 United Artists 0 3 The hockey team of Famous Players Canadian Corp., Toronto, nearly suffered its first defeat of the season in the Toronto Industrial Hockey League, when it battled to a 4 to 4 tie in a game that went 20 minutes overtime with the Toronto Daily Star Sextette. Last Minute News Flashes Latest reports on talking picture deals indicate discussion of two major combines. One, motivated by the General Electric, aimed at an alliance between all talking picture companies and a pooling of patents, without Vitaphone, but looking toward an ultimate merger with Vitaphone. Theatre interests involved were Keith-Albee, and possibly the Shuberts, with the film companies in which the former is interested. The other deal was exclusively with Vitaphone, and the following companies were named as interested in acquiring one-half of the entire Vitaphone stock issue — Famous, M-G-M, Universal, Fox, First National, United Artists. The Victor Talking Machine Co. also was mentioned. Now both deals are reported to be hanging fire, with two of the larger companies dickering with Vitaphone. Fox Sues Fred Cornwell Suit has been filed in the St. Louis Circuit Court by Fox Film Corporation against Fred L. Cornwell for $1,820, which is alleged tobe the balance due for the rental of films used at the Delmonte Theatre, 5630 Delmar boulevard, while Cornwell was operating that house. The Fox company claims to have furnished feature pictures between May 30, 1925, and January 16, 1926, for which a total rental charge of $2,300 was made, and says that only $500 was paid on account. 3 Cosmopolitans in Work Within a week three Cosmopolitan productions will be under way at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio, with Marion Davies already filming “Tillie the Toiler,” directed by Hobart Henley; ‘‘Captain Salvation” and “Becky” will start production next Monday. The latter is to be directed by John P. McCarthy with Sally O’Neil in the title role. ‘‘Captain Salvation” is to be directed by John S. Robertson. Lars Hanson will have the title role. Stanley Buys Out Stiefels The Stanley Company of America has acquired the entire Stiefel interests in Philadelphia — six neighborhood houses and a vaudeville and picture house being built at Twenty-first street and Ridge avenue. The deal involves about $1,500,00. Samuel H. Stiefel and Nathan A. Stiefel will be managing directors of the theatres. They are the sons of Abraham Stiefel, retired exhibitor. Bond Division Manager Clayton E. Bond has been appointed division manager of Warner Bros. Chicago Division with supervision over Chicago, St. Louis and Milwaukee branches, according to an announcement by Sam E. Morris, general manager of distribution for Warner Bros. Mr. Bond takes the place vacated by Edwin Silverman, who was recently appointed sales manager of the company. Seek Suit Dismissal Application has been made to the New York Supreme Court on behalf of the Selznick Distributing Corporation, Mark Condell, Walter E. Green, Frederick B. Warren and L J. Rossett, for an order dismissing a suit brought against them by Peter Licari, as trustee in bankruptcy of the American Releasing Corporation. The application was made on the ground of failure to bring the suit to trial within a reasonable time. The motion papers do not disclose the cause of action. Firemen in Troy Houses As a direct result of the recent catastrophe in Montreal, the city fathers in Troy, N. Y., have now stationed a fireman at each picture theatre from 7 to 11 o’clock each evening. There is a further order also to the effect that persons must not be allowed to stand more than one row deep in the rear of the theatre, while awaiting rents, and that crowds in the lobby outside must not be but one row in depth. Gets a Second Week ‘‘McFadden’s Flats” will be held over for a second week at the New York Strand. Hitchcock in Seattle Edwin G. Hitchcock has been named managing director of the United Artists Theatre in Seattle, Wash. He is 27 years old. Controls Europe Joseph Friedman, veteran Universal sales executive), has been appointed by Carl Laemmle as European supervisor. .He will manage Universal distribution in all European countries except Great Britain. Friedman, who now is general manager of Universal’s New York exchange, sailed for Europe this week. He will make his headquarters in Berlin. N. L. Manheim, export manager, is now in that city, awaiting Friedman’s arrival. Our Stock Market By Ervin L. Hall The quotations used in this summary are compiled daily by Newberger, Henderson & Loeb, 100 Broadway, New York City, exclusively for the Moving Picture World. This week has seen some action on the stock exchange. The railroad stocks were the center of attention and considerable gains were recorded. Wheeling & Lake' Erie was the outstanding leader and obtained front page stories in a great many papers. At times the market reached a wild and hectic state, but if the situation is analyzed it will be found that the market as a whole made little change. In fact, the composite average of a number of stocks showed a rise over last week of only a half a point. Film stocks did no better than the average. Call money is remaining around 4% and has a great deal to do with such wild speculation as has been exhibited in Wheeling & Lake Erie. There was little change in the price of film stocks this week, Loew’s, Inc., held around the prices of last week, but trading in this stock was much less active. Warner Bros, as usual showed the greatest activity, but even here the fluctuation was not marked. Famous Players showed no signs of changing from the prices of 109 to 111, where it has fluctuated for several weeks. Trans-Lux Screen was traded in rather actively, but the price range was small. This company is doing very nicely and we expect it will do better. The market price at the present time we consider a little high. It will be interesting to watch the Roxy stocks after the new theatre is opened. It is announced that the last block of undistributed shares of Roxy Theatre Class “A” stock is being offered. The price is $40 a share, and with each three shares of Class ‘‘A” stock there will be delivered one share of Common stock. We believe that a market such as this week’s is a dangerous affair for those buying purely speculative stocks. There are still some reliable dividend paying stocks at reasonable prices ■which, in addition to income from dividends, have a good chance of increasing in value. Kent Probes the Future Sidney R. Kent, general manaer of F. P.-L., addressed the A. M. P. A. at the Thursday luncheon this wreek. His topic was “The Future of the Motion Picture,’’ and he stressed the thought that in its service for enlightening humanity’s burdens lay its greatest possibility for development. Mr. Kent alsourged a more sympathetic attitude towTard the viewpoints of foreign nations. Sam Siegel played the mandolin. Walter Eberhardt, president, presided and Russell A. Holman introduced the guest of honor.