Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

542 MOVING PICTURE WORLD February 19, 1927 MOVING PICTURE WORLD FOUNDED BY J . P. CHALMERS, IS07 Published weekly by CHALMERS PUBLISHING COMPANY, 516 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y. Telephone: Murray Hill 1610*1 -2-3. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations. John F. Chalmers, president: James P. Chalmers. S*r., 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. Schottenfels. Gus Fausel; Circulation Manager — Dennis J. Shea. Branch Offices: James Esler, 5434 Glen wood Avenue, Chicago; Tom Waller. Taft Building. Tine Street and Hollywood Blvd.. Hollywood. Cal. . Subscription price: $3.00 a year to countries where stamps are not necessary for posting; $3.50 to Canada; $6.00 to other countries requiring stamps for postage. Copyright, 19 2*. 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 aU Spanish speaking countries of the world. Spanish and English books. VOL. S4 No. 8 Production of Picture Radioed For First Time Twenty stations in a nationwide hook-up on Tuesday night broadcast for what is believed to be the first time the production of a motion picture. It is estimated that 20,000,000 radio fans were tuned in on this hour of unique entertainment. “Knockout Reilly,” Richard Dix’s forthcoming Paramount feature, was the picture broadcast during the Eveready Hour through the chain of stations served b'y the National Broadcasting Company. Pour scenes, lending themselves easily to the ether form of entertainment, were enacted by the principals of the cast and broadcast by Graham McNamee, nationally known announcer. Dix, Mary Brian, Jack Renault and Malcolm St. Clair, director, were the principal studio lights before the mike. Miss Normand Seriously 111 Mabel Norman, comedienne, is seriously ill with pneumonia in Hollywood. Her illness was first diagnosed as pleurisy, then pneumonia set in February 13. At the first opportunity she was removed from her Beverly Hills home to the Santa Monica Hospital. Late reports give her condition as critical. Seven in Work Seven feature companies are at work either in the Fox West Coast studios or on location, in addition to the comedy units. Another feature, “The Joy Girl,” is in production on location at Palm Beach, Florida. The pictures are “7th Heaven,” “Is Zat So?” “Carmen,” “The Heart of Salome,” “Cradle Snatchers,” “Outlaws of Red River” and “The Holy Terror.” “Sunrise,” F. W. Murnau's first Americanmade picture, has just been completed and now is being cut and edited. Arbitration Boards Dispose Of 12,566 Claims in 1926 The 33 boards of arbitration of the motion picture industry disposed of 12,566 claims, amounting to $2,712,495.22, in the United States in 1926, according to a report issued by the Film Boards of Trade. Of these claims, 5,018 were settled before the date of the actual hearing because the filing of claims brought the parties together. Awards made totaled 5.476 for .a total of $1,356,233.78. All but 25 of these claims were decided by an unanimous or majority vote of the board of three exhibitors and three exchange managers. A seventh arbitrator to break a tie vote was necessary in these 25 cases. Missouri Governor Now Weakens on Tax Measure After supporting his proposed 10 per cent, amusement tax strongly for several weeks, Governor Baker, in the face of strong opposition, weakened on the Missouri Bill. The governor indicated that he had no strong objection to all or part of the 10 per cent, amusement tax in the permanent school fund bill, which has been made a special order of business in the house for the latter part of this week. “The house might take picture theatres from the bill, and, leaving in the tobacco tax phase of the measure, provide a considerable sum for the permanent school fund,” he said. Schlanger in Washington Ted Schlanger, veteran Universal employee, who recently has been short subject manager In the Chicago exchange, has been promoted to be the manager of Universal’s Washington exchange. He will fill the post vacated by M. Van Praag, who moved up to the New York exchange. Indiana Complains ( Continued from preceding page) sire on my part to accept arbitration as a fair and equitable method of adjusting differences, it becomes more difficult daily because the film representatives on every opportunity add to their methods of dominating everything. Please answer.” Mr. Hess wired: ‘‘Credit Committee functions are limited to investigation of bonafides of transfers of theatres and fixing rating of new owners. If Credit Committee’s investigations disclose transfer is legitimate transaction and new owner is worthy of credit, new owner should be given favorable credit rating. “Change of ownership does not relieve previous owner from liability for uncompleted contracts, and if such contracts are not assumed by new owner, distributor may proceed against previous owner to recover damages for previous owner's failure to perform such contracts. “If you will write details of case mentioned in your telegram, will be glad to make complete investigation of facts to the end that justice will be done all concerned.” Eight hundred and twelve claims were withdrawn and 440 dismissed for want of jurisdiction, incomplete filing, etc. On January 1 there were 1,007 claims pending, totaling $300,959.98. Seventy-one claims were litigated after submission. All but five of these suits were actions to reduce arbitration awards of 1924 and 1925 to judgments. The Canadian Boards of Arbitration considered 127 claims and made 105 awards totaling $78,875.48. Three cases required a seventh arbitrator. Thirtyeight claims were settled before the date of hearing. These totaled $21,061.48. Try New Screen Effect “Long distance rain” is a new effect being tried out for the screen. Instead of jets of water squirting before the camera, by means of this new invention, the water is many feet away, in a special metal “rain maker”— and it’s picked up by the camera by reflected light at a distance. The result, sets and costumes are not endangered, as was the case under the old method of artificial precipitation. M.-G.-M. is trying it out. New “U” House Opens The Capitol Theatre, Danville, Va., Universal’s newest Southern house, is to be opened Monday, February 21, and a Laura Da Plante Jewel, “Her Big Night” has been selected as the premiere feature offering. F. N. Signs Max Ree First National has signed on a long-term contract Max Ree, Danish scenic and costume artist. He will take charge of the costume designing of all First National productions at the company’s Burbank, Cal., studios. M-G-M Starts “Unknown” M.-G.-M. started production last week on Lon Chaney’s new starring vehicle, “The Unknown.” Tod Browning is directing. It is a mystery romance of circus life. No Publicity Break ( Continued from preceding page) Illustrative of this need, all the information the writer, who arrived a little late, was enabled to obtain was contained on a badly written, soiled sheet, mimeographed on both sides, which gave absolutely no description whatever of the gowns and even this was only secured through the courtesy of Miss Norma Hermann of the Biltmore, who acted as announcer for the various numbers. Following is a sample of the information on this sheet: “5. Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios — per copy attached — in ‘Altars of Desire,’ ‘The Temptress,’ ‘Flesh and the Devil,’ — ” etc., etc. It meant — just nothing. Properly press-agented the idea ought to go big. As it is, it will be most effective only among those who see it and are able to pay the price. It ought to get Miss Hamilton lots of good publicity, but will not get so much for the companies and stars promoting it, unless attention is given to this angle of the stunt. COMING and GOING Henry Ginsburg, president of the Sterling Pictures Distributing Corporation, has departed from New York on a general tour of inspection among the Sterling producing forces on the West Coast. He will join Irving L. Walenstein, of Sterling, in Los Angeles. * * » A. J. Moeller, president of American Cinema Association, returned this week from a tour of the Middle West and South West. • * * Joseph P. Kennedy has returned from Florida. * * * Colvin W. Brown is expected back from Europe next week. * * * Louis B. Mayer has returned to the West Coast. * * » J. R. Wilson, domestic sales manager of Educational Film Exchanges, Inc., has left on an extended tour of exchanges in the East and Middle West. He will not return to the home office until the latter part of this month. Max Stahl, special sales representative, has been visiting exchanges in the far western district. At present he is in the Seattle territory. • * • Bruno Fox is in New York City. He is managing director for Fox Films in Italy. » * • J. D. Williams is in Hollywood. He is said to plan the organization of a Canadian producing compan'y. * » * J. P. Ryan, Fox managing director in Southern Europe, has returned from overseas. * * * Colonel Fred Levy of Louisville Is in New York. * * * Benjamin Christianson, Danish director, has returned to Culver City after a brief vacation in his native land. » * » B. F. Zeidman, manager for the John Barr’ymore unit of United Artists, returned to California on February 12. * * * E. J. Sparks, who controls a number of Florida theatres, is in New York for a conference with E. V. Richards regarding an expansion of Publix theatre interests in the South. * * * Jesse L. Lasky and Walter Wanger of Paramount have returned to the West Coast. * * * Howard Dietz, director of advertising and publicity for M-G-M, is on the West Coast. * * * Monta Bell has returned to the West Coast. New Inspections A survey of the city of Montreal, Canada, by the local Safety Committee has shown that there are 880 public buildings within the city limits which require just as much inspection and just as many precautions against fire and panic as the 60 local moving picture theatres. All of these places are to come under civic regulation.