Moving Picture World (May-Jun 1927)

&hort ^Jeature cMagazine ^ qJ\ JHaqazine within a THaqazine, devoted, exclusively to the Gittle Pictures with the £>iq 9unch Edited btj Charles 6dward <Mastinqs Pathe’s Short Feature List, Week, June 19 "The Crimson Flash," Pathe serial by George Arthur Gray featuring Cullen Landis and Eugenia Gilbert, is the high light of the Pathe short feature program for the week of June 19th. Other releases are : “Fluttering Hearts," a Hal Roach comedy starring Charley Chase ; Pathe Review Number 25 ; “Died in the Wool," an Aesop Film Fable ; Topics of the Day Number 25 and two issues of Pathe News, the pioneer news reel. Pathe Review Number 25 presents: “Russia’s Greatest' Industry”: The ballet dancers, from the cradle to American theatres. How they are trained, but not why ; "The Birthplace of Civilization" : A Pathe-color unit of Keishu, known to the Orient as the birthplace of the Shiragi race, 3,000 years ago. The relics and temples of ancient days ; “With the Putnam Expedition to Greenland" : A visit to the summer home of the huskies, at Dog Island. The Eskimos in their kayaks, fliv vers of the Arctic seas. Major Edward Bowes, managing director of the Capitol Theatre who sailed on the S. S. Paris for a six weeks’ vacation abroad, is being wished bon voyage by “Snookums,” U n i v e r s a l’s baby star. Qrainger Assigns Qomersall to Head Fox Short Features Cleveland Likes “Capt. Salvation” Metro-Goldwyn Mayer’s latest release, “Captain Salvation,” opened in Cleveland last week and was most enthusiastically received by both the audiences and the newspaper erities. Cars Hanson has the lead, and again displays a line character, with Pauline Starke, Marceline Day and Ernest Torrence rounding out the cast. John S. Robertson direr ted. A1 Martin Has New Contract With Christies After having completed two verysuccessful years as chief title writer for Christie Comedies, A1 Martin has again been signed to write the captions. Frank Roland Conklin will head the scenario department, which also includes such outstanding comedy writers as Sig Herzig and Hal Conklin. The clever cartoons adorning subtitles will be drawn by Norman Z. McLeod as before. Buddy Messenger's Comeback at “U” Buddy Messenger, one of screenland's first child s*:ars, is to return to the screen to play a featured role in the Universal series of comedies starring Arthur Lake, it was announced yesterday by Universal executives. Buddy’s last important roles were in the Universal pictures "His Good Name" and “The Flirt" produced several years ago. Since that time he has been completing his schooling and his return marks the advent of one of the most promising of juveniles. The comedy series will consist of thirteen episodes of one reel each and once more places Lake in the comedy field after a year of juvenile supporting roles in feature length productions. Former Indianapolis Branch Manager Says Short Product From Fox Studios Is at High Box Office Level ET. GOMERSALL, formerly branch manager of the • Indianapolis exchange, this week officially assumed his new duties as Short Subject sales manager of Fox Film Corporation. Announcement of the promotion of this popular executive was received with general enthusiasm in the industry and particularly among exhibitors. Mr. Gomersall enters upon his new duties splendidly qualified for this high position with years of experience both in the home office and in the field. Despite the invasion of the short subject field by other companies, Mr. Gomersall is firm in his belief that this season will be the greatest in the history of the Fox organization. The meteoric progress of and the pace set by Fox News, Mr. Gomersall said, has firmly entrenched this news weekly as the foremost in the business. With Movietone applied to Fox News Mr. Gomersall enthusiastically looks forward to the time when this weekly will take a place all by itself in the industry-, for with the perfect reproduction, simultaneously, of both action and sound there is no doubt in his mind that a new era will have been established in this field. In fact, Mr. Gomersall already has assurances that Fox News during 1927-28 will undergo its most triumphantly successful year with more theatres than ever before showing it. “The comedies that Fox Films will release this season," said Mr. Gomersall, “will be on a par with the box-office and entertainment values of our giant productions and will be produced with the same effort and skill. Our comedy unit, headed by George E. Marshall, is about to start production of these comedies with an organization that is the foremost in the business. “Our comedy unit will operate on an extensive basis and concentrate on making really bigger and greater comedies, for our comedy releases, reduced to 26 pictures, will permit us the better to concentrate on each and every subject. Every comedy release, too, will carry names of unquestioned box-office value, based on genuine comedy stories that promise to set a new era for comedy production in this business.” E. T. Gomersall Early in May General Sales Manager J. R. Grainger promoted him to be a special representative and assigned him to executive sales duties in the field. Two weeks ago, however, Mr. Grainger elevated him to the position of Short Subject sales manager. Mr. Gomersall has particularly distinguished himself within the Fox Films organization during the current season. Last September he succeeded in acquiring the Fox Week championship among Fox exchanges for the Indianapolis branch. Last January he figured (Continued on next page)