Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1927)

U MOVING PICTURE WORLD December 17, 192; llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll u Satan and the [Woman v_J a drama of emotion Shelley PICTURES CORPORATIONS SAMUEL ZIERLER J,resu/e*t N E W • Y O K_ lllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllillliililliiiiillllillllillllllllll W. P. GRAY, CIRCUIT OWNER OF 150, DIES Foreign Flashes Paris. — A law suit of considerable im | Los Angeles. — William P. Gray, prominent New England motion picture theatre executive, died unexpectedly at his Beverly Hills home at the age of 50. He was President of the Maine and New Hampshire Theatres Company. He controlled or operated upward of 150 theatres in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, besides all of the Paramount theatres east of New York, including twelve in Boston. Gray began his theatrical operations at Portsmouth, N. H., about twelve years ago, in a small hall, trying the combination of motion pictures and dancing. He soon removed to Lewiston, where he took over a good-sized hall. He rapidly extended his field until he controlled all the theatres here. Then he began to take over theatres in several New England States. Legal Battle For Fight Film Rights Cincinnati. — A legal battle to obtain the right to exhibit the TunneyDempsey fight pictures in Ohio was started in the State Supreme court, Columbus, Ohio, by Frank Mantell who filed an appeal in the court asking reversal of the action of Director of Education, J. L. Clifton, in refusing to censor the fight films, so they might be exhibited in this state, and also for an order directing that the pictures be censored. Mantell’s petition eharges that the director ef education and the censor board exceeded their discretionary powers in refusing to censor the pictures. 4 Speedy * Campaigns Pour in on Lloyd Selling campaigns for “Speedy” are said to be pouring into the Lloyd offices in New York as a result of the recently announced contest among exhibitors, advertising and publicity men for the best method of selling { the newest Harold Lloyd production to the public. The contest closes December 26 and no suggested campaigns posted after midnight of that day will be considered. Paramount Stars \Win\in Popularity In a contest recently conducted in , Australia, by the Melburne Star, Richard Dix led the field with 102,667 votes. Harold Lloyd was a close second, and ranking just behind the leaders were five other Paramount stars, Clara Bow, Bebe Daniels. Adolphe Menjou, Pola Negri and Wallace Beery. Film Bldg. Ready Feb. 1 The Film Building, designed and erected for the picture trade, is nearing completion at 321 West 44th Street and 322 West 45th Street, according to Lee A. Ochs, who will act as agent. It will be ready for occupancy Feb. 1. portance was recently brought before th I German Sheriff’s Court at Cassel. A pro | fessor in this city bought a home cinem 1 for the purpose of showing some scientifi films in his lodgings. He asked a neigh j bor, a locksmith, to project the film* 1 This man, however, did not know how t handle the winder, the film fell to th floor and immediately caught fire. Th locksmith was accused of careless arsot i but was acquitted by the Court. Th Court, instead, fined the manufacturin ) company, because it had not advised it i buyer in its prospectus of the danger o the resistance. In German film circles i j is felt that this Sheriff’s Court decisio lacked justice, as a learned locksmit should have known that resistance i i movement develops heat. Berlin. — The Government Commission er’s report on the Phoebus Film affair and their connection with the Militar Ministry, will be dealt with in the Gei man Reichstag, and the results of th Government inquiry will be made publii Leo Brecher, popular operator of New York neighborhood theatres, who this week celebrates the tenth anniversary of the Plaza on 59th St. & Mad. Ave. Orpheum New Plan Books Gotham First The Orpheum Circuit’s change to a “combination” policy will find as one of the first screen productions, if not the very first feature picture to be offered on the Orpheum’s j screen, “The Cheer Leader,” the re j cently released college comedy-drama from Gotham Productions. “The Cheer Leader” has been booked first for the Orpheum Denver and with other Orpheum houses included in the schedule. “Wings” for Midnite Shows A. Griffith Grey announces special [ midnight showings of “Wings” for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s night. Belgrade. — Yugoslav motion pictur owners held a congress recently here. Di Aranitzki, or Zagreb, the referee, reporte on the activity of the theatre owners’ ai sociation and rendered account of its lai ] meeting, when members present proteste j unanimously against the heavy state an municipal taxes and decided to threate the Government with the closing of thei theatres if these taxes were not reduce* It was further decided to send a deleg: tion of theatre owners to the Minister of Finance, Interior, and Public Instrur tion, in order to advise them of the whol motion picture situation in Yugoslavia. Berne. — Latest estimates place tl amount of capital invested in the cinem in Switzerland, both premises and equii ment, at Frs. 40.000,000 ($7,700,000). C this amount approximately Frs. 4,000,00 ($800,000) are invested in film bookin agencies. The operating and booldc branches of the industry furnish emplo; ment to 350 persons, and the cinemt • themselves require the services of 1,62 i persons. The total seats in the Swi: cinemas number around 70,000. Of tl 285 cinemas in Switzerland. 106 exhib daily, 149 exhibit two or three times p< week and 30 exhibit only oceasionall: Twenty of these last are itinerant, mo> ing about among the small country town E.fBruce Johnson Back; Buys “Jest” for F. Nat'l. to be Made in Englarn Upon his arrival from Europe, E. Bruce Johnson, First National’s VicePresident in charge of foreign af' fairs, announced the purchase of the screen rights to Sam Benelli’s stage I success, “La Cena delle Beffe” which, under the title of “The Jest,” starring Lionel Barrymore and John Barrymore, ran over two years on Broadway. The screen rights have been brought with the plan to make the production through First National's British unit, states Mr. Johnson. Benelli is one of Italy’s foremost authors and playwrights, Johnson brought with him prints of the first German and British films to be made by his company, “Dancing Vienna.” and “Confetti.” “Man Crazy” at Strand “Man Crazy,” with Dorothy Mackaill and Jack Mulhall in the leading roles, is the feature picture at the Mark Strand this week. E. Bruce Johnson, First Nat onal Vice-pres., charge of foreign affairs, greeting H. A. Bandy, on his return from abroad.