The Moving picture world (May 1925-June 1925)

June 13, 1925 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 7A7 Incorporations There wan a let up last week in motion picture companies incorporating in New York State, the week producing but live anil these having a small amount of capitalization. The companies that incorporated, together with the capitalization and directors* are as follows: Commercial Capital Corporation, $50,000, W. H. Tnllis, I M. James, J. M. IMullin, New York City. J. L. Barnard Productions, Inc., *35,00O, J. li. Barnard, R. G. Beekhout, W. E. Huey, New York City. Raygold Theatre Corporation, $20,000, P. Wellins, M. L. Schwartz, J. Huroaitz, New York City. Ten Eyck Pictures Corporation, with A. Radeloff, Brooklyn; E. M. Barnes, A. Schimel, New York. Arch Productions, Inc., with S. E. Mecca, S. Schiff, S. Goodman, New York City, the last two named not stating the amount of capitalization. Wanda Wiley Comes East; Meets Reviewers at Lunch Wanda Wiley, the clever Century Comedy actress, is in New York City from the West Coast seeing the shows and just generally enjoying her first glimpse of the metropolis. From here she goes to her home in Texas and she will make a series of personal appearances in that state before beginning production again. Miss Wiley was hostess at a luncheon to reviewers Monday at the Tavern, with Henry C. Bate of Universal as co-entertainer. She confessed to a desire to play dramatic roles but believes that comedy offers the greatest opportunity at present. Then with two of the guests Miss Wiley went— of all places— to a movie at the Strand, afterwards visiting the Tec-Art Studio where Dick Barthelmess is working. Funny idea of spending a vacation some of these stars have? RENAMED PRINCIPAL STUDIOS The Principal Pictures Corporation studio, lately acquired by the units producing Mermaid, Hamilton, Cameo and Juvenile Com. edies for distribution by Educational Film Exchanges, Inc., have been renamed tjie "Education Studios." Improvements are being added to the studio and an outlay of $100,000 is contemplated. The improvements will Include new stages, wardrobe and dressing rooms, projection and cutting rooms, blacksmith and carpenter shops, making the studio one of the most up-to-date comedy producing plants on the Pacific Coast. TAUROG-LEONARD Norman Taurog, director of EducationalMermaid Comedies and Julie Leonard, well known in Hollywood film circles, were married May 24 in San Francisco by Judge James Trout. E. H'. Allen, general manager of several of the units producting comedies for the Educational program, and his wife, Stephen Roberts, director of Educational-Hamilton Comedies, and Violet Wolf were witnesses. Mr. and Mrs. Taurog will return to Los Angeles after a short honeymoon. Taurog has been again engaged as director for Educational.Mermaid Comedies for the 1926-26 season. American Films Hold Record in Denmark Report Indicates American motion pictures have captured over 70 per cent of the Danish market according to a recent report received in the Department of Commerce from the office of its Commercial Attache in Copenhagen. Of the 30 per cent about 20 per cent are of Danish origin and the balance Swedish, German, French and English in the order named. As proof of this statement, the report goes on to say that out of 668 lilms passed by the Danish censor during the period April 1, 192 t, to February 1, 1925, 466 were of American origin, 131 Danish, 27 Swedish, 20 German, 15 French, 7 English and 2 Russian. These 466 American pictures had a total length in meters of 655,880 as opposed to 79,518 for the Danish and much smaller amounts for the others in the order named. There are in Denmark at the present time about 350 motion picture theaters, of which about 250 give daily performances at least part of the year. About 38 of these with a seating capacity of about 20,000 are located in Copenhagen. Admission prices range from 70 cere to two crowns in the smaller theaters to six or eight crowns in the three or four large theaters in Copenhagen. These prices include the government tax of 40 per cent and also the cost of hat checking. Programs are usually change once or twice a week in small theaters, but in the first run houses a picture is, as a rule, shown as long as it will draw a house. The Danish censorship rules are very strict, but pictures passed by the censor are divided into two classes, those to which children under sixteen years can be admitted and those to which admission for children of that age is denied. For the censoring of feature pictures a charge of six cere per meter is made and for other films a fee of three cere per meter is levied. Posters and advertising matter covering films must also be passed by the censor and in all cases the name of the picture must be in Danish on the film itself and on all publicity material. From the types of pictures passed by the censor it is evident that the Danish public is critical and demands film plays of a high order. So far as the distribution of pictures is concerned, Copenhagen is the logical center for Denmark, and a number of American branch offices and agents are located there. In general, films are rented to the theaters under an arrangement whereby a certain percentage of the income from the sale of tickets, after deductions of governmental taxes, is paid to the distributing agency. In Copenhagen this charge is 12 or 20 per cent and in the Danish provincial cities and towns it is about 20 to 25 per cent. SHORT SUBJECTS (Continued from page 739) bad feature picture. But by the aid of short subjects and music a manager can show his best taste and judgment in the display of these units. It has been said that a manager does not make the feature picture but is responsible for every other detail of his show. His personality can be felt in that direction. SERIALS are good for matinees where there is a majority of women and children patronage but not good where the draw is chiefly transient trade. We are not sorry to have run them continuously at the Missouri the last twelve months as this house pets practically a family draw at matinees. This applies to high-grade serials. There is not a chance for cheaply made or trashy stories in a clean house. In conclusion my ten commandments for short subject producers follow: (1) News reels should be news reels and not magazine reels. (2) Broadway is not the world. Roxy, Riesenfeld and Plunkett can use your fork reel. Often we can't. (3) Comedies must make people laugh, otherwise there is no excuse for them. Clever mechanics without laughs is waste. (4) Short subjects must be short and with character. Few managers have even ten minutes running time for a novelty unless you have an Einstein theory. (5) Scenics are dry without action and are best in five hundred feet. Not over. (6) If the film you are shooting does not lend itself to melodious music, fire the camera man and go home and wait for an idea that WILL lend itself. (7) Whiskers are out. Don't shoot the wild man in his den with film. Shoot him with lead. Nobody cares about him. (8) Don't make a series of twelve using the same basic novelty idea. The novelty wears off after number three of the series is flashed upon the screen. (9) Keep your eye on the reaction the reel may have with women patrons. Remember that there are not enough unattended male patrons visiting a picture theatre each week to pay for the orchestra. (10) Remember the dog show and keep off it. The dog show runs from the opening hour until the orchestra comes on after a good lunch. It repeats again from five till seven while the orchestra goes home for a hearty dinner. Dog show reels are well paid for at one dollar per reel. Your best efforts are shown on de luxe shows witk full orchestral and union stage hands accompaniment. Hitch your ambition to the de luxe show. There's Extra MONEY in the short subject! Are you getting YOURS ? ADVER TISING does it !