Variety (February 1923)

'hursday, February 15, 1923 MOTION PICTURE DEPARTMENT—Pages 42 to 47 PICTURES 47 =3= ■i ■; $15,000 BID 10'S PICTURE FUTURE SUBJECT OF MUCH SPECULATION g on "Americanism" in St. Louis This Week— urt Battle with Famous Players Still Waging— ar! Fisher Broke Even on Detroit Engagement FAMOUS PLAYERS WANT HER AS • Detroit. Feb. 14. ^engagement of Rudolph Val- i and "Winifred Hiulnut at the [lajestii- sviinol of Dancing last »gj.'did nut ])i«'Vi' such a fliv as pscted. Ctrl Fisher, owner of the dance itood to lose $15,000 on Jbe When he found tho^ public not pay $2.50 to see Valen- reduced the price to $1. This 'a little the next night, but third day there appeared a lot'* story in the local Hearst i which Fisher unmercifully Valentino, calling hhn a all" and accusing him of polished his golf sticks a irs ago while a guest of at Dong Island. He said [hMfte had to pay Valentino $7,500 >Vne week, $330 for his railroad ire, and 50 per cent, of the receipts. The story started something and [hat night nearly 2.000 people ■ were i the dance hall to see Valentino. hty cheered him and in a speech le toocluded by saying "I have a :ttkk surprise for you tonight; I ;aatr:jQ\\ to meet Mr. Carl Fisher, ny Wend, and I hope you will all naJtf.Jt a point to becomo better LcofMkrtcd with him. The-balance of the week showed ii inorea.se in attendance and •r Just about broke even on the raient. Valentino told the press he was bounded upon reaching Detroit to e the type of dance hall operated Ksher and that ho offered to inctl the engagement which it refused. Fisher proposed Valentino give out tickets to U the women attending with the le* Of having ft drawing contest, »• winner dancing with Valentino, dch the latter refused to do call- kg the scheme ridiculous. $6,000,000 FLOTATION' FOR FOX REPORTED New York Bank Reported Ready to Underwrite Issue for Public Offering The officers and directors of a downtown bank are reported hav- ing considered favorably a project to float an issue of $6,000,000 of stock to be offered for popular sub- scription. The issue is understood to be backed by large theatre properties, the Fox studio and other realty holdings of the company and the ent.ire producing and distributing assess. The terms of the proposed flotation are not mentioned in the reports, but it is believed the stock will be of $10 par with- 500,000 shares offered. Thftre's considerable "inside stuff" the Val.ntino-F. P. imbroglio. It n>t generally known that Valen- > was quite willing months ago to • time-working for Famous in his xtplanned production, "The Span- h Cavalier" under Allan Dwan's [ ction which was perfectly satls- k 'orjr to the star, at the same .-5ft salary he last drew. It is not MieraUy known the hitch revolved >un4 the securing of June Mathis <lo the cutting, this being the only >i litlon Valentino required so as PTftJttnt the cruel slashing ac- «1*4 him in his last P. P. release, ?lf >o4 and Sand." The Famous K> i»J* countered that Miss Mathis signed by Gqldwyn. The Mathis rtoftce is because of that scenario lt **** friendship for Valentino, helng primarily responsible for ^covering" him as a screen mati- k idol. T h4s has always been played up wess stuff in linking the "EeH" "'" rumors with Valentino. Miss at his prepared the scenario of the in. Lew Wallace story and reports at Valentino was to be the leading •e Were thus given added weight. *rtb,ur Butler Graham who has i^ acting as tn 0 actor's local "►•man again deniea any reports >alrntin(.n signing with Metro 'J last press story in which Harry •Jus, the actors manager, was imed) for the simple reason the Junction prevents any such em- yment. Tl„- i, gf ,i end of the Fa- 's litigation |.- Mt ill In th v courts. ,fl y (Thursday) Graham and ; s Marshall of Untermeyer, Gug- Iheimer & Marshall, acting for •• will oppose each other In a | ion whereby the him company ""« have Valentino's, a:.sun 'CJien out i:nd judgm ut awarded ; m on Hi, pleadii ^lemjn,. i, currently appearing ABRAMS GIVES IN Signs Agreement with Michigan Cxhibitcrs L'ne T>,- imonte th atn a picture 1 l**«iinute speech on Amerl- Detroit, Feb. 14. W. S. McLaren, president, and Henderson Richey, secretary, of the Michigan Motion Picture Theatre Owners Association, were in New York last week and signed a peace treaty with Hiram Abrams, presi- dent of United Artists, whose pic- tures have been temporarily banned from Michigan, because of "Robin Hood" having been sold first-run to a theatre operated by Masons. Abrams signed a letter stating that ho would not in the future sell United Artists releases to individ- uals or non-theatrical organizations until afer they had been offered to exhibitors. - *Ial the boycott continued the loss to United Artists would have easily run up to $100,000. Imme- diately after the peace treaty was signed ."" >lin H. Kunsky booked "Robin Hood" for the Adams theatre at 60-cent prices and Phil Gleich- man booked "Garrison's Finish" first-run for his Broadway-Strand theatre. canization thrice daily from the or- chestra pit, not from the stage. This is not considered a violation of professionally appearing on stage or screen. Mrs. Valentino (Winfred Hudnut) is on the same bjll in a dance act, also appearing three times daily. Cyrena Van Gor- don, Chicago prima, is another fea- ture of the program this week. At StrVents top business the first three days was capacity. He opens at the Trianon, the new Chicago mammoth dance hall, Feb. 20. Graham makes mention of the fact that Valentino finally acceded to a talk with Adolph Zukor, the F. P. executive recently after being persistently sought after but that no definite arrangement could l»" made. Despite the salary conces- sions, Valentino is holding out for artistic CO-operation to meet with his Meal which somehow or other F. P. will not grant. Regarding Carl Fisher, Orornm mentions Fisher's antecedent a as being of (Scandinavian extraction, formerly known as Carl Fisher Han« sMi win) married fl daughter of W. Gould P.rokuw and later became known as "the millionaire lawyer" fo.' Ins philanthropies towards the poor legally. Fisher was also sfreal • -. t.i!..- operator of parte in New York. He cannot understand how he came to be the mnnng t ■ - I dance hall in Detroit. Offer Four Weeks in Coatt Houses «t $60,000—Diva Refuses—Want Features For $10,000 Weekly for 10 Weeks—Coast Houses Vie in Presenting Operatic Stars PICTURE AD CENSORING COMES UP IN ONTARIO, CANADA w Billing for Picture in Toronto Started Agitation— Restrictive Order Sent Out — Postponement Asked—Advance Notices May Be Included ALL WOMEN CENSORING FILMS IN KANSAS CITY AFTER LOEW HOUSES Los Angeles, Feb. 14. Tetrazzini at $15,000 a week as the star attraction at the new Met- ropolitan picture theatre is the offer made in New York by the Famous Players theatre department. It surpasses all.offers for special added features for film theatres, on top of their regular picture bill. The Famous Players would have given Tetrazzini a contract for four consecutive weeks at that figure weekly. It is understood the same picture people are agreeable to pay $10,000 a week for 10 weeks for a suitable attraction. The 10 weeks are to be played on the coast and through the south, particularly in Texas. The Metropolitan, new, is believed to have sought Tetrazzini for im- mediate playing, to send over the new house with a rush, also to fore- stall the forthcoming engagement of Orville Harrold at Loew's State, where he will shortly appear as the added attraction at $3,000 weekly. Tetrazzini had to decline the pic- ture theatre proposal through her operatic engagement interfering. Neither is it stated either way whether the diva considered the offer otherwise, although it is be- lieved she was favorably inclined toward it. One condition imposed was to the effect she sing three times daily in the Metropolitan, one aria to each appearance with the understanding she should not appear over thrice daily on any day. The Harrold- Loew contract calls upon him to sing three times a da y during the week days with four appearances or more Saturdays and Surldays. Besides Harrold,. Dorothy Jardon will also appear at Loew's local State; Ciccollnl sang there last week as the special attraction. The Metropolitan Is a new pic- ture house opening two weeks ago and promoted by Sid Grauman, who has an Interest besides being its- manager at $50,000 a year. The Fa- mous Players is Grauman's partner. F. P. initially bought a half inter- est in the house. Following a long delay during the construction, F. P. financed its completion, The build- ing represents $4,000,000. It seats something over 3,000 people and has a scale of 55 cents top. It can play to a gross nearly of $40,000 a week. Recently Loew's State doubled its business and this condition is re- ported to have alarmed the Grau- man's interests as the opening of their new house approached. Grau- man has another new picture the- atre in Hollywood. In Neif York during the pa^t week it was reported Famous Players hf*, been urging theatrical agents fo submit "big names." No limit has. been placed on tht salary and the agents were inform* d no name was too big. The agents un«l< r stood the stars were wanted a-- ex tra attraction In Famous Players picture theatres on the Pacific Coast and In the south. Famous players' booking deport- ment for acts suitable foi Us string of picture houses will be akin t<> a vnud \ ille circuit, with continuoun bookings for the acts. It i>- expect- >Q .io we< ks ran b< nrrang • I The F. P. houses hen tofon hnv< • •: whatever attractions other ■ needed from concert Teachers' Association Actively at Work—Monthly List of Recommended Pictures Kansas City, Feb. 14. The Kansas City rarent Teachers association has taken upon itself the job of reviewing pictures to be shown here and placing the stamp of Its approval on the ono they like. The committee in charge really functions. Every day mem- bers are on duty at the city cen- sor's office watching pictures, while others are doing the same thing at the many film exchanges. At the end of the month the committee make out a list of the pictures ap- proved with the announcement of the theatres where they will be shown. As an illustration of the pictures approved the Associations last list are: "A Front Page Story," "Pawn Ticket 210," : 'The Village Black- smith," Making of a Man," "A Fool for Luck." "The Scarlet Car," "Kindled Courage,' "Drums of Fate," "A Friendly Husband?"'" "The Flirt," "The Third Alarm," "Su- zanne," "The Pauper Millionaire," "The Town That Forgot God," "No- body's Money," "Dr. Jack," "Heroes of the Street," "The Kid Reporter," "Nanook of the North," •Fire Fight- ers." booking agents. The policy of pic- ture strengthened «uch as single singers, concert vocalists, musicians, etc., will be adhered from the start at least, with acts more approaching vaudeville added later. The F. P. houses in New York Include the Rialto, Rivoli and Cri- terion, with affiliation* that riaeh to the coast and back. Los Angeles, Feb. 14. A reliable report states that of the several offers recently made to the Loew Circuit for its two coast pic- ture houses, one for $5,500,000 cash is being considered at the Loew headquarters in New York. Th e Loew's theatres are the War- Meld, San Francisco, and Loew's State, thiH city. Each ranks among the biggest and best picture the- atres of the west. Both are com- paratively new houses, modernly built and equipped. Dropping for a while, tho Loew People finally Jacked up the business, which doubled in each starting some weeks ago, continuing up* to now with several hig attractions an- nounced for the future besides the picture features. At the Loew ofMcs in the Loew building no comment would be made on tho Los Angdes dispatch other than the statement the Loew Circuit conduct! its business tho same ns any other theatrical operator When buying or selling; it will buy or sell anything for :t price mat sutrs, it was said, The Broadwaj belief is that Mar- !,■>< w i<,.-.\ let Ml i WO C( hous< a f/" If .i satisfactory price Is received. They arc f:.r 'removed from tin- < istern boundary of tn<' I. ew chain and while »•< in^' suc- fullj op+ruted, through the dls- :..in o ■ ay i'iom th • main office lhe) : • i iiic unui . <i and • c ml n- UOUI 'ii. ■ I ■ . Montreal, Feb. 14. A regulation of the Ontario board of censors that has for a lengthy pe- riod been more or less dormant, has been revived following the vjbllca- tion by the medium of bill boards, window cards and newspapers of ad- vertisements calling attention to the picture now being shown at a Tor- onto theatre. For somo time past tho board of censors has had power by virtue of an order-In-council sanctioning the regulations, to cen- sor all picture advertising. • A notice was forwarded to Col. J. A. Cooper, representative of the Canadian Motion Picture Distribu- tors* association, by Major Hamil- ton, chairman of the board of cen- sors, pointing out the regulation. Col. Cooper is calling the picture men together to discuss it. The notice received by Col. Cooper stated that after Feb. 12, all adver- tising. Including "newspaper copy," must be forwarded to the advertis- ing department of tho board of cen- sorship. Col. Cooper asked for a stay until Feb. 19. "It Is just a reminder to the mo- tion picture people," stated G. K. Armstrong, head of the advertising an* 1 poster censorship for the board. 'There never ! as boen a legal opin- ion as to whether the film exchange can be held responsible for theatre advertising." stated Col. Cooper. "It will be impossible to handle news- paper advertising copy to be cen- sored by the board." It Is understood under-the regu- lation as it now exists, that if the measure is enforced oven advance notices by press agents will be sub- jected to scrutiny. VAUDEVILLE COMEDIANS DOUBLED FOR FILM STARS Acrobats Carrying Slide Stat- ing They "Doubled" for Har- old Lloyd and Snub Pollard San Francisco, Feb. 14. At the Orpheum (vaudeville) this week in the act of Berg and Eng- lish, comedy acrobats, Is a slide stating tho members' of the team have "doubled" for Harold Llyod and Snub Pollard, the picture stars. The fact, undisputed up to now, la not expected to promote the popularity of cither film comic among his followers, who believed they did all of their own stunts. WALKER'S CENSORSHIP REPEM MEASURE IN Administration Bill Introduced in New York State Senate Albany, N. Y., Feb. 14. Senate Majority Leader James J. W.'k.r, nf .\.-w V«>rk. today intr duced in tho Senate tho Adminis- tration Pill, calling for a straight reneai of the Motion Picture Cen- sorship Li'v. U is anticipated this measure will t>e reported out oi' committee in the ite at an early date. Louis A. Csvillier and Frank A. Miller, both !»• n from New ' '.rk t both Introduced simitar bills in tb< Assembly previously.