Variety (October 1924)

lt.Vr^. ^; -d^FW VARIETY PICTURES 'I t:. Wednesday. October 22, 1924 mcH. m \< t ISSNOnUNG I 400 Talked Over ETery- I thing at ConTention in Saginaw I Detroit. Oct 11. Film uattera hav« Mttlcd back Into t)i«lr ciMtomary tranquU state fvUcwinr the fifth annoal convea- tioa of tlM Motion Pieturo Tboatro Owa«n mt MlcklcaB at Saftaaw laat w««k. About <•» cibibHort at- tended. In inaiir rc8l>«<)ta the Saginaw aevsion vaa Important and con- BtraetlTe. ▲ BWBber of lmpo^taIlt exhibitor problona a«eh aa "blbcli bookinc." aaladoua plcturea and titlea. Simday cloalnc lawa, carni- val* and other aaattera wore taken up on th« floor. Glen A. Croaa of Battle Oeok waa eloctod pfeaidcnt for the contfais yoar, aad other oAcera named ar«: Vle«-pr«aid«»t, A. J. Kelat, Pentkc: Mcrotarr. A. B. HaU, •DetroH: treaaorer, John Nlebea, Detr^L Dtraetora: W. & Butterlleld, Battio Creek; C. B. Cady. Lanainc; Charles Carlisle. Sasinaw: Benjajate Cohen, Detroit; J. R. DwaUton. )toar6e; Sdward Klrchaer, Detroit; W. a JiieLArea. Jackson; Charles Porter, Detroit; J. C. Ritter. Detroit, and O. I^ WUIer. Grand Rapids. Orand Rapids exhlWtora came to th« Ratfaanr emivcatlon prepared to Ko to any leacth to win the 1$» cMiveatlOB. and they aneeeeded la K«ttin« It. H. M. Rlehey, reaeral amaatar ot the assoelatloa. was 'votad a boaas Of tl.tM for his goo^ work la be- half of tha repeal of the tax aaMad- nMat. Retlrlav PraoidMi' Denalston waa presented #lth a graadfathar's dock. The big/surprise of the whole convention was the showing of the Anances. When it waa announced that the treasary had a aarphia of |S«,0«« and was In a position, to carry ea any fctaid of a flght next year, a bag* cheer went up. World night FUms Wa^ingtoa, Oct. tl. Arrangements are being made at the War Department for public sbowinKS of the pic- tures taken' of the round the world flight. Ueut. George W. Goddard and Lieut. Lfc P. Hockhurst have Juat returned to Washington from "ahootlng" the last leg of the flight which took than front- Here Point, Me., to Beat- tie, Wash., and back again to the District of Columbia. They returned with U.OOO feet of action fllma that are to b« Joined with those taken in for- eign coaalrtes. SALESIEN BADLY HURT San Francisco, Oct. SI. Two San Pkaneisco fihn salesmen were victims of two separate auto- nohiie accidents In the vicinity of Kureka. Cal., and one of the men la Bkely to die. Joseph Rothman, traveling for the local F.B.O. exchange, oellided with another machine on a steep mountain grade. His car plunged over a bank 75 feet and part of the running board pierced his Intes- tines. His pelvis also ^was firae- turad. Rothman's coaditlon Is re- ported to be critical. liartc Corey of tha Producers' Dls- trlbtttiac Corporation ofllco her* was the second victim. As a result of a coHisioB he was literally eatai- pulted througfi the windshield of hia ear and auatalned sever* cuta and abrasions of the head and fae*. After two or three days in tb* hos- pital he was able to get around. MISS FREDERICK QUITTING D««la^«* in Tsps ha 8H* F«*l* Waady Mother-in-Law of FSctkm ADeged in Dunage Action IjO* Aageles. Oct. 21. Augusta Woods, former actress and cabaret entertainer, baa filed suit for |50,M0 against her mother- in-kw, Mra Ifargsret Woods, claiming that the latter persuaded her husband to pay attention to an- other woaoan. Mra. Woods recites in her com- plaint that her basband and Lora Eleanoro Spencer registered at a f Denver hotel as man and wife with the consent and connivance of the mother-in-law. The Woodses have been married 13 years and were happy until three years ago when the elder Mrs. Wood is alleged to have caused her son to file a divorce petition In the Denver Court. The Judge there re- fused to grant It. " Tapeka. Kaa., Oct. tl. ■ Paoline Frodarlek. while her* re- eeatly, declared that she waa on her fartrw«n t*wr of the country. Paul- ine, her far* worn with fatigue, de- clared that ber troupln^ days would aoon be oiver. *7've been at it con- ttnnaualy for twenty-two years,** tb* star of stag* and screen declared. I'm entitled to a complete rest and mean to have it." AsKed M she could make any statement regarding nrntrimeny. Miss Frederick beat a hasty retreat, saying. *T eouM not." mo voT EiTonrED The Inspiration Pictures, Inc., haa j , had its temporary injunction against ' Henry King vacated and the motion •; for a permanent restraining writ denied by Justice O'Malley in the ^; New York Supreme Court who «> opined, -f am fhUy satisfied that ■ th* plalntifTs right either (1) to '-.- maintain this action or (2) to ob- tain th* attwat* relief sought la •;' altogether too doubtful to warrant ':i an lnJuncfl<A>."' '^ King, the picture director, waa being sued to prevent him from signing with other plctiur* ventures on tb* ground the Inspiration held a prior contract. USHBECrs ions ABSSIICE IiOS/Angeles, Oct. 21. fVed Flshb«ck, picture director, is reported seriously ill at his Holly- wood bom*. For some months . Fishbeck has been suffering from a cancerous infection. Until re- cently, however, h« waa believed to be j>rogresslng favorably. Although physicians do not re- . gard itiM prea«nt condition as grave, 1^ Is *9iii<Bet*d b« will be abaent from ■iiif atudioa for acTeral months. Raoul Wahh Will Again Dnrect Doag FurlMnks Los Angeles, Oct. 21. RaonI Walsh, who Is directing Pola Negri in "East of Sues" at the Famous Player8-I>asky studios, upon the completion of it will go over to th* Fairbanks - Pickford studio and undertake the task of handling the megaphone for Doug- las Fairbanks in his new Spanish picture which goes into production about th middle of November. Walsh directed Fairbanks In "The Thief of Bagdad." It is understood he will continue to perform the same duty in the next two pictures made by Doug. MORTE BLUE KASRYIHO Lou Angeles. Oct. 21. Monte Blue is going to take a second wife on Nov. 1. Her name la Tove Janson. She is a daughter of a famous Norwegian actress. Miss Janson herself was on the stage, having appeared in' production as a mentbcr of an Elsie Janis company. She later had screen experience. The wedding will take pkice in Seattle, the home of the bride, where Blue is now visiting. Blue was divorced from his first wife, Erma Gladys Blue, a year ago. LOUISE OIAITM BICOVEBED Los Angeles. Oct. 21. Louise Glaum, former movie vamp and star in Triangle Pictures, stricken with a nervous breakdown two years ago while appearing in a Jack Lait stage vehicle, has fully recovered and announces that she will resume her stage career in fea- tured roles. BALARAN i lAR MAT snaio CBCAGO Building Aimounccmtiilt Elte- wh«re, Propaganda—Kun- sky Deal In Detroit Chicago. Oct n. It is nuaored Balabaa * Kata do not taitaad to inOd la Datralt «r In any town aatald* at Chleago. Tha r*c*Bt propaaada s pu aa r*- gardlnc tbair axpaaslaa la ovtslda territory was aavlcatad wttk a vi*w od brlnstec aoma of tb* Ind*- p«ndently ovaad tbaatraa lata tbair fold. Tb* Kaaakya In DstreU eontaoi- plata eenstracUng a tbaatr*. aad tb* B. and K. oorporatloa d*eld*d to tak* aa option on a slta la D*- trolt. aaaouaelaff tb* bnlMlac of a theatre. Meantime, negotiatkms war* stavtsd wttk tha Datrolt Arm whereby Balabaa A Kata would rai- leaso their holdings if given any Interest In the new bouse. 1'he same thing appll** In other cltl**, where they have b«f^ montlonab aa proa- pectivo builders. That Balabaa A Kata will atick to Cblcaco axctaaivaly, at leaat for the next 10 yeara, la attributed to the tact that tbey have recently pur- chased aeaa* propwty oa th* ex- tr*n* N*rtb Bid* for tbp erection of anatbcr tli«atr* aaid* firom th* •ne now under construction. An option has been takep on property «a tha Boatb Sid* with bit*atlon of buIUUiw. Tb* Oaatral Park^ wh«r* ~ tb* B. * K. Iat*r«sta r*celv*d th«lr start la to b* replaced by oae wdtb a largar seating capacity. This Is a combination hous* aad the bnsi- n*** malatalnad denaaads a larger boasa. Employmenft Increate Washington. Oct. tl. Kmployment throai^wat tb* antir* country mad* a markad teeraaaa dvriag 0 *>taaiba r , tha d*partm*nt of lAbor aa- nouacea. Thia c*n«ral tai- yrOTMBent, reports of which ara basad on r*(vlar monthly aarrey, to ala* aatad la auuiy «l th* aonthora stataa. Datralt. Oct. 21. That Balabaa ft KaU and Jeba H. Kaaaky reached a jwrtnerahlp anddrstajidlng la their batti* over control of th* local situation was sot much of a anrprla* to the wise- acres la tha Aim boslaesa bare. Rumors of negotiatlAttS towaffl this end have been going on for several weeks. Tba anaauacement of the merger reached Detroit la the form of an abbreviated statement from tb* efllc*a -of the Kunsky enterprises, staUag Balaban ft Kats had pnr- cbasad a bleck of stoek In all of tb* Kunsky theatres, and hereafter #ould have a band la tbelr op«ra- tloa. Haw much of a slice of stock was takes over in the deal cannot b* stated at this time, but th* trans- aetloB Is known to run Into several mitlloaa. The theatres affeCted ar* tb* Capitol, Madison and Adama. all downtown first mna. It Is alao announcsd a n*w Bala- ban ft KaU theatre wUI b* built here. The house will seat approxi- mately i,MO people, it Is said. Tha Kunsky announcement aays «hat th* deal will not interfere with plans for the new State, announced some months ago. Thia house, arhich will also be shared by Bala- ban A Kats, is to be erected at the northwest corner of Elizabeth and Woodward avcnuea. Under the new arrangement. Detroit's first run movie seating capacity will be in- creased from 10,500 to 18,500, and the question In local film circles is: "Wbat'Il they do with 'em alir' Midwest Exhibits to Treat With A. S. C. A. P, Topeka. Kan.. Oct. 21. Shortly R. R. Blechle, presidient of the M. P. T. O. of Kanaas and West- ern Misaouri, will name a sitecial oommlttee of the directorate to treat with the American Society of Music Publishers, Composers and Authors, for a settlement of the claims of the society against the membera of the Mlssomrl and Kansas organisation. Action by the committee will tend toward securing a permanent con- tract with the society, similar to that with the Minnesota theatre men. and which was outlined to the Kansas and Missouri men in closed session by Al Bteffes, president of the Allied States organization, of which the Kansas and Missouri as- sociation is a unit. snwT MN nuiD lioa Aags T aa, Oct. SI. Dick Kerwood did hla hut btt «l stunt flying In th* Pico Canyoa- aaar N«wball. where he was in- stantly kIRed after fallinc 600 fe«t ft« fall waa not aoen by aayona. It la believed be was out of the plane for several minutes befor* Frank Tomick. his pilot, misasd blm. Tomick flew on to Newball and got a acarcbtaig parly to.go back. After aeveral hours of searching they found the badly mangled body of Kerwood lying la the covered brash of the canyon aboat foui mllea from Newliall. Kerwood aad l^mlck had been angagad to pot on a stunt for the Franklin Famum Co., operated bs Ben WUaon. Tbey w«r* to fly n|i the canyon and then back toward tba camera. Aa they neared the spot where the camera waa planted Tomick glanced back to the ladder dangling from the plane to aee If Kerwood waa ready, but the ladder waa vacant. Then be looked over tba winga and aaw his partner was gone. Kvwood had been dolnc atunta for picture concema for the past four yeara, front Jumping from high buildings to Jtmiplng from one airplane to another. He had only fully recovered recently from In- juries sustained April IS, IfSS. when he jumped from one bnildlag to another and badly injured his back. The stunt he- was to perform at the time of his Aath waa tb climb out on the fusilage of the plane and make his way over on* wing to tb* rope ladder hanging underneath the ceate^ of the plane, firom which be was to Jump Into a speeding aw- tomobile. Kerwood Is survived by two chil- dren, several brothers and sisters and his parents. KEITH'S IN DAYTOI« Now Control Most ef City's Picture Heu**a Dayton, Ohio, 6ct. tl. Practical control of the downtown motion picture businesa in Dayton will pass into the hands of the Keith interests next Sunday, when the new B. F. Keith's Colonial will open with First Nationars "Sea Hawk," star- ring Milton Sills. The acquisition of the new house gives the-Keith people four out of six first-run theatres. The other Keith houses are: Keith's—combina- tion vaudeville and picture—the State and the Strand. The other two first-run theatres in the city are Loew's Dayton and the Columbia, the latter being the only Individually owned in the group. KENBEDT-TEARLE DT FILM Madge Kennedy and Conway Tearle were si^ed last week by the St. Regis Co^ a newly formed pro- ducing concern, to bead the pictur- Isation of "The Ultimate Good." Work was to have started ^Is week in- New York. /Miss Kennedy was In "Poppy,", which closed Saturday oa tba road.' 8TBAB0E KALABT Los Angeles, Oct. 21. Clifford Smith, director for Uni- versal, Is again in the Hollywood Hospital, following his second at- tnck of a malady that has baffled aeveral aurgeona here. Ha was taken lU wbU* on loca- tloa. " - '■:■>'. BATHIBa 6IBL OH TBIAL Los Angelea, Oct. 21. Oneida Speer. 3S. who described heraeif as one of the largb con- tingent of bathing beauties in pic- ture studios, was taken Into custody on a charge of petty larceny at Anaheim, where it Is charged she attempted to steal a silk scarf from a department store counter. At tb* time of ber arrest, under her outer garments sh* wor* a fash- ionable bathing ault of tb* typ* used at tbe studios. She told th* authorities she was waiting for ber company to come to AnalMlm on location. Her trial takes place to- morrow at Santa Ana. NEWINIEREST I 'into the Net" (Pathe), with New York Cop*, Drawing There is s.nrprlsinc interest by tba iniMIe In serials at thia time, dna partlealar^y to tbe Patba releaaa^ "lato the Net," tbe Commissioner Bnrigbt serial in which tbe New Tork police department la featureA, ( Tbla aarlal to paOlng so much husf- aesa around the country it is gener« ^ ally believed a decided revival «C,, serials wBl come to pass. At this time the Pathe people are af tha belief that this aerial wUl tap ^ the record bung up by "Tbe PerQa of PauUae^" which was the first af tbe bl^^serlal wallops that cam* alOBg. ^ It was tbe picture that "made" Pearl White and cleaned-uip a, yoong fortune for the produccra. In the past five years ttie serial market baa dropped off considerably. At no time was there anybody oth«jp than the Vitagrapb, Universal «nd Pathe that went in strongly for tba serial stuff. Vitagrapb during tha laat cowple of years baa also dropped out of the serial making game aad ■ left the field practically to the other ., two companies. "Into tbe Net" Is particularly ft strong box office attraction ovtsMa of New Tork. and th« vaudevlBa beoaes as well as tbe picture tba- . atrea ar« cleaaing up with tbe pic- ture. In Providence, R. I., th* Alb** , theatre, tbe Keith house there, la playing a aerial for the first time in its history, and it is pulling exceed- ingly heavy retuma With thia aerial getting over wHh a amash it would not be surprialaff . U there was a ^-eneral revival in tbe serial production field. ''Dorothy^ Found "Exact ^ ' T^ on Street liOs Angeles, Oct 21. Ralph Harrison, alleged tq baiN) buncoed a number of screen aa- piraata while posing aa a castlag dlr«et*r. Is being sought by th* Hollywood police on a charge tt ahtalning money under false pra< tenses. Tbe charges are that he main- tained an ofllce on Wilcox svenna where he examined pjosfiective ex- tras and obtainvd fees of $3'front each for obtaining work. His mpthod for getting customers used a woman, described is "Dorothy," who stopped people en the S'rect and told th?m that they-were tb* exact type for whicl^ he was seek- ing. She' then gave the praspeet a card and promised t'.em a Joh at IS.SO a day. i After paying Har* rlaon the $2 nothing more waa heard of either Job or him. More than 200 complsints wera lodged w?th tie local police. Har- rison la nnkncwn at any of tbe Hollywood studios anl is looked upon as one of the horde of con men working .bis territory. FOX warn ABOTHEB HOUHB William Fox is looking for an- other theatre on Broadway po*' sibly for the balance of the season so that he will be able to keep "Dante's Inferno" at the Central ,and still give the other Fox speiial attractions Broadway showings, prior to release to the exhlbitora It U possible that should ba secure another bouae he will ploy tbe Dante picture in both for a abort time aa a atant. OEAIil) ASHEB STUDIOS Los Angeles, Oct. 21. Sam Biscboff la in New Tork to take up the matter of the future of tbe Orand Asher studioa It Is likely that the place will be run as a straight rental outfit to Independents in future with BiachofT remaining In charge. FOUBET 2-BEEL STOBIES A series of short stories by Georges Fourel, the French humor- let, has been accepted by the Stern Brothers. They will be made into two-reeled subjects by Wanda Wiley. These new Century come- dies. Jesae Bobbins will direct. BECISIOH AGAUST "6 OATS" Former Justice Robert L. Luce, who officiated as referee in the suit of the Famous Players-Lasky Corp., against tbe Artclass Pictures Corp., et al., to restrain Infringement on "The Ten Commandments" Xitle, ruled for Famous, by awarding an injunction against the featuring of "Moees and the Ten Command- ments" as a sub-title to the Art-» class picture, "After Six Days." SniHO STD CHAFLIN Los Angele», Oct. 21. Syd Chaplin, screen comedian, some time ago entered into a con- tract with Foster and Kleiaer, to handle outdoor advertising for him. The Job amounted to $1,410, and as Ch.-iplin did not pay, auit has been brought in the Superior Court to co:iect the amount. ".i A1-lL ].. .1. ^ .-. .