Variety (Oct 1927)

STAGE BROADWAY SCREEN Piibltahed Woeklr •< lit W.-ot 46th St., New York. N. T., br Variatr. Uic. Annual anbacrlptlon. »I0 Rlntla coplae. It entt Wittered aa aecoad-claaa mailer Dacembar It, IMS. at tha Poat Offlea at New York. N. T.. under tha act of March I. 70L. LXXXVm. No. 12 NEW YORK CITY. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5. 1927 64 PAGES DIALOG IN FILM ON SCREEN APPEAL TO CONGRESS FOR RELIEF FROM "NUISANCE CASE" LAWYERS Exhibitors Acting With Other Industries—Stoppage [j of Contingent Fee Will Be Urged—Liability Pre- miums Go Up Over 300 Working in conjunction with 70 Important Industrial firms includ- ing railway and insurance com- panies, tha Theatre Owners Cham- ber of Commerce will launch a legislative Investigation, during the coming session of Congress, to de- termine tha number of attorneys earning their way through nuisance cases against theatres and other public institutions. Charges are to be launched against attorneys whose names have been appearing with frequent regularity on behalf of damage settlement seekers. This plan of action Is to be pur- (Contlnued on page 40) Bootleggers at Cornell Ithaca, N. Y.. Oct. 4. And now they add the boot- legger to the problems o£ the mod- ern college curriculum. To quote a local "in and outer"—in this, the home of Cornell University: "Like a flock of vultures the uni- versity bootleggers will soon de- scend upon the Cornell campus to add liquid merriment and aching stomachs to pleasure-seeking stu- dents. For several years the same gentlemen have been peddling their wares around the various fraternity "One visitor hid his gin behind a catsup advertisement and practised his trade unmolested. A vigorous student trade has inspired competi- tion, local establishments prosper on their illegitimate liquor trade. "It Is hard to believe that the au- thorities are not aware of the con tinual bootlegging, yet when federal agents arrive they have not been molested. "For the welfare of the students »nd for the good name of Cornell these places should be padlocked Mid the traveling salesmen sent •""Tying to a more profitable re- followed by a load of well shots." "Ghosts" Warfare Following the "open letter" by Dempsey and the reply by Tunney, preceding the Battle of the Considerable Count, the newspaperman who writes Dcmpsey'e signed stuff and the one who writes Tunney's signed stuff, met, argued, and almost came to blows. One knowing bystander, ac- quainted with the lads and their rackets, exclaimed: "That would have been a scream—a fight between two ghosts." GEO. O'BRIEN MAY BE 1ST "TALKER" Movietone to Be Utilized by W. R. Sheehan in Next Feature Production Di- rected by Murnau for O'Brien—First Full Length "Talker"—Other Principals May Speak— Doing Away With Num- ber of Captions MATTER OF VOICE POLI SELLING FULL CIRCUIT TO SHULMAN Boston Realtor Formerly Partner Nathan Gordon— Amount Not Given Boston, Oct. 4. Mack Shulmsn has purchased or Is about to buy the entire Poll Cir- cuit, Schulman paid a deposit to cover the sale for an option to S. Z. Poll last Friday. No consideration la reported but it Is believed to have been Toll's asking price. Ji2.000.000. Schulman is a former partner of Nathan Cordon, who established the (Continued on page 57) It is reported Fox will shortly produce full length talking films. The first of these will be directed by Murnau in the next picture, with George O'Brien in the leading role. O'Brien, from praaent inten- tion, and perhaps other principals, will speak the aequencea in the story through Movietone. This will do away with captions or titlea to a degree. No set plan as to atory is yet re- ported, but "The Dollar Princess," for which W. R. Sheehan obtained picture rights recently for Fox, is considered likely. With Movietone perfected to a point where the human voice is transmitted as though through ac- tual presence, only for the physical absence, full length talkers are be- ing earnestly considered as a per- manent commodity on a market rapidly growing satiated with the usual in films. If, as reported, the price of Movie- tone equipment is to be reduced under $5,000 talkers, full length and short subjects seem likely to find a steady trade where stock and road legit attractions flourish in the smaller towns. Up to the present objections have been voiced to "talkers" on the grounds the movie patrons must necessarily have quiet. These arguments were baaed on a knowl- edge of the mechanical noises usually disrupting peace. But where the sound projection is (Continue on page 58) i JOSEPH SANTLEY'S First Musical Production "JUST FANCY" A ROYAL ROMANCE Ui RAYMOND HITCHCOC K. IVY SAWYFB. KWC BI.OHK. MR**. THOM tt* W HU f gBM . H. RKF.YKM SMITH anil .mini I'll NANTI.KV Opening CASINO, New York Next Tuesday Night Oct. It SCIENTIFIC FILMS EXPECTED TO KILL OFF INDECENT PICTURES 12 Medical Pictures Being Made Under Auspices of American College of Surgeons—Two Now Being Exhibited to Surgeons in Meeting in Pigeon Price A friend stopped to chat with Joe Frisco, the stuttering, comic hoofer. He told Joe about buying a police dog. "How much did it costT" asked Frisco. "Thirty-five bucks," was the reply. "Can't be a police dog at that price," said Frisco. "Must be a stool pigeon." SALLY O'NEILL'S TEMPERAMENT LOSES OUT M-G-M Decides Not to Take Up Option—Draw- ing Card, Too Los Angeles. Oct. 4. Metro-Goldwyn Mayer wiU not exercise Its option upon the services of Sally O'Neill, featured screen player, when It expires In October. Miss O'Neill has been with the M-fi-M organization for almost three years, having made her debut in a picture which Marshall Nellan directed. She proved to be an In- staneous hit on the screen and was placed on a five-year optional con- tract It Is understood that Miss O'Neill has been displaying considerable temperament around the studio during the pa.»l six months and that the production officials wtro dis- inclined to longer endure It. This is the first time. It Is be- lieved, that any of the big line com- panies have released what they considered a box office bet from continued option" on account of de- portment around the ktuSlo. A series of 12 new films proposed by the American College of Sur- geons, Intended for professional men and lay picture patrons, will cut Into the business of Indecent pictures to an extent where pro- duction of these and psuedo-hy- glenic films may be rendered un- profitable. These medical pictures are far more startling from description, than anything attempted In the crude sex films turned out to date. Also more Interesting. Under the approbation of the body of phy- sicians the medical pictures can hardly be stopped anywhere. Similarly the indecent productions will find many former avenues clo'sed. The pictures are to be turned out through co-operation with Will Hays and the Eastman Kodak Com- pany. Two, already produced, are being shown at the annual meeting of the surgeons In Detroit this week, Oct. 3-7. The new series will be made (Continued on page 58) E. V. Richards' 8th Child New Orleans, Oct. 4. Mr. and Mrs. E. V. Richards are in receipt oT their eighth child, born last week. E. V. when not otherwise engaged Is an executive of the Saenger cir- cuit. At Par's L. I. Studio Los Angeles, Oct. 4. Paramount will make "Glorlfyln* the American Girl" at Long Island studio. MAYBE STANDING OFF SHOW The Roosevelt and Mayfalr. two picture houses In Urooklyn, N. Y., permit tho customers to dance on the stage before the show. The gate in the hick suburb is .15 cents. BROOKS THE NAME YOU GO bY Wit FN VOU CO TO BUY COSTUMES