Variety (Dec 1927)

10 VARIBTY Wednesday, I>M«abtr % 1927 BRITISH FILM FIELD By FRANK TILLEY - . .. ■ . ■ ■". ■• ■ .. . » . ■ .■•„ ; /T . . ■ ■ atlv* of Broadwiiy,- It Imm brought to a nne art tiere lately. Bvery British film shown is a "won- derful box-offlce magnet" with Whtoh *'B0 •hownMUi am go wrong." S think aom^ 9i thi wM &w uu mmi Vao stencils. Going "all out" for a good or even a reasonably'^ good film. Mpoclally when the produclpg bualnoM la try- Ing to get going, Is a right enough policy. But the folk who are mak- ing pretty good pleturee here muet feel awful sick when they see the duds get as good, fi|Yi|»ir« as the good ones. ' * It Is done. In most oaaea, with the Idea of helping British film produc- tion along, though there are in- stances where the motive is not so altrulstie. But who Is It helping, and how? ^ The public sees the wonderful notice, then later sees the film. It doesn't measure up. . . Md there are some which don't In six months' time the fans will be back where they were a couple of years ago, when the billing of a British film was often enough to insure empty houses, unless the na- tionally-read reviewers realize they are doing the very' opi>oslts of what they think tilfgr are. Already I im. being accused of knocking Brittih films in "Variety" f>eeaiisa I won't say a palpably bad picture Is a good one Just because It's home made. Considering I am the only writer familtftrisinc the grtttt Amerteaa pubUo itWk the BSises of British film artists and directors, even with the fact there are some good pictures made Ml^ II is fimnyl Th« fiaM tWli^ Distributors have abandoned the story pre-releases are to give a film an increased value through adver- tising, for the exhibitor. They now admit, aocording to the report just Issued by the Ctoneral Purposes Con^mittee of the C. E. A., pre-re- leases are made to get themseiTes as ^uldi and big a return as possi- ble, owing to not being able to get play dates from exhibitors, as books jammed for many mdntliilihiad. As It is the distributors' block- booking policy and their scramble to hog as many dates as possible so the other fellow eeoldn't get his product in, this admission seems a bit cynical. But the C. E. A. appears to take it as perfectly natural and Inevltabtoi. Oay, QtbbMW A jPsm There was reported in this depart- ment last week a letter read to the House of Commons by Colonel Bhrry XMig^, dvHng tha 9l!m BUI de- bate, written by Sir Walter Gib- bons, owner of the Capitol, Hay- market. It told how Gibbons claimed ta imwiiiiit iwrtfW i l ^ Ish film, and added he would not •how another unless obliged. This reading brought a protest frsM Arthur Mit who wreia to Tttqf on another point In the letter: . that British producers were asking ridiculous prices. Dent declared he had offered "The Ring" and *«Pop- rles in Flanders" to the Capitol on . percentage, and whSn this had been refused had aiiM $10,000 for a three-week run (presumably of •The Ring"). This, he says. Is only 12.1 per cent, of the Capitol's av- ' erage Mt receipts, and ii the the- - atre had offered him $10,000 for a German film and had paid that price for a French one, it did not seem I, aut of the way for a British fllm fSf such merit and publicity Talus. To this Sir Walter has now re- plied, saying, he never offered $10.- T Mt tm m Qenttaa am, and want- ing to know why he should be forced to pay an exorbitant price by the quota for something he does not Want He declares the Film Bill Is a *^ea8ure that has been adopted by politicians for their self-glorifica- tion and not for th# Interests of the indu9try,"'«ind adds he wishes Eng- , lish firms would adopt the courteous methods used by Funous, Metro and Warners. One Britlih firm he does praise Is the W. A F. Company. COSTUME S F^OR HIRE 1_ FkODWCTIOWS He rsettons the greed of the pres- ent Enplish renting firms can only have one end: the inevitable de- struction by their own Indlscretioh of a young Industry la Its birth.** Which latter seems a bit rtiixed. And anyway, if he books a film, even a British film, and falls down on it, how come it Is the fault of the distributor? Presumably the Capitol books films on their boz- ofllce merits as It sees them* and if it makes an error SC ^oloe. surely the fault Is Its own and not the dls- trtt>utorsl ^ Things Qenerally The Flhn Bill eomes up la the House of Lords Monday next, and will probably go through. There are not likely to be any amendments at this stsgSb Bannen Bwaffer writes In a trade paper today, showing how he in- vented the quota and the general principles of the bill years and year*- ago. Some time I will write on how Swaffer invented the the- atre, acting, elephants and the uni- verse . . . and even how he In- TSBtad BwaSerl O. B. Samuelson is making a screen version of Harrison Ains- worth's "Tower of London." Part of It—the ancient reltd, not the film—Is called the «31oody Tower." And you never know. G. B. Shaw, at a privuxe show of educational films, said showmen tha «a«i thing th4 publle watntad was sex appeal. Neither Chaplin, Mary Pickford nor Dean Inge had any, yet the public flocked to see them. BrMently Q. B. B. and the average person mean two entirely different things by "sex appeal." Brnest Clifford is the new house manager at the Capitol, Tlee Joseph Lumley. Clifford came from the Gaumont-British Hippodrome, Peckham. BtlU aaoChar movie houss tot Manchester. This one is to cost $200,000 and seat 1,800, named the Astoria, and Is backed by Dave Tebbltt First It was announced W. St F. was to distribute "Maria Martin, the old-time meller now being moTled. Now it's Ideal wUl put it out. But it's all in the Gaumont- British family^ anyway; so why the ezcltementT ^ Harley Knoles will soon be back at the one-time Alliance Studios, producing for fhe Imperial Pic ttwii Cbrporatlon, a merger of Neo Art and W. P. Mm companies. The National Projectile factory at Lancaster has been bought from the g df w i n ent by the Kon-Inflamma ble Film Company, which at last appears to be showing signs of life The plant will be used for the man ufaetura dt «eetate of eelluloae. Films are to be made with the assistance of the Metropolitan Water Boar«^l, illustrating London's water aupply. At this time of so much stockselling anything illus- trative of water is a touchy subject! Arthur Maude has started shoot ing "Tonl" at Elstree for British In ternational, where Jess Bobbins is still at work on "A LitUe Bit of Fluff' and Dupont Is still at *The Moulin Rouge." Estelle Brody goes to this company under contract as soon as she has finished two more for Ckiumont. First National has bougl)t 'rrhe Jest," for production here. A curi ous position seems likely to arise over 'XionfettI*'' whloh Graham Cutts has just made for First Na tional as Its first British quota film. The whole picture was shot in Nioe, and even though the director, author, cast, money and assistants were British the film cannot rank for quota under the bill because it has not been photographed within the British Ehnplre! This and few other queer points about the bill will be handled next week. invasion • • . By ^'Express*' I like Oeorge Atkinson, ^e gives me a thrill now and again. Today he gives me a good one. He has a front-page story in the "Express telling how directors ftrom Holly- wood are invading this country be- cause of the Compuliwry Films Bill, as George always calls IL How Hayes Hunter has made a quota dim already; how Albert Parker Is here and Eidney Olcott Is coming; how John 8. Robertson wants U> Flynn Is here. Well—and this Is front page stuff! With Flynn already shipped home, afcar liaTlng made a gontraot To 'Glorify' or Not to Paramount seems to be in a quandry as to whether or not It win mafca '*Qlorifying the American Oiii** 1^ is figured the production cannot be made, with the advance outlay of around |lS0,00d counted In, for less than $700,000. In addi- tion to this amount home of- fice and distribution costs must be added ta ttie picture which would bring its cost up to bet- ter than 11,000.000. Produc- tion heads figure this is a big amolmt ta gamble with on this story^ Still, they feel it may be necessary to go through on account of their agreement with Fla M s g f ri d and also the ezhlbiCvrs. The picture has been advertised and sold to a great many theatres. here to direct some British pic- tures at a salary of $2,000 a week and then being d^^drtad. With Ol- cott signed and announced in Va- riety a week ago, Parker's plan ditto, and Robertson's "Enchanted Cottage,'*, which Oeorga menUons, having haitt «lws alBce artistic flop here. It's diftcult to estimate what Is 'iiews" hers, but tt's not so difficult to see what km% at kMl printed. ! : W. C. ProiM A Bf. Prices 6e f«r XniM Shopping BEAm AND CUANUiR IN 1ST N. PUBUCIlt Angeles, Dec. f. West Coast Theatres, Inc. has decMsd la make the adnUssloa scale five cents cheaper b^ore one p. m. on all of Its downtown houses here during the Christmas shopping. The new seala will also apply to the United AitlaCs haosSk which opens Dec. 26. After one o'clock the scale on all housss wm be M cents for matinees and $8 cteti ta |1 nights. The a. m. price ««| aafcea U cents the entry fee. Xios Angeles. JJ^ f. Universal plans making a road show of Conrad Veldt's "The Man Who liaughs," being directed by Paul LenI, under supenMcn of Paul Kohner. The picture is at present on a 90- day shooting schedule, will probably run over that time and cost OTer the $1,000,000 mark. Principal players, besides Veldt, are aihry PhllMn, Brandon Hurst, Madame Balkanova. Stuart Holmes, Sam DeGrasse, Josephine Crowell, Charles Puffy and Ceasare Oravina. • Sennell Laying Off lios Angeles, Dec. 6. Hack Bennett will close his old studio on Olendale boulevard, Dec. 17, and layofl: his staff until the new plant In Studio City is ready in February. 6ennett is well In ad- taace of raieasa dates. FRANK DE VOE Eleanor Bamee, Ixmi Angeles "Il- lustrated Ifews," ssyst "Frank De Voe. a grreat favorite with Orpheum fans, has well filled the shoes worn by Rufbe Wolf, now vacationing from the Metropolitan, and offered "Hi-Hatters" as his initial performance In the Fanchon and Marco idea. De Voe is due for a nice wave of popularity, if one is to judge from ttie reception he re- ceived yesterday." Eddie Willis is at the Ivories, while Ai supplied the material. PAR-M-(rH SHORTS Persistent reports that Paramount and Metro-Qoldwyn are to drop their short subjects and newsreels are denied by New York officials of both companies. On the Paramount side It Is said such procedure would be In direct contrast to the tone of the recent Chicago meeting attended by Jesse Lasky. Paramount labels the stories as "propaganda.** With 8. R. Kent, Nicholas Schenck and Adolph Zukor on the coast Insistent' rumors have come back that such a move by both companies Is con^pmplated, despite denials. The supposed lineup, If the shorts are dropped. Is that Christie will return to Educational, but will make four full length features for Para- mount, while Roach, now with M- G-M. may also Ida the Christie organisation. Another angle Is that If the shorts are retained. Change in the type ef pictures being produced will occur. The reports are also denied on the Callagahn Taking Color Process Over for Thmneli Los Angeles, Deo. 6. Andrew J. Callagahn, vioe*|Hresl- dent of Multi Color Films, a new process, leaves for London next month to introduce it into the lab- oratories of John Thomellnson, Ltd. A special laboratory will lae built by W. C. CrispeneU, who sails with Callagahn. BianVETT'S BOOK BINBE&T liOs Angeles, Dee. t. Joseph P. Bngel. former general manager of Metro Pictures, Inc., studio In Hollywood, replaces Whitman Bennett as general man- ager of Caddo Productions. Bennett resigned because his book bindery business in New York TIFF4nCAEIi BORROW VARCONI Zios Angeles, Dec. 6. TMraay«0tihl has borrowed Vic- tor Varconi from Pathe-De Mille for a featured part in "Tragedy of Youth." King Baggot Is directing. Also, John Adolfl has been signed to direct the next Jack London 9tpTy for that organlsatk>n. •larto Dee. 10. Los Angeles, Dec. flemon put the finishing touches to his next story for Chad- Wlck while en route from New York. producing Dec. 10. Laray Mvwiino •HaraM Tmt^ Mervyn Lsroy win direct ''Harold Teen" for First National. Eddie QulUaa and AUce Whita may play tha two Juvtallf llada. ■^2 Goldstone't World's Trip With Mother as Guest Phil Gotdstone, Tiffany-Stahl di- rector, with his latest picture, "Wild Geese," current at the Roxy,. will leave New York on an around-the- world trip in about two weeks. Gk>ldstone will have his mother as his guesL. Keaton Under Thalberg Los Angeles, Dec. 6. Irving Thalberg wUl personally supervise all Buster Keaton come- dies to be released through M-G-M. The series will consist of four, the first going into production early in January. Keatdn released through M-G-M before making i|pra pictures for United Artists. Jerome Beatty, assistant to Wi^ Hays, in charge of publicity for the Motion Picture Producers and Dis, tributorsf Association, has been ap« pointed director of publicity and ad« vertlsing for First National pictures in New York. He is scheduled te take up his new duties Jan. 1. C. F. Chandler, now First National publicity chief, is to i)e retained to work with Beatty, accordhig to the latter. Beatty'a toitentlons, for the present, are to retain practically the entire First National publicity etalt It is understood the change la publicity personnel Is due mainly to the advent of C. B. Hawley, new First National president. Aocord- ing to report Beatty accepted the position With the proviso that or^ ders for the publicity department will only be forthcoming from Ned Depinet, general sales manager and f vice-president. Any desires, wishes or requests f^om the sundry exhibitor-mem- bers of the First National direc- torate for the publicity department —will be placed through Depinet. Academy Handcuffed on Cmway Teule Casphinii XOB Angelas. Dec I. -l Conway TeartsPg settemeat claims^ ing he was barred bgr producert from film work, was questioned by Frank Woods, secretary of the Academy of Motion Picture ArU and Etelences. It regarded the fact that the Academy was unsuccessful in bringing about any change in the situation. ' After csMplaittt had been flle^ by Tearle. Woods claims the charge was indefinite and against un« named producers. Also cited was that Tearle refused to substantiate* any statement of facts, the recon- ciliation committee was unable ts proceed. Tearle has been asking $3,00t weekly salary and eelecting his parts. He has had a number of oflTers at $2,800 and |t,000 which he UFA'S HYGIENE FUM Distributors of "Fools of Pas- sion." UFA sex picture to be re- leased shortly, are reported In re- ceipt of an invitation from the Pub- Uo Health eervice of the United States. The idea is to push the picture for showing in industrial plants. Los Angeles, Dec. 0. Victor Varconi has been granted a six-weeks vacation by Cecil B. DsMlUe. During It he wiU visit his home town, Budapest, Hungary, and several other Duropean dtiea He arrived in America less than two years ago. Mabel and Lew Give Up ""Companioiiate^ Uea^Jp Iios Angeles.'^ Dec 0. - Mabel Normand and Lew Cody are giving up their separate resi- dences to live In one house. Miss Normand acknowledged thii upon arriving here from New Tor^ denying reports that she and Cody , had separated. Cody Is now play^'v ing in vaudeville, but Is expected home for the holidays. . ^ Menjou-Carver Wedding Los Angeles, Dec. 6. Adolph Menjou will marry Kath« ryn Carver next April. The mar- riage, however, will not tak<» plaot in America. Menjou, upon completion of hit present Paramount contract, wit go to FVance, where he and Miil Carver will wed. Menjou's mothar_^ will accompany the couple on tfefljl % trip abroad. \ 7 Reel "Ironsides" Los Angeles, Dec. 6. Alfred Uustwick, former chiel film editor for Paramount, has bees broug-ht back to edit "Old Ironside^ for regular theatre showings. Paramount expects to have tht , picture down to about seven retil for general rdea^a. BSAND'S DREAM ' . i L.OS Angeles, I)ec. f. ^ Harry Brand, known as the im« promptu gagster of the Joseph If* Schenck forces for the past flTt years, has accomplished a lif* dream by getting a job on a papift "Wit and Humor.- Brand has left the Schenck con- cern to go over to Fox and also li known as the olBclal jokester of thi Wampaa. BUSINESS MEN ON ''SUNBAr* St. liOUis, Dec. 0. Business men of Ash Grove, Mo* have taken the Sunday closing pio* ture bill by the horns. They hejj handed Into a "100 Per Cent. Clulr based on the claim that If the pi^* ture houses shut down on the bath then everything else wil ^ ^ Ukawlssk ^ lt*s believed that through this aa» tion for closing driva will prove d boomerang. ^