Variety (May 1928)

20 VARIETY P I C^Tilif R E S Wc Commercial Firms Making Use of 16 mm. as Salesmen: Amateur Use Is liOS Angeles, May 1. The Caterpillar Tractor Company, ■with, hcadauarters in San Francisco, has purchased . and distributed anions its aeenoles in thisi country ;;2o Bell & Howell motion picture cainipras and projection machines. This equipment uses 16 millirnetcr film.. . . . ■ The eniployniient o£.the projectors avoids the necessity of sending long di.stanccs. expensive apparatus for demonstration to prospective buy- ers by .showing on the screen what the tractors. will do. It is one of the more recent and most effective exemplification^ of the utility of the motion picture in bu.>=!ines3. Another striking example of using the screen for. sale of commercial product is seen in what was done in selling : Ford automobiles In Southern California. Last fall many prints <if a five- reel story of the manufacture of the new Ford were turned put by Wil- liam Horsley in Hollywood.' The completed and assembled picture b^ing thought too long for practical purposes, it was reduced to two reels. Ninety-five copies of these were sent to Southern ;California. Ford agencies. Before the arrival of the first machine deposits were taken on 13,000 Ford , cars in Southern Cali- fornia alone—with credit given for most of this new business to the screen showing. The boom in 16 mm. Is not con- fined to industry altogether. Tour- ists are using the "movie" cameras in such increasing numbers that laboratories have been compelled to provide for the resulting added work. One of the largest raw stock manufacturers claims through its local pfilce. that its business here in 16 mm. has grown in the past year; from practically nothing to a total of nearly 1,000,000 feet a month iand is growing steadily. , \ At the present time there are a half dozen manufacturers of cam- eras . and projection machines for 16 mm. Those in the know agree that the figure of 100,000 amateur screens in the. country is not an exaggeration. Behind in drders A screen company in Hollywood, in business a little over a year, Is weQks behind in its ordei-s, coming from all over the world. These orders are practically all from ama- teurs. During the past week the man- ager of the concern was asked what theatre was to be the recipient of an immense screen nearing comple- tion in his fa,ctory: The Inquirer was told It was going to no. theatre but to a wealthy Santa Barbara resident. Several manufacturers now [ put out various sized sfcreens which roll up and are carried inside of neat boxes with handles. Those on the inside of the devel- opment of 16 mm. for both comnler- cial and amateur use declare the standard film trade at large will be surprised when finally it wakes up to the jump that has been rr.ade by the 46-to-the-foot in recent months. BENNY CUTE, EH! Breaking All Records Marks Bros. Granada ind Marbro Theatres, Chicago, 111., Indefinitely Brandt Loses Decision On Fox's « Fangs' Brandt's Theatre Enterprises, headed by William Brandt, were In- volved In an action before the New York Film Board of Arbitration last week brought by Fox Film Co"rp, with Brandt. losing out when de^ cislon was rendered, : The action hlnge.d on the refusal of the Brandt interests to take the picture, "Wolf Fangs," from Fox on the grounds that he (Brandt) had not bougrht it on the terms of his co'ntract. KICKS ON $30 aiTALITY House manager^ of picture theatres playing vaude week- ends with two singles and two double? for ?30, are complain- ing vaudeylUe Is no good. F. N. Convention Chicago, May 1. First National opened Its annual sales convention here April 29 at the Drake. Hotel. Oflflclals of the flrnl scheduled to _ ^ _,, , .address the, sales force Include ^L''Jl^\}'lJl^Lfl°IJ'l^^^^^ I Cllfrord B; Hawley, president; Rich- and Rowland, yice - president; Cooper, contended not only was the name of the Picture changed but K^^^^^—^ Rothacker, V Burbank that the story which on the work sheet had appeared to be a horse story turned put to be a dog story. , For Fox IjOUIs Nizer (Phillips and Nizer) showed by cross-examina- tion that there had appeared on the work sheet a horse and dog story and that , the exhibitor had not placed any specific reliance on the particular title. Nizer further argued that Brandt was receiving a do'g'and horse story and the dis- tributor had the right to change the title from "Always Faithful" to "Wolf Fangs.'' Nizer submitted proof that only, the title and not the story was changed. In. flndlng^ for Fox the Board Is believed to have set a precedent for this picture for the United States. The Brandt Enterprises must play the picture and pay for it. studios; George Landy, coast pub- licity chief, and Ned Depinet, gen- eral' sales manager., Columbia's Disc Combo In Tieup on Coast Los Angeles, May 1. Fanchon and Marco have booked the latest phonograph combination Sweet William and Big Bad Bill for a tour of the West Coast Theatres Circuit, opening hCre at Loew's State, Mny 18. • An advertising and exploitation tie-up has been made, with the Brunswick prganization to boost the records of the two men during their trip along the Coast. William Le Maire and W. C. Hayes are doing the act, but not using their own names.' The 'first record made by the duo was released a month ago and is said to be the fourth best seller on the Brunswick list. The second record"Sweet William and Bad Bill in Chicago," will be released during the current month. Show People Handle City HalFs Opening Los Angeles, May 1. . Los Angeles has a neyv City Hall, costing ?9i000.000. Hollywood Is very proud of It, so the City Fathers let Hollywood dp their stuff and handle the formal.opening. This Is the first time In the history of any conv- munity where show people were In charge of the dedication of any public functioning Institution. "They called on Joseph; M. Schenck to be general chairman of the event. Next they chose Sid Grauman, the Coast's premier producer,, ais head P_ t 1°' the entertainment-division, after rOX r^egOUaimg ror which they brought Cecil B, DeMille Site in Minneapolis picture section of the . *^ parade. Minneapolis, May 1. it was a grand affair. They had It Is learned Fox is negotiating some 200 visiting mayors to see how with Harry. B, Pence, Ipcal auto Hollywood sells LoS Angeles. Then dealer, fpr the Elgin hotel property some 260,000 people stayed: all day and a half block along 8th street along the line of march and around north as a site for a theatre there. the City Hall to, be entertained It Ifl said that negotiations have Grauman gave them a great show reached a point where Fox has gone He . had Irving Berlin singing half as high as |350,000, with .Pence hold- a dozen songs or more, Ing out for $426,000. The property Wedg'ewood Mowell, local head pf was purchased by Pence some years Equity, presided over the broadcast ago for 1220,000. mike. Chief Toelaeho Yezkime did It would be the best possible site a tribal song, after which Vh-gil In Minneapolis for a theatre. It"" is Johnanensen sang "Old Black Joe." across the street from the State, a Bob Blackner, Wyoming cowboy, big money-making F. & R.-Publix did an Italian operatic number, after house, and a block from the Henne- | which came folk and community Unions Make Talkers Costly in No. Cal. San Francisco, May l, Vitaphone ahd . Movietone are jamming In the northern California division of West Coast Theatres. Uncompromising insistence ot mu- sicians' unions that house : prches-. tras be retained despite the, pres- ence of talkies has created not only a tense situation but . has resulted in the operating cost of the talk- ing devices being greatly In excess of expectations. Additionally the projectioiiists have been found bitter and npn.- co-operative. In many cases . operation with Vitaphone or Movietone has greatly exceeded the usual cost of regular house projection.. An open breach between the projectionists and West Coast exists, with the managers feeling" the. unions have taken advantage. In San Francisco the . difficulties, have been ironed out. The War- field continues to use Movletpne. The only house in the region to ies- cape the edict on house orchestras is the Embassy, small Independent operated by W, B. Wagnon. "This house opened originally with Vita- phone and had no orchestra. Wiley Buys Stories George Wiley, who has organized the Notable Pictures Corp., and Is the president) has purchased the following stories for production: "Pirates Hope," "After the Manner of Men," "Firebrlngers," "Shadow House," "The Dice of Fate," "Lost Conscience," "Next Door to Broad way" and "Tangled Lives." ''Wiley sTaiTs w "Pirates Hope," aboiit June IB. Carol Saxe Producing Los Angeles, May 1. Carol Saxe, production manager for his brother, vSam Saxe, head of Goth.'\m productions, has resigned to become a producer on his own Rosengarten, Sales Head Pave Ro.senKiwtcn has been ap IK.'intod KfTicriil sales manager for ('onimonwoiilth. FIRST TIME ON BROADWAY TlIK SIONSATIONAI. HIT Ol- THH VKAll pln-Orpheum and Pantages. Ever since the .Fox deal for the acquisition of the F. & R. holdings fell through, there have been local reports Pox will build both In Min neapolls and St. Paul. singing. U Takes Back K. C. McCormick-Marin Tieup Los Angeles, May 1 John McCprmick and Ned Marin, associate producers for First Na tlonal, postponed their trip to Chi cage to attend First National's in- HoUSeS From Midland tematlonal sales convention. Kansas Cltv Mav 1 McCormlck Is preparing for -Oh, jtansas ^ny, May i. j^^^ „ colleen Moore's next First NegPtlatlpns were completed be- National production, while Marin tween M. B. Shanberg, general feeig he must remain in Hollywood manager of the Midland Circuit, and to look after "The Night Watch," C. B. Paine, representing Universal j,p^ being directed by Alexander Chain Theatrical Enterprises, Korda, with Billle Dove starring, whereby Universal theaters here, Lawrence Grey wUl play opposite recently taken over' by Midlaind, are | mIss Moore In "Kay returned to Universal. The houses are the Apollo, Isis, Llnwood, Gill- ham, Gladstone and Lincoln. With Universal operating the Up- town as a first run house, but show ing two pictures weekly, the six taken over from Midland will fflve, _„ ^, ^ „„, . . - , . I vllle, 111., went to the polls and elect them aeven of the best suburban ' malorltles candidates houses In the city. George Stelner. v^^i!^® " ^^ , TT«*™ Tirni tv,*>Ko'^ aldermamc posts in favor of permitting theatres to operate on Sunday, Largest vote In ■ the city of the municipality was brought out and boxing also was Indorsed VOTES FOB SABBATH FUHS St, Louis, May 1. Opponents of Sunday pictures took a hard wallop when Lawrence managlnBT. th.e Uptpvm,,^wlilj^^^^^^^^ director of the entire group. Deal leaves Midland without Kansas City house. Whyte Leaves K-A Arthur Q. Whyte, fllm booker for Kelth-Albee theatTCS, resigned this week to become fllm buyer fPr the MPtlon Picture Exhibitors Associa- BANKER'S 1,600-SEATER Chicago, May 1 John. Bain, banker, is going. In for theatre operation with the con and SISTER THE CALIFORNIA BLUEBIRDS" "Youhfisiors who r<';illy Iiv<> up to their ninnc" (I'n'.'^Hj THIS WEEK (APRIL 28) PARAMOUNT. NEW YORK WnUi JOHN MURRAY ANDERSON'S "CAMEOS" I>tri'<(ion; KZ KKOl Cill tlon. The appointment was made g^^ruction of a 1,600-seat house at yesterday (Tuesday). | 53^,5 ^nd Crawford Ave. House will open with a vaudfilm policy CONTEST FOR LADY M. C.'S Des Moines, la.. May 1. Following the Publix idea, the Or- pheum Is staging a misti-ess of cere- monies contest May 3-5. A local girl Is wanted to act as mistress of cerenaonles for an all ■ girl. revue to alternate with the regular mistress of ceremonies in ■lntroduclne^the_ai-tist3.:;..=Mcre thaiLl '25 girls are applicants. STAGE MANAGER'S RESCUE Danbury, Conn., May. 1. Quick action by John Henry, stage manager at the Empress, un- doubtedly j^ved a, number <yt lives last week. Henry, on his way homie from the theatre, saw snioice. pouring from windows of a. rooming house. Ho dashed Into the building and awakened the roomers,. despite he was nearly overcottie by smoke. Two alarms were sounded before the iSre was put under control. .Katz Remains East Sam Katz will not go on to the Detroit, and San Francisco Para- mount conventions as originaJly planned. . Publix's presiderit . is expected back froni Washington next .week, to be present for Paul Ash's open- ing at the Pararnount May 12. SKCriJR/\S BROTHERS flHIBflXTADOR ST. LOUtS. AAO "MITEY" AT THE WURLITZER BOUtEVAKP, iOS ANCEIJ4.S RICHARD II tIMBERLEGS" EDWARDS with "DANCING TEKT," o rnbllx i:nit MAY 3 TO 10, INCMJSIVB, r6lVrri.\>'D TIIE-VTIIK, rOKTfJ^Nl) Direction: WitXIAIVI MOIUUS OVVICK . Carrirth on . Fox Westerns Los Angeles, May 1. Clyde CoS-ruth, former film cutter and director of several Comedies for Fox, has been promoted to di rcct westerns for that company, He will direct Rex Bell, co\vbny star. JOHN MAXWELL AMERICA'S MOST EXTRAORDINARY SINGING VOICE Now I nOor 1:n<Ium1vo MiinuRomcnt U"M. MOIIKIS By -ArnuKfomcnt Witli MINMK HMZAllKTIl AVKIWTKK