Variety (Jun 1928)

VARIETY P I C T U R E S Wednesday, June 9, 1928 Sapiro f rites Sharp Letter Of FOm Board Arbitratioa . Meiiibfrs of the Inclependent Mo- tion iPicture Kxhibitors' Association intend breaking away from .the. usual method , of arbitration via film ■boards of trade, according, to ia thrcatehinB letter gent by Aaron Sapiro to the latter oreanization June 1, -.unless allo\\'ed. to appoint their- bwn arbitrators in disputes .with exchanseS. •Acc'ordinig to sin arrangement be- tween members of the. .Sapiro or- ganizatibn and the Theatre. Owners Chamijers of Commerce (New Ybrk) eeyeral weeks ago the latter organi- zation agreed that while'it! woujd retain its right to designate e?chibit- or eirbitratorsi the Sapiro organiza- tion would be allowed to appoint , its own representatives when cases concerning the riiembers of the 1. M, P.. E. A, would arise. . At a meeting of tlie Joint IBoard of Arbitration May. 18 two cases In- volving nlembers of the I. M. P. E. A. were he.ard, and in each case' the f^xhibitors no't members of the I, M. P. E. A. withdrew and three memr bei^ were appointed to sit as ex- hibitor arbitrators! for the hearing.. This arrangement met with objec- tion from, some of the exchange ' members on the board. One of the exchange men, Ray nor, claimed that the exchanges had no right to ques- tion the appointment of exhibitor ' i-epresentatives. . - ■• At a meeting of the board of arbi- tration May 29, when other cases Involving members of the Sapiro organization, were brought .iip, Sol Ralyes, president of the Theatre Owitevs Chambei" of Commerce, an- nounced that the. board had objected to the .t)revious arrangement.. ■ .Sapiro Charges .. In his letter Sapiro charges that the Chamber of Comnierce, presum- ably an exhibitor organization,^ has been- tariipered with by . the Filni Board of Trade. ^ "The inciden|a which have oc- curred," accordiM' to: Sapiro's letter, "give rise to no other. conclusion than that the. objection fo our rep- resentation upon the board comes from exchJirige.<3 and that the Thea- tre Ovyhers Chamber of- Commerce is being .uscid as a tool to accom- plish what they desire.'* The,president of the i. M. P. E. A.- state?, further, that this is another _ lllusti-atiotl.ojF the extremie. difficulty^ . of -frlendiy and • concerted action ' among tlie exlliibitors without inter- . ferenc^ by the exchanges, being ."a striking illustration of the method by Xvhi.ch the'whole pi:ocedure. of so- called arbitration has been >set up and maintained for the primary benefit and advantage of the pro- ducers and distributors." Whil6- asking for reprosehtiation on th,e Joint Board of Arbitration, fJapirO. alleges that the whole system is illegal, unenforceable, coercive . and destructive. At a meeting of directors of the I. M. P. E. A, recently Sapiro stated that unless he was refused the au- thority to do so he would shortly ; begin a federal court .iction in re- gard to.a case involvii . the Consol- idated Amusement Co., which the latter lost by default, tov test the validity of various fnethod-s applied in arbitraction by the.Film Boards of - Trade. "Dry" Propaganda F3m Aimed at Al Smith "Deliveriarice," ostensibly a "dry" pictui'e preachment .film containing political prbpagalnda . involving and against Al . Smith, was screened at the Union M. E. Church, New Toi-k, Sunday night. There are two shots of Smith in this picture, evi- dently talcen from hews .rc.el: weeklies. . According to report, Mrs. Mbs- covvitz, in charge of the . women's- vote in ^■ew York for \the Smith party, will endeavor to have the scenes in which Smith is shown removed from the. picture on the grounds . that news weeklies clips cannot be used for special purposes. "Deliverance" is a plug, for Pro-, hibitibn, showing.the evil effects of' liquor and' featuring Sniith as a wet. At the showing Sunday night attehdahce was very. poor. A silver collection was taken up before the dompletiori of the final reel, with gross seeming very light. Shots of the American flag, Henry Ford and Liindbergh, rung in indis- criminately, drew . applause, .. and when It started to drag a flash of Lincoln, in the form of. a bust with an actor made up to. represent him,' helped a little. Even Al Smith got son>e applause, most of the spec^ tators not being quite sure as to the meaning. Picture Intended, for routing in churches, Y. M, C. A. halls, schools, ah(^so on. '^^ Ringers at Film Parties Press parties for visiting film celebrities hit their highest spot to date at tiiife "tea" l.iat Friday given for Jaqet Gaynor by the Fox people at the studio of Emil. Fuchs, noted artist, in the Hotel des Artistes, New "York. . The whole thing was on a ■ grand-'scale, from engraved in- vitations (hopefully marked r. s, v. p.) to an elaborate buffet manned by a platoon of waiters. The affair, was isched- uled on the Invitations to last from five until 10, which ought to be long enough for any tea party, but iit 11.: 30, long after little Janet Gaynor and her mother had departed, the ami-, able' host, Mr. Fu6h^, was wandering around looking po- lite but bewildered, and won- dering, probably, if these people, none of whon\ he ap- peared to, know, would ever let him go to sleep. Pretty soon ' the . publicity staffs of the. filin. companies will have to. institute some sort of checking up system^ similar to that used by Fifth avenue hbstesseg for their parties. The number of rinigers who crash these niovle teas is getting greatel" all" the time. • Terjls of Qollywood'' Lecturer, Abe Marks^ubject of B. B. B. Letter SHEEHAN'S VILLA Los Angeles, June 5. w; R, Sheohan, vice-president and ■•TPneral manager for Fox, Is build- ing a homo on a two-acre plot in BoVeriy Hills. The entire hou.<3e .has ))Oi»n brought from Milan, Italy. Sheehan bought this place •while in. Italy last summer and had the entire structure taken dojvn brick by brick; including all 6f its antique woodwork and fire grates, and put on board a steamer which brought it to Los Angeles by way of the Panama CanaL The house is now being re-erectod a.s originally built in Italy and will be ready for Sheohan's occupancy^ in the fall. DeMille's "FaU of Rome" Los Angieles, June 5. Cecil B; DeMille's next personally directed specJal will; be '"The Fall of. Rome." Jeanie MacjPhersoh is writing the screen story. ■ Sheldoii Splitting Time :. Los Angeles, June B. E. Lloyd . Sheldon has abdicated as editor in chief and production supervisor for Paramouiit. . He is now ■ writing the continuity for "Sins Of the Fathers," Emil Jan- nlngs* next, which J- G. Ba ch man is supervising. Sheldon was on a full time con- tract when reaching the Coast from the Par Long Is7;ind studios, where he had been editor in chief. He did not want t©. give more than six months a year to studio work; the balance for travel, recreation and reseaich woi-k. His contract under these conditions has two years to run. • . ' . Mayer in Kansas City For Republican Conyention Los Angeles, June 5. Louis B. Mayiei-, Herbert Hoover's strongest backer ^n the Coast, is now In-Kansas City, where he ar- rived, ahead of 27 other California delegates so that l^e may confer with Republican leaders prior to the coiiventlon. Prior to leaving for Kansas City, Mayer addressed 1,400 women, all members of . California women's cliibi^, telling them that the woinen's clubs have the power to dictate the type of moving pictures to be made. The production head also said that if they did not Indicate their choice they are like the man who does not vote, ia.nd anyone who does not vote has no right to criticize. He concluded .by saying that the wom- eh could select pictures for their children as carefully as they select reading mat£er. Nick Kessel Bankrupt Nicholas Kessel, of the old Kes- siel' & . Eaumann crowd (Triangle and Keystone), declares himself a voluntary bankrupt with no assets a;nd liabilities totaling $64,976.02. Kessel's residence is in Peekskill, N. Yr^-. . Chief among his creditors are Texas Guinan (.Tohnabri), $14,000;. Adam Kessel, Jr., and Charles Kiissel, 1476 Broadway, $15,000 each; Willett Studios, same address, $8,500, and to a ntimber of film laboratories, tradesmen, etc. Kessel states in his petition that he has considerable money out- standing, "none of which I con- sider of any value." LOMG DISTANCE PREVIEW DeMille Extending Fishing Trip to . Honolulu to Show VGodless Girl?'. ,Los An.crele.s,' Juno 5.. / Puthe hh.s^had a r.^dlograrh from C. B; DoMillo infoi'mipg. he. ia head- ed, foi'v Honolulu to pt'ey^eW "The Godless.:Girl." ' ./ DeMille.. left tlu;' stuiVo 10 days ago for .a three weeks' ■fii'Iun.ir cruise .along the Coast; I-I<! touU the work- ing 'princ of the picture with him for pi-cviews in .various towns. St • ■' Washington, June 5. .. following outlook for the week be-, ginning tomorrow ffi) I'or the coii try east, of the Mi.ssisaippi: Showers Wednesday land j)ossil>i.\ Thurs.day.__ Friday" (8)^ fair iind warmer, fol- lowed byishowcrs late Saturday or Sunday, ) Dix in Colors Los Angeles, Jiine 5. Riohnrd Dix's next for Paramount, "Redskin," from an original, by EJlizabieth Pickett, will be made practically in Technicolpi-. Victor Schertzinger "Will direct with production, starting next week when the star 'svill have fully re- covered from his recent appendicitis operation. : ' ' . ?. VHiGnpA CORBIN LANDS -Virginia .Lee Gprbin, former child screen star, will, go under the Ziegr fold banner either in the. I5ddle Cantor show or the next production thereafter.. ■ ' ; ■ . . ' . "I'lie now matured actress is mak- ing personal appearances in pic- ture hoiiscs in ■ between .iiide film productions for (3otham and other.*'. THOMAS DIXOir SCORES . Thomas 33ixon, author, whp.'^e suit for $500,000 damages against Robert Lohni.'m and Julius Tanneri . has bi'.en long pending, scored, a. point with an order for Lehinan'.s exa.tiii nati()ii. lieforo trial. 'Pendants, allegedly contracting to lllm produce Dkxon's ■ story, - "TiK' Torelj;"' Alleged under.'itanding vvafr that the author would be made an ■associate executive at a $300 a week drawing account) ijlu.s l-2 '.-i - ju-r (.•(•nl of the net profits, which Dixon esti mates iit $500,000. \ Former Ufa Exec: Will Supervise Religious Films ; Religious Films, Inc., which will send a production unit to the Holy Land the latter part of this month, has signed Baron Von Behrn, for- merly of Ufa, to accompany the expedition as production advisor. Col. . W., E. Watklns, former Brooklyn pastor, who has lived In Palestine for 27 years, has been engaged in an advisory capacity and will returp to the United States in the fall to lecture with the pic- tures. Ten two.-reelers, based on the New Testament, will be made. Coast Marriages Los Angeles, June 5. Matrimonial circle ii. Hollywood's picture colony will claim several new recruits'" dlirihg" this" "mbfifh Phil Gersdof,. assistant publicity di- rector at Pathe studios, will tie the knot to Beaulah Metcalf (non-pro) on June 14. Peter Dieggo and Ruth Morgan, both scrieen players, will say "yes about the end of June. HtlRLEY WAM*AS' PRESIDENT Los Angeles, June 5. Harold. Hurley was In.stalled as president of the "VVampaa at a din ner dance given by Wampas mem bcrs at the Roosevelt Hotel. Hur ley replaces Mark Larkin, who rd signed. Larkin is now western-editor for "i'h()toplay'' magazine. Biro Going Home Los Angeles, June 5. Lajos Biro, Hungarian playwright brought here a yeiar ago by Para- mount, later going to the First Na- tional, r^tij'ns to Hungary next week. Biro's first adaptation for the screieh. was from his owii • play, "Hotel Imperial," which Paramount bought for Pola Negri. He '-.Iso wrote the original for "The Last Command" and did adaptation and continuity for "The Way of Al! Flesh." Jannings, Germiaii Los Angeles,-June 5. Emil Jarinings, born in Broojtlyn, N. t;, raised and worked all of his life In Germany,, was an American citizen until three years ago, when he came to' the United States to wbtk for Paramount. At that time he renounced his American allegiance apd becajne a German citizen, which he still is. FEATURING EDDIE ftUINIAN , . . Los Angeles, June 5. "Show Folks," to be directed by Paul L. Stein for Pathe, will fea- ture Edde Quillan. Elliott H. Claw- son and Jack Jungmyer are pre- paring adaptation and continuity. It will go into production at end of June. Another subject listed for the same time at the Pathe studio is "Marked Money," featuring Junior Coghlan. FOREIGN HEADS GO BACK Sam Eckmann, managing director for M-G-M In London, leaves New York June 13. on the "Mauretania". Frank Chamherlin, who handles the Philippines, China. and Japan, sail$ from San Francisco July 6 on the "President Roosevelt," to return to his headquarters, in Shanghai. Both men were in New York to report to Arthur Loew, M-.G's for^ eign department, head. SPENCE SUIT SETTLED ... Los Angeles, June fi. =^STTi tTjf"=^R frl ph-S pr nr pf^tit Itr^wr i rtn'T a.tjainsf Christie Fllni Co. ha.s b< ' i. ."i^ottled out of court. ■ . Spence sued'on a conlract .'.,'ji;:v- an'.teoing him $5,000 for titTinir '■Tillio's Punctured Romaneo." Spence claimed he received tMit .$2.'ciOO. Christie contended the tllle.v were not as prescribed. BUYS PLANTATION BLIND Los Angeles, June 5. George Drom.gt)ld, contract sce- narist for Patho, has purchased a eoooanut plantation, sight un-seen, hoean.se it j.s sHuatod at' Mooroa, Tahiti. Dromgold lUiuis to spend six ijiouths of the year on his tropical yyj ! IH' r t y._ _ _. : ^.^ Reichenbach's Vacation TTnri'y Itcichenbach wound ui»- hi ('•xplditatliin work for Universal I.-. week. ' ' ^ lie. Ha., tliis week with M.- T^'IelKMibach and.Ruth Elder for an extended ptav abroad. The National Better Husine.ss I^ureau., Inc., is on the trail of one, Abe .Marks. It has sent put a letter fronr lhe olTlco, at 383 Madison ave- nue, .Xew York, to all hiotion pic- ture eoneerns . as follows : "To all' .Bureaus; . "We are anxious to learn the present whereabouts of Abe Markii, who W6 tmderstand "at one time resided in Los Angeles, Cfilifornia, .. . '■According to our informa-' lion,-Marks is touring the coun^ try, lecturing "beford sehoolSi colleges and civic organizations ; on 'The Perils of Hollywood.', He . was la.st heard of In Texas and hewspapcrs In that ..state have carried publicity . for Marks, stating that he is making - this tour with the endorsejhent of Will 9/ Hays. "We -are informed that no . such endorsement has been given by Mr. Hays and are therejPpre anxious to get in touch with Marks at once. ."If you have heard of this individual or if yoii should learn of his whereabouts, please com- municate with \ the .N'ational Bureau at/ohee: • An a ckno^vledgement of this Bulletin will be appreciated. Xdliunal Bcttc'f lUisinrss ■ Bureau, Inc. Al Gohiij Writers* Pres. - . Los Angelcsi June 5. Josppii W. Farnum, recently elect- ed vice-president of the Screen Writers' Guild,- will bp unable to fulfill the position. Al A. Cohn has been elected to fill the vacancyi Winifred Dunn was eUct<'d to a place on the board of d^irectors. Neilan Back with Par, ■ Los Angeles, June 5. Mar.shall Neilan will probably re- turn'-to the Paramount fold as a director. He is negotiating to di- rect Bebe . Daniels in "Take Me Home," her nexti. upon' the conclu- sion of ma)ting "Hot News.'' Neilan just completed making a, picture for F.B.O. Young Laeiiimle Replaces • Los Angeles, June 5. Carl Laemmle, Jr., is replacing William Lord Wright as supervisor on Universal's 'Horace of Holly- wood" short subjects with .Edward Ii Luddy replacing Doinn Cox as director. Arthur Lake is to play the title pai't. JOE SCHENCK AT K. C. Joseph M. Schenck, head of United Artists, in New York on a brief business trip, is returning to the West Coast this week. On his way back Schenck will stop over in Kansas City for tho Republican national convention. "ULAC" IN FALL "Firsl TTallohffl'TiSs'" New York premiere of "Lilac Time" until around Aug, 1. .Picture was to have come in this month. Victor is now synchronizing the score to the picture on Firnatoh© with F. N. seeking one of the Broadway legit houses; No definite site has as yet been obtained. P. A. Staff in Schoolraom Lo.^ Angrelcs, itme 5. . Fox "studio ■publicity stuff has moved across the street to the stu- dio's schoolroom where the staff will remain until new ofTjces can be erected on the present .«-itf: . of this old film laboratory. Fox's new lab is where the old publicity oilices used to ho. L. A. TO N. Y. Tola Negri I'riiiee SeVge Mdivanl N. Y. to L. / .Krank Vincent M. S. Boylan John Ford