Variety (Jun 1928)

Wednesday, June 6, 1928 PICTURES VARIETY 5 Taking in Brand Disc Makers and . The amusement phase of an im- pending gigantic merger between the International Telephone & Tele- KTAph Co. with the Radio Corpora- tion of America has to do with an expansion of RCA's already exten- •ive broadcasting activities. It particularly concerns a closer af- filiation or possible absorption or merger with, the Victor Talking Machine Co. as well, giving RCA exclusive privileges to the services of Victor's galaxy of world-famous recording artists. , The I;-T. & T.-RCA deal was to follow close on the heels of a J300,- 000,000 merger by the former cro- poration with the Mackay system, the - Postal - Telegraphr.Cbmmorcial Cable Companies. Victor and RCA haive had a, three- 7ear working agreeement for the use of RCA radio receiving seta in" Victor combination machines, but this arrangement has just expired. It is believed this will tend to hasten the further alliance between Victor and RCA. ._ ; This has also given rise to a possibility of the Brunswick-Balke- Cbllender Co.'s recording activities at least being merged with Victor and RCA. Like Victor, the Brunsr Wick has been using RCA sets in Its combination, phonograph-radio machines. There has always- been a clo^e bond between Brunswick end RCA and while Brunswick and Victor are direct rivals hi the phonograph Held, the common de- nominator of the RCA may be the means of such triple alliance. On the strength of the RCA-I. T. & T. advance dope, Radio Corp* shot hp to a new high of 224 last week. PAR. FAVORS DETACHED STRIPS FOR SOUND FILM Pomeroy Tigurlng on Foreign Tongue Translations—Teach- ing Jannings to Talk , Los Angeles, June 5. Emil Jannings is, being taught English. Though born in Brook- lyn, N. Y., Jannings was educated In Germany and forgot his native tongue, , With Paramount going Into sound and^ effect pictures they Want Jannings ta talk. It is Paramount's plan to use a detached strip for these pictures so that both the English and German translations can go with the picture Roy Pomeroy, head of the Para- mount sound and effect work, cbn tend^s^ liial tW detacKed filitT^^s^ for synchronization would work out .'much better than the sound of the film registration. l-Ie claims that the laboratory can work with each Individually and that nothing will tub off of either the filni or syn fchroiiizatiort in this W|jpp which might happen if both were recorded on the same strip of film. Pomeroy figures where foreign languages would be used that five 6r six sepa- rate strip regi.stratlons could be Worked out on the siime negative. Par's News with Sound . Los Angeles, June 5. Panimotint News intends delving into .«ii)iind and effect. Thp r.,onff Island plant will be whero freak .subjocts for the news we'^klics' ;u-o to be turhod out. Fox Directors' Sound Shorts Los Angeles. June 5. . Vox p!:ins to give,all contract di rertmvs i short Movietone subject, so that thoy may become familiar with tlio proocss oC i-crordihg. Idoa, i)f course, Is with an eye to future productions. 2 Cuts in Rent Chicago, June 5. A circuit of 10 houses took over a theatre oh a ,rental basis in Chicago's colored distHct,. and installed $35,000 worth of fixturies. Rent was $18,000 year- ly. Biz not so good. A.n official of the new theatre corporation approached the landlord with a demand to cut the rent to $9,000 . or lose the fixtures and tenants. The 50 percent rental cut was - made.. But biz con- tinued bad, and the landlord a.gain has been approached by the same official with a new demand to cut the rent to $5,000. . , The landlord knows show business pretty well. He hasi jiist • seen an opposition houae go dark because Its tenants : couldn't pay the rent. He's decided to get along on $5,000. W. E. Equipment Cost Dp to Average, $9,000 J. EL Otterson of Western Elec- tric Co., head of the Electrical Re- search Products, Inc., states that the Movietone-Vitaphone appara- tus costs from $5,000 to 415,000 and not up to: the $24,000 top, which was formerly the case when the talkers were brand new. . ^ " Through experimentation and per fectlon it was found that not as much wiring apparatus was neces sary, hence the curtailment In costs. The average theatre price is $9,000. This about- approximates the cost of the R. C. A. Photophone, Inc., which .under the original W. E. schedule figured at a one-third sav ings; Fofs Hying Flags Los Angeles, June 5. W. R. Sheehan's regard for all countries patronizing the William Pox film product has prompted him to install a huge plate glass casing at the entrance of the Fox studio executive building, exhibiting the flags of every nation .playing Fox pictures. Sound Eff^t in 'Baggage' To Beat in 'Burlesque' Los Angeles, June 5. Although M-G-M has completed making ''Excess Baggage,", it Is planned to have sound and effect a,djustments made before! It Is turned loose. Main idea is to beat to New York any other sound film of- stage life especially Paramount's "Burlesque." Maiikie's Meal Ticket Los Angeles, June 5. Herman Mankicwicz Is writinsr a play of Hollywood life entitled "The Moal Ticket.** It is a story . of a young actress who becomes the support of her fanilly.^ - ^It^will^bfe -completed -in the=-fall AMPA'S BI-MONTHLY EATS During June, July and August the A. M. P. A- will lunch on the sec end and fourth Thursdays instead of weekly as during the season. The idea is an Innovatioa of prdsldetit Bruc« Gallupu Publix May Try "Book" Stagie Units, Musical Tab- loids—M. C/s Perhaips Removed Form Stage to Pit-—^Ash to Go in Para- mount's Pit During Sum-x mer TALKERS IMPORTANT "Abie'' Withdrawing as $Z Film; Chain operatots and production executives of the plcturb nouses are definitely preparing for the passing of the dtage band policy► .and this includes the masters of ceremony. A general check among various of- ficials is that the ■nrrltlrig Is on the wall for the musicians and ani- mated InterlocutoHa- witTi it pre- dicted, that both of these factions are likely to be back in the pit be- fore the middle of next season. Preparatory, measures to :meet the situation are seen In Publix ex- perimenting .with "book" units (the tab, idea) this summer and also readying a ..show, due In about six or eight weeks at the Paramount, New York, wherein Paul Ash will work throughout in the pit with his men until the finale when all will be on stage. Prpduction men who" have been touring their houses have no doubt that the band policy is on the wane and are., concerned with finding a substitute. S^me are of the belief that a combination of talking shbi-ts and brief . presentation (stage) items will, form the nucleus of the new fonn of picture house entertainment. Others claim the "story" units. will be successful. Doubt is . expressed as to the suc- cess of tha latter undertaking be- cause of the demand upon dialog and comedy* the skeptics pointing out that the Broadway musicals have a tough enough time- getting both book and comedy. A majority of the opinions agree that some usp will be found for the m. c.'s, even If but working from the, pit, unless the talking screen thing should become so strong as to eliminate all stage entertainment. This 1^ doubtful, however, as it is contended that in a full two-hour program the public will continue to favor some sort of contrast between screen and stage. There seems no doubt that the fUm theatres will drastically cut their orchestras upon being wired for talkers. With the newsreels aliso to be heard as well as seen the only duties left for the musicians perhaps will be ah overture and for whatever performers are listed to appear. An example of this Is the. Strand, New York,- which a- year ago had around 40 men In the pit at this time, cut to 27 this season and cur- rently . reduced to 18 men upon adopting a policy of Vltaphone talkers and shorts.. Memphis City-Owned Hall Installs Talker For ParV Reguliur Pfogram Talking "Talker" Talk Within tbe past 10 days along B^oad^y■ay it has seemed as though universal talk of the talkers, had swamped thoughts of rnergers by the manipulating picture men. REFUSE WEEKLY Memphis, Tenn., June 5. The management of the Concert .Hall of the City Auditorium,. ow:ned by the city of Memphis and the county of Shelby, have succeeded in getting the Commissioners who operate the Auditorium Building to install the talking picture's wiring at, the co.st of ? 10,000. The. mnnagchs of the local the atrcs don't like the Idea. Last year the ^Audltodum ^P.I,ay^d tra.velrng shows" and ^Rra^ctlcairy~iniihed ~thc Lyric Theatre because of lack of attractions at that house and now thoy are going to encroach on the Dicture houses with their opposition to pictures. Tho City Auditorium la lo.Mirtg $60,000 a yeeur, taxpayers' money, of eours*. TO CLOSE CHI SHERIDAN • Chicago, June 5. Balaban & Katz 13 rfeported to have offered the Chicago Title & Trust Co., and William Fox, oper- ating the Ascher circuit, |l,(fOO weekly to keep the Sheridan the- atre dark. Sheridan draws from the same neighborhood, as B. & K.'s Uptown, the Dlversey and Riviera, the last two operated via rental by the Orpheum Circuit, B. & K. sharing in the profits. The reported- mpney was to have been furnished by all three theatres, the Uptown paying $1300 weekly, arid the Dlversey and Riviera $250 each. Although the Sheridan has been operated at a loss for some time, it has shown a recent tendency to edge ihto the profit column. The offer is said, to • have bieeh ve hemently refused. Paramount will pulf "Abie's Irish Rose" out of the 44th Street June 17. to be synchronized with dialog at the Long Island studio and to go on i?ar'3 regular program next season. This means retakes with cast leads brought on from the Coast to speak the origina.1 script of the play. Of the cast only J^an kera-: holt, Ida Kranter and Nancy Car-? roll have had stage experience. The plan is to insert talk into the last half of the picture. Theatre will go dark and seek sub-tenant for the . summer. "Abie" opened at ,the 44th Street May 19 with the closing date-.givin^ It a .complete run of eight weeks. The plcturfe Is estimated to b« around $150,000 In the'box on its $2 stay.; "Abie" as a production represents In cost, to date, including the advance made to Anne Nichols of $175,000, bxxt exclusive of the theatre loss, over $700,000. Miss Nlchpla la re- ported holding a total guarantee of $300,000 with a sharing arrange- ment on the net profit. Fox Cuts Out Reps : For Engagements . Los Angeles, June 6. Fox studios are d<ealing direct with screen, talent when engaging them for a picture, and will not hire them through their agents or representatives.. This order was put'Into effect recently but does, not prohibit the player from taking his manager with him to the studio when being in- terviewed. Just how this will affect the big league players who have in the past Insisted on their managers doing all the talking and Interviewing, is too early for conjectiare. Amateurs' Qag Talkers With Phonograph Pises Amateur picture fans now make their talkies using an ordinary pho- nograph record to create; the effect.! Such disk characters as "Cbhen on the Teiephbhe" and "Two Black Crows" now appear on the amateur screen with members of the family enacting the parts. The record is played diiring the time the film is taken, the charac- ters singing or talking while . the camera is grinding, "^hen the pic- ture Is projected the same phbno graph selection is played, and if properly done the illu.'Sion is com pleLe. M-G-M Picking 10 of 75 Michigan Undergrads Detroit, June 5. ^ Tr»jsS^"^^7I>- dents"" 6r"T:K^"^Jrn vcr.sity of Michigan who.«)o photo- graph.s in the schooi'a year book at- tracted the attention of. M-C.-M Engineers'Offers In the face of fat offers from pic- ture producers, electrical enginecra with the big companies are reported in a' dilemma. "" While'attracted by the big money the engineers are:not convinced that, they would have any permanent position or. assured future In the filrri business. They are afraid their present employers would be peeyed and the chances of getting back their jobs after th6''ih6vi6 thins petered out would be slim. From the .standpoint of the n^ovie companies now experimenting with, talkers, the value of the engineers at the present time' is inestimable. With an expert on hand it obviates the existing need for running to onei of the big electrical corporations when problems arise. Regardless of salary the engineer is apt to save his salary many times over, the producers figure; Week's "Deal" Situation "Dealing^ In mergers the past week a|>peared stagnant. . Nothing has been in the reports concerning- Stanley Company go^ ing with anyone, nor has Pathe and UnlversaT'gotten into the men- tion. Fox Is reported expectant of both Stanley and P'oll, but they don't say when. Either can happen any^ time with no surprise following. Keith's also is looking Poll ward without date. Deal reported between Jos. Ken-- hedy on one side and Universal on other. Nature' of negotiations not mentioned; Kennedy- denied the rumor, which was also refuted at Universal's office. "Deals" are in the air but so f«ur remain up there. One or mofe may come out at any time, they say, without saying who "they" are. Greater Movie Season Aug. 18 Los Angeles, June 5. fJniuter Movie* Sca-son Is to be ushcffd in U>v a four-wpfk period on 1 h^~"C oiis'f"!^?!^^^ Liiz.iril-., .•uivcrti.sin:^ and publicity .lii-i-r-tor lor .\Vf^.L C'jast Thoatros, is i iivii'j..n. '<£ IImv cottimittoe In were looked over at Ann Arbor ld..st i . Ji;u .'i> of imr'Ping out. the cam- woek by John Leroy. John.slon. | jciiiirt. Of the group Johnston will '^''I'-'-^ ; Tli'.; ) , iln- f-iiiclh (i-'Mier Movio- 10 for .screen tMts, The fhofjffi lir)\; S>m -'mi h"l'l ciut Ix-vt}, vvh"ro It otig- and. girls will be offered conlr-I' l.s. | in i''"'!.