Variety (Jul 1928)

Wednesday, July 4, 1928 PICTURES VARIETY STOCK FOR SCREEN Hollywood Second to N. Y. In Number of Date Lines aro^m ress L03 Angeles, July 3. Reports gathered ifrom official sources places Hoilywood second to New York in carrying the hl&hest number of date lines throughout the tsountry's Press. It proves that while New York , has a population of more than 7,000.000, and consid- ered the financial and commercial ^center of the world, the public Is more interested in reixding about Hollywood's 250,000, a town which can boast of nothing more than ibelng the film capital with plenty of hooey planted, propogated and cultured by a large army of jpress agents and chatter writers. Public has becomie so fed up on Ihe stei-cotyped, movie note that anything in the ^yay of free public- ity copy from Hollywood has lost Its kick to a; certain degree. This has forced a number of the leading news services and fan magazines to send their own representatives here to Increase the volume of. au- thentic copy. 360. Correspondents : Demand, for "scoop material" comes from more than 360 local correspondents, representing small town newspapers, to metropolitan dailies, for which each are required to submit on ah average of 10 stpriies a day. This amounts to 3,600 scoops ^pected from a comniunity that is In a position to-furnish at the most 10 or 15, accounting for the bal- ance of 3,590 of a synthetic nature. These are obtained by gathering threads of gossip and magnified to a point where they will sound like Bomething. The writer conducting a depart- ment In a paper of 2,500 circular tion demands the same attention as the writer who has a circulation of 100,000. That they don't get it creates a certain amount of bad feeling and makes the writer always on the alert to attack and criticise the studios that won't play ball. The alleged trade papers, published and operated by a one-man machine on the coast create their own ex- clusive features by assuming the role of a supreme dictator who goes ■ forth with a grudge. One chap in this class, after coax- ing to Hollywood a few years ago and failing as an assistant director and fllni cutter, has been trying to command attention from producers as an expert on doctoring films. He attends previews and then attempts to write what is wrong with the pic- ture. Seldom writing constructive criticism, he will infer that if the . producer gets In touch with him he might tell how the release can be saved at so much a word. As far ^s can be learned, no one as yet has taken advantage of these offers. Andtlier caseTs oi! a serhT-monthly tip-off and advisory bugle, used to promote jobs for its pilot and to spread propaganda that he is the rea]l emancipator of the silent drama, A, number of producers have given him a chance because of an ability to manipulate words, to find out dif- .ferently after putting sqme of his theories Into practice. As each one fired him he would put them on the chart for a long series of at- ^ tacks. Hollywood is a bfidlam of pub- licity and there is little doubt that it is the moat publicized spot in the world. $1 Return per Foot Moving pictures encourage general. trade - to such an ex- tent that the Department of Commerce estimates other businesses derive more than fl return, for every foot of film made. The picture industry, representing an investment of nearly $3,000,000,600, purchases millions of dollars worth of I raw materiials every year. "There- are 20,500 theatres, ; catering to 118,000,000 persons, in this country. FOK ASSLILING 1ST FOR ULUER Now Engaging and Testing in New York—"Behind That Curtain" Selected as Film Play-—Mixture of Stage and Screen Trained Players in Cast—-4Sheehan Stipervising Selections Talkers in CalcMTs Made by Technicoldr laos Angieles; July 3. Technicoloi: Motion Pictures Cor- poration will start production of full length features with sound and ef- fect within two Weeks. Dr. H. f. Kalmus, head ;of the company, has been working on the plan quietly for two months. The first picture with sound will be "The Thrall of Leif the Lucky" from a story of the Vikings written by Gttille A. Lilljencrantz. The story is of the period of 1000 A. t>. and its screen treatment is being made by Jack Cunningham. R. William Neill will direct. Ted Reed, former- ly with the Doug Fairbanks organ- ization. Is production manager. . There was much conjecture as. to the feasibility of Technicolor being blended with sound and effect. Kal- mus decided that his own organizaT tion would show the way. Where previously the Technicolor film had been double coated, which might have handicapped recording of sound; only a single thickneiss of coating, is being; used in the proc- ess, thei same as with black and white stock. It lias been figured that if this Technicolor feature conies through It will pave the way for a general use of the natural color process with sound in most of the big pictures that will be made within the next few years. It is figured that the cost of mak ing pictures with the process will be practically about the same that it costs to register sound and ef- fects with the black and white film According to reports the Techni- color process picture when ready for distribution will be handled by Metro-Groldwyn-Mayer. "Shadows" With Sound At Astor Next Month "White Shadows," south seas story made by W. S. Vandyck for ^M-Gr-vi3= .:being-- fitted---for---sound and will have its premiere .at the Astor, Now York, early in August. This is the fir.st of the M-Q sound- PrortucUons. .Synchronization is be- ing done.in Now York. KmbasKy, now playing "Th^ Tenipr-.i(," i..^ ,^],;,) iioinc: wired with no picture n.-imod to follow as yet. Hays Bars "Command to l^ve"; M-G Was Af^ Los Angeles, July 3. Will H. Hays has put his screen ban on the play, "The Command to Love." MetrorGoldwyn-Mayer was nego tiating for. this script at a price of around $40,000 for John Gilbert. Negotiations were suddenly halted, it is said, when word was received that Hays' organization didn't ap prove. Wanger's Trips to Yale Walter Wanger has been making some flying trips, to Ncyr Haven, where . he has looked over the students in Prof. Baker's drama class with the idea of getting good picture writers at low prices. So far he has .sent several of the .students to Hollywood, in various -capacities. -^ ... _. :.. NOVELTY ROAD SHOW Los Angeles, July 3. "Behind That Curtain" will be the first all stalking picture, made by William Fox, to hold a regularly cast company of mixed stage and screen players. All of the major pri'ncipal roles, said to be around 15, will be cast in New Yoric upon W. R. Sheehan's approval, while the minor characters, about 10^ will be: chosen on the Fox lot here. , The talkinjg picture when, com- pleted will go out, it is said,.as a novelty film road show, with the names of the legit players /adding to value. Though unknoyvn if the talker will have a star, it is said here thiat Sheehan may place Mary Duncan for the feminine lead^Miss Duncan is urider contract to Fox. Two directors will be assigned to the film; froni the account One is from the screen^ Raoul Walsh, and the other, legit, not yet named. The story will be rehearsed in scenes and each scene separately filmed. Walsh is going to New York and will meet there Chandler Sprague, Fox's scenario chief. .Eugene Walter Is reported having been called in by Sheehan to furnish dialog for the Earl Derr Biggers story that, ran in the "Satevepost." Sheehan Is reported to have paid Biggers $35,000 for it. With people. and scenario set in New York, the Sheehan group will return here with the picture due to start around Sept. 1. , It will require about 12 weeks to make on Movietone. . Dwan Directing Fairbanks Jjoa Angolfs, July 3. Donald Crisp, .scheduled to . have directed Douglas I>'airbank3 in his next, leaves .shortly for Europe. Alan Dwan will direct the new Fairbanks picture. Winnie Sheehan, now in New York, when asked regarding reports from New York casters that Fox is seeking stage actors for talkers, replied he is . forming a speaking stage stock company for the screen It is . the, Initial organization for the talking pictures. Reports also have been around that almost daily tests of legits are taken for the talkers at the Fox 10th avenue studios. It is not ex pected engagements for the Fox stock will be closed until tests have been approved. Through the tests, it Is said, and later reading of the roles, the Fox talking divisipn thinks it will be insured against a leg'lt player for the talker In New York proving miscast when the picture is being made qh the coast; After Best Legits "We are after the best people of the legitimate stage, available to- day," it was said at the Fox studios At least 20 legit people will com prise the stock and: scouting for about six legit directors, with musjL cal composers, said Joseph Pincus, for Fox "Movietone. He added that all Hollywood does, not afford the "combination" necessary for talker success on. the screen. . Of the 30 legit players taking movietone tests in the Fox . home office, Pincus would not say how many had qualified. "The difficulty," he stated, "rests in the combination of a good voice and stage appear- ance l)(;fore the camera." rinous said it was too early to TTtfftr^WhtthXjF^og .starred in any great percenUige of the 22 feature.-j which will be Movie- toned for the now Fox schedule. The legit stock company will also be used for the Movietone short subjects of which, Pincus said, there will be 52 for the new season. Equity Expects 100% Members Of Picture Colony s Players Witlun Month, Due to Talkers Expert Celery Eater Chicago, July 3. . At a luncheon thrown by Clyde Eckhart, Abe Cohn arid other Fox representatfves In the Hotel Sherman's roof bunga- low, .Tanet Gaynof surprised local picture critics by eating , . celery without a crunching nolsci 1 MAYBOYCOTT Sudden M b v e Throws Nat'l Playhouses Into Receiveirship Chicago, July 3. Sudden foreclosure proceedings instituted by the Guaranty Trust Co., New York, threw National Playhouses, Inc., Into receivership last week. This was Immediately after a committee of stockholders had Indicated they were ready to take over, the 10 picture houses for operation. Federal Judge Carpen- ter authorized appointm^t of the Chicago Title & Trust Co. as oper- ating reOelvers. .This Is. the second of Chicago's three independent picture house cir- cuits taken over for operation by the Chicago Title & Trust Co. The first was Ascher Bros/ circuit, in which Fox was financially In- terested. On June 28 the unexpected fore- closure was begun . by Guaranty Trust, the other bond house in- terested In the original $2,500,000 loan. Attorney .Michael J. Ahern, representing the stockiiolders, states he has not given up hope of even- tually acquiring the circuit for his clients, but theatre men generally believe the stockholders are out of the battle for control of the circuit. Boycott Possible A hint of what the Title & Trust Co. may have to put up ^ith in operation of National Playhouses was let loose in a private creditors' and stockholders' meeting last week In the La Salle hotel. Martin Mc- Nally. - ObairnnLan oX the JLtqckhqld^ committee, and Attorney Ahern told the meeting that if .the bankers con tinned to operate the hou.ses, pro hibiting stockholders from managing thern as they desii-ed, it was certain the stockholders would retaliate by cutting off theatre patronage. This would be a definite family, boycott of the neighborhood hou.sesi McNally. claimed the 5,000 stock- holders, their families and their friends would cea.'lc attending the houses and would see that others did likewise. . The number figured to join in the predicted boycott reaches above 100,000, with 10 houses affected. Attorney Ahern said there was little chance of stockholders and creditor.s rn.'ili/.ing anything on their money with the bankers in charge. Ho a.sked the creditors to accept second and third mortgages on the thnatre.s for their bills, while the money raised already by .stockhold Most of ,the ci-editors present agreed to accept the mortgages. Ijeo Ca.s.sanay, m.'mjiging the cir cult under C^uoney Hro.s. in 192C. it.s most profitable year,, was iiiLrodu'-'-d as the man who would mfiniu?'> tin hou.ses if the stockholders ever ao Declaring the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to be Will Hays' smoke screen attack of a year ago against Equity and a flat failure today, with proof that even film producers have withdrawn their support, Paul EhUzell,. Equity, execu- tive, says that between now and Labor Day Equity will be suffi- ciently strong on the West Coast to demand Equity Shop for every cast in a talker production. "Today we have no Equity shop. In Hollywood and players of the legitimate stage may enter con- tracts with film producers without affecting their interest In our or- ganization," Dalzell said. At the same time he declared: "But, within a month, or less than that, wie will get our campaign un- d^r way which will witness an Equity shop '100 per c^nt strong in the film capital and which will rhake every film, player a niember of Equity. 'Then either a star will come In our ranks or will get out of pictures." What the "rank and file" wants will prevail, Dalzell. said. He ex- plained that Equity last, year lost out on the coast because of a faeft move by Hays and stars who felt their fat salaries were secure. Since then, matters for the Academy, '*the stumbling block for Equity," as Dalzell described it,' have changed. Conway Tearle'S'Standing As an example of the Acadeiny*B demise Dalzell cited CohWay Tearle. A year ago Tearle was a member of the Academy's actor committee. To- day, Dalzell said, Tearle is only a 100 per cent member :of Equity and not even a film star. "Tearle Is washed up In pic- tures," Dalzell said. "He la back at" the old stahd, opening Shortly with a legit company in San Francli^co. Yes, things.in Hollywood are greatly chahged." Another Academician who was at the same time Equity's coast rep- resentative is no longer In. the job. In his, place is Charles Miller, al- ways anti-academy, who is getting Instructions on rounding up another campaign . for a solid Hollywood Equity. Miller takes the place in Equity of Wedgewood Knowle. Dalzell, in speaking of Francis Giilmoj-e's rapid return from the coast after getting the cold shoul- der from the Acaulemy with a lot of "fast politics" at the time, said that Equity then did not want "its house divided." FILMS GOT HIM Warned Agaihst Pictures 10 Years Ago, Rev. Out for Peeking Again Detrblt, July 3. Rev. JSarend H. Kulper, professor of historical theology In ' dalvin Theological Seminary, Grand Rap- Ids, Mich., , has lost his job because he attended a picture show. : Rev. Kuiper, middle aged, was called upon to defend himself on the same charge 10 years ago, but was merely warned on tha,t occa- sion. Now he's out for repeating 10 years later. In his plea for clemency the Rev. said, "It ia' not wrong to look at pictures, just because wicked things are .shown In pictures)." SELLING W. E. ON SOUND Up to the pre.scnt William R. Hearst has balked at the idea of rhorc money for sound newarccla.. E. T. Ilatrick, bead of the Interna- tional and M-G reol.s, grabbed a fast train to the Coa.st thi.s week. At hofidfjuarters it was admitted that ilatricU's mission is to sell Hears t'O n -so u n dr^-^=---- -=-^=- :-==^-- quired control. National Playhouses ron.si.sLs of the Capitol, Avalon, .Hfratford, Je/Tery. Chatham, Cosmo, (iii>vi\ West Englewood, Colony arid Hi(;lil;ind-