Variety (Jul 1928)

r i 10 VARIETY PICTURE GROSSES Wednesday, July 4, 1928 Different Methods by Fox-Warners For Talking Shorts EspeciaDy Unlike Fox, which is signing up authors an^ directors for Movietone, ■Warner Brtithers state they iare re- lying isolely on Bryan Fpy and Mur- ray Roth as their ace director and author, respectively, for the Vita- phone feature and short subjects. Hugh Herbert, who co-authored rLlghts of New York" with ^Roth for Vitaphone, has been since annexed toy Fox. . Fox is devoting special attention to its authors and directors. Be- Bides Andy Rice, sodri made a su- pervisor after leaving Broadway for Hollywood: as a. comedy con- structor, Fox has Herbert, Harry I)elf, I'aul Gerard Sniith, Charles Juciels, John Meehan and ISugono Walter among others. Jog Pincus and Ben Jaclcj>on; arc cpiiicludlng their eastern mission arid are about to settle' \v.ith other directorial and author nanies, fol- loxving which these Fox executives rotiu-n to California in about two we(.ks. . , . ■ ■ • . Tlie, extensive preparations being Liid . by Fox' towards organization Indicates, to showmen, an intention to top the field in talkei* production on a prolific scale. Kew Trial for Actress In Suit Over Elephant > Los Angeles, July 3. Beofiuse Lila . McComa.s, film ac i>:s, appeared-in coxirt fashioh- y attired .the jury believed, she was not suffering financially, and .ja\v>n-ded her only $500 fpr injurie.s si'P ained in a fall froni a circus elf bant at Fox studio.. • T'Vat.was the contention of Miss MeComas' lawyers when they ap- p-rred in court again and asked for and were granted a new trial; 'Su]>crior Judge Beecher, without c( ■ piont, ruled that the- ?500 judg- m' vt w'as insufncient. on the basis of the evidence submitted at the fi .-t: trial. f vit is directed ogainst the Al G. T^'^.rnes circus, with the original c jviuint asking for §S2;6S!) dani- at,e3. • Home Portables Honie projectors are now be- ing sold in portable cases as compact as those containing talking machines, radios and typewriters, ' A wlrQ connection makes it possible for the projector to be set UP by. the traveling home movie fan in any spot he may be that has an electric light or socket outlet, without much trouble. WHITEMAN AT MINNESOTA Town R e c o r d—^State's Kiddie Revile Okay at $17,000 'BURLESQUE' OFF TILL JAN. Par. Will Transfer Film Sound to Disc Record for Its First Talkers Los Angeles, July 3. Paramount has deferred making "Burlcsqiie," its first talker, -until next January. •lipy Pomeroy is still experimentr irig with synchronization, and JPara- mbunt contemplates uisihg an . extra strip in addition to the film scenes on- this film. The extra st.rip is to be a synchronization record. In the making of "Burlesque" aiid of other pictures for the first six months of talkers Paramount is go- ing to transfer the sound from the film strip to a wax disk similar to Vitaphone. The trtihsfer will be mad0 after the synchronized picture hfis been cut for release. It is said Paramount engineers believe that in the beginning better results will be obtained through the disk record than from the ^celluloid recot-d. Victor Fleming had been assigned to direct "Burlesque," but it is un- derstood that another director will be given the job when shootiiig starts. No. selections . have been made for the cast. U*« Two Talkers Los Angeles, July 3; Universal Is now niaking addi- tional scenes, for "Lonesome" with movietone .dialog. Picture is already in New York at the Pox studios having scor» synchronized. . . . Paul Fejos directed. He will do "The World Tomorrow" as Univer- sal's first all sight and sound fea- tur«. **Leo's" Tpuring Outfit "Leo," MrG-M's loafing lion in prison, hung around the Astor the- atre on Broadway Monday after- noon, while cameramen shot Loew's Stnte and the Loew staff on its lectges across the street. Though his first official publicity ■visit to New York, "Leo" did his usual indifferent squat. Later Nor- man Pyle, In charge of the 2-wagon caivacade; steered the outfit down to Park Row for the newispaper boys to get an Idea of what five years hanging out with an indifferent lion means. That'.s how long it will take Pyle to pilot "Loo".around the world on wheels, . • The troupe bosidcs the loafer and Pyle con.<3iRts of drivers in gaudy unifornis along with a calliope and its player. It's about the noisiest stoam piano since the Yankee Rob- inson Circus was on tlie„sq:y.ar^^^^^^ ._^.L Wa.gons are highly colored, freshly painted, and look like a de- tachment of a class wagon .show. "Leo" has done a part of the. world and this trip will complete his trav- els. The tour seems to depend solely upon the lion,' as there is no sub- istitutc, while the Original "Leo" al^ 'way.s precedes every M-G-M feature on the screen. In that rip.spect lions in pictures are like police dogs. "Leo's" worldrwido publicity stunt for Metrp-Goldwyn-Maycr is under the general supervision of Howard Dietz, in charge of M-G-M pul)- licity M-G-M'S "MARY DUGAN" M-G-M has bought the screen I'tfi'hts to "The Trial of Mary Pugan," for anything from $1.00,000 to $1:50,000, depending on wlio selling it. =^Rcr5rtr^ls^"'AT^nr"^Wooxls^^7?harrsf Norma Shearot is slated for the title part. IRENE RICH'S STAR FILM Los Angeles, July 3. Irene Itich Will he starred by Quality Picture.s in "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle," by Wallace Ross Williams. The picture will go into produc- tion in September. Minneapolis, June 3.. (Drawing Population, 470,000) Excepting the dance marathon which has been drawing from $9,000 to $12,000 daily for the past eight days at the Armory, Paul White- man and his orchestra at the Min- nesota last week rah away from the field. No one in these parts ever imagined it was possible for a local showhouse to draw so mahy peo- ple. Overfiow crowds not only jammed the lobby every evening, but extended four deep for an en- tire block, waiting as. long as an hour to gain entrance. Gross easily set a record for the town and marks, the third week in succession this theatre has been over $30,000^ Whiteman's band is credited with $40,000 On the week. Considering the tough opposition, the State, with a big kiddies' revue, also did sweet business, Its $17,000, however,, is about $5,000 off from what the semi-annual kiddies' re- vue usually turns in here. In neither -of these instances did the photoplay count. After a big fiir-st yi'eek 'Road to Ruin," at the Strahd, fell, off.' Sex picture, however, is good box office, and the total.for the fortnight run really stands out as remarkable. In addition last week also includ- ed a huge civic pageant, cast of 1,000, for three days and nights at the JO,000-seiit Auditoriuni; two cir- cuses, the Hagenbeck-Wallace and Al G. Barnes shows, here for two days each; Edith Taliaferro as a guest star with the Bainbrldge Players; American Association baseball with several double-head- ers, gi'eyhound racfhg with book- making as its piecc-dc-resistance; Frances White and the heavily ex- ploited "Walking Back" ' (Pathe) at the Hennepin-Orpheum, and a 10- pioco Scandinavian band, consist- ing of a father and nine sons, rang- ing frorh 2V4.to 21 years, at Pan- tages. Civic pageant .and the cir- cuses suffered the. most, HennepinT Orpheum and":Pahfages' were . un- doubtedly lidlpcd by the Whiteman overfiow. While up to recent stand- ards, businoiss, however, was . far from good at either house. At 35c Richard 'Dix,; whose ])ictur6s usually play the Minnesota or" State, could draw no bu'siness at the Lyric in '.■Easy Come, Easy Go,"', while the second loop run of "Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come" flopped at the Grand. Seventh Street, viaudfilm, was almost completely deserted. It closed Saturday, perliaps for good. Estimates for Last Week Minnesota (F. <fe R.-I'ublix) (4,100; 65)—"Lady . Be Good" (F. N..) aTid .Paul Whiteman's band with Publix Unit, "Say It Witii Music." CJrcatost business in the history of the town; even matineos were hold- out.'?; nitjht overflows four docp and a block long;- Whitoman entirely rospunsible; $45,000. . State (K. <fc H.-l'uljlix) (2,500; 60) —"(!ood Morning Judf;a" (IT) and kiddies' rovuc with 30 performers. n gs to PK^^p \iU ed-=1i (-a vil^' .-4) u t^n o t= nearly so strong as usual, due to opposition; about $17,000; great un- der circumstances. Hennepin - Orpheum (Orj)lu':um) (2,890; GO) — "Walking .Back" (Patho) and vaudo. I'ic turo mucii better than house usually gets and helped trade; • around $10,000; bet- ter than recent Woekss, l>ut no brag- ging. Strand (F. rflr R.-T'ublix) (l.DOO; 50)—"Road to Ruid." Sox film a box office card; dropjied from first week's hiuh mark: only picture to Actors* Sound Meeting Los Angeles, July 3. July B the actors' branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will hold a imeeting to dis- cuss sound pictures. Gathering will be open to- members of other branches. There will be. an open forum; MISCALCULATED LEAP San Diego, Cal., July 5. Walter Brennah, 33, film actor, had a harrow escape here'recently when the automobile in which he was ridingr plunged into the bay off Pier No. 2 at the foot of Broadway. Accident occurred during the film- ing of a,picture. Brennan received a sprained back and a severely bruised leg. Plunge of the machine Into the water was-part of the action of the picture. Two other men, were with Brennan, all three to leap from the auto just as it left the pier. Bren- nan failed to Jump in time. MICHIGAN'S JULY SOUND Detroit, July 3. The Michigan is being wired and is expected to add talking shorts to its programs in abdut.two weeks! This will be the fourth downtown Kunsky house with sound equip- ment. Others are the State, Madi- son and Capitol, Wiring of the United Artists has hot begun as yet, but survey and estimate have been made with the talkers likely to open there shortly. PICTURE CLUB'S SUBS At a dinner tendered by the Motion Picture Club Thursday^ at the Park" Cehfrsfl ^hot^l"over '^25,bo6 was /pubscribed" by the 72 members present for 6 per ceiit bonds being .floated to raise $100,000 for the club, Funds to the extent of $60,000 are to be used to decorate and equip the clubroonis in the CBond ■Build- ing. . MENJOU OFF UNTIL AUG. 15 Los Angeles, July 3. Adolphe Menjou will not resume work at Paramount until Aug. 15. At that time he begins on the first of his thr€!o final pictures. This is "Papa," a French, story he dug up while abroad. LOEW STOCK BREAKS THROUGH ON I)P-SD)E; OTHERS UNCHANGED Money Stringency Cripples Style of Clique Manipu-^ lation—Money at 10% Monday Without Effect -—Same with Loans at 5 Yesterday / go fortnight in many weeks; about $5,000 last week and around $14,000 on two weeks. Pantages (Pantages) (l.COO; 25- BO-0-r-^iWoman= -Wjse'----und-^-vaiJdc;- Good enoug;h sho^v, but didn't have a chance; iaround $5,000. Lyric (F, & R.-Publix) (1,350; 35) —"Easy Come, Easy Go" (Par). Lix on decline here; about $1,100, bad. Seventh Street (Orpheum) (1,400; 40)—"Crooks Can't Win" and vaudc. Hou.se folded Up Saturday night after long stretch of bad business; about $3,000, ruinous. Grand (F, & R.) (1,100; 26)—"Lit- tle Shepherd of Kingdom Come" (F. N.), Second loop run around $500; nut so hot. Only significant thing that hap- pened among the amusement istocks during the week was the breaking through on the iipside of Loew, Monday when call loans were at .8 per cent, the. theatre stock was briskly bid up to going through its old resistance, point at 54 with apparent ease. It. was then that the blow of 10 per cent, money halted an incipi- ent moviement to break away from the long period of drifting. Bidding for Loew btopped abruptly and prices eased to the old level. Yes- terday the rate dropped precipi- tately to 5 per cent, around nobri, after opening for renewals at 8, but no'-attempt Was made to take up the campaign where it had been, blocked . the day before. The les- son,, apparently, ha:d been taken to heart. Dealings in Small Volume Managers of the other cliques in the amusenients apparently took a more cautious course. Dear money had been forecast for days and no attempt had been made to draw at- tention to the special theatre stocks, pool nrianagers being content to hold their own.. As a .general thin^ they rode out the creclit stringency storm Monday in orderly fashion. Yester- day when the long side looked much better, the impending holiday ma.de any aggresive action scarcely worth while. . Paramount held Just above 127, Fox dallied from 76 to 78, Loew ranged between 54 and 54%; Pathe repeated 18 to 18V^, while Keith ^as a trifle lower at 1,9'%.- Shubert was sold Monday at 57 close to its bot- tom for the year and did not come out yesterday up to 2:30. Warner Bros., well regarded as a long pull proposition, was distinctly strong, yesterday recovei-ing from; around 35 to a top yesterday at 39%, the best it has done since-^lhe. break from above 44, Among the theatre group Fox and Warner are attracting most atten- tion, due to the possibilities of talk- ing pictures. Paramount has done absolutely nothing to discount €ith,er way the proposition of a stock split, up. When-the news came out; there was a conspicuous absence of the usual selling. Old pool here is merely standing aside for the present, Stanley Looking Up While al Itrade infOrirnatipn indi- cates no progress toward a merger of Stanley and other interests, the stock seems to be distinctly in proc- ess of discounting something by way of betterment. After a month of idle drifting, daily turnover has been climbing and prices have now advanced from the bottom of 30 to better than 41 early this week. Just as internal dissension was reflected in mysterious selling, from the early spring on, so ^j,ustment of com~ pany internal affairs appears now to be in course of a discounting in open market trading. In spite of yesterday's remarkable easing of the money rate, brokerage advice to. customers still takes the 4i.ne .of caution. The demonstra^ tion by the Reserve Bank Monday was conclusive. The -Bank is ad- verse to a new speculative orgy and has illustrated . its ,ability to apply, the brakes effectivelyi The brokers' item is still enormous and opinion is unanimous that it will take a lon^ time to reduce it. Until that has been accomplished to the satisfaction of the Reserve Bank the long side in the amusement stocks is fraught with great danger, particularly.to the shbe string spec- ulator. Con. Film on Exchange There was a general dearth of definite news regarding theatre companies. Consolidated Film In- dustries, preference stock paying $2, was transferred froih the Curb to the Stock Exchahg& the ordi- nary shares renialning 'on the les- ser board. In connection with the new listing:, income account for period Jan. 20 to March 31 waa made public, giving net t»rofit for period $262,348. Capitalization is represented by 300,000 shares of $2 cumulative participating preference shares nad 400,000 shares of no par common. Summ.ary of trading for week ending Saturday, June 30: STOCK EXCHANGE 10% 20% 32% 23% 34% 101 1139i 102'/j 81% 101 .■e'J%. 122 13% 22% .17% - 1— 11%. 13 03 10.'>% 00 fiO 08% 88 • . 00% ■ 2,000 8,400 111,300 200 13,200 $0,000 00,000 0.3.000 18,000 44,000 10.000. 32,000 Isaucand rate. . American Seat (4) Eastman KodaH (8) Loew (3). ^Oo. pref (0%) Do pref. (7) Fox CldsB A (4) Madison .Square Garden (2)....,. Met.-G-M. pref. a.80).. Motion P. Cap First National prof. (8).. Paramounl-Famous-Lasky (8)... Pathe Exchange.. Pathe Cla.is A Shubert (.1) Universal pref. (8) .'. Warner Bros ."... CURB Con. Film Ent I>o. pref. (2) Fox Theatres, -Griff 1 Ih -m:rr; i i-i rr^ ri"i^ vr^^ iV Loew deb. rts................... "Warner Bros..-. .'.'. BONDS Kollh'B 0';3, MO;,.....,, ,,.. Loew 6's, •41....... -. Do. ex-war. P,athe 7'a, '.37........... Param't-Famous'Lasky . 0'», '47. Smitert C'6, ;42 ,. Warner Bros. 0%'s, '28 (Curb)... Bid. 30% 32 e ■4 ■ 6 37% Abkcd. . 31% 34 0% 0 0% ■ 88% ISSUES IN OTHER MARK Al| Quoted for Monday Over the Counter New York Quoted in Bid and Asked .... Roxy, Class A (3.50)............ .... Unit do .... Urtlt do ■ De Forest Phono. .... Ti'chnlcolor .... Schlnc Ch. The. (3K........... Philadelphia 81445 Stanley Go. of Amorlca; Chicago Balaban ' & Kat?, Los Angeles ETS *i% 40% 40% +4 Of.% Boach, Inc. Skuuraj) St. Louis 40 EOACH'S SOUND CONTEACT IjOs Angeles, July 3. Hal Roach has signed a 15-year contract V/ith the Electrical Re- search Products Co. which allows him the use of any sound device un- der that firm's control. In Mixed Feature Los Angel<>s, July 3. Harry Webb is making an c.nst- crn-western feature, with Vii'Kjn>'i' Rrownc Fairc, Gaston" (llii.ss and Sheldon Lewis as principals.