Variety (Aug 1928)

Wednesday, August 29, 1928 PICTURES VARIETY First Nationals Own Man-Power For Organizations Operation; Rossheim, East; Rockett, Coast • Irviner D. Rossheim says First Natiohars ; power will now be equally divided, with his own word as final. Richard Rowland will not return. Although. Rossheim refrained from., making any comment in regard to the former general manager it is'" gathe;i*ed that the new regime can- hot see the feasibility of Keeping an executive in New York whose job is in Hollywood. Al Rockett, as the result of this stand, will not only be retained as head of the Burbank studio but will have supreme authority. Rockett, Rossheim says, will prac- tically hold down Rowland's job from now on with the one excep- tion that he will be accountable to the F. N. president. Rossheim said that at a meeting yesterday of higher home office ex- ecutives he let it be known that he would utilize their brain power and realize for the company at the same time the maximum in .return for their salaries. Good Health As for himself Rossheim stated that he will frotn now on devote the major portion of . his time to whipping the producing company into the same. istate of health that he says the Stanley chain now en- joys. At the same time Rossheim stated the Kennedy turn-down had not changed to date "the friendliest of f eelings" which he said exist. be- tween Stanley and Keith's. No changes will be made In the present circle of major executives, Rossheim said. Ned Depinet will remain as sales head. That First Nationalites' eyes are how open and that one of their own is at the helm has caused a sur- prisingly bright reaction even dur- ing the past few days, Rossheim ob- served. He admitted that the con- sideration given Kennedy had for a long time made the company ap- pear as if it had reached that state where artificial respiration was necessary for it. RCA's Offer to DeForest Though the DeForest Phonofilm studios in New York are dark at this time outside Interests have been striving to obtain them for talker. The RCA last week made a flat offer of $45,000 yearly rental but this was turned down. Rice, Fox*s Movietone Caster, in Hollywood Los Angeles, Aug. 28, Temporary quarters now occupied by Fox Movietone at "Western ave nue studios will be vacated Oct. 15, with the entire staff and personnel moving to new specially built quar ters. at Fox Hills. Miitlahd" Hide, studio Fusihess manager for Fox studios, has re ceived his second promotion within six months as casting director for Movietone, replacing Dave Thomp son, who will become studio man- ager for Movietone. W. F. Fitzgerald, Fox location manager, will succeed Rice as busi- ness manager ^of the Western ave- nue studios. Radio Without Charge Los Angeles, Aug. 28. Sam (toldwyn used radio station KHJ for an hour of broadcasting preceding the opening of "Tw Lovers" at tlie United Artists The atre here. Fred Niblo, lionald Col man and Hugo Riesenfold took part in the program. No charge was made for the use of the station as the screen names -w'ere UH<»d as a--i>lug--frjr-thrir crthCT programs. $50,000 Blown Up Los Angeles, Au.i;. 28. A.s part of tlif cost nhvci on Sam ucl (;ol(lvvyn'.s "The Rcscuo," is a 5r.0,000 itom for a l-'OO-foot schoonfr l>I')\vn to atoms for realism off the roast of C'atalina. i;o?ialcl Colrnan is tho star. Sound Hospital , Los Angeles, Aug. 28. Latest system of taking care of weak pictures in Hollywood is to send them east for syn- chronization, now known lo- cally as a trip to the hospital.. 2 1-Reel Hoover Films in Tieup with 2,600 Dailies Physical distribution for moving picture propaganda in favor of Herbert Hoover is to be handled by the Hoover Publicity Committee with the expected co-operation of 2,600 Republican newspapers throughout the country. The newsr papers are to be asked to place the films for showings in connection with political rallies. The film stuff consists of two one-reel pictures. The first is in cartoon form. The second is an ka- sembly of official government pic- tures plus some newsreel shots showing Hoover's various activities as food administrator, Belgian re- lief director, etc. The latter film was arranged and edited by Will Irwin, the author, who was given the facilities of the Paramourit News offices and laboratories. A strong report that a prominent picture executive is to donate the prints of the Hoover film to the Re- publican National Committee could not be confirmed. Rehearsing for Dialog In Silent Fifan Making Sam Wood is rehearsing the play ers for the talking sequences as he shoots the silent version of "The Little Angel" now being made as M-G-M's first talking picture. The talking sequences will be made as soon as the souiid stages are ready. DeForest vs. Fox in Sept. In the New York Federal Court in September the suit that Dr, De Forest and the DeForest Phonofilm Corp. has pending against William Fox, the Fox Film Corp., and thn Western Electric and its associated interests using the W.E. instrument (Vitaphone excluded in this action) for alleged infringement of DeFor- est patents and some $3,000,000 damages, is scheduled to come up for trial. SYRACUSE SUFFERS A BIT WITH MARY'S JACK Pickford Has Peeve Against Town, Its Food and All Newspaper Men Syracuse, N. Y., Aug, ?3. This city can take it from Jack Pickford that It isn't so much. Paying an unexpected personal visit here, when the plane in which he was making a trans-continental jaunt, New York to the coast^ was forced down near Moravia, Pickford sized up the town from a hotel window. He told the newspaper boys that while Syracuse rnight be the answer to the Chamber of Com- merce's prayer. It could rest as- sured that only an accident could bring him "up in the sticks.'- Pickford, flying with his pilot, W. J. Burrows, and his mechanic, F. Moore, expected to make the coast in two hops, with a stopover at Omaha, Mary's brother motored to this city ifor the night, leaving the plane, crew to solve the problem. Eventually the craft reached the municipal a,lrport and hopped off the next morning. Doesn't Have to; Worry Pickford was ready to be inter- viewed on a variety of subjects, but concentrated on Syi'acuse and "the. talkers," The reporters .learned that Jack is not worrying over the ad- vent of the latter. "I've been on the stage,'^ , he told the press boys, "and I can take care of myself in the 'talkers' as well as in the movies. "I don't have to worry like the ones with an accent or some other hindrance; "Take this, for example. Where's there a more beautiful' and talented woman on the screen than Vilma Bariky? But she speaks poor Eng- lish. What was it she and Ronald Colman played in? 'Barbara Frit- chie.' Well, there you are. Cdlman's no speaking actor, either. An Eng- lishman and a Swede jplaying Amer- ican history." Pickford closed his interview with, "The newspapers never say anything about me so what's the use of talk- ing to you fellows. Why doii't you guys get out of herei so I can eat my dinner?" As the scribes made an exit Pick- ford tackled a steak, and then fired a parting shot at all things Syra- cu§an by declaring,"Thi3 steak is as tough as Tom Mix's vest,; but what else can you expect in the sticks." 'Abie's' Sound Not So Good Great Grand-Niece Has Grouch Over U*s "Tom" Hartford, Conn., Aug. 28, . That Univer.sal has committed a crime . again.st lit.eraturej ..are the charges brought by Miss K. S. Day, local society woman and great grand-niece of Harriet Beecher Stowe, who wrote "Uncle Tom's Cabin." Miss Day wants Will Hays to stop the showing of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" on the grounds that it is an absolute literary falsity and. that U is . using her great grand-aunt's name without justification. She also objects to changes U made in the film in order to placate southern exhibitors. Zanuck^s Exclusive Agent Los Angeles, Aug. 28,' Daryl Francis Zanuck, assistant to. Jack Warner, for the second time has closed the gates of the Warner studios to all casting agents, The excpption is Al Lloj'd, known as the ofllciril Warner Brothers agont . - -. Zanuck bai'red out agonts once before, about a year ago. ZEIDMAN IN ACCIDENT Los Angf'k'S, Aug. 28. Honny Zoidman, associate pro- duc^er at Paramount, sustaincMl a broken rib when his rar rollidod with another on Santa Monica I'.oulcvrird. Los Angeles, Aug. 28. Sound and dialog effects added to "Abie's. Irish Rose" at the Para- mount lot were not as good as ex- pected, it is reported, and syn^ chronization may have to be done over again. It is said that the voices of the players used with the film recorded poorly and sounded metallic throughout. Talker Publicity Publicity and talk on the talkers, in..and out of the film trade, continually increases. A New York dramatic critic complained because, in: his cir- cle, out.side of pictures, he could hear nothing but talk about the talkers. Dailies over the country /are disvoiihg much of their the- atrical c.i>mment to talking pic- tures. This inay be acoelorated as more dialog pictures are produced by companies other than the Warneri?,-such asi.Fox, with. Paramount and Motro- Goldwyn-Mayei" in line. Sight and sound pictures may be doming in a flood before the new: season shall have been far advanced. Dialog and Sound Delay "Godless Girl" on B'way Dialog besides sound will be at- tached to PatherDeMille's "Godless Giri." It will delay the Broadway $2 premiere of the DeMIlle super at the Gaiety for sevei-al weeks. Coivin Brown a.nd John C. Fllnn, of Pathe-DeMilie, are said to have reached the conclusion Monday that "The Girl" with dialog on top of the sound effects, recorded, would be a safeguard in these days of talkers. Meanwhile Pathe with the Gaiety under lease has continued subten- ancy to Fox. The latter opens the "Air Circus," dialog, at the Gaiety this Saturday, probably to be fol- lowed by Fox's "Four Deyila," souiided. Fox's First Dialog Is "Air Circus" at Gaiety, Sept. 1 "Air Circus," the first Fox talker to contain dialog comes into the Gaiety this Saturday (Sept, 1), open- ing at $2 top with a matinee per-, formance on tha.t day. Another picture which will show' for $2 is due within a fortnight and Fiv.-^t Xationalis around looking, for a legit house. It is "The Divine Lady," starring Corinne Grimth. Picture is Western Electric sounded and recorded on a disk. Columbia will substitute "Sub- marine" for "The Scarlet Lady^'.this. Thursday (Aug. 30) at the Embassy. Ben Homes, Director Los Angelas, Aug. 28. Bon Homes, former burlesque comedian;, has been working for the past month as an assistant director on Movietone, but will be elevated by Fox to directorship. He will megaphone the Chic Sale series to bo made for Movie- tone. Burned by Balloons Los Angeles, Aug. 28. Clyde Cook, aibpearing in Pathe's "The Spieler," lit a match near a: bunch of toy balloons. The resultant explosion burned Cook so badly he will be out of the picture for at least a week. Several bystapders were burned. CHAPLIN'S MOTHER ELL Los Angeles, Aug. 28. Charlie Chaplin, slated to start production on his next picture for United Artists' release last Friday, has postponed work indefinitely ow- ing, to the serious illness of his mother. She is in a sanitarium close' to Hollywood. Chaplin, it is said, will nat start work until his mind is free. T-S Sound Studio Lo3 Angeles, Aug. 28. TifCany-Stahl will erect an auxil- iary studio. In San.Francisco valley, on a tract of 100 acres. All stages intended for the recording-of sound will be constructed ort the acquisi- tion. M. H. Hoffman says he has no intention of lessening the work at the present T-S studio on Sunset boulevard. He considers it the most accessible of any like structure in the city. One of the dilflculties surrounding the, present Is its absence of space for large standing sets'. This will be overcome at the new^ plant, which for convenience will be near Ven- tura Boulevard. U Sound Stages May Cause Closing Los Angeles, Aug. 28. Pending the completion of sound stages and Installation of recordlnsr equiprnent may necessitate the Uni- versal Studios closing for six weelca to three months, though they antici- pated these facilities ready for Sept. 1. It will take two or three months for adding synchronization to the pictures now in production and those completed In the cutting room« making a total of some 12 or more Je^yels (U) to be synchronlze'd be- fore starting new ones. Pictures already completed wlH meet Universal release dates to March 1, next, making It unneces- sary to start any sight and sound pictures before facilities are avail- able. , Scenario department Is well up in story preparation by havlner ab^put 20 stories nearing final com- pletion for production. Six of these are for use at Universal studio la Germany. J. T. L. O'Donahue Dead Los Angeles, Aug. 28. J. T. L. O'Donahue, 30, scenario writer, was found dead in the bath- tub of his home Monday by hia wife, Laska Winter, screen actress. The latter had left the house for a. few minutes tp buy groceries. As there was no water in lungs coroner ascribed death to heart di.sease. O'Donahue wrote the adaptation of "What Price Glory" and "Thief of Bagdad." His wife is currently appearing with Ronald Colman In "The Rescue." "Germ Woman" Job Rochester, Aug. 28. ■ Martha Atwell, former singer with the opera department at the East- man theatre and school of music has returned from a trip to Europe to step Into the job of "scenarist," or "germ woman." She plans all the action for the weekly acts designed and presented by Gayne Ralph Bunker. BILLY and ELSA NEWELL Los Angeles, Aug. 28. Dnrothy Devore while working: I near tlu) do.se of the .second day Ion an lOducall(jnal comedy ran four nni,'crs of one hand in front of an (;lf.'ctri(; fun. She was taken to a (loclnr's (;inrp for emergency treat- n)fnt, wluTrt it stated her hand "Billy and KKsa Newell, the American comedy duo, return a.s tlio I'iil- ladium's lir.st top this week, with a new and indcsf-ribably funny uct, , - - , . , , Vn whifh hns to be sor^n to be believed. Wh<-thf;r d;incing, sinKiiit,', iniUing , ^''••"'•J ban.lacfod for 10 daj.s, ovf'r witty patter, or burln.squing, tlicy are undoubl'-dly oriyin.il."— I 'J''"' P''ti""*' .';ut:pended until "PERFORMER," LONDON, ENG. i Hi" playt-i's recovery.