Variety (Aug 1928)

12 VARIETY PICTURES Wednesday, August 29, 1928 New Contract Rider Classes Dialog As Retake When Actor RecaDed Los Angeles, Aug. 28. An amendment to the standard contract adopted by the Acadfemy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for . freelance players which will take care of the hew problems con-, fronting the player when he signs tor sight ahd sound pictures was submitted to the committee on con- tracts. Committee, investigated and found a general practice had been a.dopte<J. "by thie companies minking sight and sound pictures to fully complete each picture as a. silent picture, after which players were called back to appear again in the scenes reauiring dialog. Sometimes there would be no lapse of tinie between the, two cla.sscs of work, but fre- quently an indefinite interim was necessary. The due.stion then came up as to how this interim .should be treated,, and it was agreed by the committee that it would be. no in- justice to the player if his or her engagement should end a,t the con- clusion of the silent work, provided :*the recall to work for the voice scenes should be treated as a i-e- take, subject to all retake coijdi- tibns now specified in the present ' standard contract, allowing the .players to seek work while, waiting to be called. biick for sound work. Up to Players To make this more dear to all concerned, the commiltce proposed a rider to be attached to the pres- ent standard contract when an art- ist is engaged for sight and sound work and ,so will be submitted to :a. meeting , of the Actors' branch of the Academy Board of Directors, for final consideratfon. Action will be taken this, week on the following rider: Wherever in this agi'eemenr the term "motion picture," "photoplay," . or words of similar tenor are used, such words shall be conclusively deemed and construed to include, but not be limited to, all forms.of motion pictures produced and-or exhibited with or accompanied by sound and-or voice repi'oducing de- vices, radio devices, and all other Improvements and devices which- are now and may hereafter* be used in connection with the production and-or exhibition of motion plctute ductions. The producer shall haVe the right to record and reproduce the artists.' voice and all instru- mental, musical, and other sound effects produced by the arti-st and others in connection w'ith the art- ists' acts, poses, plays, and appear- ances . hereunder, and shall also have all rights of every kind and character in and to such recorda- tions and reproductions. If, after the completion of the customary photographing of said character in the ordinary cour.se of continuous ' production (either with or without sound or talking scenes or se quences), the producer should de sire the services of the artist in connection with any sound or toMt. Ing scenes or sequences, whether originally contemplated or not, then the provisions of paragraph 2 hereof relative to retakes .added scenes or changes shall govern the artist's employment in connection with such sound or talking scenes or se . quences. Chasing Mexicans Los Angeles, . Aug, 28. Because . a few , Mejcican screen players have clicked, producers are scouting and signing anything with . brown sklh, espfeclally if their mon- icker graces a Mexican birth certiflcate, . Two of the latest senorltas to be signed to long terrn con- tracts in the past month are Mona Rica, by U.. A;, .and Requel Torres, whom . M-G- plcked out of a mob sent by the Mexican con.sul. Studio holding'the record for the number of Mexicans under contract is U. A., with Dolores Del Rio, Gilbert Roland, Don Alva,rado, Lupe Velez and Mona Rica. Pay $30,000 for Nagel Los Angeles, Aug. 28. Fox has obtained Conrad Nagel for six weeks for "A Slice of Life," paying $30,000 for his services to M.-G.-M. and Warners, who hold his contract. This places Nagel 6n a $5,000 weekly basis; His salary with the companies to whom he is under contract is said to be $2,5O0. Since talking pictures have come nto vogue Nagel has been in de- niand by everyone turning out sound stuff. Raw Stock Co/s Figure Sales Decrease With Sound Los Angeles, Aug. 28. Manufacturers of ra.w film antici- pate a decrease in sales when the making sight and sound pictures becomes general. Under the present system of mak- ing the ordinary silent picture, an average of 75,000 feet of negative is exposed. This is accounted for by directors taking scenes from, many angles and failure to rehearse their players.. With the new system a'l players will be rehearsed for dialog, as well as action; and definite angles must be decided upon before filming the scene. . . Board Reverses Patents Chief on Photo Printer Directors on Serial; 40 Days for 10 Chapters Los Angeles, Aug. 28. Two directors will work simul- taneou.sly on Pathe's 10 chapter serial, "Tig^r Shadow." The com- pany expects to clean up the sub- ject in. 40 days by this method. Producers formerly spent four to six months completing a serlal with one director. Spencer Bennet and Thomas Storey will do the mega- phoning. Gladys McConnell has been, signed as the femme lead. - Other cast rtiembers are Hugh. Alan, Brdderick O'Farrell, iEd Cecil, Paul Weigel, Henry Herbert, Frank Liacteen, F. F. Guenst, John Dillon, Bruce Gor- don, Harry Semeis, Ernest Adamas and Jean Porter. M - G- M CqntractB ' LosrAngelos, Augr>2"8r M-G-M signed Charles Brabin and Alan Crosland as directors on a term contract. Also renewed an option on Harry Beaumont who.so next picture will be "Broadway Melody," from an original by Ed- mund Goulding; Friary^, Roxy's Asst. Prod. George F. Friary, former assistant to J..Basil Smith, stage director, has been promoted as assistant produc- tion manager of the Roxy. Friary has been at the Roxy since it opened. Moses Talking It Over Los Angeles, Aug. 28. Vivian ]\Io.so.s, story editor fo Par, went to Now York to confer with, eastern heads regarding ma tcriai for next year's program. Washington, Aug. 8. Board of Appeals of the Patent Offiqe has reversed, its chief exam- iner and allowed a patent on a pho- tographic printer for use in making motion pictures. Invention is that of F, E. Garbutt and R. G. Fear for the "Double Prism Registering De- vice" . filed in March 1923, with a patent granted in August, 1928. . Device is to make prints on po.si- tives for enlargenients, principally, working so that closeups can be made from regular shots as well. Chief Examiner ruled against several claims of the inventors after the i-ssuance of the pdtent on tech- nicalities of the language used in the description of the invention and because of alleged interference with the previous Hiiebner patent, ,033.404. . . Called In Los Angeles, Aug. 28. Charles Judels, recently brought from. the east. by Winnie Sheehan for Fox, has been put to work as a doctor on ailing, productions. Immediately after his arrival Ju- dels was assigned to put souhd and dialog in ''The Air Circus," which he did within 10 days. Two other films will probably also find their way into Judels' hands. They are; "Fiarmer's Diaughter" and 'La Gringa." These three pictures cost better than $600,000 and it is said around the studio had not sound been ap- plied there would have been re- makes iand retakes which would have almost doubled the original expenditure. Recutting with sound can be done at a nomitial figure. House Mgrs. Must State Number of Pictures Used Chicago, Aug. 28. AH local picture house managers are receiving summonses from W R. Benham of the Attorney-Gener- al's office to appear before the dis trict attorney ^ ascertain how many pictures each ho'use uses a year. This Is in connection with the federal trade investigation and is an outgrowth of the restraint of a trade suit brought by Marks Bros PIunkett*s Sound Bills Joe Plunkett Is booking the talk- ing short bills into five of the Stan ley-chain "^houses, starting- with the Strand.s, New York and Brooklyn. Othei's are at tJtlca, Albany and Troy, N. Y. STUDIO FIRE BURNS RUSHES Los Angeles, Aug. 28. Firie broke out Monday afternoon in the M-G-M projection , room where rushes were being shown of "Adrlcnne Lecouver," the Fred Niblo picture. . Luckily the company h;id another negative, .so the destruction of the rushes meant only the cost of print. oos x ume: a F'Oft HIRE pnorHocTiONs IDXPL.OITATIONS PBBSBNTATIONB C O STOAAES FAIRBANKS PICKS YOUNGSTER Los Ang3'r^, Au,?. 28 Doug'iis Fairbanks lias .selected William Bakcwell t-j pliy the see ond lea*! ii "The Iron Musk" . He ohscrv'jd ihc youngs*.^.- \v.orl;iiig on an -ado jinjng_ .sc t for. U . w: (;r.Liru ) Par's Sour Voices Los Ai\geles, Aug. 28.. Paramount is reported meet- ing trouble in the handling of dialog for the sound experi- mentation during the past month. Roy Pomeroy, in charge of this work, is said to have found that • voices of players used for tests have turned out very sour. The re- sult has caused delay in start- ing . two ^productions, from report, which were to have had sound and dialdg; They are "Charm School" and "Shop- Worn.Angel." Par. Postpones Two Los Angeles, Aug. 28. . Paramount has postponed start- ing production on. "Dirigible" indef- initely.. This is due partly to Richard Arlen's assignment in "Four Feathers" aniil to "Wings" going oh . this program next .month. Original story for "Dirigible" w.ns written by J. M; Saunders but was not accepted; O. H. P- Garrett is now making a new treatment. The same company has also put off "The Letter", in order that Evelyn Brent may be tran.sferred from that, production to "Victory." "The Letter" will carry dialog, Kleihege's Suit Against Partner iDismissed DOCTOR" JUDELS To Strengthen By Sound Features Chicago, Aug. 28. Suit brought by William Kleiheg*?, recently Convicted of: bombing the State theatre, Hammond Ind,, a.gainst A. J. Gregory, his partner, for accounting in operation of the Parthenon and De Luxe, Hammond: and the Orpheum, in East Chicago, was dismissed in Valpraiso, Tnd., last Iveek. Immediately following the dismis- sal, Kleihege attached '. Gregory for $70,000 on reported contentioh. that he used corporation funds with which to purchase stock, Kleihege's hearing and motion for a new trial in his own case have not yet come up. Dix's Indians Los Angeles, Aug. 28. . Jane Novak will be the only white woman character in Paramount's "Redskin," starring Richai'd Dix. Louise .iBrooks Will play an Indian girl. . The company left yesterday for Gallup, N. M., thence 110 miles tb mouth of Canyon De Chellyz, Ari- zona, in the Navajo reservation. In support are Larry iSteers, Noble Johnson, George Rigas, Chick Collins, Tully Marshall, Bernard Siegal, Augusta Lopez, Paul Pan- zei', George Walker nad Lorraine Rivera. 16 Twa-Peelers to Go . i^os_ Angeles, jAug.^,28^^ Christie studios, officially cl6sed until recording facilities for sound are ready, has 16 two-reel comedies and one Douglas Mcl..ean feature to make to coniplete the 1928-29 pro- gram. All of these w'ill have sound. Heroesheimef's Original Los Angeles, Aug. 28. . Sam Goldwyn has signed Joseph Hergeshelmer to write an original for Ronald Colman to go into pror ductioh next May. Hergeshelmer will come to Los Angeles in January, wh(>re he will remain three months. Wirfng 4 in September Chicago, Aug. 28. Four moro. Great States theatres will be equipped witii .sound devices early in September. Three are al- ready operating. Others will be wired during Oc- tober. McCarey Directing Again Los Angolo^^, Aug. 28. Leo McCarey, supervising direc- tor for Hal Roach, is wielding a megaphone for the first time in nearly two yej ara. It Js_ o n .a Xaurei and Hardy comedy. After 16 Years Los Angeles, Aug; 28, Edwin Augu.st, member of Bio- graph stock company 1910-12, and later a director, again is working for D. W. Griffith. He's a member of "The Love Song," U, A. Fitzmaurice Curtailed Los Angeles, Aug. 28. In line with the present economy measures prevalent at First Na- tional, George . Fitzmaurice will only be allowed to. take a few technicians and but two' of the jpirin- cipal playerir to. Honolulu when he leaves to film exteriors for "Change- lings." All atmosphere players, and stage, hands will be recruited from native re.siderits. . As a rule in the past, Fitzmaurice was always allowed carte blanche in all expenditures for production. From Tahiti to Africa Los Angeles, Aug. 28. Delay in preparations for the niaking of "Trader Horn" in Africa bias resulted in MtG-M assigning W. S. Van Dyke to. first direct "Pagan" in Tahiti. Ramon No-^ varro will be starred. Van Dykis will go from Tahiti to the East Coast of Africa, without returning to Hollywood. . Edmund Goulding, originally slated to make the African ja,unt, is writing ."Broadway Melody" and will arrange for the ,<<ynGhroniza- tion of that film. AIR HOP SrREELER Los Angeles, Aug. 28. Fred Stanley has just assembled :a five-reel picture based on the trip of the Southern Cross to. Australia. Charles P.. Ulm, one of the pilots, had a camera with him and took scenes of various spots passed and also the members of the party in- side the plane. Picture is being cut so that it has a story, . Even Money on Which Coast Studio First Wired Los Angeles, Aug. 28. Producers usinjg Western ISlectrio apparatus will be subjected to no appreciablie delay in the recording of sound pictures on account of failure to receive equipment ot- dt red. The apparattis will be ready for the installation as soon as stu- dios are prepared, constructed or renovated. So declares Nathan Levinson, die.-' trict manager of the Electrical Re- search. Products. Christie equip- ment, is here for installation at the Met studiO; say.s Levinsoni iand J^-G-M. is about rieady. to talk. Universal has a projection room' being installed, with its major etiuipment enroute, and Paramount, in its temporary quartei'S, is al- ready recording, . with plans being prepared for FiVst National. "It's about 50-50 as to Who will be ready first,". sta.ted Lcvjnson.. »■ :• May Foreclose on NatTs Unfinished Victory Chicago, Aug. . 28. . tlaving held a first mortgage for three yeiirs on some bar.e stefel work at 92nd and Cottage Grove avenue that some day may become the Victory theatre, E. C. Wa,ller, financier, is becoming annoyed. It is reported he will stai't a fore- closure suit against National Play- houses, which started the building and stopped for financial reasons. Waller has aroljiid $50,000 in in- terest due him. Colfax Forced to Add . Vocal Prolog to Sound Chicago, Aug. 28. Originally opened a,s 100 per cent, sound, the Colfax, new Publix house at South Bend, Iiid., has added a short vocal prolog. The straight sound policy proved not overly strong. Smith's Speech on Coast In Sound Within 28 Hrs. : Los Angeles, A.ug. 28. Movietone's speed was demon- strated when Loew's State here presented sound pictures of Al Smith's acceptance within 28 hours after the Albany address. SELZNICK'S ADDED DUTIES Los Angeles, Aug. 28. Dave Solznick, executive a.sfistant to E. P. Sell ulberg and supervisor of all Paramount writers, is having his duties increased by supiervising production of "Victory," ."Tong War" and "Four Feathers." . =^.Si;l2iuGltJSr^the^younge«t-prGduc-en Academy Lists Sound Los Angeles, Aug. 28. Academy, of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences summarizes the sound systems as 10 in number, evenly divided between film and disk. In the film division are Cinephone, Movietone, Photophone, Madalatone and Phonofilm. Using the disks are Vitaphone, Photophone, Vocafilm, Bristolphone and Han-A-Phone. The academy has established r- service for answering inquiries bearing on picture problems. Where the questions' and iu*fiwers contain genera] interest for l*:e membership they will be printed in the associa- tion's : bulletin. A treasury balance on Aug. 1 of $23,405.71 is reported. This sum Is deemed the average balance for re- cent months. on the Paramount lot. Woodhull Joins Danbury Firm Danbury, Conn., Aug. 28. R.. F. Woodhull, president of the M. P. T. O. A., has been appointed director of publicity for Danbury Theatres, Inc. He commences his duties at once. JACK PICKFORD ON TRAIN Cloudy skies and. common pilot sense have cleared up Jack Pick- ford's aviation rash and sent him back to Hollywood on the train. America's Sweetheart's smair bro- ther was not satisfied until he had persuaded the vPilot of a new mono- plane bound for the Yukon Mining Corp., Nome, to head westward Fri- day, Continuing the story, Pickford's eastern representative let's on that he -was nearly "dafCed" when he found J.ack back in the Biltmofe Sunday. So, he hastily made reser- vations on Monday's C«^'ntury—and that's that, ■ ■ . FILMING TEIEPHONE PICTURE Los Angeles Auk. 28. A. T. T. gave Chri.'^ty pormig- .sion to. film the inside work on re- ct-iv^ng pictJJr.cvj^.yi ;t_^.t SVono wlil bo used in '"The Carna- tion Kid." SUE CAROL'S FOX SERIES Los Angele.?, Aug. 28. Before Sue Carol left for Europe to make "Cha.«}ing Through Europe," (Fox), she signed to be featured in a scries of pictures for Fox.