Variety (Sep 1928)

VARIETY PICTURES Wednesday, September 5, 1928 K. ZIMMERMAN'S .923 TOPS FILM CRITICS; CAROL FRINK'S .809 IN CHI; VARIETY .877 Score Is for Summer Semester-^—Irene Thirer Catches • Most Pictures, 36—Dick Watts Has Most Wrongs, i2_Cohen Sixth With .640—<iuinn Martin, .706 —Clark Rodenbach, Chicago, .777-—Los Angeles Critics Dropped Kallioi'ine Zimmerman o£ the New York Telegram tops Variety's film critics* box score for the sum- mer semester; She has a percent- age of .923, or one wrong In 13 lilms reviewed. Miss Zimmerman's last appearance in Variety's box- score was at the bottom; She is, at present in JEuropo on a vacation. Present .score is basGd on pictures tabuldted by Variety since June 2 at which time the boxscore entered its second season. The real leader in the. New York division, on a basis of actual test, Is Eland- Jphanoson (Mirror) who caught 35 pictures as against Miss Zimmer- man's scattered 13. Jjoa Angeles has been dropped from the score! The reviewers of that town were proven unwilling to appraise pictures impersonally and critically. Their habit of giving favorable notices indiscriminately brought the law. of average into their favor a^d resulted in their, having higher pe«"centases than the reviewers in New York and Chi- cago who con.sistently attempt to pass judgment. The dropping of the Los Angeles 8cribes< was announced three months ago at the time Va- ishment as a literary stylist. '!Mlss Johaneson's .743 represents one paragi-aph. reviews expressed in simple English. Irene Thirer (News) has escalated upwards from her consistent standing of lafet year. She is now in fourth place with .694. Miss Thirer recently estab- lished a system of grading, and marking pictures with stars accord- ing to the degree of merit ascribed. This method tends to eliminate .no opinions from which her preylous percentages suffered acutely. Rose Pelswlck (Journal) appears, in the boxscore for the first time at .571, or eighth place. Margaret Tazelaar (H6rald Tribune), Is also a newcomer. ' . . George Gerhard ("Ev6. World"), who clung tenaciously to second place all last season, enters the sec- ond score with .679 on 28 reviews. That is two points above the per- centage that won him second niche In the final tabulation for "27-'28. Quinn Martin (World) stai'ts off-at .706 for third place. He entered the arena in 16th place a year ago this time. Chicago. In Chicago the Journal is not tab- Film Critics' Box Score Score as of August 31 Key to the' abbreviations: PC (picture caught) ; R (rtight); W (wrong),; O (no opinion expressed; Pet. (percentage). NEW YORK PC KATHERINE ZIMMERMAN ("Telegram"). 13 BLAND JOHANESON ("Mirror") 35 QUINN MARTIN ("World"),.. 17 IRENE THIRER ("News") ^ 36 GEORGE GERHARD ("Eve. World") 28 JOHN S. COHEN, JR. ("Sun").... 25 REGINA CANNON ("American")... 32 ROSE PELSWICK ("Journal"). 28 BETTY COLFAX* ("Graphic");. 23 MORDAUNT HALL ("Times") 19 RICHARD WATTS JR. ("Herald Tribune"). 26 MARGARET TAZELAAR ("Herald Trib."). 8 JOHN HUTCHENS ("Post") .«.»...... 31 .* Julia Shawell. CHICAGO ' PC CAROL FRINK ("Examiner") 21 CLARK RODENBACH ("News").... 18 MAE TINEE"* (yTribune") 22 GENEVIEVE HARRIS ("Post") 16 ROB REELt ("American") 20 . ■* Frances Kurner; fl^aid Flynni7 " ~ ' " TRADE PAPERS R 17 14 17 12 14 W 3 2 3 2 5 O 1 2 2 2 1 Pet. .809 .777 .773 .750 .700 VARIETY "FILM OAILY" "M. P. TODAY'^ ........... "M. P. NEWS" ............ "HARRISON'S REPORTS" I • • • a » 4 WILL MAHONEY Karl Kitchen in the New York "Evening World" said: "The fun- niest comedian on BroadwiEiy its Will Mahoney. Here is a comedian who does not have to depend upon a jgroteeque tnake-up/bagigy trous- ers or even risque songs or situ- ations. He is funny in a sack suit, Which Is the real test. And inci- dentally, he can outstep and out- smart all his rivals." Direction RALPH G. FARNUM "1560 Broadway Chatterers Put on the for La Guinan Los. Angeles, Sept. 4. Hollywood chatterers are an ex- clusive bunch. The girls and boys who write squibs about the. movies didn't think much of the Idea. of having them in the throng to meet iTex Guinan at the depot during her public reception. In their diplomatic manner they let it be known that Texas should meet them at ari Informal luncheon In a Hollywood cafe which they gloat about in their columns. That makes them okay in the ^^)int and demonstrates they are-people to be conjured with when one craves pub- li.city. ■ Miss Guinan's business manager saw to it. Of course, they will attend, all other functions. The chatterers don't miss many tricks. Coast's Television Musicians' $600-$700 ' While the American Federa- tion of Musicians Is consider- ably perturbed dver the possi- ble effect of sound pictures on pk milsicians in theatres, thoM musicians who are In demand at the moment, are making $600 and |700 a week recording for the talkers. At the Camden, N. J., lalxiratorles of the Victor Talking Machine Co., the place Is almost .on a 24-hour schedule. Musicians are busy record- ing themes for sound pictures for all the major companies afllliated with Western Clecr trie. While compensated regu- larly at $200 a week, as per minimum union wage scale, the overtime periods at $10 an hour, dpuble and two-and-a- half for late hour and Sunday work Is netting the musicians well over $600 a week and consistently. Jacqueline Logan Returns Loaded with Affidavits Ltos Angeles, Sept. 4. Jacqueline Logan and her new husband, Larry Winston, local broker, who were man'Ied In Agua Callente, Mexico. Aug. 23, returned here, separately, armed with affl- davits to prove they have, not lived together as nian and. wife since the wedding. Miss Logan's final divorce decree from her first husband, Balph Gil- lespie, will not be granted until next Mai-ch. In order to avoid a bigamy actioft, such as interrupted the late Rudolph Valentino and Winifred Hudnut (Natacha Ram- bova), married under similar clir-: cumstan'ces several years ago. Miss Logan and Winston secured affi- davits designed to establish their marriage status as "in name only." Miss Logan stated they wiW live apart until her divorce becomes final. Schttlberg's Vacation Los Angeles, Sept. 4. B. "P. Schulberg, executive head o£ Pai-amount, is not going to Europe for his annual vacation. With the pressure of production the trip has Ueen called off and the vacation postponed until early in October. . He will Sojourn around New York for a few weeks looking at the new plays and story, material. Tlety carried its story rovcaling the methods used by those film writers. Artistically Concerned It will be noted that .700 is the lowest recorded average in Chicago as against 10 New York roviewer.s with scores below that mark. Man- hattan critics are more concerned with ; the artistic aspects of pro- ductions than their confreres of the hinterland. Judging largt-'ly on a ba.sis of personal prejudice, and """WltH^^a^m i nimu m=-of--r Off a r-di f or^the public, as s\ich, the New Yorkers write snappier and bttler rcvlew.s hut are not so good at {ju<»ssing right. A conspicuou.'* fx.inipTe of the person.al prejudice reviewer who goes badly a.stray i.s John lliitcli- cns. Now York I'ost. i.s last in the Gothajn corps with .Cns, s'oi"S wi'ong 17 times with eight right.s and six no opinions not aiding. Richard "VVatt.s, Jr., (Herald Tri- bune), has also slumped as a pick- er in reverse ratio to his embell- ulatod through Arthur Sheekman leaving that paper. Muriel Vernon, now writing for the Journal under the pen name of Doris Arden, will be .included in the next boxscore if continuing on the assignment. ClnrJc Hodenbach, the first by- lined reviewer on the News In over a year, is idGntlfied individually and fini.shps second at this time. He is Chi's lone niu.scullne film critic .slnro the donoctlon tb othor fields of ]\rr. Slipekman. * ~7Fi"rRt irT'tHoTWindy Carol Frink (F^xaminer) who has .spccinlizod in being first ihorc .f,it)C(' the film ci'itio.q wore offlcl.-illy s''i'>it- inized by Variety. Trade Papers In the trade Fapor division Film Daily is runner-up to Variety wiLli .806 as afjalnst this rag'.s .877. T/it- (cr llR'ure is olitalnod by going Jlon- po on six out of 49 picturew cauirht. Ilarri.son's Kei)orls has 13 wroUK- and one no opinion balancing 24 rights, but as thi.s is strictly a ohe- .San Francisco, Sept. 4. Philo T. Fa^ns^yorth, youthful California Inventor, has just com- I^eted a television attachment which it is claimed can be attached to any radio receiving set a^ a cost oT about $100. Farnsworth's device is said to eliminate the two moving discs presently required to receive tele- visiOnv-^There are 8,000; pin points of light in the pictures Farnsworth's attachment Can receive, insuring clearness. Local business rhen state they will back Farnswdrth. Weather Forecast . . Washington, Sept. 4. Weather Bureau issues the fol- lowing report for the country east of the Mississippi on climatic con- ditions commencing tomorrow (.Sept 5).' Fair and ratlier cool Wednesday. Showers Thursday or Friday; pos- sibly continuing east of Alleghanys oh .Saturday. Sunday, probably frtir. Warm Thur.sday and cooler thereafter. If working northward, tropical storm now forming near Florida will make a bad weekend. man percentage .632 is not unim- pi'OBivo, Film Daily has a clean slate on no opinions to date, con- tr.isting with its final score for '27- '28 which showed 10 of the deadly straddles. Arotion Pictures Today has but one blemish in the no opinion col- umn while Motion Picture News ap- parently reviews at random, not mulling the effort of the other trade papers to catch all major openings, "Abie's" Sound Okay Sound record for "Abie's Irish Rose," made on the Coast, has been forwarded to New York approved by Paramount and the Anne NTIchols offlce; A report from Los Angeles said the recording showed vocal defects. It must have been defects in the tests and not the recOrd states Wil- liam DeLigemarCi for Miss Nich- ols. iJeLigemare, with Adolph Zukor, gave their okay to the sound attach- Tiierit' after privately viewing It; Can't Locate Syd Chaplin To Tell of Mother's Death Los Angeles, Sept. 4. For several days Charles' Chaplin )i.Ts been attemptlnjg t6. get into touch by cable with his brother, Syd, to inform him of the death of their mother, who died here last week. All Charlie knows of Syd's where- abouts is that he Is "somewhere In Europe," working ifor a British film company. $10 for Jolson Seats for the Winter Garden opening of ."Singing Fool" (W.B.), starring AI .Tolson, will be priced at $10, a now high for a picture. Date is Sept. 19. SCENAEIST SEEKS DIVORCE Bridgeport. Conn., Sept. 4. William A. Wolff, short story WT'lter and movie scenarist, has started suit for divorce against his wile, the former Ruth A. Haw- Ilirv7'ne. Wolff accuses his wife'of infidelity. The couple were married in De- comberi 192C. T^frs. Wolff is now in Paris, and it is said she plans a counter action. HUGHES GETS A PROHT ON $4,000,000 INVESTED Los Angeles, Sept. 4. Howard Hughes got his first taste of profits on his picture investment, amounting to around $4,opO,O0O» when he received. $9,000 last week froni the. distribution profits 04 "Two Arabian Knights," the first picture he produced for United Ax"-* tlsts at a cost of n^ore than $1,- 000,000. ' . His other pictures, are "The Racket," "The Mating Call" and "Hells Angels." Court Clears Mix Los Angeles, Sept. 4. l.ast act of the Tom Mix-Will MorrlsseyrMidgle Miller serlo-com- edy, resulting from the brawl that enlivened the George Beban house warming two weekg" ago, was writr ten When Municipal Judge Wilson'q court found Mix not irullty of beating arid booting" Morrissey and the lattcr's wife. Miss Miller. A few dayS after the papers had been headlining the Mix-Morrissey affair, MoiTissey reopened the Col- lege Inn, the nigiit club at I*alisades' Del Rey. Notoriety of tlic Mix case was evidently good publicity as business at the College Inn since. Its rieopening is said to be snappy. Hold Pah* for Abd.uctioti; Can't Find Missing Girl Buffalo, Sept. 4. . Leone Hazlett, ■ 31, and ' James Ran-ett, 45, were arrested horie last week and ate befng held for Knoki^ ville, Tenn,, police, who have war- rants for the pair charging them with abduction. Miss. Hazlett. and Barrttt are al- leged to have brought a girl here known as Pinkie Koehn, and also as June Wilson, from her home in Knoxville, to star her in a picture to be made and exhibited in sev- eral cities. They admitted "having taken several photographs around this vicinity. ... The girl, missing from Knoxville. for three months, could not bp found. Undisturbed Albany, N. Y., Sept. 4.. When Jascha Heifetz and Plor* ence Vidor started for the coast after their marriage in New York, thej^ wanted absolute privacy. They apparently accomplished what they had intended to, to shun news.- paper men and spectators. • When the train pulled into Union Station, here, , a cordon of railroad police surrounded their cai-, rein- forced by members of the tra,ln crew. It was Impossible to get within 20 feet of the car. Strict orders were passed along the entire route that the couple were not to be disturbed, and these demands were imjJlicitly obeyed. 100% Conversational Los Angeles, Sept. 4. Paramount has bought the pic- ture rights to the play "Drums of Oude," and will make it as their first dialog picture. William C. De- Mille is to direct. For the leads Ruth ChaLterton ana Cliv'e Bfook haw be^i: chosen. It will be 100 per "cent, conversa- tional. Production starts Sept. 22. Shaw Repeating Los Angeles, Sept. 4. George Bernard Shaw is to do another Movietone for Fo5c. It will be made within the next two months and Is to be released around Jan. 1. Jack Connolly, European repre- sentative for Fox, will again be in charge. EXCHANGE TBIFS Los Angeles, Sept. 4. Charles Rogers, abroad for two months, leaves London toriiorrow (Wedne.sday), for Hollywood, When he arrives here his asso- ciate, Harry J. Brown, will leave for Montreal and- a hunting trip. Brown will then tour eastern ex- -<A^arigii^,C„en tjn3^_and J ntej^^ n g to Europe. " ARTHUR LAKE'S RESTAURANT Los Angeles, S» pt. 4. Arthur Luke, Universal contract player, is following other film play- ers in cstal)H.shlng and opt'V.itlng a public dining place on the boule- vards leading to the beaches. Txiko's new road ho>i>!(< \.ill be known as "The Lantern. ' Opens about Oct. 15.