Variety (Sep 1928)

Wednesday, September 5, 1928 PICTURES VARIETY FOX AFTER READE THEATRES ASHRETURMNG TO ORIENTAL Relieving Kvale for New Paradise—-Due Back to Open B'kl3rn House Chicago, Sept. 4, Paul Ash will pinch hit fpr Pub- tlx by comiiig back here to the Oriental 3ept. 28 to stay five or six week and then return east to open the new Publlx house In Brooklyn on Thanksglviner. Purpose ot Ash's return Is be- lieved t<> be to release Al Kvale from the Oriental who will m. c. at the Paradise, new Publlx westslde hoiise, which has been feeling the Interference of the Marks Brother's Marbro in the same vicinity. Pub- llx figures this will give its new theaitre a high b. o. temperature after which Kvale will return to th« Oriental upon Ash's departure. Ash will stay In Brooklyn three or four weeks and then resume at the Paramount. He is now In his 17th Week on the Broadway site.. Ben Black replaces Ash at the Paramount for at least the first two weeks the red head is away. ROSSHEIM DENIES, Bllt WARNER MUM ON DEAL Warner istock jumped 20 points to 118 on the Stock Exchange, pairtly due to reports company would buy out the Stanley chain and partly due to the struggle of shorts to cover contracts in a technically cor^iered stock. Irving Rosshelm, president of Stanley, denied such a sale was In prospect, making his statement un- Oqulvbcally. On the contrary, Harry Warner declined to go on record with a defi- nite statement that his company was not.Interested in .acquiring the Bta.nley chain. Los Angeles, Sept. 4. Jack Warner, accompanied by Hal Wallis, Warner publicity chief, left here on . an hour's notice Aug. 30 tor New York. Mary Pickford's Voice Rated Best in Pomeroy Test Los Angeles, Sept. 4. Mary Pickford's voice as repro- duced at Paramount, where as a courtesy her voice Is registered, is declared to be the best so far dis- ment/ ; ". It is privately stated the test has been shown to Paramount players as Indicating a mark of excellence at which to aim. Miss Pickford has had stage ex- perience, gained during two dif- ferent t)Criods. First was as a child and the second, after considerable success as a screen performer, when engaged by Belasco for "The Poor Little Rich Girl." It was In this show that Miss Pickford was. slerned by Adolph Zukor. Incidentally In 1915, Miss Pick- ford expressed a view she had been known to utter before. That was that any morning she would not be surprised to find some new screen luminary whose brilliance would dim any whioh might have been iascribed to her. Sound Publicity Staff '^""""""'^'^r"'"lj6s"^ngc1i?s^^ I'D! lot l.s becoming so pro- nounced in the division of silent and .sound production that it has In- stalled a .separate publicity depart- ment i:or Movietone operations. General publicity staff is not per- mitted to worry about what is go- ing on in Movietone nor are they allowed to talk about it. Harry Boehni'.' is in charge oC the sound P. A.'s. They're "Shopping" Where heretofore just the fact that the picture talked or had sound packed 'em in, the novelty era sterna, on the wane as far as sound and dia- log films are concerned. Par- ticularly Is this true in the larger cities where more than- on© talker appears concur- rently and often,. Right now, with two and three sound films running as opposition in many towns, the public is evidently looking, them over and weighing re- spective values more than pre- viously. Out in Los Angeles, at War- ners', the initial, grosses on the last three attractions are estimated to have been .$30,- 000, $35,000 and $29,o0o, in that order. A drop of $6,000 by "The Terror" after "Lights of New. York's" preceding high , figure.. After "Lights" had started to $24,000 at the Embassy, San Francisco, and finished four weeks for a final $20,000, "Women" followed in with a light $16,000 opener. At the Orpheum, Chicago, "Midnight taxi" started last week to $9,000, $300 lejss than the fourth 'and final week of "State Street Sadie" and $4,- 500 under "Sadie's'' initial seven days. Kansas City hasn't shown a passion for either spund or dialog with its pictures. They're starting to "shop" on sound. JOHN GILBERT REPORTED JOINING U. A. IN MARCH M-G Contract Up at That Time —To Get $125,000 Per Picture as Producer Los An^reles, Sept. 4. It Is authoritatively reported that John Gilbert will Join United Ar- tists when his present contract with M-Q-M expires in March. Gilbert's association with U. A, will be as an individual producer financed by Art Cinema, according to the story. A nr..aximum of $750,- 000 a picture is mentioned. M-G is making strenuous efforts to block the deal, but Douglas Fair- banks and Charlie Chaplin are fe- ported as starting that they will brook no interference in their plans. Gilbert will be guaranteed about $125,000 per picture. Lasky Supervising Sound; Schulberg on Silent Films Lbs Angeles, Sept. 4. ■According to reports emanating from the Paramount lot, Jesse Lasky is taking charge of all pro- duction concerned \vlth sound and dialog. This leaves B. P. Schul- berg, production executive at. the studio, in charge of silent pictures only. Lasky is negotiating with direc- tors and players to appear in these pictures and has turned the dialog work over to Albert A. Kaufman, his assistant. Reed's 3 Silent Films With Casts of Unknowns I2yoo,ooo FOR 27 HOUSES Means Important Jersey and B'way Holdings, In- cluding Astor Theatre-— Reade's 17 Class A Houses —Also Announces Fa. Program 6,200 SEATER IN PHILLY Los Angeles, Sept, 4. " "Lu t her Jleed7 n e w ly ap p 61 nted' production supervisor at P^ox, will recruit three produtlon units from the most promising talent among Hollywood's unknowns. He will con- centrate on making all silent pic- tures with those units. J. Clarkson Miller, formerly of Paramount's New York writing staff, is en route here and will be assigned to write an orlgiivU for Reed'a first pLctur«. . Willlani Fox! will probably take over the Walter Re^de chain of 27 theatres within thei niext month. If the deal is consummated U will be a sale by deed of real estate or through stock owned or controlled by Reade. Re&de's asking price is $24,600,000-for'his string which In- cludes: 17 class A houses. NegotlatTons to this end are now approaching a conclusion with Fox field men making their final esti- mates and measurements on the properties. Control of the Reade chain would give Fox a strong foothold In New Jersey, and plus his New England representation through absorbing the Poll circuit and an announced building program for Pennsylvania it would insure his position In the east. The Reade deal will also turn over to Fox what is generally considered the most valuable theatre site in New York, the Astor. This house has six years to go under its lease to Loew- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, after which it would revert to Fox with the understanding the latter already has plans for a new theatre on the site. Other Broadway houses concerned are the Morosco and Bijou, legit the^fes, and the Columbia, bur- lesque. Named as the class A houses, their, approximate capacities and where located are the Astor, 1,129, New York; Morosco, 893, New York; Bijou, 606, New York; Co- lumbia, 1,300, New York; Capitol, 2,100, Trenton; State, 2,300, New Brunswick; Rivoli. , 1,800, New Brunswick; Strand, 1,800, Plalnfield; Oxford, 1,700, Plalnfield; Majestic, 2,300, Perth Amboy; Strand, 1,300, Perth Amboy; Carlton, 1,800, Red Bank; Broadway, 1,800, Long Branch;. Mayfair, 2,000, Asbury Park; St James, 2,000, Asbury Park; Reade's Kingston, 1,800, Kingston, N. Y.; Broadway, 1,800, Kingston. -These remaining houses complete the list: Trent, 1,100, Trenton; Palace, 1,300, Trenton; Plalnfield, 1,300, Plainfleld; Crescent, 800, Perth, Amboy; Ditmas, 900, Perth Amboy; Strand, 1,250, Long Branch; Savoy, 1,100, Asbury Park; Rialto, COO, Asbury Park; Strand, 1,100, Freehold, NV'Jr Philadelphia Program Besides the Reade proposition Fox has a,nnounced a $50,000,000 building program for Philadelphia which will include one theatre, at 17th and Market, to. be an exact copy of the Roxy and to cost $18,000,000. State- mertt is made that nine other houses will be erected, ranging from 4,000 to 5,000 seats, six to be in that city (Continued on page 20) Fox Recalls Tone Truck Upon Finding U Has Secretly Made Sound Picture Universial Disclaims Any Breach of Confidence— $30,000 Film in 9 Days with Borrowed Truck Making Talkers Silent Los Angeles, Sept. 4. A Hollywood man. has de- vised an ear plug, similar to that used for swimming, to cut out all noise of talking pictures. It's just in case the patron insists on taking his screen drama silently. COST OF CAMERA CREWS $620 WK. AFTER NOV. 25 All Working Units Must Have 1st, 2d, Still Cameramen and 2 Assistants First Nationars Lab Los Angeles, Sept. 4. Seeing the need to cope with the new developments of making pic- tures. First National has installed an experimental laboratory where various mernbers of the studio are given .complete coroperation o_f fa-, cllities In trying out various ex- periments in scientific research. Some of the problems now beng worked out at this laboratory are stereoscopic photography, cold and filtered lighting, direct color pho- tography, divisional double and triple exposure methods, binocular and trlnocular camera lenses and many other problems Involving the general practice of sight and sound recording. ■ Los Angeles, Sept. 4. Antagonism to the new camera- men's union here by a few of the higher salaried photographers is fast fading. Latest to. Join the or- ganization are Charleia Kosher, for years known as the cameraman for Mary Pickford, and Tony Gaudlo, another veteran. Eddie C.ronjager, another camera- man, disinclined to send in his ap- plication; went to San Diego with the Dix troupe for "Moran of the Marines." It was quickly discov- ered the outfit could not work with a non-union cameraman. Just as quickly wires began to hum to the Paramount studio and the union. Dix wanted Gronjager, the la;tter wanted the job and the studio had to have the. picture. Studio advised Cronjager to Join, he did, and. was back in San Diego that evening. Since then Paramount ha'£| been 100 per cent, union in its ca)mera de- pat-tment, a situation that obtains in most of, the large plants. $620 Weekly for Camera Crew All directors of the International Photographers of the Motion Pic- ture Industries, afllliated with the I.A.T.S.E., under the A. F. L., are now in New York, and in their absence no one will speak oflflclally. No denial is made, however, that the concession made by the union of an open shop in the camera de- partment will run as agreed until Nov. 25. After that the. lid is on tight. Present minimum scale reads: Assistant camera men, $C0 a week; still men, $1.00^ second cam.era, ji50; first camera^ $250; Akciey, $300. It is stated Initiation dues have been placed at $200 beginning Sept. 1, Oct. 1 application books will be cloiscd and will reriiain so for one year. Under the usual ruling with the regular studios five men constitute a crew. First, second, still camera- man and two assistants. Question comes up as t6 whether the low priced quickies will be able to stand the gaff of $620 a week. Paramount Finds It Can't Release 'Burlesque' Till '30 Los Angeles, Sept. 4. Reason for Paramount's long de- lay in producing "Burlo.sque" as a talker is due to .the fact that the picture cannot be released before Jan.-l, 1030, in accordance with tiie eon tra<j t- mad e^w ith G corge ■ WattTirsy autiior and stage producer. I'aramount ofnciala are rc-portcd to have boon under the Impi'fjssiori they could release the picture Jan. 1, 1929, but last weok their attor^ ney is reported to have looked ;it the contract and found that the release date was a year L'lt'T. It l.s likely that prodnotion on tho ture will be po.stponc<I until no.x.t . July. Los Angeles, Sept. 4. Universal has produced a Movie- tone picture under cover and In nine dayj at a cost of $30,000. The Fox ofiOidials were so perturbed they re- called a camera and Movietone truck loaned to U immediately upon find- ing out the picture had been niade. Several months ago Universal ar-- ranig:ed with Fox to obtain a,. Movie- tone truck for tests on "Show Boat." , Two weeks ago B. A. Heath, former director for Hal Roach, appeared at Universal City and recruited prin- cipals, headed by Walter Pldgeon, Tommy Dugan and Mildred Harris, to work in a Movietone picture. The set was carefully guarded and no word passed that the picture was being made. The company procured shots made in Camp Lewis for "The Patent Leather Kid" .from First National and fitted them, into the picture, and also obtained the Loa Angeles police quartet to chant. Each night the dally rushes were taken to a downtown theatre and. secretly looked over with the house guarded. When the picture waa completed word got around what had been done and Fox Immedla-tely recalled the camera and truck Augr. 28; which Universal was to have had until Sept. 1. Universal oflnclals state they didn't obtain the truck under false pre- tenses as It was loaned to do wltli as they chose. Winnie Sheehan, when asked about the matter, said that permission had been obtained for thia device In the east several months ago and that as far as he was concerned everythig is okay. However, it Is quietly Intimated around that when U Is ready to release the picture, possibly withia the next 10 days, Fox may brinir some sort of proceeding to re- strain. Release date, it is said. wlU be Sept. 17, with no title as yet chosen for the picture. While in possession of the loaned Movietone equipment Universal is reported to have added dialog and sound to three other pictures. These supposedly were "Last Warning," "Lonesome" and Glen Tryon's "It Can Be Done." Currier Replaces Kane As Photophone Head Richard Currier, representing the Radio* Corporation of America's downtown interests, and him'solf an attorney. Is now in charge of Photo- phone (RCA) activities. Currier succeeds Robert T. Kane In charge. Elmer E. Bucher, vice-president and general manager of Photophone, Inc., is now on a vacation. Latter is a radio salesman. Kane and Bucher are said to have had a misunderstanding through the objection to Kane's desire to engage his own personnel. He had been placel with Photophone by J. P. Kennedy as the latter's contact man with the sound film business. Kane Is now In the FBO home of- fice, at the helm of Sound Studios, Inc., a .separate corporate entity, to handle synchronizations. Photophone la allied with FBO and I'athe. Jannings' Daughter With ^^inrinllis FirsrTalker Los Angeles, Sept. 4. Ruth J.'innlnfffl, IG, daughter of Kniil Janniiurs, has been given an Iniportant role . in "Sins ..of the Kathors." starring her dad. . This Is tlio picture in which the .star will talk for the first time. Ho pinys a (Jorrnan-American sa- licm kfi'por who becomes a boot- IcgKor.