Variety (Sep 1928)

Wednesday, September 5, 1928 PICTURES VARIETY GRIFHTH'S 20 YEAR RECORD Covers D. W.'» Career, '08- »28—"Intolerance" Most Costly, $l,600iaOO-^"Na- tion," the Highest Money M a k e r^ $10,000,000— Made 2-Reelers for $2,000 $54,603,000 TOTAL GROSS During D. W, Griffith's career as a picture dii-ector, beginning in 1908, he has directed around 427 pictures at a total production cost of $11,400,000, and they have grossed in excess of $54,603,000. Some 17 of these pictures, made during the last decade, are of out- standing nature and figures pertain- ing to their cost and grosses are as authentic as prevailing records can show. The remaining pictures made by Griffith for other companies, and in which he had no financial inter- est, are conservatively estimated from records available. When Griffith abandoned the stage in 1908 to cast his lot with the lowly movie, he joined Biograph as an actor. When they gave him a chance to direct he increased his salary from $20 to $25 per week. He took the business seriously enough to make his work stand out until he became the first director to command box- office attention by feature billing, This, however, was not attained until after Griffith had served two years with. Biograph, grinding out on an average of two features a week, which at that time consisted of from 500 to 1,000 feet of film. When Griffith first joined the Bi- ograph company its stock was be- ing sold at 50 cents a share. A year later It sold for $112, and when the •government brought suit against it on behalf of the M. P. Patents Co., profits of the Biograph company were discovered to be 1,700 per cent, oh the Investment in one year. First Two . Reeler . In 1910 Griffith startled the entire picture industry, and mostly the Bi ograph officials, when he made the first two reeler and during'11 and'12 he collaborated witli his cameraman Billy Blitzer, to bring out new ca- mera angles. Including closeup and soft focus. This experimental work was increasing the production costs until the two reelers were ai'ound $3,000, but grossing anywhere from $25,000 to $150,000. In spite of this Biograph officials considered Gi'if fith was going beyond his bounds When he threatened to make a four reeler they also threatened to fire him. Griffith pulled stakes and joined • (Gontlnued-on page 12) Lios Angeles, Sept. 4. iPlans are being formed for the erection of a sanitarium to house picture executives who are corn polled to look at daily rushes of sound and talking pictures, It is said the strain of lopk- Ing at six takes of a scene on any particular talker is tremen- dous, on both eye and ear. Also that many of the execs have. been compelled to look at as much as 14,000 feet of sound filmi a day. D. A. ASKS AIMEE TO LINGER DUE TO SUIT WAmPAS GAG (Continued from page 1) announcement to which was at tached an "important notice," stat ing the Wampas Hoover Club would be organized at the session. It was wordfed seriously and indicated an effort was, being made to deliver Wampas en masse to Hoover. Fol lowing day a second notice just as solemnly stated the Wampas Smith Club would also be organized at this meeting. The third day anotlier notice was sent out, pleading with members to be present and "prevent the Wam pas being delivered to any one party or being split by having two presidential organizations." By this time all the members were wlse._J3ut^ SL^jBJlJbL. auRPP^ had only received his first notice, indignantly told an A. P. representa tive about it. Result was the A. P, broadcast a 150-word . story about the proposed Hoover Club and so berly referred to Jimmy Walker' recent speech to the Wampas In which he warned the film industry against mixing in politics. Tho Smith and Hoover clubs were Viot fonnr'd. 14,000 Ft. of Talk Daily Member of Mrs. McPherson's Church Charges Fraud Over Land Deal—Asks $7,270 Still Cameraman Found Dead on F. N. Location LiOB Angeles, Sept. ,4. Frank C. Bangs, 65, for the past eight years personal staff photog- rapher' for the Richard Barthelmess company, was found. dead in his tent On Catalina Island Aug. 29. Banks died pL heart failure. His daughter, Victorlne, was married to Myron A. Hatfield on the eve of his death. Bangs refrained from attending the daughter's wedding because of a premonition of disaster. Baiigs approved of the marriage but since another younger daughter recently passed away after being married but five months, he ' thought it better for the older girl to be married without a public ceremony. The photographer on location for "Scarlet Seas," was found dead with the ear phones of a one-tube radio set affixed to his ears. Los Angeles, Sept. 4. Following filing of a suit by M. W. Pui'year» a member of. her church and a graduate of her Bible class, charging Almee Semple Mc- pherson, pastor of Angelus Temple, with fraud in connection with a real estate deal, Deputy District Attorney Mclsaacs demanded that the world's most sensational show wopnan delay her proposed Euro- pean tour and remain In Los An- geles pending an investigation of the promotion and sale of the properties. Mrs. McPherson had intended leaving Los Angeles for New York last Monday. Suit filed in Superior Court asks for $7,270, stating that. Mrs. Pur- year had been Induced to sell an apartment house at a sacrifice in order to raise money to invest in the project. PlaintiflE alleges that Mrs. McPherson said a deed to the property in question was held in her name, that she was backing the project for the bieneflt of members of her congregation and without benefit to herself. Plaintiff also alleges -that Mrs. McPherson had arranged for 10 per cent, to be paid to her although she held no license to sell real estate; Complaint further alleges that plaintiff be- lieves the fixed price of $900 tracts had been increased in order to pay Mrs. McPherson qgmmission in ex- cess of the 10 per cent, referred to. In addition to Mrs, McPherson, the Ech Park Evangelistic Association, Metropolitan Trust Co, of Cali- fornia; Four Square Light House, R. B. Jordan, H. L. Henry and C, E. Kenyon were named as defend- ants. AH • defendants, excepting the Metropolitan Trust Co., are alleged to have conspired to obtain money from members of the Angelus Tem- ple congregation through floati/ig a project known as Tahoe Cedars at Lake Tahoe, Cal. - - -■ District Attorney Mclsaacs said the reason he asked Mrs. McPher- son to remain was tha.t ho had a number of documents, the nature of which he could not divulge, of such serious nature that he insists 4that she remain in town for at least a week'. Ben Lyons' Solos Los Angeles, Sept. 4. After 112 hours in the air as a passenger, and more than six hours as a pupil, Ben Lyon has made his first. solo filghts. He took off three, times within a half hour and on two of these made perfect landings, the third nearly so. , On his third landing Lyon's moth- er presented him with a helmet. $1,000 a Minute It costs a major film pro- ducer of talkers an average of $1,000 a. minute to syn- chronize a subject. A feature length ' picture . represents a $50,000 to $65,000 nut on the overhead for the technical synchronization, mu- sical royalties, etc. GLORIA'S VOICE Will Talk in "Kelly" and Has Home Projection Room Wi**ed Los" Angeles, Sept. 4. . Production of "Queen Kelly," Gloria Swanson's next picture, may be delayed another three weeks until Photophone equipment is all set at the Pathe studios. Miss Swanson will appear in a few talking se'quences and it marks the first time for her voice to be heard by the general public. She has never made any personal ap- pearance tours , nor has she ever spoken over the radio.: In anticipation of this new form of work, Miss Swanson is the siec- on^ screen player out here to have sound equipment installed in her home. WAGE CLAIM SQUALL Los Angeles, Sept. 4. An epidemic of claims for wages by household workers against the- atrical people broke out here before the labor commission, Emil Jannlngs was made defend- ant in a claim for $80, filed by B. Stonder, asking that amount for services as gardener; Rose Smith, cook, filed claim for $101 for serv- ices in the home of Oliver Morosco, and Alma Nelson, dome.stlc, aaked .$78 . for . scrvjc es in th^^^ of Ricardo Cortez. ' ^ Departed This Life September 5, 1927 Sweet are your memories, Marcus dear, Oh, how we miss you no words can tell» God surely knows you served him well; Safe with Him now, you have earned your rest, Why you were called, He alone knows best; May your dear soul rest in peace Is the earnest wish of your loving Wife, Children and Grandchildren. CHATTERERS USE GLORIA FOR STUDIO GAG STUNT Miss Swanson^ Disguised, Turned Down by Casting Directors i Los Angeles. Sept. 4, A couple of fan magazine writers, intent on getting a feature story, used Gloria S>y£*rison for a stunt' on press agents and casting direc- tors of a number of the studios in- cluding FBO, the lot upon which Miss Swanson is working. The two girls called up press agents of various studios and told them that the. publisher of their paper had sent for a girl from the east who had been in a number , of shows and liad also had consider-, able screen experience, i They re- quested that the P.A.'s Introduce the lady to their casting directors. The press agents, not wanting to offend, agreed to do what they could. Arriving at the studios, the woman had. frousy blonde hair, wore an old-fashioned dress with short skirts, looked . plump, talked in monosyllables and held her head down. One press agent, after con- versing with her and getting her history, decided sh6 was n.g. and rushed her to the casting director who, in his formal way, took height, weight, color of hair, made inquiry about wardrobe and let it go at that. This stunt was repeated at the different studios with nobody becoming wise to the Identity of the player being introduced. To cap the climax the two chatterers de- cided to take the star over to a fa- mous Hollywood restaurant tv^here picture people gather. There also much fun waa made of the woman with, the two chatterers, who ar« none too fashionable In appearance themselves. After the girls had put over the stunt they began to cackle on how . they slipped it over and how their magazine would print the stcry that Gloria Swanson was refused work ' as an extra because she appeared in make-up and disirulse. STAR'S 37,320 LETTERS Billie Dove's Total for July—Bur- bank Haridling Big Mail Los Angeles. Sept. 4. Burbank postofflce official records for t.he month of July show 37,320 Jotters passing -through the office for Bille Dove. Add this to the amount of mall received by other First National players and Bur- bank's postofflce ia handling the work of a 200,000 city with the help allotted to a city of 60,000 popula- tion. Clara Bow is said to hold the rec- ord for the number of fan letters received. WAMPAS' TWO FROLICS Los Angeles, Sept- 4. Wampas Is talking about holding its annual frolic in both Los An- geles and San Francisco next year. . rdca is to arrange the San Fran- cisco date on the Saturday follow- ing the Loa' Angclf>s show. Molly O'Day Goes Under Knife to Remove Weight Los Angeles, Sept. 4. Molly O'Day, who lost out with First National because of a distinct tendency to plumpness. Underwent a weight removing operation at Queen of the Angels Hospital. She will spend several weeks in the Infirmary and then go on a strict diet. ST, CLAIR'S BROKEN FOOT Los Angeles, Sept. 4. Malcolm St. Clair broke his foot while playing tennis at his. home. .When the director arrived at the studio with the foot in a plaster cast all the Paramount tennis play- ers autographed their nsimea on the protoctice rovoring. Griffith Rings Bell as Lupe and Jetta Battle Los Angeles, Sept. 4. A battle between Jetta Goudal and Lupe Velez while working in ''The Love Song'' reac.hed Us cllma?;^ when D. W. Griffith ordered each to -remain in her private rooni or off their set when not engaged. It appears that Miss Goudal looked upon Miss Yelez as a be- ginner. This burned up the Mex- ican girl and when she complained it: Was Interfering with her work, the director joined in. Fenune Lead Collapses and Brenon East; 'Rescue* Off Los Angeles, Sept. 4. AU work on "Rescue," Ronald Colman'B current picture for Sahi- uel Goldwyn, has been postponed in- definitely as a result of the col- lapse of the leading woman, Laska Winters. Miss Winters' husband, J. T. L. O'Donahue, scenarist, died suddenly Aug. 26, and Herbert Brenon, dl- "roctor,== waB^BumTn'oired"^Bt--by^^"t serious illness of his mother. THREAT MAN SENTENCED Los Angeles, Sept. 4. Lloyd I. Fnrnard, who atlcmptf.-d to extort $2,000 from Fay Wray l)y threats agalh.st her mothrr, w;im sentenced by Jurl^o Kdmon'ds to do six months. Film Museum Opens Lo8 Angeles, Sept. 4. Wealthy Harry Croker'a Motion Picture Museqm in Hollywood opened under the glare of several sun arcs and was resp6nded to by the usual throng of picture celebri- ties who manage to attend so they can see and be seen. Opening was an Invitation affair and Identified as a professional pre- view In an attempt to show those actually engaged in the making of pictures what the museum has to offer. It is trying to familiarize the public with the many cijirlositlea used in the making of pictures. Crocker, son of a San Francisco nrilllipnaire, has.turned a. hobby into a thlng.of usefulness and the dis- play of the many historical cos- tumes and studio props used in out- standing pictures of the past not only appeals to the professional but the tourist. Collection includes articles of every, description, some dating, baclc as'lfar as the beginning of pictures. A picture set, complete in every de- tail with wax figures stationed in the manner of the actual taking, of a picture, is displayed along with, exact duplications of various studio worl^ . shops. An admission of BO cents'will be charged. ACADEMY'S LANGUAGE MEET Los Angeles, Sept. 4. Academy of Motion Picture Arta and Sciences will hold a meeting of all sections Sept. 10- for a discussion of the influence of American talking pictures on the dIs.«!cmln.itlon of Icii6\\nedi^'^ of ~Er^^ countries. Mooting will bo addressed by .uitlioritlp.M on language instructioni. Nat Rothstein Sails For. "rofreshlng new Ideas on showmanship" is the explanation whli'h .'K'ompQnled the exodus to ' ]-:uvo]>Ci Fri'iay (Aug; 31) of Nat JItoth.stcin, U'h advertising head.