Variety (Sep 1928)

12 VARIETY PICTURES Wednesday, September 5, 1928 Studio Survey Los AngC'les, Sept. 4. Studios are- still declining oii ac- tivity—losing seven points In per- centage, over ' that reported last week. A total of 51 features and 11 short subjects are in work with three: of the 23 plants idle. . Paramount again tops . the list with 10. feature.s in. work. They in- clude "Sins oiC the Father.s," by iiUdwig Bergcr; "Interference," by L. Mendez; "Manhattan Gocktail," by p.. Arzner; "Avalanche," by O. Brower; '"R^d.skihi" by V. Schert- zinger; '"His Private Life," by F. Tuttle; Charles Roger picture, by F. R. Jones; "Shop Worn Angel," by R. Wallace; "Three Week Ends," by Badger, and "Canary Murder Case," by M. St. Clair. Ray, and "South Seas," by E. Clif- ton. Fox Light Fox Is running light with five. These are "Veiled Woman," directed by E. Flynn; "Homesick," . by H. Lehrman; "Romance of Under-, world," by L Cummihgs; "Hus- bands Are Liars," by R, Cannon, and "Our Daily Bread," by F. W* Mui'nau. ,' Universal has four with "Show Boat,": directed by Harry Pollard; "Efik the Great," by P. Fejos; "Fin- al Reckoning," by R. Tayloi', and "Cohens and Kellys," by W. J. Craft. Studios with but two features, each are: Warners—"On Trial," by A. Mayo; "Stark Mad,".by L.Bacon, This table shows a summary of weekly studio activity for the past 29 . weeks. Percentage of production is based on 106 units working at 23 studios on the Coast, determined by the average normal working conditions during the year 1927: M-G-M has sev(en featui-es In ■work including "Woman of Affairs," directed by C. Brown; "Little An- gel," by S. Wood; "Gold Braid," by G. Hill; "Honeymoon," by R. Gold- en; "Adrienne," by F. Niblo; "Nlze' Baby," by H. Henley, and "Mys- terious Island," by L. Hubbard. First National has five including "Outcast," directed by W. A. Sei- ter; "Scarlet Seas," by J. F. Dillon; "Changelings," by G. Fitzmaurice; "30th Day of October," by F. Lloyd, and "Ritzy Rosey," by M. Le Roy. Tiffany-Stahl also has five fea- tures going with "Family RoW," by J: Flood; "Man in Hobbles," by .G. Archainbaud; "Applause," by E. Cline; "Queen of Burlesque," by A. -Pathe—"Spieler," by T.. Garnett; "Shady Lady," by E. H. Griffith. FBO—"Tropic Madness," by R. Vig- nola; "Little Savage,", by L. King. Colombia—"Stool Pigeon," by R. Hoffman; "Di-Iftwood," by C. Ca- banne. United Artists—"The Love Song," by D. W. Griffith; "The Iron Mask," by A; Dwari. Metropolitan— "Hell's Angels," "The Tiger's Sha- dow-" Studios working one feature each are Chaplin, Tec-Art and Chadwick and those engaged in making short comedies are Stern, Roach and Dailey, one each. Educational and Cal-Art have two each. Studios dark are NovcUe, Chri.stie and Sennett. Schildkraut Fiddling Lob Angeles, Sept. 4. Universal ha.s bought "A Bargain In. the Kremlin," magazine story by Sir Philip Gibbs. The tale is of a court violinist. It is Intended for Joseph Schild- kraut, a violinist In his own i'ight and the graduate of several con- aervatories of music. Picture will be synchronized and KoeS Into production before Jan. 1. MET STUDIO'S SECONl) UNIT Los An!;clos, Sept. 4. Metropolitan studio has stairted on Its second sound unit the main stagxs of which will be like its predecesr Bor 76x105 and its monitor room 60 X 60. New sti'uctures will be ranged along.slde the recording room, now complotcd. Equipment for the first unit has arrived and that for the second Ir. Bet for shipment Oct. 1. Engineers representing the Western Electric have moved into the recording building. Rosson 'Goes FBO Los Angele.s, Sept. 4. Richard Rosson, who recently made "Road House" for Fox,, has left that organization after having contractual differences and receiv- ing $6,0P0^ for %he unexpired term of his agreement. ^------ --^ He was immediately signed by FBO to direct. SPEAGUE ON SOUND . Los Angeles, Sept. 4. . Chandler Spragu^, head of. Fox scenario and story departments for the pa,st six months, has had addi- tional diaties given him by Winnie Sheehan. In the future Spraigue will also have general supervision of scenario and stories on Movietone feature productions. SAX USmrBEISTOEPHONir Los Angeles, Sept. 4. Sam Sax is arranging to send Alice Pay to New Yorl^ for dialog sequences in "Times Square," re- cently flni.shed here by Gotham. Method of synchronization will be Brlstolphone, the work to be done at the plant of that company in • Waterbury, Conn., if the two stages being bullt^ Jri New York are not ready. FINEMAN RENEWS Los Angeles, Sept. 4. Bernie P. Flneman, senior asso- ciate producer at Paramount, Is to remain with that organization an- othet year. Fineman signed a new contract this--week=and-will-be-in -charge^oX. the studio during October when B. P. Schulberg goes on a vacation. Cecil DeMille's Divorce Film Los Angeles, Sept. 4. C. B. DeMlUe'fl next for M-G will deal with the divorce problem and the lov6 of a rich woman for a poor man. Picture goes into production around Oct. L A Studio Crack Los Angeles, Sept. 4. A wise cracking giag man on the Paramount lot says that In selling the screen opuis "Inter- ference," an explanatory title should be used to read: "Inter- ference, or the Life of a Supcr- vLsor." Bomb ParthenoD, Chi House For 2d Time in Year Chicago, Sept. 4. For the second time thLs year the Parthenon theatre, Berwyn. was^ bombed by unknown Instiga- tors.. Police, while looking for cjues, arrested Emil W. Dolezal, former epiploye of the theatre, on sus- picion. House is now in the hands of the Chicago Title and Trust Co., receivers. It formerly belonged to the Gregory-Bernasek theatre cor- poration. Entire business dirstrict of Ber- wyn was rocked by the explosion caused by an alarm clock bomb set off in the gangway of the theatre. The balst tore a hole in the side of the house and blew off a heavy metal exit door. It occurred early in the morning when the house was empty. Damage , is estimated at. about" $10,000. Previous bombing* a year ago, Avas caused by an explosive stench bomb. The perpetrators were never discovered. . Chicago Slows Down as Theatre Building Town Chicago, Sept. •.4, This town once had. a rep for rapid theatre building. Look at it now. Opening of B. & K.'s Paradise is the only noticeable house premiere within a year. Theatre has been in construction for three and a half years. The Mont Clare theatre, with steel work just finished, was started almost three years ago.. The Victory, another mass of steel work, was started In October, 1926, and hats been temporarily aban- doned. DIX'S NEXT TWO Lob Angeles, Sept. 4. Next picture .In which Richard Dix will be starred by Paramount will be "Unconquered." Mai St. Clair will direct and Alice: D. G. Miller does the screen treatment. Picture will have sound, after which Dlx is to do an all talking feature. D'ABBAST'S CHEVAIIEB TABN Los Angeles,' Sept. 4. Harry D'Arrast is now working on an original to serve as a Fara- mount's .starring production for Al- bert Chevalier. D'Arrast will also direct the pic- ture which e:oea itito production in February. MBS. BEID DIBECTING AGAIN i . Sept. A., .. Mrs. Wallace Reld will direct "Linda," a Broughton Production, at the MetrppolltaVi Studios start- ing Sept. 10. Her last previous directorial effort was on 'The Road to Ruin." With M-G 14 Ycarc Lob Angeles, Sept. 4. Edward Connelly, yeterali screen actor, renewed his ebhtrabt with M-G-M. ■ Connelly has been with M-G for 14 years, startlag with the old Metro company. PaKy of 18 Lofl Angeles, Sept. 4. Exactly It persons '^^ere In a First National group wulch sailed last week for location In Honolulu. --Only-one-actor^ln^the^party,.=Milr:= ton Sills, the others being staff menabers. Marion Nlxon't "Geraldine" IXM Angeles, Sept. 4. Pathe has selected Marion Nixon to do the tlUe role In 'K3eraldinc," Booth Tarklngton story. Bddle Qulllan will have the boy part and ^el Brown will direct. Griffith's 20-Year Record (Continued from page 7) Mutual-Reliance. He came to Ilollywood early in '13 and pro- duced a number of three and four reel features, alj of which made money. The first four reel picture was "Battle of the .Sexes." It cost. $2,500 at that time and grossed in excess of $400,000. He remade this picture this year at a .cost of around $300,000, a low. record at the United Artists studio. Original . cast of "Battle" Included Lillian Glsh, Donald Cri^p, Mack Sennett, Owen Moore, Robert Har- rpn and Mary Alden. $110,000 "Nation's" Cost Assured that the public was ready for multiple reel features, Griffith promoted enough capital to make the first big epic of the screen, "The Birth of a Nation." This cost $110^- 000, including the price of 100 prints. It hafs since accumulated a gross of $10,000,000. This figure Includes $500,000 taken in on the picture from 26 states during its third re- issue. Cost and; grosses of other out- standing pictures produced by Griffith after the "Nation" are: "Broken B16s!5oms," made for Para- mount at a cost of. $115,000, grossed $1,250,000; "Hearts of the World," also made for Paramount at a cost of $425,000, grossed in excess of $1,500,000. . - ''Intolerance" a Loss Following this Griffith ; again broke away from studio interfer- ence and made "Intolerance" with hli3 own. hioney and some outside capital. This co.st $1,600,000 and only gros.sed $1,750,000. Griffith took it on the'Chin and. returned to mak- ing cheaper pictures by producing "The Love Flower" at a cost of $91,000. He originally made this for First National but before it was completed he cancelled the contract and released it himself. It later groissed $900,000. First National reallzied that Grif- fith still possessed drawing power and demanded his next picture, "The Idol Dancer,-' which was made for $93,000 and grossed $963,000. $7,500,000 for '-East" . i). W, again went in on his own to make '"Way Down East." This cost $635,000 and has grossed to date, including Its third reissue, $7,500. Gross on the road showing of. " 'Way Down East" wa-s .around $4,000,000 and showed a net profit of $1,250,000. This Is in addition to the gross of the general release of $3,500,000. . . He remade "Dream Street" on his own capital at a cost of $337,000 and it brought $950^000. He followed this with "Orphans of the Storm" at a c'ost of $760,000 and it grossed $2,000,000. "One ExciUng Night" cost: $362,- 000 and grossed $1,150,000; ' White R6se" cost $425,000 and grossed $900,000; "America" cost $795,000 and grossed $1,750,000; 'Isn't Life. Wonderful" cost $260,000 and was light at $400,000; "Sally of the Saw- dust" cost $337,000 and grossed $1,200,000. Paramount again hired Griffith and he made"That Royle Girl" at a cost of $59&,060. It grossed $900,- 000. He followed this with "Sor- rows of Satan" for the same com- pany., at a cost of $1,050,000. It brought back $1,750,000. , Griffith then aligned with United Artists, making "Drums of Ijove" at a cost of $505,000. With but three months in release dates it had played to about $600,000. "The Love Song,'* which he is now mak- ing, is budgeted at $750,000. It will be noticed that wherever Griffith associated himself with other companies in the making of a picture, the costs were heavily In- creased. Cost and Grosses of Pictures Directed By D. W. Griffith from 1908 to 1928 COST. Estimated number of one-reel features di- rected for Biograph from 1908 to^ 1910 are. .at the rate of two a week at an average cost of $1,000 each. A total of , 206 subjects equals. i. $206,000 Estimated average gross of these 206 one- reel pictures at $10,000 equals.". Estimated number of two-reel features di- rected for Biograph from 1910 to 1912 are 1.04, at the rate of one a week, at an average cost of $2,000, equals 208,000 Estimated average gross of these 104 two- reel pictures at $20,000 equals.......... Number of four and five-reel pictures made by Griffith since he left Biogi-aph, and not Included in his outstanding achievements, is estimated around 100 at an average of $25,000 each, equals... 2,500,000 Estimated average gross of these four and five-reel features at $150,000, each equals OUTSTANDING PICTURES ''Birth of a Nation". .. ,. 110,000 "Broken Blossoms" 115,000 "Hearts of the World"......... 425,000 "Intolerance" .1,600,000 "The Love Flower".... 91,000 "Idol Dancer"...., 93,000 "V/ay Down East" ► 635,000 "Dream StreeV'.~.^ ;r; ; . .T"."; . . rrr —^^337^000 "Orphans of the Storm". • 760,000 "One Exciting Night" 362,000 "White Rose", 425,000 "America" 795,000 "Isn't Life Wonderful". 260,000 "Sally of the Sawdust"..... 337,000 "That Royle Girl"......... 595,000 "Sorrows of Satan"....................... 1,(^,000 "Drums of Love" 505,000 "Drums of Love" (3 months'gross)....... RECAPITULATION Total number of pictures made by Griffith—427, 427 pictures cost to produce 427 pictures grossed..,, ,.. (Ap.) GROSSES. $2,060,000 2,080,000 15,000,000 10,000,000 1.260,000 1,500,000 1,750,000 900,000 963»000 7,500,000 950,000 2,000,000 1,150,000 900,000 1,750,000 400,000 1200,000 900,000. 1.750,000 600,000 $11,409,000 54,603,000 F. N.'S THREE THRILLERS Los Angeles, Sept. 4. First National has completed the first of its series of three mystery pictures with "The Haunted House." — Company^ls-now-preparing "Sev-CU: Footprints to Satan" and the third will be'"Sh! The Octopu.s." NEGRO STORIES ON SOUND Los Angeles, Sept. 4. Al Christie : will make Octavus Roy Cohen's negro Btorics, which have bpen appparing in the S.'itnr- dny Evening Po.st, as short subject talkers. Studio Reward Plan Los Angele.*;, S'.'pt, 4. Fjrf<t National Is adopting the same policy as Pnramount in en- couraging employes to pond fviifges- tl on s^f oiT-stu d i o=o pc ra ti <m...4 lii d^bfix, onioo, titles. One of the first to win check for a title was Gebrpo TlKmias. as- sistant to George Laiuly. .^tudio puliliclty director. H^- <iur^psted "Tlu! Crash" to be used U,v Milton SllKs' picture made undf-r tlu- rtojk- ing title of "The WrofUinf: rM.«;s." i Awards for eupgfsl ions (>{ thlis hiniX rangf- from $Co ti. .