Variety (Sep 1928)

VARIETY PICTURES Wednesday, September 19, 1928 Xmas Presents for Chatterers On Coast for This Season Regulated by Wampas Society .' IjoS Anffoles, Sept, 18. "Waini-ias, nn org-anization bf stu- dio, and fi^oe lance^ press ageiitSi liKistly propagatins the interests.of the :iihn .imjustry are getting' ready for Christmas early this year. The boys have found that they had con- Biderable trouble in. the past re- garding the. distribution of . Yuletide, gifts to writers, chatterers and others avIvo use alleged newspaper connections conveniently around the holidays ior the purpose of sq- lieiting, awaiting or extracting gifts frohi the.-i;arious studios, directors, pluyers and those who are inclined to be of an altruistic, chartiable or .philanthropic spirit at tliat tinve of the year. . . Thi'.so self appointed powers-.that-, bo with magazines . and syndicates that dispense reams of, chaiicr set a certain standard of gift.that they ■feel they expect froiri studios or. Individuals in accordance with the^ inanner in which the institiitiohs or people have been treated by tliem in the preceding year. In some in- stances their expectations run very hiiih, so high that many a person In'making gifts to this large horde of gift seekers found themselves cra:mped. financially for gifts to the rightfully deserving ones, such as their own family, relatives and in- timate friends. ■ .Wampas members have been studying.this condition for the-past year. Studio p.a.'s. claim that indi- vidual gift donators gave more sumptuoufj gifts to the writers* chatterers, etc., than did the stu- dios with the result the recipients of these "good will" donations sort of hinted about the stinginess and choapm-ss of the big production or- ganizations. Pboling . To overcome the trouble provok- ing gift giving a resolution will be Introduced at the next mieeting of the "Wampas to provide that in the future the ciiristmas funds of the various studios be lumi>ed to- gether. This takes; in those of the stars, directors and others giving • Individual gifts through their press agents, who are members of the organization, and that the gross amount be proportionately divided to provide suitable Yuletide pres- ents to those who deserve them. The fund, It. Is said, would run in excess, of $25,0'10 and with the dis- tribution of it being done judicious- ly, the so-called leeches would be eliminated and only those who have been of service to all concerned would be taken care of. ' The resolution will also provide that those who are to get the gifts through the organization he can- vassed cither in persoai or by mail as to what particular present thoy would lil<e for the. Chri.=!tnias holi- days, or whether thoy would prefer cash. It will also be brought out at this meeting that certain press agents havC: told their elienlM that they reViuired a spooilipd amount ■ of money to make: giftl? to the" press. These p.a.'s, in turn. It is said, madie these as per.«5onal gifts In- stead of gifts coming direct from the clients, It was also hinted that some of these p,a,'s held out a bit of this kale for their own per.sonal , • Yule.tide cheer. There have, been from 3R to 50 writers on the: coast in the past who haVe boen given very expen- sive individual giftt}. by the various prodncer.s, stars and other cheer dispensers, with the publicity do partmenls of the companies these ■fivers ore associated with having squawks coming from alle.^'i'd writ- ers who were not taken care of by these spenders. •A couple of women who write for Rallies and ."syndicates here were 60 daring before the Christmas holidays last year that they even suggested while making their ■ 10 uhds,^ iiISt .,Nyjiqt they Avanted .for gifts. They got them, i:oorbut--TtfTt= delivered at their olJk-.es. Kight at the homes of these girls, A rather strange thing, too, is that these girls al."3o suggest around the fall of the j-oar that if p.a.'s have any urgent copy it be left at the home in.stoad ofi In the office where they firo employed, so that the p.a.'s and the clients will not be able to ofl'er :iny excuse as to not knowing where tiie ladles reside. Multiple Exposure IjOS Ariffeles, Sept, 18. B. W. Grifnth .Hpent Tilne hours to secure 75 feet of mul- tiple exposure film. "What is believed to constitute a world record was photographed by -Ned Mann when he trans- formed 13 men In a room into the person of William Boyd, playing In. "The Love Song." In some instances two of the • figures, full bodied and not transparent, wovild pass each other. At the finish the 13 atl mergetl to the centi'C in one Boyd. The work involved Boyd standing motionless at times as« long as 20 minutes. The film was passed through the camera 35 times. The carnera with which the work was done.is valued wiih its altachmerits at $12;6oO. . Tag Line Feud in Chi Over "Acre of Seats" k I ffoiucid ifiuvuig Talking ^1 Coast Production to New York City RQSCOE AILS Tulsa "World" said: VTo be de- lightfully Intimate .without becom- ing familiar is artistic, to entertain an audience one hour without J satiating is siibtle. Roscoe Alls' re- turn to Tulsa at the Orpheum is brimful of these above virtues. If this review seems eulogistic, Roscoe 1 deserves it. His act is an Individual treat."- New Camera Face Experiinents with television broadcasting have developed a call for a totally new: type of photographic face. The broad, Hat face, terrible for the screen, comes into its own with teler vision, as the lights are hon- refiecting and hit only the prominent surfaces. Up at RCA they are working on make-up to bring the tem- ples and. back of the face into some light relief. The laven- der tint In . make-up has been found most satisfactory. Panchromatic film, antagon- istic to red, has also developed a new make-up for straight motion pictures. "The eastern laboratories are using only the brown and sepia tints, even to a brown overtone on lip rouge. Chicago, Sept. 18. "An acre of seals Iii a palace of dreams." That's the gag tagline B. & K. p. a.'shas been using for. the newly opened Paradise. It's also the tag- line Jack Hess, Marks Bros. p. a., has taclced on to the Marbro and .Granada. And therein rests a feud. Bin Pine, B. & K, space gi'abbei*, admits he didn;t get the.line out of thin. air. The Roxy press depart- ment has said something like that about its own big house in New York, but Pine says he made a few alterations and introduced it into Chicago's .vbcabulai-y. A sign has been, resting outside tlie Paradise for .some time with the masterpiece printed upon it. Later . Pine spread It on one and 24-sheet3. Jack Hess hit the dailies first. He started Sept. 5, using the line in picture house advertising for Marks Bros. Pine burned when he piped the alleged steal and unburdened his mind of a few random but forceful thoughts to Hess. Having a distinct English accent, Hess could easily appear bored, and did.. These two boys have been bat- tling for a long while. If Pine used a splurge In advertising for the B. I & K. housejs,Hess was on hand to increase the Marks display to eaual or greater size. It became so heated several of the dallies started a sec- ond page of picture house ads. Tiring of this, the boys are now going nuts over .slogans. That they both picked the same one just makes the feud doubly hot. Weather Forecast Washingfton Sept. 18... J^he^w^oather bur the_re- quest of A'^ariety, furnished the fol- lowing outlook for country east of the Mississippi, beginning tomor row: rtain Wednesday east of Pitta- burgh and probably clearing In all sections .by Thursday (20).' Fair until about the end of week. Showers probably Friday and Sat- urday . (21-22) from Chicago to Pittsburgh, and Saturday and Sun day east of Pittsburgh. Cool Wednesday, with slowly ris- ing temperature Thursday and Fri day. Directorial Economy Los Aingeles, Sept. 18. Warner Brothers and Metro- Goldwyn are apparently economiz- ing on direiitors, ais each has one director making two pictures bI- miultaneously. At Warner's, Howard Bretherton is making "The Greyhound Limit- ed" in the daytinie and directing the Vitaphone sequences of "The Redeeming Sin" at night. For M-G-M, John Watei's is mak- ing two pictures at once upon loca- tion in. Glacier National Park, where he Is directing the exteriors for "Humming Wires" and "Sioux Blood." Lasky at L I. Studios Los Angeles, Sept. 18 Jesse L. Lasky will arrive In New York Sept. 21, remaining In the east until December. Wliile there he will spend a good deal of his time at the Long Island ; sttidios watching the developments of dia^ log and soiind production. Acting School Graduates' Different Film Endings Los Angeles, Sept.. 17. Nancy Phillips, who graduated from the Paramount acting school two yeai-s ago, has given up the screen. Miss Phillips was brought to the coast with a number of other grrad- uates and remained with Paramount a year. She returned east and came back six months ago to try free lancing. Jobs were none too nu merous. Another graduate of the same class is Blanch Leclalrfe, . who has been placed under, a five-year stock contract by M-G-M. Will Rogers' Talker Los Angeles, Sept. 18 Will Rogers Is negotiating with Fox; to star in a new version of "A Conne^cticut Yankee In King Ar- thur's Court." It calls for the comedy classic to be done in dialog, and sound next May, at which time Rogers may be free of his theatrical and lecture contracts. I Photephone Instaljation At Schenectady, N. Y. Schenectady, Sept.. 18. The first commercial installation of Photophone is being made at the State theatre, Farash controlled house here. "The installation by General Electric engineers has pro gressed so far that the house re opened Saturday after a week's shut dowTi. •Ramona" Is the bill and sound is being Used with the equipment so far installed. It Id understood this is record, probably Victrola, being used on the Photophone Installa- tion and put On by hand with sound going out through the Photophone speakers. The tone and volume are clear and sweet, indicating the speaker at least has been Improved Unofficial advices from G. E. Is to the effect that the installation will be completed in a couple of weeks This is first house to be so equip ped but it is known here that Photo phone work has been placed on pro duction basis at the G. E. plant, and workers are being hired here for the factory work, with a part of a building formerly devoted to radio -used on Photophone. produc- tion. Everyone concerned seems reticent on the installation with little in- formation given out or obtainable. They all say the "big story" will be. ready in a couple of weeks. Sam Spring Loses $50,000 1st NaVl Job . Another plank was ripped out of First National's overhead when President Rossheim relieved Samuel Spring of a vice-presidency to which was attached a yearly stipend of around $50,000. Warren G. Boothby, comptroller, who pulls down far less and is cred- ited by intimates with having prac- tically held down "the bigger job duiing the past six months, now aets the credit and more kale. Jack Warner, head of Warner Brothel's production, Is reported to have decided after lately reached New York, that he will move the talking short end of the coast plant to the East. With the move will come the production staff, Ineludlng Bryan Foy, who has been the War* ner's liiain director of shorts.. It is said the Warners believe they will have a. better field for talking short subjects around New. York.. With other producers at this end. with theatre circuit affiliations also going after talking shorts, the former fertilq field around Los An^ gelcs, which Foy worked to a finish, is becoming rather sllni. In Brooklyn the Warners have the former Yitagraph studios, adaptable for sounded shorts. Another report fiays that Jack Warner has not yet decided upon whom he wants as production man- ager for the.-talkirig short plant in the East. . . W'licn the Wai-ners were the only makers, of talking shol'ts, Foy as their director and scout, turned in a hirge number of vaude acts as . they apt)eared in or around Los Angeles. The Warners made a large quantity, but most of them turned out to be worthless as' talking . shorts. Few of the large early num- ber .of shorts piled tip by the War- ners remain on their active talking shorts sales list. .'. U Not Closing Studio; Sound Plant by Nov. 1 Los Angeles, Sept. 18. Denial that the studio will shut down for another period similar to' that of a few months ago has bieen Issued by Unlversal's executives. They assert that the prospects for completion of preparations, to make sound pictures have improved to such an extent that the expected cessation of production has sim- mered down merely to a temporary slackening in film making. The new sound plant at the lot is ex- pected to be finished by Nov. 1 as the ultimate date of completion. The studio Is "alreadV somewhat behind in its schedule, having three La Plantes, two . Dannys, thred Hoot Gibsons, another Collegian^ series, two more serial's, and "Broadway,'; "The Shannons .of Broadway"'and "The Play Goes On," specials, still to be made on the season's program. Universal plans to make all of its future pictures in sound and the program will be held up as much as pos-sible until the plant is ready.. Metro's Negro Picture Los Angeles, Sept, 18. E. Richard Schayer is adapting the story of negro life, as yet un- titled, written and to be directed by King "Vldor for M-G-M. As tlic story is now laid out there will be one white person in the cast. Engineers on Talkers Sound films will monopolize the annual convention. of the So- ciety of Motion Picture Engineers to be held Sept. 24-28 at White- face Inn, Lake Placid, N. Y. Talkers will be discussed froAi the standpoint of experts and sci- entists with every conceivable angle from the "Characteristics of PhTtcTT^TccTrlc^ CellH'' to; t^^ lie's attitude. . MENJOU'S "CONCERT" . Loa Angele.s, Sopt, 17. Adolpho Menjou will be starred in "The (Concert," a stage play, by Paramount,. instead of Einil .lan- nings, for whom the story was orig- inally bouglit. ""TJiVmrir-^"-^.Temil^S==^lll^^^^^^^ pictiu'c, Eleanor Boardman's Next Los Angeles, Sept. .IS. . Eleanor Boardinan has been signed by Inspiration ITalpi-rin for "She Goes to War," to b<» direet^^d by Henry King. M-G-M recently fail<»d to exer- cise an option on her sf-rvk-es. Misleading Ads Harmful to Talkers About the most injurious. item to the popularity or drawing power of talking pictures just now is misleading advertising. In a way it's a menace. . ^. • , * Advertisements frequently at present in calling attention, to. sight and sound pictures seek to leave the liniTcssion that the picture, though but sounded, includes dialog. To that end the "See and Hear" or a similar phrase is employed in the ads, or else other misleading wording used. ^-■'-^■rj.^yig.^^^^^^ completed, and then sounded sloppily in a rush, with not much merit-to elttt?r pic-- ture or sound record, dlsgu.sts patrons lured in on the ad. It appears to be a matter up to the produeers and distributors, with more care given to the sounding and much more to the ad- vertising. . , , , J Otherwi.se the result may be that the favorable Impression and publicity created by the talking wave will be quickly reduced to the normalcy that the silent picture found Itself in before the talk- er arrived. C. North; Hollywood Guest ■VVashington, Sept; 18.- . C. J. North, chief of the. picture section of the Department of Coni- morcc, left here IMday for Holly- wood as the guest of the film pro- ducers until Oct. 15. North will toll the .picture makers the inside of the foreign market and absorb some first-hand infor- mation himself. He Is scheduled for plenty of speeches while on the west coast. Palhe-FBO Vocal Tests - TJa^"XWcVes7^^er)tT=l-S^^^ Every .iilayer on the Pathe lot in Culver City, ia undergoing voice tests. When the work is com- pleted the FRO players will be put through. For Pathe "The Leathernecks" Is reported to be the first all-talker. Principals are William Boyd, Alan Hale and Robert Armstrong.