Variety (Sep 1928)

12 VARIETY P I C T U RES Wednesday, September 26, 1928 Weeks Studio Survey Ijos AiigL'lcs, Sept. 23. lloJlywood is bf^inning- to think that there may be tiirkoy on the table Thanksfflvinfj yfter all. After a porilous ulump of nearly two months' duration, cccisiunod by the unocrtairity. of the sound lllm situa- tion, the pieturo biz appoar.s to havo cauffht il.s breath and tho trend of production activity Is dolinitoiy up- ward. ■. \' '■ ^ Ator a, jiharp :rl.se In film making tAvb \vo(^k« a gov the pa.st week has witn<;s.sod another increase in ac- tivity, the indu.stry i'eacljing.74 per cent of normalcy, with indications that the rise will continue, ; Paramount, which has led the procession for many weeks, is still in the lead, tipntinuing its ijace of 11 pictures in thft making. AI-(}-M dropped off a bit, tini.shing three without adding any now one.s to the list, but Fox, First National, and "I^ife's a. Gamble," by J. Hlysione; "Slroct Fair," by AA'. Howard. First .Niitional.s. lineup has ''Ititzy Kosic," directed by M. Leitoy; "Ador.ition," by F. T-loyd; ".Scarlet «(>;!,<«.:• J. F. Dillon; "Changeling," FItzmaurico; "Synthetic Sin," AV. Soltcr; "Ixiw- k'ss Legion," A. Rogoll. F. B. 6., increasing tram two to six during the week, is making "Tropic Madhe.s.s," direciiMl by Vig- nola; "Outlawed," K. Forde; 'llard- boiled," H. Ince; "One Man Dog," L. DTsseau; ".7azz Ago," L. Shores; "Voice of the Storm," li. (Viennoir. AV.ann'r Uruther.s' live are "One. Stolen Night," directed by S. Dun-. la,p;- "Creyhound Limited," .11, Hretherton; "Fancy Haggage,". .1. Adolphi; "Queen of the Night Clubs," B. Foy; •■Madnnna of Ave- nue A," M. Curtlz. Tiffan.v-Stahl and, Columbia are each making four, tlie T-S films, be- ing ".Devil's. Apple Tree," directed by K. Clifton; "Spirit ot Vouth." W. Laiig;^ "New Orleans," li. Barker; TTiis table shows a summary of weekly studio activity for the past 32 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: .F. B. O. all increased their quota to .swell the Hgures, Taramourit is making "Sins of the Fathers," directed by D. Berger; "In- terference," t.alk version, by R. Pomeroy; "His Private Life," F. Tuttle; "Redskin," V. Schertzingcr; "Avalanche," O. Brower; "Shop- worn Angel,'.' R. Wallace; "Canary Murder Case," M. St. Clair; "Sbmo- ono to Love," 1<\ R. .lones; "Three Week iSnds," C; Badgerr "Four Feathers," Cooper - Schoedsack; "Wolf of Wall Street," R. Lee. Metro-Goldwyn's list' includes "Mvstcrious Islaijd," directed by L. Hubbard; "Cold Braid," , Hill; "Little Angel." R. Leonard;'"Hum- ming Wires." J. Waters; "Nize Baby," IT. Henley; ".-Xdrienne," V. Nihlo; "Broadway .Vtelody," H. Beaumont. l-'ox's six i\ro "Ifu.sb.an.ds Ai-c Liars," dir«'cted by II. C'anuon; "Veiled Lady," by 10. Flynn; "Our Dally Broad," K. W. Alurnau;; "TakTn.ir^ a.~ rriaTi7T'.'*""-i^V--McLP0d T "The nine.k Cning," fornierly called "Girl Who Came Back," J. Flood. Columbia's quartet includes "Power of the Press," F. Capra; "Nothing to Wear," K. Kenton; "Apache," P. Rosen; "College Coquette," C. Ca- ta;inhe< l.'nited Artists has three, "King of th9 Mountains," - Lubitsch; "Iron Mask,"' Dw,an; "Condemned," Bren- oh; At Metropolitan are Harold Lloyd's, untitled, diroctod by T. Wilde; "Linda" (C. JJroughton), by Mrs. D. Reld; "Hell's Angels," H. Hughes. TTniversal and Tec-Art en ell have two features under way. Tho.sc at TJ are "Show Boat," H. Pollard; "Cohens and Kellys in At- laniie City," W. Craft. Tec-Art's are "He.xd of the Family," H. Beau- dine fSax-Gotham) and "She Goes to War," H. Kinj? . (Inspiration), Studios having one feature; each in liroductlon are Chaplin, S<.unett and Cliadwick.. .Shoi'ts are being made by I'^niver- sal, five; Warner Brulhers. three; Fox/^two; .J.loa.clr, ; t w:oj. Cal^ two;. Daily, on(>. Par's Recording Trucks Los Angelos, Sept, 25. It is- reported Paramount is to have 20 portable n-eording .wngons, with six available at an early dale. The.s<» will bo u.scd for news ;!hd Kicatipn purposes. CMic will be de- livered to the Clirislie studio .abuxa i lieing fal.al. wlien he rcfp.^ed to open Oct. 1. ■ . j the s;ifi.' for thciii. The wairons will be .lal.elr .1 P:.ra- ; ^.^^^^^^ gave a fanlasii.' dis- mount Talking Piettn-cs and Clins- ' ' ■ . . ' . njoiiML • (, .>^li(.i.itnig durmi;- till' attempt ; h-cilil-u)!, lilling th.v lobby with bul- Thurwachter Shot Twice By Bandits in Hqld-Up '.Mihvauk'H.'. S.eijl, 26. ' \V:ilking into the.ollk'e of Loren Thurwfitchcr, uKinagcr of Fox's Park at WauUesh.i. .sulmrb, two bandits .xhot him iwii-e, ni'ither shot tie Talking I'Jotures. .lei lioli's as they ran to th<'ir ear. I ,\<>. trace of ibc ynnmcn li.'is been Gloria Swanson's "Clothes'' Los Ang..'lo.s, Sipl- , i-,,ui,ti. Ci'loi'ia Swanson has jjiu'chascd j, . .:. '•Clothes," by Lucy Stone TerrlH as I ■ _tlio lilm story she will do ai ler . CAMILLA HORN'S HUSBAND "Q tieeii""KeITj-r"1a'r-"^=Trrvt--nrr>(lih^-^ tioJi. I AU U TALKERS WILL BE MADE IN NEW YORK Universal has about decided to make its talking pictures, long-or short. In or arotind New York. Carl Laemmle. will probably hit toAvn during the week and cinch it. : Studio space is bieihg sought and' may be Jfpund by U In the former Pathe studio at 134th street, now under direction of FBO. Bob Kane, in talking charge at FBO, Is .wiring the studio and Is said to be welling to rent space to producers. BRITISH nLM FIELD (Continued from page 6) ber, M-G-M has out a, 48-sheet worded"Lo'ok out for the New Em- pire Day." This is laid out so. "New" appears in one . line, with "Empire Day" in. one line below it. In this couiitry Empire Day is an institution. It is taken quite as seriously as Independence Day with you, perhap.s more. The use of it by an Amei'icah or- gahizationt and its association with a picture the.atre, has offended a. very , large section. . Certainly b.ad psychology. If a 100 per cent. Biut- Ish company built a theatre on Broadway and called it the George Washington or the 'Thanksgiving, and invited the Anierican public to look out for the Ne.\v George. Wash- ington Day or the New ThankBgiv- ing Day, they woxild probably hoar all about it. And de.serve to. The New Empire pl.an.s to handle 75,000 patrons aweek,-and will carry 60 ushers. It Is opening at. noon^— an hour to an hour and a half earlie* than the general picture house cus- tom In the West End, and running four performances' a day. Prioe.-?i are being set low for the lirst per- formance and Increased on a sliding scale for each round of the show. ^ . Resigh at Last Wednesday's (12th) meeting of the General Council meeting of the Exhibitors' Association failed to pro- duce its promised sen.satioii, as A. J. Gale killed the threatened storm by resigning frorii the. Advisory Com- mittee of the Board of Traded which he refused tp do at the tlnie W. N. Blake arid T. H. Orniiston resigned at the request of the council. All three are past presidents of the as- sociation, and -whcfi elected to the Advisory Committee (Which is the consulting body for the government under the Quota law) were. inde- uendcnt exhibitors. Since then they have joined combines and con- sequently fell into disfavor with the general body of the a.ssociatfon. .~^' lit. 2.1. " I ("iiiiiilla lliii'M li !> i'(iii(ini;iMl )i<'V i married ."-i.iiiv Ilii-Tiuil i.s t.'I.ai/, (!<jt i-/„ d".^i-i'i)).Ml a~. .•! \\> .iltby ^-x- Darling With Pathe Ld.s Angfli's, .Si'|it, 27i W. Scott Darling, f^ceiiari.^t,, has | p(,i'((vv-atiil inip"''i<'r I'f Loiuloii'and be.11 .'-ifined by Paul Pern foi- l»iithe. j jjcrlin. Jli.s lir.st a^signnii iit i.s ".N'oi.'^y j -Mjirr'i.itvi' took pl;i> i' in l\:ir.ip< Xi iglilxji's," If. will !"ea(Mre ICddic j jirioi- to .Mi.^'^- Il'-iu"- arriviil in Quillan and tlie r< ,st (if Ih'" Quillans. Jlollyu ood last .\()\■ ii:in i. After 30 Years Some 300 distributors and exhib- itors came to a lunch Sept. 11 to celebrate A. C. Bromhead'^s 30 years in the lilm business. There were 14 speakers, all gladhanding, and perhaps in this case justifiably. Bromhead, who is the phairman of the board of the Gaumont-British Corporation, Denman picture houses. General Theatres Corporation, .and other subsidiaries with a combined capital of $45,000,000. New Stoll Directorate Under the title of the Stoll Cor- -poration, .Ltd,,..th.e. amalgamation of the Stoll theatres and other, inter- ests, ali-eady outlined in V.arioty, was regi.stered this week. Capital is $10,050,000. in 10,450,000 common stock, and 500,000! management sh.ares, the latter issued to .'^ir Os- wald Stoll. These management shares got no dividend till the com- riion has lia.d 6% per . ceiit. Then they get 6%. per cent., after whieh they rank equally with the coiiimon for further dividends. The board of the new corpqi'Mioh consists of Sir Oswald Stoil,'. Sir George Dance, Alderman H. .E.Da- vis, W. S. Gordon Miehie, i-lewellyn .John.", George F. Reynolds aiid James Christie. Picture Possibilities The Phantom Lover—(Unfavorable) "THE PHANTOM LOVER" (Gustav Blum, 49th Street theatre). European sex-problem play, Impossible for Alms unless liberally aJtere<^ In which event what now constitutes main theme must be eliminate^^ Short In spectacle, all action practically retroactive. .LaUm ^Good Boy"—Favorable "GOOD BOY". (Hammersteln, Musical, Hammerstejn'fi)^ Male Cinderella plot han a chance for the-flickers^ especially If th<| Blage production registers for a run. Otherwise, It's the fanilUaf abou^ the small town boy attempting to click oh Broadwiiy. A1>el. ^'Heavy Traffic"—Unfavorable "HEAVY TRAFiriC'* (Comedy, Charles Frohman, Empire). . Stronger on dialog than actlo'^. Leading character a wife w'ho fluttert among other men and out for screen. . liee, ] ■ "Machinal"--UnfavorabIe "MACHINAIj*' (Melodrama, Arthur Hopkins, Plymouth), While it is accorded novel stage treatment the story of a wife who murders her sleeping h\i§band hardly does for the screen. A sort of Rutb Snyder case, Ihee, "The High Road"—Favorable "THE HIGH ROAD" (C. B. Dillingham., Fiilto'n theatre). Innocent, smart comedy of parlor manners and a lover conflict be-, tween 'an actress out of the herd and a .snob; nothing to cCnsor; sweet plot; several ready-made parts, and a New York run as.sured to give It a boost. Good foi- either talkies ot dumbies.; Edna Best, the lead, should do it for either—nobody In pictures any prettier or abler. '•- ; ■ ■ Lait. "WKite Li|acs"^Favorable "WHITE LILACS'' (Shubert-Operetta-Shubert) rilstprical Romance ba.sed on Frederic, Chopin's life, embracing names like Mme. George Sand, the novell.st, Franz Liszt and Glocomp Meyerbeer, the compp'sers, and Helnrlch Heine, poet and librettist. Good chance for flickers, par-, tlcularly with .sound and', of course, the certainty, of the stage presenta- tion's success further enh.ances its value. Abel. "The New Moon"—Favorable "THE NEW MOON" (Operetta, Schwab and Mandel, Iihperial), Costiime. ))i;oduc.tion away frpn^i the conventional. Gotid story,, with plenty of color h.nd roniance.. Possible as a talker and from score angle. /bee. ■ ■ "The dreat Power"—Favorable "THE GREAT PO^^T^R" (Drama, Myron C. Fagan, Ritz), Should make a .satisfactory program picture, and better silent than as a talker. ' ' Ibee, . "Luckee Girl"—Favorable "LUCKEE GIRL" (.Shubert^Musical-Caslno). . Unlike smashes, imisl- cal.s rarely attain the flickers. As familiar stOry, this has. chance for pictures, but limited .stage appear will hardly make this likely. Abel. "This Thing Called Love"—Unfavorable "THIS. "THING CALLED LOVE" (Patterson McNutt, Maxine Elliott theatre), .Sex "problem" play. Problem trite and unimportant. Wliole thing sordid from a film standi>oint, Nice little show, but won't ihake enough reputation to put oyer a bad picture. Ixiit, ♦"The War Spng"—Favoirable "THE WAR SONG" (comedy drama, Albert Lewis and Sam Harris, National). Play with a war background l?ut with underlying strain that iiiay make it applicable, as did "The Jazz Singer." Ibee. "Elmer the Great"—Questionable "ELMER THE GREAT" (Comedy, George Cohan, Lyce% n'). Detracting angle is that there have been so many baseball pictures. Otherwise good screen material with abundant laugh possibilities and usual crucial ball game finish. . fit**' Gaumont-British Div. . The report for the' first yi'ar'.s working of the GfUimont-HriiLsli Cori>riration an .a public company will .«how a profit of jLVLlLTijO on .an i.'5.sued capital of f 12.l7.T.(.'iiO, with $1,0(10.000 in debenture.^.' They are paying G per cent, on the eoinmon i uXL«il^ pay) iig_the^pre f' ■ reiie<•_jl iyid<■ nd ! of per cent. Thi.- eomninn .'^(ock. with a par value (>f ?l';r)0, i.« ] still quotf d on th<> I..(iiidi)n .'^t<f< K ^ Hx'.ii.'uijre at over j7.r)n, thouiili at ' llii.'- price it jiilds Ic.*;.^. than' L' ii< i ' cent. Bits and Pieces A. George Siuilh, l)'';td hcvf i ( rnidiicers' Pl.tstiibutuif,' Co., re- I ttirned from i'ari.<j thi.'< vve' k, w1j< r< • he has been putting in the working of the Fi'cnch Phptotone company, of which he is also head. C, R. Seelye is in Berlin, still re- cuperating. J. V. Bryon is back from a vaca- tion at Villa Lumiere. H. E. Blankc, of Warner Bi'others, is here to supervise the production of the Edgar Wallace story, "The Flying Squad," to be rhade by Brit- ish Lion Company for Warner's Quota. Sinclair Hill, production m.anagcr for the Stoll Studios, is in Bei'lin coll(;eting ideas and things. Taking a clofio intere.st in tho Ufa plant at Babelsberg, they say. Loui.s Levy, hxusi.cal director. 5t the ,ShOPlierd'.<* BiLsh Pavilion, goes to the Capitol In the same capacity. Still remains mu^jie.a.l director for the. Shepherd's Biish house, both be- longing to Denman-Gcneral. T. Orgeli.st, who built up the Capitol's muaio a. lot, is leaving, and the low- down is that he will get an offer frohl.A. Geqrg.o Srnith at .once, prob- ablv TO tnlcc charge of the orchestral end of Phototone. l'*rovihci.al Cinematrigraph Theatres open (mother new house Monday, th<> 17th, at Preston. Called tho Xi-w Victoria. 2,000-.^eater. The- Lido, Golder's Green, is to open Oct. 1. Meantime A. JO. Abra- !iam.« lias bo»iglit a .sit(> on the same road buf nearer the railway depot, and starts in. to '.mild a Regiil, that being the generif name of the 100 theatres at which he aims trt pos- s(>ss. Tlio Lido .s-f.ats l',Otil. ,' Why the i)dd juimbfU'V Dvmno. Vie.ior Slierid.'in has fixed a von- tract Willi thf Western lOleetric (U. S.V by wliieh In- Will provide studios 'i -V^''.:jj" 1' .}T()Vietone and Vita- 11| VI irio "pl^riirilT^Lui t 1 vef i 11 TnFlTirR="-T f'liiple. Ill" ))rf)du> tion conipanies on till' f-liK U--, ;ind ].•-• goln^r to the puh- 11" for c'lsh next nmnth. . Ralph I'u;.^! i.'^ not in with tlx; .Sheridaji WCiiihliy seh(-:u»'. but may organiZ'- a riidiiiictii)7V e.iinipauy (i> oci.'upy one (.'I tin- .-•■iudids. Mr;uitinM' Sheridan i.*- 71 I.I Kin;-, a publi.- issue next we''k fur the broadca.'.-.iiiur of wiri'l"ss .slill pi't Ml <-.v. on I'l.r- iiMv l'ijl(i)n .«y.^tetn. In connection' with the Broadcasting Company, British "Bplibar" Correction The following letter comes from; John Maxwell, chairman of the board of British International Pic- tures: . "I observe that in Variety o£ Aug. 29 you attribute to British International the picture 'Boli- , bar.'. Please corroiet'*f&is in ypur next Issue—^we have plenty of sins of our own to answer for." "Bollbar" was produced by Brit- ish Instructional Films, Ltd. The .slip was no doubt due to long dis- tance typesetting and proofreading. - -CARLOTTA KING'S. VOICE Los Angeles, Sept. .25. Carlotta King, concert and radio singer, hut comparatively unknown in West Coast studios, has been chosen for femme lead in Warner Brothers' "The Desert Song;" Ml.s.<3 King, has a soprano voice. Collinc|s on L. I. Los Angelos, Sept, 25, Pierre Collings, scen.arist, has gpne to New York to .assist in writ-r ing for the Panimpunt Astoria studios. Ccdiings has written the story and dialog for "Night: Club," two- oi- three-reeler tp be made under suixTvii-iion of Mon'a F.ell. . Bachmann Coming East Los. Angelos, .Sejjt. 25. J. G. Bachmnnn. as.-^oeiate P<ar producer, leaves for .N'< \v York Oct. j for a month to look at jilays and "buy lTr~(^nuetTmi^liTSTelTTi^^ Sheehan's Bad Leg • Los An.i?c-l('s. Si'pt. 25. . Winnie She.iphan has l.<-<.n laid up f<ir the past two we"k.s with a had leg at his Beverly Tlills luinre-. He ( Xpccts to be li;i< K in harne'.i tbiv week.