Variety (Nov 1928)

le VARIETY PICTURE S Wednesday, November 7, 192iB V Trade paper eclitors chosen as; the; eornrnitfee for tlib Harris Cqp; to be presontecl to the coiVimittc^ for. the ArncHcan who 1 iias dipne:the moists arid .Go-Oporatipn betwepn Britain arid U. S. pictures, do; not appear pvcrwiilinely,. in .the mia^jorityr to sei've the comfnitteei . Variety's dcqiinfitipn y/As ^fp^\Va^ded: last week to' B^^^ Gallup, chairman ,of the committee. It is ; undcrstplbd;.a .couple of-other ttaSe papers considered the ..1?hm.c:^vj^^^ ■ etehpinfejv-;. ■ ■ ■ ■'^■■■V..':-. ■'■ The cup a-'3.<it presen ipteridt'cl 'is to be. presented at an Anglo-Am ica.n idjnrier 'in Njjw .-Yprk Nc)\^/ .20,"^ with- tick at fiO, cacli. . The initial prbpdsal wais. to have the presentation' .through the AMPA- Ho.W: that was-no one.appears to' exactly;know; The. AMPA .hPlils-its Naked Triith: Dinner annually'and is one of the established e-vertts- of the' picture .trade oyer hier'e;^. • , ,~ .; \ Sarri Harris, editor .of an Englfsh . film \tra'de ^^^^(or^^^^^^ the cup . when over here some m affoi A .Suggeist^n of inside politics .ha:s ; arisen thrbijgh the :ta'lk and corri^m^^ anf'nt the whole thing. One of the ' trade paper cditars iri 'Now Ybrir.hamed on the .selection, cbmhiltt^e iis said to ;hi:iyc advocated a selection: of his own- in. hlS;She.et.. -Np.t'so fancy, • .with' otiier .t*i;adc - papers piV\sbm thinking Jf politics , is behind, • the prpjeipt,; let the. pplitieians^^^ the trade handle it,' not .goaty trade' ■■'paji}ers:- -f- .l':.- ■■ :' ' ■ ' ■ '- ■.. ■'.:■.■'■ are. .constantly ha.vlng friendly battles over directors, and sets. Some times, it isn^t so friendly but that's the exception to the rule. : Boys working on the shoVta are the guilty' parlies, snoaJtlng in pn the big'^sets to grab off a- scene or. two and :alsb contihubusly annexing those llrst string directors who are between pictu^^^^^ Ihcldbntally, the direc tors are glad to help but on the shoxts, figuring the morie^ ^ipprience that they can g^it with sound the betteri.' . Ernst Lubitsch worked with his "King of the Mountains'', John iBa.rry- mpre picture, from nobri iin.tii 6 the following morning in the. operi; Thfe iocnitibn was tliat of an Alplnb village in^ winter. While Univei^s^^^ :pl,only hot in th.ie dayt;ime It ;ls so. much, diffbrent at night .in November that. the. players did hot haye tO| leAn very heavily on their imagiriatlbn to' Le .convinced the atmosphere was genuine,- . ■ ' . " ■ The girl fi-ieri^^^ 'Canada has again started. As- she's safe enough With Jher ..sfeirts- bn, the gal might make, it rougher .and tougher, khpwirig. there, will , be ho comeback.: . But girlie shpuld be .slipped the info that no . iongbt is the Old. Albee press dcpartnierit ' working in the- okl -wayi Now 'thci^b .is no Vbne. . but 'Albee. . hims.««if arid who -will buy the issues ■ by : thb hundrbds fcir singlp. page di..stributw^ - ;.:;f'pr thie.vglrl friend -be oliay after' ali. ISVen if she does believe ill-a. suiisidlzed'tradbvpress^ ■ : Tiffany-Stahl's ""rhb T R. .e'.. A. . Photbphohe . sound, ran througlio'lit. last week. over ;the. Western 'Elebtric -\virc equiiinient at the Mark Sti-ahd,-%pbkly^^ rcpbrted: . '; T ' -. Nov. 20 is.^the daite set for the. cbmrncncembnt of the trial of. the airy - leged infringbinent in ...the'/D :Suit. against Fbx-Casbi .It will ogCUf -in; the federal court in. Kbw Yorki Western Electric a;nd its patents may .be drawn into the; action, which, is expected tp..Consume 10; .■4ays:-.irt tirj^-ing.- , -^'^ \ ^ ,' >'-.-There -iV:a—pb!^siM being settied in. this trial, altho.ugh Avith appeals by Oilier .-side, the lilnat y■e^dict'rriay-- ;.be a^lohg.lingbring piie;-. ■ ■ ■ ;';.. • y \.-'; ■ . . '. A. Cahadlaii actibri recently, instituted 'in. G.anada;by .DeForbst. on an , injithctive .proceedi'rig alleging; infringbnieht will' .hot come up ^fbr trial before next March.. .. Dangers of ^ legit people g'iyiiig a ,lopse .•perfornxance, rio'wadays was emphasized? by two inipbVtant pibture men. both in a position to recbm- , inend and. plficb b.hgag , - . Speaking of a shb'w now on Brbadvyay, brie of the: film men -stated he arid the btheiv had .seen't a stage /ever, when tliey atteiided the night .''f»ebple. like .that- will never get a job in pictures if. their, .names .ever conie -before either; p , ■ 'Uhdergrouhd passageways and^t^^^ built for; the "filming Pf "What Price .Glory" at. Pox 1-iilis came in h^ihdy.:wli.eri 'Epx started coristr\iction on .their Moyietbrie plant, Thby are . now :bei'ng utilized a.s pbrmarierit '\ariderg-Fpuh<5 ^passa^ewdy^Jt^ Svhioh eliminatbs thernecessity of bntbring the ya:rlbus sound' stag"es .from the Plitsidb:where tbi^eign noises are; hnbrb , - : . . '.; ';. . ■ ■ ..Filni^ salesmen ; are how trying to sell Charles .Farrell. tP his father, the latter being an exhibitor and o\v.riihj|r a 400-:seater in which Charlie;: used: ta help but oh. the picture bickerirtg. This was before young irar-; .r;ell went to the coast as yalet. for Little' Billy, the "midget being re- .sponsible for Fox's current juvenile being put.there/thrbiigh that means. .. "The F^^rrbU theatre, is at Onset, Mass^ .a summer resoi't oh Buzzard's Bay, witb^the ho'iise. rnainly. depehdent upon, summer trade to get: over/. . ;Althotigh the. iFbx .inob bh the' boast claim their hew sound studiP was ercbted In a 100 da.ys-, and they're teGhnlbally right,:, there is also a contention that.;thQ. tptai- ampunt of labor days^;- . Triple figure is reaphed through the construction job having been rushed by threb.shifts of l.DOO nVen wbrking around the clock seven days a week; ■-. - Sound short arid regul.ar prpdiictipn units pn a few of the cPast lots Jusi: Cotitpieied for VftitdeviUe or ■ '■■-V^'.', Pictures. Avaitdble ing ■ ■' .!H- 9.l.T.K«.^ 4:*'Pl;!it* niijsiciri' It* niusiCiri'. <'\ri.iiiMTy', '7 ■pi:imMpal's.- .2; licis.' linW -.7 '.j^i-oiies -.wlili; prolOKUo^ 1-^1 yKi)nK^\'. \- ; -.;■'•■,:■•■. v;:-'". ..liodki ' I'vllc.'' ivnii . niu.«ic' by■ >TiiOnUTIiJ .TtYSKINI*,' WAftlKO anil. "PAT" 2. '!ro.i J JCCTA:'rio,''' ' ciimlonsoil ;. vp.r.sioil • V of ' .nVlnVrii, 'S .p(''Opli>, . 25 ' >iiliiUlp,s, • .4 Hortp.o',. 2 fljVot'liil (lilpl<'x sp.ts ro<|nlrci1..;- ■ • 3"VT.OVK .» (jirJ -acl'. 'IN A ' r.CVrl'AdlO," liciy .'find I U. I>0i>l,'l('.. ,12 initiljli>.s, slH'rhil sdnsfi - trIi'U, sot. Vi>fiuiri>il Tormirnri'so NO\V' IN I'KB.I'ATIATIO.NJ;. :"'.r.rriO Ist lll,- :\y\>\' CiVMlj,"- s.niiirt hiliniatu -ciiuisical ■ fonioily. ', : ; I'lousr' u(l(lr.«'s!t lill «>(>n)iiitiiilf'iitl(>iiN' t<) . Francis Drake Ballard 30 W. 52d St., New/ York City Flader^ U's Theatre Gen. Mgr., Over Here Frb<I l<^laaer, generaiTifrniltger^or- .Universal. Theatres in 1'iiirbpei lias been appointed head of Universal Chain Theatres, Avith odlcos. in N.o.w York, by. Carl' Laotnmle. . I>-lader as.sUmed. charge of ap- proxiniatbljv 2SC TJnivorsal houses week after about two year.«i on Hio pontihent. ■' . > ;l>r.ee^b(lihg his.{Europoiin positioir Fin (lor . was in charge of tliC Unir Vbrsai key housf-s here! Pathe Sound News' Pre-Release '.• ■ .. ' ■ ■ . ; ■Loiii.'syille, Nov; C Piithe's first sound hewsreel is getting a. showing at the local Mary Anderson theatre. - ,-. 'i'he l'.ithe sound Horvicf^ on, cxir*- rent events is not.due for national roli.MSf until .Nov. 11. ,■ ; Nagel, From M-G to Fox .■Conrad ,N;i;;ol,' after complbtiivg liis v^irk ptipoKii(>;N(irnia Sltoiirer in Will play .opposite. Mary Inmctin in "Through Different lOyes," for Fox. JOE and WILLIE HALE PUTTING THE LAUGHS IN FANCHON and MARCO'S "SAXOPHOBIA IDEA Direction: WILLIAM PERUBERG WM, MOnitIS AGKyCY »> After making comedies- for many years, Eddie Clinc decided that he •wa.s ripe tb direct, a dramatic feature. He had just finished making a Charles Murray picture for First Natfbhal^ when he caihe to. this conclusipn and thought that he might as. well make his bow as a dramatic director; for F. N. . ' • . . '' •■.:-'■■.■ ' ' ';/'■. In looking over the .schedule,, he found the only spot: open ,wa.« Milton SilisV ^iThe Crash.'' So he .made' up his., mind to direct this one. Two days later, a squatty,: obe.se per.son, with a heavy Vandyke beard and wearing SQuare, horn-rimmed glasses, was ushered into the presence of Al Rpckett, and intrbduced: as . Ediiard Vbn ; Kleini Gbrniah director, just arrived in Hollywood, ,after years of work abroad.. In broken Eng- lish, he explained to JRbckett ttliat he \yas a, directPr of heavy dfarha and wanted a chance to; show his stuff. For 10 minutes, Rockett fell for the gag before he suddenly got wi.se. When the mutual laughs subsided, Rockett asked, hinri what: the real; idea wais.: Cline explained that he wanted to direct "The. Crash'' and'the.ujpshot was that Rockett gave him the job. '" '■■':':/.: - ' [ .Maurice Chevalier ■wjll Ipng rbniember his "first night In Hollywood, and so will a number of others. Chevalier arrived in the morning, and met the -gents of the press at a noon luncheon. He had been given to understand there wpiild be a story conference that evening, :participated in by Al. Kaufman and Hari'y D'Arra.st, his director. Like most. fbrelgri players, Chbyalier . was possessed. of .two. beliefs^ that night life in' Hollywood was pretty rough and that in the United States one iirtist topped in .stature tjle others, that being Gliarles .chaplih. In the; home pf Kaufman' the hew comer was- getting down to the especially staged story qpnference: when; in walked Ohapliri... The- siir- prise was complete. Chevalier Haw' no prte else for many ih'inlite'Si and. Cliiaplin, an admirer" of . Che-Valier, Was prpfu'.se .in .hiiJ compliments, to \yhich the Frbnchman in .extiV.me .self rdepreciation.' r^^ to listen. It .was nb't Ippg befpre Chevaliei* wras sing in English to Chaplin and the latter, likewise , was .singing .to Chevalier ■ in hiis iniprbhiptu FPeTfchT^^'i4ie--ismailr-^a^^^^^^ en- tirely unconscious entertainoi's. . • '• '"'- Weeks preceding the dedication ceremonies; at Fox's, .new; . Mbyietbne City, several sp'eeches were being jii'e pared for Maiy Duncari,: whoso honor it .\y.as. to iinveil the; monumental placque. Speeches, submitted were eliminated; to' three:' tWo; were cohtribiited; .by ,1hternatioua,lly known < writers, while the third, was contributed by Miss Duncan her.self. When it came time to deliver. Miss Duncan did not read the speeches of anr other man's invention, but recitod^^^h^^^ Independent exhlbltprs Aire recalling nowadays how Pete 'Wpodhull advised them at: Milwaukee "bt.to wire; to' take their time; there would be. plenty •white and black productions; and .to avoid the heavy wire Investment. - ; .^i : 1; '.. ■; Woodhull then -was. and still" is the president of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America. - '- Contracts-given, through^ A. C.; Blumerithai • for William: Fox • in the Greater New; York theatre d^^Sis'^it^^^ for |i6 per cent, bohimissipji on the deal, to the brokers,, Two are mentioned with one of theip :Blum[ehfhal,. In a preliminary, questionn.aire. It does not state, oh what ba.sis the charge.:of .10 per cbftt. is made,..Svhethei^' an appraised value or actual cash passing. When Universal made .'.'Phantom of the Opera" a few years agb, It left a few of the;, large sets and a special stage used In making the picture, remain for ylsiting tourists to see. - These were Identified /by huge signs posted nearby so the visitors; cpuld be reminded of their big epic. Recently, the Ken Maynard cPmpany .filmed; sbmV exteriors oh the Universal lot, when Al Rogell spptted the signs and- decided the title of "Phantom Cowboy" would make,a good box office title for a future Maynard.^^esterh. ; He re^ trniversal execu- tl-ves heard about it' they wanted to knbw who ' was asleep on thb job, especially when a.shprtagc of western titles existed on their lot. One of the producers on the coast in search of a suitable story for John Barrymore called Wilsbn Mizner in to submit a^ idea. -MIzner sat down and wrote a 150 word, synopsis' of' "Haiiilet," submitted it to the prbducer,. -who declared Barryrtiore cPiild never make such a story. IVlizncr then advised- the, producer to read "Hamlet." One. of Hollyw.ood's young film leading wpmen; who appeared in a couple of the early talking -films and whose voice; reproduction: didn't ca:-,se ary -lo , staged a determined, but futile one-person ca::hpa' • -against-:thc_talkersLj3_ejGbre she first appeared, .under a mike.' And re- grotted it plenty. , •;: ' --;. •••; ■.:■.; , ■ _ ■ The producing cpnipaiiy had'ehgaigoia a man fbrrnerly with the making of records.for. a phpno.£?raph epmpiiny to^ kivb thb player.s some technical advice On voice reproduction and harmonics.. > ; ;. ; Wlren .the;ypung.woman-went -to his;'office,"^ her lips. firmly and.-declared ;lhat she didn't want: to appear in talkers and; didn't want to kno-yv anything about them. She refuiscd to accept fvdyiee; or tips on how to handle her voice,; despite 'she h.-xdn't a-chahce :Lu ;('si ' ii | »i i iii . )■ l ^l . ^ ^ no i. r,n^|ljv^n^b'^;" :. ■; ' • . . ' ■ . . -. - ... EXHIB ASKING $250M FLOORS PRODUCERS Col. Cole of Tex. Did Asking, but Didn't Get Dbugh ■ Col. H. Cole, , head of the 'Texas exhibitors, one of the.few near-in, depehdbrit bodies In the country hurled the', biggest . bbmb. ah^'jrtdi© oyer flung on the Hays' .floor when he. came but flatfbotedly for. prb- ducer support to the.- sum ■' of $1250,000,' ;:. ;.;,■;:';.■■/.' :-^ ■ .■ / - . The .prodiucers, as .well as Petb 'Wobdhull, figurehead of/the Sfotion Plbture Theatre' Owners of Amerj- ca, now under Hays' thurhl), with five of its ten: directors .repreiient- Ing the biggest producers, were aghast. ''\ - . -;.''-,•..;;.- Gol.- ebi.e didn't ;^et the dough.:.:. . The Cole idea, which np one 'pf the paid exhib pbliticians wants to be Identified with,..is said to have been: inspired . the^few reniaihihg . Insurgent . indie groups ; needing strength In themselyes in order to provide, ilay's li^iim Board, of Trad© with exhibitor : representatioh so that they could; continbe; to fiihc- tion in mparts where -the "pb-\ver of the national exhib body was cut off.; .-:; ■,' ..;-.' ■ . ;..:' '.;:. -': y.^r : ;; Hays' ..Capture. . Ebc.iu.se thb; Colonel diirlh't click Js ..venturbd hy' a few oh the other side of the fence - as the "re.aspn ^ f or his alleged attack on thb M. :P. ;T. O.; A;, and; hiiS: dbblaration^ had been captured by H.ay.s. ,: Both the producer 'andVpxlvib pr- ganiza.tiort.<i deny thby iirc mixed up'lh liTbTiy "ti.itd--sellr,T^^^ through" one .spokesman, say there are t.wo ;kinds (of indie oxlvibitW-V and ■ that they arc irt the first and admittedly better class -which pro- vides them with avregiil.'ir flow of quality, pictures for a-tbm The old fa:.shipn indiba arc;; Ihos.e.; who .simply hav.e the-bpx: offices a'hd'; no such- t rifkle o t h igh gra de prod- uct. ,.'.-.■:-■' ■,;-..'■ • The . producbrs v.figure, arid their calculation.3 ; a re ;agrebablc -. to the M. P. T. O. A, because they are the: Sure.st-;pay, that ;aTl'ybnc' with 51 per cent, or mbre lhterest in;a^^^^ pfn.be' is eligible for qualifioatibri, these; daj-s, as an indie. 7 in Fla. for Publix; Buys Out Partner Sbvch theatres: in' Palm Beach, West Palm Beach and' Lake Worth, ,- Florida, have tiecn taken over by Publix. ■ . ;'.; -•■'• Stanley C. Warrick of; Palm Beach, corowher^of the. houses with ; Publix , retires from business jDCr cause of ill health; .■ ; ' ; : Of the tlveatrbg,. Paramount and Beaux . Arts in Palm - Beach- play : first runs. -With, knowledge still, nil,- .slie ■ went Into, the talk scenes and «poke her lines; On the last day the;teihhioai adviser .was .oh the lot- she hS\ard the rcrprpduction. of her voice; lor the first timoi and-when listening to. tlve- sounds., that;camb from the wbord-almost colUip.sod.' She bcgk^cd for the advice she had rofu.^ed,. but it was too lato, and the film went out )Vith numerous unfavorablo cbmments on her voice resulting. ' ^. a<^)rgc -Stolorf,; Shooting ;.''S there on his maldun trip. Hb calk-d up Sol Wurtzel at the studio phOno and sard that he y/birld, hot .shoot any of the >:ew.York for this picture. Ho had,been out-lb Belmont Park and Irr- ■- in uty, ..aml.thfit'it .would be better to shoot the scenes at Tia Tuani Win-tzel replied that the story lKul;a Now York hackgrbiind^aiS^o in Mexico, so .Erivplrb City would have lo do, ' ; ; on the ra CG t rack s a ro u nd one . .A 'iuvonllc screen actor rocontly becam<v engancd to n f-^M.^ , All ingenue. The actor didn't- have mofuW enouuh to L ' ^ v J"' n.gaKc<n,ohtring so bought one on ti "e ^igiS nt -^^i^ ' ?" ly for a few months until the girl wS^ ^^-elfV^T l>awned the ring. This and other th ,v s n^'^v ,n , ''"^' .for breaking up the hotro;ha.r ^ been responsible In the nK-antlmo tlio acior had dpfaulfed In . / .,o,„a„aoa; .pot .,..(„.,i„.,„ .„. ^i-uiin'^^-:,,^^ ui".':' (Cohtinuod on p.'vge 47) Summer Attraction Film Road Show ONWED MOTHERS Booking Anywhere^Sehd Dates S A M U E L C U M MIN S Publix Welfare Pictures Corp. 723 Seventh Ave,, New York MASTER OF CEREMONIES - Golden Gate Theatre Los Angeles "1 hearci what you said, pai"^ HE R.\ST AnOrNP X.MAS 1 BABE MORRIS Queen of Tap Dancers PIrortlon F.*NrnON ""'l^'i^"/"** Toiirlnp Went ToftHt TliCiitros Featured in " A RTISTSVldea^