Variety (Nov 1928)

VAiRIETY PICTURES Wednesday, November 14, 1928 Tiring of Advertising Tie-Up l,os Angolos, XtSv. 13. su.bnu-i-uod Avuh : comitle.ss recjuosts for cxiiloitatibn tif-iips ind screon jperson;iiity ondi.M-scmcnts for na- tional and locally advertising prod- u'cis. ■ The racket has bocoinp so coni- nipn that .a number of the studios and screen perisonalitics are re- fusing,to lend-their s\ipport to this form of publicity, believing that the value of the novelty has worked out its, usefulness long ago and a continuance dan only result in un- dermining their, popularity. .. This altitude is forcing a nun}-, ber of the national advertisers to Spend lai'ge sums; and put forth inexhaustible effort.to procure en- dorsements from big screen names. One of th e largest cigarette ad - vertisors wishing to compete .with Lucky Strikes, one of the pioneers in this l!brni of exploitation, fbuhd It n(5cessary to engage the services pf a fan magazine publisher to se- cure the endorsements for them. The. pubhsher is said to have been given $50,000 advertising appro-pri- atioh for 'this work, but when ap- proaching some of the big names, he found it necessary in a number of cases to make, certain publica- tion concessions In the way. of space and covers in his magazine before, he could get the . players to sign. . ..' ' Another large advertiser of soap with over $1,000,000. appropriated to securing endorsements, finds , .it nocessary to have representatives in Hollywood who do nothing biit maintain personal contact, with, the; screen players and sec that they are. furnished with enough soap to keep themselves sul^plied. This fea- ture is seldom Appreciated by the screen actors who prefer cold cream. Taking Up Time Instances Where, endorsements have, already been secured, the ad- vertisers feel the names are getting the best of the bargain and will Invariably insist on further co- operation from the studio to whom the player is under contract They will request the studio to make certain gag pictures to carry on the work. If all the requests o.f this .nature were cornplie^ with, the players would have no time 'for their work and the .studio .could not afford the cost. The endorsement form of ex- ploitation has become so univers- ally, known and admired by all kinds of manufacturers that the studio.s receive hundreds of letters from all parts of the world seeking permission to use the names of their.players in,connection with the advertising of product. Some of these requests are pathetic in their sincerity and come from manufac- turers of most any conceivable commodity. One of the Icltors r-ame from a little l4-yoai--old girl in the Mid- dle ■VVCKl. whosx? -father' conducted a bake shop. It was .addressed to hbr favorite star, asking if she wouldn't- send hor photograph as she wanted to U!50 it to promote the Sale of cookies lier father was try- ing so hard to pUt oh the market. The letter :Wa.s turned over to the star's attorney who advised the girl that she could not b© permit- ted to use the stafs name. . Actor's Waltz Song TjOS Angeles, Nov. 13; Cluirles "Huddy" Rogers has writ- ten another soilg set to waltz music which Paramount, has afcopt^d as the theme .song for "Two Shall Meet," the playor'.s next picture. , T his Is the second .effort of Rogers in the coiTiiKTsiiig liiTcr'Ilis-first wn.s- the theme song for "Some One To ^ox&!L^J^^ Details by Katie . .Katherine Zimmerman (N. Y. Telegram) in panning "The Woman Disputed" (U.AO based her objections to the picture on two facts: : : 1. Gilbert Roland kept his hat on in the. presence of a •corpse. . 2, Norma Talmadge, after months of hard toil, had per- fectly.'manicured finger nails. MRREDFROM 3 STUDIOS Over 4,000 Gennan Extras In Films—Few Working Berlin, Nov. 1. Film extras are'In a worise state today than they : have been at any tinie since the war. Germany makes only a v.ery few films in which any- where nearly as many as. 250. ex- ti-as are employed—these are con- sidered super-piroductions. Of the 1,600 extras registered In the most important agency only 25 to 30 are engaged daily. ; . Normal salary la below $5 a day. Outside of this group. there are shout 1,500 extras who get em- ployment through personal connec- tions and another 1,000 regularly to be had at the so-caUed Russian ex- change. Most directors prefer: ito engage the Russian extras as they are bet- , ter dressed than their German col- leagues.' On a smaller, scale the same situa- tion has developed here as in Hol- lywood—it Is evident that no more than five per cent of these people are making a living from this work. Los Angele.s, Nov. 13. . First National, Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer and Pai-aniount ha^ve joined in barring certain fan writers who are at presteht plying up6n the per- .sonal character of prominent screeri^ players In a facetious vein to escape libelous prosecution from their .studios.' One -of the English writers scrib- bling for American fan publications has been singled out of the group and shorn of his privileges to enter the studio or meet their contract IDeople for the purpose of securing interviews or other, information. This action is to be followed by barring two othor wbrtien who have been threatening If they don't get more attention. One is known as the "Love Life Specialist" and a contributor to a national fan pub- lication dealing in sensational con- fession material. The other is more conservative, but allowed herself to slip several months ago. Hearst's Ranch Party Los Angeles, Nov. 13. William R.andolph Hearst, who now and then takes, members of the screen colony to his ranch at Sah Simeon over the week-end, last week chartered a six-car solid spe- cial train on the Southern Pacific for a party of 100. This Is the largest party that Hearst has taken to his ranch since he has .been in vlting members of the screen colony as his guests. ' The train takes the party to San Luis Obispo and from, there they are taken 30 miles inland to the ranch by automobile. .• Actors Get in Full Time (or Talkers Los Angeles, Nov. 13. While waiting for the offlciial set- tlement of the argument whether they are to be'paid for- rehearsing: for talking' pictures and for the time they consume, in learning their lines for the talkers, Hollywood actors have deviSed their own means for foiling the efforts of certain of the producers to cut down' the over- head. It has been the habit of some of the studios to sign an actor for a part, then hand him the manuscript of the dialog he is to learn and tell him they will call him when work is to begin—which also means the beginning of the salary. For a while, the actors, hopped up over the chance at a talker, studied at home, putting in plenty of time and then rehearsed without pay for a couple of days, only to And that the actiial shooting for pay lasted only from one to five. days. Now, the actors accept the manur scripts as before, but siinply file it away and when they are called for work, announce their regret at not having had the 6hance to learn their part and consequently will have to learn it on the producing com pahy's time. Most of the actors report that it works perfectly. Weather Forecast ■ . Washington, Nov. 13. . Weather Bureau furnishes Variety liollowing outlook for week com- moricing tomorrow: Fair and-warm • or . Wednesday, .and in Atlantic State's 'Thursday (15). Showers will lightly set In Chi- cago to Pittsburgh Thursday or Thursday night, nnd eastward to coast on Friday, continuing Satur- day; Weather will likely clear by or diirlng Sunday,: with considerably lower tomiycraturft.- Connolly and Coolidge -Wusliington, Nov.. 13. . Jaok- Connolly is back foir' a brief stay, ■^'cstci'day (Monday) he was closeted with President Coolidge for quarter of an hour, with the conversation understood to- have centered on the picture situation jabroad. Connolly, formerly hero with Will Hays, is now European director for Fox Movietone News. Beaudine Gives Novice Contract iFor 5 Years ._ Los ATyreles, 1^ 13. William Beaudine, filrri direcTbr, thinks he has niade a find and as a=resul t-has-placo.d.i=Vlrginia JBrlggg,^ never before a picture camera, un- der a term contract to himself. The .girl Is a relative of Mrs. Beaudino's' .seamstroKs and rcconlly came to visit' the latter from her home In the Middle West. Mrs. Beaudine saw the girl, told her di- rector-husband about her and Beau- dine made a screen test of her, fol- lowing whjch he gave her a. con- tract for five years. The girl Is a blonde and bears a certain resemblance to* Lillian Gish. But 25% of Eastern Writers for Fox Surviving oh Coast Lot Franklin's 'Sound' Book Harold B. .Franklin, npw in." New York, is placing thfe coneluding pages to hfs un- named volume on the talk- ers. It maly be called "Sound and sight;" Published by Doubledayr •Doran. Franklin's 'career''as an au- thor includes "Theatrical Man- agement," riecently issued but already a standard work on the difficult subject. ... LIGHTED BOMB IS DISCOVERED UNDERSEA! Catastrophe at New Vists^ Minn^, Narrowly Averted David Selznick Becomes Assistant to Schulberg Los Angeles, Nov. 13. David S. Selznick, an associate liroducer at Paramount for the past year, has been promoted, to the post of executive assistant to B. P. Shul- berg, general production manager of Paramount west coast studio. Selznick, son of Lewis J.JiSelznick, has been in the picture business for six years, since coming out of school. For some time he made pic tures with his brother. Myron, and two years ago came to the cOa.st as an assistant to Harry Rapf at M-G-M. Shortly afterward he. was- made associate pi:o'ducer In charge of westerns for M-G-M. David left ' that organization a year ago to Join Paramount as a supervisor. He was quickly pro- inoted to the post of associate pro- ducer and has had in his charge: production of sonie of the most im- portant pictures on the lot. ; He will take over his new position immediately and serve .as contact between Shulberg and various other producers and production units. Selznick will also while function- ing with Shulberg. complete his work already , assigned him as as- .sociate pro'ducer, which is the su-- poi'Vision of the production of "Four Feathers," a special, and "Tong War," and the next Emil Janniiigs picture to be directed by Lewis" "MTTesloncT :— Minneapolis, Nov. 13.. ' Two boys in an audience of 150 people at the Vista theatre Satur- day night found a dynamite' bomb with fuse afire almost under their: feet in time to Save the patrons from death or serious injury. They .thought the theatre was afire and hastened to inform Dan Cole, one of the proprietors. Order- ing thes house lights turned on. Cole investigated and saw that the glow came from a bomb fashioned from five sticks of dynamite. He seized It, dashed from the building and tossed it into the street a few sec t onds before it exploded, shattering windows in the theatre and an ad- joining building. No one was in^ jured. Two men were seen to leave the theatre a few minutes before the discovery of the bomb. It is be- lieved that they planted the infernal machine. Its poor construction ac- counted for the fact that It did little damage after exploding, according tS> detectives. Cole and M. E. O'Grove, joint own- ers of the theatre, had only opened it a week before.. They said they could not account for the attempt to blow up the place. The only outside help employed at.house were two girls, one an usher and the other a pianist. Mrs, Cole handled the ticket booth arid O'Grove op- erated the projection machine. O'Grove came here from New York, where he was a licensed pic- ture operator. He has made appli- ciitiori for a license from the local picture operators', organization, but It lias not b.een granted. , . Following the bombing, the the- atre Was placed under police guard. There have been several other the- atre bombings here during the pas.t few years, but none has resulted In injury to patrons. D'Arrast Loses Out Los Angeles, Nov. 13. Harry D'Arrast is put of Para- nmunt and will not direct Maurice Chevalier in "Innocents of Parlg." D'Arrast disputed Ben Schul- berg's ideals on how a French story should' be filmed. . Victor Schcrtzinger is slated for Chevalier picture on'latest dope. Los Angeles, Nov. 13. According to reports, fibout 76 writers, actors and, so-called talker experts, at the Fox lot for a. three- month! ti-lal, are due to return to New Yoi-lt Dec. J. It Is said that very little for prac- tical screen use as far as Fox! ihdvietone Is concerned has • been obtained from the efforts of the wrltiers and others known as spe- cialists. Georgette Corneal, formerly with the New York "World," was the first of the -writers tp leave this week. The ptheris will go as the threempnths e^^Pire On the list are said to be IB ■writers and a score, of composerg and lyric writers. . Al Lewis, general production manager of Fox Movietone, here for a month, is en route to New York. It is understood h«) wiil send out a new crop of people to become movietone specialists. ■ J. J. McCarthy, it is also under-' stood ha s secured several people in the east. .::': It is .said around the: Fox . studios that little better than 25 per cent of the eastern importations will survive the three-month tryout. Von Stroheim'S Grind for : Actors; Kennedy Stopped . Los.Angeles, Nov. 13. Eric Von Stroheim's 24 hour a day . schedule for the. filrhing of Gloria Swaflson's "Queen Kelly," came to an abrupt stop when .loseph P. Kennedy airrived on the .FBO lot from New York. Kennedy wandered on the Von Stroheim set and saw the wearied faces of the people and tbie slug- gishness of. their movements. In- formed the troupe had been, averais- Ing . . about , l4 . hours work daily, he issued an immediate order for-, bidding the excessive overtime on humane grounds. Von Stroheim has been , pushing the coinpahy night and day in his efforts to finish the picture within his. allotted scheduled time—10 weeks—two to three times as long as is granted the average director for features on other lots. Von Stroheim refers to the picture as a "quickie." He appears to be filming the pic- ture in the good, old Von Stroheim, manner. He brought one actor "cold" into the picture, rehearsing him for an hour and a half for a single cloSeup and at the end of that time pronounced himself as still dissatisfied. . On another night, the company worked from fi:30 P. M. to 1 A. M» to take a single scene. , Tw!o month;s: ago /Lorivy-no Duval, was an extra in. Universal'a " '"Erik the Great." One of the executives was attracted by her appearance, and the 19-year-old girl, graduate of Hollywood High School, was given a bit In "'Clear the Decks" with Reginald Denny. She now Is playing opposite Denny In "His Lucky Day.'* LILA LEE STARRED Los Angeles, Nov. 13. Lila Lee is being starred in Trem Carr;s "The Black Pearl," by Mrs. Wilson .-!&loj3ilj:ow__and_jix^^ Arthur Hberl. ' " . Support consists of Ray Hallor, 'Carl'^StoTjkdaler—Joseph-^Belmontr Tom Ciirran, Sybil Grove, Joseph Lor.o.nJ<, A(^(•]o Watsoii and Art Ttolji lids', ..... Butler Co. Returning Los AnKClo.«5, Nov. 13. The David Butler company In Eu- rope the past five months filming "Chasing Thru' Europe" for Fox, sailed from France this week and is due In Hollywood Nov. 21, where they will complete the picture. Another Million Film Los Angeles, Nov. 13. "King of the Mountains" origf inally budgeted at $1,100,000 ha.<i al- ready run to . $950,000 with three more weeks work to do. Tt Is JTcii™ Barrymore's fin.al picture for United Artists before returning to War- ners. Understood. Barrymore rcocived $150,000. for his end with Ernst Lubitsch,.director,' getting Siifi.OOO. Barrymoi'e's contract .witli War-r riers forbids talking . sequences in any but a Warner picture. B'WAY STAGE METHODS Los Angeles, Nov. 13.. Pathe is . employing the same methods as a Broadway stage pro- ducer In rehearsing its players for "The Missing Man," dii-ectod by Benjamin Glazer. ; He has allotted 10 days «>f the .shooting schedule to rehoar.'^al.'^ uhd ^_the rehearsal hall, several piinia- ture'sets"aFe""Wfrt~tiv giTe-t-h€-a-<.<-tars a bett<;r perspective of thoir posl- .tiQns^4flt.liLG^lai.%.^^^__,.^^.^__^ ALI-TAIKER OUTDOORS 'Los'Angeles, Nov. 13. Paul Slniino is preparing .-in.all- talkor to start about Nov. C". T'^^ Untitled s^ton' Is by the diri I'tor, A. H. Van Burcn, and Walter Weems, the latter doing tlio di.-il-''^'. The locale is estlmat<^d to be three-quarters exterior. Sam AVurt- zel is as.sisting Sloane.