Variety (Nov 1928)

!-.■!.■•; Wednesday, November 14, 1928 PICTURES VARIETY BRITISH FILM FIELD (Continued from, page 6) fcet haa caused several of the^e Rotations, to be postponed, which, while it may be tough for the green goods guys, Ib probably a life-saver for a big bunch of chumpsu Straight Dope / Established systems iare pushing Uiead regardless of financial booms and panics. British Photptono has Joined with British Iristructipnal (Bundy Company) and a sound- Btudlo is building at Welwyn; Here B. I. Is to make 72 sypchrdnized two and three-reelers over three years. The studio, is scheduled to be In -working by Feb, X. Coat of build- ing guaranteed 76 per cent by Phototone. This Phototone company, which fiynchronized the. music for "Simba" and "King of Kings" here, has now six three-reel soundies. completed for release by P. D, C, distributors here of all Phototone stuff. The first to go but Is a compressed ver- Bioh of "Carmen," with Torti Burke. This and the product of Phototone to date have been made by the 'iBlattner Company, which Is build- ing sound studios at JBIstree, in .which to make some more. Wire System Blattrier demonstrated the Stille 0ystem of recording on thin steel Wire Oct. 31. A private show, at which Hermait Darewski's ha,nd came but did not perform. Thorpe West Coast Motion Picture Directory of Players, Direc- tors and Writers Titles by MALCOLM STUART BOYLAN FOX WINIFRED DUNN SCENARIO or 'SUBMARINE' Mow Breaking Records at Em- basBT Theatre, ■ at $'i Top rrice» ORIGINALS ADAPTATIONS HOWARD J. GREEN Management, Edward Small Co. TITLES ^CONTINUITIES LICHTIG AM) ENGLANDER TEN YEARS IN HOLLYWOOD Repreflentlng DIRECTORS. ARTISTS, WRITERS WARNER BLDO. Hollywood 1068 MARK SANDRICH DIRECTOR 9uBt Completed a; Feature Plctnre "RUNAWAY GIRLS" For Columbia Pictures. Bates sang, and a girl, Peggy Doug- laSf spoke a piece, and one of Da- rewski's boys did a whistling num- ber. They work Into a mike, and the sound is picked up electro-mag- netically . on steel wire and ropro- duced as soon as the wire is wound back. Reproduction Is about the same as the average loud speaker, with rather, more mechanical undertone. The chief asset is cost, tlie records coming ai-ound $1.50. for 10 minute- sound, which includes cost of re- cording. : . Wilcox Reports Herbert Wilcoj? arrived back from New York the latter part of this week. Hooked up a number of sound experts In America and about to build soundfllm studios at once cr sooner, Is said. Contracted Mar- shall Neilan to make a talker In Hollywood. Got a release for some of the British and Dominions .Co.'s films In America. No need, to go into details. Jaydee Wlllrams will have told It all'before this gets In print. And how! Mostly Personal Fred Leroy Granville, foritier husband of .Pegjgy Hyland and late- ly megaphoning for Jacques Haik in France, comes back next week oh a year's contract with Whitehall. . J. Cecil Gi-aham and Slajor Charles Bell, of Paramount, left to- day (Nov. 2) on the ."Leviathan" to see about sound for the Plaza, their other theatres, and their product here. Bell Is the consulting engi- neer and goes with Graham to fig-, ure put setting up a, unit here for possible resynchronizing this side and making theatre installations. F. E. Enders, head of .British F. B. O., got back this week from New York- Sold on thie Photbphonie sys- tem.. ' ■ '■ ■ Sidney Bernstein, owner of 16 London theatre^ how merged In Gaumont's.- Denman picture houses, Is Issuing a questionnaire' to the fans asking them to say. what film and what three, stars they dislike most and which films are most ob- jectionable;—American, French, Ger- man or British. Also wants to know whether the fans see any harm in "foreign" n^3.riners, customs and idioms on the screen. By which he means American. Queer Idea, and might lead to libel . actions if he publishes results on . the three most disliked stars. Henrlk Galeen, German, Is to make some English speaking films- for a new British company. . P. E. Felce, head of Astra-Na- tional company, has bought thfe Vita studios, Vienna, for $1,500,000. Ernest Godal has formed a new company to exploit Multicolor. Cap- ital of $30,000. . Bernard Nedell, American, Is op- posite Ivor Novellp in "The Return of the Rat" for Gainsborough. Harry R, Smith, old-timer and at one period associated with David P; Howells, died suddenly on the street this week.. Norman Walker, niegaphoner for British International, had a visit this week from yeggs, who stole all his silver and wardrobe of himself and wife from his house near Els- tree. Extras on the lot have quit wearing plus-fours and pull-overs, in case they come under suspicion, Walter Mycrpft, head of British International script department^ Is credited with this: Says Harry Lachman, ■ alibl-ing why he can't direct Thomas Hardy's "Under the Greenwood Tree" (though the whisper la the scenario ■vxas so bad it wouldn't have made a two-reel- er): "It's only possible to do this in spring, when the trees are In leaf." Comes the suggestion: But it could be done now by putting a few daffo- dils in the foreground. No wonder they are supposed to have spent around $200,000 on "Champagne" and got the kind of film they got. Tom E. Davies Is still going ahead with his scheme for lining up a group of theatres and ffoafihg a company to Include his Western Import distributing' organization. Taking options now on. theatres. Scheme has been pending since last June. . . An unidentifiable London group has bought three theatres in Swan- sea, Wales—Albert Hall, Picture House and the Carlton—for some $650,000. Maybe another circuit; They keep coming round, Only the South Wales company owning these three houses say they haven't sold them, i Bobby Ivay and Al Alt, American screen slapstickerSi here. On vaca- tion, with hopes of making a Britlsb feature if anyone will play. Kox bilice here has acquired a new publicity man, Anthony Jack- son^ in place of Peet Leslie. Jack- son is a member , of the Boxing Board of Control, and used to be house manager of the National importing Club. Joined the Foreign Legion when the war started on several Northclitte papers^ Not previously in publicity. William H, Thornton, now man- ager of P. C. "T.'s New Gallery on Regent street, is to be hianager of the Tivoll when it goes over to P. C. T. this month. Harry R. Rowson has closed for a site in St; George's i-oad, south- east London, mentioned some weeks ago, on which a 5,000-seat picture theatre is to. be built. Plans are being submitted to the next rnceting of the London County Council, for this and a dance hall and cafe. Frederick C. Ewlns, assistant di- recitor with British International, was charged last week with falsi- fying accounts with Intent to-de- fraud. . He altered an expense re- ceipt for $4 to $14, and said he did It because he had to hire a cow for the filin and could not get a receipt. B. I. wanted a serious view taken, but the judge . wouldn't take one, and bound Elwliks oyer to behave for 12 months. . Paris, Not. 1. . NPt matter what else the Euro- pean flilm restriction and quota systems have done, they are spell- ing & rapid doom for the' Indies. As practically all of these com- panies sell their pictures for dis- tribution and as the men who buy them can't afford to pay the extras which are exacted on account of new regulations, they are rapidly being forced out of the markeL If the Indie product continues to fall off as ,it has in the recent past it will only be a question pf a few years before their pictures do not exist on this side ot the water. Friedman's C^'i'iniotion Joe Friedman, European man- ager for Universal, aroused the ire of many of his fellow workers at at banquet In Berlin recently wh(&n he announced that "Universal will endeavor to solve the European-: American film problem not theo- retically, but practlcaHy." Friedman's confreres point out that this kind of talk m&f do In the States, but It causes no end of trouble In Europe, They aadcd that the picture people on this side of the water are only waiting for such remarks to tear them apart and ridicule the makers. ' International institute of Cinema Education will be inaugurated No- vember 5 at Rome. Benito Musso- lini will officially open the meeting. The following have been desig- nated to attend, Professor Gilbert Murray, Gonzague de Reynold, Henry FoclUon, Nltche and Knopf Sangro, Ros de Olano, Paranpie and Mme. Gabriel MistraL Only Poles in Poland "High salaries of foreign players destroy the trade balance,^ is the rea.son given by the Polish govern- ment for barring all outsiders. For- eign artists playing' In the Slav capital have been ordered to leave and aU theatres have been warned not to engage other than Poles, Picture PossibiEties "On Call"—Unfavorabl* "ON CALL" (Jules J; Leventhal,. Waldorf). Not a thing here for any kind of lilms. . "Night Hostess"—Favorable "NIGHT HOSTESS" (Melodrama, John GoUlcn, Beck thoatre). Colorful, vivid story of Broadway and. gaming conic-pna that ahoul4 make an exceptional picture, tifxlker o'r silent; Ibec "The Final Balance"—Unfavorable "THE FINAL BALANCE'' (Drama, rrovincctoWn Players, Province town). Monotono"us talky tragedy In whlcla practically entire cast goes crazy makes this impossible screen stuff.- "Treasure Girl"—Uhfavorabla "TREASURE GIRL" (Aaro.ns & Frcedley, Musical, Alvln). Conventional U-easure-hunt story, thin for^ flickers. AbeU /^'Hotbed"—Favorable "H0T15ED" (Drama; Brock remborton, KlaW). A play of rather serious intent jjut with a collogiate background which shoXild make it better ehtertainmont for screen than stage. . iZ)eo.' " "These Days"—Favorable "THESE DAYS" (Comedy Drama, Arthur Hopkins, Con). With a flock of flapper characters in a girls' finishing school tc' start with. Probably would be reyised for screen, If accepted, Ihcc. WEST COAST NOTES Laura LaPlante's neict for U, "Haunted Lady." Story by Adela Rogers SL John. W6sloy. Ruggles to direct. . Title of "The ChangeUng,- with George Fawcett, changed to "Strand- ed In Falradise" by F. N, ; J can . Nash added "Missing Man," Pathe. Kathryn McGuIre added "Children of the Ritz," FN; Karl Dane added "Duke Steps Out," M-G-M. .'Audrey Ferris, Albe:rt Gran, Claude. Gllllngwater, Lee Moran added :to "Alimony Annie," WB. Ethlyn Clkir added to "From Headquarters." WB. George Stone added to "Weary River," FN. Herbert Prybi: addied to "Duke Steps Out," M-G-M. Ben Bard added to "Comedy of Life" FN. . ':■. . Georgie Stone, Louis Nathaneauo, William Holden, Raymond Turner arid Robert O'Connor addcd"Weary River," FN, • Nick Grlnde to direct "Desert Law (M-G-M). Complete cast of "Ills Lucky Day": Reginald Denny, Loraync DuVal, Otis Harlan, Eddie Phillips, Cissy Fitzgerald, Tom O'Brien, Har- vey Glark.. Eddie Cline directing (Universal). Chas. Logue, scenarist. Universal. Frank Austin added to "Satan" (FN). Aggie Herring added to "Weary River" (FN). Edward Martlndel added to "Good Bad Girl" (FN). Anita Louise, formerly known as Anlja Fremault, child ."jcreen ac- tress, signed by Pathe for "Square Shoulders," in which Junior Cogh- lan, Philippe De ljacey and Louis Wolheim have the leading male parts. . Warner Richmond added "Misislng Man" (Pathe), Blllle Doye is on. vacation in Northern California before .starting FN's "The Man and the Moment," by Eleanor Glyn. 'Oedipus Rex," tragedy, opened ((Continued on page 30) stress with'KING FOR A DAY' A PubUx Unit Stiaged and Produced by J ACK LAUGH LIN Week Nov. 10—-Oriental, Chicago Week Nov. 17-^Paradi8ei, ChTcago Week Nov. 24—-Harding, .Chicago Week Dec. 1—N.orahore, Chicago Week Dec. 8—Tower, Chicago Week Dec. 15—MiasPuri, St. Louis, Mo. Week Dec. 29-^ap|tol, Detroit, ; Mich. Week Jan. 6—Fisher, Detroit, M ich. Per. Mgi. SAM UBAMMOK, WIIXIAM HOKIUH OFKICB Summer Attraction Film Road Show UNWE-D; MOTHERS Percentage Booking Anywhere—Send Dates ' SAMUEL CUMMINS Publix Welfare Pictures Corp. 723 8«v«nth Ave., New York HEADLINING ASSISTED BY HARRIET POWELL-AL MELINO IN PAUL OSCARB'S PUBUX UNIT— ''VOLCANO'' Paramount TKeatre NO\A^ (W'eelc No10^16) Many Thanks to Mr. Partington, Paul Oscard, Nat Kalcheim, Morris Office