Variety (Nov 1928)

VARIETY NEW DRIVE ON the ClStss All-Talker—And Fans Lk)s Angeles, Nov. 20. Picture producer^ have suadenly found themselves face to «ace wui a ^new problem in connection with talking pictures. This Is >C reartion Of general fljm audiences which, fol: more than ^20 tears- have hee^ educated to the silent film dramatic Jormula This reaction has been far from consistently favorable narSkrly to the all dialog talkers, of which only a few have been rSl^erto date. These have,.to. a considerable extent followed a rattSr stage production typ^^ formula and it is this which Is '°?SSr2i(S^n'Sheen most noticeable in the run of an all-talker wWch recently opened here. The old time type of: fans who have Teen it^^^^^^^^ SoSuctlon so widely at variance with the standards to which they ^ faccusJim^d in t^e development of the ^dramatic^action talkers before the public will accept them generally. Says Six-Year Hays Organization Starling Campaign to Drive Out Obnoxious Pictures —Ex- changes to Aid^ystem to Locate Sex Pictures CENSORSMlPi ZUKOR-SCHENCK Jokon K. O/s Bailer In Cacoanut Grove Reports of Impending Big Peal or Understanding of 3 Big Companies Adolph Ziikor and Nick Schenck. left New York last night for Los Angeles and . also a report in New York that their present trip por- tends more than a casual visit on the west coast. • The New York rumor is, that tfhile away, and in consultation ■With Joe Schenck. will come up the possibility or necessity of an amal- gamation of Paramount with Loew's and United Artists, or if not a merger, a stronger working un- derstanding than these three big companies in the picture business have been operating under for some Reasons.. ' Zukor is reported In-favOr of the amalgamation move, and Arthur . -Loew 13 aald to greatly favor It as welV while Nick Schenck is re- ported against'it. To discuss and secure Joe Schenck's opinion is-said to be the real objective of this cus- tomary seasonal trip. . ^ With mergers often of late in the film industry, taking in producers and chains. Paramount-Publix and Loew's-Metro-Goldwyn-Maycr have Btood aloof and . alone. One of the reputed reasons for Zukor's shy- ness of late in extensive purchases or mergers Of other film interests Is that the departments at Wash- ington seemingly enjoy hopping on with various queries about any move - Paramount: contemplates for bxpanslon. . With R. C3. A. entering the show business In all of Its jpicture divi- sions through Keith's and FBO, there is plenty of thought for Zukor. et al. And Zukor's thought . ever will be to keep Paramount paramount. Loew's, Paramount and U. A. are Jointly associated In many theatre properties over the country. All three have operated .In harmony on production, distribution or theatre operation..- In that way they have bet'n and are closely linked. Joined into one, Paramount-Loew's-Unlted Artists would be the tower of sub- stantiality In the film Industry. . Ix>s Angeles. Nov. 20. ^ Taking exception to a big boy's crack about religion in the dining room Of the Cocoaniit Grove the evening of Nov. i6..Al Jolson pinned one on his button and knocked him as flat as a Vitaphone disk. With Jolson at the time w:ere Mrs, jolson (Ruby Keeler) and a party of friends. The recipient of the Jolson sock, at a nearby table, had been render- ing his opinion of Jews consisPently and tossing in violent language. When reminded that women werC present, the man was said to have declared it made no difference, so Jolson let one go frona the floor. Members of both parties stepped in and stopped the fight. The offender had his chin mas- saged. He is hot In pictures or any other branch of show business, nor were any of Al's guests. Publix Theatres (Paramount) has sent out notifications to producers and distributors of sex pictures that no Publix house will hereafter har bor a film of that description. Action by Publix may be followed, if not already, by other distributpr- chain operators, members of the Hays organization. It is said Pub lit and the rest will be actuated by the effort of Will Hays this season to clear the picture exhibition path of all of- fensive films. Hays' methods of pro- cedure._from the account, is not alone to request a pledge from his exhibitor chain members not to play a branded seix picture, but to In- struct tlie distributing end of the chain, through its exchanges., not to furnish any theatre, picture house, legit, vaudfllrh, burlesque or rented, with any regularly released film subjects, once that theatre has opened its sCreen to the Obnoxious sex film. The Hays oftice is reported work ing out a system that will furnish it with information wherever a bctc Pertinent Questiqn A picture man presented the rhetorical question that if the dramatic stage c^.n produce only about seven to 10 legit hits on Broadway per, season, how can talking features ex- pect to click oft, 52 feature length talkers, a year? Rochester Art Theatre Under New Control Two Actors Are Now M-G-M Short Directors M-G-M Is giving Lionel Barry- more and Lowell Sherman their first opportunities as picture direc- tors. Barrymore Is directing the talking short, "Confession," by Kehyon Nicholson. Sherman Is di- recting and appearing In another talking short, entitled "Phlpps." MrG-M now has quite a mob of Broadwayites on the coast work- ing in its talking product. They include Gus Edwards. Bayard Veiller, Dorothy Parker, Willard Mack, James Gleason. Carlo DeAn- gelo, Billy Rose, Nacio Brown, Arthur Freed, John Hovfrard Law- son, Charles King, Raymond Hac- kett, Lillian, Kalich and Robert Cloy* The latest is Ransom Rideout, author of the recent play, "Goin' Home." ■ . ■ T . Gasnier and Knopf Will Direct "Genius" Los Angeles, Nov. 20. Paramount will add two new di- rectors, one altogether^new to pic- tures, to make-"A, Genius Is Bo.rn, from the story by William Robison, in which O..P. , Heggle will be starred. . ^ The picture, all talker. Is to have no silent version., It will be super- vised by Bernle Fineman. The directors are Louis Gasnier, not directing for a number, of years, and Edward Knopf, brother of the book publisher. 2 Obnoxious Films Censorship legislation eiigainst picture now being drafted in several states by reform groups, women's clubs and mu niclpal officials are based al^ most entirely on the recent ex- hibitions of two pictures based on abnormal phases of life. The films mentioned are "The Road to Ruln" and the "Hickman Case," The Hickman picture is cre- ating trouble for theitre men in southern and southwestern states, It is reported, raising such opposition against show- men that the latter are finding difficulty In protecting them- selves m any degree. "The Road to Ruin" has been shown in several terfltories. resulting In local protests wherever shown. Lawyer, the Type! ^fter R Y.^Dram^ist r Los Angeles, Nov. 20 Juan Sedillo, lawyer of Santa ■Fft, N.. M..._and former pandida^ for congress, has been put under contract by Fox. Sedillo will be '■given leading par^ in a picture as • yet ■untitled'... He is. a ^^raduate' of the University of Arizona. The signing of Sedillo ends a ■earch conducted by . Fox for six weeks to secure a certain type. The part he Is to play will be silent, according to present plans. Los Angeles, Nov, 20. Harold Lloyd is necking for hl.<i present picture a dialog writer from New York. -He 4s-ncgotiatin&.with:.two.=.play^:^ wrlghts who have fathered recent successes. OSTKOW ON COL. LOT Los Angeles, Nov, 20. Lou Ostrow, assistant to Harry Rapf for past year at M-G-M, has left to join Columbia as supervisor of production. film unauthorized or unapproved by Hays shall be shown throughout the country. StronB Arflument This it is believed wlir pquelch the annoying sex picture and remove one Btrong argument reformers and societies have had to urge censorship of the screen, locally and nationally. „, » I^ubllx In announcing it wlU not nlay "any moie sex pictures*' seem- ingly admits that PubUr theatres have don.i fo. Publix houses in the south have been reported showing sex films, besides a couple of their affiliated chains have been quite bold in the. practice. One affiliated rubllx chain opened a dark housp. tr heavily adv'.-rtlse a sex picturr, Ulaylng It on percentage, , -The 30X picture, usually caU>l a mcdlffil o'T'-Joational hut more often an a^semblPd film of limited pro- duction coHt 13 doubly jumped upon i,y the lo-al Hnf opcrs. Besides the picture on tlie sheet, the film car rU-a a If'Cturor who often Is not .f,v.>r.-=GanfefuL.afluJnleu^^£'S?^^= J'.ooks are sold In the theatre's lob- by, conudrilng plenty of more In-. forma-tlon." ■ '.. .- ' . " ■■ :On top of .thls.obJoctionablft'Pro- rr-dure. sex r-i^-tures are advortl:4':d at .ipcclfiJ poi forrfianceB fur 1< ur j Men Onlv," or "For Wo.-non Only. , The same male Icoturwr informs Uic I (Continued on page 6» I Publix will take over the opera tion of George Eastmah's Rochester Class cinema art theatre, shortly, ac- cording to information circulated in New York this week. At first Publix will be In the po sltlon of operating the property for Eastman, but ultimately It is under- stood the Paramount theatre branch will assume the lease Itself and the institution which has gained coun- try wide fame for its arty policy, will become a unit in the chain handled by Publix. , ^ ^. ^ No date has been set for the switch in control. : The rent continue to go to the University Of Rochester as heretofore. After Stage Experienees h Sketches in Yaude Los Angeles, Nov. 20. Jacqueline Logan is following In the footsteps of a lot of other screen players who arc after stage experience. She will play the Or- pheum time for 10 weeks In a stretch. As Miss Logan Is under contract to make four pictures for Colum- bia, she will sandwich the, vaude time In during her "between pic- tures" periods, *» Starring Carol Lombard X.08 Angeles, Nov, 20. Garol Lombard . Is to be . made a star by Pathe. She has been ajJon- tract player for six months and re- ceived ho particular, consideration In the way of assignments, Acting on a suggestion credited to Edmund Goulding, a test was mad© Of her voice. As a result the plant buzzed with commenti FOi'S NEW ENGINEEBS Los Angeles, Nov. 20, J, J, McCartiiy while in New York recently for Fox engaged five sound cnglnpcra, including F. C Grossman ofUCA.. Latter is duo in Hollywood next week. So great has been the expansion of their business and so strongly has outside money become Interested In It that the Warner Brothers, , to secure their " posts as Operators, either had to let the stockholders take Over their company or else con- tract It for the, first time to the bankers, II. M. Warner, who made this statonionU said that he and his brothers preferred to sign the slx- ycar contract with Goldman, Sachs and Company." The stockholders at Ihoir meeting Nov. 30 will have to ratify tho move or else take It over themselves, H. M. said. At the same time they will have to ratify other deals negotiated by the broth- ers. Hi M. stales. Asked to be spe- cific he said the deals Include Stan- ley. First National and the^Skouras chain. ^ ' . , Admitting that Waddlll Catchlngs Is the Influential contact between the Warners and the bankers, the Warner president, a,ugmentlng the reason for the Goldman, Sachs con- tract, said: "Catchlngs would not gamble witn this company unless we had a con- tract. A banker gambles on men. He wouldn't want to take a chance with new men Or to continue when there was a possibility of ollminat- ing us," ^ ... Continuing, the Warner chief "This is the first time that we have ever had a contract. But now we have a company that has grown into a big. thing, and the stock- holders will have to ratify it or we, win give them the company. We are not only safeguarding ourselves in doing this but we are protecting the company. We know that Under the contract for the next six years at least the company will continue to be operated with success." During the Interview, Abel Carey . Thomas, chief counsel for the Warners, sat In with the president and frequently interpolated an an- swer. The attorney wore a heavy- frown during querying on the bank- ing situation. Other than the deal with the banicers, Warner was unusually cagy. Where a few weeks ago ho declared that First National would permanently retain Its. Madison avenue home office, he now evaded the issue, assisted by Thomas, until literally prodded Into saying that at Home time First National niay move into 44th street and possibly Into the Warner building. In a news story elsewhere Is carried a state- ment of this situation knd what may happen after the moving day. following the Warner stockholders' moet this month. Warner said the Skouras chain CContrnued'OB W ABBOTT ON "PEESS" Angc.'l'.'.M, Nov. 20', George Abbott 1» to direct "(.;<.'n- Llomon of tho Prns-s". for Paramount ;a tlif.' r-^>ng I.sland Hturlo.s. Thfi picture Is to be an all talker. i?r^'ucinMnT>«KiTiia=-J-a?rt P-idgcon's-Nose Oke •■ . . IX)S A'nK'-lo«,;NOv: -20. , y73.U(-t ■ I'lAl^vnn,' r'/<^wtly in' ari ruitomobilo accid'Tit, had hlH n'.-' l)r'..l«.:n in Z places, is coiniM-> r'jcovored. . No. trace of the smash r'Ti.aliiw. INDEX ■•>««•• > • ■ « • • Forcl(?n ......... Pictures ......,< Picture licviewa.. Film House Reviews.... Vaudeville . ......«•••.•• Vaude Reviews,. • New Acts. • • • Bills ,, Times Square •••• Kdltorial ..... Womfjn'H I'ago Li'i,'ill mate ..'. Mi3."-;l'i • •... •' • • • (Julfl..')r.4 ...... C)liii.i)ary ....... C'or; '-' l'''f ''''".''^ .'' Letter J>l!-;t ; in.slde—I'if.'lures . . • • • ~ T7.TidiTg " ShortaT''. r.% .. i ^- LllL-ratl .. ■ I>c'cit Rf.-vieW.s. t ■iri'ign FUm:"NeyiS •i i'»K'lUt. < • , • >■■' ■' • • :-\r>ltH T;: .iijf L' 't ..... r:,' -.1'.' -Vivl:' .. . ' , • * « « • t I • . fl • •« « • ■ • • . 2 8-30 .13 : '42 85-40 4.1 43 44-45 46-48 Bl • 50 52-36 57 .'S -111 4'J 60-r,:{ C3 51 ■ —13- 2H 55 '■.4 4'J 59 51 61 =5'