Variety (July 1929)

VARIETY PICTURES Wednesday, July 24, 1929 Ma Wide Film irings Ub as lagnafilmE^^ Contract Playiera Biisy '.' ■ . Los Anffeles^ .23.. ' , . BiisV days for contract;.playX erSi--"- ' Of. 77: on the Fox .list 6.2 are Working, ifive have been, loan.ed • to otljier compainies, and 10 .are classed as idle. Sonie. o£; lat- tter have recently, flnished. ; Paramoianl's maffnafilm,- built to lit in any; standard projection ma- .chihfe, and a: head piece adjusted ih a f«w hours, .sho^v.rt Thursday, ha(J the General . Fqviipment Corp, the first all bi^nk contrbUed outfit in, the' . filin busih^BS,. cohiparing with, It their own .Granduer acquisition re- quiring -a."n^ projection machine . and bigger :.booth. .. The'; General pedplie, who claim they ..:wjill . have;-. control - of • every J6ading comiJ^ny ;in the .equipmient field: by Aug.: 1. and tions not included Jii thp announ<;e- I.JJUgrJI; and Stunt Men meiit last :•■ week,... have ordered ;• , ; j , ' ^ ohiihges in the International. Pro- • KlUeO Ul jector .CompaTiy: . The Jattfer . sqb- • / . .sidiary: will Have full char^^ '.. ,' ■ '7—^~~' .. . /• . ihAhufjictute and ih.stallatloh . of Hollywood, .July 23 Granduer projectibn machines,, hone Alvin Knechtel, camera,man for of which' will be soldi but will. be. ji,i^.gt;^a^tJonal,:^ WilUam .Hauber, . leased for a. l6-year period. ; : film stunt . maii,. were instantly' Pox Oomes in for a royalty on i^jy^g an aiirplane crash, fevery licens.^; otKer prpducers beinV: pUotlhg the ; single able to. acquire the special t^ameras. g^^^^ rseia^ching for a. necessary for the production of 7? location to stag^ a crack-.up th6 fol- inm film. Fox, seveiral of tlie bank- j^j^j-ng day for .".The Avidtbi;.". ' ere claim, wiM. Have tho start that vWork on. the picture hfLd been the Warners iiad in the talker field; Uei^ up for several days due to. bein^ the first under contract ^or j^j^g^^tgl^g. jilt^egg \ On the day :6f Gra,hduer and having the flfst Ljj^ crash, he, insisted or. resuming camera rights on productidri-. work and "went up with: Hauber. A Changes in the Xnternatlohal Per-. qpm^ercial: flyer whopassed by sonnel are .W. C. Michael, with the kjj^jgg to Knechtera ship :'said he company for over 10 years, moVed -^^^.^yj jj-neej^tei - su Slump Le\ns Stone Fires Up Big Equity at They Draw -Ern In MbY AIO) MABGABET GIBB America's only • native Horn ^•Siamese" twins. Known the wotld over. Vacationing how. Gp.enihg Sept. i. They , sirig^ play" piano,-and dance with tWb boys. ; AN ARTHUR KLEIN-TERBY TURNER ATTRACTION. Suite 1405, 1.560 Brba;d;way, New York. . up to the presidency, relieving Har vey Clark. . .o yc«>=»^.v* Para execs point to their device grasHed into a as being unrevolutionary, except in U^gg^gg^ effect, and that it will cost but a' fraction of the price necessitated ty any complete change in present equipment. General bankers say that , the difference in price )Je tween the two won't mean anythiiig. Both companies steer clear of ques tions on. figures. . Fex Araumenls At the Pox headq^iiarters. an ex treme loftiness is ma;intain«d on ef forts rhaide for enlightenment' oh Grandeur. That it represents 10 nuuvjcu- jcv'i^v*"-'^* r . • across the stick. Cameraman-piloV jt AttomcV GlVeS is believed to.Have; faint^dv Plane^ : ™Viivco barley field :near Dn (kddsniith's No Rec^sons for Cojirt Ap- itation Against ■ ■ ' " ' ■ . * Pr<>duters Reports V that Radio's' photopHone' dept. Has perfected and soon, will mairket a" projetetion. machine, bettor than any, seen and at: half ; the istandai'd price, got..a wild ejacula- tion out of I>r. XSoldsmith, vice- president and chiief scientist.' ■ "Why, "we Haven't planned to go Of such a thing." to the third dimension, optical, il ]usion, are reasons given for silence. Arguments that there arfe slightly over 2.500 .^^o^^es in the U. S jvith Bahcroft'S NcsXt. BOSCd OH sound equipment and that it. wouid | r '^ be impracticable to start grinding Granduer productions, which can- not He duped from standard size of 35 mm, iantil the booths afe equipped is also advanced by Fox ites Gen'l Butler in Philly Los Angeles, July. 23. Equity .filed suit . in Siiperior Court ! Saturday . against; . Warner Brothers and Tully MtirsHall, .charg- ing '•the jproduclng firm . "induced and coerced'' Marshall into Hreaking his agreement with. Equity Hy do a. picture continue to coerce and induce ■ other members of EqultyV to break- tlieir agreements with Bqhlty,''' ■ ■ Action is to .restrain Warner's from further • .signing of Equity memHers. : It cites similar instance? in naming' Hedda Hopper, Holmes Herbert, , Metrb-Goldwyn; . Andre Beranger, Universal; Raymond Hatton, • Paramount, : , and Phyllis These are Los Angeles, July 23. George Bancroft's n.ext picture for Paramount, will He based on the ..-experiences of General Butler^ Mar- Crane, First; N^^ - ^ The contentions of some of the ine. Corps head, when he took-over all suspended . m^ of Equity. Par people at the Rivoll Thursday the policing of Philadelphia. .. . COmt)laint also asserts that Mar- that 70 mm is too wide and high for . It's a rum-running yarn, telling .shail's . newspaper, intervie.w pub-, the average theatre are passed up of ei-Marines who think they c.an'.iiciy denouncing Equity vvas ob- by FOxites. supposed to be in on the float the stuff , through under, their, talned by Warners, whiph company " ■ former commander. Bancroft willij.was .also responsible for having it play the-commandant. :' . ' \ : } ; Lbs An^oles, July ^3 Lciwis Stone. cut. lOosc the works .fbr Equity's. Saturday night gathering-: ih -the-Holly^ Sta dluni< B.efpre a crowd of at least 3,000 iStone, first branded as-uhtrue some of 'the statements attributed.' to him in the local .press and .theh lstarted a «wi.ld yell Hy likening the' present situation to.. a young' Hoy-, with;, a .skyrocket Who. wondered v\y)iat it would : d and then suggesting ''Touch - it' off' and sees. what . Hap 'pens.''\ ' ' ' ■ ' \ U brought the .crowd to theif feet with a' whoop and demonstration, the like of WhiOh .no Equity hieet ing has seen to date Despite . /that Stphis; somevyhat tempered- this ; advice by his : next i^emaii^' 'after things . had quieted doWh,.ln stating. He 'Hoped "The Big Gesture" would not He . neces.sary, he nevertheless stressed^ that .if a walkout Ver^ ^ bailed:. "You'1.1 find hie sitting on iny trunk In the ,alloy .alongside-of ybu;''-.--. ':. Stone is the most importaht actor to so fair, address an open Equity: meeting fi-drn the standpoint, of be-.' irtg in demand i>y' the;'studios;. His;; reason for Heing .present was,, that ;'*'rhi.s is . ah o.rgariizat.ibn vflghtj. hot bne of Individiials, and .if. I'm artiohg the: cas.iialticis that's all right..-With me." He pbihted out. th^ seriousness of- the controversy from Equityfs standpoint in that'defeat here might deal a Heavy Hlow to Equity in the East and: demanded to know Hy what right the producers refused to give Equity a hearing In speaking of the- cui'rent cast- ing situation at^ His studio",;. Metro, Stone "Bai^: ''They'll: He asking, me to play, ingenues, "in .three weeks, Stone's , initial .appeb,ranCe .oh tHes platform sponsored; a' Vocal out- burst and a din follb'.wed Him to his chair as he" eoliGluded his 14-minute oration it was a perfect, spot. to. shut the meeting off cold and. sertd ,the moH. out.in. a High fever; Hiat it waiis only then 9:45. So Pa.ul Turner, 1 B, KornHlum* Equity's attorneys; James..KirkWQod, J. W. Buzzelli J W. Gillette, Head of the musici in.s local, Joe E. Browh, and announce- ments.for the cominjj carnival fol- lowed to conclude at .i0:50» Six Suspensions Frank Glllmore- announced six new suspensions as E. J.'RadclifCe, Jbe, Grenrtel, Charles Selon, Entery Melville, Winifred, Harris and Hugh Siaxcin., After reading the resolution of the ideal, labor council. to ask all unions to boycott theatres playing Equity pictiires, - Gillmore (irandeur secret. They simply re ply by asking what the little ad- justment on the lense is for and say that the greater width, 14'mm more than Magnafllm, reduces to sharper outlines and features. General's scouts at ^the Rivqli showing, mingling incog with the press and film folks from other companies, reported blurred vision of characters on the screen. While the characters in the Johnny Burke four-reeler, ""S'ou're In the Army Now," were So in- distinct as to be fat'lally unrec- ognizable* Par people had the ali.bi by saying it was rushed through^ at ■. the Astoria plant and that handling Ibe apparatus was new- to the -booth . .Tnan; jt,. would .He.. markedly imr proved at fihother showing.- Near 3d pimension . ' Some .beach' ■shots, and .part'icu- lariy': those- of a . country dwelling, were eiicelliEfnt and the nearest :thing to., third dimension yet seen; .Somb^ of ^the viisitihg .executives ma:die this i?talemen-t to Par people on the ^AY "■ iut of the theatre. ; -V : ,. '' The sound* claimed tb be. bn tho •■• film . although press people W.pre i-e- fused a: peep in the. Hooth and alv :'1o\\e1i nothing , more than a glanee. at a .strip .of film. wa.«! .the Host in. clririty yet heard in any theatre. - ' The pi^oHabimy : of , oontinv'ing lvrflcnafi lm_OTi' the "^ivo'li.. Hijl, i n - stead of giving ft an openTn^' liT^'t^ -.qelf and the u.'?tihl inhdvation bally- jjQO, was indicated by ..'pariimounl eXec.uti-ves.. ■. - An: outside manufacturer, . the • name of whoHi .Par.amoiintef.s re- fused to divulge, Ha.s been ordered tb start mass production of the head pieces. Until some are completed ; no plana will He annpurioed : con- Another Survey Hollywood, July. 23'. . Standardization .of the filni aper- ture on sound films, Hoth in the camera and projector, -will He the first . Of a series of technical suH- jects to He discussisd a:t meetings to be- held under the auspices of the ^: Academy -" of ■ Motion "Picture: Arts-and[' Sciences'. Other problenis slated to :follow will be volume pon-. ' trol in theatres, '. the incandescent ys, carbon lighting again, change- -over from one reel to another, cue "sheets/ etci ■ . ..:. •*. .. .Fir-st; meeting-, on these .suHjecW will He held'. .Aug.. 15. Committee in charge Of the series is .H. Keith Weyks, Fox; C. .E; 'Dunning; presi-; dent engineers; John Arndld, .Head Met studio. Camera departinehf;. Al Feinisteih,; P!Cpjcctionist. at Jflitz theatre, and Frank Woods,, secre- tary: of.Academy.'. s ' Team's 30 Shprts ; Los AnfTOleP',' July, 53..,, : - Harry Clribbon and Andy Clyde's seri.es. pf talking short.*! for Scnnett has Heefn extended to 30. ' . program promi.ses to keep the two,, ^cpmP-des--Huiiy^or=moiic=i^han=a.;r>u^^ cerninf; the introduotidn of . tht Lorenzo l)o' iilccio. inv<>nHon in other Publix liou.ses, .Neither would: any Par ofilelal comment on a change in produc- tion policy noces.«!itatod' by going from 35 to:50 mms. printed, and maintains: this .was a part, of the conspiracy ^ to "under- mine- the morale of"'. Equity ' and cause if. to .. cease ' operations" and "that as a result of said conspiracy and of the bteacli of the agreement between Marshall. a.nd Equity, plaintiff has • suffered damages in the sum. of one million dollars." Order. is returnable July 29. . Although the. complaint asks for a r temporary,; inounction, against Marshall -\y.orii:ing for Warhers and;, th.'it company's overtures to; actors," L B. Kprnbluirt, locail Equity .attor- heyi states this was chahged to askr. for . an'drder 'tp .shdvlr cause," as Equity would have, ha<i .to. po.st bond .covering the cost Of cessalion of prpductipn on Mar'shaii^s picture pending - the. .Hearing .and the amount-vyas top Hig.' ■ 'Turning, the Tables When interrogated on the purppse of ■ filii'g this sxiit; Itornbhirn .said Equity is turning : the- tables on capital, ( Which has always .Heen in the habit of enjoihing'un'iohs". from inducing their employees to H.r^''i^k cprttractR. .Mr. Korn'blum stated that it. Eq;iity .won the injuhctipn it would call on t all p.laycfs of/the or'.£i:a:nizatiori who .iiave signed- wilh- the picture pv'odueers'since Juric 5. He pointed Put that the: suit had a -hiv rn-.£i.i]tl,.- purposCr--Uiat- iiL-the^cM^ held the. ntaitual contrait between Fvauily and its memHers did not take precedence oyer the members' film contract. Equity could then call out all inemhers who had siKncd contracts HoCpre; br after June 5 oh the g.round .that as long as the pro-, duccrs could not He restrained ^ro)n signing Equity members In viola- I non delved into the matter . of ag.enis by stating it is Equity's Helief that actors dealing with . ragents- Un- friendly to Equity can have their agreements ..with the agents hulli fied. He. suggested, a tost case Hp- fPre. the California Labor Commis tion of those members' obligation to Equity, then-Equity has a simi- lar right to rfeque.st its members to quit work without, having legally I usurped their members' contracUii-al rights;'''■•.■■ ;./^-'- u-.. ■•■:■"•" J-^" :''v'':; .-; As- regards the . Equity outcome, if actors first resign their meriiber- ship to sign . a. 'flln-»\ contract, ■ Sec- tion Fd.ur^ Article: Five, . of Equ.lty by-laws-;reads: . ; ; ■ : ':'B,esignatio.n of ; a.:, member sha,il be effective bniy upon its acceptance by. the cpxjncil; and' such acceptance shall be at its, diseretlpn and ; be upPn such terms and conditions as -it , may prescribe, XJn'Ser nb cir- cumstances ,.shall the edunpil be ob- llj?atpd to accept any re.sign.atiph Avhile the gooti ffilth . or IPyalty:' Pf any,; member,..is under inycstigatiQn or unless J all of hi.s indebtedness- to .the ap.spcia tipn is-paid."; : • .No;Resignatidns . ,- :: In. the prpscht instance. Eu jity's cPiihcii has. issued: the decree that no re.sighatipns : will He accepted during . the ctJrr.ent . emergency. -In -the applicatioh for menibor.ship:the paragraph upon which Eqhity base}* Lit3---ContentiQnilthat:::.nT.covllersJj\yilp. now. sign s.tydip, contrticts have vior hiled their contracturJil agreeinonts with the organizatidn is as fpUpWf*; ''I hci'cby aflirni that if elected I privmi-se to obey, and abide by the rules, regulatlpnis and mfindatbs of the Actors' Equity Association and its properly elected officers under the constitution," sion.. Gillmbr0 also anripiinced the desire of .pbu|gjas FairHanks,; Jr., to Withdraw hia signature from th^, Gohrad Nagel petitloh, wHIch; GUI* , rnpre;:',says .he .,hxTts. np-t :yet..seeni:; President thbh. called upon Dprbthy- •, Jackson, representative of :Chbrus|;: / Equity, to ref ute : the report of Thuii-aday hight's, July 18, CThorus : Equity, ftieetlng- as carried, in. the Los Angeles Times, Avhich Had said :. Gillmore had taken to His heels: irt cohfMislbn as .the: kids hurled tart . , |-:questions",at hlrti. A . A : couple of ^ letters, signatures unannbuheed, : Werb read, .: after- which Gill^^o^e . related that radio. Station KHJ Had shut; Equity Off as a thornlng country cluH program..: pirovided :Hy Equity reached tH«> spleakers .who! were to tell the .'pub-:;; lib aHbut thQ pteseht contrbyersy. ;; dilimore flinishCd by s<iyiOe Equity had in mind the sendinig ,0f memf- Hers into all key cities to hold .puli--: lie- -meetings for presentation .to both puHlic. and the unionists of it» side.-:' . ''-■. ■ • ; '' ■'■ ■■ ;':'. Frederick Burt next, theoretically ; put' .the- studio, standard Pohtract ■ ; : and Equity contract up fpr gale. .Hq ; emphasized that the. studio theatre .;. chaih *bmHines specuiate . wltli ne-w [ theatres because that-s their Husi-?^ . hess; -but maintained thai their -higV. hess i^, .aisc thear .we.akh^ That , the theatres afe;the studips;' dilem-^ mtt was olSb made a point in a cpT^if of Tur.ncr's report to tlie New TCorlc.; Equity : Cpuneil, a? read Hy Clarkp 'SilyernaiHv:..'; • ';, l''ndija,h'-.Talks ■". ^cior tb - the .meeting's.; opening' a group of about a;, dbzert Indians lii ■ ■ |. fuli: regalia and sPme 2i cp-wboy^ made ia well timed' entrance ihto : the, fight, arena;.. Gill'mpre subse- quently called upon IBlack Hawk, to .address the thi^ohg. ^Frbm.. his. seat the Indian pledged himself and^., his people in pictures "lo. Equity .100.. . . per cent. Turner's report .included the. Statement that 1,500 new memHers i • have. Heeih. added to. the. Equity rpsteir in the past fivo weeks; 19' suspehslons Have Heen : made; . that Equity is in much Hetter shape at this ;time.:than .it .was during the. corresponding period in 1919. plus the suggestion that people signing contt-actJ He fined;. double the'Vsuh^^ , of . .their earnings and suspended, from thb- organization for a year. Turner.; eventually appeared in. person to: statb that tlie cUiTent ■ . week should He called '^Smokc 'Em Out Week," • He -vV'as followed .ty KornHlum, -!5vho announced Equity's - suit, iagainst Tully Marshall and Warner Brothers, charging that tlie. . studio h^-d conspired with a mem- ber : agaii.st Equity " as ds '.inled more fully eles.wherie in this issue: Ivir.k- vvood.^ ad vbcated that' the .'.'ci'inriiv.'al - cpnyersation'.' or repeating Hy -vvprd of mouth of irum.ors He stppped. Ho stated .this was a capital vs.- labor fight;- that 'Equity; could not He. broken Hy.scab lajior or scab, sym^ prtthizers, and that, the sending of campaigners into the key cities would pirPve whc-tHer; scab labor, could win. • Taking Bows Buzzol, secretary of the local la- bor council, called upon the heads pf the unlohized wai.tres.ses, clean^ ers and dyers, mpulders and a bill poster to take. bows. >yhlie .(rillette,- .. head of the m'usioian.s' rocal, l^o. 47, ' climaxed his speech by .saying "or- ganized laHor has got to see that you win." . ' ^' Earlier in his talk Gillette unof- ' ficially pledged the support of l45,.-'. po6:.musician?! and said that as the actpr and musician .were SO' cloSely allied, he advo'cated-. that they be merged in unionism. .; . Joe Brown rcmai-ked upph. His late spot: a'hd . declared that if vaude acts had. as much : enthusia.sm as those upoh 'this program, .vaude , Hills - would ..be ., okay,. - He .theiv launched into a semi-sei'ious re-^ , sume of the time lie joined Equity, winding; up by. saying he had been offered an Equity contract Hy an independent studio and thought ho'd ."have to take it," ; , - • ■". ■ A plea by.Roland Edwards for: memln.'rs- to get- behind the Santa but who; (luT not .speak, were llob- :ort-l:T:^iiu:ius..J3«iwJtt-J..ejiui'ngs.-].V(.'n- -Jjyon, 'Jetta 'CJoadiil. Sam Iliirdy, - Jilek .Carlyle. I^i-indon irurst. Katht. orine■ Cornell, Helen Ware, Claude r.illlngwator, George Cunningham,. William . Laplante, lawyer and re- lated to Laura. Equity's next nieoting. will V)e at 1the Stadium and i.s set for Wednes- day hight, July 24*