Variety (Dec 1929)

8 VARIETY P I CT ORES Wednesday, December U, 1929 'Tublix Opinion'' on Exploitation In "Publix Opinion" of Dec. 6, the confidential house organ of tbe Publix chain printed the following, headed: "Varicly'VWas Right, Again! A back-page advertiser in /•Variety" recently screamed in pain that "'Variety' Is wrong again,'* and roost of us giggled. But on the front page, "Variety" was taking its third-consecuttve- week whack at its job of reporting pire-Christmas merchiandising efforts being executed by the Ijilg stores and mercantile interests; The sheet told about window displays that looked like theatres, of departments operated stage-faahion,. of mannequins that out- "looked," the hottest of stage-'znamas.. Tliey told of exploitation . ■ stunts srrabbed hot off the. rim of the Press Agents . Old Hokum Bucket. -..v.' Probably most of "Variety's" show-business readers glanced painlessly at it. and passed on. But to imaginative theatrical press agents, it was a stabbing stimulation of wanting to "get hot" before theaitrical exploitation goes the way df the billboards. Billboards, you may remember, were Invented by the theatre, but . became so successful that mercantile Interests eagerly ran up their cost xaxtil they became prohibitive-to show business. So show business turned, to press agents Instead. Now the pressr . agenting methods (we should call it merchandising, because we personally swiped that word ten. years ago from the departQient stores) are belnig seized by the department stores. Macy's Thanksgiving Day "Toyland Is Open" piarade, viewed by .three millidn on Broadway, Is an example.' !Pive miles long, £ind 115,000 to: produce, wit)^ helium<^inflated rubber animals and .toys, floating In the air, it was. a sensation that got Macy's a .'million dollars worth of remembered free.advertising. Which, of ■ course, will make every other New York merchant hasten tp'get some of the same. The practice will doubtless spread , in these days of fast cpiumunlcatlon. All of thiS' means several things to the' alert showipan. It you've been apologetic and timid about permitting your mer- chants to benefit themselves by basking In the reflected atten- tion-getting qualities of a film-tieup tliat carries matinee prices— . 6r If you've' been passing oiit passes for window tleups-^tum about and steami Up^ your bass voice. . With present available knowledge, you, ought to charge^ money for a tieUp, same to be entered on the "miscellaneous'Incomie" account on your box office report. It Is legitimate theatre by-product Income. If you give padses for tieups, you* ought to get flr^id. If yoti baven't been taking PpBLIX OPINION'S advlcd during the liust two years and failed to let the merchants pay the cost of advertising yoiu- shows thus permitting you to spend the ad- budget saving for additional entertainment, you've been missing ' a big bet If you haven't been "hot" on the BEAL. tleup idea up to now, get hot quicks or you'll be so antiquated in another month that yoiir beard wlU look like an Inverted Christmas tree. If yoU're already a hot-shot expert at tieups which sell your tickets and make the other tellfiW do the . work and bear the expense, then step on the gas some more. It's the only way you'll be likely to keep your Job next year, because these slow .starting mercantile babies work fast when once they start. Don't let their slow start fool you. The press-agenti^g racket Will be such tough going for theatres, next year, in competition .with the bijg stores that even calling yourself a. "merchandiser" won't'save you. Reiaember, these big stores buy page-ads daily . Inall j>aperB, and employ hundreds of Influential "letter writers" and voters' and money spenders* Mark this tip in your hat, and don't, thank PUBLIX OPIN- ION, just thank "VARIETT," and renew your subscription and change its mailing address to your' home, where you'll have time to read it allf in reteutive mood. STUDIOS-CAMERAMEN STILL APART ON TERMS Hollywood, Dec. 10; Photographers* union and film producers are still unable to get together on detaili; of a standard contract. Producers object to classi- fication No. 3 setting (160 for a 60- hour week and of 16 hours any one day and no' Sunday work. Most studio cameramen now work under classification No. 2, ,S200 for a 54-hour week, with iSun- day work permitted. Issue is whether cameramen who want Sunday as a day of rest can lio so by accepting |50 less a week. Producers prefer to pay the higher scale to have the lens men on call Sunday. H. E. Hurd, business manager for the International Photographers' local, submitted a modification vvkereby Class 3 men co.uld work beyond the 16 hours maximum, with extra time either given as time off. between pictures, or paid for as-overtime if the cameraman's services are desired at once on an- other production. Producers made a counter proposition to eliminate Class 3 and apply these terms to Class 2. This was rejected by the local's directors. Radio's Westerns Radio Is . to include westerns in its current program, the first be- ing "Strictly Business," on which = productloJLStarts Jhjs^^ Lambert Mlllyer, •est.-rn airector; who did 25 with BUI Hart, will do Ha,dio's Initial western talker, and which vv'ill possibly be in color. Rod tia Boeque will star. If .ToB Don't Advertise In Ton Don't Advertise Floating Sound Washington, Dec. io. Navy officials believe a sound equipment has been found which will function satisfactorily on its war vessels. Experiments have been going on with the various manufacturers. Although nothing has been announced as to results. It Is known that the desired equip- ment is now being made. During last fiscal year |298,157 vras spent with the picture makers for films, says the annual report of the Bureau of Navigation under which the picture service operates. In order to supply the Asiatic fieet and the special service squad- ron, enlisted personnel is now be- ing assessed 36 cents per man per month to maintain the picture pro- grams. Ahead On Shorts Hollywood, Dec. 10. Warner shorts, being made at the rate of four to five a week, will be cut to one and two weekly. Most of the '29-'30 schedule has been completed. . SOCIETY GIRL STARRma Hollywood, Dec. 10. Tiffany will do "Cheat the Boys,?' original by A. P. Younger, as the first starring picture for Janet Mon- tagu. Miss Montagu Is a Chicago so- ciety girl who has had no previous experience on stage or screen. Franklin in New York Harold B. Franklin arrived in New York Monday. He is on his way to the opening of the new Pox theatre, Atlanta, Xmas Day. ^:^-15'ranklln.^=wlil.Jiltely=^remain^_ijn. Broadway for the remainder of the week. LOTJEHA WEDS JAN. 4 Hollywood, Deo. 10. Louella Parsons has set the daite. She will marry Dr. Harry W. Martin Jan. 4. Her daughter, Harriet, stafC mem- be.' of "Photoplay," will be here for th^ ceremony. ARISTOCRATIC AMERICA • The atmosphere of Continental £urope—just as though'- one had stepped into the soclfil whirl of the Riviera—^a noticeable feature of a vidit to the PARKoJLANE HOTBL., New York, the home of Aristocratic America. _ Here, too, a MIQYER DAVIS OR- CHESTRA nighUy entertains a most exacting' patronage. Shallenberger Bankrnpt; Owes Mudi—Assets Ught Hollywood, Dec. 10. Dr. W. B. Shallenberger, former head of Arrow Pictures Corp., filed a petition of Toluntary bankruptcy in the U. S. District Court, giving liabilities as |622,489,t and assets as $32,780. Main creditor is Motion ]^icture Capital Corp., of New York, which has claims of $182,293. Shallen- berger is also Indebted to the Cine- ma Commercial Corp., New York, for $66,299; to Sol FUllh, Manufac- turers' Trust Company, $57,879; E. C. McCuUough, New York^ $56,000; International Resource . Co., New York, $63,000; Empire Laboratories, New York, $67,402. Other : creditors Include Dallas Fitzgerald, pictiure producer, Holly- wood, $22,600; Bay state Film Co.^ New York, $15,000; Hurricane Film Co., New York, $21,700; Tannen- baum Co., New York,. $34,500; Bank of Hollywood, $12,600; Claremont I^aboratorles, New York, $12,686; Simmons Picture Corp., New York, $11,200; Citizens NaUohal Bank, Los Angeles, $12,600; National Evans Laboratories, New York, $6,- 400; Balrd Beck, Hollywood, $6,000; Chelsea Bank, New York, $6,381; Cromelon Laboratories, New York, $6,661; Ritchie Lithographing Co., $3,049; Bennett liaboratories. Holly wood, $3,500; Lyman Howe, of WilkesbarTe, Pa., $1,614; Beamer Laboratories, Jersey City, $4,396; Oalvantype Engraving Co., New York, $1,060; Tec-Art studioa, Hollywood, $900; Pacific Fire In- surance Co., New York, $1,100; Ar- thur Stebbina Co., New York, $800; National Press Clipping Bureau, $103; Lloyd Storage Co., New York, $147; Krause Manufacturing Co., New York, $662; B. Delgrado, New York, $690; Aufderherde, New York, $208; Apollo Stationery Co., New York, $271; Whitehair Co., New York,-$246. Assets are listed as home fur- nishings, $260, and outstanding open accounts of $32,530. Ahnost Complete Remake; **KeUy" Cast CaHed Back Hollywood, Dec. 10. Original cast of "Queen Kelly/' . Gloria Swanson's film for United Artists, has been called back for a re-make. First attempt was halted after about $800,000 had been poured in. All that will be retained of the original Von Stroheiin version are a few long shots. Members re-engaged are: Walter Byron, David Torrence, Seena Owen, George Hackathorn, Sarah Padden anil Fred Burt. ST. PATRICK'S DAY RELEASE John McCormack's first talker (Fox), as yet unnamed, has been set for release next. St. Patrick's The tenor has five ~sbngs^"lrr"the' special. HARRY CORN EAST Hollywood, Dec. 10. Harry Cohn, of Columbia, leaves for the east the end of this week. He Is expected -back here for the holidays. Purpose of the trip not known. A.T.&T.aiHl Reviews for Reviewers '•For your information" is the salutation to film review- ers of the Manhattan dailies. Then follows favorable trade paper previews on pictures yet to open on Broadway; Psychology is that the ad- vance reading will establish something of a pre-opinion before the big night arrives. Radio Pictures is the first to try It. KENT FAVORS % SELLING; WARNS ONHlDEnLM In the opinion of Sidney R. Kent, general manager of Paramount and its distribution chief, the entire pic- ture industn* will generally adopt the- selling of pictures on a per> Centage plan within a year. Talkers SJid conditions resultant from sound indicate, that this is the best method of booking product, according to Kent. Kent declares that the Increase In percentage booking of Paramouht product alone, until It now approxi- mates 86 percent of the . business done, indicates that the trend Is strongly in £avor of this system. He believes that both the -distributor iand exhibitor are benefited and that the percentage plan is the surest way for both to discover whether they can continue doing business. "Percentage playing is the. best system because it encourages bet- ter pictures," says Par's general manager. "Good pictured will con- tinue to get good rentals and make money for both the distributor and exhibitor, and poor pictures will do less than-ever before." Kent sees rentals remaining about the same as at present, neither get- ting higher nor lower, and going higtier only if much added produc- tion expenses is e&sential. He also feels that the industry should be careful about entrance Into the wide-film field; but maintains that the percentage booking plan will settle everything if wide-film and color enter the Industry lOO per- cent. "Everything then will depend on the box oflace, and if exhibitors can't make money, with what's given them, theh" best way of finding it out win be on percentage," said Kent. "Also, the distributor will have this as a good gauge." Paramount, with special instruc- tions to the entire selling force, is taking under individual considera- tion the problems and cases of all the smaller exhibitors, with a view to selling them product on terms which will insure as far as is prac- tical their cohtiniiancei in the In- dustry. Paramount, it was revealed by Kent, has held almost all of the small accounts it had before sound arrived. N. Y. toL. A. Leo Robbin. L. A. Young. Mr. and Mrs. Bert Wheeler. Moe Silvers. Bobby Crawford. Mr. and Mrs. Jack Wiamer. Mr. and Mrs. Daryll Zanuck. Lottl Lodi. Wm. Bleeker. Harold Rodner. Jeanette MacDonald. Arthur Homblow, Jr. Harry D'Arrast. Sidney Howard. L. A. to N. Y. Paul Weber. Sig Bosley. Lowell Sherman. Jack Cohen. ■ Walter Donaldson. Warren Nolan. Walter Donaldson. Robert Vignola. Sidney Olcott. (Continued from page i) from the A. T. ft T« viewpoint have already concluded « board of di. rection operating behind. Wall Street doors, can set and steer the necessary movements to finally capture the' filni industry, admit- tedly oVdr 96% of 411 American show business at present." In boldly stepping Ihto the Pox situation through its subsidiaries, the picture men isay It's A. T. & T., "eventually if not nSw.". After, Others. Rumors claim A. T. & T. Inter- ests'are after*another large picture concern. The sought for' picture firm is not in-any difficulty and is not dealing directly with any of the A. T. & T. bankers, but the story goes that the wire group Is set o?| buying the company.. Tjie matter of money Is the least, -sajKy the film crowd, for didn't A. T, & T. at one time not so long ago offer William Fox 26p million lor his business? There is no confirmation of the Fox offer, but last -week Wheh A. T.' & T, did step Into the Fox situation,. Fox owed 160 millions, ; half of which were liabilities aiid the other half commitments.. .', -. The only Important picture con-. cem reported as not at present owing any banker a dollar or an obligation is said to be Paramount. How A, T. &. T. can handle the Paramount condition no one con- jectures, Previous negotiations to buy • Paramount, started through Radio .Corporation of America on behalf ' of Its sub, R-K-O; came to naught. Nor did the long reported merge Of Para- mount and Warner Brothers eventu- ate. That might have been a fore>' runner of an R. C. A.-Paramount buy. Right now. AT&T has. under either arm, R-K-O and Fox. With R-K:-0 is a picture producer. Radio Pictures, and the Keith-Orpheum chain of theatres. On the Fox side are the Fox studios and theatres and Loew's producer, Metro, besides the Lo.ew theatre chain. ° The sum- up is three first line picture studio;, plants and nearly 1,200 theatres:^ Oyer 1,000 of thesie theatres are P6ii'- contrciled. . Other film companies are tJnited Artists, Universal, Pathe, Tiffany^ and Columbia among the major in- dependents. • With Warners are linked the First National studios and 'the Stanley theatre chain, besides Wiixners' owii studios and houses; giving War- ners four studios (Warners and Yltagraph on coast and one east, with First National) and o-ver 300 theatres. > Universal has a:round 176 theatres left, the only one of the other in- dependent producers with .exhibition attached. Leases and Licenses Theatre men who signed Western Electric sound equipment leases within the past two years, either for theatre or studio, agreed that after the term of the lease, the devices shall revert to W. E., unliess an arrangement is reached for an extension of the lease or license. This has become more prominent with the direct entrance of AT&T into the show business. General Electric also has -its own wire subsidiary for the theatre, ' RCA Photophone, whilst In other subsidiaries like the National' Broadcasting Company and Victor phonograph of the ■ Radio Corpora- tion (R C. A,), AT&T rnay now be said to have a istring on- every branch of the show business, ex- cepting the legit and outdoors. Neither. of those two Is. material or necie'ssary to AT&T's holdings. There doesn't appear to be any alarm expressed in' the trade over , the open debut of AT&T as a showf. man. Those with hopes believe they may profitably sell when the tinie arrives. Others think that AT&T or its representatives will have to buy at a satisfactory price, in order that AT&T may achieve its full objective of owning, the show business because the shov^ business is now living on sound, if. that is the objective. The AT&T claim is said to bo that it's the boss of sound, wherever it comes- from. -^OriB-^ or^^two--^picture ===^ojnuaii^^ heads state there is no reason for them to sell: that It would take their business life away, but they haven't met AT&T In person as yet. KAYNARD'S THEATRE Hollywood, Dec. 10. Ken .Maynard will build a sound theatre in Palm Springs, CaK It's a winter resort on the desert.