Variety (Jun 1930)

•■ ^ '46 VARIETY P I G T U R E S Wednesday, June 18» 1930 "Outside" Leaders with Talk Only Don't Accomplish Much; Say the Indies^Heavy Woel Indie leaders from the outside of show business have failed prin- cipally because they have allowed themselves to be steered the wrong way, according to the veterans. Prescribing the "current road" for • successful leadership one of the principal indies remarks: "First, a leader must be suptJort- ed by the dues of a direct member- ship. "Second, a man who comes in from the outside and goes over the established route that has been 4read before without results is wasting his own time, is being taken lightly, and Is throwing away the , money of his backers." Thait conferences",are "the estab- lished route" and 'that It Is not to be expected that they would ma-, terlalize any good for the Indie "beJ cause producers who have been- al- lowed to operate along cejrtalh lines flhould npt be expected to relinquish them of their own Accord." Hundreds of Ailments That there are hundreds of indie ailments and that conferences have never resulted In the successful cure , of ally of them. Is this indie's dec- s' laratlon. ), "Hither we have legal grievances that must be adjudicated according .,■ to the way prescribed by law or iK^;;,4^Ise ;we^haven't Any and there Is no v^TT'iieed lor talkfests," Is the point v. in^de for the Judge and Jury way M doliir things. ' "Thl^ resorting to a publication ;' to replenish.a vanishing treasury Is , such an bid mddeli that it ia gro tesque," says another of the-v6t Indies. . ' "It was started back In 19i2 and failed then and has failed ever since. Exhibitors won't read It aiM. pVb- ducers won't advertise In It." A'.oheck lii the production end of the field largely substantiates the latter. observation, since only Tlf fanyl wUichi inad^^ the origlneil'dona tion referred to; took a page In the first. Issue of the new Abram Myers' Allied'Exhlbs monthly. Outside senders referred to ap pareiitly are Aaron Shapiro and Mr. Myers. TRENTON'S Custom of Reference to >imt or Pablix Continaes with Each Paramount Publix, through the uniting of the two names. Is causing some confusion in the ranks by sup posed necessity of using. the full name when referring to any branch _ of the organization. ^ As a result the pictures are be H coming known as Paramount pic V tures and called such, while in the ,:.r- circuit end the theatres are being termed Publix .theatres, as in the past. "The full Par-Publlx deslgna u tlon.,ls cdmlng in only where "legal ly" or "administratively" essential r It Is pointed out. The pictures in credits are pre ;, sented by Paramount alone instead . of ins .by Adolph Zukor and Jesse ti. lAjSky, with Paramount Publix cited only in the copyright line, necessary for legal reasons. in publicity and exploitation the / product Is termed Paramount pic- tures, with Paramount Publix oc- casionally brought Into play, but t^not.r-with. 100 7o prominence.: The same is true of Publix theatres, each apparently wanting to main- tain Identity to a certain extent. :' The stage shows of P-P are still being called Publix units and In other directions the singleness of title is being manifested. If There's Room Hollywood, June 17. Actors' Branch of the Acad- emy has decided it would be a nice thing to show appre- ciation of studio officials who treat actors courteously. Idea is to establish an "Honor Role of Studio Em- ployees in Authority." I Frisco House S^es Union Differences and May Hay Stage Show San Francisco, June 17. - William B. Wagnon's troubles with the Musicians' Union which have been going . on for several years are at an end. Wagnon has reached an agree- ment with the Musicians' to rein- stall an orchestra In his Embassy, starting June 26. - Whether it will be a band In the pit or on the sta^e not determined. Persistent rumor bAa been Wag- non Is planning to put ststge show in the Embassy but he denied' It. Despite this denial It is generfilly believed the.sta^e show wilt go into the Embaiisy at^d thai Wagnon's [signing of a pefusQ Oact ^itb :the Musicians' Union waf. a r^idt of I this plan. ' ' ' . Oscar Carter la working oh the adaptation and dialog of "The Worst Woman In Paris'* for Xiiberty I'jproductionsl It is belhg made from the stage show of the same title. Wamei^ Without F. N. Fihns for Beacon, Become Cramped on B way Kdkt's 13 UihSbte House Hay Land with Waners Oneida, N. .T., June 17. While Michael' Kailet, president of Kallet Theatres, Inc., refuses to be quoted. It la authoritatively re- jiorted here' that ^.the Paramount Publix deal for the Kallet chain of 13 Central New York houses, 4n- cludlng theatres In Syracuse, Rome, Utlca, and' this city, as well as smaller towns. Is cold. Inside dope Is that Warne-s, rap- Idly - expandhig In . Central New York, ttre now angeling for the Kallet 'theatres. -Another report Is that, Warn'erS~may take over the deluxe house-which the Schlnes are - bulldlng-ln-Cortland. . * Waf ners|. representatives recent- ly have been, active In the Central New Yo^'k field. Trenton, June 17. With. Trertton still slngihgri.the Jerses^'blues 'and everybody seem Ingly anxious to get Ini on ithe "free , ■ tor air by violating In'some.'form I . Some of the actors in- the .4^^infi.i '^^i%)iSlbn-' of "All Quiet" are being or other the Sunday blue Uws,"the used in the remake sGenes^or''ttie German version, but not for sound T f«rl .,««?f®» Z®"; «3lng .them In the ;remak<> ' closeups iRjhat they are Identified In longer shots. To get over the language difficulty they are drilled In the'phonetics of .the. German lines, but the scene Is shot with a dead mike and the words are later dubbed in by experts. Through operation of three pop- priced houses on Broadway (Win- ter (harden. Strand, Beacon) and two (2 houses (Warner and Holly- wood), W.B. Is finding it Increas- ingly tough,to fill demand for prod- uct without going outside their own company and. First .NatlonaL. Of particular dlfilculty has been supply of pictures for the Beacon at Broadway anl 74th street with- out hurting, the other houses, this because F.N. had sold Its .product for ,that territory and thierdfore could not be used at the Beacon. This has resulted In holdover of W.B. product hot deserving more thsm a week, udded attractions, etc. In order to get through to Aug. 1, when the F.N. product will toe avail- able for all W*Bi houses, .-Independ- ent product that can be booked will be-used until then; Current week with "Ladles In Xove'? (Hollywood Pictures) is first Indie In. "What ai. Man" (Sono-Art) Is another that has been booked but not as yet dated. W.B. figures that with 36 features from their own company and 3S from F.N„ with entire 70 available for their New York houses, includ- ing Beacon^ they probably will not have to' go outside for pictures to round out next year. Mercer Grand Jury reconvened for a special session Monday to decide In a test case whether the exhibi tion of pictures' on the< Sabbath is i^g&l.' Ever since the police Issued an.ultimatum four weeks ago, in vlttrig the managers to open their doors on the Sabbath, the minis terlal union has been up In the ab*, protesting the violation of .the law. AlthjOugh buslne^ - on the . opening 'd&iy was poor, Widespread notoriety, due to the protestations oL.the W. C. T. l]r-.'{9.itd the ministers, lias since mai^e the Venture' most profitable. George B. LaBarre, director of public safety in Trenton, has pre- sented the na,mes of 3,733 blue law violators oi|^'every. kind to. Prose.cu tor English for presentation to the Grand Jury. Some members o' the Jury, it Is reported, want to indict all violators so that the folly of en forcing -the law might be demon- strated. It's all ra^ther Jolly to residents of Trenton, who feel firmly. convinced Present tour of the south by "Dr." S, S. Taylor, doing sex lectures only without any film embellishment but probably carrying "living models" and appearing in Publix houses, 'gave impetus to the belief In New York that perhaps Publix had changed attitude on the sex-worked stuff in Its theatres. Some sex picture handlers wanted to obtain Publix houses to show sex or health films bi^t wero repeatedly, turned down, althou'gh' Publix has played' this sort of stuff from time to time in its obscure houses here and there. . It Jappearai Taylor got In Publix theatres,In Florida through E. J. Sparks, whet is Publtx's partner and gen, mgr. for the Florida district. Specific Sparks' boolclngs with. Taylor are Jacksonville and St,. Peters burg. • ^ ^ Just how PubUx alibis the Taylor dates. If It does or cares to. Is some thing else again. Publix knows these sex-s^uff peddlers use the fact of playing PubUk houses to other exhibitors, reformers, chiefs of police, vice societies, reform cominittees and others who would like to see them in Jail Instead of on a stage. A memorial service was a feature of the Installation of newly elected officers of the Theatrical Press .Representatives last week. The memorial exercises yrere arranged by W'ells Hawks,' who^attended and who is president emeritus of the T.P.R. The T.P.R. has lost 40 members by death since it was organized five years ago. Present membership is 276i Two years ago the association that the Grand Jury will throw out I blanketed Its membership with group Insurance, (600 payable upon death the cases, atnd hence make Sunddyj Some members have been temporarily dropped for non-payment of dues because- of the insurance feature. About (4,600 is said to have been loaned members in need during the past year. The regular. ticket with Wallace Munro, the new president, had been elected the week previous. The committee for the installation was. Wlllard D. Coxey, S. I. Connor, Arthur Ryan, Walter K. Hill and Arthur Levy. . . .Hawks, who was retired from the navy with the rank of commander, is at present visiting Thais Magrane at Pomona, N. Y.,. where he is writing a book. show's legal. And that's ^hat the people want Judging from the re celpts of the past three weeks. Fire Report Shirley Palmer, "Ladles Must Play." Col.- . Stanley Smith borrowed from Par for Juvenile lead in "Soup to ■Nuts." Fox. . , • Edwards Davis, "Like Kelly Can," Metro. Scott Pembroke to direct "Jazz Cinderella," Chesterfield. Albert Scotto wiU direct "The ^' \Qold Star Mother" foir Columbia. :-.^^v' . ■ •■ t- (Continued from page 4) "whether permanent or temporary, shall be In vaults or cabinets con striicted as provided in this article. Not more than 1,126 pounds (226 standard reels)' shall be stored In the cabinets In a single room." .Men on Committee The committee formed by the fire commissioner for the purpose of formulating the above amendments includes: Representing: the .fire department: Chiefs Johii Kenlon, Patrick Walsh, John J. Waldron, John J. McEUigott, for the uniformed force, and Chiefs Peter ' C. 'Spence and Thomas A. Larkln of the Bureau o*. Fire Pre ventioh; C. S. Cahaskle, C. C. Wahl gren, G. Y. Lancaster, for the New York Board of Fire Underwriters; George W. Booth, A. R. Small and B. W. Fowler, for the National Board; of Fli'e Underwriters; Nicho- las J. Kelly, chief engineer. Depart ment of Water Supply, Gas and Electricity; L. B. Newell, of the New York Fire Insurance Exchange; J. Henry Waters, representing varl- ou.j theatrical interests (not enu merated); William T. Powers, Par amount; Arthur Dickenson, the Hays organization; Charles O'Reilly, Theatre Owners' Chamber of Com merce. Down east -near Buzzard's Bay there is a beautflul estate called the Garden by The Sea. It Is owned by Edgar B. Davis and was seven years In the building. Davis is the oil and rubber man who contentedly dropped a million'in ''The Ladder." He started in the shoe manufac turlng business in Mtiss. but his real Interests are In the Texas oil fields. "The State of Mass. assessed the Garden estate some |300,000 Davis da^lms 'that Is unfair, he being a citizen of Texas. With the matter in litigation Davis has spent very little time at the Buzzard's Bay place. The Garden by the way is Incorporated, his brother and sister being. Interested. Davis' .Texas estate lis a million dollar affair, which has two |:olf courses, one for white and the other for colored employees. The author of a picture story now in work is a former studio employee who has done a stretch. Turned loose after the required visit, the lad immediately. returned ^to the Coast to resume his writing. He was scribbling when a property man but, of cout^e, getting nowhere with his mental offsprings. In his earlier days the new author used to spend all his time in picture houses, filttlng-from film to film—and always taking down notes In odd moments he,sqld booze. He finally clicked with a yarn on subject with which he's quite familiar. The original script' even had the ^authentic names In the cast of the people to be characterized. This had' to be changed, but they think so well of the yarn on the lot making the picture that the author will be invited to turn out a couple more. FimN ON FATHE SHOBTS Hollywood, June 17. John Flinn is here to take charge of Pathe shorts, with Fred Lally as his .assistant. Harry Warner's son. Lewis, is getting the most yersatlte education of any young exec in the business. Lewis has traveled through the music end under Herman Starr and is now the dally student of Spyros Skouras In the theatre end.' So Interested Is the young man In Warner box office tactics that he and Spyros are almost Inseparable. Lewis is in on most of the big conferences when Spyros gives his father the low-down on one of those last-minute acquisitions. The vest of the time Lewis Is looking over theatres with Skouras or .getting the alphabetical perspective on in and outgoing moneys that dealers with the immediate public are always considering. Tom Lennon and Mauri Grasham adapting "This Marriage Game," by Fred Stanley, Pathe. Rita Le Roy, "Leatherneck- Ing," Radio- Suitable foreign names for American films are increasingly difficult to find. Most titles with a punch in them have already been used either as translations or for original local productions, and search of title to the title has to be Instituted before it can be released. Metro found recently that the tentative translation for "Single Standard" which was to be "Droit d'Aimer" meaning "The Right to Love" had already been used by Paramount as long as seven years ago. After Goodside Failed to SeH Other House to Par He Brought Suft The unsuccessful efforts of Abra- ham Goodside, Portland, Me., the- atre owner, to dispose of his Em- pire to Paramount Publix when his strand was taken under leiase, will be brought put In P-P's defense of the 1600,000 action Goodside brought against that circuit, it Is under- stood: Goodside filed suit in federal court In Portland several weeks ago, charging Paramount Publix has refused to give bim. its .better pictures and also has ttejain'Instru- mental in shutting off other sources of product. P-P will enter a general denial to these charges, and from accounts will lay .bare Its dealings with Ctoodslde. Par-Publix took over Goodside's Strand a year ago under a 26-year lease. Goodside, it Is claimed, made the proposal that the Empire, 800- seater and called a third-rate house, be taken by Par-Publlx as well. An exorbitant price was wanted. It Is Inferred from the Inside, with P-P as a result satisfying Itself by tak- ing the Strand only, and through a later deal with. Netoco getting the Statf^ and Main.. This gave Par-Publix three the- atreet in Portland. Since the Strand was acquired, the State has been built. Through the building of the State, declared the best first run in Portland, additional ot^positlon came In for Goodside's Empire. Al- though It was not originally inter- ested In the Empire, Par-Publlx sees less need for It now, whether a deal was possible or not. Still Wants to Sell From accounts Goodside Is still anxious to dispose of this house, especially sin-^e the State opened last September. When Goodside operated both the Strand and Empire, he used some pictures at the Empire not calcu- lated as strong enough for the for- mer. That house has played Para- mount product second run and indie pictures first run. Par-Publfx's defense of the alle- gations that Goodside cannot now get the better pictures, as his com- plaint alleges, will be that the Em- pire Is getting pictures now the same as it used in the past. The case Is scheduled to come up in Portland in September. When the Goodside action was first reported. It sounded like that of an oppressed exhlb and seemed to be so regarded In Portland. "The selling of one house by Goodside to Par and his desire to sell the other developed later. U Takes Horror Play Hollywood, June 17. Universal will film "Dracula," the horror play produced in New York some years ago. Deal closed for rights.