Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-12

| OF their pictures, the movie geniuses
have tried harder and harder to find
| other means of Turing the public into
| their gigantic palaces, temples and
cathedrals.
T, Thus it has come to pass that the
| movie industry has started to drift
away from its real, legitimate base.
In every city in America. you viii
find elaborate movie theaters In
which movies themselves are the least
important feature of the program.
There are symphony orchestras, jazz
bands, elaborate ballets, Black Bottom
contests, vaudeville headliners, atmos.
pheri0 prologues and all manner OF
acts and stunts to entertain the
patron.
The three grandest, largest and
most pretentious film parlors OF all
are the Roxy Theater, controlled by
William Fox; the Capitol, controlled
by Metro oldwyn, and the Para
mount. All three are in New York,
but they are typical of the situation
that obtains throughout the United
States and Canada.
These are nominally movie theaters;
actually they are nothing of the kind.
They are glorified vaudeville houses.
with motion pictures thrown in as a
sort of afterthought. For instance,
this week Paul Whiteman and his
band started an extended engagement
at the Paramount Theater. Mr..
Whiteman's salary is somewhat in
excess Of $40, 900 a week. At the Roxy
Theater there is a regular company
Of some 900 people-many Of them ex-
tremely expensive performers-who
appear in the stage presentations.
Why do the arrangements Of these
non-movie talent? Il seem to be ask
ing a great many rhetorical questions
in this article.) The answer here, too,
is obvious: Because they know their
movies aren't good enough to make
their vast theater interests profitable.
X X x x
It's strange problem. and its solu
ton will be interesting to watch.
Personally, l believe that the film
producers will eventually be forced to
realize that they are off on the wrong
tack; they are where they are today
because they made good and salable
moving pictures. They can only re-
tain their present positions if they
continue to make good and salable
moving pictures.
IL ILlSy uO 1dIl 10 10 Sui LH0y con.
tinue to devote themselves to elabo-
rate architecture and high priced
vaudeville-they will find themselves
in the embarrassing position of that
celebrated farmer who looked for
golden eggs in dead goose.
Bulletins.
Hollywood, Calif-Richard Barthel-
mess will probably appear as the hero
of that famous Harold Bell Wright
story, THE Shepherd of the Hills"
. David Butler, an excellent
actor, whose latest and best work is
to be seen in Seventh Heaven" is to
become a director under the Fox BAN
ner. Wallace Berry and Ray.
mond Hatton are about to start on a
comedy called Now They're in the
Air." which was to be expected.
Another Paramount star is reported
to be casting longing glances toward
the great open spaces of the United
Artists lot. :. 1t is Adolphe
Menjou. and he may make the move
this Summer.
New York, n. Y.-Sidney Bernstein,
noted English movie exhibitor, recent
ly stated that there Is no reason why
England can't compete with the
United States in film manufacture.
I'VE can make pictures just as bad
as yours" said the smart Mr.. Bern
stein.
(CopvriChf 1oo7n