The Washington times., 1928-05-02
ROGERS NOW
FULL PEI
STAR

by unanimous vote of the conven.
ton delegates. 1t was the first
time in film history that a fea-
tured player had been elevated to
the highest screen prominence by
the popular vote of the men who
sell his pictures.
When Rogers was introduced at
the Hotel Carlton convention as
the most promising Hollywood
juvenile and the announcement
made that soon he would have his
name flashed in the mazda bulbs
above the tito of his pictures,
some delegate suggested. Why
not now?" The proposal met with
cheers and the motion was put
and unanimously carried that Rog-
ers be rated first rank Para.
mount star. He was present at
the convention and heard his
praises sung. my Best Girl,
with Mary Pickford: wings, and
.'Abie's Irish Rose" are the three
films in which Rogers earned his
promotion.
The session of the convention to-
day was occupied by q lengthy
address from sidney r.. Kent. gen.
eral manager OF Paramount. Els
speech covered topics from sales
rnafship 70 shoWmanship. Tonight
the conventions business sessions
will close with a banquet IN the
main ball room of the Hotel Carr
ton. Otto Kahn, New York banker.
will make one OF the principal
addresses anu there will be otneF
notable speakers and some sur.
prise features.
Although there has been Inu ~
talk in washington about the
possibility OF Paramount bulinlnk
its own theater here to be oper-
atedA as one of the Publix chaln
III de luxe film palaces, AZ
PIT executives are discreetly
silent when asked to confirm tne
,.umors. Sam KatZ. the 36-year-
old executive in charge OF all the
TorIblix tI1eaters agreed there was
nothing to be said on that sub
iect at this time. Mr.. KATE mas
MANY ideas on the operation OF
picture theaters and on this sun
iect sends the following thoughts
10 readers of The Washington
Times:
"Tn spite of the construction OF
large and paIatiaI theaters in all
the big cities. the general pubic
has failed to realize what these
great buildings represent.
THE average man who says
after dinner. Let's go to a movie,
sees the theater merely as
place where he meets the ticket
seller at the box office, the
usher at the door. goes IN and
sees a perfected mocha meal de-.
vice throw an entertaining story
on the screen. OF the intricate
human machinery which gives
him relaxing diversion with 2
minimum of friction, he has not
a thought.
But even the usher IL one OF
troop OF several dozen or several
score. carefully selected and highly
trained. The music is often not
consciously perceived at all. but 1t
means the skilled and inspired
work of a large number of artists.
to be produced by exactly the same
type of effort which results in the
spectacular stage revues. There is
backstage a crew of electricians,
carpenters, scene shutters and
other workers as large as in a big
legitimate theater. while overhead
in the projection booth crew of
skilled operators keep the picture
in perfect progression. A small
army Is necessary to maintain one
of these big moving picture
houses.
More than that, consider the
place in the community OF the
theater from the real estate and
business standpoint. The big NOV.
ing picture house usually is the
outstanding building in the block
and for many blocks along the
street. When it was erected. bust
ness took a turn in that direction.
Better shops came that way.
Property values increased all
around.
Paramount this year will make
and distribute "a pictures. Clara
Bow. Richard Dix and Esther
Ralston will be the special new
stars. Road shows will be
wings "Abie's Irish Rose" and
the latest Emil Jahnings, "rhe
Patriot" Won Stroheim's WED
ding March" will be one Of the big
specials. FIorenz -,iegfeld will have
the last word in the special, "Glori-
fying the American Girl" The
first epic picture of the dirigible
is promised with the enlightening
title. "Dirigiblc," George Bancroft
will be starred in four pictures and
Pola Negri will make two new
ones.
Sir Harry Lander has made a
foreign picture which will be re-
leased through Paramount. 1t Is
called "Huntingtower." Another
importation Is Behind the Ger
man Lines" official films Of the
war from the Berlin standpoint.
A. II. X,