Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

Cowdin Ends Hurried Conference With Rogers The fireworks which it was generally predicted would occur following the visit to Hollywood of J. Cheever Cowdin, chairman of the New Universal’s board of directors, for conferences with Charles R. Rogers, vice-president in charge of production at Universal City, have apparently failed to develop, and all is quiet on that studio’s front, as evidenced by the formal announcement denoting satisfactory achievement of the current year’s scheduled plans, released by Rogers this week. “Objective Attained’’ Declaring that the company had “attained the objective sought by executives since the new regime took charge a year ago,” Rogers explained that the lopping off of more than 150 employes from the studio payroll, following a check-up by Cowdin and Samuel Machnovitch, Universal treasurer, brought the company back to its normal operating schedule. Rogers’ report declared that Universal is now months ahead of the production schedule, six months ahead on scripts already written and five months ahead on releases. “Naturally,” the announcement . read, “having caught up with our program, it will no longer be necessary to work at the high pressure of the last few months. Therefore, for a time we will make four pictures a month instead of seven.” Richard Millar as Representative Cowdin left for the east early this week after appointing Richard Millar as his personal studio representative, who will work with J. P. Normanly, general studio manager, "Val Paul, studio manager, and Elmer Tambert, in charge of estimates in the production office, inferring that a closer check on expense budgets would be kept by the home office. The company currently has two pictures before the cameras — “The Road Back” and “Love in a Bungalow” — with three more scheduled to start within the near future. Ready to go are “Armored Car,” “I Cover the War,” and “100 Men and a Girl,” the Deanna Durbin starrer. Six pictures — five features and serial — are in the cutting rooms and will be ready for release shortly. They include “As Good as Married,” “Oh, Doctor,” “Wings Over Honolulu,” “The Wildcatter,” “The Cop,” and the Johnny Mack Brown cliffhanger, “Wild West Days.” Hays Cites Complexity of Trade Structure New York — Indicating the complex structure of the industry in its interrelated branches. Will H. Hays, president of the MPPDA, in his annual report made public this week, declares that more than 200 different professions, vocations and avocations contribute to the production of an average motion picture before it can be released for exhibition. Hays also pointed out that 27,000 miles of film are handled every day in the exchanges in this country by distributors who in a single year execute 12,000,000 contractual obligations with exhibitors, who in turn provide 12,000,000 persons every day with a service of essential entertainment in 16,000 theatres throughout the nation. SPECULATE OVER FAIRBANKS EXIT One of the most popular topics for Hollywood’s chronic guessers last week was the reason behind the sudden withdrawal of Douglas Fairbanks sr. from the co-producership of “The Adventures of Marco Polo,” on which the erstwhile star had formed a partnership with Samuel Goldwyn. While Goldwyn and those close to Fairbanks in no way intimated that any disagreement had caused a rift in their relationship, Fairbanks announced that he had sold his interests in the picture to the United Artists producer. His statement read: “Because of my desire to withdraw from the co-producership of ‘The Adventures of Marco Polo,’ in order to devote my time to individual productions of my own, Mr. Samuel Goldwyn, my close friend and associate, has today purchased all of my rights to this forthcoming production.” HUBBARD TO PRODUCE "EBBTIDE" IN COLOR Lucien Hubbard will produce “Ebbtide,” from the Robert Louis Stevenson story, for Paramount, with Henry Hathaway directing. The film will be shot in Technicolor. Production is set to begin in May with Bertram Milhauser now polishing up the screenplay. Ray Milland and Frances Farmer head the cast. Roland Drew Cast After one fling at Hollywood in the silent days, Roland Drew, stage actor, will return to the screen in B. P. Schulberg’s “The Ascending Dragon,” retitled “The Great Gambini.” Schulberg brought him to the film capital originally on a Paramount contract. “The Great Gambini” began work last week with Charles 'Vidor directing, and Akim Tamiroff, John Trent and Genevieve Tobin in leading roles. The most photographed girls in the world, America’s prize mannequins, recruited by Walter Wanger to appear in "Vogues of 1938,” go to school on the lot to learn drama and diction. Harold Clurman, Hew York Theatre Group director, is the teacher. The girls are: First row — Katharine Aldridge, Ida Vollmar, Betty Wyman, Frances Joyce. Second row — Phyllis Gilman, Betty Douglas, Ruth Martin, Olive Cawley, Noreen Carr. Third row — Libby Harben, Dorothy Day, Mary Oakes and Martha Heverin. 34 BOXOFFICE :: April 10, 1937.