The Film Daily (1933)

THE -3&>% DAILY Saturday, May 20, 1933 A Little from "Lots" By RALPH WILK HOLLYWOOD W. S. VAN" DYKE, now completing' "Eskimo," will direct "Laughing Boy" for M-G-M as soon as Ramon Novarro returns from Europe to play the leading role. Hunt Stromberg will supervise. Warner Oland and Florence Lake have been assigned by RKO to "The Death Watch." Lionel Barrymore and Madge Evans are the first selections announced for M-G-M's untitled story which will have a background of the Louisiana bayous, based on Leo David Freeman's unproduced play, "Dance Hall Daisy." Director Tod Browning is now in the bayou country selecting locations for this production. The original play has been adapted to the screen by Chandler Sprague and William Faulkner. * * * Malcolm Stuart Boylan has been signed to collaborate with John Goodrich on the screen play for "Fire Eaters," scheduled for early production with Bill Boyd and Robert Armstrong in the featured leads. Boylan is also writing the adaptation and dialogue. The original story is by Houston Branch. Ralph Ince will direct. Sam Jaffe is associate producer. * * * H. N. Swanson will guide the production destinies of "Doubtful Lady," forthcoming Constance Bennett starring vehicle for RKO Radio. Robert Z. Leonard, whose last picture was "Peg O'My Heart," will direct Joan Crawford and Robert Montgomery in M-G-M's "The Dancing Lady," an adaptation of the "Saturday Evening Post" serial by James Warner Bellah. The picture will feature several original songs now being prepared by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown. Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy will have the leading roles in M-G-M's forthcoming production of "The Prisoner of Zenda." This will be Eddy's initial appearance in a feature production. He has been with the Philadelphia Civic Opera Company for several years. Meyer's New Lab. Set Louis Meyer has named1 his new laboratories Cinema-Craftsmen, Inc., opening at 130 West 46th St. about June 15. Meyer is installing developing and printing machines of his own invention, also animation desks and cameras, title studios, trick photography rooms and projection room. • • • DOWN IN Havana Pete Colli, manager for Warners, is establishing a reputation for himself among theater men due to his undying publicity efforts and the splendid exploitation stunts he stages he has done some swell jobs on "20,000 Years In Sing Sing," "The Match King," "Three On A Match" and "Frisco Jenny" he is now starting to plug "42nd Street" with one of the biggest campaigns the Island has ever known and expects to put the pix over as one of the biggest attractions in years $ afle $ $ • • • THERE WILL be no Miss Germany represented in the International Beauty Pageant to be staged at Madison Square Garden on Sept. 9 Martin Starr, managing director, figures that the anti-Hitler sentiment justifies him in this procedure foreign entries will be represented by Holland, Austria, Roumania, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, France, Belgium and Russia • • • DID YOU Know That Director Clarence Brown started his career as a designer of Stevens-Duryea autos? Harry Beaumont, Jack Conway and Wesley Ruggles, directors of note, were all rival stage leading men at the same period? Myrna Loy started her screen career as a protege of Rudolph Valentino and his wife? Greta Garbo still rides around in that old car of hers? Walter Huston has never sung in talkies, yet did it every working day for 12 years in vaude? "¥ s*s :£ % • • • IN AID of the Milk and Egg League luncheon and bridge for the tubercular poor at the Essex House on May 23, the following celebs will entertain Joan Blondell, Dick Powell, Jack Osterman, Charles Carlile, Pickens Sisters, Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields and Irving Kaufman Richardson Named Paramount Trustee (Continued fr bondholders, and Attorney Robert Szold, representing 400 bondholders, centered on the qualifications of Richardson. Zirn objected to nearly every step in the proceedings of the meeting and Referee Davis constantly overruled him. At the opening of the session, Alfred K. Levy of East 77th St., owner of 15 Paramount Publix bonds, asked the referee to appoint a trustee to succeed Horowitz, but Davis pointed out that under the bankruptcy law trustees must be elected by creditors. Attorney Levis, who represented William Fox in various important litigations and who nominated Horowitz at the creditors' meeting on April 18, when three trustees were elected, proposed Richardson as Horowitz's successor. In briefly sketching the career of his candidate he said that he started with United Gas Improvement Co. and currently is with Fox. Richardson joined Fox in 1931 through Harley L. Clarke, at that time president of the corporation. His resignation from the post of vice-president and treasurer was reported several months ago. Zirn, in strenuously objecting to the nomination, said that he didn't "want the steamroller run over me again." Szold demanded that the (nullifications of Richardson be examined immediately, but the referee overruled the request, declaring that Richardson is competent. Attorney Victor House, counsel £oi several security holders, joined in the demand for examination ol the candidate. The election over, Zirn asserted that it was illegal. Latei he indicated that on Wednesday he will again l" hi the U. S. District I ouft for thi 1 1 moval of the referee in the case on the grounds of unfairness. The case, he said, will ciime it i j before Judge Cox. Szold declared that Richardson's election did not represent "independent" creditors and was supported by a "group" including Electrical Research Products, the creditor banks and Levi i.i \ is denied that the nomination was ill, : , all i roup plan and pointi d out that the banks did not vote their claims at this ■om Page 1) election or on April 18, when three trustees were named. The meeting then proceeded to transact business of a routine character. Approval was voted in the face of Zirn and other objections of several moves. They are: compromise of a claim of the bankrupt estate against Art Cinema Corp. consisting of eight promissory notes in the aggregate principal amount of $210,000, of which $50,000 are now due and payable, in consideration of payment by Art Cinema to the trustees of $150,000 in cash, together with interest upon $210,000 from Nov. 14, 1932, to Feb. 1, 1933, against surrender of the notes, together with certain debentures held in escrow as collateral security for the notes, all as more particularly set forth in a petition of the trustees verified April 24, 1933. Compromise of a controversy between the trustees and the McNaughton Realty Co. involving certain leases between McNaughton as lessor and Paramount Publix as lessee, whereby they are to be cancelled without liability to the bankrupt estate or trustees and the trustees are to release all claims to the security deposited under the leases, now in the amount of approximately $315,000, except $50,000, all as more particularly set forth in a petition of the trustees filed May 4, 1933. Authority for the trustees to pay expenses ni Charles U. Hilles and Adolph /ukor as coreceivers under the temporarj receivership. A ut In nil ■. im the trustees, after serving notice to var.ous protective committees, to make J. ,,t i. ii urns assets, including negatives, siuncs. equipment, apparatus, etc.; to terminate leases; to settle, adjust and compromise claims against the estate except those in excess of $250,000, except on notice to creditors; to take sups feu financing or refinancing of "any and all companies subsidiary to or affiliated with the bankrupt." Meeting was adjourned until Tuesday at 10 a. m., when the examination of officials ni Paramount Publix will continue, probably with Ralph A. Kohn testifying. NEWS of the DAY Barre, Vt.— The Magnet theater has been closed by Publix. Rangely, Me. — The Lakeside has been opened by H. C. Riddle, owner. Bethlehem, N. H.— One of the J. B. Ames houses, the Colonial, will open next month, according to present plans. Whitinsville, Mass. — The Star has been opened by E. P. Baszer. Macon, Ga. — H. B. Brown has resigned as manager of the Rialto. Sanders Harris of Fort Valley takes over his duties at once. The Rialto Theater Co. is being incorporated by Harris and George H. Slappey. Kansas City — Don R. Davis, RCA high fidelity representative, has sold the Iola and Kelly at Iola, Kan., and the Waemore, Plattsburg, Mo. Troy, N. Y. — Jack Pickett, assistant manager and treasurer of RKO Proctor's, is now a benedict. The bride was Margaret O'Donnell. Toronto — Mary Pickf ord theater is again employing International Union projectionists, after using Canadian union men for several months. Amboy, Minn. — M. B. Reid is the new owner of the Amboy, having purchased the interests of I. S. Weicks. Elbow Lake, Minn.— The Crystal! is now operated by B. Benfield who purchased it from L. E. Ledum. Brainerd, Minn. — The Paramount,' formerly owned by the Publix, hasbeen purchased by the Brainerd The-' ater Co. Ben Ashe is manager. MANY HAPPY PETUPNS, Best wishes are extended by THE FILM DAILY to the following members of the industry, who are celebrating their birthdays: May 20-21 Stanley Fields Johnny Arthur Estelle Taylor E. B. Derr Virginia Sale J. George Feinberg Robert Montgomery Sam Jaffc Tamar Lane Jed Buell Lola Lane