Motion Picture News (Jul - Sep 1930)

VOLUME XLII NUMBER 1 Motion Picture News NEW YORK CITY JULY 5, 1930 Doug and Mary Retirement to Lead to U. A. — Paramount Merger by Schenck? Author Holds Up M-G-M Hollywood — M-G-M was anxious to produce a talker remake of "The Penalty" during the coming year, with Lon Chaney starred as formerly. Enthusiasm of Chaney and studio execs was at red hot temperature until it was discovered that the author, Gouvernor Morris, was holding the dialogue rights at a reported price of $60,000. It is said that Goldwyn originally paid about $20,000 for the screen rights to the novel about ten years ago. Members of Film Colony Keeping Judges on Jump Hollywood — They're doing a lot of courting these days in the film colony, and it's beginning to look as if the judges won't get vacations. Clifton A. Edwards, screen and radio entertainer known as "Ukulele Ike," who separated from his wife two years ago, wants a property settlement set aside and to enjoin her from disposing of $150,000 worth of the goods which he bestowed upon her at the altar. Mrs. Faith Cole MacLean, wife of Douglas MacLean, comedian, is in Reno reputedly to establish a residence preparatory to filing suit for divorce. They've been married fifteen years. Nils Asther, actor, and his former business manager, J. I. Angus, appeared in court to defend themselves against a suit for $600 filed by Louis E. Heifitz, who alleges that sum is due him for publicity work. Harold Lloyd testified in Federal Court in the $1,000,000 infringement suit brought by the widow of the late H. C. Witwer, humorist. She charges that he plagiarized her husband's story, "The Emancipation of Rodney," in making "The Freshman." Harry Langdon is still making daily trips to court in the suit of Thomas O'Brien, who is trying to collect $11,500 from the comedian for alleged alienation of his wife's affections. Loew Switch to Fox Removes "Speculation" Transfer of Loew theatre holdings to Fox Film "removes a considerable part" of the former's "speculative attraction," according to a Wall Street paper, which also points out that "Fox Theatres is not likely to show any substantial earnings this vear." Tiffany Execs Wrangling? H — No! All's Rosy Tiffany executives are looking toward the new season through the proverbial rosecolored glasses, and despite reports, are not engaged in a hot tilt over policy and workings of the organization for 1930-31. The same yarn had it that Phil Goldstone, production chief, had offered to buy the company outright, and this, too, was branded by the home office as "blah" and "bunk." Hollywood "Find" Finds Sunrise a Fine Hour — But! Hollywood — Catherine Moylan, who won the title of "Miss Universe" in the Galveston beauty contest which got her a contract with M-G-M, has been disillusioned already, at least insofar as working hours are concerned. Miss Moylan came out here expecting to start work in late afternoon or early evening, enabling her to concentrate on morning beauty rests ; but imagine her surprise when she was told that she and the sun must rise simultaneously, or else. Musicians in Pit 6 Hours Daily, Yet Play No Music Ottawa — An orchestra pit full of orchestra and not a bar of music. Sounds like a riddle, it is, but has this explanation: The musicians at B. F. Keith's are in the throes of a row with Joe Franklin, manager of the house, over wage scales. They demand full time for the summer and prefer to disregard the notice of "services no longer required" handed to them when vaudeville was cut out for the summer. Fairbanks Eager to Quit; Conflicts With Joe May Change Mary's Mind Originating in Hollywood and talked about guardedly in New York is the following unconfirmed story about the status, present and future, of United Artists : That Mary Pickford and Doug Fairbanks, culminating what are perhaps the longest as well as the most successful careers of any two individual performers in the business, have determined to retire, thereby placing complete, active control of the company which they helped to found 12 years ago in the hands of Joe Schenck. That Schenck will then attempt to work out a deal swinging U. A. into one of the two big company pools toward which the industry is rapidly gravitating. The hunch is that the company around which United will rally is Paramount. Two More Each, Say They Officially, both Pickford and Fairbanks declare they hold contracts with United Artists calling for deliver} of two more starring vehicles each. At their rate of production, this would keep them actively in production for two more years. Fairbanks, who has just made a deal with Schenck to appear with Bebe Daniels in "Reaching for the Moon," told Motion Picture News in Hollywood that he would like to retire, that Mary refuses to listen to any such ideas and that she proposes to produce and star for several years more. Doug added that their joint investment in Lnited Artists and residual value in the pictures he and Mary have made would make it obligatory for them to continue for some time. In the meantime, Fairbanks has let out a few members of his production staff until, he says, he is ready to start a picture of his own. Insiders who purport to be familiar with the United Artists situation' declare Mary and Schenck, while openly in accord, have had their differences in matters of management and operation. They trace the condition to a desire on Mary's part to dominate the organization and. if that failed to work out, to keep the control sufficiently split to prevent Schenck or any other individual from becoming the sole power on the throne. Preparing for Merger If developments bear out the rumor that Mary is ready to quit, the inference placed on the move is that she is willing to step far enough into the background to permit (Continued on page 29)