Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1935)

16 MOTION PICTURE DAILY Wednesday, September 4, 1935 i Purely Personal ► TAMES OLIVER CURWOOD'S J "The Country Beyond" has been acquired by Twentieth Century-Fox ; Phil Stong's "The Farmer in the Dell" has been purchased by Radio as a vehicle for Fred Stone; Arthur FitzRichards' and Jerry Horwin's "The Sun Never Sets" has been purchased by Universal, and Clare Kummee's "Her Master's Voice" has been taken by Walter Wanger. • E. M. Saunders, William F. Rodgers, William A. Scully, Fred Quimby, Chester Erskine, Sam Shipman, Toby Gruen, Arthur Israel, Henry Randel, Morris Kutinsky, Edward Peskay and Ed Davidow were among the few film industry representatives at the Astor yesterday. Quip of the Day Rubinoff says this note sending on U. S. and Russia relations, ought to be done with his assistance. "I'm knowing hall about dis," the radio maestro says, "ain't I'm supportink eighteen Russian relations now?" Charles MacArthur and Mrs. MacArthur (Helen Hayes) ; Edgar Selwyn, Fredric March and Mrs. March, Douglass Montgomery ; Erick Locke, assistant to Ernst Lubitsch, and Harry F. Perry, cameraman, will be on the Nonnandie when it sails today. • Joe Vogel returned from Boston yesterday. It was a combination of business and pleasure. The business part was attending Loew's theatres and the pleasure listening to Garbo fans applaud her entrance on the screen in 'Anna Karenina." • Mary Pickford's third book in less than a year will make its appearance in October. It is "My Rendezvous with Life" and first printing will run to 10,000 copies. • Arthur Sanchez of Transoceanic Film Export Co., is on his way to England, France, Belgium, Holland, Spain and Czechoslovakia on a business trip. • Will H. Hays, slated to return from his long coast sojourn over the Labor Day week-end, will not arrive until the latter part of the month. • Sam Cocalis says he is negotiating for Paramount, M-G-M and Warner product and if he closes these deals he'll be all set for the new season. • Fred Astaire has left New York for the coast after a two-months vacation. He will start work soon in "Follow the Fleet" for Radio. • Anna May Wong and A. C. Blumenthal were spotted at the Westchester Country Club over the weekend. • Sam Rosen, brother-in-law of Si Fabian and also treasurer of Fabian's circuit, added another boy to his own Looking 'Em Over "Murder by Television" (Imperial) Routine material of the program variety, this murder mystery film, independently produced, appears more suitable for the second position on a double bill. Featuring Bela Lugosi and June Collyer, the cast names are otherwise not impressive, and present little in the way of selling ammunition. There is a timely note struck in the theme, which finds a television in the inventor's home, from which the broadcast originates, including mental broadcasting program. The expected several suspects are present in the incentor's home, from which the broadcast originates, including a Chinese house servant, a visiting doctor and the fiance of Miss Collyer, who is the inventor's daughter. A police chief, also a visitor, takes charge of the case. Lugosi, assistant to the inventor, is the most vital suspect. Lugosi finally is revealed as an agent of the United States Secret Service, and the least suspect, the doctor, is found to be the murderer, who had dealt the blow via television from his own office laboratories. Efforts in the direction of relieving comedy are not too successful, chiefly as a result of being overdone. In general the picture develops as average, or less than average entertainment. Running time, 60 minutes. "G." family circuit on Saturday. Mother and baby are doing nicely. • Jan Kiepura, who is under contract to Paramount, is due here on board the Europa next Sunday. He will go to the coast from here to start work on "The Song of the Nile." • George Jessel and Norma Talmadge are slated for a revival of "The Jazz Singer" (stage) under the banner of J. L. Sacks. • Nat Karson is exhibiting a group of scenic designs at the Algonquin under the sponsorship of Selma Alexander. • Mildred Harrington's Pictorial Review story, "Turn Off the Moon," has been purchased by Paramount. • Marsha Hunt who was recently signed by Paramount is due here Saturday for a visit with relatives. • Arthur Dickinson of the M. P. P. D. A. returned yesterday from a vacation in northern Connecticut. • Fannie Brice leaves Saturday for the M-G-M studios for an important role in "The Great Ziegfeld." She will play herself in the film. • Robert Benjamin, associate of Louis Nizer, left for Boston last night and is due back tomorrow. • Harry H. Thomas is making a tour of several First Division exchanges. • Fred Quimby says he's trying to make that coast trip the end of the week. • The Nate Blumbergs spent the week-end at Long Branch. • Joseph Bernhard tried dude ranching in New Jersey over the week-end. • Joe Hornstein returned from an Albany week-end. Purely business. Mort Blumenstock holidayed in Atlantic City. Sam Berger, M-G-M roving for eign representative, is on his way to the coast en route to Japan. • Herman G. Weinberg, managing director of the Little Theatre in Baltimore, sails for South America next Saturday. • Sir Malcolm Campbell broke all existing automobile speed records at Salt Lake City yesterday in his Bluebird. • Tom Connors will be gone several weeks on his current tour of southern M-G-M exchanges. • Joseph M. Schenck is back on the coast again. . . . Omaha Evert R. Cummings, A. H. Blank district manager, immediately upon his return from the Des Moines convention, betook himself and wife to the Straits of Mackinac to combat his hay fever. Charley Schlaifer, advertising manager for Tri-States in Omaha, and Mrs. Schlaifer have gone to New York where they will be guests of Charley's uncle, L. J. Schlaifer. Keith Wilson, World-Herald critic, and Jake Rachman, Bee-Neivs critic, were guests of A. H. Blank at the Des Moines banquet that marked the closing of the Tri-States convention. Plan No Coast Previews G. B. has decided upon no set policy of previewing all pictures on the coast, according to the home office. A few of the films designed for release here are shown at the studios, and for those papers which have no reviewing facilities in New York, but there is no intention of having all pictures previewed in Hollywood, it was said. Protest on "Scarf ace" Cincinnati, Sept. 3. — Protest against a revival of "Scarf ace" at the Strand has been made to RKO officials by the Better Films Council. A letter signed by Robert H. Morgan of the council says J. Edgar Hoover, head of the U. S. Secret Service, also "regrets" the revival of the picture. U. K., France Report Gains, Says Giannini (Continued from page 1) structure which should be righted," said Giannini who ranks well up front among American bankers who have financed production in this country. "The industry there will not be completely sound until the bankers evidence enough direct interest in the business to eliminate the middleman in financing and do it directly. The difficulty insofar as the British banker is concerned continues to be his lack of sufficient confidence in the stature of his own country's film industry. "Product in England and in France is improving. I saw enough pictures from both sources to convince myself on that score. It is true that in my opinion producers of both nations have considerable to learn in point of tempo and continuity, but the strides made this year over last are concrete and self-evident. "I believe further that our own government might well tear a leaf from the book of the English, the French, and, in fact, virtually all European governments. They are interested in the status and the future progress of their film industries because they recognize the force of the medium. I do not mean that the American government should interfere with the normal operations of the business on this side, but I do feel that by its attitude and its reactions to industry problems it could easily be an influence for good." Giannini will remain here about a week visiting and discussing trade problems with ranking executives in various major companies _whom he knows well and then return to his banking post in Los Angeles. Anti-Trust Angles Studied in Dallas Dallas, Sept. 3. — Dwight Savage, Washington, special attorney assigned to anti-trust investigations in Texas, is in Dallas. Inquiries at leading exchanges and circuits have failed to find any trace of his work. He has been in conference with some individuals on the independent side. Opinion seems to be that no direct action will be taken here until the Government's actions in St. Louis have gotten further along. Plan Film on Dafoe Hollywood, Sept. 3. — Charles Blake, Chicago newspaper reporter, has checked in at 20th Century-Fox lot to prepare the script of "The Country Doctor," story which will be based on the life and experiences of Dr. Alan R. Dafoe, who delivered the Dionne quintuplets. Blake sold the idea to Darryl F. Zanuck by wire and was given a five-week contract. Col. Declares Dividend Columbia yesterday declared a quarterly dividend of 25 cents, payable Oct. 1 to stockholders of record Sept. 18.