Variety (Dec 1936)

Atlanta^ Pec. L . General liCe's surrender at; Appo- matox qduidn't ha^e ? any more excitement in Atiknta than id the .anhouhcemeni that SelzriicK In- ternationai'.was pending scpdts here on a itajieht htint for 'Gbne With; the Wind,' Mai^garet Mitchell's classic, lite town isr jabsoluteiy; ^jgja-r-the' debutsui^^are devouring the book sihd brushing up on Southern r cents, while the jfunior L(eaguers are hopefuT, i too. iBiroad aV acquired in eastern finishing schools iai-e bflng dropped with; a dull thud; and on «yery side, is heard th? one familiar 'ybuail' mid: 'down yonder' iand sin^ lar idioms that op^ set as a nation withiti k nation.; Meihbers of aiiliaieur theatrical or- ganizations arie also visioning il^eiu-: selves as potCntii^l Scarlettj^ Rhetts and Melaniesi While Others/ realizing they are without the pale of histrion- ics,/ hopeful of ringing in their Sutlers or cooks lot T some of the lesser roles,, the fl^^ book is cejrti^ to^^ Amid this mad , swirl, there' one persoii/ who, ^strangely enough, has assuitoed an: tdOn't'rgive-a:^^ atti-; tudev: She is Matguiet.Mitch^ erst- wMe Atlanta~new$paic>er:^^ %ho . atithorsd the.: s^itsationat best seller. She hasi gbne on record, definitely and decidedly^ that she will have no parli now 6r iCver; in ithe' casttag for *Win<i.* From her first literary - fort (and sh^swea^^^ if? her last!) she/iis Content to .sit haick and collect her royjaltles mid. her check fbt the screen rights is all she ivahts out of HbiUywpodls gold; oofiCers^ She has said time and again vjshe will' hbt go to bat for ^y persoid wanting a part in fhii picture -oic :&tteini^t.touse any iiUCluence /wit^ the S^lzhick people. : ]BCiatharin(ei Brow^,i^^ :eastei^. represehtatiyest^ liied to arrive via ^'-Atlanta, today' ; (iSiesdiy) mid put lift at the Biltr iiioi^^Iule^,C^^ '^vho' has driavHn th^ ibh as ;$urecibr, and Si(^, ney Hoy^dy . 'tirhb wiU .dov^hf ada^'^ fcitioni. tu'6 slated' to ]bih bet here- Pec, 10^ : Oiiesr will give {tuditioiisi ijuid . screen tests,VHoweviei'r: the lists will. npt be. iestrict<ed J;b' AtlantanS, other Qeprgia;,cities are expected t» feel .the iurbrfe of the .gale that h&is beieh caustid by 'Oone With .the "Wind;^';- .v-./?-. ■ ■ High Treason . Pasadena^ Pecv 1. Benhy Baker pipes out in 'Rose Bowl' (Par) that he .wants to quit football and 'go bicifc to Pasadenai to his job in tht! brewery.' When picture played here, a few- of - the high-»hatters were oh the, yerge 'of asking: deletion because this tOwri dbesri't bot- tle .anything stronger tiiah pop. SB' -iSr.- " h ick Powell S t a y s on .Hol- lywood Hotel' (GBS) by Campbell Soiip for another siix months. Warner Bros., to', Virhom the ' juve " is: under contract, expected, Powell to ter- imhate his rjih' bxi Hotel' with the Dec; la broadcasti but. it later devel- oped that , any :8uch move would make him.« likelS" defendant in a liwsult-'. Agreiement, which Powell . sig- nature last February with F* Wallis Armstrong,, agehpy ^^oK. CmnpVell, makes it 'bbl»gatoi!y: for him tb cph- tiniie On the program lor two more i3-week cycles, il the canher elects td pick^ up tiiese options, Warner ler galites 'figured that: {these options «ould\.be vacated were the matter niade i court issUe, but the filhi pro- ducer has ;decided not to contest it. Pl$in h9d been to include Powell in an^hour'Show emanating, frbrii the WB ■ stuid^bs in HoUywbod, whiclu would be made available, for spon-;- s»rsliip. ^ It" is doubtful whether the Poiyell situation ;WiU stay the pro* ducer irpm going through with the aif ided; -uj^til' the tenor hecomes available. : ■ ; . Charl^ Pavid . Seizhick, chief of' SelZ' hick International iPictures, Inc.; who js to produce: thft'fllnrveifsioh of M^r< garet lAitCbell's hovel;;-'Gone With th# Wi^»<^»* has wrii^ H; Kbch, diriector of the Carolihst Playmiakers,^ ^ ask him to -suggest ybung Southern aictors for the four leading roles; Scarlet, .Bhett, Ashley ..•ahd.'MeliBniei,. ,•. T. do hot thbik .of anybody for Sciirlet Or Rhetti' said Koch, "but I «kni writing to Mr. Selznick to recr ominend Shepperd Strudwiclc for Ashley and Eugenia Rawls for Me- lahibv As students, Stnidwick and Miss ■ Rawls were ; in the Carolina Playmakbrs, and both haye achieved success on the professional stage. ■ When . Koch >^ in Chicago re- ci^htly he found these former jpupils of his i>itiylhg important rbles ih tWo jpiays there: Strudwick in ^End of Summer' (Ina Claire) at the Harris and Miss Rawb in 'Pride and Preju dice' at the Erlanger. JANE WTTHERS'$5,000 imNAL IN JSOSTON ■ J'iine: Withers, kid star under con- tract to 20th Centuryi'Fox, goes on a personal tour after tiie XmaS holi- days/ Her first date wiU-be the ..>Iet- ropiolitan, Boston^-^Jan. 1 vat $5,000 »et» Relieved to be the highest-fiigure paid a child on a jpersonal. Peal with Paramburtt for .Miss Withers was closed oh behalf of the starlet by Eddie Reshick, at present bh the Coast. KEN MURRAY and OSWi^D Andrew Kelly of the Washington- Times eaid; "Most successful of the hewer air comedians is Ken Murray and his asslstaiit Oswald Whose 'obh Yeaah*" is being mlmiced by every neighborhood ybungfster." BroadciaBting 'liaUgh with Ken Murray' fpr Rinso-Lifebuoy Coaat- to-coast Tuesdays, 8:30 P.M., EST, CBS—37th week. N. Y. Coort tapounds ini ^itymbre Suit HOWARD GREEN JOINS lEO McCARElTAT PAR Hollywood, Pec Howard J/Green moves over from Columbiii to Paramount on a writ- ing contract and ties up with LeO McCarey, one of the six producer- directors on the lot^ N; Court to Decide This^ on'Mr. Mac West' ;Green's,;last chore at was a play of 'They Met in a Taxi,' WATTAPIUG incoln, . Sentencing an erri juvenile to see a motion picture as punishment; is a heNV high ih sbmething oir other, but County Judge Riddell, of York, Neb'i this week 'gave such an order in the. courtroom. He said the film he had in mind would do the kid niore gbpd than a lot of talk. LacI iyais instructed to see 'Pevil is ■ N; Y, Supreme Court Justice Cal- lahan i^ expected to decide this week Whether Frank Wallace, yaude come- dian, is the lawful spouse of Mae West, as he claims. Wallace insists he married the filmi star in Milwau- kee in 1905 after coxirting her by tak ing her on frequent trips to the amusement parks of Canairsie and Bergen Beach after they met when she lived in Brooklyn. Miss West just as vehemently protests she is not Mrs. Wallace and that- the actor has hallucinations. A .week ago Judge Callahan i rected Wallace to submit additional proof of his contentions, iand On MoU' day (30) he filed with the court what was " purported to be letters and a 'diary' which he claimed .were given him by Miss West after they were married. The letters address him "My dear Frank,' signed 'With love, Mae.' Claiming that seryes little as proof that Wallace is .'entitled to be caued Mr. Mae West,' the film ster asks the dismissal of the action mainly on the grounds that she is a permanent Cali- fornia resident and that.thie maUer is out of the jurisdiction of'the New York courts. After Lewis Landes, attorney for John Barrymore pleaded that U. S. Judge William iSbndy " impound cer- tain stetements attributed to Henry Hotchner, the star's foimer man- ager on the ground that ; it would 'damage the actor's reputation in the films and. the stage if it became public," the Court on Fri- day (27) granted the request, with- out opposition. The matter Came up in connection witii Barrymore's action to compel Hotchner it Finn, his former attorneys, to account for $100,000 in property which he claims he left ih their possession. The lawyers counter:ed with a cross-aq tibn for $3,500 for fees. Recently Henry Hotehner, brother of one of the. defendant, attorneys, sent a de-, position from the Coast in which he states that Xdonel Barrymore had. ap? preached him on behalf of his brother to arrange tb havb the whole matter dropped, Hotchner quoted Lionel'las saying among other things that John was broke and;- would be unable to pay any judghient which may be had. against hiiit, eyen though only $3,500. The deposition said coh' siderably more, including a refer ence to Elaine Barrie, John's new wife. 'The deposition ' is improper, im- material, Scandalous, libellous and is of such nature that if it .'allowed to become public in the newspapers it would seriously interfere with the livelihood of the complainant,' Biarrymore's attorney told the court. 'The Court knows the complainant IS: a distinguished and well-knoWn actor both on the. stage and in mo- tion pictures. He is now about to make a new picture and there'>yill be a tremendous investment made by the producers. If the; deposition is made public the' damage sustained by the complainant will be irre- parable.' .. /. Maurice itotchner at first pro- tested . at keeping the deposition secret but relented after' a confer- ence with Judge Bondy and Landes. Metro's WPAite O'Shea,: WPA character actor, signed by Metro this week at ter his tests were okayed. \ . Actor was spotted in Chicago troupe of WPA theatre by Gummo Marx who recommended him tb Metro. . In New York now, he leaves^ for the Coast within a fortnight Charlie King, Extra Hollywood, Pec. 1, Grbup of extras were gath- ered around piano on set of, *Love Is News,' when one of them burst out with, ^Pon't bring a frown to old Broadway, you've got to clbwia on Broad- way . . .' ' ' ■ . 'That's the most perfect hni- tation of Charles King singing his role in the old 'Broadway Melody' that I've ever heard,' said Tyrone Power, Jr. He was informed it was no imitation; singer was none other than Charles King, work- ing in pic on $7.50 extra day- check. Hollywood, Pec. 1. Latest impasse between the Screen Pla:rwrights and p(iaio|r picture; pro- ducers in an effort to establish a five-year working agreement Is a method of apportioning scribbling credits. Cbmihittees ret>resehting the groups: met Nov. 27, but the session wound: up' in a deadlock. Another meeting 1^ planned this week. .. ' '' ' GRACE HOORE LOSS IS BLOW TO CHI OPERA Pue to film tie-ups at Coiimibia Studio on the Coast, Grace Moore has been forced to cancel her two dates 'with the Chicago Opera, origi- nally set for Pec. 8 and 11. F. C. Schaing, Jr., of Columbia Concerts planed to Chicago last week-end to dicker on a substitute, but no- deal wias set. Management .was banking on the'Moore dates 'heavily, Lily Pons sang there last week. She may return, but not imme- diately.... Wanger Seeking March AsTogoesof '37' Tapper Hollywood^ Pec. Fredric March is being sought by Walter Wanger to head cast of 'Vogues of 1937,' Which producer in tends tb put into t>rodUction ahead of 'Personal History.' Sam and Bela Spewack are scripting, with Joan Bennett as the probable selection to play opposite March/ * William K. Howard probably wUl direct NOTHING ON B'WAY FOR PAR,.LAZARUS LEARNS Hollywood, Pec. 1. After combing Broadway for plays deemed fit for films, Jeff Lazarus, Paramount story head, re- turned with empty digits. : Claimed he couldn't find one that was good enough for ickers; More Gee-Gee Fix Hollywood, Pec. 1. Two more racetrack yarns have been tossed into the hopper. , Rex Lease will top "Ten Laps to Go,' which Fanchon Royer will pro duce at International studios.' Muriel Evans will be in the other corner with Elmer Clifton directing. Gordon HoUingshead is islated to make 'First, Place and Show,' rac ing featurette at Santa Anite ih Technicolor- for Warners. SybU Jason will be featured. Harry Hershfield is writing script and Crane Wilbur will direct. L. A. to N. Y. Barney Briski . Ferdinand Bruckner. J. Cheeyer Cowdin. Lili.Pamite; Garretson Piili Felix Feist, Jr. Virginia Field. Errol Flynn, James Francis. Otto Levering. Stanley Ridges. Wesley Ruggles. Harry Salpeter. Edgar SelWyn, ■ Pon Stauffer. William Ulman. Marguerite Veiller, Elisha-Walker. William A. Wellan. Fred Wilcox. Nat Wol The gum-chewing center of the World' Same lor Coca-Cola. Taps on all. children's shoes. dbnH walk; they dance. Schoolgirls made like their ffivorlte film stars, No policemen. The noisiest fire department in the world. ,. ■ The importance of filnt e^feciitiyes. Early Christmas shopping a fact. Football the all important on Sat- urdays. : Palm Sprhigs losing its charm by over-building. Gamblhig among the women. Pinner at 7:30 means 9 o'clock. Snobbery In restaurants; they seat you. if they can, according to im- portance. Clothes: no holds barred; anythuig, any time, any place. Conversation: pictures and 'I.' Famous last words: 'Let's get to- gether some time.' 'He's good, but too Jewish looking,' "There's noth^ ing-noWf l)ut I'll keep you in mind.* Preview spotlights for all open*' ings; premieres for markets. Department stores: plenty met^ chandise; no clerks. Christmas atmosphere: dolled |0 lamp posts. What's wrong with pictures? very One has an answer, Eyery ehlld ,a prodigy.. Routine: oil after preylewsrractor gives it to producer, producer t(i writer, ete. Cheering sections at previews. Every one has a great story. ].... Every shop has its gallery of fllhi people's pix, all personally auto* graphed. .. Lloyds of London' Opening. One block of flood lights in dOublt row. Entrance to Carthay Circle banked by grandstands. Also, double row of poinsettt plants. Silver foxes, sables and ermine.' Stars talking into loud-speakers. Film people making up most tit ' the audience* Many strange headdresses. Somt covered in net or chiffon. Auto rush with names called through loud-speakers. Girls asking chauffers which car is whose. Giant chiysan^emums. Slacks slacks and more slacks on the fat and thin. On the main streets-and in all the stores. Radio projgrams muchly improved, put-of-towners muscUhg in on jobs; Photograph studios' elaborate side*' walk displays. Salads the favorite food. Juiceless oranges. Most atti^ctlve homes are thos* with no Interior ' decoratdr's influr' ence. Night clubs with that New York air. Shops and ithout IVOtice, Craziest driying in the world. The first to the comer wins. very studio exec has a stooge. Ambitlbn of all scree.i writers io write a stage play. Popularity of phones and mikes. No mouth-to-mouth conversation. N. Y. to L. A. Maurice Barber. Erilc Chareli. Cecil B, de Mille, Mr. and Mrs. Lou Guimond. Hal Home. Jeff Lazarus. Thelma Leeds. Arthur Lubi Lee Marcus. Anne Nichols. Maurice Ostrer. H. C. Potter. J. Robert Rubi ■Nicholas M. Schienck. Jane Wyatt E. H. Griffith's 'Cafe' Hollywood, Pec. 1, Edward H, Griffith, recently re- turned from an European vacation* will direct 'Cafe Metropole* at 20th- Fox, . Picture from Gregory Raitoff'i story will go- into production Jan, 1. SAILINGS Pec. 9 (New Ybrk Londbnl Fred Wilcox .CTVormandie). . Pec. 5 (New York to Buenos Aires) Jose Mario Reynal (Southern Cross). Pec. 2 (New York to London) Sir Cedric and Lady Hardwicke, Peni O'Pea, Erich von Stfoheim, Sir Sid- ney Linnet (Queen Mary). . Pec, 2 (London to New York) Will Hays (Normandie). • Nov, 25 (New York to London) Jules Falk, Emlyn Williams (Nor- mandie), ARRIVALS Edith EUls, Janet Johnson, Yacht Club Boys. Efrem Zimbalist, Evelyn Laye, John Keats, Barbara Vernon, Francis A. Mangan, Mr. and Mrs. Rene Maison, Gaispar Cassado, Stella Andreva, Irene Jessner, Pr. Her- bert Erlanger, Ludovic GeiskopPr Beatrice. Wariger, lyirs. H. Burke, Mr« and Mi^. Rudolf Serkin.