Variety (Jan 1941)

Sa PICTURES ThMy-fifth P^S^f^Fr Anmversafy Wednesday, laiwgij 8, 1941 4 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ t > ♦» » »♦♦ .< !♦♦♦ » t ♦♦»»♦♦» 4 ♦ » ♦♦♦ . »♦»♦ » ♦ » » ♦ ♦ ♦ ■ ion has been; twice wiiuier 35 writer o^.be,st-ovigiiial. Mories;'. : ~ Listings oP the /Vriiaior . division. By John C> FHriii The annual' awards ' of ttie . ^gpld' statuettes, called .'Oscars,' which .tooK for all the Avorid like tha^ litUe man. who wasn't there, have become the jnost bagerly- sought prizes for recogT nitioh of Qutstanding contributiQn to the prpduction epd of ihe motion pietiire industry,.' They "iland for meritorious- achieveirient . in .HoliyT, woodi Recipients are chosen by the.' studio «vork?Ms, under st»Qhsorship of the Aiiaderiiy of Motion Picture; Art^^ .and. Sciences. -u ' ' The Academy / ors^H.zed 'ii 1927 . and Its .first :preisidfent and chief enthuslB6t,;w:as the late^ Doug-'^ las Fairbanks, -whose sflppprt ibf; the idea through its carjy fbrrhative' years carried the: institution through a series'6£ difliclilties, Now in its 13th year-^Witht its glace in the iii- dustro^ Iclearly. dfeflhed- In keeping with - the original' plans of its chief proponent; thet, Acadbiny grow?. in strength and .imRortaiii:e> The awards- diniier,. which.is: usually held in Februaty: and' at wjiieh. the selec- tions for best; peirformahces -during; the previous calendar year are ari.^. riounciadit is the leadings sopial affair In- Hollywood'.' The method; of choosing: by isecret. ballot the winners ot each diyiision of awards cliassi&oatioi) has. evolved from the' votes; ot a! tew (in the early, days) to the- dimensionsiof a vast numeridal canvass. . More than 10,QOQ film wor.kers expressed their choices last year.under a plan which seems at last .to have met all re-' quirerhiehts and previous objedtions. As- at present organiz^ed; . the- vot- ing, plan begins well in advance of the awards dinner by. sending a- nominating ballot to every;' person Teguliarly engaged production work in Hollywoo'di This> includes all players, directors^ writers, pro- duction executives and. their staffs. In this initial balloting, each cre^a- live division selects ircpresentatlyes of its PWA field; Leaders so selected then become candidiates . for: the awards. In a few classes, of en- deavor,, chiefly . in- the- technical branches of- the industry, nomina- tions are made by a> committee. Seorei. Uallot. All voting; is done . through the mails and< the- ballots are- tabulated by an. accountancy agency which does not make its Report until- an hoiir before the /announcements at the award dinner. It Is the custom that the previous year's winner of an awarxl- shall; present, the Oscar trophy- to his or her successor. Thus it came al)out at last year's dinner In the Cocoaiiut Grovia-; that- Fay Baihter made her memorable com- ments on. the universality of. film art when she presented the award: for best sui)porting actress performancia of the year to Hattie MePaniel, col-, ored player^ for the letter's charac- terization in 'Gone With the Wind.' It has been the practice to ex- tend; the number of . awards each ,^ year, beyond the established groups ^ of best- production, best: direction. %. actor, actress, supporting, ftlayers and ■. Writers, for original; and aidabta- tipns; Recognition has been, given to persons, who have eohtribute(S unique servlce in charitable WPrk in the induStry^Tand for singular'; tech- hi''.f'l . obntributiphs/ Since the earlier years of the Anademy, added, divisions . Incliide ai-t direction, special camera and sound .effects, colored phbtpgraphy. music !5Corihg and original cbmbosi- tiphs, best sPhg, best, shbrt subject best educational and travel, fllitjs and. 'cartoons. ■■.■•.'■; Nothing ; could belter exemplify the Wide range of film prbduc'ion endeavor than .t: : •-liversity: of Sub- ject matter'bf botlj feature "films .and short subjects. , which have . wpn .awards, ■ "There .Is clearly hp fprmula or pattern in -the year by year jiTo-. duction recbrii.. .. Outstanding pro-, ductionir have ranged from tense dramatic themes (?AU Quiet On the Western Front; 193()) to farce ('You Cari^t Take It W^h YGu,':l$38i- -f 'Tbree-Ttme.'tlUnher' ..; . In "the 13 selections; of' '.best direc-^ tor'. Frank iCapra .hks; been. three: times selected: as ; winner;; Frank Lloyd. aqd Le\yis Milestone, eiach ;tM/i<;e. As 'best'actress' Bette Davis and Luise Baiher are double winners, <ivhlle only Spencer Ti'acy. has led the a^tbrs for two years. Frances Mar- awards-fbliowr Outs^ifiiig Productions 1927-28-^'Wings' (Par) ;?ind 'Sunrise' j ■•.-■..;. ; (Fox). .". • 11928-29--*Broadway Melody' (M-G). |, i929-30^'All Quiet On the ' Western ; -;iFront' <U).;' ..^ .-.^.^'"^^" • 1930r3i^-Ciiharrbn' (RKO). ! li93l-32—'GJrahd Hotel' (M^G). •.. 11^32-33—'Cavalcade';(Fbx);^ - 1933- 34—'It Happened- One. Night' '. .:-((i:61).v-;.^;.^'::.- ■ : 1934- 35—'Mutiny the '.Bounty' ■.,;':iM-G)...:- . 19a5.^36^'.The Great Ziefifeld' (M-G). 1936- 37—?the Life ;of ;ErhiIe; Zola' (WB). 1937- 38—-You Can't Take It With You: (Col). 19<38^39^'Gbnt With the Wind' (Seiz: ■ ;■; :;■-nick)., - : ■ v -'. lSi27-28rrE^fank Borzage',- 'Seventh Heayeh' (Ebx)v arid Lewis Milestone; Two Arabian Knights' (TJA). . . 1928- 29-r-^Frahk. Lloyd, 'Weaw River," ■ 'Pivine Lad y.' .'Dra g' (Fox). 1929- 3i()^Lewis Milestbne/ 'AH Quiet Pn the Western. Front' (U). 1930- 3il—Normati ' Taurog^ 'Skippy' ■■..(Par), .;■ -. : : ■ 1931- 32-—Frank, dbrzage, 'Bad Girl' , ' (Fox-). : "; 193Zr33—Frank Lloyd, 'Cavalcade' ;:. .; (Fox); '■■ .■■ - .•'■:■■ 1933- 34—Frank Capra,: 'It Happened One Night' (Col). 1934- 35—John Ford," 'The Infbrmer'. . (RKO). . 1935- 36^Erank Capra, 'Mr. Peeds Goes to'Town' (Cbl). ^ lfif36-37-—Leo McGarey, "The ;Awful Truth' (Col). 1937- 36—Frank Capra, TTou Can't. . 'Take. It With You' (Col). 1938- 39r-Victor iPleming, 'Gone With the-Wind' : (Selzhick). 1927- 28-^Ben Hecht, 'Underworld' (Par), Benjamin Glazer. 'Seventh HeaVen' (Fox). . 1928- 29-^Hans, Itoily, 'The Patripf .(Par).'-:^ 1929.-30—Frances Marion, 'The Big ; House' (M-G). 1930- 31—John Monk Saunders, 'B&yin Patrol* (WB) orig.; Howard Estabrook,: 'Cirtiar- rpn' (RKO') adapt. ; 1931- 32—Fr.a nces Ma ri.o h. "The Champ': (MpG) orig.j Edwin. Burke, 'Bad Girl' (Fox) adapt 1932- 33—Robert Lord, 'One Way PassagerCWB) orig.-; Sarah ■y. Mason and Victor Heer-- man. 'Little Women' (.RKO) • adapt: 1933- 34-:rA;rthur Caesar, .'Manhattan Melodrama'. <M-G) orig.; ■ Robert. Riskin..'It Happened • One ijfight' (Col) adapt 1934- 35^Beh vHecht and ; Charles ' ; . , ;' Mac'Arthur, 'The SpotindreV (Par).orlg.; Dudley Nichols, - ' T;h e . Informer* ;v(RKd) adapt. 1935-36^SherIdari Glbney and Pierre Collihgs, 'The ; Story, of . . , : L^ Pasteur' .(WB) orig.; same, adapt. 193(>-37—William .A. Wellmaa aiiid Robert Carson, 'A Star Is ;;Born' (Selzhicfc) prig;;.Nor.^ ., .man Reilly .fiaiue. Heinz .. . .Herald-i and Geza Herczeg. , 'The Life": of ■ Efivlie Zola! ; (WB) adapt . . .-V • 1937-;38--Dore.; Schary and EleaiVore ; ■;Griffen,-.*Boys'rown' (M-GO: ; : ■ orig.; debrge Bernard Shaw.^ *Py gmalibnV.screenplay ;Wv ; ■ P. Lipscomb; Cecil. Lewi.s.. ■ Ian:Palrympie, 'pygniailibn' ••adapt.,.: ; ;.,. ^: -1938-'39rr-Le<vis -R. Fbster, 'Mri .Sririith Goes, to Washington,' Orig,; . Sidney Howard,'Gone-With the.Wind;' adapt '' -V/'' . FEWER SHORTS 1927- 28-^J.anet; Gaynor, 'Seventh -••..' Heaveh,^:- 'Street Singer,; -:. - 'Sunrise' /Fbx) >■ •'..:: 1928- 29--Mary . .Pickford, • '(joqu'ette* ...v.: v(UA); - ■ :•:- ■ .•:'■'.-/:':, l'929-3fr—Nbi-ma SHearery. 'The Div vbrcee! (M-G); 1930- 31—Marie Dressier, 'Min and Biir(M-iS). 1931- 32—Helen Hayes. "The Sin of ; r-\ ■ Madelon Claiidet* (M-G),' ■■■■ 1932- 33—Katharine Hepburn, 'Morn- ; , Ing Glory' (RKO). 1933- 34—Claudette ..Cblbert; 'It Hap- . pened One; Night' (Col). 1934- 35—Bette Pavis,. ' 'Pangerous* ■ (WB). ';- ■■■ •• 1935- 3&—Luise . Raiher, The Great ■ Ziegfeld' (M-G). 1936- r37—Luise Rainer, 'The Gpod Earth* (M-G). '. 1937- 38-TBette Pavis. 'Jezebel' (WB).- 1938- 39—Vivien Leigh, 'Gone With . . the Wind' (Selznick). Sqpjiortmg Actress .1935-36—Gale Sondergaard, 'An- thony. Adverse' (WB). 1936- 37—Alice Brady, 'Old Chicago' .' (20thrFbx). 1937- 38—Fay Bainter, 'Jezebel' (WB). 1938- 39^Hattie McPaniel, 'Gone With the Wind' (Selznick). Best Actor 1927-28—Emil Jannings,"rhe Way of All Flesh,'. 'Last Command' • (Par). - 1926-29—Warner Baxter, 'In. Old Arizona' (Fox). 1929- 30^G eo r g e : Arllss, 'Pisraeli' ,, (WB). : .- 1930- 31—Lionel Barrymore, 'A Free Soul' (M-G). 1931- 32—Fredric March, W.'Jekyll and Mf. Hyde' (Par).' 1932- 33-^harles Laughtbn,. 'Henry Vlir (Brit). 1933- 34-^iark Gable, 'It Happened One. Night* (Col). ' 1934- 35—Victor McLaglen, 'The' In- former' (RKO). 1935- 36—Paiil Muni,.'The Story of : Louis Pasteiir' fWB). ia37.-38^pencer Tracy, 'Boys Town' . (M-G). 1938-39—Robert Ponat 'Goodbye Mr. Chips' (M-G). - Sopportmg Ador 1935- 36—Walter Brennan, 'Come and .* Get It' (Goldwyn). 1936- 37-—Joseph- Schildkraut, "The ' Life of Emile Zola' '(WB). 193'7-38^Walter Brennan, 'Kentucky' ::. ;. (20th-Fpx). 1936-39—Thomas ; Mitchell,;' 'Stage. coach' (Wanger). ■; BALLYHOO MUST PAY B.O. DIVIDENDS By BOB MOAK . • ;, ; . , :HolIywobd, - ."The ' Hollywood studio 'bally biireaus,. during the last year, have undergone the : heaviest personnel tijrnbver they ever have known, and the end is not yet in sight. While the pay is up, thanks to the Screen Publicists Guild, things aren't, what they used ,to be. Far any; and all, it's a case of get results—which means .help sell pictures, or else. Mbst thorough hbuse-cleaning came ; .about at Paramount; where George Brown^ former Columbia studio ady.ertising-ptjblicity directprv succeeded. Cliff Lewis as .ad-blurb Chief; • taking .' with . him . . Blake Coiisent Decreie's; Tabu on Forcing 'Em-—Cues Cut To 400 Bft«fies " '. vV-•" • .•; McVeigh, Warners* . former boss ; planter, as his Nbi, 1 lieutenant. Par j shakeup followed bn/th? heels' of the depiarture from the lot of seyeral bf its better unit m?n and. planter's, in- cluding , Ed Churchill - and Bob' Speers, ; .- ; Perry Lieber,\ moyij^^^ from as- sistant tO: pUhlipity-advertising head at RKO when Howard Benedict was elevated to' a prbdiicership,.; made; wide reyisibhs In his ijayrpll, iriclud- ing the' promotion of Ellistori Vincent as •: his' assistant, and the. hiring ■ of Tom'Petty, fornier Hays office public relations head; Whitney- BbltOn, the N, .Y. morning Teliegra'ph's corre- ■^ndent. here; Varid Puke ; Wales,; (ContiAuedonpage..^) ;, Holly wood, Jan. 5. • Shorts producers -are.: scanning their rosters preparaipry to' applying the. pruning shears before the start of lensing ptj their, ;1941 -42 slates. That clause, in the consent; decree, forbidding; the; cran^iriihg:»f;briefl.es down, the throats of exhibs. aS part of deals- under which they are. per- mitted to buy features really .has the minnie makers worried. : While the- number of one and tiyb- spoolers tb be . turn.ed out by each outfit for next season will riot be fixed until Jan. 15 or later, one thing; is certoin—the lists -will be" cut con- siderably below the inore than 50d subjects ground out for 1940-41. Most of the pruning, will be done in the .lp^ye^!•budgel classificatioris; While , both the entertainment and productibri; values, of sPme shbrts series have been boosted during ;the last two years, Wiith Hollywood hope- ful that more pbtent briefles would serve as a weapon in the war on double bills, even the producers are now wiili.hg: to. admit; that ; .thiBre's hpen top much: plain;tripe -tossed; lritb>; the ' field; On the. other - hand; ■ one can't"; be too hard. on the boys who were merely trying to grah. off ;an. honest peririy firbm exhibs willing to pay for. the sour along with the. sweet, even though they had to stbre- the; former: oh their shelves; Survey of the Coast shorts, makers indicates that the total U: S/output for briefies. for the coming stanza will not pass the 400 mark; and may even fall noticably below that figure. The trims will-be made In bpth live action and .cartoon divisions.; . Hollywood is aware, after study- ing the agreement that, ended the (jpvernriient's:; suit against the 'Big Five;* that the shorts prpduction realn\ is due to a complete. over-^ whelming, ^s output - is decreased, financial allotments on the survivors will be further upped, due to the re- turn bf competition within the sales end of the'briefle business,. ' WB Sets tbe Sbbrts Pace ' . Setting the pace for the new deal about to dawn will be ..Warners whiph will decide the; size of its 1941-42 shorts contribution around Jan,. 15. Norman Morayi briefl.e sales head for the Burbank outfit, came here from New' York late in Novem- ber for prellminajry. .Cbhfabs .with Jack L. Warner and Gordon Hol- lingshead, Warners shorts producer, arid returns the middle of this month when the final draft of next year's sked will. be formulaited; Shorts sales chiefs of the bther foriipanies will follow him west dur- ing the. ensuing two . months- for sirhilar huddles; with briefle pro- ducers bf their respective organize^ tions. ■•: .Study pf the shorts situation duir-^; ing 1940 has convinced^ the Holly- wood crowd that the marqueeing of certain better-class; one - and t\yo-^ reelers actually, tends to drag into theatres patrons who otherwise would decline to untie their purse strings. They cite RKO's March of Time :arid Information Please releases, Metro's Crime Poes Not Pay and Pete Smith groups, Warners': patriotics, and Uni- versal's musical melanges as ex- amples of what they consider cue?, .building fare.-: Puring the year just Closed.; two shorts . producing ' concerns :; were awarded signal recognition for sub- jects benefitting the natioh-^hwelfare. "They were Metro, which won the enthijsiastic .endorsernent of the Fed-^: era! Bureau;of ;investigatibn,- police; departments, and-court"? of justice for its antl-cf-iriiers, and Warners, which Was .dfecprated for its aid; in; Ameri- canizatipri wprk via the briefie rolate. . Slash Next Season Whilei it Is still top early to make any forecasts as to the actual nur"; m;eriqal strength ,of the various qoirt- panies* 1941-42 listings'- talk is' that Wafrifcrs; .wJftichis-ma ciirrent seasbh, will cut to arpun'd 60 for the rpllowing .12 rnonths; • Cp- liimbia^ Which .promised close to ItO for. 1940-41, is expected to dirop its roster to nbt ;rijbre than 70 for 1941- 42. Paranlount;-which has also been among.. .Uie more active distribators pf the shorties, is undj(rstobd~tp be talking of,, hot more . than ,65-70, which wS'uld; mean a reduction of around. 25;• Universal will, continue with about 12 .midget riiusicals' .and : an equal number bf cartoons. . Wliile 20th-Fpx's lineup has not reached the cbnversation stage, feeling' bn the VVestwobd iPt- Is that .It, tbo, will pull in- its horns. ' • ; ; :, ■ •;.. ;. Among the shorts-riiQlcing develbpV 'merits during the Calendar -year of 19AQ was Par's acquisition of George Paly European puppetoori. ci-eal6r- produicer,- and Robert 'Eenchley. \he cbmlc, who moved over, from: Metro, where he started hi-s shorts ; writer- actpr career. Republic ;topk its- first step beyond the featiire-Ienglh hori- zon when it signed- Harriet.. Parsons to produce 13 prie-reelerS in a groove ■with • Coluihbla's Screen! Snapshots, which she had-been gi tiding fbr four years. - Ralph Straub/. who, fouh'd'ed (Jbl's Snaps "20 years, ago, :has " turned to .the fold - -to. re.*;iirlh^.; the reel's direction after a whirl iat fea- ture pilpfing.: tiriiversal .i>s: definitely ■ in the market for any outside shorts: alon? the lines of. 'Swing '.With lBihg,* the BIng Crosby- gplfirig two-reeler '.Which carried, narration by Andy Pevine and which ,Wa.s di.stt-ibuted.as: a. 1940.-41: 'special.' Warners, - whiCh switched its patriotics frprri histori-. cal to modern backgrpuhds. will Con- tinue to- weave two-reelers around the various arms Of Uncle Sarii's military service.- ■" While Uia: inyestmerit 61 moire thain ;|204000 inL-a drariiatic or musical shortv waff oonsidtoed a< risky move as liate a.s 1988» Holly wood's .attitude is : dergqing a change. Producers now estiiriate, that; in view' /of the con-; densed output that looms, $35,006.; will- not he too great a gamble for a :twb-spbplep, .providing, -of course, • that- the finished subject is rharked; by a strong-story, top performances arid Worthwhile direction. .- teetiire Boom ;Gontinued from page'Sfs fore he prefers tp ask more arid inake brily; a short tour. Mrs, Roosevelt, as; ih past years. Is aiyaiiable fpr only ,a ~ very llniiited number of lectures. She has no set fee, adjtistirig the figure to the.-abil- ity; of the. group to pay .;;'if she's partial to the. airijs bf tho or.' .nniza- tiori and ; It's unable to -pay, taking . the date without compensation at all.' Her topics^ from which a choice may be - made by the sponsors, are 'Rela- tibnship of the Individual to the Coftimunity,': 'Probleins of Youth,' 'Peace,' 'A Typical . Pay .at :the White House* arid 'The' Mail of : a Presi- dents*/'Wife.'" New group of platform spoutcrs. who haye' come into demand with the increasing seriousness of the war : are the professional: soldiers and sailors; retired Army and. Navy of- ficers who can. explain strategy arid tactics. They include Brig. General Henry J. Reilly, Admiral H. E. Yar- riell, Commander Edward Ellsberg, ; Major Eliot; and Major- Nasori.. . v Two others whose talks have been pointed for timeliness are Leon G. Turrou, former G-inan Who smashed . the Nazi spy ring In New York, arid Edtnond Taylor, French /Correspori- dent foi: CBS and author, of the bestr ' selling . 'Strategy , bf Terror.' Tur- rpu's subject is 'Fighting America's Fifth Column*, arid. Taylb'r's "The Fifth Cblumn in America,.-. .Hbw We Can Fight It?' Government; Officials ; Large numbers of interpreters of world affairs have backgrounds fn Gpyernmerit service. There are, in addition to Ickes, mentioned above, Frances Perkins, Secretary of Labor;' ; Ruth Bryan Owen, first virornan to serve the U. S. diplpriiatJic iseryic'e/iri a foreign country; Josephine Rb;he, former assistant'. secretary of the Trjefasury; Hugh Gibson,-: another diploinat;; Seriator - Bennett (Thami^ Glark;;Seriator Robert La Follette of '■■ Wisconsin;- former gpvernbi^ - Philip;. La Follette. of ■ Wiscon-sih; Senator CJerald .p; Nye; Senator Burton K. Wheelei:; Rexford Guy Tugwell, f6r- ^ riier; -brain truster,-, and: Rayhiorid;;, Mpley, another ex-ci-anlum man. . Of all past or present Goyernitierit people, most wanted noW is: Rep. . Martin Pies, whbse tactical. abi:iity. at capturing headlines by lise. of his ; coriimittee to investigate subversive . activity .has long kept .him: "; the; public-eye.' , interest in Sbuth AfnenCa recently ': has also built upi little clique bf ' exp;erts on subjects "sp.ilth. of tlje Tlio. Graride. They jriclude^Rene ■ Pussaq, ari' .Argeritiniaii ;who, talks on 'A Sotlth Amei'ican's View : of ' South Amei^ica'; Edward Tomlinson; who's i Iprig . specialized on. Latin • America; ( jfuliari- 'Biryan,' . who has gained an I excellent ;r(6pulation for his films In I the past: and jast summer povered, Mexico, ;Argeritina arid Brazil.