Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

Efforts to Sip Talent Exclusive Made Bij NBC METRO CONTRIBUTING SHORT TOWARD DRIVE Metro’s contribution to the Will Rogers Memorial Week Drive, which begins April 30 for the purpose of raising funds for the Will Rogers Sanatorium at Saranac Lake, will be the production of a short subject under the supervision of Frank Whitbeck. The short, 1,000 feet in length, will be produced in three units, and will be designed as a plea for funds for the sanatorium. Gary Cooper and Harry Carey will contribute their services under the direction of Henry Hathaway for one sequence; Allan Jones will turn in a song, “Old Faithful,” as another unit; and shots depicting the acceptance by the governor of Oklahoma of scenes from Rogers’ pictures at 20th Century-Pox will be photographed by Harry Loud and edited into the reel. Lowell Thomas will make a plea to raise funds in an additional sequence. RKO RENEWS PACT WITH LOU LUSTY Lou Lusty, executive assistant to S. J. Briskin at RKO Radio, pulled a fast one on Hollywood dopesters who had been spreading reports that he was checking off the lot because of alleged salary dis-' agreements when the studio announced this week that his contract had been renewed. He has left for a two-week vacation in New York before beginning work under the new pact. Racing Tiff (Continued from page 32) is,” this official declared, “that it can readily lead to the elimination of racing in the state if too much mud slinging and controversial tactics are resorted to.” Warner declared that his club had “changed its position beyond recall,” when, on the strength of a resolution supporting a second track issued by the racing board prior to its refusal to grant the Hollywood Turf Club a license, his organization had sold a large amount of its securities to residents of the community under permit of the commissioner of corporations, had entered into various heavy financial commitments, and had purchased its plant site near Inglewood, a 314-acre plot, at a cost of more than a quarter of a million dollars. Del Mar Club Announces Opening A third group of motion picture personalities whose allegiance to the sport of kings has led them into that business has apparently not been faced with the difficulties besetting Warner and the Hollywood Club, with the announcement that the Del Mar Club, headed by Paramount’s William LeBaron, will open its season July 3 for a 28-day meet. Directors of the club, whose track is near San Diego, include Pandro S. Berman, Harry Cohn, Howard Hawks, Louis D. Lighten, George Raft, Bogart Rogers and Wesley Ruggles. En route to attend the coronation in London, Sir Victor Wilson, whose position in Australia corresponds to that of Will Hays in the United States, visits the Paramount studio in Hollywood for luncheon. Seen here are Cecil B. DeMille, left. Sir Victor, and William LeBaron, who acted as host to the Australian movie czar. GOLDWYN JOINS IN TRAILER FILM LINE Latest to fall in line in the cycle of producers basing films on the trailer rage which has hit America’s motoring public so completely during the past year is Samuel Goldwyn, who has announced plans to bring to the screen a motion picture dealing with love in a trailer town. The picture will be titled “Heaven on Wheels.” Barbara Stanwyck has tentatively been set in the leading role — a comedy part. Joel McCrea and Frank Shields, tennis star, will also be cast. Harry Selby wrote the original. Goldwyn steps into the path blazed by 20th Century-Fox with one of the recent Jones Family pictures, “See America First,” which had trailer-camping as its background. The studio followed it up with “That I May Live,” in which much of the action took place in a trailer camp. Some time ago General Pictures, also, announced purchase of a trailer story. Briskin Heads Benefit Heading the committee in charge of the tenth annual Temple Israel benefit program is S. J. Briskin, vice-president in charge of production for RKO. Stars who were to appear on the bill at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre, at midnight Saturday: Eddie Cantor, Sophie Tucker, George Burns, Grade Allen, Bob Burns, Milton Berle, Parkyakarkas, Tommy Mack, Martha Raye, Benny Rubin, Fred Keating, Judge Hugo Straight, Bert Gordon, Ella Logan and Borah Minnevitch with his Harmonica Rascals. Leo Porbstein was to conduct the orchestra. Latest activity to hit the airlanes — particularly along the National Broadcasting System’s front — was the disclosure this week that NBC’s artist bureau has thrown its hat into the ring as the first such bureau to attempt to get broadcast talent under exclusive contract to that network. The signing by Dema Harshberger, head of the NBC bureau, of five personalities has led Hollywood’s air-minded to the conclusion that this chain, cognizant of the shortage of new ether names, has determined to get a corner on as many as can be drawn into the fold. Secondary motive behind the talent drive is thought to be a method of curtailing the present exchange of guest-stars between networks, which practice has grown to alarming proportions during the past year. NBC has already signed pacts with Amelia Earhart, Walter Cassell, Gregory Ratoff, Hedda Hopper and Grace Smith, and is spotting them one-by-one into radio appearances. The Columbia Broadcasting System has, as yet, not launched similar activities with its artist bureau, although Larry White, company executive, has been in Hollywood for several weeks lining up personnel for the organization. New Station Opening Local NBC officials confirmed the announcement this week that Don Ameche, radio and film star, would head the new show scheduled by Chase and Sanborn to replace the present Haven MacQuarrie show, “Do You Want to Be an Actor?” which signs off May 2 after a 26-week run. Ameche will emcee the show, which will be designed along the variety style. The Hollywood radio center will be increased by another new studio April 26 when Station KEHE, an independent, opens its new broadcasting theatre and studio. Broadcasting is scheduled to begin April 29. The new plant has a theatre studio accommodating more than 300, two large orchestral studios, a rehearsal studio and three small studios. Coincidental with the construction of its new Hollywood studios, CBS has also announced plans to construct a half-million dollar transmitter in San Francisco, with the layout to be housed in the Palace Hotel. Meanwhile, according to Donald Thornburgh, coast head for the network, the Hollywood outlet will be completed about December 1, as architectural plans have been completed. Rickenbacker Resigns Paul Rickenbacker, who had been assistant to Thornburgh, resigned his post last week to take a position with a radio agency as talent buyer. He moves into his new job in ten days. His CBS job will be taken over by Jack Dolph, who will supervise all CBS shows airing from Hollywood. BOXOFFICE :: AprU 10, 1937. 35