Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

FILM PRODUCTION CONTINUING DESPITE STUDIO CRAFT WALKOUT Screen Actors' Guild Holds Key to Fate of Strike; Action Delayed Hollywood — Hollywood’s long-heralded studio strike, launched to an unimpressive start late last week when painters, makeup artists, hair dressers and scenic artists began picketing nine major studios, will not, for the time being at least, slow up the production of films on those lots or in other film manufacturing plants, according to the activities ensuing within and without the studios during the strike’s early days. A Week’s Delay With the powerful Screen Actors’ Guild, which all sides have credited with being the keystone in the structure of the Federated Motion Picture Crafts, union organization composed of almost a score of labor groups not now recognized by the producers, having postponed its decision as to whether to throw its weight to the FMPC by joining the strike, indications early this week were that at least another week will elapse before anyone will know just what turn the walkout will take. The Guild met en masse last Sunday to discuss the situation and decided to maintain hands off until further meetings have been held, one of which is scheduled for next Sunday. The strike was called and pickets went on duty Saturday, May 1, with Columbia, Metro, Paramount, RKO Radio, 20th Century-Fox, Warner, Universal and Hal Roach — all members of the producers' association — being placed on the strikers' list. Refusal by major producers, acting under the leadership of Pat Casey, labor relations chief for the Hays office, to recognize and provide closed shop for the painters' union and its affiliates when the deadline set by the union's contact, Charles Lessing, had passed, brought to realization the threatened strike. The FMPC immediately requested all affiliated crafts to respect the picket lines. Painters’ demands, refused in New York at the producer-labor meetings held there April 5, include adjustment of working conditions, chiefly a $1 daily raise for day men, 12 hours’ notice of cancellation of calls and agreement for the men to be hired through a union hiring hall instead of the present practice of calling direct to employes’ homes. Other members of the FMPC which early this week had gone out on strike were stationary engineers, culinary workers, plumbers, molders, machinists, boilermakers, welders and utility workers. Present indications are that the longshoreman’s union will be asked to aid in maintaining studio picket lines. Inter-union strife was evidenced in the issuance of cross-denials by producers and Violence in Hollywood Studio Strike Hollywood — A crowd of about 30 vien invaded the office of the lATSE union here Tuesday and beat several men seeking studio employment, sending five of them to the hospital. 07ie of those beaten suffered two broken arms, and another a broken ankle. They were signing up for class D labor in the studios when the crowd broke down the doors of the lATSE office. John Kline, a nonstriking worker at the Universal studio, was beaten by men he said were pickets and was sent to a hospital, critically injured. members of the studio costumers union as to that group’s stand on the strike. A news release from Casey at the Hays office declared that costumers had intimated a desire to negotiate independently with the producers, breaking away from the FMPC. Bert Of ford, business representative of the costumers, however, said Casey’s announcement was premature, in that the costumers had never officially become affiliated with the FMPC. The group was to meet early this week to decide whether to affiliate or to negotiate a separate contract. Studio carpenters, now members of the basic wage agreement but being sought by the FMPC for inclusion in that organization, met Sunday and refused to take a strike vote. Members were instructed to VOL. 30 NO. 24 Reg. U. S. Pat. Office CONTENTS Editorial Boxoffice Barometer News Briefs Blue Ribbon Award Picture. Review Flashes Eastern Section Exploitation Previews Feature Reviews Short Subject Reviews Selling Seats First Run Reports Pictures in the Making Production Index Changes... Hollywood Seetion New England Section Mideast Section Central Section Midwest Seetion Southern Section May 8 1937 .. 3 .. 9 ..10 ..15 ..18 ..19 ..27 .31 .33 .34 .36 .37 .38 .39 .55 .63 .71 .79 .87 cross picket lines and to report for work as usual, with Abe Muir, international vicepresident, announcing that the walkout vote could not be taken without approval of the international’s executive board. Carpenters are reported to be unsatisfied with the wage tilt ordered for them at the New York labor-producer meeting. Up TO THE Guild Outcome of the strike, according to a consensus of Hollywood opinion, will hinge directly on the stand taken by the Screen Actors Guild. If that body, which was active in organizing and backing the FMPC when its demands for union recognition were rejected in New York, decided to call its members out on strike and the order is obeyed, production in the studios is certain to feel a crimp, as many prominent contract players are affiliated with the Guild. Failure of the Guild to support the walkout, however, would virtually seal the doom of the strikers, present interpretations hold. Pending final decision on the matter, players have been instructed to use their individual judgment as to crossing picket lines. Resolutions were passed at the Guild meeting Sunday forbidding actors to replace strikers as makeup artists, hair dressers, etc., and placed on the black list any actors so doing who are not Guild members. Not Hurting Independents The strike, called against studio members of the producers association, has not so far affected independent producers, even those making pictures for release through picketed major companies. Samuel Goldwyn, not a member, put two pictures into work this week without interference. B. P. Schulberg’s production for Paramount release continues as usual, and other independents are not being picketed. Although a check-up of the walkout as compiled by Casey indicated that more than 200 persons responded to early .strike orders last weekend, this number was increased to an estimated 1,500 when other FMPC affiliates joined the painters and affiliated crafts in the walkout on Monday. GUSTAVE SCHAEFER JOINS UNIVERSAL New York — Gustave J. Schaefer, for the last 12 years in charge of sales for Paramount in central and eastern Europe, has resigned effective May 17 to join Universal as export manager. He succeeds N. L. Manheim who recently resigned after being with Universal many years. Schaefer has been in the business since 1914 when he went with World Film Co. Prior to his European assignment with Paramount, he was manager of the company’s exchange in Boston. 6 BOXOFFICE :: May 8, 1937.