Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1939)

Production Maintains Upward Climb; 39 in Mill, 10 Wait For the second successive week, developments abroad to the contrary, production has spurted upward, and now stands at 39 in work with ten others on the line for immediate starts. Columbia gunned “His Girl Friday” to bring its total up to five. Metro signaled starts on “A Call on the President” and “Dr. Kildare’s Secret,” but finished “Remember” and “Balalaika” to hold its production pace to five. “Heroes in Blue” went into work at Monogram, which is filming two. Paramoimt started “Gun Chores” and wound up production of “Emergency Squad,” totaling six in work. RKO Radio Knives of Economy Continue to Cut Although the large-scale employment purges which hit many of the major plants after the outbreak of the European war have apparently subsided, at least temporarily, more than the usual number of personnel changes, many of them imdoubtedly as the result of adopted economy measures, have been recorded. This has been particularly noticeable among studio publicists, a factor which led the Screen Publicists Guild to call a special directors’ meeting for the purpose of discussing possible protective measures. At Paramount, for example, ten members of the publicity department were dropped from the payroll, including Lance Heath, P^-ank Pope and Idwall Jones. On the other hand, 11 scenarists have been added to the staff of the Marathon Street studio, all on one-picture deals, while only three writers have been released. On the same lot Robert Florey, director, will wind up his contract upon completion of “Strange Money,” his current assignment. Max Siegel has checked off the Warner lot as an associate producer after more than a year with the studio, during which he produced “Indianapolis Speedway.” Also leaving the lot is John Payne, actor, who last appeared in “State Cop.” He will freelance. William Hebert has resigned his post as publicity and advertising director for Selznick International, effective when a successor has been found. At the same plant, Marcella Bannett Rabwin, assistant to David O. Selznick, also turned in her resignation after a tenyear association with the producer. Troy Orr, who recently resigned his position in 20th Century-Fox’s advertisingpublicity department, has been added to the Universal staff imder John Joseph and, as his first assignment, went to San Francisco to handle the opening of the reissued “All Quiet on the Western Front” at the Orpheum Theatre. His writing assignment completed. shoved off “Legion of the Lawless” to raise its total to six. Two features, “Covered Trader” and “Rovin’ Tumbleweeds,” and a serial, “Zorro’s Fighting Legion” got off the mark at Republic, which lists five in production. Twentieth Century-Fox, with no new starts, finished “The Simple Life.” It has eight on sound stages. Various United Artists producers are at work on five features, none new starts. Universal accelerated “Test Diver” to bring its total up to six. Warner is filming three, including “The Fighting 69th,” a new start, and sent “Gambling on the High Seas” into the cutting room. Daniel Taradash has left the Columbia studio payroll and returned to New York. To coordinate overlapping functions and increase the efficiency of operation generally, Robert M. Gillham, Paramount’s advertising-publicity director, has revised the studio setup by placing Cliff Lewis in charge of the advertising, publicity and trailer departments at the studio. Terry DeLapp and Herbert Moulton, present heads of the publicity and trailer units respectively, will continue in their current capacities. Claude Binyon has been granted a release from his Paramount writing contract and has moved over to Columbia to join Producer Wesley Ruggles, with whom he has been associated for several years. Twentieth Century-Fox has dropped Chick Chandler, comedian, from its contract list after three years with the studio. "Beast of Berlin" Put Into Production Mill With the selection of a complete cast, a director and an increased budget, Ben Judell’s Producers Pictures Corp. signaled a start on one of the most ambitious films in its 60-picture schedule for 1939-40, “Hitler— Beast of Berlin,” at the Grand National studios. Judell has reiterated that the story, dealing with the underground anti-Nazi movement in Germany, is not war propaganda and is not intended to inspire hatred for any European political group. Leading roles have been assigned to Roland Drew, Steffi Duna, Greta Grandstedt, Bodil Rosing, Allan Ladd, Vernon Dent and Hans Joby. Sherman Scott, who has piloted several “March of Time” reels in New York, is the director and Jack Greenhalgh is in charge of photography. The film is an adaptation of “Goose Step,” an original story by Shepard Traube. Next Marx Vehicle Next Marx Brothers comedy at M-G-M will be “The Marx Brothers in Europe,” with Lewis K. Sidney assigned as associate producer. Anli-Nazis Gel Full Picture of Crisis In the most important meeting since the new season’s activity began, more than 250 members of the Hollywood AntiNazi League who turned out for the group’s annual membership session were presented a clear-cut analysis of the present world crisis, its meaning for American democracy and the part the HANL and kindred liberal organizations in Hollywood must play during the coming year. HANL members also nominated and elected a new executive board and executive committee to guide the organization’s destiny for the next 12-month period. Unanimously chosen to the board were Donald Ogden Stewart, re-elected chairman: Frank Tuttle, vice-chairman; Ben Bernard, treasurer, and Dudley Nichols, secretary. The new executive committee comprises Edward Chodorov, Milton Merlin, Mrs. Sidney Buchman, Prof. Norman Byrne, Maxwell Shane, Herbert Biberman, Dr. Marvin Harris, Attorney Charles Katz, Francis Faragoh, Marian Spitzer, Mrs. Charles Page, Hy Krafft, Mrs. J. Edward Bromberg, Jay Gomey, Frank Scully, Mrs. Jerome Sackheim and Donald Rose. With Irving Pichel presiding, featured speaker at the annual session was the Rev. L. M. Birkhead, founder and national director of the Friends of Democracy, who pointed out the new guises Nazi activity will take in this country now that Germany is at war and predicted that the League and other liberal groups must quadruple their activities in order to combat it. Pichel, following, reviewed the League’s accomplishments during the year and charted plans for the immediate future. In a subsequent session attended by the League’s studio committee Doctor Birkhead shared the speakers’ platform with Dr. E. Guy Talbot, field secretary of the World Alliance for International Friendship Through the Churches. Biberman, one of the HANL’s founders, also delivered an analysis of the war situation. Other liberal developments: Continuing its fight to secure revision of the government’s neutrality act, the American Union for Concerted Peace Efforts has scheduled a rally to be held at Philharmonic Auditorium, September 29. Director W. S. Van Dyke and Melvyn Douglas, among other members of the film colony, who are active members of the organization, will attend. Third, and termed definitely the last, postponement of the Motion Picture Artists Committee’s scheduled all-industry banquet has forced the date back to September 25. Attorney-General Frank Murphy, scheduled to appear as chief speaker, notified MPDC leaders the pressure of government business in Washington would prevent him from arriving imtil that time. Chief items of business will be the presentation of the first annual Award of Merit to the producer of the picture deemed to have made the greatest contribution to democracy during the 1938-39 season. 42 BOXOFTICE : : September 23, 1939