Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1939)

Foreign Press in Hollywood — Bauburao Patel (pointing the finger), editor of Filmindia, president of the Journalists’ Association of India, and guest of honor at a coctctail party given him at the Warner studio, chats with Harry M. Warner, right, as S. Charles Einfeld and Lya Lys look on in evident enjoyment. George Green Heads Independent Firm Formation of a new production company under the banner of Producers Corporation of America, with a program of eight high-budgeted features to be made for the 1939-40 market, was revealed with the filing of incorporation papers at Sacramento. John Charles Thomas, noted operatic and concert baritone, has been signed to star in the company’s first picture, which will be “Kingdom Come,” a novel by Adela Rogers St. Johns. Film will get before the cameras in mid-December. Head of the corporation is George Green, veteran producer-director-writer, who was at one time affiliated with Paramount. Carl Winston, director and writer, is vice-president. He has been associated with Erich Pommer in England and has held various posts with Paramount, RKO Radio and other companies. Howard Levy and Harry Sokolov are treasurer and secretary respectively. The new company, according to the announcement, is “independently financed.” No release for the scheduled output has been set. Company heads are currently lining up a technical staff and seeking studio space. Press relations are being handled by Russell Bird well. Finney and Ritter Ready To Film Two in Utah Headed by Producer Edward Finney and Tex Ritter, western star, a Monogram production unit is scheduled to pull out shortly for Kanab, Utah, to spend a month filming two sagebrushers. First will be “Roll, Wagons, Roll,” which A1 Herman will direct from an original script by Victor Adamson, Edmund Kelso and Roger Merton. Feature Length Silent Comedies for 20th-F ox Spurred by the success of the silent sequence in “Hollywood Cavalcade,” 20th Century-Fox is preparing to film a series of feature-length silent comedies, reviving the Mack Sennett-Keystone Kops tradition. Sennett has been signed to work with Harry Joe Brown, who will produce, and is preparing a story for the initialer. The first, to be titled either “Left at the Altar” or “Love in a Pullman Car,” will probably be filmed in a combination of Technicolor and black-and-white photography. Making Her Mark — In the concrete in the courtyard of the Chinese Theatre is Ginger Rogers, RKO star. She leaves her signature, hand prints and foot prints thereby for posterity. Hays Office Drops Publicily Unil First major shakeup to hit the Hays office since the recent general order for reductions in pay and personnel came to light with the disclosure that the committee on public relations has been disbanded, with Kyle Palmer, its head, checking off the payroll. Formed nearly two years ago, the committee had been designed to effect more cordial relations for the industry in its press and publicity contacts. Busiest unit within the Hays organization, as usual, is the labor contact division headed by Pat Casey. In addition to ironing out details of the new lATSE-producer contract, giving the union a 10 per cent wage increase, Casey and his staff are studying demands filed by the studio painters for a 15 per cent boost. A general membership meeting of the association has been called for October 16, the day on which painters have declared an answer must be forthcoming. In addition, negotiations are being carried on with the Screen Readers and Set Designers Guilds concerning new working contracts. A Retreat From High Mark In Production Recorded Production has dropped off a few pegs from the record-making marks established during the past three weeks. Total in work stands at 40, with eight others in preparation for immediate starts. Two went into production at Columbia — “Gun Lord of the Frontier” and “The Cop From Hell’s Kitchen” — to boost the total at that plant to six. Metro started “The Earl of Chicago” and finished “Judge Hardy and Son” to maintain its five-picture pace. Monogram has one in work, “Roll, Wagons, Roll,” a new start. “The Light of Western Stars” went into work at Paramount, filling the gap left by completion of “The Gay Days of Victor Herbert.” Four are being filmed. RKO Radio’s total dropped to eight with the windup of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” Republic has two in production, neither a new start. Twentieth Centirry-Fox is shooting six. Both “The Adventurer” and “The Man Who Wouldn’t Talk” went into the cutting room. Samuel Goldwyn’s “Raffles;” Walter Wanger’s “Send Another Coffin,” and Hal Roach’s “Of Mice and Men” were all completed, leaving the United Artists production aggregate at three. Wanger started “The House Across the Bay.” With no starts scheduled. Universal wrapped up “Tower of London” to drop its production total to five. An equal number is in work at Warner, both “Timber” and “Granny Get Your Gun” having been sent into production. Helms "Old Hickory" Warner has assigned Lew Seiler to direct “Old Hickory,” forthcoming historical featurette, which starts October 18. 64 BOXOFFICE :: October 14, 1939