Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1939)

(Hollywood Office — Suite 219 at 6404 Hollywood Blvd.; Ivan Spear, Western Manager) Wurtzel Observing Federal Investigator Winds Up 25th Year at Fox Two-Month Stay in Hollywood Chalking up a record unequaled by any other individual, Sol Wurtzel is observing his 25th anniversary as a production executive with 20th Century-Pox and ' its predecessor, Pox Pilms. Wurtzel joined the old Pox company in New York in 1914, came to Hollywood in 1917 and is credited with having produced some 700 features during his career. son WURTZEL When 20th Century merged with Pox in 1933, Wurtzel remained as executive producer of the “B” unit, which post he holds today. Academy Recognition lor Western, Shermans Aim Heroine hanging by one hand on the edge of a gaping cliff . . . hero and cattlerustling villain engaged in a desperate battle for her life and honor. That situation has been making boxoffices tick the country over since motion pictures began and now, in the opinion of Producer Harry Sherman, a special Academy Award for westerns should be set up by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Sherman, who manufactures the “Hopalong Cassidy” sagebrushers for Paramount, has formally proposed such a step to the Academy on the grounds the outdoor melodramas are “in a distinctive class and deserve distinct consideration” and basing his argument further on the claim that “budgets for this type of production have been substantially increased in recent years, and many of the pictures contain true artistic merit.” Sherman pointed out that westerns depend solely on story, acting and action and that players in them “perform stunts which few would even attempt, so why shouldn’t they be accorded recognition?” Small Schedules "Sleepy Hollow" ! “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” the folktale by Washington Irving, has been added to Edward Small’s 1939-40 production 1 schedule for United Artists. Efforls for Stabilization Advance Waveringly Two important developments — one cheering, the other in the nature of a setback— highlight Hollywood’s current efforts to stabilize itself in production and operational procedure now that the European War is nearing the end of its second month. Belief that the film capital is now on a comparatively sound wartime basis was strengthened through the report of Central Casting that extra placements during September — the month in which hostilities abroad started — gained nearly 3,000 over August, the total standing at more than 26,000, as compared to some 16,000 in September of 1938. Further, the ratio is expected to continue till the end of the year, with a number of high-budgeted pictures now either in work or scheduled for early starts. Foy Unit Marks Time However, some cold water was dashed on personnel records when Warner ordered an immediate suspension of production in Bryan Poy’s program unit, with vacations for all hands for a period of from four to six weeks. The action, it was explained, does not come primarily as an economy move, but because the “B” production schedule has been completed for release through March. Activity v;ill be resumed about December 1. Advancing a similar reason, Universal called a halt to the production of its Richard Arlen-Andy Devine action dramas, of which five out of a total of seven have been completed. Work will resume in February. The profit side of the ledger, however, found: Metro hitting the production level ordered by Louis B. Mayer by starting two films and scheduling two others to follow in a week. Republic beginning to line up its production quota as far ahead as March. Richard Rowland annormcing his first for United Artists, “Three Cheers for Miss Bishop,” will roll January 4. Monogram setting an October 30 starting date on “Rip Marking the definite washup of the first phase of the federal government’s investigation into a number of film industry matters, Charles H. Carr, assistant to Attorney-General Frank Murphy, has returned to his headquarters in Washington, after a stay of nearly two months here. Carr took with him a voluminous collection of material for presentation to and examination by his chief and the treasury department. Most of it was in the form of transcriptions of the testimony given by studio executives and labor leaders before the federal grand jury, which was impanelled after Carr spent several weeks gathering data concerning alleged labor racketeering, charges of income tax evasions and various corporate matters concerning the industry. The inquiry, among other things, checked into a reported $100,000 “payoff” to William Bioff, at one time Pacific Coast leader of the lATSE, by Joseph M. Schenck of the Producers Association, and income tax questions arising out of the merger of Fox Films with 20th Century in 1933. Carr intimated he may return within a few weeks. The deputy prosecutor had no comment to make, however, as to whether the case is permanently closed or will be reopened after Washington officials have studied the evidence he has rounded up. The grand jury, which was in session for ten days, heard testimony by Louis B. Mayer, Harry M. Warner, Darryl Zanuck, Harry Cohn, William Goetz, Sid Rogell, Pat Casey, Victor Clarke and labor officials including Harland Holmden, Joseph Carpenter and Herbert Sorrell, among others. Borrow Lamour for “Johnny Apollo" Dorothy Lamour has been borrowed from Paramount by 20th Century-Fox to co-star with Tyrone Power in “Johnny Apollo.” Van Winkle,” designated as a comparatively high-budgeted undertaking. The executive front finds Sam Sax, exhead of Warner’s English production, now at the Burbank studio giving Harry M. Warner a detailed picture of conditions abroad. Sax will be given an executive post at the Burbank plant. The war situation is also being discussed by Nicholas M. Schenck of Loew’s, Inc., who checked in at M-G-M for one of his periodic visits. BOXOFnCE :: October 21, 1939 H 25