Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1939)

(Hollywood Office— Suite 219 at 6404 Hollywood Blvd.; Ivan Spear, Western Manager) A Quiet Spell Marks See Slowing in Film Factories West Coast Probe And Pickup in Payroll Purge For the time being all is quiet on the several western fronts where various branches of the film business are being engaged by the long arm of the federal government. Charles Carr, assistant U. S. attorney general, assigned by Atty.-Gen. Prank Murphy to head the investigation into alleged evasion of income taxes, conspiracy, bribery and several other charges by major studio executives, returned from Washington where he conferred with Murphy, indicating the action — if any — resulting from the recent summoning of numerous studio heads before the grand jury, may be expected shortly. Albert J. Law and Harold Collins, special department of justice investigators, who conducted the exhaustive probe for more than a year and a half into averred violations of anti-trust laws by Pox West Coast and the major distributors, are still in the nation’s capital whence they went last week ostensibly for the purpose of conferring with Murphy. High Production Level Is Being Maintained Production held to the high levels which have prevailed during the past month with an average of 44 to 46 features before the cameras during the week. Columbia launched “Double in Diamonds” to bring its total to four. Metro gave the gun to the Mickey Rooney-Virginia Weidler starrer, “Young Tom Edison,” and “Lover Come Back” to keep the cameras grinding on five features. Monogram held level with one in work. Production went up two at Paramount with “Triumph Over Pain” and “Way of All Flesh” getting under way, bringing the number to eight. RKO Radio broke even, with “Mexican Spitfire” going to the cutting room and “Primrose Path” starting. Republic added the Higgins family opus, “Money to Burn,” to the two already in work. Twentieth Century-Pox wound up “Swanee River” to bring the number of features going at that studio down to six. Edward Small gunned “My Son, My Son,” bringing the total of the various United Artists producers to five before the cameras. Universal brought its total to six by addBOXOFFICE ; : November 4, 1939 H By IVAN SPEAR Straws upon which Hollywood railbirds are want to pounce as indications of which direction the production wind will blow suggest that there will be a material slowing of the celluloid mills during November and December while the personnel purge, which first manifested itself with the declaration of the European war, is apparently due to bite even deeper into the ranks of studio employes. While some dopesters are prone to blame additional current pruning of payrolls on wartime economies, a survey of the studios reveals that it is more attributable to the unprecedented high rate of production maintained by the film factories throughout the spring, summer and early fall. Because of this, more product has beeii finished at the end of the first three months of the ’39’40 season than at the end of the same period in any previous releasing year. Rush to Obtain Surplus In anticipation of stormy days with which the film industry was bound to be confronted, producers rushed to get a surplus of product on the shelves, as would sensible business men in any line. Labor difficulties with the attendant probability of pay increases, and the resultant increase in production costs, and premonitions of the war in Europe were the goads that kept the plants going at their peaks. As a consequence the usual summer production slump which Hollywood normally experiences was not in evidence this year. However, not enough film is consumed, even in normal times, to keep the studios operating at capacity throughout the year, and there is even less chance of year-around peak production with the European market curtailment. First evidences that the slump which normally would have come during the summer months will probably be felt during ing “Charlie McCarthy, Detective,” “Road to Romance,” and an untitled West-Fields starrer to those already in work. Warner kept production on an even keel by gunning the Merle Oberon feature, “We Shall Meet Again,” and finishing “Granny Get Your Gun,” which left six in production. the closing months of the year are seen at Warner and 20th Century-Fox. At the former studio, at which personnel was rather drastically cut following the declaration of war abroad, further and current layoffs were explained by studio spokesman as resulting from a natural slowing up of activities because of the fact that at the Burbank plant only 11 of the entire feature list for the 1939-’40 season remain to be made. The thinning of ranks at Warner is affecting virtually all departments. Workers are being given written notices to report back to the lot on January 2. The new purge at 20th Century-Fox first hit in the drapery department where 15 workers were given layoffs with indications that other departments will be affected similarly. Here, again, the curtailment is explained as resulting from a natural letdown in production between now and the new year because of the advanced state of production schedules. Similar situations and in varied degrees have developed and are developing at the other film plants. Minor personnel changes: After four years at Warner’s, Gloria Dickson, actress, was to leave the lot Saturday at the conclusion of her contract. William S. Holman, studio manager at Columbia for the past eight years, settled his contract and left the lot. H. A. McDonnell, who was studio comptroller under Holman, has been promoted to the managership. Producers Pictures has signed Joseph O’Donnell as western story editor for the three series of sagebrushers the company will film at its Prescott, Ariz., location studio. Central Casting reported that extras experienced a job slump in October, with the number of calls received falling approximately 3,000 short of the September figures. Group hardest hit was dress extras who got less than 900 calls, as compared with the July peak which exceeded 3,000. Giving her notice of resignation to take effect December 1, Ruth Mack, head of the call bureau for Producers Association, will leave after eight years service. Miss Mack plans a three-month South American vacation. 19