The Film Daily (1938)

L ESTEH THO: MP I3 & 13 2H W 44TH ST N V C [ ) N TOP * DAILY ■ Friday, November 11, 1938i A "JUttte" £wh Uottuwood "£ots"\ By RALPH WILK HOLLYWOOD The News in Brief ATEWS o' the day: Warners will start four on Nov. 14 — "Juarez," "Hell's Kitchen," "Return of Dr. X" and the second of the new Secret Service series. . .Ed Small has cast Frankie Thomas in "King of the Turf". . .Astrid Allwyn returns to the screen in RKO's "Love Affair". . . Warners have assigned "Dark Tower" top roles to Boris Karloff and Claude Rains. . .Ann Evers goes into "Beauty for the Asking" at RKO. T T T Rep. Signs Mary McCall, Jr. Mary McCall, Jr., has been signed by Republic to do additional dialogue on "Wagons Westward." The picture starts Dec. 1, with George Nichols, Jr., to direct. ▼ T T Townley Will Direct Jack Townley, writer, has been promoted by Republic to director. His first picture will be the next WHO'S WHO IN HOLLYWOOD • • • Introducing Interesting Personalities: No. 203 • • • XA/ILLIAM C. THOMAS. Associate producer. Born in Los Angeles, Aug. "▼ 11, 1903. Was graduated from the University of Southern California, where he studied journalism. Worked his way through high school and University by playing drums in night club orchestras. Broke into picture business in 1924 as a member of M-G-M publicity department. Did publicity work for Alexander Pantages Theaters and later joined Fox West Coast Theaters. Spent five years in publicity department at Paramount and was publicity director for Walter Wanger Productions for one year. Returned to Paramount and later joined Columbia where he was publicity director for 18 months. Returned to Paramount in August, 1937. as associate producer in the Harold Hurley unit. Wrote eight originals which were produced by Paramount, M-G-M, Universal and Columbia. Height, five feet, eight. Eves, grey. Ha>, brown. Gene Autry, "Mexicali Rose," which is scheduled to start November 25. Gerald Geraghty is working on the screenplay. "U" Buys "Swing Marriage" Universal has purchased an original story by Jerry Sackheim called "Swing Marriage." Vacations as Rewards "Red River Range," of Republic's Three Mesquiteer series, has been completed. This is the fmrtr, of the series of eight for the( ,fJ8 I im ;he] m, 39 program, and in addition to that, Republic has two original scripts' ready to go and therefore Willia Berke, associate producer on th series, is sending George Sherman director of the series to New York for a month's vacation, and is giving Betty Burbridge, one of th writers on the series, a two-week vacation as a bonus, Luci Ward, another writer, has been promoted to the Gene Autry writing staff for Harry Grey, and Stanley Roberts, the third writer on the series, is being allowed to work on an or iginal story idea of his. T T T It's a Boy A boy weighing six pounds, 11 ounces, was born to Mrs. Robert Gleckler at the Hollywood Hospital.1 Father is Robert Gleckler, screen heavy. Baby will be named Wil-; liam H. 20th-Fox British Pix Will Total 8, Cost 3 Millions (Continued from Page 1) it was said yesterday by Monty Banks on his arrival here on the Normandie. Banks, who brought a print of Gracie Fields' "Smiling Along," will be in the U. S. about two months for conferences with Sidney R. Kent and Darryl F. Zanuck. Decision on U. S. distribution of the company's British Pix will depend on whether company executives believe the pictures are "too British" for American release. Berton Churchill, character actor, was another Normandie passenger, returning from a 20th-Fox assignment in England where he played an important role in "So This is London." He left immediately for the Coast where he starts work Monday in a Walter Wanger production. Noel Coward returned on the Normandie yesterday to appear in a Broadway musical, "Set to Music." Laurence Olivier was a Normandie arrival, en route to Holly wood where he will appear opposite Merle Oberon in Samuel Goldwyn's "Wuthering Heights." John J. Madden Dies Norfolk, Va. — John Joseph Madden, 57, veteran theater treasurer and manager, died at his home here after a long illness. He worked under the late Jake Wells as treasurer of the Academy and Colonial theaters, later becoming manager of the Wells and Granbv A bachelor, he is survived by one sister and one brother. Before Trial Examination Ordered in Friedman Action (Continued from Page 1) new, vice-president of Paramount, M. B. Kussell, managing agent of Paramount, George Walsh, both in his individual capacity and as president of Netco Theaters Corp., Joseph Lee and Eugene Levy, defendants in the suit brought by Orange County Theaters, Inc., and Harry Friedman, president of the plaintiff Corporation, to appear for examination before trial, on application of the plaintiff, and on application of Paramount, respectively. Suit asks for award of $225,000 under the Sherman anti -trust Act, charging restraint of trade by the defendants. No date was set for the examinations. Other defendants in the case are Big U Film Exchange, Inc., RKO Radio Pictui'es, Inc., and United Artists Corp. Company Formed to Show Egyptian Picture Here Formation of the Egyptian Film Co. for the purpose of distributing Egyptian pictures in this country, was announced yesterday. The company has a picture entitled "Wedad" which will be released shortly. English titles have been added as a supplement for the Arabic dialogue. Headquarters of the company has been established at 80 Washington St., N. Y. City. The company expects to set a first-run for the picture in N. Y. and also plans to show the film at Brooklyn Academy of Music. Picture was produced by a company in Cairo. MPTOA Set to Talk on Disputed Trade Issues (Continued from Page 1) ganization was not satisfied with any of the final proposals, "we reserve the right to fight for a better deal." "We are ready for a final conference," Kuykendall said. "We hope to conclude our negotiations and to secure the definite acceptance of the distributors to our proposals, to reolve the points that are still in dispute and to lay plans to give these proposals immediate effect." Theaters Film Music Quiz as New Haven Radio Show New Haven — Regular Sunday afternoon radio-stage presentations will begin at the College Theater Sunday combining with a "Mystery Melodies" music quiz and prize giveaway plan. Jimmy Milne, studio manager, of WELI, will conduct the quiz, employing the WELI 10-piece studio orchestra and singing talent to present songs which will have to be identified as to film origin by the audience. For the first six weeks at least, the show will be on for an hour in the afternoon, although airtime will actually be half an hour. The novelty may later be moved to a week-day afternoon. James Subs for Thomas Lowell Thomas, commentator for Fox Movietone News, will have Hugh James, NBC announcer, as his substitute during the next six weeks while Thomas takes his first vacation since he joined the newsreel five years ago. Doubt Maxwell Will Join in Reported British MergerJ (Continued from Page 1) declared baseless by British film! execs, now in New York. The general opinion is expressed that a merger of these three organizations would prove to be such a powerful buying monopoly that1 the situation would be countered by a selling monopoly, a situation the1 circuits do not care to face. The visiting Britons expressed the conviction that the Odeon-GB^ merger eventually would be consummated, but pointed out that it may be months before it is set.| Hurdles to be cleared include the I obtaining of a "go ahead" signal it from 20th-Fox and Metro, interested (< heavily in Metropolis and Bradford f< Trust, Ltd., which controls GB. I Joseph M. Schenck, for 20th-Fox, < can exercise a veto power over any ] deal transferring GB control, it is J known. Additionally, it was pointed out i there is the Maxwell angle arising I from the fact that Maxwell's op j tion for the purchase of GB control I has three years to run. Thus any I GB-Odeon deal would require a I waiver by Maxwell. Plaza Theater Purchased by Reade for His Circuit (Continued from Page 1) deal was given as $450,000. Plaza is now operated by Leo Brecher. Reade, it was announced, will remodel and add the house to his circuit; first-run policy is planned. Attorney Frank Crocker represented Mrs. Whitney in the deal, made through John L. Tonnele of William A. White & Sons as broker.