The Film Daily (1939)

DAILY Wednesday, May 31, 1939 COAST STUDIOS START 10: 45 IN PRODUCTION '! By RALPH WILK ■West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — New productions scheduled for Hollywood this week number 10 features; 45 others are before the cameras. At Metro, "Miracles for Sale," with Robert Young, Florence Rice, Lee Bowman and Henry Hull, Tod Browning director. Murder mystery story set among a group of magicians. At 20th Century-Fox, "Falling Stars" (formerly titled "Hollywood Cavalcade") with Alice Faye and Don Ameche, with Harry Joe Brown as the producer and Irving Cummings to direct. At Paramount, "The Dog Show Murder," with Lynne Overman and Janice Logan. William Wright producer and Kurt Neumann director. At Warners, "Kid Nightingale," with John Payne. George Amy to direct. Prize fighter story, with a singer the prize fighter. At RKO, "My Fifth Avenue Girl," starring Ginger Rogers. Featured players, Tim Holt, James Ellison, Walter Connolly. Producer and director, Gregory LaCava. Story is a romantic comedy, deals with complications that ensue when middle-aged business man hires a gay, clever young woman to dwell in his home (he has a wife and grown children) just to keep his mind off his financial worries. At Selznick International, "Intermezzo," starring Leslie Howard who is also associate producer on the picture. Edna Best has the feminine lead. William Wyler to direct. "Intermezzo" is the drama of a conceit violinist and his romances. Hal Roach is readying the Laurel and Hardy picture, "Chump at Oxford," which Alf Goulding will direct. Hal Roach, Jr., associate producer. Fine Arts Pictures, "Trouble in the Pacific," to be made in Cosmocolor. Wallace Ford, William Gargan, June Lang and Katherine DeMille in the cast. Elmer Clifton director. Drama with a mid-Pacific marine base as the background and has to do with a flying heiress. At Columbia, "Five Little Peppers and How They Grew," with Edith Fellows. Jack Fier producing for the Irving Briskin unit. John Brahm to direct. First in a series based on the Little Pepper books. A Universal, "Desperate Trails," first of a series of seven westerns to star John Mack Brown, starts tomorrow, Albert Ray directing. STORKS! Pittsburgh — Mr. and Mrs. William J. Blatt, of Patton, Pa., are the parents of a baby daughter, born last Friday. The father is one of the Blatt Bros., operating a circuit of theaters throughout western Pennsylvania. Warners Allocating $3,500,000 for Next Season's Shorts tinder Supervision of Foy West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Burbank— Warners has allocated $3,500,000 for shorts production for 1939-40, according to Jack L. Warner. As already announced, lineup calls for 78 subjects, varying in length from one to four reels. With Eastern shorts production ending, new production group here will be under supervision of Bryan Foy, who will continue to produce features as well. Gordon Hollinshead is promoted to head the shorts department. Coast Exhibitors Opposed to 6-Day Theater Week West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — There will be considerable opposition to any attempt to establish a six-day film theater week in this territory according to independent exhibit leaders. They point out that such a plan will work a real hardship .on exhibitors operating limited capacity theaters where receipts for an extra day represent difference between loss and gain. These leaders also contend that a six-day week would mean less employment and would be in opposition to President Roosevelt's plans to increase employment. They also contend that majority of exhibitors give their employes one day off each week and that greatest number of exhibitors in the territory are operating limited capacity houses. Supporters of the plan point out that attendance is generally way off on Mondays and that practically all exhibitors operate at a loss on Monday and that it is necessary to use an extra operator to relieve regular operators in order to give to the latter his one day off. B b K Closing UA Theater In Chi.; Others to Follow Midwest District Captures First Place in Sears Drive (Continued from Page 1) nounced. The personnel will be shifted to other houses. Several independent theaters here are closing for the Summer and it is reported that exhibitors are asking operators for a lower, warm weather wage scale. If request is not met, it is likely that more closings will result. "Tumbleweeds" Held In its initial engagement as a re-issue, "Tumbleweeds" scored heavily in Washington, it was announced by Astor Pictures Corp., distributors of the William S. Hart picture. Opening Friday at the Strand on a split week booking, the picture was held over for an entire week. Fans greeted Hart and the talking prologue with enthusiasm, it was reported. (Continued from Page 1) ordinator of the sales drive which was named in honor of Gradwell L. Sears, general sales manager. Sharing in the $25,000 in awards are: First prize, Bud Lohrenz as head of the Midwest District; branches in this district receiving cash prizes are: Chicago, Tom Gilliam, Mgr.; Minneapolis, Clarence Olson, Mgr.; Milwaukee, R. T. Smith, Mgr.; St. Louis, Hall Walsh, Mgr.; Des Moines, A. W. Anderson, Mgr.; and Omaha, Sid Rose, Mgr. Second Prize, W. E. Callaway, West Coast District Manager, and the following exchanges: Salt Lake City, Wm. F. Gordon, Mgr.; San Francisco, Al Shmitken, Mgr.; Portland, V. Stewart, Mgr.; Denver, E. A. Bell, Mgr.; and Los Angeles, M. M. Brower, Mgr. Third Prize: Robert Smeltzer, Central District Manager; and the following branches : Pittsburgh, Harry Seed, Mgr.; Detroit, F. E. North, Mgr.; Philadelphia, W. C. Mansell, Mgr.; Cincinnati, Ralph Kinsler, Mgr.; and Cleveland, H. J. Ochs, Mgr. Leserman revealed that this year's Drive, topped last year's by 25 per cent. Ben Kalmenson, Western and Southern sales manager, won a personal wager of $1,000 from Roy Haines, Eastern and Canadian sales head, on the results of the Sears Drive, in which Kalmenson's territory won two out of the three prizes offered. Dallas V. C. Boys' Farm Dalas — The Variety Club will provide 250 Dallas boys with vacations this Summer at a farm owned by R. E. Griffith, theater man, near Belton, it is announced by Bob O'Donnell. The boys will be taken to the farm in relays, beginning tomorrow and continuing for three months. Carole Lombard in S-l Pix West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Carole Lombard will be starred in "Flashing Stream" by Selznick-International. Rep. Nine Takes Game Republic's baseball team defeated the Warner team, 4 to 3, in a game played at the week-end. To Remake "Royal Box" West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Boris Morros will remake "The Royal Box" which was originally produced in German. Nat Wachsberger, who was recently made a partner in Boris Morros Productions, will be associate producer. Dividend Declared Montreal — Directors of Marcus Loew's Theater Ltd. have declared a dividend of 3% per cent on the preferred, payable June 30 to stockholders of record on June 17. "U" PRODUCTION WILL REACH PEAK IN JULY West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Universal will set an all-time production record in July when nine top-bracketed pix will be shooting, it was announced y^^'.-rday coincidental with the arrival here from New York of Prexy Nate J. Blumberg for an indefinite stay. | To accommodate the increased production schedule, Universal is rushing completion of two giant new sound stages; extra crews went to work yesterday to assure they will be ready July 1. Blumberg is here to check production, complete plans for future expansion and huddles with Cliff Work, Matty Fox and Milton Feld, among others. "U" has more than 30 writers at work. Every office on the lot is occupied, and old structures are being remodeled, or razed and replaced by new ones, to accommodate the* influx of talent on the lot. The old Universal hospital is being converted into a writers' building. A new hospital has been erected on the back lot. The former David L. Loew quarters have been refurbished for Albert Ray. All projection rooms on the lot have been remodeled, the sound department has been overhauled, and approximately $45,000 has already been expended for new camera equipment, replacing in some instances 15-year-old material. Three miles of new roads, opening up new areas for exterior sets, have been laid out on the studio tract of 326 acres. This will enable the company to shoot many of its outdoor scenes on the lot, meaning an ultimate saving of thousands of dollars ; in location costs. Broder Acquiring Another Detroit — Jack Broder, owner of the Rainbow Theater, will take over, the Franklin, on the East Side, from L. D. Golden tomorrow, renaming it1 the Time Theater. House will be remodeled, with new marquee and cooling system installed, and enlarged by 100 seats. Atlas Contracting Co. will do the work. Joseph Olschefsky, theatrical broker, ar-'j ranged the deal. WEDDING BELLS Janesville, Wis. — James C. Lord, technician with 20th Century-Fox, was married here to Miss Roberta Curler. The couple will reside at 2053 Vs Rodney Drive, Hollywood. Cleveland — Miss Helen Slater, secretary to Bob Bial of Art Guild Studios, has announced her engagement to Clyde Hacker of this city but not of the film industry. Chicago — Miss Pearle Fireman of the Warner exchange here will be married on Aug. 6 to Ted Levy. Warner Circuit Booker for the city of Chicago.