The Film Daily (1931)

THE &S DAILY Friday, April 17, 1931 $130,000,000 INVESTED — KATZ Vtlautic City— Publix has $130,000,000 invested in theaters, said Sam Katz yesterday in addressing the Paramount eastern sales convention at the Hotel Ambassador. The circuit is not looking for any quarrels, but is preparing to protect itself, he Sidney R. Kent spoke on sales. Akerson Says Clean Films Outlive Sex, Gang Stuff Atlantic City — Clean pictures have longer life, while the vogue for underworld and sex stories passes, said George Akerson in addressing the Paramount convention yesterday. Advertising plans for the new season were discussed by Russell Holman. He also spoke on public relations work, substituting for Charles E. McCarthy, who was called to Middleboro, Mass., by the serious illness of his father. James H. Clark, ad sales manager, talked on his activities. Ralph A. Kohn discussed the company's financial history. Importance of manpower in the field was stressed by Sam Katz, who talked on theater operations. A. O. Dillenbach of HanfT-Metzger spoke on the Paramount advertising campaign. Livingston's Directory First to Cover Television First issue of Livingston's International Casting Directory, put out by Jack Livingston, came off the press yesterday. It is the first publication of its kind to cover television, as well as talkers, legitimate stage, radio, vaudeville an<-l the musical field. The initial edition, attractively printed, contains 128 pages of photographs and information on talent, together with other data of value to artists and program arrangers. Little Theater Leader to M-G-M Dallas — Oliver Hinsdell, for eight years director of the Dallas Little Theater and widely known as a leader in the local drama movement, is leaving here after this season to go to Hollywood and direct for M-G-M Para. Signs Lillian Roth Lillian Roth has been signed by Paramount for two short subjects of a musical nature, which Aubrey Scot to will direct at the New York studio. Council on Stories Atlantic City — Paramount is now conducting a story council for the selection of all material, said Sidney R. Kent yesterday. Members include Kent and Adolph Zukor, Jesse L. Lasky, Sam Katz, Emanuel Cohen, Russell Holman, Walter Wanger, Richard A. Rowland, Charles E. McCarthy, B. P. Schulberg, George Schaefer and John Clark. Paramount Convention Sidelights \By ARTHUR W. EDDY', Atlantic City CAM KATZ, Sam Dembow, Dave ° Chatkin and Milton Feld, all Publixites, took advantage of the balmyspring weather and drove down to this conventioneering town. A galaxy of Paramount publicity stars are on hand to keep the convention in the public prints. They are: Charles McCarthy, Earl Wingart, Al Wilkie, Frank Vreeland and Watty West. Plenty of screening material has been brought to the convention. Features to be shown include "Tarnished Lady," starring Tallulah Bankhead, and "Kick In," Clara Bow vehicle. Max Fleischer has made a special cartoon which does some tall kidding of Paramount execs. Marlene Dietrich is sailing for New York tomorrow from Germany following a vacation, according to John Cecil Graham. F. Wynne-Jones is doing the convention honors for Ufa. John D. Clark baptized a new pair of sport shoes, which were about the most doggy pieces of footgear around the convention hall. A. M. Botsford and Leon Bamberger, according to a seemingly authentic report, invested SO cents each in a cane. Representing the Harold Lloyd Corp. are: C. Neeper, John Murphy and Les Whelan. Obeying his physician's orders, Emil Shauer, Paramount foreign department head, checked out of Atlantic City just before the sales proceedings got under way. Boby Moriarty and hen Baly were among the conventioneers who gave a tryout to the Ambassador pool. Consternation was heaved at the Paramounteers when a truck carrying a quantity of their luggage got stuck in the mud somewhere in Atlantic City en route to the hotel. Andy Callahan of Technicolor is giving out optimistic talks concerning the future of color in pictures. L. P. Flynn is due for a lot of paging tomorrow. He's in charge of return transportation. Paramount s New Lineup Embraces Stellar Writers, Directors, Players Atlantic City — Paramount's lineup of features for the 1931-32 season will embrace the biggest galaxy of writer director -player talent ever presented by the company, according to the program announcement made by Jesse L. Lasky yesterday. Pictures will be made from the writings of Mark Twain, Theodore Dreiser, Louis Bromfield, Rupert Hughes, John Colton, Phillip Barry, Charles Brackett, Robert E. Sherwood, Arthur Stringer, Sam Rohmer, Percy Crosby, Dashiell Hammett, Max Marcin and others. Directors include Ernst Lubitsch, Josef von Sternberg, Edmund Goulding, Dorothv Arzner, Richard Wallace, H. D'Abbadie D'Arrast, Rouben Mamoulian, John Cromwell, George Cukor, Edward Sutherland, Monta Bell, George Abbott, Frank Tuttle, Victor Heerman, Stuart Walker, Norman Taurog, Lothar Mendes, David Burton, Lloyd Corrigan, Edward Goodman, Louis Gasnier, Marion Gering, Norman McLeod, Dudley Murphy, Edward Sloman, Berthold Viertel and Harry Cort. Among the chief players will be Harold Lloyd. Marlene Dietrich, Maurice Chevalier, George Bancroft, Nancy Carroll, Ruth Chattcrton, Clara Bow, Tallulah Bankhead. Jack Oakie, the Marx Brothers. Fredric March, Gary Cooper, Charles Rogers, Richard Arlen, Clive Brook, Claudette Colbert, Charlie Ruggles, Jackie Coogan, Paul Lukas. Phillips Holmes, Skeets Gallagher, Carole Lombard, Miriam Hopkins, Sylvia Sidney, Frances Dee, Kay Francis, Warner Oland, Norman ^Foster, Regis Toomey, Stuart Erwfn, Eugene Pallette, Mitzi Green, Robert Coogan, Jackie Cooper, Junior Durkin and others. Other players signed in recent months, with a view to strengthening the company's talent roster, include Anna May Wrong, Dolores Del Rio, Eleanor Boardnian, Lilyan Tashman, Carman Barnes and Tom Douglas. About 45 titles, out of the 65 to 70 features planned, have been decided upon so far. These were publish yesterday in The Film Daily. The remainder have been left open in keeping with the elastic policy established last year to permit change of production plans to meet any changes in public tastes, Lasky said. Music plays a part in only one Maurice Chevalier picture, in so far as the present announcement shows, and the list contains no ganglandracketeering-crime stories. In addition to the several pictures with juvenile appeal, the new product will give more representation to woman's share in the World War, particularly on the humane side. "Stepdaughters of War" is along these lines. Star series will be employed in the one-reel and two-reel shorts, as previously pubished in The Film Daily. There will be 100 one-reelers and 32 two-reelers, in addition to 104 issues of the Sound News, Lasky said. PARAMOUNT SALES ACES AWARDED PRIZES BY KENT Atlantic City — J. H. Stevens, branch manager of Paramount's Maine exchange, was awarded first prize yesterday by Sidney R. Kent for the highest figures on his quota in the company's national sales contest. Fourth prize went to H. Randell, of the Brooklyn exchange. Prizes were in the form of checks. Salesmen also participate in the awards. Fourteen salesmen are receiving memberships in Paramount's One Hundred Per Cent Club, Kent announced. These include: M. E. Sattler, New York; J. T. Howard, Boston; N. B. Kaplan, Cincinnati; J. J. Oulahan, Washington; S. R. Simpson, Dallas; G. Germaine, New Haven; H. E. Stuckey, Toronto. Others who will receive One Hundred Per Cent Club buttons at the coast meet are: H. R. Hamburg, Chicago; T. R. Young, Minneapolis; E. D. Nash, Sioux Falls; W. A. Wandel, St. Louis; A. R. Taylor, San Francisco. Warner-Para. Resuming Booking Relations — Kent (Continued from Page 1) ment on the coming season's deal. In Philadelphia independent exhibitors are said to have been assured that those who have played Paramount pictures will be able to buy SO per cent of the new program even though Paramount gets together with Warners. Two New Groups Plan Turnstile Movies in N. Y. (Continued from Page 1) for the possible remodeling of stores into small movie houses. At the same time another group, represented by Charles James of Hartsdale, N. Y., is taking similar steps. Although the projects are still in an embryo stage, information is being obtained on the net profit of the present Trans Luxhouse on Madison Ave., as well as data on cost of projection, film and overhead, and type and length of programs most adaptable to the small houses. Start Scarsdale Theater Excavation has been started for the theater to be built in Scarsdale, N. Y., for Irving Rosenthal, owner of the Bronxville. The house, seating 1,200, will cost about $400,000. Safecrackers Get $1,000 Indianapolis — Cracking open a safe in the Granada, yeggs got away with approximately $1,000. Swell Assignment Ralph Stitt of the Rivoli is issuing an invite to every newspaper reporter on the metropolitan dailies to be guests at a special midnite screening of "Front Page" next Tuesday eve. Police cards will serve as passes on this welcome assignment.