The Film Daily (1931)

Thursday, Mav 14. 1931 ■ Expect to Close 2,000 Situations in First Month Grainger and Sales Aides Working on National Circuit Deals Closing of 2,000 situations in the first month of the new season sales drive is expected by James R. Grainger, vice-president in charge of distribution for Fox. Since formal opening of the sales campaign on Monday, May 4, following close of the annual sales convention, Grainger and his sales cabinet has been negotiating deals with national circuits. Twelve of the new features will be ready for delivery by Aug. 1, according to Winfield R. Sheehan, vice-president and general manager, and 24 will be ready by Oct. 1. In discussing details on selling problems Grainger yesterday emphasized the necessity of maintaining the good will of exhibitors. More pictures than ever before will be sold on a percentage basis, he said. He emphasized especially the necessity for doing everything possible to avoid disagreements which might arise as a result of the discontinuance of the boards of arbitration. When an exhibitor is sold priority over another the protection is not only to be stipulated in the prior contract, but the contracts for succeeding runs are to contain acknowledgement of protection granted to a previous run, Grainger stated. A definite number of days — always consecutive — must be stipulated opposite the title of each picture in every contract, and proper provision for the playing pictures must be inserted. If dates cannot be inserted because of previous runs, the phrase "to be played as available" is to be inserted. There are to be no rash promises or misrepresentations by salesmen, Grainger declared. Emphasizing his insistence that exhibitors be given every possible service, Grainger said that "of still greater importance than the physical preparation of contracts is the fulfillment of the obligations they contain." He told the salesmen that immediately after a contract has been approved by the home office either by telegram or fast mail the responsibility of delivering to the exhibitor everything contained in it rested entirely with the branch office personnel. Former Favorites Return Four former favorites return to the screen in the new Fox product lineup for 1931-32. Mae Marsh re-appears in "Over the Hill," silent b o classic. Thomas Meighan will play an important role in "Skyline." Greta Nissen is scheduled to work in four pictures and James Kirkwood in five. 49 Players and 18 Directors Will Work on New Fox Product 4 Rooster Shorts on Same Bill Los Angeles — Four of Pathe's shorts are on the bill at the Orpheum this week. The program includes "Rough House Rhythm." comedy; "Shadow of the Dragon," Vagabond; "Under Par," of the Farrell Golf Series, and Pathe News. Big Boy During the subsequent 16 years since its incorporation on Feb. 1, 1915, Fox Film Corp. has become a $200,000,000 company, state Fox executives. Annual gross business is figured at $100,000,000. Forty-nine players and 18 directors are included in the Fox Movietone City roster, Winfield R. Sheehan, in charge of production, points out. The players are headed by Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell, Will Rogers, Warner Baxter, Victor McLaglen, Edmund Lowe, Elissa Landi, Spencer Tracy, Thomas Meighan, El Brendel, Paul Cavanagh, Warren Hymer, George O'Brien, Joan Bennett, Marguerite Churchill, Fifi Dorsay, Sallv Eilers, Mae Marsh, Greta Nissen, Una Merkel, Maureen O'Sullivan and Linda Watkins. Among the 18 directors now under contract are Raoul Walsh, who made "What Price Glory?" "The CockEyed World" and "The Man Who Came Back": Frank Borzage of "7th Heaven" and "Street Angel" renown; Henrv King, who directed the new "East Lynne"; David Butler, who has to his credit "A Connecticut Yankee"; John Ford, Photoplay Medal winner for "Four Sons" and director also of "Seas Beneath"; William K. Howard, director of "Don't Bet On Women" and "Scotland Yard"; John Blvstone, Alfred Santell and Irving Cummings, the latter director of "In Old Arizona"; Benjamin Stoloff and Hamilton MacFadden. Sam Taylor, who directed Mary Pickford in manv of her outstanding successes, is now a Fox director, and Henry Lehrman returns to the fold where he made his first successes. New blood in the directorial ranks includes Rowland Brown, author of "The Doorway to Hell." whose first meeaohone assignment was "Quick Millions" with Snencer Tracy; the team of William Cameron Menzies and Kenneth MacKenna. who are resoonsible for "A1wavs Goodbve," Elissa Landi's second American film; Alfred Werker. who won his spurs with the Fred Thompson productions, other Westerns and more recentlv the Victor McLacden Teanette AT acDonnld vehicle "She Wears the Pants": and Seymour Felix, dynamic danre director, who turned screen director following his success with the "Turn On the Heat" number in "Sunnv Side Uo." He has made "Girls Demand Excitement" and is scheduled for other Fox productions. \uthors under contract are r.eorcc Ade. who wrote Will Rwprs' "Yottncr as You Feel" Vina Delmar. whose "ovel "Rad Girl" will h'vP Sallv Filers in the title role; Peter B. Kvne. who is the author of "Thoroughbreds" and "Rogues Gallery"; Earl Derr Biggers, author of "Charlie Chan Carries On" who has contributed two additional Charlie Chan detective stories; Zane Grey, who is represented by two stirring Westerns; Booth Tarkington, writer of "The Plutocrat"; Michael Morton, author of the play "The Yellow Ticket"; Israel Zangwill, who wrote the novel and play "Merely Mary Ann," which will co-star Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell; Maude Fulton, who has a stage hit in "The Brat"; William Anthony McGuire, author of numerous stage hits, who has written an original screen story; Richard Halliburton; Paul Armstrong, who wrote the stage successes "Salomy Jane" and "The Heir to the Hoorah"; Felix Reisenberg. who is author of a novel to be filmed as "Skyline": Charles Francis Coe, who wrote "Me, Gangster," and has now written a screen original with the title "Swindle"; Guy Bolton, creator of the books for many stage musical successes, who has written "Delicious" for Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell; Barry Connors, who has written "Disorderly Conduct" for Victor McLaglen and Edmund Lowe; and George DeSylva, composer and author, who has written "Heart Free" for Janet Gavnor. Miss Gaynor rose to new heights as the heroine of his "Sunny Side Up." Twenty writers are under contract to make the screen adaptations and write the dialogue for the new season's pictures. In this group are famous dramatists, Tom Barry, S. N. Behrman. Guy Bolton. Barry Connors. Leon Gordon, William Anthony McGuire, Lynn Starling, Hugh Stance and ATaurine Watkins. From the realm of journalism come Irene Knhn, Tmos/ene Stanley, Tack O'Donnell and Ouinn Martin, former critic of the "New York World." Other writers are Jules Furthman, who has many screen successes to his credit: Sonva Levien, who was a magazine editor and has been for seven vears a writer of successful screen stories: Dnr'ld Nichols, who has distinguished himself as newsoaperman and as author of "Men Without Women" and other Fox films: Edwin Burke and Samuel Godfrey, who were stage rh'rrrtors and dialogue experts before writine for the screen, and Ralph Block, who has long been a successful author of screen plays and an associate producer. Directors, writers, stars and principal plavers will he under the guidance of Sol M. Wurtzel, general su 100 SOUND CAMERA UNITS SERVING MOVIETONE NEWS Fox Movietone News, under direction of Truman H. Talley, has 100 sound camera units scattered throughout the globe. Seventy-five of these are mobile, the other 25 being in the studios of the five production centers. Each of these outfits competes with all the others for accepted footage. This means that nothing is overlooked that could possibly interest any one of the numerous releases. When this is analyzed it means that if a man from Indiana were to make news in South Africa he would be covered b>r Movietone, for Indiana exhibitors, just as thoroughly as if he were an international figure. The United States Fox Movietone News is assembled in New York, with Edwin L. Harvey, managing editor, in charge of its make-up. Edmund Reek is news editor assisted by Earl Allvine. When necessary, specials are issued from Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles. Arthur De Titta is head of the Washington office; Jack Darrock is the supervisor in Chicago, and Joe Hubbell of the West Coast. Fox Movietone News' headquarters in London, Berlin, Paris and Sydney are equal to all emergencies. Each has its own editorial and projection rooms, cutting rooms, studio and laboratory. Ben Miggins is European director, with headquarters in Paris, and there are sub-editors at each branch. Richard de Rochemont is in charge at Paris, Russell Muth in Berlin, and Gerald Sanger in London. Harry Lawrenson is the Sydney editor. perintendent of Fox studios, and of the six associate producers whose records bristle with box office successes. They are John Considine, George DeSylva, formerly of the famous trio DeSylva, Brown and Henderson; William Goetz, formerly in charge of Corinne Griffith productions; Edmund Grainger, Al Rockett and William Sistrom. Others in the production department whose talents will enhance the Fox films with which they are concerned are the newly signed Rogers P. Davis, artist and set designer: Dolly Tree, fashion expert; Jack Gardner and David Todd, in charge of casting; music composers Befl Jackson, James Hanley, Arthur Kay, and William Kernell; Edward Eisner, teacher of dialogue; and Faul Weatherwax, test maker. Real Atmosphere Director Sam Taylor used the new Empire State Building as a prop the other day in shooting atmospheric scenes for "Skyline." He made a number of shots 102 stories from terra firma.