The Film Daily (1936)

THE ■a&£ DAILY Saturday, Aug. 8, 1936 PRODUCTION IN SPAIN CUT TO 35 FEATURES (Continued from Pace 1) market is an extensive one, the curtailment of production activity here will benefit American, Mexican and South American studios to that extent. WPA Officials Make No Reply to Propaganda Charge By PRESCOTT DENNETT FILM DAILY Staff Correspondent Washington — WPA officials yesterday, despite repeated requests, failed to answer satisfactorily charges brought late Thursday by the Republican National Committee that WPA is employing motion pictures as a monaeanda medium. No formal reply was made to the Republican outline of Pathe News contract or the McKean report. Asked specifically if it were true, as it stated in the report, that newsreel editors were "reluctant to enter into any arrangement that might make them appear as agreeing to the use of New Deal propaganda," one WPA official told The Film Daily that such criticism was made merely against the program without a full understanding of the actual circumstances under which the films were released. "No pressure has ever been exerted upon the newsreels companies," The Film Daily was told. "We simply gave them the right to use the film, and since WPA activities were considered news they were released on their own merit." The same official declared that no one is in a position to decide what was and what was not propaganda. When the motion picture program was first conceived by WPA it was not intended that the films would be released on a commercial basis. However, WPA officials are now frank to admit that government films are being released on a "remunerative basis. Buffalo Price Hike Delayed Buffalo — In the absence of some circuit executives final meeting to raise admission prices has been delayed until next week, probably until Wednesday. SAN ANTONIO Interstate Circuit may bring in the Ted Lewis stage show from the Dallas Exposition for the Majestic at an early date. Back from vacations: Buddy Welker, Majestic; Emily Williams, Interstate; J. J. Jimenez, Latin-American Film Exchange. Visitors: Harry W. Floore, Fort Worth; Estes Kelly, Roxy, Round Rock, Tex.; Charles Braun, Strong, Ark., and Frank Starz, Interstate publicist, Dallas. A "JUttU" fun* "Ms // By RALPH WILK pRANCIS LEDERER has been offered the lead opposite Elisabeth Bergner in the film version of Henri Bernstein's play, "Melo," which is scheduled to start this month in London, with Miss Bergner's husband, Dr. Paul Czinner, directing. "Melo" will mark the first time since "Romeo and Juliet," that the pair have been co-starred. Final details are now being made in an exchange of cablegrams between Hollywood and London. T T T John V. A. Weaver, who is writing the screenplay for "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" for Selznick, was given honorary membership in the International Mark Twain Society. Cyril Clemens, a cousin of Mark Twain, is president of the society. T Y T Jeff Lazarus, head of Paramount's editorial board, is back from a fourmonth European holiday and resumes his studio position Monday. During the absence of Lazarus, the editorial board, which handles all studio story purchases, was under Glendon Allvine, who will assume another studio executive spot. Manny Wolfe continues as the head of Paramount's writing staff. ▼ T T Warners have purchased an original story by H. C. Witwer, Jr., "Merchant of Venus," and will put it into production at an early date. It is a comedy about the operators of a beauty parlor. T ▼ T Close friends and business associates of Emanuel Cohen gave him a surprise party Wednesday night at the Lake Norconnian Club, on the event of his birthday and also the launching of his first picture for Paramount release. Present were Mae West, Warren William, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hathaway, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Swerling, Mr. and Mrs. Everett Crosby, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Piazza, Miss Madeline Brown, Miss Dorothy Kreider, Miss Ida Koverman, Bob Vignola, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Nadel, Jack Indrisano, Leonard Spigelgass, Victor Shapiro, Wilfred Pineau, L. R. Davison, Daniel Hickson, Al Posen. ▼ ▼ T "King of Swing," based on Rich HOLLYWOOD ard Macaulay's magazine story, "Special Arrangements," is announced for early production by Warners. Luci Ward and Joseph Watson are at work on the screen play. ▼ T T John King will make a radio appearance Aug. 16 at 3 P. M. over KHJ, on a program plugging the Air Races to be held here in September. He will sing a number from his picture, "Ace Drummond." V T T Warner Baxter and June Lang, who appear currently in "Road to Glory," will be together on the screen again in "The White Hunter," to be produced by 20th Century-Fox from an original story by Gene Markey. This will also be Markey's first assignment as associate producer for the company. Irving Cummings will direct. ▼ TV Rochelle Hudson has been assigned to the cast of "Reunion," 20th Century-Fox's second Dionne quintuplets film. Director Norman Taurog and Joseph Moskowitz will leave Monday for Callendar, Ont., and Jean Hersholt, Miss Hudson, Michael Whalen, Slim Summerville, John Qualen and Dorothy Peterson will follow two days later. ▼ ▼ T Universal has bought "The Man I Married," by M. Coates Webster. T T T Ross Alexander will appear in Warner's "Kid Galahad," which Seton I. Miller is adapting from the Francis Wallace magazine story. ▼ T ▼ June Travis has been assigned one of the two feminine leads in First National's "Trial Horse." Ann Dvorak also may be in it. Mary Gordon will play the mother in "The Irish in Us," with Pat O'Brien. ▼ ▼ ▼ Phil Rosen has been signed by Chesterfield Pictures to direct "Missing Girl," a story by Martin Mooney, which will be the first Chesterfield production of the new season. Shooting starts Thursday. T V ▼ D. Ross Lederman has been assigned bv Columbia to direct "Two Minute Alibi," in which Marguerite Churchill and William Gargan are featured. OKLAHOMA CITY Edward Peel, Warner booker on vacation. Otto Rhode, branch manager for Warners, reports the best business for past 10 years and good prospects for remainder of the year. C. D. Burton, RKO salesman, resigned to enter private business. C. W. Abram, auditor for M-G-M from New York, is here checking up the local office. NEWARK Scheduled to close a month ago for extensive renovations, the Little Theater is still playing to packed house with "Ecstasy" in its 14th consecutive week. The run has broken all records for any house in the state. Manager Sidney Franklin said this week some of the alterations will be started during late hours after performances. Opening film of the new season will be "Cloistered," scheduled at present to start Sept. 17. SAYS CANADIAN ACT I WILL RE ASCAP AID (Continued from Page 1) licenses. The responsibility for paying performing rights licenses is on the exhibitor, he said, adding that the motion picture business in Canada will go on regularly even if Ascap and other societies decide not to collect fees in this country. Tri-States Circuit Reports Summer Attendance Uptrend (Continued from Page 1) extended runs, while "Poor Little Rich Girl" and "Rhythm on the Range" are doing even better in some spots. Promotions in England Announced by Paramount (Continued from Page 1) his district managership headquarters from Manchester to Birmingham. Norman Wild is now head salesman at Manchester. NEW ORLEANS BUFFALO Both "The Green Pastures" and "Suzy" have run into second weeks here. George J. Gammel of the Unity, New Ariel and Seneca theaters, and Mrs. Gammel have returned from a six-week motor trip to the Pacific coast. Gammel attended the Shrine convention. Variety Club of Buffalo has selected Nov. 27 as the date for its second annual movie ball for its charity fund. JACKSONVILLE Saturday midnight matinees have been transferred to the Palace Theater after having played exclusively at the Florida ever since its opening. William A. Krause, manager of the Imperial, has returned from a week in North Carolina, where he went following the death of his mother. Solomon Brothers of McComb's State Theater, an Affiliated house, are to build shortly in Columbia, Miss. Ike Goldstein of Inter-city Express lines is adding to his equipment in order to take care of added film delivery routes. Harry Balance, 20th Century-Fox southern district manager, was here to confer with exchange manager Ernest Landaiche. Milton F. Guedry plans to open a house, the Bijou, in Erath, a Louis i iana town of 300 population. William Cobb has opened a tent at Thibodeaux, La. Cobb has the Fox Theater in Houma. Pete Cittidino and George Fuller, exhibitors, visited film row this week.