The Film Daily (1936)

THE DAILY Wednesday, Feb. 26, 1936 CHARGES POWER FIRMS BACK COPYRIGHT BILL A LITTLE from "LOTS" By RALPH WILK {Continued from Pag* 1) House Patents Committee yesterday. "The power trust is behind these changes in the copyright bill," Buck stated vigorously, charging that utility companies want to avoid payment of fees by their radio stations. "Our power to fight it comes only from our pens and not from 600 broadcasting stations." Composers and authors, Buck said, have become entangled in the mechanical age. Since the copyright laws were revised in 1909 the sale of sheet music has dropped 60 per cent and the sale of recorded music dropped 90 per cent. Pointing out that hotels, movie houses and dance halls could not exist without music, Buck declared that it was the intention of these groups to write out their own tickets so they will be relieved of paying the creative writer anything. "The American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers is not a selfish organization, and I defy anyone who says it is," Buck shouted. Introducing George Gershwin, Rudy Vallee, Charles Wakefield Cadman, Mrs. Ethelbert Nevins, Irving Berlin and others, Buck declared that these men were not at the hearing for their own selfish interests. "We only want money from the profit seeking organizations who use the works of the little fellows," he said "and it is for the little fellow that these men have come to plead, surely they can't be termed racketeers". In 1935, Buck said, the broadcasting companies which collected $100,000,000 for station facilities alone gave only $2,500,000 to all the authors, composers and producers in the world. Hotels in the U. S., he said, paid all the authors and composers and publishers in the world a total of $197,000. Describing hearings held before the Senate last year as a "rush act," Buck decried the fact that on so important a matter his organization received just one hour of time. Hearing was suddenly interrupted by Congressman Ralph E. Church, Republican of Illinois, who declared that proponents of bill should have an opportunity to voice their opinions, which resulted in a vigorous debate between members of the committee on parliamentary procedure, and chairman Sirovich adjourned the hearing until today. Hearings on the copyright act will continue for four weeks every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Installs Cooler-Aire System Uniontown, Pa. — The Penn State Amusement Co. installed a complete cooler-aire system and new booth equipment into their Penn Theater here. The State, another local house, added two new neon signs furnished by the Steinberg Bros, of Pittsburgh. HOLLYWOOD £DWARD ARNOLD has been signed by David O. Selznick for the stellar role in one of the forthcoming productions on the schedule of Selznick International for United Artists release. Negotiations for the star's services were completed this week between Selznick and B. P. Schulberg, to whom Arnold is under contract. John Cromwell will direct the Arnold picture. The script is now being prepared. T T T Anne Shirley will play opposite Burgess Meredith in the film version of the Broadway stage success, "Winterset," when it goes before the cameras at RKO Radio about May 1. Meredith created the leading male role in the New York production of the play. George Stevens will direct. r r r James Gow and Edmund North have been assigned by RKO Radio to write the screen play for "Watch Your Step," starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It is an original story by Lee Loeb and Harold Buchman. Mark Sandrich is scheduled to direct. T T r Warners announce plans for a film version of the life of John Law, Scotch economist, responsible for the "Mississippi Bubble," a financial system which caused a monetary crisis in the 18th century. Errol Flynn will play the title role when he completes work in "Charge of the Light Brigade." T T ▼ Russ Powell, veteran character actor, realized a long-denied ambition when Director Edward Ludwig assigned him the role of a grand opera singer in Walter Wanger's forthcoming production, "Brazen," starring Mary Ellis, for Paramount. v T T Lila Lee has been signed by RKO Radio for "One To Two," mystery comedy starring William Powell, now in production. Jean Arthur has the feminine lead. Stephen Roberts directs. r t ▼ John Blystone, prominent director, is enjoying his first real vacation in many years. His contract with Fox, where he served for 17 years, having expired witb the completion of "The Matron's Report," Blystone is preparing to leave shortly on a trip around the world. t t ▼ Janet Reisenfeld, daughter of Dr. Hugo Reisenfeld, composer and conductor, is appearing as a Spanish dancer in Pioneer's Technicolor production, "Dancing Pirate," for RKO Radio release. Miss Reisenfeld will make a dance tour of Mexico following completion of her role in the film. T T T For professional purposes the beautiful model, Anita Counihan, just placed under contract to RKO Radio, will be Anita Colby from now on. Miss Counihan-Colby is starting her screen career with a role in "Mary of Scotland," starring Katharine Hepburn and Fredric March, with John Ford directing. T ▼ T Roger Imhof, has been signed at M-G-M for "Frisco," which stars Clark Gable, Jeanette MacDonald and Spencer Tracy, with W. S. Van Dyke directing. Imhof has just completed at Columbia in "Roaming Lady." T r T Eugene Forde, the director, took the "Country Beyond" company to Chatsworth for a few days' location scenes. The company had just returned from Truckee where snow scenes were photographed. Rochelle Hudson, Alan Dinehart, and Alan Hale have featured roles in this 20th Century-Fox picture. ▼ T T Producer William Berke is starring one of the pioneer western stars, Harry Carey, and one of the youngest of western stars, Fred Kohler Jr., each in his own separate series of pictures. T T T Bill Cody, the western star, is the world champion hog rider. He won the championship in 1931 in Tulsa. ▼ T T Edwin K. O'Brien who wrote the screen adaptation of C. C. Burr's current picture, "I'll Name The Murderer," used to write titles for C. C. Burr's Johnny Hines series in the silent days. ▼ T T Jerry Mandy, who has played the role of waiter in 42 pictures, is cast in his traditional character in Walter Wanger's forthcoming Paramount release, "Brazeri" starring Mary Ellis. T T T Sherman Sanders, featured dancer at the Central City, Colo., opera house last summer, has been signed for a dancing role in "Dancing Pirate," Pioneer's new Technicolor musical romance for RKO Radio release. Charles Collins, Steffi Duna and Frank Morgan have the leading roles. r t t "Sons o' Guns," Joe E. Brown's newest starring vehicle, will be completed within the next week at the First National studios. Immediately thereafter Brown will begin work on the long deferred "Earthworm Tractor," based on the stories by William Hazlett Upson. In "Earthworm Tractor" he will have two leading ladies, June Travis and Carol Hughes. Also in the cast will be Guy Kibbee and Craig Reynolds. ▼ T T "Heroes of the Range" will replace "Thundering Hoofs" as the release title for the latest Ken Maynard feature, recently completed by Columbia's western star. This is the sixth of the present series. June Gale furnishes the heart interest. Spencer Gordon Bennett directed. 39 HOUSES PLANNED IN SOUTH AMERICA (Continued frg_m Page 1) tinent. He estimated that seven houses are scheduled for Chile, 20 for Brazil and 12 for Argentine. In Buenos Aires, a 2,200-seater is planned by the Lococo interests, stated Gould. In Argentine, he said, production plans made for the current season indicate an increased output. Gould has been in South America since last July. New Dramatist Agreement Approved by Guild Council (.Continued from Page 1 ) work of the contract committee, the | new draft will be ready for adoption by March 1, when the old agreement expires, as per notice served by the Guild on the producers. Pacific Northwest Notes Seattle — Moved over from Seattle's Fifth Avenue for a second week, "Rose Marie" is now at Hamricks' Music Box. Ex-Mayor J. F. Dore, campaigning for a return to office as Seattle's mayor, has put a new plank in his platform, promising a four-hour stop-over privilege on the municipal street railway cars on Sunday, so that riders can use a transfer to return to their homes after a show, going downtown and returning on one tram token. John Maloney, architect of Yakima, has plans well under way for early conversion of the Fechter Building at Yakima into a movie theater palace costing $50,000 for Fred Mercy. Ben Priteca, theater architect of Seattle and designer of a number of movie houses for Alexander Pantages, was among those from Seattle attending the Pantages funeral in Los Angeles. Get 2-Way Cooling System Shelton, Conn. — Morris Hadelman, operator of the Shelton, has started installation of a two-way summer cooling system which will handle 600 cu. ft. of air per seat per minute. The system will be completed before April 1. Virtually every free-lance flyer in Hollywood has been engaged by Columbia for the flying scenes in Fay Wray's picture "Roaming Lady", in which she is co-featured with Ralph Bellamy. Albert Rogell is directing. Howard J. Green is whipping the screen version of Octavus Roy Cohen's "Taxi, Please," into shape 1 1 for early production. This will mark Green's first effort as an associate producer with Columbia, the post to which he was promoted after the success of his celluloid drama, "If You Could Only Cook."