The Film Daily (1936)

DAILY Wednesday, Nov. 11,1936 HAYS GOING TO ROME A IN U. S. FILM CRISIS ^ "mM' p**n "£<&" By RALPH WILK (Continued from Page 11 to close their agencies entirely because of the demands. Mr. Hays is expected to sock conciliation with Italian officials in order that the impending step may be at least modified and possibly rescinded entirely. Johnston Forms Sterling As New Holding Company distributing company, in Sterling Productions, Inc., the California iucing unit, and in Sterling Innational Corp., the foreign subiry. A netting of Monogram stockholders i^ planned for Dec. 18 when decision will be made as to whether Sterling and Monogram e merged or Sterling will absorb Mono mcing for working capital of the new Sterling organization has been completed by ■ dated interests. The public will not be invited to participate at present as the initial financing is being handled by a private syndicate. Johnston has received applications for fran covering all key cities, as well as apnns for foreign distribution rights from ■ Britain and its colonies, Brazil, Argentine, Holland, Belgium and Australia. Negotiations for all territories are being held up pending completion of details of the organization plans. Johnston will spend several weeks at the coast and return to New York after a stopover at the Texas Centennial. Providence Police Probe Modern Theater Bombing Providence — Police are investigating bombing of the Modern theater here, House, a third-run low-scaled admission theater, has been experiencing labor difficulties since Proven Pictures Inc., a Boston outfit, leased and opened the theater last February. Sam Richman is house manager. Loew-Warner Product Pool Is Revived in Pittsburgh Pittsburgh — Loew's Penn and the local Warner interests revived the product pool this week, with the signing of a two-year contract between the musicians' union and Warner's Stanley Theater. Under the pooling arrangement, the Penn will have the choice of all big pictures available to Warners while the Stanley will have the benefit of operating with a combination policy. Strike Delays "U" Film West Coast Bur., THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Because of the shipping strike on the West Coast Universal has had to postpone its Ben Ames Williams whaling story "Adventure's End," starring John Wayne. Efforts to obtain a whaling vessel and to sign up a crew were unavailing. Wayne instead will make "Short Hall." HOLLYWOOD Vf YRNA LOY will have the prin11 cipal feminine role in "Parnell," opposite Clark Gable, while Joan Crawford, who had originally been selected for that part, will take over the role previously announced for Miss Loy in "The Last of Mrs. Cheyney." This transposition of starring parts occurred when Miss Crawford read the completed script of "Parnell" and, feeling that the part as written was unsuited to her, voluntarily asked the studio if she might relinquish it. T T T Casting assignments: Selznick International— Peggy Wood, "A Star is Born"; RKO Radio — Joan Fontaine, "Quality Street"; Edward Everett Horton, "Stepping Toes"; Columbia — Charles Moore, Frank Marlowe and John Harrington, "Counterfeit Lady"; Republic — Grace Durkin, Richard Beach and Marc Kramer, "A Man Betrayed"; "Cabin Kids," "Roundup Time in Texas"; John Van Pelt and Sonny Chorre, "Riders of the Whistling Skull". ▼ T T Robert E. Sherwood has been engaged to write the screenplay of "The Adventures of Marco Polo," which Samuel Goldwyn and Douglas Fairbanks will produce jointly, with Gary Cooper in the title role. Sherwood will work from the original story written by Fairbanks under his pen-name of Elton Thomas, with the aid of Captain A. Pogson, British Orientalist, with whom Fairbanks will confer next week in London. T T T New contracts are announced by M-G-M with Elizabeth Allan, Cora Witherspoon and Elen Dosia. Miss Allan has just completed a part in "Camille," Miss Witherspoon was seen recently in "Piccadilly Jim" and "Libeled Lady," while Elen Dosia is a singing star of the Opera Comique. ▼ t ▼ More casting assignments: Warners— Torben Meyer, "The King and the Chorus Girl"; Republic — Wallis Clark, Grace Goodal, Kathryn Hall and Gertrude Green, "Great Guy"; First National— Frank Otto, "Trial Horse". ▼ r t A. Edward Sutherland, directing Paramount's Silver Jubilee production, "Campagne Waltz", starring Glodys Swarthout and Fred MacMurray, was forced to suspend his work at the Paramount Hollywood studio yesterday because of an infected finger. T T T The cast of "Love and Kisses," the Pinky Tomlin musical that Melody Pictures has just completed, includes many leading Hollywood entertainers. Billy Gray and Jerry Bergen have been at the Casanova club for nearly a year. Last week they were starred in "Little Giant," a two-reel subject made by M-G-M. "Teched in the Head" will be one of the songs they sing in the Melody production. The Three Peter Sisters, vaudeville headliners, are also in the cast. T T T Bennie F. Zeidman has definitely set "St. Elmo," as his next production for Grand National release with "Sweetheart of the Navy" to follow a month later. "St. Elmo," which is adapted by Hinton Smith from the Augusta Evans Wilson novel, will start in four weeks at the Talisman studios. ▼ T » Maurice Conn, president of the new Ambassador Pictures Corporation, has offered the leading role in "La Tosca," Italian opera which will be brought to the screen in January, to Mina Home, American soprano, who recently returned to this country. Miss Home will leave for the coast in a few weeks. She will also make "Carmen" for Carlo Roncoroni in Italy in the spring in the new Cinema City. ▼ T ▼ Douglas MacLean has signed John G. Blystone, director of James Cagney's current "Great Guy" to direct "Twenty-three And a Half Hours Leave," second MacLean production for Grand National release. Filming is scheduled to start Dec. 1. T ▼ ▼ . Lew Lipton, writer, has signed a new contract with M-G-M. Best Sept. Performances West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Screen Actors' Guild members voted the best September performances to be that of the Astaire-Rogers team in "Swing Time," and the best supporting player performance that of Beulah Bondi in "The Gorgeous Hussy." Wellman to Make 3 for Para. West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — William A. Wellman will produce and direct three pictures for Paramount. The first will be "Man With Wings." He is now directing "A Star is Born" for Sclzi nick International. Two Corporations Dissolve Albany — A certificate has been filed at Albany dissolving the corporate existence of The Marloew Amusement Corporation, New York City. Attica Film Corporation, New York City, through Paramount Pictures, Inc., has filed a certificate at Albany dissolving its corporate existence. Exhib's Daughter Killed Savannah, Ga. — Miss Joan Dodd, daughter of Harry M. Dodd, local theater manager, was instantly killed in an automobile accident Sunday. RKO TO SET UP FOUR EXCHANGES IN S. A. (Continued from Page 1) from Phil Reisman, vice-president. Nat Liebeskind, who has managed the Brazilian operations for RKO since its inception last March has been appointed to direct the Argentina distribution with headquarters in Buenos Aires. His post in Brazil will be occupied by Bruno Cheli, formerly Sales Manager under Liebeskind. With the completion of the preliminary surveys carried on in the field by Ben Cammack, General South American Manager, Liebeskind arrived yesterday with Cammack in Buenos Aires where they will immedately proceed to find exchange quarters and to select the personnel that will handle the new direct distribution arrangements. Arkansas ITO Membership Returns from Convention Little Rock — Exhibitors from six states were back home today after attending the semi-annual convention of the ITO of Arkansas here. Among those to speak were Gov.elect Bailey, Attorney General-elect Holt and Lieut-Gov.-elect Bailey and Ed Kuykendall, president of the M. P. T. 0. A. Official vacancies were filled as follows: Vice president, Cecil Cupp, Arkadelphia; director, Sidney Wharton. To co-operate with the anti-"Chain" drive of the Independent Retail Merchants Association, the ITO named a committee including W. E. Malon, "Hy" Sanders and J. M. Ensor. Pauline Moore for Films Pauline Moore, legitimate stage player, has been signed by 20th Century-Fox and shortly leaves New York for Hollywood. Sheila Barrett opens at the Drake Hotel, Chicago, Nov. 13 and on Jan. 6, goes into the Paramount theater, New York. Deals were arranged by Richard Krakeur of the Leo Morrison office. Arlington House Opens Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington— "Swing Time" will be first film attraction at the formal opening of the new Wilson Theater, Arlington, Virginia today. Beauties "In Training" West Coast Bur., THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Busby Berkeley's dozen hand-picked beauties from the "Gold Diggers of 1937" chorus were "in training" today for their transcontinental aerial junket which starts Saturday. They have to be at the right weight when they fly through the air to 24 cities on a three weeks' tour. If they gain weight they will have to skip it because the plane arrangements have set them down for certain weight, Warners solemnly affirms.