Harrison's Reports (1929)

16 HARRISON’S REPORTS a longer way yet from the Missississippi river front to the brothels of Singapore and of the rest of the Oriental ports. But such are the ways of the Fox Film Corporation — they have put the late Houdini to shame. The story of the finished product has been written not by Charles Francis Coe, but by Daniel Tomlinson and Laura Hasse ; it has not been directed by Jack Ford, “the director of ‘Mother Machree’ and of ‘Four Sons,’ ’’ but by John Bly stone. It is a story and director substitution and you are not obligated to accept it. “TRUE HEAVEN" (No. 30) : The original title of this picture is supposed to have been “False Colors. “False Colors” is described in the Work Sheet as follows: “A Red Cross nurse doing humanitarian work in Belgium during the war is suspected of being a spy and accused and tried for treason.” (Manifestly it was to be the story of Nurse Cavell.) William K. Howard was given as the director, and Lois Moran, Edmund Lowe, and Margaret Mann as the principal players. The same director and cast were given in the Annual Aimouncement Book. No author was given in either. The action of the finished product unfolds in Belgium, well enough, and deals with the same subject matter, but James Tinling has directed the picture, and George O’Brien, Lois Moran, and others appear in it. It is a star and director substitution and you are not obligated to accept it in accordance with the tenth clause of the contract, which forbids the substitution either of story, or of director, or of star. “FUGITIVES” (No. 32) : The original title of this one is supposed to have been “Wise Baby.” The Fox Work Sheets describe it as “The story of a manicurist who learned enough about men from cuticles to avoid tlie hangnails and pitfalls of the great white way.” James Tinling was given as the director. The finished product, however, is thus described in the Fox press sheet, which gives the facts about the finished picture; “Alice Carroll, a singer in a famous night club, the ‘Black Pig,’ is disco\-ered in the office of A1 Barrow, proprietor, who lies dead on the floor. Circumstances point to her as the murderess. She had just been engaged in a violent quarrel with Barrow, and had been discharged. . . .” It is a long way between the employment of Madge Bellamy as a manicurist, “who learned enough about men from ‘cuticles’ ” to avoid hangnails and pitfalls, and as a singer at a night club, accused of murder. It is a theme substitution, and you are not obligated to accept it. It is a director substitution, too, since James Tinling was to direct it but William Beaudine has directed the finished product. “The SIN SISTER” (No. 22) : This is supposed to be the new title of “White Fury.” “White Fury” is supposed to be the title given to “Broadway Sally,” No. 22. In looking over the Fox Work Sheet, I find that the following description is given of “Broadway Sally” : “A blazing story of the wdse-cracking great white way, by Howard McKent Barnes.” Nancy Carroll and Charles Norton are given as the principal players. “Not selected” w'as given imder the column for directors. The finished product, however, which is being delivered under the title “The Sin Sister,” has been founded on a story by Frederick H. Brenna and Becky Gardiner. Nancy Carroll and Lawrence Gray are in the principal parts. It is a clear story and star substitution, and you are not obligated to accept it. “MAKING THE GRADE” (No. 33) : Not a substitution. “NEW YEAR’S EVE” (No. 31) : “Strong Arm” is supposed to have been the original title of this picture. In looking over the Fox Work Sheet I find that no author is given ; the story is described merely as “A storj of mystery and intrigue.” George O’Brien and Lois Moran, however, were given as the principal players, and J. G. Blystone as the director. The finished product has been founded on a Cosmopolitan Magazine story “One Hundred Dollars,” by Richard Cx)nnell. Now, if the original picture were to have been founded on this story. Fox would have naturally stated so ; no producer will be foolish enough to pay big money for a storj that has received so much publicity in a popular magazine and then hide the fact from those to whom he is selling it. So far as logic is concerned, it is a different storj-. But logic is not what guides the producers and their pet arbitration system; and so I doubt if j'ou can make ffie arbitrators give j'ou a favorable decision on that count. You can, however, reject it on the ground that it is a star and director substitution, for the picture is being delivered with Marj Astor and Charles Morton, instead of with George O’Brien and Lois Moran. It is also a director substitution, for Harry Lehrman has January 26, 1929 directed it instead of Mr. Blystone. You don’t have to accept iL ‘ GIRLS GONE WILD” (No. 5) ; “Girls Who Will” is supposed to have been the original title of this picture. The fox Work Sheet did not give the author; it simply stated that it was to be “An expose of frivolous youth ablaze.” No director was given either. But Madge Bellamy was given as the star. The finished product, "Girls Gone \\ ild,” however, is being delivered with Sue Carol and Nick Stuart It is a star substitution and you are not obligated to accept it. “STRONG BOY” (No. 36) : The original title of this picture is supposed to have been “The Baggage Smasher.” it is a \ ictor McLaglen production. It has been set for release March 3. When the facts about “Strong Boy” can be obtained, an analysis of the picture will be made in these columns. At this time I may mention the fact that one exliibitor has written me that the Fox excliange has informed him that the “All V’elvet” (No. 37j has been changed to “The Baggage Smasher.” If the exhibitor has not made an error in transmitting me this information, then Fox is again resorting to a sleight-of-hand method, because both “Velvet” (37) and “The Baggage Smasher” (36; appear in tlie original contracts, 'this is a proof that they are not the same picture. More will be said about this matter when all the facts can be obtained. In the meantime, I would ask you, if you, too, have been notified tliat the new title of “Velvet” is “Strong Boy,” so to inform me. FOX AND “JOY STREET” “Joy Street” was sold to you in tlie 1928-29 contracts as Number 28. The contract itself describes this picture as follows : “Based on story La Gringa by Charles C. S. Cushing (an Irving Cummings production).” The Annual Fox Announcement, insert of which appeared in the June 2 issue of the Herald-World, described it thus: “Joy Street, from the play by Tom Cushing, with Lionel Barrymore, Marta Alba, Kenneth Thompson, Arthur Stone — Irving Cummings production.” The Work Slieet, which gives the same cast and the same director as the Annual Announcement, describes the picture as follows : “The answer to the showman’s prayer. .A.n Irving Cummings production based on ‘La Gringa,’ by Tom Cushing, one of the most popular plays staged in this generation.” The May 26, 1928, issue of the Hollywood Filmograph, on the ba^ page, gives the production activities of tliis picture as follows : Studio, Fox ; Supervisor (none) ; Star, Alba-Barrymore [meaning Marta .A.lba and Lionel Barrj more] ; Director, Irving Cummings; Assistant Director, Chas. Woolstendliulme ; Camerman, Conrad Wells ; Storj-, La Gringa ; Scenarist, Randal H. Faye ; Remarks, shooting [meaning tliat production of it had started] ; Tj-pe, Drama. These production facts are given also in the issues of June 2, 9, 16, and 23 of the same paper. All mention, however, of this picture is dropped in the issue of June 30. This means that the picture had been completed on that date. I now read in the trade papers that production on “Joy Street” has been started. The new-s item reads as follows ; “Rajmond Cannon started production jesterday (Monday) [Editor’s note: January 14] on ‘Joy Street,’ his new Fox picture. He took members of his cast to Soda Springs, California, in the high Sierras, where snow sequences are to be made. The story, which was written bj Cannon and put in scenario form bj Charles Condon and Frank Gaj-, will be depicted by a cast including Lois Moran, Nick Stuart, Sally Phipps, Ada Williams, Maria Alba, Florence Allen, Rex Bell, Marco Elter. . . Baroness D’Elstoumelles de Constant. . . .” This seems unbelie\-able. Y'et here we ajie, preset before the rare spectacle of William Fox Film Corporation making a picture for you and. because it turned out to be a good one, putting it on the shelf and making another in its place, a picture of the program grade, so that they might sell j-ou the real “Joy Street” afterwards, at perhaps ten times the price your contract specifies. In one of my recent articles, I expressed the suspicion that ‘’Street Angel” was no other picture than “The Escape” itself, taken way from jou because we did not happen to keep a check on it. Seeing how Fox is now attempting to take away from you “Joy Street,” I am ccmvinced more than ever that “Street .\ngel” is “The Escape.” Y^ou are entitled to the ori^nal “Joy Street,” which was produced last j-ear. Demand it by registered mail !