The Hollywood Reporter (Jan-Jun 1933)

1933 lUrOC f ORCES HIRTI CLT •THERE should be great rejoicing throughout the entire picture business this morning, particularly at Paramount, with the news that Adolph Zukor is back at the helm of the company he founded and built into the largest organization in pictures. There should be rejoicing for the reason there is a trend that SHOWMEN— picture showmen — are going to move back into the top seats at the head of the major organizations and the bankers are going to move out and give the men who know the business, the men who built the business, an opportunity to clear up the very bad mess they have made of things. There is no question that, when the banks came in and tried to run pictures, all hopes for the industry faded. This business is a highly specialized industry and can not be opened and closed with the push of a button from the mahogany desks of Wall Street. It is a business fashioned for the manufacture of entertainment and it requires men and women who have inspiration for such manufacture. The banks, much to their surprise, have found that making pictures and making commodities are two different things. They now know that, although they can hire people who can be told how to make steel rails, build bridges, manufacture cloth, etc., they can not pick up men and women from banking offices and tell them how to conduct the picture business, because it simply can not be done. The resignation of Hertz and the restoring of Adolph Zukor to power is a milestone in this industry and one that may prove the turning point of the whole picture business. Because once it becomes known that the big banks behind Paramount have thrown up their hands and returned the running of the company to picture people, the influence that other banking groups have attempted to exert on other ma;or producers and distributors may be dropped. We hail today as the start of a new era in pictures. Para. May Produce Shorts At Astoria New York. — It is understood that, among the matters to be discussed between Paramount executives and Emanuel Cohen, when he arrives here, is the possible re-opening of the Paramount Long Island studio for the production of shorts. VidorTo Paramount As A Unit Producer Paramount has closed with King Vidor as a unit producer, with that prominent director producing and directing a series of pictures for that organization. The present deal only calls for one picture, but it is understood that both company and producer carry options for either three or five other pictures on the same arrangement, which provides for Vidor to put up equal money with Paramount for the unit. Lukas Set For Lead In *Kiss Before Mirror* Paul Lukas has been definitely set for the lead opposite Nancy Carroll, who has been loaned by Paramount to Universal for the leading feminine role in "The Kiss Before the Mirror," which James Whale will direct. Frank Morgan and Jean Dixon are featured, and production starts on January 1 1 . MCM Signs Nacio Brown Nacio Herb Brown was signed by MCM to a long term contract yesterday and is due to join the company's staff shortly. Clash Regarding Conduct of Para, Causes Hertz To Quit As Bankers Side With Zukor New York. — John Hertz, chairman of the finance committee of Paramount for the past fourteen months and guiding voice of the company until last Tuesday, resigned from the company yesterday, with the resignation being accepted by the Board of Directors and the banking element whose finances Hertz attracted to the organization. Adolph Zukor is back in the driver's seat after having been pushed around for many months by men and organizations who had little to do with the development of the company and had few ideas of the picture business. The inside on the whole situation is that Zukor grew tired of watching Paramount being mismanaged and manhandled, and although willing at all times to do anything that would improve the condition of the company he founded and built, even to the extent of placing himself in the back(Continued on Page 2) Barrymore, Young, Wynyard In 'Vienna' Metro-Coldwyn-Mayer has booked a trio of great artists for its production of "Reunion in Vienna." John Barrymore will have the role created by Alfred Lunt on the stage. Diana Wynyard that played by Lynn Fontanne, and Roland Young will play the doctor-husband. Shooting is expected to start in a week or ten days, with no director announced as yet, ^EW YORK CRITICS RAVE liV 'CAVALCADE' REVIEWS New York. — One of the greatest sets of rave notices a motion picture ever received local ly was given the Fox production of "Cavalcade." as a result of its world premiere at the Gaiety Thursday night. There was not a dissenting voice among the toughest bunch of critics in America. American: "Seldom less, sometimes more effective than on the London stage, the American-made version of "Cavalcade" thunders across the screen (Continued on page 2) Ten Writers Filmed For Use In Para. Picture Paramount has photographed the ten authors who wrote chapters of "The Woman Accused," and will spot the introductions in an early sequence of the picture. Three of the writers faced the cameras here, five were shot in New York, one in San Francisco and Paramount cabled Zane Grey to send on his own from the South Seas. Wanger To MCM As Exec And Producer Metro-GoldwynMayer yesterday announced that Walter Wanger had been signed to a long term contract as an executive and producer for the company, with his duties to begin Monday. The move towards this deal was exclusively announced in these columns a month ago, although it looked for a time as if the former Paramount and Columbia executive would cast his lot with either one of two companies. The new deal was signed and sealed yesterday afternoon in the offices of L. B. Mayer. Milestone's Deal With MCM Falls Through The Lewis MilestoneMGM deal, which has been in the air for the last few weeks, came to a showdown yesterday with the studio deciding not to meet the director's terms. Milestone has no immediate plans for the future and is New York bound tonight for a short vacation, to return to Hollywood in about three weeks. Kent On Way Here New York. — S dney R. Kent and Mrs. Kent left New York today, bound for HoMywood. William K. Howard left with them, Sam Coldwyn Has Flu Samuel Coldwyn is the latest victim of the flu. He went home Thursday night and will rest until Monday or Tuesday. Max Marcin East Max Marcin pulled out for New York last night for a six-weeks trip. He returns via boat through the Panama Canal. LnQRBERT BRQDINE Photographed Whistling In The Dark^ |