The Hollywood Reporter (Jan-Jun 1933)

Vol. XIII. No. 3. Price 10c. TODAYS FILM NEWS TODAY Monday, (anuary 23, 1933 DEAl$ STIIL IN WCRI\ •THE losing fight that several company heads are staging to keep their companies out of combinations and receiverships is a fight not for the companies themselves, but for the jobs, the positions and the salaries those men have been enjoying for years. Good, level-headed business men, acquainted with the picture industry directly or indirectly, will tell you there seems to be no way in which this business can right itself better than by the protection of a receiver or a combination that will strengthen those combined, not in the extent of the new financing they would receive, but in throwing out those who do not belong and substituting those men whose value has been proven. To combine a weakness with a weakness does not make for strength. • What this industry needs and must have is a careful PRUNING of its executive personnel, the cutting out ©f men who have little or no idea ^ what, when and how to do things. Such a course will prove of benefit to the companies and the industry. And the ONLY danger of a receiver is that his pruning will unseat the mighty whose efforts have greatly contributed to the present condition of this business. True, the motion picture business has suffered no more than other giant industries, but during those sufferings the other industries have been righting themselves, have reorganized with new parts, new ideas and constructive views of the situation pertaining to their progress. In our business this has not been done The major companies are spending more money now than ever on a product that is attracting less at the box office than ever before. There has been no effort to reorganize, to dean house, to start anew, fitting the product with present conditions and those of the immediate future. • The mistakes of this industry have served as no lesson to those in control of it; they came out the next day with the same mistakes, only the new ones costing more money. The mapors have continued their fight with One another Instead of combining to help themselves and others, they put on extra steam to defeat their competitors and, in doing that, have defeated themselves Whaf d'you mean, No Sense of Humor? One of the London wits suggested that, after the British censors got through with their murderous eliminations from the Clara Bow picture, the remainder be retitled "Call Her Salvage." No Production of Shorts For Para. New York. — Paramount will step out of the actual production of short reels, according to George Schaeffer. vice president in charge of sales, but will continue the release of short product acquired through independent production channels. Nugent Will Direct Bedfellows' At Para. Etiiott Nugent has been signed to "direct "Bedfellows." the next Charles R. Rogers production for Paramount. Harry joe Brown completed negotiations Saturday and Nugent is flying back to Hollywood from New York. This Week Will Tell The Story On Mergers— Banks Insistent, With Receivership Threat New York, — There will be fireworks this week. The banks have been preparing the ammunition and the fuses have been attached, with the company heads themselves selected to ignite the display. And what a display it will be. Nothing like it ever seen in this industry. Just what companies will be joined and who will operate the joint enterprises is still a matter of great doubt. Each and every company has been measured for its proper fit into this new jig-saw puzzle. When it is completed, a new picture of the business will be offered and one that is hoped will satisfy the demands of the econ(Continued on page 4) Atlanta Film Board Wins Important Suit Atlanta. — The Film Board of Trade was victorious here in a suit brought by Mrs. S. M. Turner of Miami, claiming damages of $1 14,000 due from companies refusing to serve her theatre with film. WARXER ^Snd STREET' STl.XT PAID FOR RY G.E. 'Reunion In Vienna' First For Otto Kruger New York. — The special tram launt to be taken by Warners with an assemblage of Warner-First National stars, in connection with the picture, "42nd Street," is being paid for by the General Electric Company, with T. K. Quinn. executive vice president of G. E. in charge. The reason is to advertise the General Electric refrigeration and the electrical kitchens. The special train will leave Hollywood on February 20. with nightly stop-overs in several key spots, the opening of "42nd Street" being timed into those stops in order to get the advantage of the big star turnout for opening. The jaunt ends in Washington, with the stars making an appearance for the inauguration of Roosevelt on March 4. Those booked to make the trip are jack Warner. Jimmie Gagney, Bebe Daniels, |oe E. Brown, Loretta Young, William Powell, Ruby Keeler, Warner Baxter. Bette Davis, Warren William, Joan Blondell. Douglas Fairbanks jr. and George Brent. ^,Dtto Kruger's first assignment under the terms of his new term ticket with MGM will be in "Reunion in Vienna.'" in which )ohn Barrymore and Diana Wynyard are set for the top spots, with Lionel Barrymore being considered for another role, Praskins At Radio Leonard Praskins has been added to --the Radio writing staff, and will work on the treatment of Wanda Tuchock's original. "A Bed of Roses," with the author. Yarn is slated as a starring vehicle for Constance Bennett. Lillian Harvey Coming Lillian Harvey arrives tomorrow night on the Chief and will start prep* aration immediately for her first starring picture for Fox. "Her Majesty's Car." Franklin The Boss of RKO Music Hall New York, — When Sam Rothafel tRoxyl returns to Radio City and the Music Hall and Roxy Theatres, he will find an entirely different executive set-up than when he left it the night after they opened. Harold B. Franklin is in the chair and will remain there. Economies and policy instituted by Franklin will be fo^lowed through. RKO officials believe that Franklin has solved the Music Hall puzzle and that the RKO-Roxy will be placed in the same category at an early date. Ambrose Dowling Here To Confer With Kahane Ambrose Dowling. head of foreign department for RKO-Radio Pictures, arrived Saturday from the East to sit in on conferences wtih Ned Depinet and B. B. Kahane that are expected to line up Radio's production schedule for 1933-34. Dowling will be here about a week. Brian Aherne Slated For Lead With Dietrich Brian Aherne has the inside track to play the lead opposite Marlene Dietrich in "Songs of Songs" for Paramount. Aherne, stage player, was recently brought from the East on a term ticket by Paramount. MGM Buys The Harbor' ..-'-^he unproduced play, "The Harbor," written by Theodore Reeves, has been acquired by MGM for both the stage and screen. It was formerly titled "Metropolitan Hospital." Wm. DeMille On Way New York, — William DeMille left here Saturday by boat for Hollywood. [ PEGGY HOPKINS JOYCE )000( INTERNATIONAL HOUSEPARAMOUNT )OP0( Wm MANAGEMENT Morris A gen^ 1