The Hollywood Reporter (Jan-Jun 1933)

Vol. XIII. No. 21. Price 10c. TODAYS FILM NEWS TODAy Monday. Februar/ 13, 1933 INDLSTRySTRENGTHENCD Marked Improvement Already Caused by Revamping — Enthsiasm Replacing Depression It will take much more than a few receiverships and a world panic to lick the motion picture industry with its task of furnishing entertainment to hundreds of millions of people. Recent moves, which at first had a depressing effect, are now the cause of great enthusiasm on the part of every company and the individuals Raft Will Quit RatherThanPlay In Temple Drake' George Raft has definitely decided that he will not play the role to which Paramount has assigned him in "The Story of Temple Drake." based on William Faulkner's "Sanctuary," even if his refusal means the severing of his relations with that company. He and his representative. Nat Coldstone. feel that the role will prove so repulsive to the average audience that it would mean virtual "screen suicide" for the player. Raft's option comes up within a few days and it was understood that he intended to ask a salary of $2500 a week to renew. But the "Temple Drake" trouble so far transcends the salary question in his opinion that he does not care even to discuss money matters until the other is settled. Paramount, so far. has given no definie answer to Raft's ultimatum, and Coldstone says that, if Raft splits with the company, he will take the player to Europe on a personal appearance tour. Berman Gets New Term As Aide To Cooper B. B. Kahane handed Pandro Berman. associate producer at Radio, a new contract for one year as assistant executive producer to Merian C. Cooper, recently appointed general production manager. Berman wilt assume his new duties immediately along with the pictures he is now producing Universal Studios Closed For Six Weeks Universal studios officially closed Saturday for six weeks, with completion of work on the Summerville-Prtts feature. "Niagara Falls " Only execs and a skeleton crew will be retained on the payroll, in addition to about 15 writers who are preparing material for pictures to go into work when the plant reopens. 'Buddy* Lighton East Louis D. Lighton, associate producer at Paramount, was summoned to New York yesterday morning by the Paramount home office and, with Mrs. Lighton, left by United Atr Lines. Fox Execs Arrive Winfield Sheehan, George Bagnall and Mr. and Mrs. Henry Carat arrived last night on The Chief from New York. Thalberg Improving Irving Thalberg has shown greater improvement during the past ten days than at any time since the start of his illness almost two months ago. It is understood now that his complete recovery is only a matter of t^vo or three weeks. Bill To Tax Film Sales Sneaked In A bill to impose a sales tax of 1 V2 cents a foot on motion pictures was introduced in the closing hours of the State Legislature and will come up for vote when the body re-convenes. For some reason, probably because of the usual last minute rush of bills, it got by without being noticed. It was introduced by Assemblyman Albert F. Ross, of Shasta county, and is designed to "regulate the sale and distribution in this state of motion picture films sold or distributed by any (Continued on Page 2) Col/s Mussolini Pix To Co Info Criterion New York. — The Columbia home office is rushing work on its synthetic Mussolini feature and, when it is completed, will show it at the Criterion Theatre. Jack Cohn is arranging a heavy advertising and exploitation campaign for it. those companies. The result is that, in place of a weakened industry, the business now finds Itself strengthened through the moves that were necessitated in order to meet the economic condition of the world. Receiverships, thoughts of bankruptcies, salary cuts, loss of jobs in efforts to trim down overheads, poor pictures as a result of the worries of those making them, all have been superseded by enthusiasm, by the realization that what has happened, had to happen, and that, as a result of everything, we are in a new business and one scaled to meet any emergency. Better pictures will be made, the return of theatres to the hands of show(Continued on Page 3) Hurley On Vacation Harold Hurley left his Paramount job as assistant to Emanuel Cohen Saturday, and returns to the company March 20 to assume new duties as associate producer of the Zane Grey Westerns. SAM JAFFE ELEVATED TO PRODUCER AT RADIO *Emperor Jones* Will Be Made Into Picture Sam Jaffe, production manager at Radio, has been elevated to a producer's berth by Merian C. Cooper, and from now on will confine his activities to the actual making of pictures, with C. D. White, former assistant to Jaffe, taking over the studio duties. For some weeks Jaffe has been combining two assignments, that of production manager and producer, with the preparation of the Wheeler-Woolsey picture and another for Constance Bennett But. with the realignment of production activities by Cooper, it was felt that Jaffe would be of greater importance to Radio as a producer than (Continued on Page 2) --New York. — John Krimsky has se^ured an option on the Eugene O'Neill drama, "Emperor Jones," for picture purposes. An opera made from the play was performed at the Metropolitan recently. Bell Yarn Lasky's Next Jesse L. Lasky's third picture for Fox will be "The Worst Woman In Paris," the original by Monta Bell, instead of'Berkeley Square" as previously announced. Seven U. S. Pictures Do Well In London London — There are seven American pictures playing the big London houses and, from present indications, all of them will roll up good grosses. "Sign of the Cross" is doing exceptionally well at the Carlton, and the business done by "Rockabye" at the Alhambra has held it over. "The Mummy" is okay at the Capitol, and Radio's "The Conquerors" has caught on at the New Gallery and is held another week. The newcomers include "Blessed Event," which has just started at the Regal to a very fine reception. "Flesh" at the Empire with good reviews, and "Under Cover Man" at the Plaza. This last named picture seems sure of a good run because George Raft is Immensely popular here. Tillie*s Romance* To Be Released With Sound Charles R. Rogers and Harry Joe Brown have completed synchronizing the old silent film, "Tillie's Punctured Romance." 7>iey will release the picture in two versions; one, a three-reel short, is to be sold to class A houses in key cities, and the other as a full length feature, running six reels, for second r un houses. The film has music, sound effects and an off-stage voice. Selwyn On Re-make MGM has handed Edgar Selwyn the task of re-making the Joan Crawford production. "Possessed," for the foreign market. J. B. Fagan Very III James Bernard Fagan, the noted plawrrght and scenario writer, has suffered a severe heart-attack and is confined to his home. I Wm, ANTHONY NcGUIRE Producing for UNIVERSAL I