Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1934)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Saturday, October 6, 1934 MOTION PICTURE DAILY (Registered U. S. Patent Office) Vol. 36 October 6, 1934 No. 82 Martin Quigley Editor-in-Chief and Publisher MAURICE KANN Editor JAMES A. CRON Advertising Manager Published daily except Sunday and holidays by Motion Picture Daily, Inc., subsidiary of Quigley Publications, Inc., Martin Quigley, President; Colvin Brown, Vice-President and Treasurer. Publication Office: 1790 Broadway, New York. Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address "Quigpubco, New York." All contents copyrighted 1934 by Motion Picture Daily, Inc. Address all correspondence to the New York Office. Other Quigley publications: MOTION PICTURE HERALD BETTER THEATRES, THE MOTION PICTURE ALMANAC and THE CHICAGOAN. Hollywood Bureau: Postal Union Life Building, Vine and Yucca Streets, Victor M. Shapiro, Manager; Chicago Bureau: 407 South Dearborn Street, Edwin S. Clifford, Manager; London Bureau: Remo House, 310 Regent St., London, W. 1, Bruce Allan, Representative. Cable address: "Quigpubco, London"; Berlin Bureau: Berlin-Tempelhof, Kaiserin-Augustastrasse 28, Joachim K. Rutenberg, Representative; Paris Bureau: 19, Rue de la Cour-desNoues, Pierre Autre, Representative; Rome Bureau: Viale Gorizia, Vittorio Malpassuti, Representative; Sydney Bureau: 102 Sussex Street, Cliff Holt, Representative; Mexico City Bureau: Apartado 269, James Lockhart, Representative; Glasgow Bureau: 86 Dundrennan Road, G. Holmes, Representative; Budapest Bureau: 3, Kaplar-u, Budapest, II, Endre Hevesi, Representative; Moscow Bureau: Civtzev Vrazhek, N. 25, Apart. 146, Moscow, U. S. S. R., Bella Kashin, Representative. Cable address: Samrod, Moscow. Entered as second class matter, January 4, 1926, at the Post Office at New York City, N. Y., under Act of March 3, 1879. Subscription rates per year; $6 in the Americas, except Canada $15 and foreign $12. Single copies: 10 cents. "Nabes" Complain Grosses Are Down Local theatre business is off with current receipts in the Randforce circuit of 49 houses shy 20 per cent as against July, Sam Rinzler, partner with Louis Frisch, stated yesterday. Rinzler could not explain the reason for the drop of box-office returns, but says the complaint is general with local independents. He asserted that the run of pictures may be responsible. Para. Sets Two Titles Hollywood, Oct. 5. — "Behold My Wife" has been definitely set as the title for Sylvia Sidney's next for Paramount. The working title has been "Red Woman." George Raft's next will be released as "Limehouse Blues." Up to the present it has been called "Limehouse Nights." Goldberg Goes to Phila. Lou Goldberg leaves for Philadelphia today to handle advance campaigns on "Chu Chin Chow," which opens at the Fox on Oct. 12, and "Power," opening Oct. IS at the Locust for an indefinite run. Get Raft for One Hollywood, Oct. 5. — Columbia has borrowed George Raft for one picture from Paramount. Raft's assignment has not yet been set. WhatN. Y. Critics Think "A Lost Lady" ( Warners) American — ***holds particular appeal for the feminine contingent although the fine acting of the cast's principals in the expert, suspenseful direction of Alfred E. Green provide magnets to attract any moviegoer of adult age. Daily Mirror — Barbara Stanwyck has such great skill that the most commonplace story becomes gripping drama. She makes "A Lost Lady" an absorbing picture. There is little to it, as a movie, but Barbara makes what little there is important. Daily News — The character and locale of the story are completely changed and only the main situation of the drama is left in the new version.*** But aside from the fact that the film version of "A Lost Lady," which is now on view at the Strand Theatre, is not Willa Cather's Marian Forrester, Barbara Stanwyck's acting of the title role is something worth going out to see.*** The balance of the cast is good and Alfred E. Green's direction is smooth and well timed. Evening Journal — ***the author will probably never recognize it, but, retaining the title, Scenarists Gene Markey and Kathryn Scola have turned out an interesting vehicle for Barbara Stanwyck. Sun — ***a bit of heavy and somewhat dismal drama about a disillusioned girl and her marriage made for gratitude rather than love.***Barbara Stanwyck, as usual, almost saves the day by giving one of her earnestly honest performances. Times — ***the particular charm of Miss Cather's work was her method, and that has been rather definitely lost in the process of transition to the screen. ***it simmers down to that, finally, with Barbara Stanwyck. Frank Morgan and Ricardo Cortez to make a competent, unexciting and familiar movie of it. World-Telegram — The acting of the entire cast, and especially of the four principals, is excellent, but "A Lost Lady," I fear, is a fine novel gone wrong on the screen. "Wagon Wheels" {Paramount) American — A good, old "Western" thriller, the newcomer to the Mayfair screen, holds all the ingredients of the outdoor opera. Daily News — This films is not very rapid, but the pace it sets is easily enjoyed. Sun — It is a well-made, nicely phototographed piece, written and directed with a lack of originality that will probably insure its success. The pattern of its story is pure Zane Grey. The pattern of its from the given road. But it has the straight melodramatic thrills of silent picture days. Times — The film does possess much that is interesting and entertaining. The regrets are mostly for what it might have been. Abelson Quits World Omaha, Oct. 5. — Art Abelson has resigned as manager of the World, an A. H. Blank first run, to take a partnership in the new Roxy in Glasgow, Mont. The house was recently completed to meet the boom expected to result there from the Peck Dam, Government project now under way. His successor at the Blank house has not been named yet. Abelson leaves for his new post tomorrow. Anna Sten at Music Hall Anna Sten is scheduled to arrive in town to make a personal appearance at the Music Hall, Nov. 1 in conjunction with the opening of her picture, "We Live Again." Lubitsch in on Monday Hollywood, Oct. 5. — Ernst Lubitsch, director of "The Merry Widow," leaves here by plane Sunday for New York to attend the opening of the picture at the Astor there on Oct. 11. Leontine Sagan on Coast Hollywood, Oct. 5.— Leontine Sagan, Europe's foremost woman director, has checked into Hollywood to start a long term contract with M-G-M. She has received no definite assignment. Ramon Novarro arrived here at the same time, concluding a concert tour. Three Booked at Para. Following the third week of "Belle of the Nineties," the Paramount has booked "Now and Forever," which is expected to go three weeks ; "Mrs. W iggs of the Cabbage Patch," scheduled for two weeks, and "College Rhythm," penciled in for a fortnight. Portland House Opens Portland, Ore., Oct. 5. — John Hamrick's new Orpheum opened today to capacity business with "Young and Beautiful" on the screen. The take was $2,000. The gross for the opening day of Will Rogers' "Judge Priest" at the Paramount was $2,000. Better Tone in Big Board Trading Net High Low Close Change Columbia Pictures, vtc 35K 3554 3554 +154 Consolidated Film Industries, pfd 14 1354 14 + 54 Eastman Kodak 10054 9954 10054 +154 Fox Film "A" 1254 1154 1154 + 54 Keith-Albee-Orpheum 3554 3554 3554 + Yi Loew's, Inc 2954 2854 29 + % M-G-M, pfd 26 26 26 + 54 Paramount Publix, cts 4% 454 454 + 54 Pathe Exchange 154 154 154 RKO 2'/2 254 254 —54 Warner Bros 554 4% 554 + 54 Technicolor Advances % on Curb Net High Low Close Change Technicolor 1254 12 1254 + V% Bonds Show Upward Trend Net High Low Close Change General Theatre Equipment 6s '40 6^4 654 634+54 General Theatre Equipment 6s '40, ctf 654 654 654 — 54 Loew's 6s '41, ww deb rights 10254 10154 102 + 54 Paramount Broadway 554s '51 42 4V/g 42 +1 Paramount F. L. 6s '47 6054 60 6054 + Yz Paramount Publix 554s '50 61 6054 6054 + 54 Pathe 7s '37, ww 9854 97% 9854 +54 Warner Bros. 6s '39, wd 6154 61 6154 +154 Sales 500 1,100 1,100 1,900 100 7,300 100 21,300 1,200 300 5,500 Sales 1,300 Sales 1 5 9 2 15 10 50 < Purely Personal ► L7 D KUYKENDALL left for his l—4 Columbus, Miss., home yesterday prior to attending the Tri-States M. P. T. O. convention which opens at Memphis tomorrow. Polly Walters, stage player signed to a long-termer by Universal, leaves for the coast tomorrow for the title role in "Princess O'Hara." Dave Palfreyman left for the southwest yesterday on a three weeks' tour which will include attendance at several exhibitor conventions. Arthur Somers Roche's "Star at Midnight" has been bought by Radio. William Powell will be starred. S. Barrett McCormick transferred his office yesterday to the quarters formerly occupied by Bob Sisk. Mrs. Val Lewton has joined her husband on the coast. He is an M-G-M writer. George Bricker's original, "Sport Page," has been bought by Warners. Phyllis Fraser, cousin of Ginger Rogers, has been signed by Radio. Jack Ellis' latest song is "Havana in Cuba." Evangelical Church Denounces Industry Akron, O., Oct. 5. — The screen was denounced as a moral menace in a message from the bishops of the Evangelical Church read here today at the 31st general conference of the church. Their comment follows : "Abnormal sex life, free love marital infidelity, wild scenes in night haunts, free indulgence in intoxicating liquors, cigarettes, the gun, murder, scenes of actual crime in the most thrilling fashion has set before the eyes of youth and age alike as food for the mind and ideals to be reenacted, a thinly veiled invitation of the promoters in Hollywood to 'go thou and do likewise.' "Unchecked and uncondemned, many of the promoters in Hollywood and elsewhere would have it so, and their nefarious institution might well be designated as a 'billion dollar filth mill.' " Quakers for Clean Films Richmond, Ind., Oct. 5. — Indecent films were rapped here by the Quakers at their Indiana yearly meeting. They adopted a resolution pledging themselves to aid the Legion of Decency. Copies will be sent to Will H. Hays. S trickling Goes West Howard Strickling, M-G-M studio publicity head, left for the coast by plane yesterday and arrives in Hollywood this morning. Louis B. Mayer and Sam Katz are due on the coast Monday. George K. Arthur Back George K. Arthur returned from Europe yesterday and plans to leave for the coast some time next week. He will remain in New York several days discussing deals for plays on which he holds options.