Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1934)

Saturday, October 6, 1934 MOTION PICTURE DAILY Schenck Sees Sinclair As Film Menace (Continued from page 1) Miami that United Artists might be forced to move to Florida. "Personally I am doing everything in my power to oppose his election," Schenck continued, "and I think it the part of wisdom for the industry as a whole to get in back of the opposition." Sinclair stands an excellent chance of winning, in Schenck's opinion. "He won't become a Democrat or a Republican if he wins," said the United Artists head. "He'll be a Socialist as he always has been, and if he gets a big majority, the Legislature, in fear of public sentiment, will do his bidding." Asked if he thought production could be switched to New York on a large scale, he said he believed not. Rules Out New York "It's a business that requires concentration of talent and facilities in a small area. It can't get this concentration in New York. Anyway, an important element in the Florida situation is the fact that influential men there have assured me it would be possible to secure tax exemption for a period of 15 years." Accompanied by Douglas Fairbanks, Schenck flew in from Mexico, via Yucatan and Cuba to Miami. His plane left Miami Thursday morning, but was held overnight in Charleston, S. C, by fog. The Mexico City visit was for the purpose of attempting to influence the Mexican Government not to impose a 10 per cent gross tax now pending. He conferred with the President of Mexico and other Government officials while there and feels hopeful that the tax will be sidetracked. Schenck expects to stay in New York about four weeks. He will meet Merle Oberon, English actress, ' to whom he is engaged, when she | arrives here on her way to the coast. Fairbanks Says Little Fairbanks was non-committal. He I hurried away from news photographers, but paused long enough in the airport office to say that he would probably be in New York a week, gt He is still considering his plans to n make a Chinese picture, he said. He ;. also has received many requests to . remake "The Mark of Zorro" and is giving this some thought. ; Both Schenck and Fairbanks said there was no significance in the dissolution of Art Cinema. "It simply didn't make money," Schenck explained. "It was one _ of the producing units distributing through United Artists like 20th Cen tury, Reliance and Goldwyn." A. C. Blumenthal, one of the wel coming group, said nothing definite had been done about his tentative plans for producing for United Artists' • release. Others who greeted the fliers were: ' Joseph Moskowitz, vice-president of ;U. A.; Edward Small, vice-president M Reliance Pictures ; Arthur Steb bins ; Harry D. Buckley, vice-presi dent in charge of U. A. theatres ; Den ibis F. O'Brien of O'Brien, Driscoll it MOTION PICTURE DAILYS HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW "Firebird" (Warners) Hollywood, Oct. 5. — A first-rate murder mystery. The story concerns an actor (Ricardo Cortez) found dead in his apartment following visits from several of his friends. Every tenant in the building is suspected, including a husband and wife (Lionel Atwill and Verree Teasdale), their daughter (Anita Louise), her governess (Helen Trenholme), the valet (Hobart Cavanaugh), the manager of the building (Robert Bar rat), the dead man's ex-wife (Dorothy Tree) and the night porter (Spencer Charters) To make things tougher for Inspector C. Aubrey Smith a lady who could not have possibly committed the crime confesses, evoking the question: "Whom is she shielding?" The solution brings in more than enough elements of suspense and surprise to provoke plenty of audience interest. Director William Dieterle does not allow the action to lag. The cast is excellent, particularly the Misses Teasdale and Louise, to whom the story gives the most opportunities. Etienne Girardot, as an erratic professor, contributes one of the funniest comedy bits in some time. The photography of Ernest Haller is good. This film should do well in spots where fans like their mysteries sophisticated. Code seal number 233. Running time, 75 minutes. & Raftery; John Myers, London Films, and Harry M. Goetz, president and treasurer of Reliance Pictures. Small Working on Two Coming Films (Continued from pane 1) "Beau Brummel" and the other is "Gungha Din." Writers are busy on both. Sam Wood has been signed to direct one and probably will get the Kipling story. He may send a cameraman to India to get some atmospheric shots, he says, but the picture will be made in Hollywood. Small has no present plans for eastern production, he says, as he thinks coast facilities are superior. "If a story should develop that seemed better fitted for New York studios than the coast, I wouldn't hesitate to do it," he added. Details of the "Beau Brummel" story have not been set. Robert Donat will play the lead. Warners made "Beau Brummel" 10 years ago, Small said, but they own the Clyde Fitch play done by Richard Mansfield. The title and the story of Brummel's life are in the public domain, he stated. Stock Units Again Philadelphia Worry (Continued from page 1) field on Oct. IS with traveling stock as part of the new eastern circuit being launched by Ivan Cedar. First attraction will be "She Loves Me Not." The Broad and Erlanger, operated by Samuel F. Nixon-Nirdlinger began to use Wee & Leventhal productions last season at the beginning of the year and ran through five months of topnotch business with a series of shows which sold most of these seats in the neighborhood of 40 cents. The scale reached to two dollars, but there were very few seats or sales at the higher figure. This year, the Broad is now in its second week of capacity business with a traveling stock production of "Pursuit of Happiness" with at least two more weeks to go, while the big Erlanger, which opened this week, is doing good business with "Mrs. Quincy Mollis." Both houses have a long list of bookings, with productions being built quickly whenever the current attraction falters. "U"in Rush; Three Going, 8 to Start (Continued from page 1) eight scheduled to begin within the next 30 days. Shooting are : William Wyler's production, "The Good Fairy" ; "Night Life of the Gods," being directed by Lowell Sherman ; and "The Man Who Reclaimed His Head," starring Claude Rains. Scheduled to begin within the next few weeks are : two Ben F. Zeidman productions, "Straight From the Heart" and "I've Been Around" ; Stanley Bergerman's "Strange Wives" ; Edmund Grainger's "Mystery of Edwin Drood" ; a Buck Jones feature as yet untitled; the third 15-chapter serial on the current schedule to be directed by Louis Freidlander ; a Zoe Akins story to be directed by Howard Hawks ; and Murray Roth's "Mr. Dynamite." Fight Films Near School License Commissioner Paul Moss was asked yesterday by the Community Councils of the City of New York to grant the request of the principal of Erasmus Hall, Brooklyn, that a license be denied a new TransLux house being built near the school. Holds Bobby Connolly Hollywood, Oct. 5. — First National has placed Bobby Connolly, dance director, under a long term contract. No New Lease On Music Hall Is Looked For (Continued from page 1) however, that current discussions no longer contemplate a lease renewal, but center for the most part about RKO's future status in association with the house. That there will continue to be a definite affiliation between RKO and the Music Hall appears certain, although that affiliation may be limited to an arrangement which will merely provide the house with a supply of product. Operation of the Music Hall in all essentials would be carried on by the Rockefeller interests under the immediate direction of W. G. Van Schmus, whose regime has become more and more independent of RKO supervision in recent months. Van Schmus made an early departure yesterday for a week-end engagement and could not be reached for comment on these developments. The old RKO lease on the Music Hall provided for a rental to be paid to Rockefeller Center after deduction for operating expenses, maintenance of a special reserve fund and other contingencies. The Rockefeller Center participation in rents, therefore, depended entirely upon the profit made by the house, which, in turn, led to Rockefeller Center taking a continually increasing authority over actual operation of the Music Hall. It is this situation which now appears to be relegating an RKO lease on the house to the discard. Loew-RKO Deal on Product Effective (Continued from page 1) its houses and turn the rest over to RKO. No Columbia product changes hands. Loew's will go through with its original contract with this distributor. Only one of the 11 houses recently acquired from independent by RKO is being dropped. That is the Utica, Brooklyn, which Randforce takes over Nov. 1. Randforce does not surrender any product in acquiring the theatre. It is simply taking over the lease. Louis Frisch and Sam Rinzler have always wanted the house, but would rather keep it closed. This, however, cannot be done under the rental deal with RKO. Loew's has turned over the Fox product to 30 RKO houses, but the recently acquired group is not included in the switch. There will be three sets of first runs in the uptown situation, the first group being Loew houses, the second, RKO, and the third the Nemo, Riverside, Stoddard and Beacon. Skouras is closing the Jap Gardens and opening the Riviera, in the same building. H. L. Tracy Is Injured Willard, O., Oct. 5.— H. L. Tracy, local exhibitor, was seriously injured when his automobile collided with another near here. His condition is considered critical by hospital authorities. I