Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1935)

Wednesday, September 25, 1935 MOTION PICTURE DAILY Academy Sets New Contract Out Hollywood Way For Writers {Continued from page 1) director members, the Academy announced it would fight this issue if the Writers' Guild offered opposition, which is contrary to the previous policy of ignoring the Guild's negotiations with producers. The Academy also stated it would try to bring independent studios under the proposed pact and prepared a proposal that writers now employed be permitted to secure changes in present written or verbal contracts. A summary of the revised pact as worked out by the Producers' Committee, consisting of Irving Thalberg, Sam Briskin, Henry Herzbrun, Hal Wallis, Sol Wurtzel, B. B. Kahane, and the Writers' Committee, consisting of Howard J. Green, John Balderston, Howard Estabrook, Joseph Moncure March, Carey Wilson, Waldemar Young, follows : Pact Summarized (1) Producing companies be uniformly committed for at least a twoyear period to the comprehensive basic agreement guaranteeing favorable terms on general conditions important to the work and professional standing of screen writers. (2) Week-to-week employment be on basis written in contract. (3) A simplified plagiarism warranty be adopted in standard form in all signatory studios clearly establishing that the writer assumes responsibility only for originality of own work. (4) Free option within 30-day limit be extended to all employed writers, including those under term contract, for revision of existing contracts to secure the benefit of the new Academy agreement. (5) Broad authority be granted the Academy committee consisting solely of writers for administration and enforcement of agreement. (6) When studios have layoff options in term contracts the writer be entitled to advance notice and receive at least one week's consecutive time in such layoff. (7) Contingent speculation or approval basis of payment will continue to be outlawed as in the original Academy code, and the principle of payment on delivery for freelance work done for specified aggregate compensation be reaffirmed and strengthened. (8) Guarantee in present code of week's notice to freelance writers after 10 weeks' work at less than $500 per week be continued under the new pact. (9) Writers are entitled to be informed what other writers are also working on same material. (10) Wording "screen play by" be made standard practice as part of improved procedure for determining screen credits, based on the Academy's three-year administration of credit clauses in the original code. (11) Credit for screen play not to be divided among more than three names on the screen. (12) Producers and directors not permitted to take screen credit for Hollywood, Sept. 24. — M a r x Brothers startled a tourist in the Brown Derby by descending upon him en masse and asking him for an autograph. . . . Irving Thalberg and Norma Shearer attended preview of "Mutiny on the Bounty" at Santa Barbara the night of their arrival from New York. . . . June Travis taking flying lessons from Amelia Earhart. Anita Louise option picked up by Warners. . . . Terry DeLapp, day city editor of Los Angeles Times, returning to Paramount publicity department as editor. . . . Edward Arnold signed by Universal to contract calling for two pictures a year for two years. . . . Rodney Bush, new head of Paramount advertising department, here. . . . He replaces Herbert Moulton, now in production department. M. E. Greenwood, M-G-M executive, in Portland for his health. . . . John Tucker Murray back to Harvard after giving technical advice on "Romeo and Juliet" to M-G-M. . . . * Casting — Pat O'Malley and Joe Reilly in "Husk" . . . Kay Sutton and Maxine Jennings in "Follow the Fleet" . . . Pauline Garon, back after a long illness, cast in "Hard Luck Dame" . . . Morgan Wallace set for "A Thousand Dollars a Minute," Republic . . . Margaret Morris in feminine lead opposite Conway Tearle in "Desert Guns," Beaumont. Wallace Ford, Phyllis Brooks, Edward Burns and Maxine Jennings signed by Radio for "It Hap collaboration on screen play. (This clause conditional on vote of branches.) (13) Screen play achievement be given more emphasis in arrangement of title cards, credit for play being given on card containing no other credits except source material or on card alone, or with directors' credit or on main picture title. (14) Principle of original code to be maintained, clarified as to right of contributing writers to designate screen credits by unanimous agreement. (15) Percentage basis for guiding writers and producers in determining play credits has been included in new agreement with the purpose of making credits a more accurate index to the importance of creative work done by individual writer. (16) Established Academy credits bulletin to be maintained under the new agreement, to provide a permanent record of writing achievements, including screen credits and credits for other valuable contributions to photoplay authorship. (17) Specific procedure of notices to be given by studios, guaranteeing writers advance information regarding proposed credits, also to provide opportunity for protest or agreement. (18) .Specific clause in contracts preventing writers from claiming more than their share of the credit for share in collaboration. (19) Committee to be composed entirely of writers and to have final authority to correct official records in the event of error or unfairness in assignment credits by producer. The Academy expects producer approval on the pact prior to Oct. 15. pened in Hollywood" . . . Reginald Denny in lead of Chesterfield's "The Lady in Scarlet" . . . Patricia Farr, borrowed from Twentieth CenturyFox, will play opposite, with Claudia Dell, Dorothy Revere, Jamison Thomas, James Bush, John St. Polis, John T. Murray, Lew Kelly and Jack Adair featured. Victor Potel and Otis Harlan in Warners' "Prairie Schooner" . . . Richard Arlen to star in "Legion of the Lost," Republic . . . Samuel Goldwyn signs Eugenia Falkenberg, young tennis star, to term contract . . . Assigned to "Shoot the Chutes" . . . Gordon Jones, U.C.L.A. track star, signed for the same feature. Colin Clive cast by Warners in "Meet the Duchess" . . . Mary Doran set for "Miss Pacific Fleet," Warners. . . . Erin O'Brien Moore signed for Radio's "Seven Keys to Baldpate" . . . Erik Rhodes cast in "It Happened in Hollywood," same studio . . . Junior Coughlin, Joan Sheldon, Mary Bovard, Margaret Armstrong and Kenny Howell in untitled musical featurette starring Ruth Etting. * Writers — Franklin Coen doing the script on "End of the World," Paramount. . . . Vincent Lawrence adapting "Honors Are Even," Paramount. * Story Purchase — Joseph C. Kesseling's "There's Wisdom in Women" acquired by Paramount for Carole Lombard. Law Prevents Long Reels for Chicago Chicago, Sept. 24.— Before 2,000foot reels can be used in this city the local ordinances must be revamped. Present laws state that not more than 1,000-foot reels of film may be used here. Local exchanges figure that $30,000 of equipment in their plants will have to be junked if the big reels are adopted. Seattle Gets Stage Unit Seattle, Sept. 24.— Wilbur Cushman stage units will be booked into the Rex here beginning Sept. 29, it was announced by John Danz this week. The units are produced in Atlanta and now cover the major cities of the Middle West and East. With the opening of these shows, replacing vaudeville, the Rex will be the only Seattle house featuring stage road units. First run pictures will be continued at the 15 and 25-cent scale. Ban Nazi Film "Horst Wessel," Nazi film, was withdrawn from a scheduled showing in Paterson, it developed yesterday. Police Chief John M. Murphy there declared the withdrawal was volunteered by Friends of New Germany on .the ground, he added, the showing might cause political conflict. "Ball of Fire" New Title Hollywood, Sept. 24. — "Ball of Fire" has been set as the final title for the Twentieth Century-Fox picture tentatively called "Music Is Magic." 13 'Melody' Is Big PortlandDraw; 'Top Hat' Held Portland, Sept. 24. — O p e n i n g Greater Movie Season at United Artists, "Broadway Melody of 1936" brought in $8,000, or $3,000 over the regular take. "Top Hat" was held for a second week at Hamrick's Orpheum and secured $6,000, or $1,000 over normal. Balance of first runs held to average. Total first run business was $28,700. Average is $24,700. Estimated takings for the week ending Sept. 21 : "GOOSE AND THE GANDER" (F. N.) BROADWAY— (1,912), 25c-35c-40c, 7 days. Gross: $5,000. (Average, $5,000) "STAR OF MIDNIGHT" (Radio) "UNDER PAMPAS MOON" (Fox) (2nd Run) BLUE MOUSE— (1,700), 25c-35c-40c, 7 days. Gross: $1,700. (Average, $1,700) "SHE" (Radio) "HOT TIP" (Radio) MAYFAIR— (1,700), 25c-35c-40c, 7 days. Gross: $3,000. (Average, $3,000) "TOP HAT" (Radio) ORPHEUM— (1,700), 25c-35c-40c, 7 days, 2nd downtown week. Gross: $6,000. (Average, $5,000) "SPECIAL AGENT" (W. B.) "OLD MAN RHYTHM" (Radio) PARAMOUNT— (3,008), 25c-35c-40c, 7 days. Gross: $5,000. (Average, $5,000) "BROADWAY MELODY OF 1936" (M-G-M) UNITED ARTISTS— (945), 25c-35c-40c, 7 days. Gross: $8,000. (Average, $5,000) Providence Houses Aid Epidemic Bans Providence, Sept. 24. — Dr. Michael J. Nestor, Providence health superintendent, has requested theatres to cooperate in halting the infantile paralysis epidemic by refusing admission to children under 16. The disease has claimed its twenty-second victim here. Dr. Nestor says that "a very fine spirit" has been shown by showmen in their willingness to exclude children until schools reopen. Edward M. Fay, not only has promised the cooperation, but has obtained pledges of similar action from other managers in the downtown district. Signs have been prepared citing the exclusion of children under 16. Neighborhood houses also are cooperating. Lift Jeffersonville Ban Jeffersonville, Ind., Sept. 24. — The ban placed on theatres and other public places here for the past two weeks due to the epidemic of paralysis has been removed. Other public halls, schools and churches were also opened. Disney Dates Piling Up Chicago, Sept. 24. — More than 450 reels of Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphony cartoons have been booked into local theatres for the celebration of Mickey's seventh anniversary, Sept. 28. Special attention is being given to the orders by the U. A. exchange in order to handle the bookings. Bridgeport Vaude Out Bridgeport, Sept. 24. — Vaudeville is definitely out at the four Loew theatres this fall, says Manager Matt Saunders of Poli's Palace theatre. According to Saunders, local business is the best it has been in the last 14 years.