Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1936)

day, June 16. 1936 MOTION PICTURE DAILY KO Budget Biggest Ever, More or Less Personal Spitz Says (Continued from page 16) had G. Poller, A. A. Schubart. r. Sharkey, Cresson E. Smith, Leo tz and Sam Briskin. 'nil Reisman, Ralph Hanbury, ph Doyle, Luis Lezana, Robert llo, Fred Gulbranson and Bert sman constitute the foreign con:ent. March of Time Expanding larch of Time plans an expansion listribution abroad during the cornyear, the second of RKO release he reel, and an increase in the prodon of special subjects for foreign ntries, according to Roy E. Larsen, ducer of the reel. l special Spanish version is now ased regularly, and it is expected ilar versions will be prepared for nee, Sweden, Germany and Italy. Pathe Topics Unit to Alaska he new season releases of the short es, "Pathe Topics,'' will include siderable footage from two expejns which will invade outlying reis of Alaska, according to Thomas .lmers, editor of the subjects. Popuscience material and old sequences ;n from film vaults also will form irt of the subject matter of the reel the new season. Van Beuren Series Up an Beuren will increase to 13 rees each the two short subject es, "Sports with Bill Corum" and orld on Parade," according to edee J. Van Beuren, president. ! company will produce 32 single subjects for RKO release next son. The "Struggle to Live" series remain at six releases, he said. George Stevens Busy Iollywood, June 15. — George vens, now directing the Astaire',ers film, "Never Gonna Dance," two big assignments coming up at lio. "The Big Game" follows the rent picture and immediately after■d he will direct Katharine Hepn in "Quality Street," with an aire-Rogers special to follow. Stephenson, Jones Signed Iollywood, June IS. — Radio has led Henry Stephenson and Gordon es for roles in "Count Pete." Ann hern and Gene Raymond will play top roles and Joseph Santley will ict. Production has started. Studio Buys "All Scarlet" Iollywood, June IS.— Radio has ight "All Scarlet," original by Dart Runyon. William Sistrom will duce. Cortland Fitzimmons is dothe script. It is likely that ather Angel will play an important e. Bagley on "Gunga" Detail Iollywood, June 15.— Major G. O. Bagley, retired British army offi, has been signed by Radio to act technical advisor on "Gunga Din." |ter Cohen is currently writing the ipt from the Kipling poem. Edrd Small will produce. The entire convention wore plaid ties by way of inducing atmosphere for the rough print of "Mary of Scotland" which was screened in the ballroom of the Waldorf yesterday. "What clan?" asked a diligent Motion Picture Daily reporter. "We don't know, but maybe it's the Clan MacBriskin," was one suggestion. "At any rate," came another, "we know one thing positively. It's not the Clan McDonough." + W. G. Van Schmus, managing director of the Music Hall, entertained the RKO conventioneers with a cocktail party last evening on the roof of the theatre. + Leonard Goldstein and George O'Brien were luncheon visitors. Both arrived from the coast in the morning and made a dash for the Waldorf. O'Brien had his right hand bandaged from a fall and did all his handshaking with his left. Goldstein said that two of the six which O'Brien is to make for George Hirliman will be in color. + E. L. McEvoy, eastern district manager, is annoyed by a mild case of the hives. + Charles L. Casanave, general manager for National Screen Accessories, attended all sessions yesterday. + Arthur Willi, talent scout, looked over the faces for possible screen material, but says he's still looking around. + Gordon E. Youngman of the legal staff was surrounded by O. C. Doering, a partner of Donovan. Lumbard & Leisure, and A. H. McCausland, A. C. Christensen, Garrett Van Wagner and Walton Arment of Irving Trust, trustees for RKO. + Edward Gross, production manager for Sol Lesser, who is producing three Bobby Breens for the company's release, was in evidence with Hal Horne introducing him to the bovs. + William B. Levy, English representative for Walt Disney, heard enough about Detroit and automobiles to last him for some time. At the luncheon table he was flanked by A. J. Mertz, Detroit manager ; Garrett Payne and Fred Bonnem, salesmen from the same citv. '+ Bert Gillette, formerly with Disney and who has just finished with A. J. Van Beuren. will rejoin DisneVs outfit in August. He sails Saturday on the Tuscania for a tour of a month. He sat with Roy Disney at lunch yesterday. + Kay Kamen was another Disneyite attending. He was responsible for every salesman and branch manager getting a Mickey Mouse in his room. + Nate J. Blumberg, who was on hand with all his theatre men, introduced a lot of the men to each other. Nate was feeling pretty good, after the Bar Mitzvah of his son, Lewis, Pandro S. Berman, associate producer for Radio, snapped as he arrived from the coast yesterday. With him is Howard S. Benedict, studio publicity director. on Saturday. The festivities continued all that day and were resumed on Sunday as well. + Levy says he's going to return to England on the .V ormandie on July 1. Meanwhile, he's conferring daily with Roy Disney. + Barney Pitkin, manager of the New Haven office, is inviting the local boys to the golf tournament which is to be held up his way next month. + Bill Wolf. San Francisco manaager, says he's gained six pounds in the last few weeks. Part of it is due to a recent vacation at Hot Springs. + Bob Wolff, local branch head, managed to keep his men close together at the sessions, screenings and lunch. Frank Dacey, one of the real old timers at the exchange, is present and doing wads of handshaking. + Bob Goldstein joined his brother, Leonard, for a free lunch during sessions. + Harry Cohen, western division manager, has a gag for everyone he meets. He's popular with the boys. + Some disa and datas about the New York branch boys, with Bob Wolff: Max Westebbe is out for the toe and heel championship. Max has enormous gondolas. They're now hailing Lou Kutinsky as the "Kingfish" because of his resemblance. Eddie ("Moe") Carroll is the only Irishman with a Jewish moniker. "Uncle" John Dacey is a life member of the Treasurers' Club. Jack ("Gershwin") Ellis is a writer of unpublished songs. Bernie Kranze has a "rep" for picking talent and losing straw hats. Phil Hodes is the original Annie Oakley kid. + They tell this one on Ely Epstein, Philadelphia's crack salesman. He won't take "no" for an answer. One night when talking to an exhibitor the lights went out and the exhibitor followed to see what was wrong, but [7 Ely kept right on talking to a vacant chair. + Mike Shulman covers the stick towns and for exhibitors in small towns he has been known to milk the cow, churn the butter and diaper the baby. + Among the Beau Brummels put Sam Lefko, Philly, up there with Abou Ben Adhem. + J. J. McFadden, Jr., covers the Pennsylvania coal regions and can talk back to himself in Russian, Polish, Hungarian and Pennsylvania Dutch. + Jim Finey took all the speeches for the record. + Jules Levy got a fan letter the first thing yesterday morning. It was written in French and Levy doesn't know whether it's a gag or not. He's having one of the French representatives interpret it for him. + A. Schubart and Mike Poller handed out the badges as the conventionites checked in for the morning session. + Bill Corum, who keeps the New York Journal readers well informed on sports, will give the boys the lowdown on the Louis-Schmeling fight today. + Bert Reisman is checking up on Don Hancock. When in Cuba recently, Don put a lily in the hands of several local boys under the weather and when they discovered the gag there were no kind words for A. J. Van Beuren's representative. + Several of the boys visited the French Casino Sunday night. Comments on the show were heard all around convention headquarters yesterday, so much so that a number of the out-of-towners have already made plans to attend the night club before going home. Cooperate, But Not Merge, Says Whitney Hollywood, June 15. — John Hay Whitney, president of Pioneer Prod., stated upon his arrival here today that his visit is in no way concerned with a reported merger of Pioneer and Selznick International. Amplifying John Wharton's remarks as published last Wednesday, Whitney said that he will devote his efforts to the evolving of a plan for closer physical coordination between the companies. The objective would be an interchange of story properties and personnel with the holdings of each so distributed as to work for the common welfare of both. Since the individuality of each organization is to be retained, a mutual agreement will be proposed whereby stories owned by either company will be produced by the one best equipped to handle the production. O'Brien in "Daniel Boone" Hollywood, June 15. — George Hirliman has signed Daniel Jarrett to a term writing contract. His first assignment is "Daniel Boone" which will be George O'Brien's first for the producer. David Howard, who directs the O'Brien pictures, has finished his work for Sol Lesser and has reported to Hirliman to assist in writing the script.