Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1937)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Tuesday, March 9, 1937 MOTION PICTURE DAILY (Registered U. S. Patent Office) Vol. 41 March 9, 1937 No. 56 Martin Quigley Editor-in-Chief and Publisher MAURICE KANN, Editor J. M. JERAULD, Managing Editor JAMES A. CRON, Advertising Manager 'Storm Over Patsy", Guild Latest, Entertaining Fare Published daily except Sunday and holidays by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc.. Martin Quigley, president; Colvln Brown, vice-president and ■ '"publication Office: 1270 Sixth Avenue at Rockefeller Center. New York. Telephone Circle 7 310u. Cable address: ;M«wb«.»" York " All contents copyrighted 1937 by Qulglr* Publishing Company. Inc. Address all correspond, fnce to tho New York Office. Other Quigley PUbUSS£:' MOTION PICTTJBE HEBAUXBETTER THEATRES, TEATRO AL DIA, INTERNATIONAL MOTION PICTURE ALMANAC and FAME. HOLLYWOOD: Postal Union Life Building. Vine and Tucca Sta. : Boone Mancall Manager. CHICAGO: 624 S. Michigan Ave.. C. B. O Nelll. WASHINGTON : Albee Building, Bertram F. Linz. Representative. „ ... AMSTERDAM: Zuider Amstellaan o; PhlUp de Schaap, Representative. , BERLIN: Steulerstrasse 2, Berlin W. 3d; Joachim K. Butenberg, Bepresentative. BUDAPEST: 3 Kaplar-u. Budapest II; Enure Kevesi, Bepresentative. BUENOS AIRES: Corrientes 2495; N. Bruskl. Representative. „„,,.. T i HELSINKI: Fredriksgatan 19C: Charlotte Laazlo. Representative. LONDON: 4 Golden Square. W. 1; Bruce Allan, Representative. Cable address. Qulgpubco, Lon MELBOUBNE: Regent Theatre Buildings. 191 Collins St.; Cliff Holt. Bepresentative. MEXICO CITY: Apartado 269: James Lockhart, Representative. _ MONTEVIDEO: P. O. Box 664; Paul Bodo. Representative. _ MOSCOW: Petrovski Per 8; Beatrice Stern, Representative. PABIS: 29 Rue Marsoulan; Pierre Autre. Representative. PRAGUE: Uhelny trh 2, Prague 1: Harry Knopf, Representative. RIO DE JANEIRO: Caixa Postal 3358; A. Welsaman. Representative. ROME: Viale Gorizia; Vittorio Malpassutl. Bepresentative. SHANGHAI: Room3 38-41. Capital Theatre Building. 142 Museum Road; J. P. Koehler, Repre 86nt3tlV6 STOCKHOLM: Kungsgatan 36: Ragnar Allberg. Representative. TOKYO: 880 Sasazuka, Ichikawa-shi. Chiba-Ken; H. Tominaga, Representative. VIENNA: Nuestiftgasse, 55; Vienna VII; Hans Lorant, Representative. WARSAW: Sienna 32; R. Sillei. Representative. 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 and foreign $12. Single copies: 10 cents. To Hold Kennebeck Mass Omaha, March 8. — -A requiem high mass for John E. Kennebeck, late managing director for Paramount in Australia, will be held at the Sacred Heart Church here Friday. Kennebeck died in Australia on Jan. 23 following an appendicitis operation. The body has arrived here. Rites for Edward Horn Funeral services for Edward Horn cameraman and a partner in the former Tremont Film Laboratories, who died in Miami Saturday, will be held tomorrow at 1 1 :30 A. M. at the River side Funeral Chapel. MITCHELL MAY, Jr. CO., INC. • INSURANCE Specialists To The Motion Picture Industry 75 Maiden Lane, N. Y. City 510 W. 6th St., Los Angelw, C«l. By PLAYBOY The inability of a somewhat downat-heel Irish shopkeeper to pay the required license fee for her mongrel dog, and the ramifications of that failure on the political future of biglittle politician in a small Scotch town, his marital status and the romance of a hot-headed reporter and the politician's young, attractive wife, form the meat of this rather entertaining, but unimportant fifth production of the 19th season of the Theatre Guild, unfolded at the Guild last night. Adapted to English and a Scotch town by James Bridie from the orignal German play, "Sturm in Wasserjlass" by Bruno Frank, "Storm Over Patsy" offers a handful of noteworthy performances, good staging and not a few laughs, albeit it requires approximately one and a half acts out of three to get itself well along. Offers Hollywood Embryo There is a possibility for the screen here, but it will require a measure of working over on the germ of a film idea. For the screen there is a lively opportunity for good comedy in the final act, a courtroom scene where Leo G. Carroll as the judge walks away with the honors. Highlighting the cast is Sara Allgood, old timer of the Abbey Theatre, once again demonstrating handsomely her ability to evoke laughter and sympathy at the same time, in her role of Patsy's owner, while Patsy, Colonel in real life, is quite an accomplished performer, caninely speaking. Claudia Morgan as the politician's wife, Roger Livesey as the young reporter, who cannot stand cruelty, either to animals or women ; Ian McLean, as the dignity-cloaked petty politician, looking to Parliament, and Brenda Forbes, as the wife of the owner of the newspaper for which the reporter works, all contribute to making a fair comedy a great deal better than it might otherwise have been. McLean came from the London cast of the play, there called "Storm in a Teacup." The shopkeeper's tearful appeal to spare her dog falls on entirely deaf ears when she speaks to the provost, but the reporter, there for an interview, gets sufficiently riled to write a story which blasts the provost out of an election, the woman into a small fortune in contributions, and the provost's wife squarely into the waiting arms of the reporter. It is rather good fun, thanks to a neat plot idea and an excellent cast. Philip Moeller directed and the settings were designed by Aline Bern stein. Hotel Sit-Down in D. C. Washington, March 8. — Culinary employes and waiters of the Willard Hotel instituted a sit-down strike here at 6 P. M. in protest against the hotel's non-recognition of the union Variety Club is unaffected by the move which is expected to spread to the Washington and Mayflower. Recommended New Haven, March 8. — Theatre News, local weekly film movie guide, recommends that those studying films would do well to read "Decency in Motion Pictures," by Martin Quigley. Universal Directors In Routine Meeting < Continued from page 1) the proposed increase in Universal's 1937-38 schedule, involving production of 52 to 60 features, was not discussed at the board meeting, but undoubtedly would be discussed among Rogers, J. Cheever Cowdin, R. H. Cochrane and James R. Grainger during the next few days. It was .also stated that the indicated probability of Universal handling physical distribution of G. B. pictures in this country, as a result of the recent alliance of Gaumont British with C. M. Woolf, was not discussed at the board meeting. Rogers, who was accompanied to New York by Mrs. Rogers and his executive secretary, William Pierce, plans a stay of 10 days or two weeks. Churches Protest Bill Wilmington, March 8. — A crusade in opposition to any legislation which w ould allow* Sunday exhibition in this state is under way in many Protestant churches in the state, it was reported today as six Wilmington congregations joined the opposition to the Sunday shows. Seven more of the city's churches will take action next Sunday. Others, while strongly against the legislation, do not wish to bring such matters before their congregations. The resolution protesting the Sunday film bill was submitted to all Protestant churches for action by the Anti-Saloon League, W.C.T.L1. and Lord's Day Alliance. The action taken by the congregations and Sunday schools will be submitted to the State Legislature at Dover. The bill, which seeks to permit Sunday exhibition in Delaware after 2 P. M.. was introduced in the Assemblv last week. "Earth" Fifth Week Gross Hits $17,900 Not Hit by Fire General Register's output of ticket machines will be unaffected by a stubborn fire which on Sunday raged through the nine-story factory building_ at 81 Prospect St., Brooklyn, which houses the company's plant. General Register's space was not touched by the fire, which blazed for five hours and killed one fireman. (Continued from page 1) times, according to the management, which adds it is expected the current show will set new attendance records. The second week of "The Last of Mrs. Cheyney," at the Capitol was good for $28,920. "Strangers on a Honeymoon" is the next attraction for the Criterion, following "Woman of Glamour," on Thursday. The second week of "Man of Affairs" at this theatre ended with about $5,000, which is approximately half of the first week's take. "The Man Who Could Work Miracles" in its second week at the Rivoli got $15,000. "History Is Made at Night" will open at this house March 27. "Whirlpool" Ready Soon "Whirlpool." the French film "Remous," will shortly be ready for national release. Arthur Mayer and Joseph Burstyn are the distributors. Flash Preview "Trouble in Texas" — A Tex Ritter vehicle telling the story of a struggle against racketeers who invade Texas rodeos. This film will be reviewed in full in a coming issue of Motion Picture Daily. Story Buying Active Hollywood, March 8. — Story buying is general among the major studios at present in preparation for the spring sales convention announcements. Latest buys are: RKO — "Highway to Romance," unpublished novel by H. L. Gates ; "The Seeing Eye," an original by William J. Cowan. Paramount — "The Ascending Dragon," by Frederick Jackson, acquired by B. P. Schulberg. M-G-M— "Blue Blood," by Myles Connolly," and "When the Devil Drives," bv Wvndham Gittens. Miss Marion Tells How Hollywood, March 8. — "Writing and Selling Film Stories" is the title of a book just completed by Frances Marion, recently elevated to producership by Columbia. She obtained from Samuel Goldwyn permission to use the script of "The Adventures of Marco Polo," completed by Robert E. Sherwood, as the first Gary Cooper vehicle for Goldwyn. The script will be included in the volume, to be published next autumn by Covici. Close Monogram Deal Kansas City, March 8. — Consolidated Film Distributors, headed by W. L. Norris and H. P. Humston. have contracted for distribution of Monogram pictures in western Missouri and Kansas beginning with the new season. Monogram will be the distributing company's chief lineup for the new season. To Trade Show "History" United Artists will hold a trade showing of "History Is Made at Night" tomorrow morning at the Astor Theatre. Invitations have been sent to the foreign and fan press, exhibitors and circuit heads in the local territory. Heineman in Portland Portland, Ore., March 8. — William J. Heineman, western district manager for Universal, en route to Seattle and the east, stopped off here for conferences and golf with Gordon C. Craddock, local Universal manager. Woit Leaves RKO Hollywood, March 8. — Charles Woit, comptroller at RKO, has resigned his post and stated that he will take a lengthy vacation before considering a new association. No successor has been named.