Motion Picture Daily (July–Sept 1938)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY k. ■ Friday, July I, 193c My Word! ■ By Irene Kuhn ■ Travelers t returning from Paris bring news of preparations there of great political significance. The French Government has spent $7,000,000 on decorations for the visit on July 14 of the King and Queen of England. Lalique fountains of exquisite beauty and various other important and impressive trimmings mark the boulevards and squares of Paris. If Mussolini could put on a show for Hitler, the French are going one better for their allies across the Channel. ^ One of the nicest, most touching of the show-must-go-on stories comes from London. Noel Coward, long-time friend of Peggy Wood, wrote "Operette" especially for her and put a large share of his own money into the John C. Wilson production in London. Miss Wood, frantic over the cabled news that her husband, John V. A. Weaver, could not recover, played through two weeks of daily messages which told he was getting worse all the time. The show had not been doing very well up to this time, and Coward, out of sympathy for Miss Wood, wanted to close it. ^ However, simultaneously with receipt of the hopeless message about Weaver's condition, two weeks before his death, business began to pick up. Miss Wood, theatre-wise, insisted on the show's remaining open so that Wilson and Coward could get their money out of the production, even make a profit, because they had helped her when she needed it. She played brilliantly night after night. As the cables came in telling her Johnny was a little worse, she rose to new heights. More and more the show took hold. ^ Americans came into town and went first thing. It was a sellout. The night that Weaver died was the best night the show had had since opening. Old-timers said Miss Wood knew Johnny was dying and played as she never had before, although her heart was breaking. All London is applauding her courageous heart and those who know the story have a new respect for Coward. ■fy Mrs. Walt Disney wears two charm bracelets, both anniversary gifts from her husband commemorating not only their successful marriage but the success of his ideas. One bracelet dangles French enamel and gold charms of Mickey, Minnie, Donald, the three little pigs and the wolf, and other Disney characters. The second is a Snow White and seven dwarfs dingle-dangle. The little figures are exact replicas, in color, of the characters, exquisite in workmanship and design. ^ Feed-Bag Dept. — Lunching at "21" — Jock Whitney and one ; Orson Welles and Marc Blitzstein ; Former Secretary of War Pat Hurley; Phil Reisman of RKO, Ralph Rolan, also of RKO. At the Tavern — Charley Bonn and Bill Garman, with Lowell Calvert of Selznick International. Warners Lose Move In "Adeline" Suit N. Y. Supreme Court Justice Peter Schmuck yesterday overruled the objections made by M. Witmark & Sons, Inc., Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. and Warner Bros. Production Corp. to the cross interrogatories filed by Harry Armstrong and Richard H. Gerard, composers of the song, "Sweet Adeline," and plaintiffs in a $250,000 damage suit against Warner Bros, and M. Witmark & Sons. The cross interrogatories will be used by the plaintiffs in an examination before trial of F. Hugh Herbert, Erwin Gelsey, Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein, II, Hal Wallis and Mervyn LeRoy in Los Angeles. The plaintiffs have brought suit claiming that the film, "Sweet Adeline," plagiarized their song of the same name. Orders Loach Testimony T. P. Loach, vice-president and secretary of Pathe Film Corp., was ordered yesterday by N. Y. Supreme Court Justice Peter Schmuck to submit to an examination before trial on the application of John F. O'Keefe, who is suing for $5,940 on an alleged judgment recovered against Pathe Studios, Inc., in California. O'Keefe charged that Pathe Exchange controlled Pathe Studios and that it effected a transfer of all the assets of Pathe Studios to RKO "in fraud of creditors." He seeks an adjudication with Pathe Films as successor to Pathe Exchange as equally responsible with Pathe Studios for the payment of the judgment. Bernhard Relief Prober Gov. A. Harry Moore of New Jersey has appointed Joseph Bernhard, general manager of Warner theatres, chairman of the Commission on Relief and Taxation. The commission will act for those on the relief roles, seeking to assure them first choice for jobs on WPA projects. Cameraman Found Dead Hollywood, June 30. — King D. Gray, part-time cameraman employed last week by Universal, today was found shot to death in his automobile parked outside the Hollywood Post Office. He was married, the father of two children. Police are working on the case. i Purely Personal ► ROGER FERRI, editor of Dynamo, 20th Century-Fox publication, will leave tonight for Chicago where he will meet James P. O'Loghlin, Canadian district manager and Kent Drive leader. They will proceed to Los Angeles to start branch meetings on the drive. Murray Silverstone, executive head of United Artists, will leave England on Wednesday on the Normandie, to make his permanent headquarters in New York, where he is scheduled to arrive on July 11. • Wesley Ruggles, Paramount director, will leave tomorrow on the Nieuw Amsterdam for a three-month vacation in Europe. Claude Binyon, who writes the films Mr. Ruggles makes, is visiting here. • Karl Hoblitzelle, Paramount theatre partner in Texas, and Mrs. Hoblitzelle will sail tonight on the Rex for an extended European vacation. Aline MacMahon, who is appearing in "Away from It All" at the Rockridge, Carmel, will leave next week for the coast. • Albert Warner left yesterday for a Fourth of July respite that will keep him from his office until Thursday. • George W. Weeks, Monogram sales manager, has reached Los Angeles on his tour of exchanges. • Herman Wobber, 20th CenturyFox distribution head, is due to return Sunday from the coast. • Ruth Morrow of the G.B. publicity staff started her vacation yesterday. 9 James and Mrs. FitzPatrick will return Monday on the Queen Mary. • Walt Disney will leave tonight on the Century en route to the coast, e Budd Rogers will spend the Fourth of July weekend at Lake George. N. Y. Reviewers Have Mixed 'Tropic Holiday 9 Reactions New York daily newspaper critics viewed "Tropic Holiday" with mixed reactions. Excerpts from their reviezvs follozv. Herald-Tribune — . . . The arena scenes have a pace and a flavor which are wanting in the rest of the film. Journal American — . . . An amiable little warm-weather entertainment (highlighted by) melodious Mexican music and a burlesque bullfight. Mirror — Most beautifully mounted and tastefully produced of the recent Paramount musicals. . . . Robust entertainment. . . . Delightful. News — Its appeal is to the young and giddy. . . . One grand comedy sequence. . . . The direction is smooth. Post — Dorothy Lamour, Ray Mil land, Martha Raye all give the picture standard affects. Sun — . . . Designed as summer entertainment, light, undramatic and pleasing to eye and ear . . . technically perfect. Times — . . . Intermittently deals with amusing high-jinks, but these lighter zones are few and far between. World-Telegram — . . . Paying customers rolled in the aisles (when) Miss Raye impersonates a bullfighter . . . provokes a certain amount of good old fashioned merriment. Republic in 10-Year Photophone Deal Republic Pictures, which has been using RCA Photophone equipment on a rental basis for many years, has signed a 10-year sound recording license agreement with RCA Photophone. The deal includes the installation of high fidelity sound recording, re-recording and reproducing equipment on the Republic lot. Four mobile ultra-violet light i cording systems in four new stream-" lined trucks will be installed, according to Harry L. Sommerer, RCA Photophone head. Each truck may be used for studio or location work. Several reproducing systems will be installed in the review room, music department and the like. To Remake Pathe Short The six Turnesa brothers, professional golfers, will leave on the Monarch of Bermuda tomorrow for Bermuda to make a short for Pathe. The short, titled "Brother Golfers," was made in Westchester, but was discarded because of lack of scenic background. The remake will be at the Mid-Ocean Club at Tucker's Town. Joe Walsh, director, and a crew consisting of Harry Smith, Richard Hertell and Clarence Ellis will accompany the golfers. 'Jungle Book" to Korda Alexander Korda has purchased "film rights to Rudyard Kipling's "Jungle Book," the local office of LTnited Artists was informed by cable yesterday. It is the story of a boy who, brought up in the jungle by wolves, learns to talk with the various animals and reptiles. Unusual technical devices are being prepared to provide the sound track. MOTION PICTURE DAILY (Registered U. S. Patent Office) MARTIN QUIGLEY. Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; J. M. JERAULD, Managing Editor: JAMES A. CBON. Advertising Manager. EDITORIAL STAFF: Charles S. Aaronson. Jack Banner, Al Finestone. Thomas Fitzsimmons. Sherwin A. Kane, Irene Kuhn. Joseph Priore. Published daily except Sunday and holidays Sept. to May and daily except Saturday, Sunday and holidays June, July and Aug. by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc.. Martin Quigley, president; Colvin Brown, vice-president and treasurer. Publication office: 1270 Sixth Avenue at Rockefeller Center. New York. Telephone: Circle 7-3100. Cable address: "Quigpubco. New York." All contents copyrighted 1938 by Quigley Publishing Company. Inc. Address all correspondence to the New York office. Other Quigley publications: MOTION PICTURE HERALD. BETTER THEATRES TEATRO AL DIA. INTERNATIONAL MOTION PICTURE ALMANAC and FAME. HOLLYWOOD: Postal LTnion Life Building, Vine and Yucca Sts. ; Boone Mancall. manager; William R. Weaver, editor. WASHINGTON: Albee Building, Bertram F. Linz, representative. CHICAGO: 624 S. Michigan Ave.. C B. O'Neill, manager. AMSTERDAM: 37 Waalstraat; Philip de Schaap, representative. BERLIN: Steulerstrasse 2, Berlin W. 35; Joachim K. Rutenberg. representative. BUDAPEST: Szamos-L;tca 7. Budapest I; Endre Hevesi. representative. BUENOS AIRES: Avallaneda 3949; N. Bruski. representative. 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Ichikawa-shi, Chiba-Ken: H, Tominaga, representative. Entered as second class matter June 10. 1938. at the post office at New York. N. Y.. under the act of March 3, 1879. Subscription rates per year S6 in the Americas, and foreign $12. Single copies 10 cents.