Motion Picture Daily (July–Sept 1938)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Tuesday, July 5, 1938 My Word! ■ By Irene Kuhn . Exhibitors with Shirley Temple ^ pictures scheduled for showing next week are lucky. The little star arrived in New York yesterday and J. P. McEvoy, who did the dialogue for her latest picture, has a story about her in the latest Saturday Evening Post. ♦ Some columnists undoubtedly will comment on the Post's lucky "timing" again, for many times within the past year they've run articles which broke simultaneously with big news or promotion that tied in directly with the articles. ♦ The truth of the Shirley Temple story, however, is that SEP editors knew the date of Shirley's arrival in New York, and had McEvoy make haste to finish his piece so that they could schedule its appearance to coincide with her arrival. ▲ H. N. Swanson, former editor of College Humor, formerly with RKO and most recently literary agent in Hollywood, trains West after conferences here. . . . Erwin Gelsey is due back at his studio shortly, too. . . . Jack Kirkland and his wife, Haila Stoddard, have deserted their Pennsylvania farm for a western vacation. ▲ Selznick has shelved "Earl of Chicago" temporarily and is seeking a story for Edward G. Robinson which will give him a chance at a new characterization. Gangster roles, in which Robinson rose to fame and fortune are done. They're no go any more in the foreign market. A Conscious of a demonstrated boxoffice pull of great musicians on the screen, Hollywood has signed Violinist Jascha Heifetz and is angling for Jose Iturbi. . . . Stokowski showed his stuff with Deanna Durbin and Paderewski's appearance in "Moonlight Sonata" has been widely acclaimed. Both Heifetz and Iturbi are considered excellent picture bets. Both are photogenic and have a great following which picture moguls think can be even larger. ^ Iturbi has been conducting the Stadium concerts and will fly west the second week in July to conduct the Hollywood Bowl concerts July 14, 15, 21 and 22. He'll settle film offers while on the coast. Clancy Wins Appeal In His M-G-M Suit An appeal to the U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals has been allowed by Federal Judge Murray Hulbert to Philip T. Clancy, plaintiff in a $250,000 damage suit against Metro-Goldwyn Pictures Corp. and Robert T. Pirosh. The appeal was taken from a decision of Federal Judge Alfred C. Coxe, made March 28, dismissing Clancy's complaint. Suit was brought charging plagiarism by the defendants in "A Day at the Races" of the plaintiff's play, "Nuts to You," and asked the court for an injunction, accounting of profits and $250,000 damages. i Purely Personal ► J LONG of Jam Handy, American •Airlined to Detroit over the weekend, and other air travelers were : E. K. O'Shea of M-G-M to Buffalo, Marshall Grant of Universal to Chicago and Lou Goldberg of Tyro Productions to Washington. • Ben F. Miggins, European manager for 20th Century-Fox, and Bruno Fux, managing director in Italy, are celebrating birthdays. Also I. J. Schmertz and Sam Gross, Cleveland and Philadelphia branch heads, respectively. • Sam Goldstein, vice-president of Commonwealth Pictures Corp., has closed with George Batchelor for the exclusive 16mm. world rights to the last series of ten Chesterfield films. • Morris Helprin, London Films advertising and publicity representative here, is due Aug. 1 from conferences at Alexander Korda's Denham studios. • Nat Saland of Mercury Film Laboratories is expected back from the coast in about two weeks, via stopovers in the field. • Watterson Rothacker, who arrived from Europe on the Niemv Amsterdam, left for Hollywood over the weekend. • Joseph M. Schenck is due from the coast this morning. He has a reservation to sail on the Queen Mary tomorrow. • Jack Glenn, director of March of Time, has returned from a two-week business trip to Washington. • Mr. and Mrs. Al Christie arrived on the Champlain Friday after a Paris-London holiday. • Manny Silverstone is spending the summer at his home at Belle Harbor, as usual. • George P. Skouras is due at his office today following a trip to the coast. HERMAN MAIER, Warners construction department head, returned on the Queen Mary from London, where the company is building a theatre. Other returning passengers were Bernard Sobel of M-G-M's publicity department and Helen Gilliland, actress. • F. J. McCarthy of Universal, Mary Morrissey of Selznick International and Roger Ferri of 20th Century-Fox were American Airlines travelers over the weekend to Boston. • Phil Chakeres, head of Chakeres Theatres, Inc., Ohio circuit, and Mrs. Chakeres are en route to Europe on a health-building trip. • Archie Weltman of Loew's legal department plans a fishing trip in Canada on his vacation next week. • Milton Silver, gentleman farmer from Connecticut, is proud of his sprouting vegetable crop. • Irving Ludwig is the new manager at Rugoff & Becker's Laurel at Long Beach. Montgomery Quits U To Take Judell Post Chicago, July 4. — Steve Montgomery, U. A. salesman here for the past six years, has resigned to take charge of the Ben Judell offices in this city, St. Louis, Milwaukee and Indianapolis. Montgomery will take up his duties on July 18. No successor at the U. A. office has been named yet. Eadie Joins Fox Board W. J. Eadie, 20th Century-Fox comptroller, has been elected a member of the company's board to fill the vacancy caused by the death of John D. Clark. Acquire 'Borrowed Time' M-G-M has acquired "On Borrowed Time," dramatized by Paul Osborn from Lawrence Edwin Walker's play. Month 98 Holdovers in Keys Reach Total of 650 Weeks (Continued from page 1) portant product is being offered by the major distributors during the allegedly weak summer months, despite allegations to the contrary. Among the leading films currently enjoying long runs and holdover time in the 23 key cities which report box-office returns to Motion Picture Daily, are: "The Adventures of Marco Polo," "Crime School," "Cocoanut Grove," "Dr. Rhythm," "Holiday," "Kentucky Moonshine," "Vivacious Lady" and "Yellow Jack." July releases of the eight major companies are : Columbia — "City Streets," "Pioneer Trail," "Reformatory," "South of Arizona." M-G-M — "Shopworn Angel," "Fast Company," "Crowd Roars," "Love Finds Andy Hardy," "The Chaser." Paramount — "Pride of the West," "Tropic Holiday," "Boo Loo," "Professor Beware." RKO — "Having Wonderful Time," "Crime King," "Little Women" (reissue), "Mother Carey's Chickens," "I'm From the City," "Sky Giant." 20th-Fox — "Always Goodbye," "We're Going to be Rich," "Panamint's Bad Man," "Passport Husband," "I'll Give a Million," "Little Miss Broadway." Universal — "Rage of Paris," "Danger in the Air," "Letter of Introduction." United Artists — "South Riding," "Algiers." Warners — "Men Are Such Fools," "Mv Bill," "Racket Busters," "Penrod's Double Trouble," "Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse." Japan Delays On Easing of Import Rules (Continued from page 1) of Finance, may have had considerable to do with delay in the negotiatio^i; a settlement of the American problem. This naturally is under jurisdiction of the Finance Ministry. As the matter stands now, importation is non-existant, as it has been since October of 1937, when the prohibiting legislation became effective. With regard to the withdrawal of money from the country, a request from American interests some time ago that they be permitted to withdraw cash from Japan met with a flat and unequivocal refusal from the Japanese authorities. The cost of the Japanese hostilities in China make such restrictions virtually a necessity. However, an arrangement was struck whereby American film interests could take their money from Japan in the form of three-year notes. Roxy Gets Income Order Federal Judge Francis G. Caffey has ordered the U. S. Collector of Internal Revenue for the Third District to file any claim which he may have against the Roxy Theatre Corp. by August 1 or else be barred from filing his claim. The order was granted in response to the request of Roxy Theatre, which expressed a desire to finally wind up the affairs of the reorganization, but found it owned internal revenue for the year of Oct. 29, 1936, through Oct. 28, 1937, and from Oct. 29, 1937, to date. 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 Flnestone, Thomas Fitzslmmons. 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. 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