Motion Picture Daily (July–Sept 1938)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Friday, July 8, 1938 i Purely Personal ► DENSMORE ROSS, vice-president of Ross Federal Service in charge of branch operations, left yesterday on a branch survey, to return in about two weeks. He will visit Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Des Moines. Whitford Drake, Erpi president, will vacation in the White Mountains for approximately another month following his recent illness, before returning to his office. • Joseph M. Schenck, 20th CenturyFox chairman of the board, will arrive today from the coast. Unless plans are changed, he will sail Wednesday for London on the Normandie. • Edward P. Curtis, manager of the motion picture division of Eastman Kodak Co., left last night for a long weekend at his summer home in Maine before flying to the coast on Tuesday. • George Ross left by American Airlines for Hollywood yesterday, on vacation. He was accompanied by Mrs. Ross, who is associated with Sidney Spier in the publicity business. Eddie Forman, writer at the Warner Brooklyn studios, has bought a new car and will drive to Hollywood early next week. He will return in about a month. • W. A. Scully, Universal general sales manager, left New York last night on a two-week tour of the company's southern exchanges. • Phil Dunas, midwestern division manager for Columbia, arrived in New York yesterday from Chicago for a few days' visit. • Thomas L. Walker has returned from Los Angeles to assume his duties as New York representative of Hal Roach Productions. • Hugh Strong of the 20th CenturyFox home office accompanied S. R. Kent, president, on the latter's vacation in Maine. • Willard S. McKay, film attorney, returned to New York yesterday from a business trip to Washington. • Alfred Hitchcock will arrive from the coast Monday. He will sail next Wednesday on the Normandie. • James P. Normanly has returned to Hollywood after a vacation in New York. • Mack Gordon of Gordon and Revel is in town, at the Sherry-Netherland. • Harry Arthur, Fanchon & Marco executive, has returned to St. Louis. Mike Clofine celebrated another birthday yesterday. Whitney On Coast Hollywood, July 7. — John Hay Whitney arrived here today. 20th-Fox Quotas Are Approved by Wobber Quotas for 20th Century-Fox branches for the 1938-'39 selling season have been set by Herman Wobber, distribution head, who has approved figures submitted by Division Managers William Sussman, W. J. Kupper and W. C. Gehring. The company assigned the job of quota fixing to the field, under the division managers' supervision, and it was said that this is the first time in the history of distribution that such a direct divisional survey has been made. The branches have been given quotas that are based on past performance and actual conditions, plus potential earning power of films and investment taken into consideration. A total of 117 circuit deals for next season's product were in work early this week, it was said at the home office. Twenty-nine of the 31 exchanges in the United States will end the second quarter of 1938 ahead of revenue delivered in the corresponding period last year, it is reported. Noon Today Deadline For Writer Protests Hollywood, July 7. — The deadline for the filing of protests against the certification of the Screen Writers Guild as the bargaining agent for writers was postponed voluntarily by the National Labor Relations Board from noon today until the same time tomorrow. No protests have yet been filed. Oil Or Nothing Wesley Ruggles, Paramount director, and Claude Binyon, who writes the films Mr. Ruggles makes, received an offer from the Italian Government to produce four features at Cine City, new studio near Rome. Payment was offered in tobacco. Mr. Ruggles held out for olive oil, which is a more marketable commodity here. Italy said no go. The deal fell through. Mr. Ruggles has Italy on his itinerary on his present trip to Europe. No Request Made for Studio Labor Talks No formal request for the convening of the negotiating committees of the producers and the unions which are signatories of the five-year basic agreement with the studios has been received from any of the international unions yet, Pat Casey, producers' labor representative, reported yesterday. Mr. Casey said that no meeting will be called if specific requests for one are not received from the unions. He plans to remain in New York for another three or four weeks. Cohn, Schneider Leaving Hollywood, July 7. — Jack Cohn and Abe Schneider, Columbia executives, will entrain for the east tomorrow following 10 days of conferences. Hollywood Letter Dear Editor: The recurrent observation that "nothing is the matter with the business that good pictures won't cure" may be paraphrased to read, "Nothing is the matter with Hollywood that a full production schedule won't correct." A persistent pessimist scouting the town can dig up scare stories about labor trouble in the offing, governmental interrogation of the status quo, summer grosses and allied matters. But Hollywood gives scant ear to these matters when the payrolls are loaded as at present and the prospect is for more loading rather than less. The state of the community at this midpoint in a late summer is promiseful of some right smart motion pictures come Autumn. Omen — Marjorie Main, drafted from the stage by Sam Goldwyn to play the mother in "Dead End," reversed the process by which so many ranking stars have moved into maternal roles and on into oblivion. She has risen through 16 intervening assignments to stardom in Monogram's "The Circus Comes to Town." Travel — Sam Levene, Broadway to Sunset Boulevard for a principal part in RKO's "Mad Miss Manton." . . . I. A. R. Wylie, London to Hollywood to finish screenplay of "Daring Age," Goldwyn film introducing Jascha Hei fetz. . . . Martha Raye, Hollywood to Chicago, for personal appearances. . . . W. E. Calloway, 'Frisco, Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City and Denver to Hollywood, in behalf of company sales. Jobs — RKO department heads : Van Nest Polglase, art, Darrell Silvers, props, and Tom Peer, drapery, have received new contracts. . . . Comedians Billy Gilbert, Arthur Hoyt, Billy Burress and Margaret Hamilton have been employed by Sol Lesser for "Breaking the Ice." . . . Ralph Remley. Hallene Hill, Bernard Suss, A. S. Byron and Walter Soderling have joined out with Paramount's "Arkansas Traveler" troupe. . . . Louise Beavers and Jessie Busley will work for Warners in "Brother Rat" and the same company has given 250 extras things to do on "Devil's Island." Montage — George Brent, Olivia de Havilland, John Payne, Frank McHugh and others in the cast of Warners' "Wings of the Navy" unit are off to Pensacola, Fla., in charge of Director Lloyd Bacon, and Richard Rosson has taken a crew to Dutch Guiana to shoot some extraordinary natives for M-G-M's "Too Hot to Handle," the Gable-Loy newsreel epic the town's talking about. William R. Weaver C.E.A. Fight Brings London Plan Change By AUBREY FLANAGAN London, July 7. — The London I County Council disclosed late today that a new plan for restrictions on the operation of London theatres with respect to admissions and seat designations will be submitted to the entire ' council next Tuesday. The decision followed a storm I opposition to the proposed new P^pl by the Cinematograph Exhibitoii' Association. A deputation representing the London theatres early today met Reginald Stamp of the council and presented their case against the new plan. They suggested an alternative plan which had been tried voluntarily by the London Odeon. The council's attitude was one of i concern at the belligerancy of the C.E.A. in the matter. Mr. Stamp declared that the council was anxious to maintain the good will of the theatre men, but that failing of a new suggestion, the original council scheme would have to go through. The exhibitors were adamant and warned the official that evasions are inevitable. Hold "Wonderful Time" Holdovers in 12 key situations have been reported for "Having Wonderful Time." Among these cities are San Francisco, Cincinnati, Dayton, New Orleans, Columbus, Cleveland, Portland, Cedar Rapids, Davenport and Sioux City. Roxy Take Is $48,000 "The Rage of Paris" and the attraction of a combination film and stage show for holiday weekend visitors from out of town boosted the Roxy's take to $48,000 this week. The bill is being held. MOTION PICTURE DAILY (Registered U. S. Patent Office) MARTIN QU1GLEY, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; J. M. JERAULD. Managing Editor: JAMES A. CRON. 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; Col-fin 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 PICTUBE HERALD. BETTER THEATRES TEATBO AL DIA. INTERNATIONAL MOTION PICTURE ALMANAC and FAME. HOLLYWOOD: Postal Union Life Building. Vine and Yucca Sts. ; Boone Mancall. manager : William R. Weaver, editor. 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