Motion Picture Daily (July–Sept 1938)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Wednesday, July 13, 19 4 Purely Personal ► TIOMAS D. THACHER, attorney for Atlas Corp. in the RKO reorganization, will sail with his family aboard the Manhattan today for a vacation, accompanied by Arthur A. Ballantine, attorney, and his family. Leon S. Snider of the Snider-Dean circuit in Australia is due Monday on the Queen Mary from London. He will remain here a month before leaving for Sydney via the west coast. • Bob Donahue, who has covered about every kind of a flying stunt that has been performed in recent years, is completing 25 years of service with RKO Pathe News. • Harold Lloyd and Joe Reddy will go to Atlantic City tomorrow for the opening there of "Professor, Beware." They will be back in New York Friday night. • E. C. Mills, Ascap administrative committee chairman, has returned from the west coast and is vacationing for a few days at his Shelter Island home. • Al Sindlinger, director of advertising and promotion for March of Time, is spending a two-week vacation at Marion, O., with his parents. • Will H. Hays will arrive in New York from the coast today. He is expected to remain here for only a brief stay before returning to Hollywood. • Earle W. Hammons, Educational president, is en route to the coast for a brief visit. He is expected back at his office Monday. • Jo Mielziner, theatrical scenic designer, and Mrs. Mielziner, will return from Europe on the Conte di Savoia today. • Arthur Lee, G. B. vice-president, will leave next week on a tour of the company's western branches. • Helen Jepson left last night for Hollywood via American Airlines. OVERNIGHT TO LOS ANGELES Big, luxurious Flagship Skysleepers. No change of planes. Air-conditioned at airports — nature-cooled en route. The Southern AllYear route. Complimentary meals. To Los A n gelea or San Francisco, 8149.95. 10% saving on round-trip flights. The MERCURY The SOUTHERNER lif . N, vwirk 5:10 p.m. Lv. Newark . .9:00p.m. FO /< It ES ER VA HONS Call >.,.ir travel agent or VAnderbilt 3-2580. I k. i Offices: 45 Vanderbill Avenue and Roclce Valentino 's Revived Appeal Surprise of Current Season {Continued from page 1) two pictures on his contract. He was so popular then that we bought those two pictures for $50,000 each and wherever we played them we ran a full week to capacity audiences. "This time, in buying 'The Son of a Sheik' we naturally didn't match that business, nor did we expect to. But there was sufficient curiosity everywhere to get real box-office results. There was not enough curiosity, however, to sustain two pictures in the same spots, and it worked out that whichever picture showed first picked up the cream of that curiosity business. "I feel now, however, that the legend has run its course so far as extracting any further box-office values from it for other revivals is concerned. Persons who had seen Valentino in the early days went to see the revival to discover what it was that had made him a legend. Others who had never seen him went for the same reason. I doubt if there can ever be another profitable Valentino revival. "What will happen — what is happening— is that many picture people are now rushing in to dig up any dead star who ever had box-office appeal to try to cash in on it. There's talk of putting out some of Jean Harlow's early pictures. I doubt if any such bring-back-the-dead movement will work, however, for it must be remembered that there was only one Valentino." Artcinema Associates, selling the revivals, have had such a flood of letters, inquiries and pleas for written material on Valentino that Beulah Livingston, publicity director, took three weeks and worked steadily night after night to complete a 30,000 word "Remember Valentino" to statisfy the demand and establish a new kind of exploitation material. Miss Livingston reports theatre managers as well as the home office have been deluged with letters and inquiries and if the book could have been ready earlier, 30,000 copies could have been sold in New York, Philadelphia and Chicago, during the run. In Chicago the run at the Garrick was extended twice after the first week. Philadelphia played "The Son of a Sheik" five weeks at the Erlanger and two weeks at the News, The 90-page life story is issued today at 25 cents a copy. The first run of 50,000 copies will be distributed in chain drugstores, theatre lobbies where the film is showing, and selected bookstores. A deal is also pending for rights to Spanish translation and French serial rights have been sold to Canada. United Artists have just bought back distribution rights for Argentine, Paraguay, Uruguay, Straits Settlements, Cuba and Siam. Spanish titles will be used. Arthur Kelly closed the deal. "Originally," Mr. Kelly said, "the picture was produced by Artcinema Corp. for Joseph Schenck, and others, including some United Artists stockholders. Artcinema went into voluntary liquidation and got out of the producing business selling a portfolio of their stories and rights in the films to Emil Jensen. Emil Jensen is now in Artcinema Associates, Inc., and has sold the aforementioned foreign rights back to United Artists on "The Son of a Sheik," on one of our regular distribution deals." (elk 1H W. Mtli St. AMERICAN AIRLINES * m Schenck Heads Film Group Sailing Today {Continued from page 1) ager, will sail to take over the Paris office as a permanent assignment. The passenger list also includes : Michael Clofine, managing editor of News of the Day, who will confer at the London, Paris and Rome offices ; Alfred Hitchcock, British director, and his wife, Alma Reville, who have been visiting here and in Hollywood ; Edwin H. (Buddy) Morris, head of Music Publishers Holding Corp., and Harry Warren, Warner songwriter ; Bert Wheeler, en route to a personal appearance tour in the British Isles, with two weeks set at London's Palladium ; Benny Goodman, George Sanders and the Rio Brothers. "Tropic Holiday;' $26,000 "Tropic Holiday" garnered $26,000 in a second week at the Paramount. The first week's take was $40,000. "My Bill" gave the Strand $10,800. "Fast Company" did $6,000 at the Rialto. "Algiers" Debut Today Hollywood, July 12. — Walter Wanger's "Algiers," starring Charles Boyer, Hedy Lamarr and Sigrid Gurie, will have its premiere here tomorrow night at the Four Star Theatre. London Board Votes Theatre Regulation {Continued from page 1) operate a plan of their own devising. Herbert Morrison, chairman of the council, claimed the body's action was in the public interest and appealed to the trade not to quarrel with the council and the public. Preview Astor Museum Members of the press and others have been invited to a preview of the "Marie Antoinette" museum at the Astor today, to inspect the costumes, jewelry and furniture used in the MG-M film, which will start a roadshow at the theatre early in August. The museum will be opened to the general public tomorrow. Allied Stages a Party About 100 members of Allied of New Jersey and guests frolicked at Ben Marden's Riviera last night at a party sponsored by the organization. Many local exchange men were present. "Texans" Debut Sellout San Antonio, July 12. — The Majestic, 3,700-seat theatre here, is entirely sold out for the premiere of "The Texans," Paramount film which will open here Friday night. Marchetti Has New Plan foi Italian Film {Continued from page 1) other producers whom he said he_^ not at liberty to name had agra, participate also in the event it i? proved. He said that he believ about six pictures could be made a nually by as many American pi ducers, and added that a number Hollywood stars and directors, whe he declined to identify, also had agre to work in Italy if the project w finalized. While the bulk of the financi would be supplied by Italian intere under Mr. Marchetti's plan, he < clared that certain producers and st; would either be paid by his own ( ganization or would have their s aries guaranteed by it. The Itali interests, in addition to the Itali versions of the pictures, would ceive Continental European distril tion rights. Mr. Marchetti said tl preliminary negotiations in connect: with the proposal have been conduc over the past six months with Itali interests. The attorney described the propo simply as "a plan to get money * of Italy." Mr. Marchetti was attorney for j late Irving Thalberg, for Mr. Sch berg, Bing Crosby and other Hoi wood personalities. He is the autl of the recent book, "The Law Stage, Screen and Radio." He pi; to be in Italy about a month, retu ing to New York about the first September. Lloyd Talks Fields De Harold Lloyd discussed with W. Fields the possibility of producing { tures starring the latter and utiliz Mr. Lloyd's production organizati spokesmen for Lloyd said yesterd Distribution arrangements will not negotiated for some time, due to present uncertain status of the ent plan, it was said. Suspend Shorts 3 Wee The RKO Pathe shorts departm will close for three weeks from J 15 to August 8. ==^== === LOS ANGELE The Best Air Servi FOR YOU • Only United Air Lines' fam "Continental" lets you have full business day in New Yi with 8:55 a.m. arrival in Angeles. Only United offers deluxe, limited-stop Sleeper h ing New York at midnight. 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