Motion Picture Daily (July–Sept 1938)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Tuesday, July 19, Hj 4 Purely Personal ► GEORGE KAMEN, representative of the Kay Kamen enterprises in London ; Ernest C. Rolls, stage producer for the Williamson-Tait theatres in 'Australia ; Sylvia Sidney and Pamela Gordon-Howley, daughter of Beatrice Lillie, are booked as passengers on the Queen Mary, sailing tomorrow. • Mrs. Leon S. Snider, wife of the Australian exhibitor, was presented Queen Elizabeth's prayer book with the Queen's autograph after being shown through St. James's Palace in London. The Sniders arrived yesterday on the Queen Mary. • Rud Lohrenz, acting midwest district manager for Warners, left yesterday for his headquarters in Chicago after conferring with Ben Kalmenson, western and southern sales manager. e Langdon W. Post will speak at 6:30 tonight over WNYC on the sub ject "Social and Propaganda Films." The address is sponsored by the Na tional Board of Review. • Annabella, who has completed her stellar part in "Suez," will arrive tolay from the coast via TWA and will sail tomorrow on the Queen Mary for a vacation in France. • Andrew Stone, Paramount director, arrived yesterday to film background shots for "Say It in French," which will star Olympe Bradna and Ray Milland. • Estelle Dick of Hazel Flynn's Music Hall staff, left over the weekend for a two-week vacation in Minneapolis, her home town. • Elliott Nugent, Paramount director, who has finished work on "Give Me a Sailor," will arrive here tomorrow for a short vacation. • Bernie Sobel of M-G-M and Capt. Harold Auten met the Queen Mary yesterday to greet incoming friends. • Hal Horne spends his weekends at his summer home in New Hampshire, making the trip by plane to Boston. • Joseph I. Breen and Charles C. Pettijohn of the Hays organization will arrive Thursday on the Rex. • Arthur Lee will leave New York tomorrow on a tour of G. B.'s far western branches. • Ethel Merman is due from the coast today and will remain here three weeks. • Earle W. Hammons returned to New York yesterday from the coast. Will H. Hays will leave New York today for the coast. Martha Raye for Concert Chicago, July 18.— -Martha Raye will appear at a free concert in Grant Park following the close of her current engagement at the Chicago Theatre. Lynn Farnol Takes Over at U.A.; It Proves a Busy Day Lynn Farnol took over his new job of advertising director for United Artists yesterday. It was a new title more than a new job, for Farnol has been with Goldwyn and in the advertising business for a long spell. So there were no flowers on his desk at 729 7th ave. when he arrived, just a Japanese beetle which he flipped off before plunging into a mess of conferences and activities which made the U.A. boys glad there's an air conditioning unit functioning around the plant. Before reporting at 729, Farnol had dropped in at Donahue & Coe, picked up his things and completed some last minute Music Hall work with Lewis Kaufman and Ed Churchill. "Drums" the Beginning When he arrived at 729, he found a pad full of memoranda compiled by a sun-tanned secretary just back from Bermuda. He made an inventory of the U.A. productions, wrote a letter on "Drums," the picture on which they're building high hopes, checked the figures on "Algiers" and found them good. "The reviews have been overwhelming," said Farnol. "And the boxoffice figures even more satisfying. The Music Hall had a line waiting for an hour and a quarter Sunday — a hot July Sunday. The four playing days thus far have netted $58,900. The take on the first week will be close to $91,000, maybe over. It's in for a second week, probably a third." Farnol checked advertising on "Algiers," conferred with George Schaefer and A. W. Smith on trade paper advertising appropriation for "Al giers," had a confab with Gus Eysell on the second week's appropriation for "Algiers" and wrote a couple of letters to Howard Dietz and the committee meeting at luncheon to consider the industry's cooperative national advertising campaign for fall. He popped out at 1 o'clock to have luncheon uptown with friends, far from the film whirl, and returned to meet Eddie Small in Harry .Buckley's office. There were two big but informal department meetings after that, a meeting with the man who will take over his work for Norman Bel Geddes, a conference with Monroe Greenthal on trade paper advertising, another conference with Mr. Cecil of Cecil, Warwick and Legler on the advertising campaign for "The Young in Heart" to be released about the middle of August. On Phone with Whitney He started a poster on "The Young in Heart," got the fan magazine advertising for it under way, joined Schaefer and Smith for another conference, setting a release date of July 29 for "Algiers" for the Loew houses, came back to his office for a breather and a rush of informal comings and goings, and wound up at 6:30 P.M. talking to John Hay Whitney who had called him from the coast. And last night he put in an appearance at the Versailles where they were exploiting "Algiers" again with a show staged by Leonidoff who gathered the talent for this "Night in Algiers" benefit for the vacation fund of the Women's Exchange. Just an average day. Mainstreet in K. C. Is Forced to Close Kansas City, July 18. — Because of high rental and poor grosses the 3,100-seat Mainstreet, first run outlet of RKO and Grand National, will close on Thursday. There are no plans at the present time for its reopening. William Elson, manager, will return to Minneapolis, where he manages the Seventh Street. The Orpheum here is being renovated for fall opening, presumably under RKO management. Postpone NLRB Hearing Hollywood, July 18. — Dr. Towne Nylander, regional NLRB director, today postponed the hearing of the petition of the Studio Utility Employes, Local 724, asking to be declared the collective bargaining representatives for laborers at Republic, which was filed when Local 724 charged the IATSE with absorbing its members there. The postponement was ordered pending attempts at settlement of the dispute between the unions by conferences. LeRoy Assigns Taurog Hollywood, July 18. — Mervyn LeRoy has signed Norman Taurog to direct "The Wizard of Oz," Mr. LeRoy's first under his M-G-M contract. To start within a month, the film will be in color. Thirteen New Films Win Legion Approval The National Legion of Decency has approved 13 of IS new pictures for the current week, eight for general patronage and five for adults, and has classified two as objectionable in part. The new films and their classification follow : Class A-l, Unobjectionable for General Patronage — "Endstation" (German), "Highway Patrol," "Little Miss Broadway," "Little Tough Guy," "Love Finds Andy Hardy," "Professor Beware," "Rollin' Plains," "The Unholy Beebes." Class A-2, Unobjectionable for Adults — "Algiers," "Gordian der Tyrann," "Mercedes" (Spanish), "Passport Husband," "Que Tiempos Aquellos (Spanish). Class B, Objectionable in Part — "El Derecho y el Deber" (Spanish), "Sky Giant." Schenck on Coast Hollywood, July 18. — Nicholas M. Schenck arrived from New York today to spend a week conferring on new M-G-M product. He was accompanied by Mrs. Schenck. Ross Takes Warner Post Hollywood, July 18. — Robert Ross has been named a unit manger at the Warner studio, replacing Carroll Sax, who took over the duties as studio manager of Joseph Gilpin, resigned. "Ragtime Band" Se For Special Showir ■ A special preview for the press ; a number of celebrities of 20th C tury-Fox's "Alexander's Ragti Band," will be held tonight at 8 P.M. at the Hollywood Theal which has been specially engaged the screening. The house can acco, modate 1,470 persons and the co pany's home office yesterday stjj every seat will be filled. Among those who are expected attend are Irving Berlin, M. H. Ayl worth, William S. Paley, Al Snii Ben Bernie, Jack Dempsey, P; Whiteman, Annabella, Phil Bak Jimmy Durante, Morton Down Richard Himber, Ozzie Nelson, R; tnond Page, Billy Rose, Martha Ra Phil Spitalny, Gilbert Seldes, Rd Vallee, Sidney R. Kent, Henr Wobber, William C. Michael, Willi; Sussman, William Gehring, Willi; Kupper, Charles Moskowitz, L Lehr, Joseph Bernhard, W. W. A rich, George S. Kaufman, Moss H; and Sam Harris. Small Is Grief -Stricke Eddie Small, who was to have pi duced "The Duke of West Poin starring Jack Dunn, ice skati champ, and starting him on a care was consumed with a deep persoi anguish in New York yesterday o\ the youthful athlete's death. Mr. Small had a great personal afft tion for young Mr. Dunn, and h looked forward to the blossoming what promised to be a great caret When Mr. Dunn was taken sick M Small was constantly at the hospit postponing his trip to New Yo until the second day of sustaim progress seemed to promise recovei Twelve hours after he arrived lie word came of Mr. Dunn's death. MOTION PICTURE DAILY (Registered U. S. Patent Office) M Alt TIN QUIGLEY. Editor-in-Chief and Po Usher; J. M. JERAULD, Managing Edit; JAMES A. CBON. Advertising Manager. MJ TORIAL STAFF: Charles S. Aaronson, Jack .Bner Al Finestone. Thomas Fitzsimmons. Shera A. Kane, Irene Kuhn. Joseph Priore. Published daily except Sunday and holiaa Sept. to May and daily except Saturday. Sund and holidays June, July and Aug. by Qmg Publishing Company, Inc., Martin Quigley, prei dent: Colvin Brown, vice-president and treasim Publication office: 1270 Sixth Avenue at Roc* feller Center. New York. Telephone: Circle 7-3W Cable address: '•Quigpubco. New York. J contents copyrighted 1938 by Quigley Publish Company, Inc. Address all correspondence to u New York office. Other Quigley Publication MOTION PICTURE HERALD. BETTER TBI ATRES, TEATRO AL DIA. INTERNATIONA MOTION PICTURE ALMANAC and FAME. HOLLYWOOD: Postal Union Life Buildlw Vine and Yucca Sts. ; Boone Mancall, manage William R. Weaver, editor. WASHINGTON Albee Building. Bertram F. Linz. represents™ CHICAGO: 624 S. Michigan Ave.. C. B. OM manager. AMSTERDAM : 37 Waalstraat; PBH de Schaap. representative. BERLIN: Steulet strasse 2, Berlin W. 35: Joachim K. Rutenberi representative. BUDAPEST: Szamos-Utca ■ Budapest I; Endre Hevesi, representative. BUENO AIRES: Avallaneda 3949; N. Bruski, represent! live. 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