Motion Picture Daily (July–Sept 1938)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Thursday, September 22, 1938 i Purely Personal ► ED FAY, in New York from Providence on a periodic business visit, was stranded here yesterday when New Haven trains were discontinued beyond Stamford because of conditions resulting from prevailing weather conditions. • Johnny "Scat" Davis will leave today for personal appearances in Washington and Philadelphia. He will then go to the coast to start work in "Going Places" for Paramount. • John Manheimee, I.T.O.A. executive secretary, and Dave Manheimer, operator of the Alba, Brooklyn, are mourning the death of their mother. The funeral was held yesterday. • Erich Von Stroheim, who is appearing in English and French pictures, is due to sail today with his son on the He de France after a vacation here. • Al Trahan will sail on the He de France today for a vaudeville engagement in London. Jack Powell, entertainer, will sail to appear in Zurich. • Luella Gear has returned to New York for the opening of "Carefree," in which she makes her screen debut. • Alton Brody, general sales manager for Dufaycolor, has returned from Hollywood conferences. • Gene Murphy, Loew's State publicity chief, is vacationing in Chicago, his home town. They All Say Goodbye, But Queen Mary Fails to Leave (Continued from page I) little, as he wanted to get back to Britain before any international trouble should start. The notices posted said that passengers who wished to spend the night ashore might do so, but they would have to be on board by 3 A. M. today. Before the boat was supposed to sail, about 30 of Mr. Smith's friends, including many from United Artists, where he formerly was general sales manager, crowded his cabin and there was a party. Mr. Morris is going over primarily for the opening of the new Warner Theatre in London's Leicester Square, the company's first house on foreign soil, scheduled for opening Oct. 12. He said he spoke with Jack L. Warner, head of production, by long distance yesterday and Mr. Warner was not certain whether he could make the opening because of the press of production matters on the coast. Mr. Jarratt was here seven weeks on a vacation and to renew acquaintances in New York, Hollywood and Canada. On the coast he said he observed a desire among the studios to make pictures for the international market, with the British Empire especially in mind, which, he added, is as it should be since 75 per cent of the films shown in Great Britain are from Hollywood. Smith Sails; Hopes To Become Exhibitor Andrew W. Smith, Jr., until recently general sales manager of United Artists, plans to enter the exhibition field, he said yesterday before sailing on the Queen Mary for a month's vacation. Before joining U. A. a year ago he discussed a deal with the Springer estate to take over several houses formerly operated here by the late Jack Springer. Mr. Smith said the deal has not been revived but that he will make definite plans upon his return. His itinerary includes London, Paris, Rome, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium and Italy. Malcom Browne in Deal Malcolm Browne Pictures Corp. has closed a franchise deal with Superior Pictures for distribution of the company's 1938-'39 lineup in Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis and Indianapolis territories. John E. Browne, president, has just returned from Chicago where he closed the deal with James Jovany, president of Superior; George Miller, sales manager, and J. L. Manta, Chicago business man who is backing the enterprise. Deals for Kansas City and Omaha also are under discussion. McFadden Tells of Directors' Duties Hollywood, Sept. 21. — Divergence of duties of directors and assistants and unit managers today was told by V. L. McFadden, assistant production manager, and Frank Mezler, studio manager of 20th Century-Fox, at a National Labor Relations Board hearing of the Screen Directors' Guild petition to be declared the collective bargaining agency for these crafts. Mr. McFadden, queried as to whethere directors chose their own assistants, declared there were some instances 'in which directors named assistants who were relatives. RKO-Cantor Sign for One Hollywood, Sept. 21. — RKO today signed an agreement with Eddie Cantor for one picture to be made within the next six months with Pandro Berman as producer. Warners to Operate Palace, Orange, N. J. The Warner circuit, through Stanley Co. of America, has taken over operation of the Palace, an independent theatre in Orange, N. J., in a buying and booking deal similar to the arrangement the circuit has with several other New Jersey operations. Buying and booking for the Palace formerly was done by Moe Kridel, who remains the nominal operator. The Kridel family is interested in several theatres in New Jersey. "Birth" Wins Approval Richmond, Sept. 21. — State's Attorney General Staples has endorsed and sent to the Virginia censor board Judge Julian Gunn's ruling ordering the licensing of "The Birth of a Baby," previously rejected. Mr. Staples said the ruling will not be appealed. Grandiose Film London, Sept. 21. — Paramount's first major quota film, "Royal Divorce," produced by Herbert Wilcox and directed by Jack Raymond, is a grandiose, if unexciting, picture costing £75,000, but appearing to be worth double. It tells conscientiously, without humor, the intimate story of Napoleon and Josephine, and the emotional tragedy of the Emperor forced into divorce from the woman he loves. The spectacular staging tends to dwarf the human element. Flanagan Hammons Arrives in New York on Monday Hollywood, Sept. 21. — E. W. Hammons said today he will leave here on Friday, planning to arrive in New York next Monday. He will outline the complete Grand National product lineup next Thursday or Friday in New York. Yesterday and today, Mr. Hammons continued to devote his time to studio conferences with E. L. Alperson, vice-president in charge of sales, Jack Skirball and Franklyn Warner, head of Fine Arts Pictures, which is scheduled to make 26 pictures for Grand National release. No other producer affiliations have been indicated as yet, but they are not considered unlikely. "Can't Take It" Took $313,000 in 3 Weeks "You Can't Take It With You" garnered $313,000 in its three-week run at the Music Hall, ending last night. The third week's take was $90,000. "Boys Town" took $32,000 in a second week at the Capitol. The Astor did $15,145 with "Marie Antoinette" in a fifth week, following a fourth week's gross of $16,650. RKO said that "Room Service" yesterday gave the Rivoli its biggest opening day gross in two years, despite the rain. "Four Daughters" is being held a third week at the Brooklyn Paramount. For the three-weeks run the theatre estimates a take of $65,000. Settle "Cowboy" Dispute Hollywood, Sept. 21. — Attorneys for Samuel Goldwyn reached an amicable settlement with Clyde Fitch's heirs today in a dispute over the right to the title of "Cowboy and the Lady" whereupon Mr. Goldwyn changed it back to that from "Lady and the Cowboy," which had been temporarily affixed. Mr. Goldwyn started shooting today on "Restless Age," formerly called "Daring Age," with Jascha Heifetz directing an orchestra of 77 pieces. Alfred Newman will appear in the film. Circuits Sign Pact With Service Union A 10-year basic agreement was signed yesterday with the Building and Service Employes Union, Local 54, by representatives of major circuits, Broadway houses and independent theatres, guaranteeing several hundred New York film houses against strikes, boycotts, picketing and lockouts." Included in the pact are porkers, cleaners, matrons and watchmef1 In addition to a 48-hour week, the" agreement provides a minimum wage scale of $16.80 for men and $14.40 for women, subject to revision every two years. The pact involves 3,000 employes. The negotiations had been under way for two years and the agreement was signed late yesterday in the office of C. C. Moskowitz in the Loew Building. Among the signers of the agreement are Loew's, RKO, the Brandt circuit, Randforce, Skouras, Fabian, the New York Strand, Rivoli, Roxy, Paramount and a few members of the I. T. O. A. Jesse Lasky Returns On Radio-Film Deal Jesse L. Lasky will arrive in New York from Chicago today to resume negotiations with major companies for the sponsorship of his radio-film broadcast idea. Details of the plan have been kept secret by Mr. Lasky pending the closing of a deal. Negotiations, it is understood, have been conducted with Paramount and RKO, but, so far as could be learned, have not been concluded. Indications are that the sponsorship proposal now will be broached to another company. Ralph Kohn is associated with Mr. Lasky on the radio-film proposal. MOTION PICTURE DAILY (Registered U. S. Patent Office) MARTIN QUIGLEY. Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; J. M. JERAULD, Managing Editor; JAMES A. CRON, Advertising Manager. EDITORIAL STAFF: Charles S. Aaronson. Jack Banner, Al Finestone, Sherwin A. Kane, Joseph Friore. Published daily except Saturday, Sunday and holidays by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., Martin Quigley, president; Colvin Brown, vicepresident 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. 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