Motion Picture Daily (July–Sept 1938)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Out Hollywood Way Thursday, September 29, 1938 "Algiers" Big Seattle Draw; Pulls $7,600 Seattle, Sept. 28. — "Algiers" stenned out front in a big way as a b««iffice draw at the Liberty. The STSR) take was S2,600 over normal. It was held. "Marie Antoinette" went $1,300 over the line on a gross of $8,300 at the Fifth Avenue and was held. "Three Loves Has Nancy" and "Prison Break" went into the profit column on a take of $7,400 at the Paramount and were moved to the Music Box. Estimated takings for the week ending Sept. 23: "ALEXANDER'S RAGTIME BAND" (20th-Fox) BLUE MOUSE— (950). 30c-40c-55c, 7 davs, 5th week, extended run from Fifth Avenue. Gross: $4.100. (Average. $4,000) "MARIE ANTOINETTE" (M-G-M) FIFTH AVENUE— (2.500) . 30c-40c-55c, 7 days. Gross: $8,300. (Average, $7,000) "ALGIERS" (U. A.) LIBERTY— (1.800), 20c-30c-40c-55c. 7 davs. Gross: $7,600. (Average. $5,000) ' "SING YOU SINNERS" (Para.) "DANGER ON THE AIR" (Univ.) MUSIC BOX— (950), 30c-40c-55c. 7 days, 3rd week, extended run from Orpheum. Gross: $3,650. (Average. $4,000) "VALLEY OF THE GIANTS" (W. B.) "KEEP SMILING" (20th-Fox) ORPHEUM— (2.450). 30c-40c. 7 days. Gross: $5,200. (Average, $6,000) "MR. CHUMP" (W. B.) "MAKING THE HEADLIES" (Col.) PALOMAR— (1.500), 15c-25c-35c. 7 days. Vaudeville headed bv Bovce Ladd. Gross: $4,000. (Average. $4,500) "THREE LOVES HAS NANCY" (M-G-M) "PRISON BREAK" (Univ.) PARAMOUNT— (3.050). 30e-40c. 7 days. Gross: $7,400. (Average. $6,000) Mrs. Edison to Help At Tablet Unveiling Mrs. Thomas A. Edison, widow of the inventor, is scheduled to unveil a bronze tablet during the ceremonies Oct. 4 marking the site of the Koster & Bial Music Hall where films were shown commercially for the first time in this country. The tablet will be placed on the 34th St. side of Macy's at Herald Square. The commemoration is under the auspices of the Motion Pictures' Greatest Year campaign committee. The plaque reads : HERE THE MOTION PICTURE BEGAN At this site On the night of April 23. 1896, at Koster & Bial's Music Hall Thomas A. Edison's Motion Pictures were projected. Dedicatory speeches will be made by Will H. Hays and Percy Straus, president of Macy's. Howard Dietz, chairman of the campaign's executive committee, will be master of ceremonies, and there will be a musical program. City officials will attend. Open Sundays at Laurel Laurel. Miss.. Sept. 28. — Laurel and other towns in Jones County have Sundav film shows for the first time. Exhibitors have been given to understand the blue laws will not be construed as aoplyingr to films. When exhibitors attempted to open houses on Sunday five vears aeo thev were all i ailed and later fined. Exhibitors said they would attempt to open regularly on Sundays hereafter. Hollywood, Sept. 28. — Joan Fontaine has been borrowed from RKO by Edward Small for the feminine lead opposite Louis Hayward, also for RKO, in "Duke of West Point," United Artists. Pleased by their work together in "The Sisters," Jack L. Warner has ordered his story department to seek a suitable story again to co-star Bette Davis and Errol Flynn. . . . Gladys Swarthout has returned to Hollywood to prepare for her role in Paramount's "Ambush." . . . Warners will present the American Legion a onereel subject made during the visitation of the Legionnaires to the studio. . . . Sol Lesser has announced his intention of seeking young writers, acquainted with juveniles, to place them on seven productions he plans for the new season. Warners' preparations for the remake of "The Sea Hawk," with Errol Flynn, as star, move along steadily, with Seton I. Miller turning in the completed screenplay. . . . Dick Powell and Rosemary Lane will head the cast of "Words and Music," at Warners. . . . M-G-M's annual "Tarzan" picture is being prepared by Sam Zimbalist, who will place Tohnny Weismuller and Maureen O'Sullivan in the leading roles. . . . Mervyn LeRoy will produce M-G-M's "The Unvanquished," for which Sidney Howard wrote the screenplay. . . . Robert Warwick replaces George Bancroft, ill, as Jackie Cooper's father in Monogram's "Gangster's Boy" . . . George Raft will go back on Paramount's salary list Oct. 5, and his first assignment following his suspension for refusal to play in "St. Louis Blues" will be in "The Ladv's From Kentucky." + Casting— Claude Rains and Fay Bunter draw principal roles m "Episode," Warners. . . . Ann Sheri Reduce Film Supply In London* s Vaults London, Sept. 28.— On the suggestion of the Home Office of the British Government, every film company in Wardour Street, London's "film row," has removed every unnecessary foot of film from its vaults. Only the necessary footage on current releases is being held at the offices. Outlying studios are cooperating by accepting films for storage. The move was designed to remove every possible danger of fire in London, and is part of the preparedness activity in the city. Rename Miss Fitzgerald New Haven, Sept. 28— Katherine Fitzgerald has been reelected president of Unit B-41 of the exchange employes' union. Other officers named are: Business agent, Jack Mullen; vice-president, William Nutile ; treasurer, James Mahan ; sergeant-at-arms, Terry Massimini ; secretary, Betty Barger. The executive board consists of the officers and two new members. Homer Downey and Henry Brunig. An installation party has been planned for today. dan and Barbara Pepper in "They Made Me a Criminal," Warners. . . . Nana Bryant in "Out West with the Hardys," M-G-M. . . . Tommy Wonder gives up his famous dancing doll act to turn straight actor in "Gangster's Boy," Monogram. . . . Wayne Morris in "BroJher Orchid," Warner vehicle for Edward G. Robinson. . . . Ruth Rogers, the Spokane discovery of Bing Crosby, draws the lead opposite William Boyd in the ShermanParamount "Riders of the Range." . . . Bernadene Hayes in "King of Chinatown," Paramount. . . . Joe Cunningham in "Women in the Wind," Warners. . . . Paulette Evans and Janet Shaw in "Nancy Drew, Detective," Warners. . . . Hobart Cavanaugh in "Strange Faces," Universal. . . . Raymond Hatton in "Tom Sawyer, Detective," Paramount. + Contracts — Warners has signed to a term acting pact Mary Wrixon, 20, and placed her in "Nancy Drew," Detective," for her film debut, and has extended the contracts of Robert Haas, art director, and Frank Perkins, music arranger. . . . Vincent Lawrence has been given a writer's contract at M-G-M. + Writers — Tom Reed has been assigned to the screenplay of Universal^ "The Sun Never Sets." . . . Earl Baldwin to the script of "Brother Orchid," Dean Franklin on the "Nancy Drew" series, and Warren Duff on "Oklahoma Kid," all at Warners. + Title change — The final title of "Curtain Call," Warner picture with Kay Francis, Ian Hunter and John Litel, has been designated as "Comet Over Broadway," the name under which it started. Leahy Takes Stand At Directors Meeting Hollywood, Sept. 28. — Attempting to show that clashes between directors and unit managers to dispute the Screen Directors' Guild contention that it is the proper bargaining unit for directors, assistants and unit managers, Fred Leahy, production control manager for Paramount, today at the N.L.R.B. hearing of the Screen Directors' Guild petition, cited several instances of the disputes. The cases showed variances of opinion between workers over costs and procedure to the detriment of some pictures. Shearer Northwest Head Seattle, Sept. 28. — Ben F. Shearer, president of the B. F. Shearer Theatre Equipment Co., will head the Northwest Film Club for the coming year. He replaces Al Rosenberg. Fred Mercy, Jr., of Yakima and Leroy V. Johnson of Seattle have been elected vice-presidents. Ed Lamb of RKO has been reelected secretary-treasurer. New trustees are : Mr. Rosenberg, Peter Higgins, Harry Blatt, Frank Christie, Herndon Edmond and George Blair. TRUE STORIES FROM ALTEC FILES RAY R. KELSALL, district manager of the San Jose Amusement Co., Inc. Races Through Holiday Traffic; Saves Sun. Show SAN JOSE, CAL. — "On a recent Sunday afternoon, during peak show hours, with over 1200 in the audience at the Victory Theatre, the sound stopped during the last reel of the feature film," declared Ray R. Kelsall, district manager of the San Jose Amusement Co., Inc. "Although Sunday traffic in San Jose is heavy, the Altec Inspector, J. W. Gilroy, actually got to my theatre in five minutes. He found a line fuse to the amplifier was constantly blowing, and at once installed his emergency amplifier. This took five minutes and the show was resumed without loss of a single patron. "Gilroy located a defective insulation in an obscure place that was causing arcing to the transformer. He worked until 1 A.M., and got the regular amplifier operating properly." • • • No matter what type or model your sound equipment is, the Altec Service Inspector is equipped by training and experience to make it deliver peak performance at all times. ALTEC SERVICE CORPORATION 250 West 57th Street New York City. Gentlemen: If I can get better sound projection out of my equipment by having Altec Service, you may have the Altec Inspector in my neighborhood call me for an appointment. No obligation to me, of course. NAME THEATRE ADDRESS CITY 1 "...THAT YOUR THEATRE MAY NEVER BE DARK.