Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1939)

Tuesday, February 7, 1939 MOTION PICTURE DAILY Quigley Awards to Be Decided Today Alex Manta, president, IndianaIllinois theatres; George C. Walsh, president, Neto theatres, Newburgh, N. Y., and Nat Holt, Cleveland district manager, RKO Theatres, are among the out-of-town executives expected in New York this morning to pj«;ticipate in the judging for the 1938 ■^^gley Grand Awards, sponsored by i^Jtion Picture Herald and Managers' Round Table. Over 40 industry heads in distribution, exhibition and advertising will serve on the committee meeting at the Hotel Astor at noon today, according to the listing of acceptances received by A-Mike Vogel. At luncheon to follow the judging, Merlin H. Aylesworth, publisher of the New York World-Telegram, and Martin Quigley will head the list of speakers to be introduced by Terry Ramsaye, editor, Motion Picture Herald. Entries to be judged for the 1938 Silver and Bronze Grand Awards will be those which have earned the highest ratings over the four quarters of the year's competitions. Studio Heads Not Opposed to Radio (.Continued from page 1) lems." He refused, however, to reveal the specific nature of the conversations beyond saying they had been "satisfactory." Also, he preferred to keep private the names of studio leaders with whom he spoke. Regarding complaints of exhibitors that the appearances of picture players in radio was hurting the box-office, Trammell said he was a bit impatient with such logic. Good pictures, with sound stories and production, and good names in the cast, invariably do well at the boxoffice, he said. It is only the inferior picture that does not draw, he said. "We have the same analogy in radio," he stated. "If we produce a good program we get a good audience. The same theory holds for pictures." Pictures and radio have much in common and each industry has something the other can use profitably, Trammell said. He acknowledged that the presence of picture players on the air enhanced radio programs, but on the other hand, radio has done much for motion pictures through radio exploitation, he said. Out of his conversations in Hollywood, he said, he hoped would evolve a common meeting ground for films and radio. His findings will be reported to Major Lohr when completed, he said. Morros Here to Open Foreign Film Offices Boris Morros, formerly music director at Paramount studio, arrived yesterday from the coast to set up an organization for the release of French films. He said he is negotiating with United Artists, RKO and 20th Century-Fox for the remake rights to some of the films he is acquiring. Today he will also confer with John E. Otterson, head of Tri-National, which handles pictures from France. Hollywood Previews "Stagecoach" (Continued from page 1) John Ford's swashbuckling direction, Dudley Nichols' unabashed screenplay and Walter Wanger's budgetary liberality. The Apache pursue the stagecoach and the cavalry comes to the rescue, the wrongfully incarcerated young hero shoots it out with three bad men in the village street at dusk while the population makes itself scarce, the hero big heartedly forgives the girl her shady past, the absconding banker is caught, the slick gambler turns out to have a heart of gold and the sheriff sends the young man who has suffered too much on his way to Mexico instead of to jail. Yes, it's all there, and a good deal more besides, but it's never been done this way, nor this well, before. The players engaged in all this do a handsome job. Grant Mitchell as a drunken doctor, John Carradine as a professional gambler, George Bancroft as a sheriff with a code of his own and John Wayne as a noble, straight-shooting young outlaw etch out memorable characterizations. So do Berton Churchill and Donald Meek. On the distaff side, Claire Trevor portrays a girl of the town effectively and Louise Piatt has some high moments as the woman the stork overtakes en route. The picture is at its very good best while the stagecoach of the title is rolling across such a stretch of western plain as the camera hasn't focused upon in easy memory, containing within its jouncing interior six people embodying as many vital and only coincidentally related stories. The attack by Apaches is climactic, the flight and fight are thrilling, and the rescue by cavalry is satisfyingly exciting. John Ford is entitled to a vote of thanks from the worldful of plain entertainment seekers he must have had in mind when he made the picture. Running time, 97 minutes. "G."* Roscoe Williams *"G" denotes general classification. Mayflower Pictures Is Chartered in NY Mayflower Pictures Corp., Ltd., of England has filed a designation statement with the Secretary of State at Albany qualifying it to do business in New York. The statement shows capital of £50,000 (approximately $250,000). Budd Rogers is the general manager in America. A designation statement was also filed by Walt Disney Productions, which superseded Walt Disney Enterprises in name. Both companies were originally incorporated in Los Angeles. Disney Productions has authorized capital of $2,000,000, shares valued at $10. "Made for Each Other" (Continued from page 1) could be found in every household. Jo Swerling's screen play is an understanding digest of those events and incidents. John Cromwell's direction made everything seem real. In the way the picture is acted, Carole Lombard and James Stewart are simply the prototypes of the average American husband and wife. The supporting cast, in which Charles Coburn and Lucille Watson are outstanding, are simply their employers, relatives, neighbors and associates. All seem to be living their roles. Stewart's sudden marriage to Miss Lombard is a shock to his mother, Miss Watson. The couple experience all the joys and sorrows of married life. Miss Lombard has mother-in-law trouble ; Stewart has office difficulties. The advent of the baby, of course, is a time for happy celebration. But as things go wrong for Stewart, when his fortunes at home and in the office are at lowest ebb, he does what lots of other men have done or would like to do — get drunk. Then the baby falls ill. Hard-shelled boss Coburn proves himself a real friend ; Miss Watson becomes the real kind of mother and mother-in-law ; aviator Eddie Quillan makes a spectacular cross country dash with life saving serum. Gripping suspense governs the sequences that lead to the baby's recovery. High humor is the quality ruling those in which Stewart establishes himself as master of his own household ; those in which he metamorphoses from a mouse to a man in the office. Running time, 97 minutes. "G."* G. McC. *"G" denotes general classification. Cassell Application OnRKOPlanDenied U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday denied the application of H. Cassell & Co., holders of $217,000 face amount of RKO debentures, for leave to appeal to it from Federal Judge William Bondy's order approving the RKO reorganization plan. The application was denied on the grounds that an appeal could be taken by any RKO creditor as a matter of right. According to the decision, Cassell may apply to the District Court for permission to appeal under the Chandler Act without question of its right to do so. Indications are that the order for confirmation of the plan will be sent out to all RKO creditors tomorrow in order that they will have had at least two days notice of the order's provisions by the time of the next hearing, Friday, before Judge Bondy. 3 Studio Disputes Settled by IATSE At Agents' Meeting Hollywood, Feb. 6.— At a meetingtoday of business agents of virtually every union engaged in motion picture production and presided over by Aubrey Blair, Screen Actors' Guild executive, it was announced that I. A. T. S. E. by arbitration had settled differences with machinists, carpenters and plasterers international locals here. Business representatives of unions renewed the pledge to settle differences amicably and with Blair acting as arbiter in jurisdiction disputes. Both he and other union executives said the studio utility employes' argument with I. A. T. S. E. would in all probability be settled by the end of the week. The move to adjust differences followed closely recent return of complete autonomy by International to I. A. T. S. E. Locals 37, 659, 695 and 683. 3,000 at Comerford Funeral in Scranton (Continued from page 1) J. Carey, Wilkes Barre, was the deacon. The body later was taken to the Comerford Mausoleum at St. Vincent's Cemetery in Plymouth. Comerford, who died in Miami last Wednesday night following a stroke, was born in Plymouth almost 71 years ago. Among the notables attending the services were Ambrose O'Connell, Second Assistant Postmaster General ; Carl E. Milliken, M. P. P. D. A.; Tom Connors and Ted O'Shea, M-G-M executives; Judge Larkin, Rome, N. Y. ; Michael Killatt, Oneida, N. Y. ; Joe Miller, Buffalo; William ("Dinty") Moore, New York ; F. J. A. McCarthy, F. F. Murray and Al Herman, Universal ; George Swartz, Philadelphia. Also Jules Levy, RKO general sales manager; Harvey Day, EducationalInternational ; Edward Fay, Providence ; Eddie Dowling, New York ; William Catoret, Rochester; Leon Netter, Paramount executive ; D. M. Olmstead, New York ; J. R. Grainger, Republic president. There were no honorary pallbearers. Six nephews of Comerford served as -pallbearers. Dr. EngeVs Book on Dieting Is Published Doctor William Engel, New York physician and brother of the veteran production executive, Joe Engel, has written a book entitled, "Sensible Dieting," which has just been published by Alfred A. Knopf. The book is based on long experience and intensive study by Doctor Engel on the subject of foods and their effects. Many Hollywood personalities have been patients of Doctor Engel. Hoffberg Gets 'Ma Mere* J. M. Hoffberg Co., Inc., has acquired the American distribution rights to "Mile. Ma Mere," starring Danielle Darrieux, from Joseph Auerbach, French producer.