Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1939)

'hursday, September 21, 1939 Motion Picture Daily 11 Insider's Outlook ===== By SAM SHAIN ■ IT took a World War to kill double features in one circuit. Elsewhere in this *■ issue there is a London story to the effect that the Odeon Circuit, one of Britain's largest cinema chains, is going single feature because of war conditions. WITH Sidney Rechetnik, along Broadway — at Ralph's, on W. 45th Street, Larry Hart, song writer, giving voluble appraisals of certain actors to a talent agent : "Milton Berle, he's swell." AT Sardi's, the head man, Vincent Sardi, himself reveals that he and Mrs. Sardi are now the proud owners of a house at Manhasset. "Ycu must come up sometime," says the man who, for 20 years, has fed the big and the small in show business — mostly the big, and whose famous restaurant, on W. 44th Street, is the rendezvous of the theatre's who's who. In those 20 years, the restaurateur's constant companion, in business, as well as at home, has been Mrs. Sardi. In all that time, neither has put in less than 16 hours daily at their tasks. The younger Sardi, now a couple of years out of college, is associated in the business. AT Bob Goldstein's Tavern — midnight — a pretty girl who has just left Sardi's, rushes in to meet Eddie Dowling, Shubert dance director — later, at McGinnis' on Broadway, a tired Warner Bros, press agent and a trade paper journalist, enjoying a frankfurter. IMMY CANNON, former Hearst sports writer, is now with Lord and Thomas, in charge of the agency's publicity department. HENDRIK WILLEM VAN LOON humorously avers he may insist on his "one per cent royalty" from Monogram, in connection with "The Fight for Peace," which that company is releasing and which he helped to make. Van Loon was once asked by M-G-M to consider writing for films, at $3,000 weekly. This was while Van Loon was in Stockholm. The offer came by transAtlantic telephone. After figuring out what his income tax would be on that kind of a deal, Van Loon decided in favor of the comparative peace and quiet of the Swedish city. A few months ago, Van Loon and Greta Garbo were passengers on the same transAtlantic liner, on its way to the U. S. Through the ship's commander, Van Loon presented Miss Garbo with an autographed copy of his book, "Our Battle," which is the author's answer to Hitler's "Mein Kampf." Miss Garbo sent back brief word that she was making an exception in accepting the book, as she never accepts anything gratis from anybody. By contrast, when Van Loon presented a copy of his book to the Swedish Crown Prince the author received an 8-page reply — but after all he's only a crown prince. THIS is the time for exhibitors to voice their views regarding radio review of pictures and the Jimmy Fidler type of broadcast. Tell us what you think in plain words. IN England, the Daily Film Renter, edited by Ernest W. Fredman, and The Cinema, of which Sam Harris is editor, have decided, because of war conditions, to work co-operatively. The two journals have agreed to publish alternately, with each retaining its identity, however. Kinematograph Weekly, S. G. Rayment, editor, has announced it will continue its service to the trade with as little variance as possible, under existing conditions. TUESDAY at the Warner Bros. Club golf tournament at Glen Oaks, Mike Vogel, in a sand trap blasting away as if he were building a house, suddenly looked up to learn that his teammates had all shot in different directions, and said : "Let me know where we meet again after I get out of this one." Hollywood In Brief Hollywood, Sept. 20. — Mrs. Arthur Loew took a train today to join her husband in New York . . . M-G-M, because of preview reactions to "Thunder Afloat," starring Wallace Beery, today decided to push production plans , for "20 Mule Team" which will also >star Beery ... It is a story of borax mines in and about Death Valley . . . 1 J. Walter Ruben will produce. Z^^entieth Century-Fox today revi\ ^>lans for "The Californian," story of the gold rush, announced about a year ago . . . Mervyn LeRoy leaves Sunday for White Sulphur Springs and then goes , to New York to seek new screen material for his unit at Metro . . . Cut : ting of "Marx Brothers at the Circus" will be completed by the time he departs . . . LeRoy is now working on the script of "Ziegfeld Girl," his next production . . . Warners today decided to team John Garfield and Rosemary Lane as personal appearance duo taking in Chica I go, New York, Philadelphia, Balti j more, Washington and Pittsburgh . . . Tentative schedule calls for opening p in Chicago on October 11. Face War Crisis B oldly — Gold wyn (Continued from page 1) ! to control the exportation of funds. Not only will it be difficult to transfer funds from Canada but the exchange rate is down and new taxes against •j motion picture gross receipts have been levied. "3. In New Zealand laws already have been passed restricting export of currency. This step is likely to be * followed by Australia. "4. In Japan we are privileged to : show our films, but for some time past no film company has gotten a single | yen out of this territory. "5. Italy's market is no longer available to us. Obviously Czechoslovakia and Poland are gone. V "6. France at its best in recent years hasn't yielded much more than the cost of dubbing and print charges. "In facing the problem which these conditions raise may I emphasize that wholesale firing of wage earners is not the answer. This industry must not ! sacrifice picture quality — if anything the times call for better quality than I ever before. "To stand still is to stagnate — to meet the problem the industry must act as a whole, and it cannot act until w the facts are openly discussed and T boldly faced." Alley on War Assignment Norman Alley, News of the Day cameraman, left on the Yankee Clipper yesterday. He said he would take pictures for the newsreel in Germany and Rumania and might cover the war. He covered the Panay sinking in the Orient. Forms Own Company Hollywood, Sept. 20. — Edward Gross, former associate producer for Sol Lesser, has set up his own production company and leaves the end of the week for New York to scout a possible major release deal. Revoke Coughlin's Contracts, Appeal Cincinnati, Sept. 20.— L. M. Birkhead, national director of the Friends of Democracy, has asked the F.C.C. and the N.A.B. to revoke the broadcasting contracts of Rev. Charles E. Coughlin on the ground that Coughlin has overstepped the bounds of free speech. Birkhead's contention is based on a recent utterance of Archbishop John T. McNicholas here that "advocating a revolution even in the heat of oratory is dangerous." I ekes, Johnson Open Town Meeting Oct. 5 "Town Meetings of the Air," unquestionably the best forum on the air, is scheduled to return to the networks on Oct. 5, starting off with Secretary Ickes and General Johnson. Those who know how those two get into each other's hair are already marking Oct. 5 on their calendar. Town Hall management has signed, among others thus far, Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, John Gunther, Hugh Gibson, Robert Jackson and Jan Masaryk. Fight Against Ascap Waged By Nebraska (Continued from page 1) operator and president of the Nebraska Amusement Men's Protective Association, testified that about one third of the people in the state dance and that there are about 200 members of the organization paying performance fees to Ascap. He said he paid Ascap $240 a year for his dance hall. John J. Gillin, Jr. of Omaha, manager of Station WOW and director of the National Association of Broadcasters, testified for the state. He said his station paid Ascap $22,800 in 1938. He denied claims of Ascap witnesses that he could operate without Ascap music. Both Gillin and Malec testified their present relations with Ascap were "unsatisfactory," but without Ascap music they would have to curtail operations. Gillin denied that he had anything to do with framing the Nebraska anti-Ascap law. Ascap concluded its case earlier with testimony from John G. Paine, general manager of Ascap ; and Mrs. Ethelbert Nevin of New York City, widow of the composer. Louis Frolich, Ascap counsel, attempted to show through the testimony of these witnesses that Ascap is the simplest approach to music handling and clearing. Paine testified that if each publisher and author had to maintain a staff to prevent infringements, it would be ten times as expensive. U. S. Film Men Fill London Vacancies A number of unemployed Hollywood technicians are willing to go to England to fill studio ranks depleted by the war, according to Monty Banks, director of 20th Century-Fox pictures in England. Banks arrived here before the outbreak of war and was scheduled to sail on the Washington yesterday. The sailing was postponed until tomorrow, however, and Banks may take the Clipper on Saturday instead. He will be accompanied by Russell Muth and Bonney Powell of Movietone News. Banks, who directs the Gracie Fields films, says he will produce independently if 20th Century-Fox decides not to resume production. A decision is due before Robert T. Kane, British production chief, returns to England at the end of the month. The biggest problem at the English studios is lack of production staffs, and Banks is planning to bring out some Hollywood people. He said there would be no difficulty about working permits. Grantland Rice Party Cities Service Co. and NBC will tender a cocktail party to Grantland Rice, noted sports writer, on Friday in the Le Perroquet Room of the Waldorf-Astoria. Rice has been signed by the company for a sports stint for the football season in the "City Service Concerts" which are broadcast over NBC.