Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1940)

ifuesday, April 16, 1940 MOTION PICTURE DAILY Zanuck Sets 20 Films at X) Million Each (Continued from page 1) will be one of the biggest films the company has ever made, he saidLillian Russell" will be the longest film thiiiCompany has ever released, runnin / o hours and 22 minutes. Sidne}* R. Kent, president, and Joseph M. Schenck, chairman of the board, stressed the need for greater exhibitor cooperation in obtaining domestic revenue due to the serious situation abroad. Wobber Says Sales Policy to Be Flexible Sales policy of 20th Century-Fox will be flexible for the new season, depending on individual deals and with no general rule prevailing, declared Herman Wobber, general manager of distribution, on his return yesterday from Chicago, where he presided at the company's annual sales convention. What the company is interested in is revenue, said Wobber. The terms and policy will be set to meet each situation. Other home office executives and Eastern staffs returned with Wobber. Sidney R. Kent, president, and Charles E. McCarthy, director of advertising and publicity, arrive from Chicago today. They remained there for conferences with Joseph M. Schenck, chairman of the board; Darryl F. Zanuck, vice-president in charge of production; William Goetz, assistant to Zanuck, and Harry Brand, studio advertising and publicity director. The studio officials left for the Coast last night on a chartered plane. Twentieth Century-Fox is the first company to launch its 1940-'41 selling. A number of new season contracts already have been sold in some situations. Wobber estimates that 1939-'40 feature contracts will total 12,000, with sales running 300 more than last year at this time. "Exhibitors must make up their minds that they must get more out of big pictures than ever before," Wobber said. "The loss of foreign revenue is a serious problem confronting the entire industry. "Our production executives are approaching the problem with courage and determination. Exhibitors must help them share the burden by using more showmanship, by increasing admission prices on the bigger pictures, by giving proper terms and playing time." Book Examination Delayed for Appeal Philadelphia, April IS. — Examination of books and clearance records of the Warner Bros. Theatre Circuit and the major distributors who are defendants in an anti-trust suit brought by the Landis Theatre of Vineland, N. J., was delayed today by Special Master David Bachman to permit the defendants to appeal from a ruling which permitted the examination. Hollywood's Studio Club Will Be Theme of Picture Hollywood, April 15. — For years, the Hollywood Studio Club has been a refuge, more or less, for women, young and old, in Hollywood. Housed in a building resembling a hotel, almost in the center of film production, the club has carried on many activities, which make it kin to a hotel, a boarding house, a Y. W. C. A. establishment and the like. Now, for the first time in history, its work will be portrayed on the screen. Herbert L Leeds, film editor made a director some time ago at 20th Century-Fox, had an idea which the studio is having him develop. He will direct it from a screenplay he and William Brent are writing. Brent, incidentally, is the sound crew worker signed as a writer by the studio when the Saturday Evening Post accepted a story by him. Fox for "The Return of Frank James," sequel to "Jesse James," in which they both played. 20th Century-Fox has purchased an original story, "The Bride Wore Crutches," by Ed Verdier and Alan Drady for a Lucien Hubbard production ; "Owners Up," a trotter horse story by Roy Chanslor for a Walter MoroscoRalph Dietrich production; and "Man with a Shovel," by Dalton Trumbo, for production by the same pair. . . . Walter Pidgeon has been borrowed from M-G-M to play with Andy Devine a featured role in "When the Daltons Rode," a superwestern story to be directed by George Marshall at Universal. . . . Mary Beth Hughes' contract has been extended at 20th Century-Fox. . . . Henry Hull and Donald Meek have been signed by 20th Century M-G-M's "One Came Home" title is eliciting various comments, for it is based on a horse racing background. S. Sylvan Simon will direct the Al Levoy production. . . . Sigmund Neufeld has changed the title of "Sons of the Finest" to "I Take This Oath." The picture, which features Gordon Jones, is being made for distribution by Producers Releasing Corp. . . . Neufeld has purchased "Skip Tracer," original story by Raymond Schrock and William Pierce, dealing with installment buying. . . . Because of his work on "The Biscuit Eater," which Jack Moss produced, Paramount has signed to a long term contract as director Stuart Heisler. . . . Esther Estrella, local girl of Mexican descent, has been signed by Harry Sherman for the feminine lead of "Three Men from Texas," Hopalong Cassidy picture. Lou Merrill, veteran radio actor, has been given a role in the DeMilleParamount "North West Mounted Police" . . . Warners has lined up Olivia de Havilland, Eddie Albert, Jane Wyman and William T. Orr for "Episode," which Kurt Bernhardt will direct. . . . RKO is seeking the services of Gregory LaCava to direct two pictures a year for the next three years. . . . RKO's sequel to "Mexican Spitfire" will be titled "Look Out Below." U.S. Banks to Lend Korda $3,600,000 (Continued from page 1) nitely made regarding the post. That such an appointment may be made within the next few weeks, and prior to the first of the company's proposed regional sales meetings to be held early in May, has been indicated. At present the sales department operates in two divisions. One, the Eastern division, is directed by Harry Gold, vice-president; the Western division is directed by Jack Schlaifer, vice-president. Productions on which the company is depending to set new records, Silverstone will tell the board, are : "The Dictator," now being completed by Charles Chaplin; "Rebecca," which is now on release and about to enter its fourth week at the Radio City Music Hall ; "My Son, My Son," Edward Small production, also on release and scheduled to follow the Selznick film into the Music Hall ; "The Westerner," produced by Samuel Goldwyn, and "One Million B.C." besides "Jungle Boy" and "The Thief of Bagdad." Additionally, David O. Selznick, personally, is scheduled to make two films for the company. Korda Hires Birdwell Alexander Korda has employed Russell Birdwell to do special publicity on his film, "The Thief of Bagdhad." No Legal Barrier Seen to Individual Settlement Decrees (Continued from page 1) of the film companies which so desire reaching a separate settlement agreement with the Government. In the event that one or several of the companies made such a settlement, the case against it or them simply would be dismissed and the non-participating companies would go to trial. Whether the Department would accept individual surrenders would depend, of course, on the concessions offered. That nothing less than the provisions which have been under discussion in New York would be accepted goes without saying, but the Department has never officially disclosed whether it would demand more than was recommended in the settlement proposals prepared by the Department of Commerce. Hear Delay Plea Friday; New Particulars Due Today Federal Judge John C. Knox on Friday will hear the application of the major companies for an adjournment of the Government's "key" antitrust suit to June 1, it was announced yesterday. The hearing will be held behind closed doors, it was said. The Government will serve its supplemental bill of particulars upon the majors today, Government attorneys said. EXCITINGLY TOGETHER n 1940 s Outstanding Romance! ivien aurence LEIGH* OLIVIER the Scarlett O'Hara of "Gone With The Wind" the star of "Rebecca" and "Wuthering Heights" and LESLIE BANKS in COLUMBIA PICTURE