Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1931)

] May 16, 1931 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 27 A§I[)E§ & INTEI^L|jDE§ . . ERE'S how the Musicians' Union in Chi|Cago treats "bad boys" in that town, according Jto the association's official pubhcation: "Occasionally some member gets the idea in his head that he is of more importance than the local. Whenever that happens, the member, ino matter who he may be, is immediately subjected to deflation by the powers that be, and reduced to his natural size. "A case in point was that of Al Evans, erstjwhile master of ceremonies with the Balaban 'and Katz theatres. Evans was so inflated with jhis own importance that he became abusive to the men working under him; swore at them while in the performance of their duties; threatened them with personal violence, and leven questioned the power of the local to interfere with or discipline him. "After due investigation of his case President :Petrillo took Evans off the job and kept him off for three weeks. The effect was salutary. 'Evans appeared before the Board of Directors, ;admitted his shortcomings, asked to be forgiven and begged to be reinstated in his position. 'This, the Board agreed to do. But by this time Balaban and Katz had reached the conclusion that Evans was not the type of man they wanted in their employ, and they refused :to reinstate him. As a result, therefore, of Evans' high handed methods, he lost out altoigether. Other leaders are advised to profit by iMr. Evans' experience — and learn, before it is too late, that — "NO MEMBER IS BIGGER THAN HIS j UNION "Whenever a member begins to think he is, and acts in accordance with that' mistaken idea, his case will be handled in the same expeditious manner as this one. "WHO'S NEXT? WHO'S NEXT?" { ▲ ▲ ▲ Are Carl Laemmle, John Drinkwater and Dave Bader the principals in Bellinger's N. Y. Daily Mirror column of May U? AAA Who remembers when producers ordered all drinking scenes out of pictures because the country was going DRY and they believed their appearance would be a tip-off that the picture was made prior? . . . AAA Scott {Tampa, Fla.) Leslie mill tell you of the exhibitor who couldn't lick competition in his town and thought he would put his buddies out of business by hiring a laivyer to fight for enforcement and collection of a dormant ^ $300 tax lazii from local picture houses, believing the competish could not afford that sum. . . . But they managed to scrape it together and eventually whipped the chap into bankruptcy. . . . Social and business ostracism. . . . And suicide. . . . AAA On May 1, outstanding stock of leading film companies was worth $395,768,647. . . Or $119,000,000 less than on the same day last year. AAA Youths disguised as "Trader Horn" have appeared on the -main streets of certain towns where "Trader Horn" is current, offering to sell $5 gold pieces for $4.50. . . . The_ shekel vendors have been chased by coppers in some 1 spots. . . . AAA Via the Winchell route . . . M-G-M did not take up Marie Prevost's option — excessive weight. . . . The movie industry pays fancy prices to experts to watch the grammar in the flickers, yet the "Public Enemy" forward contains a split infinitive. . . . Helen Hayes is getting 5 G's zveekly in Hollywood. . . . What opera star spurned a china-ema offer because they wanted her to have her orbs straightened? . . . More Miniatures! Omaha — They call it "outdoor billiards," and I. H. Rosenblatt has opened the "pool hall" containing it, alongside a miniature golf course. It's a novelty affair, played on small tables, each enclosed in a miniature tent. It MAY last! I HE heat from the audience in a 2,500-seat theatre filled to capacity is sufficient to melt 20,000 pounds of ice each hour. . . . AAA Prices of new and used theatre equipment are now lower, in many cases, than befoah de wah. AAA // it were possible to attend all of the sales conventions, one would learn {quoting executives) that : "Radio Pictures is to be the most dominant factor in the show world today, tomorrow and forever!" "Paramount is paramount !" "RKO Pathe new vehicles will be the most superlative profit attractions the exhibitor has ever played!" "Warner-First National will have si.vty-si.v of the greatest box-office personalities this industry has to offer! They represent the biggest, most definite box-office values in the history of show business!" "Fox has been the pioneer, the pace-setter, the leader." "The crowning glory of M-G-M in 1931-32.'" "They're new! They're different! They're great!" — Universal. AAA {Columbia, Educational-Tiffany and United Artists are yet to be heard from.) AAA Sidney Skolsky in the N. Y. Daily News writes that "Floyd Gibbons sleeps in his underwear." . . . The news is that Mr. Gibbons sleeps. . . . For some years he has been too busy. . . AAA Basic patents on oil drilling machinery, and not actual gushers, are the cornerstone of the Howard Hughes millions and continued sensational income. . . . AAA Hughes, incidentally, is commencing to fire many of the large retinue which has burdened his payroll since his entrance into films . . . AAA A Mr. Foster of Pathe News phoned Walter {Daily Mirror) Winchell the other day to say they are making a series of talkies showing Broadwayites . . . "personalities," Foster calls them, . . . and he wanted to know if Winchell would tell in a few hundred words just what is happening to Broadway. . . . Winchell's secretary asked him how much money? And Foster replied "No money !" . . . So the sec. chilly retorted: "No money? . . . «No personality!" AAA There are some in Hollywood who believe Clara Bow's breakdown will keep her away from the lot no more than another 10 days. . . . And not six months, or even two months, as had been announced. . . . Previous layoff and the current illness will cost the star at least $100,000, inasmuch as her contract with Paramount, which is ligltt on straight weekly salary, specifies a $50,000 bonus each time she finishes a feature — if and when. . . . AAoST of the stories indicting film officials are carried to civilization by writers and actors and, while I haven't any desire to set myself up as the white champion of picture corporations, I can't say that writers and actors impress me as being impartial critics 1" This from Pare Lorentz, drama defender on Hearst's N. Y . Journal, who, continuing, points out that he has "no doubt that it is ridiculous and wasteful for a corporation to employ a well known author and then leave him to vegetate in a great office day after day without even knowing he is on the payroll. But it seems to me the boys complain not so much at the bad management of the companies as they do at the fact that they are not recognized. "I can see how it would hurt. After all, if a writer has been used to having editors of women's magazines sc|uiring him, from tea party to party and if he has inured himself to the strain of having starry-eyed little girls rushing at him and pleading with him to relax at their Long Island homes : if this same successful man has been accustomed to autographing books on Macy's basement to a shoppers' chorus of praises, it must be irksome and ridiculous to find himself sitting in an office in Hollywood with nothing to do except draw a pay check. "A few honest men have gone insane in Hollywood simply because executives have destroyed good work. That's enough to gripe anyone, but I can't see why movie executives should take the rap for 'box-office' methods. If a writer signed a contract with a steel company or an automobile company or any other great corporation I see no reason why he would not find they hired him to turn out works of art. If he expects and gets a great salary, if he believes, as the boys do, that movie companies are commercial, why should he come home crying about the stupidity of Hollywood?" AAA Harrison Carroll, L. A. scrib, tells the one about the very prominent star who appears in a current feature, and, as usual, has his exceptionally large ears taped to the side of his face . . . except in those scenes which represent retakes and for which the star forgot the adhesive. . . . The result is most amusing, showing a player whose ears flap, the retaken shots having been cut in at widely different spots tliroughout the film. AAA Certain coast studios have been releasing reels as short as 400 and frequently less than 600 feet. . . . Instead of between 800 and 950 feet per reel. . . . And unless they change this practice the Academy is going to call upon the powers that be to bring the violators up on the mat. . . . AAA The subject of a discussion for which President Hoover called a certain film executive to Washington this week is mighty interesting! ... AAA The supposed "command" performance in which Chaplin figured in London a week ago did NOT emanate from the King or the royal household. . . . But came to Chaplin from an ordinary music hall booker ! . . . ChoUy's refusal, incidentally, netted him more international press notices than have been accorded a picture celeb in eons. . . . AAA Publix has let out 90 organists, in line 'vitli its May "economy drive." . . . Managers in some liouses are understood to liave been given a two weeks' vacation — without pay.