Motion Picture Herald (Sep-Oct 1936)

October 10, 1936 MOTION PICTURE H ERALD 33 14 PRODUCERS BUY 74 BOOKS AND PLAYS FOR 1936-37 PRODUCTION Paramount Leads with 23 Purchases, Warner Next with 9; "Everyman," Medieval Play, To Be Directed by Reinhardt Story buying activity in Hollywood continues at a steady pace. Fourteen producers purchased 74 stories in September for 1936-37 production, compared with 73 in August. Production in Hollywood last week progressed at top speed with 14 pictures going into work before the cameras and the same number of completed films passing into the editing stage. With the acquisition of additional material by the production units it is expected that work will continue at top speed in Hollywood until studios are well ahead of their 1936-37 commitments. Paramount, which led the producers last month when it bought three novels and nine originals, again was in the vanguard this month with a total of 23 purchases. Warner was next with nine, followed by RKO Radio with eight and Twentieth Century-Fox with six. The other studios and their purchases were Universal, six; MetroGoldwyn Mayer, five; Columbia, five; Grand National, four; Monogram, three; Waiter Wanger, one; General Pictures, one; Charles Chaplin, one; Gaumont British, one, and Halperin, one. Again this month the list of purchases showed a marked absence of Broadway stage vehicles. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is understood to be financially interested in several current Broadway productions, but no announcement has been made thus far as to plans to transfer these productions to the screen. Prominent among the group bought by Paramount are works of Owen Wister. The group includes nine novels, to be assembled into a story on the order of Mr. Wister's "The Virginian," which has been filmed before. Randolph Scott, teamed with a leading feminine star, quite possibly Irene Dunne, will be featured. Studio staff writers also contributed their share toward the total ■ number of stories, having 40 of their works accepted by the production heads. Several of these original stories are already before the cameras. Books and novels contributed 32 more purchases toward the grand total of 74, and of this number seven were stories published in such widely read publications as Collier's Magazine, Red Book, Cosmopolitan and The Saturday Evening Post. "Everyman," the medieval morality play, has been presented in practically every country of Europe and last summer was staged in the Hollywood Bowl. Max Reinhardt produced it at the Salzburg Music Festival in Austria last summer and with the acquisition of the work by Warner Brothers comes the announcement that Reinhardt will also handle the screen version, on the comprehensive plane of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." The two classics, "Pride and Prejudice" YEAR'S COMPARISON OF STORY PURCHASES Month Originals Books Plays Totals August 21 7 4 32 September . . 34 53(a) 4 91 October 7 5 2 14 November . . 22 12(b) 5 39 December .. 22 12(c) 4 38 January, 1936 14 18(d) 5 37 February ... 35 38(e) 4 77 March 24 19(f) 2 45 April . 107 48(g) 12 167 May 86 74(h) 10 170 June 25 2l(i) 5 51 July 20 I2(j) 0 32 August 43 25(k) 5 73 September . 40 32(1 ) 2 74 TOTALS FOR 14 MONTHS 500 376(m) 64 940 (a) Including 4 published magazine stories. (b) Including I published magazine story. (c) Including 2 published magazine stories. (d) Including 4 published magazine stories. (e) Including 12 published magazine stories. (f) Including 6 published magazine stories. (g) Including 13 published magazine stories. (h) Including 19 published magazine stories. (i) Including 21 published magazine stories, (j) Including 63 published magazine stories. (It) Including 5 published magazine stories. (I) Including 7 published magazine stories, (m) Including 77 published magazine stories. and "Dombey and Son," the first from the pen of Jane Austen and the second by Charles Dickens, also appear on the list, with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquiring the first-named and Warner the other. Norma Shearer and Clark Gable are tentatively set for the leading roles in "Pride and Prejudice." No production plans have yet been announced for the Dickens work. The complete title list of the 76 vehicles acquired by the studios in August, with all available screen credits, is as follows : Adventure's End, story by Ben Ames Williams, published in Saturday Evening Post, bought by Universal to star John Wayne. A Man and a Woman, acquired by B. P. Schulberg to produce for Paramount and to star Gladys George and Edward Arnold. American Plan, play by Manuel Seff, bought by Paramount. Arizona Ma honey, written by Joe Cook as an original, acquired by Paramount to star Robert Cummings under direction of James Hogan. June Martel, Larry Crabbe and Dave Chasen also in cast. Breezy Kid Steps Out, The, original by Damon Runyon published in Collier's Magazine, acquired by Halperin Brothers for distribution by Television Pictures, Inc. Case of the Dangerous Dowager, original by Erie Stanley Gardner, writer of Perry Mason mystery stories, bought by Warners. Ricardo Cortez will have the lead. This is fifth Gardner story to be made by Warners. Caviar for His Excellency, unpublished novel by Charles G. Booth, bought by Paramount. Cary Grant and Akim Tamiroff tentatively slated for leading roles. Jane Austen and Charles Dickens Classics Acquired; Paramount To Make Nine Owen Wister Novels Into One Film Convention in Paris, story about American mayors convening abroad, bought by Edward Small to produce for Radio. Dombey and Son, one of Charles Dickens' greatest stories, bought by Warner. Easy Living, original story by Vera Caspary, dealing with a young girl who sought and found "easy living" in a strange manner. Bought by Paramount to star Jean Arthur. Everyman, famous medieval morality play, bought by Warners, to be made into a picture by Max Reinhardt. Story on Medical Practices Exposure, original story by Dr. Frank J. Clancy and William J. Murphy, dealing with medicine, acquired by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Fly By Night, magazine story by Eric Hatch, bought by Paramount to star Bing Crosby. No other cast assignments as yet. Four Men and a Prayer, Cosmopolitan Magazine novel by David Garth, bought by Twentieth Century-Fox. Adaptation for screen will be by Sonya Levien. Free Woman, Red Book magazine story by Katherine Brush, bought by Paramount. Jean Arthur will probably be starred. French Quarter, The, forthcoming novel by Herbert Asbury, author of "Barbary Coast" and "Gangs of New York," bought by MetroGoldwyn-Mayer. Gold Bullets, epic story of Death Valley, by Charles G. Booth, bought by Paramount. Cary Grant, John Howard and Randolph Scott tentatively set for the leading roles. Grand Passion, original by Norman Krasna and Zeppo Marx, bought by Mervyn LeRoy as his first picture as an independent producer. Fernand Graevey, French star now under contract to LeRoy, will be starred. Warners will release the picture. Great Laughter, story by Fanny Hurst, acquired by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Gray Parrott, The, sea story by Vivian Gaye, bought by Paramount to star Akim Tamiroff and John Howard. Western Vehicle Heading for the Rio Grande, original by Robert Emmett, acquired by Ed Finney as a western vehicle for Tex Ritter in the series he is making for Grand National release. Heart Flush, original by William R. Lipman and Houston Branch, acquired by Columbia. Hell Is Above, original by Robertson White and Ben Grauman, dealing with airships and zeppelins, bought by Warners to star Boris Karloff. His Wife's Secretary, original by Robinson White and Ben Grauman, bought by Warners to star Margaret Lindsayj Anita Louise and George Brent. Killer At Large, comedy drama story by Carl Clauson, acquired by Columbia to star Betty Compson, George McKay with Mary Brian and Russell Hardy. David Selman is directing. Killer of the Sea, original story by Frederick Wagner, bought by Grand National for production by Raymond Friedgen. The picture will feature Captain Bob Caswell, Pensacola, Fla., swordfish, shark and octopus fighter. Lin McLean, first of the series of stories by (Continued on following bage)