Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1937)

March 6, 1937 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 21 PRODUCERS START BUILDING 1937-38 SCHEDULES, 16 BUYING 68 STORIES Originals Retain Their Lead, 42 Being Acquired in Contrast to Nine Plays and 1 7 Books Including Novels Acquisition of story material for next season's product is already well under way, 16 companies having bought 68 story_ properties in February as the nucleus. Originals continue to lead as the principal source of material for Hollywood. Forty-two originals were bought ; the stage contributed only nine plays, while 17 books, including novels, were obtained. Radio Leads Buyers Radio was the biggest buyer, with eight originals, four plays and one book. Universal was next with nine originals and two books, followed by Warner with six originals and two books. The other companies, in the order of the total number of purchases, were Paramount with five originals, one play; Columbia, three originals, one book; Gaumont British, three originals, one play; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, one original, three books; Monogram, one original, three books ; Republic, one original, three books ; Grand National, two originals and one book; Twentieth Century-Fox, two originals, one book; Walter Wanger, one original; Harry Sherman, one original; Blackstone Productions, one play, and Carl Laemmle, Jr., one play. A complete list, by titles, of the story purchases in February by the companies, with all available production credits, follows : Original on Gold Shipments Armored Car, original story by William A. Pierce, dealing with the transportation of gold bullion, bought by Universal. Blind Date, original story by Leona Dalrymple, bought by Monogram. Boots and Saddles, story by Zane Grey, bought by Principal Pictures for release through Twentieth Century-Fox. Richard Arlen will be starred and Howard Bretherton will direct. Borrowed Time, original story by Martin Mooney and Arthur T. Horman, acquired by Universal. Bride for Henry, A, magazine story by Josephine Bentham, bought by Monogram. Career in C Major, novel by James M. Cain, bought by Twentieth Century-Fox. For Marlene Dietrich Careless Rapture, original story by Edwin Justus Mayer and Franz Shulz, acquired by Paramount as a possible vehicle for Marlene Dietrich. Certified, original story by Willoughby Speyers, bought by Radio. Joan Fontaine will be starred. China Bandit, original story by Crane Wilbur, bought by Warners to star Boris Karloff, Ricardo Cortez and Beverly Roberts. Coins for Candles, original story by Josephine Tey, bought by Gaumont British. Alfred Hitchcock will direct and Nova Pilbeam will have the lead. Cop, The, original story by Kubec Glasman, bought by Universal. YEAR'S COMPARISON OF STORY PURCHASES Month Originals Books Plays Total March 24 I9(c 2 45 April 107 48(d 12 167 May 86 74(e 10 170 June 25 2l(f 5 51 July 20 I2(g 0 32 August 43 25(h) 5 73 September . . . 40 32(1] 2 74 October .... 38 22(i) 10 70 November . . . . 34 I6(k) 9 59 December . . . 31 12(1) 3 46 January, 1937 . 55 23(m) 15 93 February . . . . 42 I7(n) 9 68 TOTALS FOR 12 MONTHS . 545 32l(o) 73 948 (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (M (i) (i) W (I) (m) (n) (o) Includ Includ Includ Includ Includ Includ Includ Includ Includ Includ Includ Includ Includ ing 6 ing 1 3 ing 19 ing 21 ing 63 ing 5 ing ing ing ing ing ing ing 1 63 publ publ publ publ publ publ publ publ publ publ publ publ publ shed shed shed shed shed shed shed shed shed shed shed shed shed magazine magazine magazine magazine magazine magazine magazine magazine magazine magazine magazine magazine magazine stories, stories, stories, stories, stories, stories, stories, stories, stories, stories, stories, stories, stories. Dead Man's Isle, novel by James Oliver Curwood, bought by Republic. Don't Forget to Remember, original story by David Garth, bought by Radio for Gene Raymond. Al Lewis will produce. Easy Living, story by Vera Casparry, bought by Paramount to star Jean Arthur. Ray Milland will play opposite her and Mitchell Leisen will direct. Enemies, Guns, Gangs Enemy Territory, story by Margaret Culkin Banning, bought by Columbia. Empty Hoisters, original story by Ed Earl Repp, bought by Warners for Nick Foran. Federal Bullets, novel by Major George Fielding Eliot, bought by Monogram. Fighting the Underworld, original story written by Philip S. Van Cize, Denver lawyer, bought by Universal. Fifty-second Street, original by Gene Towne and Graham Baker, bought by Walter Wanger for release through United Artists. The story will be written around New York 52nd Street and its night clubs. Fight for Your Lady, original story by Jean Negulsco and Isabel Leighton, bought by Radio for Katharine Hepburn. Flight for Glory, original story by Robert Andrews, bought by Radio. Comedy and Melodrama Flirting with Fate, original story bought by David L. Loew as a vehicle for Joe E. Brown for Radio release. Flood, The, story by Leonard Lee, acquired by Columbia. Gang's All Here, The, magazine story by Maurice Hanline, bought by Republic. Radio Is Largest Buyer with Eight Originals, Four Plays And One Book; Universal Second, and Warner Third Gangway, original by Lesser Samuels, bought by Gaumont British to star Jessie Matthews. Sonnie Hale will direct. Girlhood of a Queen, play by Sil-Vara, bought by Gaumont British, to star Nova Pilbeam. The story centers around the first three years of the reign of Queen Victoria. Great Garrick, The, original story acquired by Mervyn LeRoy for release through Warners. Headline Huntress, original story by Lillian Worth and Edythe Zell, has been purchased by Twentieth Century-Fox. Michael Whalen and Katherine DeMille have been assigned to its cast. Hell's Saddle Legion, original by Ed Earl Repp, bought by Warners for Nick Foran. Hot Oil, original story by Layne Britton and George D. Smart, bought by Grand National as the second James Cagney picture. Richard A. Rowland will produce. Starring Fred Stone House in the Country, play by Melvin Levy, bought by Radio. Fred Stone will be starred. I Cover the War, original by Bernard McConville, bought by Trem Carr to star John Wayne. Release will be through Universal. Irene, musical comedy by Harry Tierney and Joseph McCarthy, produced by the late Florenz Ziegfeld on Broadway and as a silent film starring Coleen Moore, bought by Radio for Ginger Rogers. Kangaroos, The, play by Victor Mapes, bought by Radio for Wheeler and Woolsey. Katinka, operetta by Arthur Hammerstein, bought by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Loser's End, novel by Matt Taylor, bought by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Love Below Freezing, original musical comedy by Dana Burnet, acquired by Radio. Love in the Mud, novel by Richard Wormser, bought by Universal. Love Is Something Funny, original story by Alfred Fuller and Earl S. Pearsall, bought by Universal. Luck of Roartng Camp, The, novel by Bret Harte, acquired by Monogram. Man in Evening Clothes, play by Andre Picard and Yves Mirande, bought by Emanuel Cohen. Release through Paramount. Master Skylark, novel by John Bennett, bought by Radio to star Bobby Breen. Midnight, original story Bought by Paramount for Marlene Dietrich. New Musical Comedy Miss Hollywood, Jr., musical acquired by Harry Sherman. Moon Over Mulberry Street, play, bought by Blackstone Productions. Muddled Deal, The, play by Laszlo, bought by Radio for Gene Raymond and Ann Sothern. Nine Officers, play, bought by Carl Laemmle, Jr., for release through United Artists. Non-Stop New York, original story by Derek Twist and Kurt Siodmak, bought by Gaumont British. Return Engagement, unproduced musical comedy, bought by Mervyn LeRoy for re (Continued on pane 22, column 1)