Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1937)

22 MOTION PICTURE HERALD May 8 , 19 3 7 15 PRODUCERS BUY 63 BOOKS, PLAYS FOR USE IN NEW SEASON PROGRAMS 42 Stories Come from Authors under Contract or from Individuals Writing Primarily for Films; Only Five Plays Acquisition of story material for next season's product moved forward in the month when 15 Hollywood producing agencies purchased 63 vehicles from the legitimate stage, from published novels and staff writers. Of the 63 properties, 42 came from authors under contract or from individuals writing primarily for motion pictures. This points toward a policy of producers to take their material from sources familiar with motion picture technique, for last month original stories also led with a total of 42 out of 68 buys while the month before 55 were in the list of 93 acquisitions. The legitimate theatre continued to fall far behind as a source of picture material, with five plays, only three of them recent productions, going to Hollywood. Sixteen novels, including three published magazine stories, completed the total. MGM Buys Eleven Metro-Goldw3'n-Mayer was the heaviest buyer in March, with a total of 11 vehicles, comprising five original stories, three books and three plays. Radio followed with 10 original stories while Paramount was next with seven originals and one novel. Twentieth Century-Fox bought six original stories and one book, and Republic Pictures six original stories and one book. Universal also took four originals and one book, while Warner Brothers acquired three books and one play. Grand National purchased two original stories and one book, and Imperial Pictures bought two books. Carl Laemmle, Jr., purchased the play, "The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse," currently drawing crowds on Broadway, for transfer to the screen with possible release through United Artists. Principal Pictures bought one original story, Columbia one book, Condor Pictures a book, Samuel Goldwyn one original story and Monogram one book. A complete list, by titles and companies, of the story purchases in March, with all available production credits, follows : Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse, The, play by Barrie Lyndon, produced on Broadway by Gilbert Miller after success in London, bought by Carl Laemmle, Jr. Apple a Day, An, original story by Jerry Wald and Bert Granet, bought by Radio. Armored Taxi, original story by Jack Andrews, purchased by Twentieth Century-Fox. B Above C, original by Arthur Sheekman and Dalton Trumbo, bought by MGM. Beauty and Brains, original story from the pen of Felix Jackson, acquired by Universal. Blue Bloob, original story by Myles Connolly, bought by MGM. Booloo, original story by Walter Post, acquired by Paramount for production by Clyde E. Elliott in the Malayan Peninsula with Colin Tapley starred, others in cast to be natives. Charlie Chan at College, original by Helen Logan, bought by Twentieth CenturyFox for production by Sol Wurtzel starring Warner Oland. Charlie Chan on Broadway, original by YEAR'S COMPARISON OF STORY PURCHASES Month Originals Books Plays Totals April 107 48(d) 12 167 May 86 74(e) 10 170 June 25 21(f) 5 5! July 20 12(g) 0 32 August 43 25(h) 5 73 September . . . 40 32(i) 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 March . 42 l6(o) 5 63 TOTALS FOR 12 MONTHS. . 563 3l8(p) 76 966 (d) Including 13 publ shed magazine stories. (e) Including 19 pub! shed magazine stories. (f) Including 21 publ shed magazine stories. (g) Including 63 publ shed magazine stories. (h) Including 5 publ shed magazine stories. (i) Including 7 publ shed magazine stories. (i) Including 7 publ shed magazine stories. (M (1) Including 5 publ shed magazine stories. Including 5 publ shed magazine stories. (m) Including 7 publ shed magazine stories. (n) Including 5 publ shed magazine stories. (o) Including 3 publ shed magazine stories. (p) Including 166 publ shed magazine stories. Helen Logan, obtained by Twentieth CenturyFox, to star Warner Oland in another of the series. Circus Lady, magazine story by Llewellyn Hughes, bought by Monogram. Crazy People, original by Jefferson Parker, purchased by Radio. Curtain Call, original story by Howard J. Green, bought by Radio. Double Dummy, play with a contract bridge background by Doty Hobart and Thomas McKnight, acquired by MGM. First Prize, novel by Dora Scharey, bought by Republic. Flash Casey, magazine stories on the adventures of a newspaper cameraman, by George Harmon Cox, purchased by Grand National. Flight Surgeon, original by Stuart Lake, bought by Universal. Forty-five Fathers, novel by Mary Bicel and Ethel Sparks, bought by Twentieth CenturyFox, to star Jane Withers. Four Black Aces, original story acquired by Universal to star Bert Lahr, Billy House, Mischa Auer and Jimmy Savo. Gamblers, The, novel by Feodor Dostoievsky, bought by Warners to feature Edward G. Robinson, Bette Davis, Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone. Max Reinhard will produce. Play by Brothers DeMille Genius and the Model, play by William C. and Cecil B. DeMille, bought by MGM. Gold Is Where You Find It, novel by Clements Ripley, bought by Warners to be filmed in Technicolor with George Brent and Olivia de Havilland heading the cast. Hail From Heaven, original by Everett Freeman, bought by Republic. MGM Leads with Purchase of I I Works; Radio Acquires 10 Original Stories, Paramount 7 Originals and One Novel Halfway House, novel by EUery Queen, bought by MGM. Happy Fellow, original by Allan Scot, bought by Radio. Havana, original story bought by Paramount to star Dorothy Lamour and Lief Erickson. Heaven on Wheels, original by Harry Selby about life in an automobile trailer town, bought by Samuel Goldwyn. Honolulu Honeymoon, original story by Armine von Tempski, bought by Grand National. Hudson Bay Company, original by Arthur Arthur and Richard Collins, bought by Twentieth Century-Fox. The story deals with the northwest trading company. Harold Bell Wright Story It Happened Out West, original story by Harold Bell Wright, bought by Principal Pictures for release through Twentieth Century-Fox. Last Hand, The, original by Richard Carlton, bought by Republic. Life of Jesse James, original treatment by Rosalind Schaffer, bought by Twentieth Century-Fox. Love Like That, A, original story by David Garth, bought by Radio. Mad About Music, an original by Frederick Kohner and Marcella Burke, to Universal. Men With Wings, original story by Cecil Lewis and Philip MacDonald, bought by Paramount. Picture will be a history of aviation. Molly, Bless You, novel by Frances Marion, bought by MGM. Navy Blue and Gold, magazine story by George Bruce, bought by MGM. Novel on "Strip-Tease" Negligee, novel by Gladys Sloan dealing with the "strip-tease," has been acquired by Imperial Distributing Corporation. Nine Old Men, novel by Drew Pearson and Robert Allen on the United States supreme court, has been bought by Condor Pictures. No Groom to Bride Her, original story by George Beck, bought by Radio. One If by Land, original story by Winston Miller, bought by Republic. Prayer for My Son, A, novel by Hugh Walpole, bought by Warners to star Kay Francis and the Mauch twins. Prince of Pilsen, noted stage musical, by Frank Pixley and Gustave Luders, has been acquired by MGM. Rendezvous with Love, A, original by William Anthony McGuire, to MGM. Return of the Thin Man, original story by Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich, acquired by MGM as another of the "Thin Man" series. William Powell and Myrna Loy will be co-starred. Road to Reno, novel by I. A. R. Wylie, bought by Universal. Ruler of the Sea, original story acquired by Paramount. Story deals with the development of the Cunard-White Star steamship companies. Second Mrs. Draper, The, novel by Noel Pierce, bought by Columbia. She Married for Money, original by Thames Williamson, bought by Radio. She Walked a Crooked Mile, original story (Continued on page 31. column 1)