Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1937)

22 MOTION PICTURE HERALD December 18, 1937 16 COMPANIES BUY 48 BOOKS AND PLAYS FOR NEW FEATURE SCHEDULES Half of Properties Purchased in Month Are Originals — MGM Leads; Nine Novels Bought; Plays Added to Libraries Nearing the half way mark in production schedules for the current season, producers in November purchased 48 literary properties, the majority of which will fill the few remaining spots in the 1937-38 season. In a few cases, however, material was bought for production during the 1938-39 season. The November buying was by a total of 16 producers. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer led the group by acquiring the motion picture rights to 15 stories. MGM's purchases were varied. Of the 15 properties, six were originals, four were novels, three were plays and two were from magazines. The total number of purchases was an increase of seven over the previous month. Original stories, as in October, proved the favorite, 50 per cent of the properties being in this classification. During October originals numbered 22, or 53.6 per cent of the total of 41. Novels, of which nine were bought, maintained their October position of second place as a source of supply. November, however, saw twice as many plays purchased as in October when three were acquired. Magazine stories numbered six in October and eight last month. The one remaining purchase during November was made by Eugene Frenke who acquired the American rights to "Brothers Karamazov" which was filmed in Germany seven years ago. Purchases by other producers were Universal, three originals, two magazines and two novels; Twentieth Century-Fox, four originals and one play; Paramount, three originals and one magazine ; Warner Brothers, two novels and one magazine serial ; Victory Pictures, three originals ; Columbia, one play ; C. C. Burr, one play ; Republic, one novel ; Gregory LaCava, one magazine ; Joe Rock, one operetta; Mr. Frenke, one original in addition to the motion picture rights to the German film ; and RKO, Grand National, Principal Productions, and Walt Disney, one original each. Grand National, in announcing its lone purchase, "Angels with Dirty Faces," stated the company plans to purchase stories only from "front name authors" for its upper bracket films. James Cagney will star in "Angels with Dirty Faces," which was written by Rowland Brown, author of "Doorway to Hell" and "The Devil Is a Sissy." The titles of the 48 stories, with all available production credits, follow : Amateur Crook, original by Basil Dickey, purchased by Victory Pictures. Mr. Dickey also wrote the dialogue and screenplay. Ambush, Liberty Magazine serial by Robert Ray, purchased by Paramount. American Chamber of Horrors, original by Ruth DeForest, purchased by MGM. And One Was Beautiful, Saturday Evening Post serial by Alice Duer Miller, purchased by MGM. Angels With Dirty Faces, original by Rowland Brown, purchased by Grand National. Balalaika, musical play by Eric Maschwitz, purchased by MGM. Lawrence Weingarten STORY PURCHASES OF YEAR COMPARED Month Originals Boob Plays Totals December 31 12(a) 3 46 January, 1937 55 23(b) 15 93 February 42 17(c) 9 68 March 42 16(d) 11(e) 5 63 April 25 8 44 May 42 10(f) 9 61 June 28 8(g) 1 37 July 21 5(h) 0 26 August 27 6(i) 12 45 September 24 43(i) 1 68 October 22 I6(k) 3 41 November 24 17(1) 7* 48 TOTALS FOR 12 MONTHS 383 1 84(m) 73 640 (a) Including 5 published magazine stories. (b) Including 7 published magazine stories. (c) Including 5 published magazine stories. (d) Including 3 published magazine stories. (e) Including I published magazine story. (f) Including 4 published magazine stories. (g) Including 7 published magazine stories. (h) Including I published magazine story and 2 radio serials. (i) Including 2 published magazine stories, (j) Including 29 published magazine stories, (k) Including 6 published magazine stories. (I) Including 8 published magazine stories, (m) Including 80 published magazine stories. '"Including the American rights to one German Film. will produce, George Oppenheimer and Ernest Vajda will do the screen play and Nelson Eddy and Uona Massey will have the leading roles. Brothers Karamazov, American rights to the property which was filmed in Germany seven (years ago, purchased by Eugene Frenke as a starring vehicle for Anna Sten. Champion Luck, Saturday Evening Post short story purchased by MGM. Clarion, The, novel by Samuel Hopkins Adams, purchased by Warner Brothers. Death Takes Mr. Kluck, original by Xantippe, acquired by Universal. Delilah, play by Ferenc Molnar, purchased by MGM. Don't Lead With Your Heart, original by Hans Kraly and Albert J. Cohen, purchased by Eugene Frenke as a starring vehicle for Anna Sten. Mr. Frenke will produce and direct. Release will be through Grand National. Double Trouble, original by Bertrand Robinson and Arthur Pierson, purchased by MGM. Dusty River, musical by Barry Barringer and Eleanor Maronde, purchased by C. C. Burr. Fair Co-Ed, book by George Ade, music by Gustav Luders, purchased by MGM. Falling Star, original by Gregory Ratoff, purchased by Twentieth Century-Fox. Ferdinand the Bull, original by Munroe Leaf and Robert Lawson, purchased by Walt Disney. Fortuneers, original by Reginald Taviner, purchased by RKO. Lee Marcus will produce. Hawaiian Buckaroo, original, purchased by Principal Productions. Hell's Kitchen Has a Pantry, magazine serial by Borden Chase, purchased by Universal. Letter of Introduction, original by Vina Delmar, purchased by Universal as a starring vehicle for Irene Dunne, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy. Little Gypsy, original by Robert Ellis and Helen Logan, purchased by Twentieth Century-Fox as a starring vehicle for Jane Withers. Looking After Sandy, novel by Margaret Turnbulk purchased by Republic. \ George Nicholls, Jr., will be associate producer. Lost Ranch, original by Basil Dickey, purchased by Victory. Love Is a Headache, original by Lou Heifetz and Herbert Klein, purchased by MGM. Frederick Stephani will produce and leading roles will be taken by Gladys George, Franchot Tone and Mickey Rooney. Man in the Iron Mask, The, original by Jack Neville, purchased by MGM. Faith Baldwin Story Men Are Such Fools, Cosmopolitan Magazine story by Faith Baldwin, purchased by Warner Brothers. Horace Jackson will do the adaption and David Lewis will produce. Midnight, original by Franz Schulz and Edwin Justus Mayer, purchased by Paramount as a starring vehicle for Carole Lombard. Northwest Passage, novel by Kenneth Roberts, purchased by MGM. Nurse From Brooklyn, a Liberty Magazine serial, purchased by Universal. Orphan of the Pecos, original by Basil Dickey, purchased by Victory. Our Wife, play produced in New York in 1930, by Lyon Mearson and Lillian Day, purchased by Columbia. Pierre of the Plains, play by Edgar Selwyn, purchased by MGM. She of the Triple Chevrons, original by Gilbert Parker, purchased by MGM. She Said I Do, Red Book novel by Frank R. Adams, purchased by Gregory LaCava. Sisters, The, a novel by Myron Brinig, purchased by Warner Brothers. David Lewis will produce. Milton Krims will do the adaption. Skip Tracer, original by William A. Pierce and Ray Schrock, purchased by Universal. Novels Purchased They Seek a Country, novel by Francis Brett Young, purchased by MGM as a starring vehicle for Robert Taylor. Jack Conway will direct. Three Blind Mice, play by Stephen Powys, purchased by Twentieth Century-Fox. Triumph Over Pain, novel by Rene FuelopMiller to be published by Bobbs-Merrill, purchased by MGM. Untitled Original, based on the life of Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, by Ray Harris, purchased by Twentieth Century-Fox. Vacation From Love, original by Harlan Ware and Patterson McNutt, purchased by Paramount as a starring vehicle for Fred MacMurray. Victoria Docks at Eight, novel by Rufus King to be published as a magazine serial and in book form, purchased by Universal. Washington That Sightseers Never See, The, original by Frederick C. Othamn, purchased by MGM. White Rider, operetta by Betty Laidlaw and Robert Lively, purchased by Joe Rock. Winter Garden, original by Gregory Ratoff, purchased by Twentieth Century-Fox. Yesterday's Heroes, novel by Sophia Cleugh, purchased by Universal.