Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1939)

May 20, 19 3 9 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 25 HOLLYWOOD BUYS 66 MORE STORIES FOR 1939-1940 FEATURE PROGRAMS Many from Among Outstanding Plays and Novels of the Season; Largest Number for Month Since August, 1938 Hollywood has acquired 66 more books, plays and originals for their feature program commitments to exhibitors for 1939-40. Many of the newly acquired properties are from among the outstanding plays and novels of the season. The purchases constituted the largest total in a month since August, 1938. Comparing with the 37 properties acquired in the corresponding month last year, April's purchases included 47 originals (which accounted for 71 per cent of the total), nine novels, seven plays and three magazine stories. The largest single purchaser was Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, with five originals, three plays and a novel; while RKO bought seven originals, one play and one novel, for a total of nine properties ; and Twentieth Century-Fox and Universal each accounted for eight, with Warner Brothers and Monogram acquiring seven apiece. Among the outstanding works purchased were Robert Sherwood's "Road to Rome," for which screen rights were bought from Pathe, and the Phyllis Bottome novel, "The Mortal Storm," both acquired by MetroGoldwyn-Mayer; "The American Way," stage play by George Kaufman and Moss Hart, bought by Max Gordon for RKO release; John Steinbeck's novel, "Grapes of Wrath," now in its fourth printing and purchased by Twentieth Century-Fox for a reported $65,000, and "The Blue Bird," Maurice Maeterlinck's play, for which the same company is said to have paid in the neighborhood of $35,000. The Stories Bought The month's purchases, with all available production credits, follows : Abraham Lincoln Boggs, original by Harry Hamilton, purchased by Republic. Edward Ellis will be featured. Adventures of Don Juan, original by Rowland Leigh and Ring Lardner, Jr., purchased by Warner Brothers for Errol Flynn. Along the Rio Grande, original by Oliver Drake, purchased by RKO. American Way, The, stage play by George Kaufman and Moss Hart, purchased by Max Gordon Plays and Pictures Corp. RKO will distribute. Angela Is 22, stage play by Sinclair Lewis, purchased by Lester Cowan, for RKO or Universal release. Around the World in 80 Days, novel by Jules Verne, made into a French silent film by the R. A. C. Company ; purchased by Boris Morros. Blackmail, original purchased by MetroGoldwyn-Mayer for Edward G. Robinson. H. C. Potter will direct. Maeterlinck's "Blue Bird" Blue Bird, The, stage play by Maurice Maeterlinck, purchased by Twentieth CenturyFox for Shirley Temple. Ernest Pascal will write the screenplay and Gene Markey will be the associate producer. Boycott, original by Vincent Sherman and STORY PURCHASES OF YEAR COMPARED Month May, 1938 June July August September October November December January, 1939 February March April TOTALS FOR 12 MONTHS Originals 23 24 1 1 44 39 23 34 27 42 33 30 47 Books 13 32(a) 5 43 10 28 19 14 14 2! 15 12 b) c) d) e) f) g) •) i) Plays 0 3 2 6 2 I 6 2 I I 8 7 Totals 36 59 18 93 51 52 59 43 57 55 53 66 (a) Including 3 (b) Including 5 I 2 I (d) Including 4 (e) Including 13 (f) Including 12 (g) Including 7 I (h) Including I 2 4 3 (c) Including (i) (M Including Including Including 60 377 226(k) 39 642 published magazine stories, published magazine stories and newspaper serial, published magazine stories and newspaper comic strip, published magazine stories, published magazine stories, published magazine stories, published magazine stories and radio program. published magazine story and radio programs, published magazine stories, published magazine stories, published magazine stories, I comic strip, I newspaper serial and 3 radio programs. Lee Katz, purchased by Warner Brothers for Alan Hale and Lya Lys. Call A Messingee, original by Michael Kraike and Sally Sandlin, purchased by Universal. Countess Maritza, stage play by Emmerich Kalmann, purchased by Metro-GoldwynMayer. Courageous Seaman, The, original by George Kaiser, purchased by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for Wallace Beery. Criminal at Large, original by Eric Taylor, purchased by Larry Darmour. Dark Empire, original by Michael L. Simmons, purchased by Universal. David Cook of the Rockies, novel by Edwin V. Westrate and William Ross Collier, purchased by Republic. Deadwood City, original by Harrison Jacobs, purchased by Paramount. Harry Sherman will produce. Deal in Hearts, A, original by Rex Taylor, also known as Queen Takes Queen, purchased by Twentieth Century-Fox. Death Hops the Bells, magazine story by Charles Molyneux Brown, purchased by Monogram. Desert Storm, original by Don Ryan, purchased by Warner Brothers. Desperate Trail, original by Andrew Bennison, purchased by Universal. On the Bronte Sisters Devotion, original by Theodore Reeves and Dewitt Bodeen about the Bronte sisters, purchased by Warner Brothers. Bette Davis, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Olivia De Havilland, George Brent, Jeffrey Lynn and Claude Rains will be seen. Dr. Jenner, original by Dr. Ryland B. Madison, purchasedi by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Final Exams, original by Dalton Trumbo, a sequel to Sorority House, purchased by RKO. First Rebel, The, novel by Neil H. Swanson, about the French and Indian wars, purchased by RKO for Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Front Page, The, stage play by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, made into a film in 1931. Remake rights have been purchased by Columbia from Astor Pictures. Galloping Kid, The, original by Milton Raison, purchased by Universal. Gangs of Chicago, original by Martin Mooney, purchased by Republic. General Has A Wife, The, novel by Captain Thomas Leivelt, purchased by A. Edward Sutherland. Steinbeck Novel Grapes of Wrath, novel by John Steinbeck, purchased by Twentieth Century-Fox. Happiness Girl, original by Mark Goldman, purchased by Monogram. Headline Holiday, original by Wolfe Kaufman, purchased by RKO. Hobby Family, original by William Brockway, purchased by Warners for Henry O'Neill and Jane Bryan. Hollywood Cavalcade, original by Lou Breslau and Ernest Pascal, purchased by Twentieth Century-Fox a fictionalized history of the film industry to star Alice Faye and Don Ameche. Harry Joe Brown will produce. Mack Sennett will be associate producer and Irving Cumming will direct. I Had a Comrade, original by the Honorable Edward Charles Viscount Castlerosse, purchased by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Irish Luck, original by Charles Molyneux Brown, purchased by Monogram for Frankie Darro. I Was An Adventuress, French picture produced by Saturn-Film, purchased by Twentieth Century-Fox. Junior Police, original by Scott Darling, purchased bv Monogram. Life of Henry Bergh, The, original by Joseph Ansen, purchased by Metro-GoldwynMayer. Lil' Louisiana Lady, original by Fred Myton, purchased by Monogram. Maluk, magazine story by Corey Ford and Alastair Macbain, purchased by Paramount. Man Against the Sky, original by John Twist, purchased by RKO. Robert Sisk will produce. Sing Sing Original Men in Sing Sing, original by Warden Lewis E. Lawes of Sing Sing, purchased by Columbia. Midnight Rider, original by Dick Bare, purchased by Atlas. Mortal Storm, The, novel by Phyllis Bottome, purchased by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. My Mother, Lillian Russell, Liberty Magazine story by Dorothy Russell, purchased by Twentieth Century-Fox. Ocean Between, The, original by Bruno Frank, purchased by Universal. Old 69th, The, original by Fred Niblo, Jr., purchased by Warner Brothers for Pat O'Brien. Opened by Mistake, original by Hal Hudson and Kenneth Earl, purchased by Paramount. Reno, original by Ellis St. Josephs, purchased by RKO. Robert Sisk will produce. Road to Rome, The, stage play by Robert Sherwood, purchased by Metro-GoldwynMayer from Pathe. Myrna Loy and Clark (Continued on following page)