Motion Picture Herald (Sep-Oct 1939)

68 MOTION PICTURE HERALD September 16, 1939 33 STORIES PURCHASED IN AUGUST; PLAYS BRING $760,000 IN 1938-39 Universal Adds Five Originals; MGM Buys Oscar Wilde Story; Originals Again Account for Most Acquisitions Fourteen producers purchased 33 stories and plays for use in the new season's product, in the final month, August, before the production year got under way. Far less than the number bought in the same month last year, when 20 producers acquired 93 properties, the month's purchases nevertheless represent a substantial increase over the 26 bought in July. Universal Leads Universal led the list with five acquisitions, all originals ; while Metro-GoldwynMayer, United Artists and Producers Pictures had four apiece. The MGM purchases included two originals, a book and a French film ; UA had two originals and two books, and Producers Pictures had four originals. For the 13th consecutive month, originals led all other types of material bought ; accounting for 58 per cent of all properties with a total of 19 out of 33 purchases. Among the outstanding acquisitions were "The Canterville Ghost," a short story by Oscar Wilde, bought by MGM ; "Battalion of Death," an original by John Monk Saunders, purchased by Paramount for a reported $25,000, and "Dynasty of Death," a novel by J. T. Caldwell, on munitions manufacturers, purchased by Walter Wanger. The Purchases The month's purchases, with all available production credits, follows : And So Goodbye, original by Mildred Cramm and Adele Commandini, purchased by Lee Garmes. Babar, novel by Jean de Brunholf, purchased by General Film Company. B.\TTALi0N OF Death, Original by John Monk Saunders, purchased by Paramount. Blackout Over Europe, original by Jo Swerl ing, purchased by Samuel Goldwyn (United Artists). Canterville Ghost, The, novel by Oscar Wilde, purchased by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Cisco Kid, The, character from novel by Sydner Porter (O. Henry) to which rights were acquired for use in two films based on stories written by staff writers. Dynasty of Death, novel by J. T. Caldwell, based on munitions barons, purchased by Walter Wanger (United Artists). For All of Our Lives, novel and McCall's magazine story, by Ursula Parrott, purchased by Columbia for Eastern production. Forbidden Islands, original by Maurice Tombragel, purchased by Universal. Forgotten Girls, original by Martin Mooney and Alex Gottleib, purchased by Republic. Forty Little Mothers, French scenario and films, purchased by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, for Eddie Cantor, from National Pictures. Fourteen Uncles, original by Bertram Block and Peter Arno, purchased by Arcadia Pictures. War Subject Goose Step, original by Shepard Traub, purchased by Producers Pictures. The film will be titled "Hitler, the Beast of Berlin." STORY PURCHASES OF YEAR COMPARED Month Originals Books September, 1938 39 10(a) October 23 28(b) November 34 19(c) December 27 I4(cl) January, 1939 42 14(e) February 33 21(f) March 30 15(g) April 47 12(h) May 29 15(1) June 24 I5(i) July 19 5(k) August 19 13(1) TOTALS FOR 12 MONTHS Plays Totals 2 I 6 2 8 7 I 4 2 51 52 59 43 57 55 53 66 45 43 26 33 (g) (h) (k) (I) 366 I8l(m) 36 583 (a) Including 2 published nnagazine stories and I newspaper connic strip, (bj Including 4 published magazine stories, (c) Including 13 published nnagazine stories, (dj Including 12 published nnagazine stories. (e) Including 7 published nnagazine stories and 1 radio program. (f) Including I published magazine story and 2 radio programs. Including 4 published magazine stories. Including 3 published magazine stories. Including 4 published magazine stories, 3 films and I radio program. Including 3 published magazine stories and 2 radio scripts. Including 2 published magazine stories. Including 3 published magazine stories and I film. (m) Including 64 published magazine stories, I comic strip, 6 radio programs and 4 films. Harvest Moon, original by Ed Sullivan, purchased by Universal. June Mad, stage play by Florence Ryerson and Colin Clements, slated for Broadway production in the fall, purchased by Columbia for Edith Fellows. Life Begins Tomorrow, original by Margaret LeVino and Katrin Holland, purchased by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Manhattan Holiday, original by Polan Banks, purchased by Twentieth Century-Fox. Martin Eden, novel by Jack London, purchased by Samuel Bronstein, who has also taken an option on all London stories not filmed, and on his life story. Middle Window, The, novel by Elizabeth Goudge, purchased by B. P. Schulberg. Miss Susie Slagle's, novel by Augusta Tucker, about medical students in a boarding house, purchased by Paramount. Moving Day, original by Eric L. Ergenbright, purchased by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Mutineer, The, Cosmopolitan magazine story by Vaughan Elston, purchased by Warner Brothers. No Power on Earth, original by Wallace Sullivan and Richard K. Polimer, purchased by Universal. Western Subject Outlawed Marshal, The, original by Ford Beebe, purchased by Universal. Sagebrush Family Rides on. The, original {Continued on page 70) Film Oompanies Have Bought 32 Stage Plays in 1937. "38 and So Far in '39; 14 Plays Sell for a Total of $760,000 Thirty-two stage plays have been purchased by film companies in 1937, 1938 and 1939 to date through the facilities of the Dramatists Guild. These plays have lasted three weeks or longer on Broadway. Plays which are unproduced or do not have a run of at least three weeks may be purchased outside the Guild. In the 1938-39 season, motion picture companies paid a total of $760,000 for 14 plays, compared to a total of $700,000 for 12 plays during the 1937-38 season. The average price during the more recent season was $54,285 per play, while during 1937-38 it was $58,333. $100,000 Average for 17 Plays Prices paid for individual plays are not released by the Guild because film companies insist that their own publicity offices be permitted to handle these aspects of play purchases. In pointing out that the present mimimum basic agreement between the film companies and the Guild on the purchase of stage plays has not restricted the purchase of motion picture rights, the Guild says that in the 1936-37 season, the first in which the agreement was operative, $1,750,000 was paid for 17 plays, for an average price of over $100,000 apiece. Negotiations for modifications of the present agreement have been under way for some time among J. Robert Rubin, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer vice-president ; Sidney Fleisher, Guild attorney ; Luise Sillcox, executive secretary of the Guild, and Jake Wilk, Warner Brothers' story editor. The Titles A list of the plays purchased during 1937 and 1938, and in 1939 to date, follows : 1939 Philadelphia Story The American Way Susan and God Elizabeth the Queen Let Freedom Ring 1938 How to Get Tough About It What a Life Golden Boy On Borrowed Time I Married an Angel 1937 The Women Yes, My Darling Daughter Having a Wonderful Time Miss Quis Excursion You Can't Take It With You Of all these plays, "The Philadelphia Story" is the only one to be purchased on a royalty basis completely. Abe Lincoln in Illinois Of Mice and Men Our Town Blind Alley The Night of January 16 Whatever Goes LTp Fly Away Home Babes in Arms Room Service Howdy, Stranger ! Yellow Jack Boy Meets Girl Night Must Fall Jezebel Swing Your Lady Double Dummy Robert Hoyt has resigned as president and general manager of Telco Corporation, color film process organization. He will take a vacation before announcing new plans.