Variety (May 1931)

VARIETY P ■ CT Wcdnitsday; Miijr 6,1931 Blit Idle-^cli . r ■: ' llo.l!y.woo0v. May. ]i, '■■ ■., S.i(l<wyt; or .tluv s&f tosi; spot in a Biudlo—depirtOiiic.bn'i>oW thp Ipbli Bt' it--i.s held liy the; 50 or, mpiT. ■ ipla:>«rs (Icaxy iiiir l epular salaries oh etndio conU'acts .but never glycn a .chahc<s. in a;.picture.. Every stvidlo. has a qiipta. . Tiiey-'BOt ia blar.(^ of^ Ij.ublicity;:;wiieh 'enEafecd. 'aiia -are then forROttcn. ;' ■ ■ • . aiarrtest ^wo'rk; this factloii; does; is ppso for'pubUcIty stlMs.. /KoiAe. iianB on through a couple of optipna wltli- ovit OpiOG Irtprie tbati • a blU , • ; ' ', .: Thi$ constitutes a break. ; ;^ - : l£ tiie player Is- satlshed with a life. Of ease tbcrc's' no, cbrii'pTalnt., Spnie take ii^ plUlosbpiil.eally )ahd^ wonder, iip.w Jpne the easy liipni'y; will, cpntlniie. Many,' though,;find It tough .to wioilt; . They call, on the ca.sting director,", excjcs and ,Qther8, and want to knbW- why thcy'i^e not working, ,Tvhy, they're being kept pii ealary, and when dp: their careers: etart? -y'^' , Ohe girl has been tiridor cbntvact. two years, , put . on as a ip'rt, of mn- ^derStudy;tp one of the: studio's big: Btars. Th^ glri' ha3;been-attehdihB dramatic and vblce. Echo,pks most of ■'that": .time,. The bjtrning anibitioii. tb' become a .star. Jierself, which, she ■ »ayr she had ■ Wheii chgaged,: has! changed fp humble gratitude.' V-V,diiperaitfr';',:. ■■ ;She wants .tfr dp. her benefactors: fttvprs; .' She 'asks if shp cart't ppse (or publicity stills,: if they won't tise- her.fpr 6tand:ins on the ,'8«ti or any other odd Jobs; ., She'd run' err •Minds If they'd let her. The- girl'6: ■farts" have^'been bits, far between.- On -her. thfrd pptibn the; stiidlo , is v«tHl .promising.- , ■; '.Spniehody thinks; thes? .players . are okajr or they- wouldn't slay on,. .but directors and superyisors.n^ve'r fl<;k them for parts of coiiseaiience. • . As- one of the! biiiried said, ''"Ve're Hollywood's hpnprairy stars." ■ DAISY DEYOE ON STAGE FOR GU^^ .: , Chlcagp, .May 5. - Da,lsy.' De'Voe,' f ormM. secret,ary' to .Gjai;a.,;BowV.' who figured in front page publicity rocontiy,.ls being,sub- mitted here for either vaude 6r bur- lc<i(iue pn guarixritce and percentage, ;'-No ,lnfp; hi.ide .pXibllc as 'tp , what . .kind of, nn. act tjie'Coast girl con- templatoK doing on the' stage., . . iFox's 2 Unusual Films ■• . * l-Iollywopa, May a. : . Fpx Is pocnplcd .at;the monicnt In bulldihj two ;.<itorlos ; in unusual yi-a>:s. :Oive is iveing shaped ..around a title and another arouhd.bld foot- Hy;e. ': . . , '' _ :': ^: ■ . ■->.■. •' First, chore ,a.«sl(jned to -William- Anthony /MrCiuirj; is : to write a story n round tiic title' ' She Wanted a Millionaire.". . '•Isiand of i>csire,'*: 6rlplhal Span- ish picture by Kwlgiit .Cuhimihgs, utilize a numher of .South fica lsland.:>;hpts made by!.F,ox , sftvcrai years ap6: ; Idea/is .th.it, the story • will be ,;l)uilt arpiiri.d, the footage thoy have as to utlllzo all of It. A Blow : Hpllywood,, May E. ; ; liobert Gleckler, after year ' of small and ' intfdiocre, partjs, .iea-v-e up and ^started; driving ea.st last Saturday (2).'. Tcs- ^ \terday; '(Mpnclay)Universal; wanted- him• for a strong' aup--' -poi'.t. part,;■;. ,■ '-" ' - Hl9r,a,gent:;ls try ing tp'locate him ?ome\v;li9re -in South ■Da-r'- kpta. -where he! will;visit on hlla way to New York. Academy^ Hbllywpod.lMay ,B^!; ■ B"; "P. Schulberg and Academy of fleers 'are . jb be hosts to alktut a hundrea Tiewer fllni celebs at Si dln-! ner tcnibrrpw ("Wednesday) .'night.; Affair is, ;tb :be ,it'the .Parampunt studlpsi";' ';; ■ - "-• Speeches are tb.fbllpw and Invl- tatlbhs .will; be extended lb JPin.;tHe Acadeiny, This "is the 'only"way of galhfni^ members and Invltatlpns are flrist .recpmmended by a membership cpmmlttee, ■ ' At aii Ackdennyyboard meeting,; also Wednesday, It is expected .that' thb. igents'asspciatlpii -will aatf-ap- jpblntnient; bf, a !" jplht - producers;; cpmmlttee. to-cbaify agents' ■ reia- tlonship and! Iron out existii>g prpb- leme. . ' ' , . ■ '-■ ;,' ;, • . SurePuWicily Hollywppd, May t. Ppla Negri arrived Monday (4) on the Pathe lot. She announced she's not through with matrimony and is secretly engaged- to an anonymous big business man In the east," ■ Co-lncidentally; with her a-rrival here the local papcns discovered t!hat her. late husband; Prince - Mdvanl and Mary McCormIck w'ere married in "Paris i7. Radio's Comics Create New Ticklish Situation Hollyw.ood, May 5. The big p.k. given Robert Wool- fley's"Kyerything's .hosie" at;a lo- cal' preview has caused a; ticklish situation at Radlp,- a,<5 Bert "Wheel- er's ''Top Many' CppUs". did npt fate so -well. Studio Is. now considering .cutting; out the solo picture each la supposed to dp on the year's :pro- gi-aiu to prevent any come-down In the reputation of either comic. Dorpthy .Lee will again be in the ,next,"nMiecier-Woplscy VFull pf Np tions," starting soon. Program calls for ' three pictures,. 'with. "Wheeler .•tnd Woblsey teamed, in addition to the SQlps, now out. Miss Lee goes Into all of them.. . Lord on Radio $hprt^ ; .•\npther rural chamoter tor Hadio ishwrts will .be Phillips Lord jti-om NBC. I^ird broadcasts a.<i"Seth Parker." Lord' gofts to the Coast, In August, and Louis Bi-oi-k will .work:-W|ih him on. tli<>..,'!torios. ' ; IHadlo 'also, has Chic Sale under •contract 'for six shorts, . ' r : Deak Filmward ^ v Another lofrlt (llimvarrt when :t*wls !I>'oiik, R<-ii.- iiigr. "for •RiU-ar!; ] Selwy'n and ng w ih New -"i'ork. gnc-s' .to .Mbily-Avbbd. I3xpe''t.,<> to loa-vc in .aliput three 'ivopks. - .,'v ' ,L''n(1«'rstoo,d -that-lieak .will .h<>; a flin-i 'hsslstaht rtb ..^elw-'yn. Iva.tt.er!;i.s -with Saniuel Goldwyn. The diirkrut; hniir In aiiT- mnn'ii lire-l»;whrn hf hUh ili>ivn.-t« iiliiri how lo r«( in'one}-. without cnrnr. IBK It. v'-!: • A>'n MRS. JACK -NOKn'OHTU 130 UMt Street -; >ew Tork Young. Beaton Deiid ! lioUywopd, May 5. Donald Boatpn, 21, son of jWol- ford Beaton-, - editor and puWi!-h<-r of "Tlie Film !Spe<:taibr," dW:d May -3 frorri a llngoring- troplf-iil dlTi'r-as': -whVh he , had bc<-n' 'r.othtjaiirjj.;. for four, yr.-ars. • ; ! ' .' ' '; .".- '-■' Toung Beaton !was' an- assoclat'- !cditbr of "The ! Spectator." Just,! a week before his doath, Bcatoii's first bpole,' ''VVhb'a Tpur Uoro?"; had Jiee.n accepted for pub- lication by Llpiilncott's. . ' ■ ! Studios' Sth Deb - ! ! - , , 'Hollywood, May ,5, '■. Another society .Ingcnvle !signed, maklug • Hollywood'^ fifth,! when Adrlchne Ames was secured for Paramount by- B. P. Schulberg after seeing her pliptograph.s. ': - ! Girl; waa'previpusly reported! ha iiig aimiated with Goldwyn. WILL MAHONEY -In Earl Carroll'* "Sketch Book" ; The Newark ^'Star Eagle" B.ild, "In 'Sketch Book' you will find "Will Mahoney grabbing off the applause in a manner -that will leave yoii limp. ■.: His eccentric dancing - Is spme'thing thaV grows'on the spec- tator and he climaxes the evening with his dazzling dance on the Ma- honeyphone." ■ Direction - RALPH a FARNUM 1560 Broadway'"' ! Hollywood, May E. Dressed a-Ia-Garbo, -with pockets In her slcirts, Marlene Dietrich la back and with a changed attitude towards newspapermen. To - show how she feels-'«he .carries cigarets Just for them, she said, despite she no smoke herself; In Interviews Miss Dietrich is gracious Instead of ,iier!'fprmer hlgiif hat attitude, saying newspapers misquoted her previously. - Before ; iea->-ih^ Bei^iln^ -Miss' Die- trich Induced 'Paramount to pur- chase' "An Entirely- Different Woman," no-vel by Frbeschl.. Stu'dlb is preparing' this as the" second , of the two pictures she will make dur- ing' her present siz-moitth stay'.' .;. Says she, came here only to be di- rected by- Jos. Von Sternberg, 'ial- thPugii.sHe would like Lubiltsch as - a megger tpp, If he spoke" better Eng- lish. ,; It the director's English gPcs haywli'c,^ she fhlnlts, so :wlll hers.-. The German girl explains that her husband didn't come with her be- cause in Hollywood he Wbuld be Mr, Dietrich, He preferred accepting a pirpductlpn Job at Par's JoinviHe studios. . Marlct her. flve-yedr-old daughter is'with her but doesn't like cither pictures or her swimming pool. She may do a bit In one of Par's kid films. ;■•,,■■ ■"Vph Sternberg Is 'etili, occupied with, cutting of ,*'An American Tragedy" and, won't be able to start on Marlene's next film lor three wfckn yet. ■ •SkippyV Tragedy . Los Angeltjs, May 6. Parental! arabition for their . boy as a screen .actor ended In tragedy- for a. vaudeville act out here. ';.- ;v - When they . heard ; that' '"Sklppy" was to be made as a ' picture, the parents, then In the' east, ! scraped : enotigh , money ,' together to come west. There - was no doubt In their mindk that their- child w.is, the Ideal-, personiflcatibn of the kid char- , acter. ■ 1 ■.' . The day, that Paramount sent back word that the boy ; would not do for the title, part, • the . mother suffered a com- plete mental collapse. She Is no-w in a! sanatorium—it is hoped temporarily. Russian with Hopes , Hollywood, May 5.. Boris Piiniak, .Russian writer. Is here hoping to cpnnect In pictures, . It was at the welcome to America party for Pilnlak that Theodore Dreiser- took his soi:k at Sinclair Lewis. - . ;" '■.■;'..'■:-.. WEATHER -. . . ! -:Lomlori,;Ma.v 5. : Ite.ivy rain. sppljSd. liio;-'weck-cnd show biz. • ' !--.' -.:■ Proyinoial Itihux was under' hbr- mal .Hnd strong couTiter nttrap.tIons In the sporting world helped pull matlhire flgurOfS do>t n. ! !, : !.,., '■•/ Paris, May B. ■ '; lialii helped bilz. a Utile oyer . the wfi'k-end. .! CouUlri'.t- mAke up for. h, very ba^l wieek thotlgh; !,^ ,■■;;;: , ■!' ,! ■! !; Arliss Retiring? Hollywood, May B. George Arliss, reports have if, will retire tp England after one more picture for Warners, to follow "Alexander Hamilton." "Hamilton" is now In work. .-'.; ,J,; J, Mjirdock Back . ! • J, J. MurdocK reached New -York Btt ttirdiiy from Hollywood. ! - He '^111 remain;. east, over the summer. !;-,■'.. !.;.. Fox-Metro Casters Looking Oyer Each Other's Minors ! ■ Holly wpod," May 6. Fox and Metro are co-operating, more closely In an .eflTort to put their minor contract people to work. These are generally the players whom directors and supervisors tct fuse to take a choince with by spot- ting them In their pictures. ! To this -end an exchaiiige of cast- ing personnel has been offered whereby ,: Marcella Kn'app, from Metro, goes to the . Fox lot for a week to look over the neophytes and eastern tests. Last week Dave Todd, of tiie Fox casttng office, was at Culver City for the same pur- pose. -;''-■-■-.■;-".!■'■'.;.■'.■.;■.;'■-■ Inasmuch as-the Fbx cbmpany la In stock control of Loew's,- which ihcludes-Mctrb/ithe indication Is be-, coming more active, . ■An'lntahce !is the use of Dorothy Jordan, Metro feiatured'player," -who recently finished' "Young Sinners" for Fox and has bberi!- tiorrpwctt again by this-bompahy 'fpr !a!npther film. ■'■ . Mobs' Boom Days Hollywopd, May B. . Extras ha-ve! been, the busiest In three months last w eek; an average of 813 worked daily. This is only the second-time- in 1931 that extra placements'! have - topipcd - the 1930 average,' ■■'"' ' -Biggest - mobs of! the" -week were 180-in a hospital; s,cche ,han<iled by Baoul Walsh at Fox. '■■ Hollywood, May 5. ;- With everyone in Hpllywopd pwn- ing 'a car, the cash and tarry-a- while girls have deserted the paver ments tp do their drumming from gasplinc buggies. - ;, ~ -Tliey travel In pairs and no Ipnger can !ans\ver tP tliat pld police epiirt deslgnatlp.h. of !"walkers.!' ': ■ It's all swank, even to engraved -cailUng!.cards.. ';,!', ;!! Eleandr Hunt's Shorts " ■ ,;•; ! ;;\ iloilj-wood, May 5. • ' Eleanor 'Hunt, brought here for thc.femme top spot in ''Whoopee,"'. Is. at Vrtlversal.jui lead In Slim ,Su'ni- meryille'slibrte. , Series of , 10. will have '. Summf-r- ville ploying the part of a marine. - SAILINGS May 15 (New York to London) - bono and n'o'cheile. (lie de France) '.. . May 13 (New- York tb Londpn) Mary Plckford (Bremen). May 12 (New York to London) Roy Mack (Bcrengarla). - May 9 (New York to London). Mr. and Mrs. J. J. McCarthy (Lfeyiathah). ■ " ' ■. . May 6 (Paris to New York) Jed Harris (lie de Prance). ;; May 4 (IjOS Angeles to New York), Elmer Rice. (Virginia). , .;' ! !' May 4 (Los Angeles to Trieste); Cliff Wheeler (California). -May i (Capetown to London), E. y.' Schiller, Hill and Vizard (Wind.-i sbr Castle). ' ':■■.'.'■/■ ■ April 29 (New York to Paris) Jane Wise (Deutschland). , April Zi (Capetown to London), Leon and'Klkl XKeniVworth Castie). May 8 (Paris to New - York) Art Hadley (Lafayette). ■. V.!- ;■ '!': '' May 14 iCParis to Buenos'Aires) Argciilli'io -Keviae. Co. 'fAlcazias)./ ' ,May .5 (r^'lri.s ,tp New York) Mr. and Mr.<5: M.-irtln Bcek (Bremen)* ' May. 2, (I'.-iris to -NeW^Yofk) f^'arl j;noblnson!t;B<!rthKaHa)'.! .' Stbty competition ha.s .beeom^- sp!keen among film producers that nearly everything , now Is ' bought' befpi-o! publication .or," If 'ti plar. be- I fore production on the stage, i-iisi» -, crn story, buyers are even- going ns ' far as to entertain agents in - the hoi>c of getting. lirBt. crack at ;g;iiu>y . proofs, with several recent in- stances pn the record where mate, rial has been bought after seeing the "first few thousand words.' The cpmpany 'getting the .f6s(e.-*t pk'ay frpm the Const and'eti'ough of an appropriation to buy. Is the win. ner In . this hlgh. pressure bidding., ; One of the difflctilties pointed out:- is! the -cb.ii)p6titIon-among tiie! pror . ducers themselves; Some of tlio ' lesser companies, unable to ni'ake an offer over the telephone on ,-v moment's 'notice, have • very little chance in', this market. It Is cUi imtd ! by story agents that Metro is -corii ' sistently t:Vie!hlghest;i7idd<;r, mo.sL of the story-buying being on the New York end and In" the hand.s of - of- ficials who have authority to , put through a (luick purchase for this firm. /■ !■:.■■■!■'.! ■;V ; .;.. ;'■.■' ';.!■,' . -;!/. Heavy Politics . In no other branch-of the busl- hess is the agent so faced witji politics and "ins" as that surround-. .Ing the selling of stories for thp screen. Many jxre the cases -wlier^ studio story editors go' far out -of their ■wa!y for an- *'Jn" with an agent in an effort to get a break for his ' company on available material, and material that has yet to be pub- lished. .;-;'.' Because producers feel that It is unwise to purchase stories or plays . too far- In- advance, due to eve'r- changing public taste, many believe this must eventually- lead to greater dependence, on studio staid writers. Picture flrtiis like to., reverse the process by having publishers, or. play producers, come tb the studios and screen writers for their riglu-s. Instead of vice versa, as now, but that is, the Utopia as regards' this particular condition. In Shorts for 10 Years, r Kennedy FniaUy a Star : \! ^ibliy!wopd-,- May .5. !, Edgar ■ Kennedy gets a star spot from rathe for six two-reelers titled "Mr. Average Man.** Kennedy has been a fe.Ttured shorts comic fpir 10 !ycar.s,!;; ;-j; lU. Has Another Blue Nose Film Bill on Tap Chicago. May 5.. Backed ■ by i)oiitlcal and rclislbus factibh.s, ahptlver; state! eerisor.siiliJ bill is now up before the Illinois- legislature. If enacted, tlil'3- blii wotild subject, every picture to such rigid .censor- • ship that it most likely would never see exhibitipn.- ; V,!! ' . Preparing for Musical ■ Metro is expected tp .'st.irt on "Klying High" within 6,0 d.iys.. It. Will. he. the;first mUslcMl In prbdiio- ; tlon for some time! Orlglnai plans called for using the. stage cast, witli George .White as. advisory dircctpi*. White- is readying a new "Sean- dais," .80 it's doubtful if he'll go- west dill ing the "Flying High"! se„s!- • slon. ■;;■''■-■■!--^ ■■'. ;.;■:-,■■::-...:',-.■.,. ! : ' V. : Hollywood, M.ay D. !Erithusla3ts for the retijrn of .mu- sicals! are elated over one . of the Radio convention reports. Reported public demand for mu- sicals! of -the -Whoolpeb. typo ' causfd ! the happiness. ■ Buck Jones' $19,000 :!^.!, -.y Hollywood, May !>, ■ Discharge of th!e! Buck. Jones bankruptcy - attempt leave's !$l,!i.Of** labor'claims outstanding. Mostly due! to cowboys and In-, dians who took It'on tlie nose wh"-n Jones' Wild Wi^st show flopped. ;; Dwan on "Wicked" Hollywood, May ^-i After turning-down two storie.s FOX, . :'Airart.-; Uw'nn -'-wiii dl''' ' - ' "WlikeO," uslnc. Victor M..l-:it-'l; " and !Ellssa J-andl.. ' ^' ! '; - • .'Start set in two'weeks. '! .