Variety (Oct 1931)

VARiETY PICT0RES Taesdby, Oelolier 6, 1931 Modified I^iss System m By Stolo P. A. Heads for Anuty Hollywood, Oct. 6. SAodift«d studio paee ByBtem.ln efr feet this 'w«ek Is a-«llteot move by, the h^ds of the atudld pt«b8 depts. to reinstate amity between the In- dustry and the press. Latter will be 'accorded as much open sesamie' as, possible, although not as -umii;^ as In the past, with 'a system ot passes facilitating Immediate entree Into the- publicity offices. From the . press dept., newspaper people' may receive courtesies to circulate wherever their. business calls them, although It will- in- most "cases entail' the detalllnif'of a press itept. representative to accompany the ..reporter. This' becomes ne'ces' sary- through the. strict ^policing :Of the lotia'which still' tecKnicUly op pbses solicitation of all kinds, boot- K^g^s, 'agents, , tet aX ' Raidlo'a jump '■, ..Baiaio studio tooic t)ie jump on the .«>tjier« by anticipating- a round- sobin approval of this pass system andT issued its own - series of pass cards Jn advance- of the others, who Inaugurate theirs this we<jk. Cards' vi« changeable - monthly, ■with violators of rules and regula- -ttona receiving no'new-. caMe^f a dlfferenf 'iMfit -each month^the next iJiiie, as a means to estabirsh-further «ordiality between the studio and -)p&p%ih Regulation's iii some in- atiEiiices win be printed bn the re- verse' of "the cards' to 'cautlbn vgalrist pi-omisbuliy in busting in on ^esBlii'^ room's,', sound''Stages, and 'kifldred other npisahC^S which no «)^ble' newspaper' app'rdv^, _ but which'«vll, by the growing list of tocai shoestring trade, dallies, pre- ' cipitated the stringent pass ^system In the first place. Breen's Stall . That the recognized -writers* re- sentful in this scant consideration of their past co-operation,' didn't fahcy it, was forcibly brougiit home -tb tJie producers by the Hays office. Ii^tter, both in New Tork and lo- ct^y-, '< was swamped by adverse newspaper publicity which didn't react, well at the box offices for the past seveMl months, <^ueing Joseph 1 Breen, one of Hays* associates, to be delegated to o.o. the local situa- tion. :Latter stalled in his report and the local p.a.'B, led by Howard etrickling at Metro and Arch Beeve at' Par, backed by Louis B. -Mayer and B. P. Sohulberg, took matters Into their own hands to bring about an, Immediate amicability with the pr.ess. N. Y. to L. A. Harry Buskin. M. Marco. Lillian Bond. Radio Harris Charles Quigley L. A. to N. Y. Buddy Morris Phil Rosen Jimmy Savo Lou 'Wertheliner. Harry Rosenthal Charlie Eiiifeld Frank Joyce. Mrs. Leon Leonidotr. Louis B. Mayer. Paul and Mrs, Muni. John Gilbert POWELL nr TBISSIIBE' (Hollywood, Oct 6. '- "William Powell's second picture for "Wainers will be 'High Pres- Mure.' Story by -S. J. Peters. Joe Jackson has been assigned to adapt and Mervyn Le Boy -will di- rect ' ■ .. neming at Uetio ■ Hollywood, Oct. 6.' Victory Fleming, who took- the round the -world trip with Douglas Fairbanks, is on . the fire to direct at Metro. . He; has been given IS stories to look over. 1st Rons on Broadway - '-' <6ubject to Change) ' Week Oct. 9 Paramount—'Road to Reno' (Par). Roxy — 'Smart "Women* (RKO-Pathe). Capitol— "iitrw Adventures of Get - Rich - Quick "WaHlngtord (Metro). RivoK — "Monkey Business' (Par) (B). . •', 'Strand—'Road to Singapore' CWB) (2d week). - MayfaJr —'Bevotion'. (BKO- Pathe) (2d week). • Winter Garden—TWe Star -TInaV CWB) (Bth week). ' ' ■ Hollywood—'Alexander Ham- Uton' CWB) (4th week). ' Broadway^—'Murder at Mid- night' (Tiff) (2d week)." V Rialto—'Palmy Days' (UA) (8d week). - . ■ " Warner's — 'Gay Diplomat' (Radio). Cameo^'£ast of Borneo' (U) (2d week). . Week Oct 16 . Paramount—"Beloved Bache- lor* (Par). . : ■' Ro^y — 'The . Klsco •'' Kid' (iPbx). ■ • ■ '■ - ■' ■ ' Capitol—'Susan Lennox-^Her Bise 'and FaSl' (Metro). '.RWoli — 'Monkey': Business' (Par) (2d week). Strand—'Honor of the Fam- ily' (FN). Mayfair — 'Spirit of Notre Dame' (U>. ' Winter darden-^'Five Star Final' CWB) (6th week). Holly wood — 'A 1 e X a h d e i*' Hamilton' CWB) (5lh week). Rialto—Taiiny Days' (UA) (4th week). 92 Pictures - The Guardsman' (Astor) (Bth week). (Metrb) Foreign Films 'Lindenwjrtin vom Rhein' (Superfllm) (German) (Bel- mont) (3d week). ^Smiling Lieutenant (Par) (French) (Little Carnegie) (2d week). 'Floetencencert von Sans-, souei' (Ufa) (German) (Cos- mopolitan) (9). 'Die Grosee Sehnsucht' (Cicero)' (German) CVander- bllt) (7). 'Susanna Maeht Ordnune' (Greenbaum) (German) (Bel- mont) (8). . 'Das Lied von Leben' (To- bis) (German) (Cameo) (16). CHARLES 'CHie SALE who. is stln a young'mail, has a new- problem' 'tn fan mair since his remarkable characterization of; Graiidpa Summerville in his first feature picture 'The Star 'Witness.' One letter reads: 'I am 80;years old, Just about your age, and-I want to; congratulate you. You have proved that, age, is no limit to- suc- cess.' '• ; ' - , Management: LEO MORRISON, .. Rqosevelt Hoteli Hollywood. : MAYER CONCENTRATING PUBLK imiKE ADY A new publlclty-advertlsihg-ex- ploltatlon'set-up is being organized in -Publix by^ Arthur Lt. Mayer, re- cently appointed to the liead of-that department at the home office. ' Un- der-it he will create a new post In tbat^'Willlam Hol1ander,'<from Chi- cago, will function as an editor of all advertising, publicity and ex- ploitation prepared .by men. through- out the Publix chain. ■. 'While the new set-iip will prob- ably result in- the- use of fe-w'er ad- vertislng-iiilbllcity men' around the country, it is designed to ^ create within Publix a force that will rep- resent greater mah-powto than at present Each division, as supervised from the home office ' by ' five divisional directors', wiil ha-Ve a division pub- ad h«ad, directly responsible to Hollander and his superior, Mayer. Deluxe F.iiblix houses additionally have had their' own local publicity men. tn New- Tork there has b^>i one man over all four .Greater N. T< theatres '(Paramounts, N. T> and Brooklyn, Bivoli and Blc^to), -with an additional man for each of tiiese houses4 'Rue Morgue* Is Oh Hollywood, Oct E. "Bue Morgue' is back on the Uni versal releaise list for 1931-S2L Much of the Edgar Allan Poe treatment will be missing, however. Story will be modernized. Robert Florey, director, who at first . opposed modernization, now approves the new handling. Hollywood Briefly rewritten extracts from "Va.riety's'' Hollywood Bulletin, printedl each Saturday in Hollywood, and placed at a wrapper upon the regula^jl weekly ^'Variety." The Bulletin does not circulate othrir than on the -Pacific Slope. News from the Dailies in Los Angeles will be found In that customaryja department. ^• Blchard Schayer an4 /Winifred Dunn; -writers, cure attempting to put enough patience into femme lead of Impatient 'Virgin' so Hays will like. Lew Ayres,: Mae Clarke and Andy Devlne are in ciost - James 'Whale scheduled to nieg.' Clara Bow was to have starred in this but backed Out. ■ Metro^ can't find, an ba. Tarzan, after two weeks' testing. Latest testee for 'Tai-zan of the Apes' is Johnny Welsmuller, swimmer. Borzage*!! Play Trip . Frank Borzage, director, and Sbpya Levl^'n and S. N. Bohr man. writers, to. New York for look at Aftjer Tomorr<>w,' recent Fox buy. Borzage will direct with Minna Gombell in cast ' Flood'a Suits James Flood is suing Liberty Pro- ductions for $6,000 for cutting Vad Parade,' and Herman M. Gumbin, president' of Liberty, for $10,600 on an agreement to direct three pic- tures. . Bennetts in 'Cyrano' Bclasco & CurrOi) have 'Cyrano de B'ergerac' - "on their production' schedule-to follo'W'The Silent "Wit- ness' at the Relasco.. Blchard Ben- nett and, Joan 'Bennett for the leads. I The 83 little theatre groups of the locality, band$d into the L. A.;Coun-. try Drama Association, hold a bowr and-why orgy Oct. 8, their first an^ nual conference. Metro Hunts Freaks Metro has asked Charlie Hatch, BKO booker, to collect 126 midgets for ■ 'Freaks,'^ circus story. Ben Piazza is east looking for the curi- osities, also. P; A-'s Wife "Wheh the Judge who had marl-ied them was defeated; for re-election, Arthur Levy, Badio p.a., and the missus figured they might be il- legally tied. They got.a Babbi to do it over. Petei-sdh's First Majorie' Peterson, from legit spotted in 'Second Shot' at Pathe. Herman J. Mankiewlcz going to New York for confabs on next Four Marx Bros, picture, which BertKal- mar and Harry Buby are writing. Film will be made on the Coast. U'a Crime Trouble Bowland . Brown is looking for a Soviet story to direct for ITniversa], as his 'Gallows' was n. g'd by Hays office because of crime stuiT. 1,ady of Besource,' another. U yam, banned for same reason. Seek Reid Protos Studios looking for leading men of- "Wallace Beld type to play in breezy romances, tiegend of Beid has remained in Hollywood, like that of "Valentino. Producers still looking for successors. Newsreels Have Economized Besides Developing Beyond Other Branches Hillman Back in N.. Y. Eddie Hillman. formerly with the publicity division of Fox West Coast is' In New York to take up work with home office department and locally. ■ Assignment not yet made by de- partment beads. - Greatest economy and develop- ment In any department of picture production since the adVent' ""of sound ifs being realized by the newsreels. Expenses in the major workings of the reels have been cut in half, it"is conceded by 'major executives who have supervised film news gathering from the early silent days. "Where the uniform- price for trucks was $25,000, with some com- panies raising that ante with an- other $10,000, a .completely equipped camera wagon can be obtained to- day for $7,500; The era of Fords In news gather- ing is only one Item in cutting ex pense. Equipment formerly bulky, e-ven to the point where it over- loaded many of the larger cars by 600 pounds, has and is still being simplified. The crew, necessary to man the larger cars has been cut in half. The' smallest autos find their place in the newsreels. 'With, the present crew and. better facilities the over head in_ operating trucks alone has. been "balved. Pathe and Fords Pathe is the first news reel-to fol- low FM in'the use of Fords, 'It is 'repdi'ted -sliortly all of the other r^els using'sound" will take 'to'the saine ihethod of conveyance,'hot only be- cause of tlte saving but also on ac- count of'the ability of little cars li Insure greater news coverage -by, be- ing able to warp into places in- accessible to trucks. ■ '< Fox is retaining some of the heavy trucks for special work. When space Is assured and an event Is' to be covered which extends over any pe rlod of time, Fox is finding tlie larger trucks are better than the Fords. Benson given for this is that the little machines are easily Jolted and every Jolt reflects in the pho tography. "Where Fox is using a new small camera - which it prices at around $7,000 and has its Fords altered so that camera work takes place from the rear, Pathe is sticking to the stand.xrd size camera and taking pictures from the roof, so that all angles are available. Tearle for 'Madonna' Conway Teorle Is going into Para- mount's ^False Madonna,' with Kay Francis and William Boyd. Actor cancelled New York leglt possibility, New termer at Fox for Balph Bel- lamy for his work in 'Surrender.' Next is 'Circumstances,' from An drew SoUtar's novel, with William Menzles steering. - In 'Jazz King'-.at Paramount. Buddj*, Bogers opposite, - -with David Bor^ ton steering. .4^ Chev Starting. "With Maurice and Mrs. cniievallei|> due back. Paramount' has skeddesi 'One Hour with You' ' to start- around Oct 26. Claudette Colbert^l due soon, goes. .Into. 'Uncertalnil Women' with William Boyd at Par*. Rogers in 'Qoose' Buddy Bogers and Peggy Shtiii-*. noii Cast for 'Goose Hangs Hlfghfi Paramount remake. Henry Myerdi -writing, script and IFVank Tuttlot nailed.as dlrectcir. i Shurlbck Domestto Geoffrey Shurlock, due back Ina two -weeks from England, will go^ on Par payroll, in domestic product tion. Was formerly in foreign pro* dubtloii. Towhfey Bursts 'Voluntary bankruptcy papery : were filed by Jack Townley, screeiA writer. He owes $2,414. No assets^ F-WC Oiits Out Only two of lO'ietbuts.from FOZ'4 West Coast publicity 'department were placed back in organization* despite attempts-by Bobert Colllei> p„ a, head. Perry Morgan and Dav« Hillman only placements, mo^t-oS others connecting .elsewhere. , 'Lilies of Broadway* IS on .agaid at Universal..; Thd 1029 brand,':b9 golddiger is being 'revised to dat9 by Kerry Clarice; Warners Donate Welcome-home dinner for JacS Warner at the L, A. Sanatarium at Duorte, Cal.,- meant ^dded -fiindd for the .institution. Warner* Ao^ nated $1,000, and his father,'iBe*^ Jamih. $600. i;T Sennett Iteopens ...q-' Bennett lot resumes ' after -hsU weeks' darkness. '- Long Rest Over Henry Lebrman is through at ToJt after seven months and now hoiied. , to go to work. He was engaged to direct El Brendell f^orts that didn't materialize. Tonight' Cast Tonight or Never,' following 'Camille' in the Belasco Oct 2^ will have Helen Gahagan, Ferdt« nand Gottschalk, Greta Meyer and! Warburton Gamble of the Ne-^ . York cast - Sale at Warners Chio Sale and Badlo will part after his sixth short which started this week. Sale starts at Wamerd Oct IS. Paul Muni goes Into 'Counselor* at-Law,' EUmer Bice's new play, liS New York. > •' .Joel McCrea and Pat O'Brien geC duo male leads In Badlo's 'I^s^ Squadron.' Paul Sloan -will directs Dick Grace, the author, will Wreclc three planes in the picture. Filming first of musical shorts series - at Boach, Charles Bogers, comic, fell from, plane suspended 12 feet oil ground aiid -sustained a wrenched back and' friactured wrist , 'Zoo Zee' for L. A. Closed by the authorities in San Francisco, where it flrst opened^ alsoi in Sacramento and Beho, 'Easy for Zee Zee' may come here. Sid (Continued on page 43) Tierney-Steiner Tunes Harry' Tlemey, back . at Badio after doing a Broadway show, is now part , of a music writing, film team. Max Stelner other part. ' Completing a termer at Fox, Mar- garet Churchill will freelance. Pete Milne, of Badlo's home of- fice,. Is returning to coast studio as a writer. Munier Set Ferdinand Munier, coniic and for- mer stock producer, given termer by Fox. He goes into 'Bteppln' Sisters.' Triple credit goes tovEarle Snell for story,-continuity and dialog of 'Blue Blazes' at Universal. Frank Albertson, June Clyde and Slini Summerville In cast First of the six William Farhum stars in for Willis Kent starts in November at Tec Art It's a Chi- nese Junk story, Oliver Drake scripting. Hopkins in 'King' Miriam Hopkins, instead of. Nancy Carroll, gets top femme spot serious. PAYETTE BADLY HURT WB Zone Mgr- in Taxieab Cra^h.M Washington Washington, Oct,^ . John J. Payette, ione manager_of the Warner Brothers' Theatrics for Maryland, 'Virginia and the District of Columbia, was severely injured Wednesday morning (30) upon his return from New York. The taxi- cab. In which Payette was leaving Union Station for his home waa struck by a truck. With Payette at the time of the accident was Nat Glasser, who -vfoa severely cut about the face and arms with flying glass. At Garfield hospital, where Pay- ette was taken, it was stated, tliat he is suffering from a broken pelvis, fractured hip and wrist, niul cut over the face and body by the de'- mollshcd windshield and side glasses of the car. Cab was practically demolishcoi A Negro truck diilvcr, Carl Lewis, is being Held for investigation.. Payette's condition Is cxcccdi*ie>7