Variety (Jan 1932)

VARIETY P I C T il R E S Tueaday, January 5, 1932' '«! hM^k ?&^0k?tiik (or M as General Coansd .Coincident with the resignation of Eaek John Ludvlgh, one of the In- corporators of.'Paramount-Fubllx, develops the flrdt step In an Inner Judiciary system for producers and their contract people. The general counsel .for JP-P. .for the past 20 yearfs already has the assurance of leading producer factors . of their cohfldence'Mn him as a Judge-arbi- trator of slngnilar distinction, One of the first cases for the new court finds I<udylgh ready to' pass judgment on 'a dispute .between the organization from which he resigned Jan. 1 aiid a former contract ezecu.- tlve, wherein sum of. nearly & h^f million la inTolved., The lawyer for the defentfaj^t has'already expressed his wllltngnesB for his client to abide by th.e ruling. of., the recent attorney.for the defendant. As singular a situation as the Job Itself, Iiiidvlgh personalljr,., reveals that had. he been jout. of l^aramouht last fall the case .at Issue jivveT would have neared civil litigation. His past affiliation, Ludvlghi-^bas. been assured, will In no.way cayae highest! , executives In- the industry to regard any of his rulings.as arr bltrator as biased.. . Instead of. the. months ,and :yea{rs that are . attendant .lipoa . the uaujal case In the open courts, plus mount- ing costs, and, most of all, publicity Injury to.^elther-party regardlejsa of ^hlch '^y the decision goes, Lud vigh's plan Is to render, a decision and file it In the New York County Clerk's office at a minimum of seven days after both parties have pre- sented their case.. featuring In the Importance of .the Industry's court Is Uiat all prO' ceedlngs vrlll be strictly star-cham' bered; meaning no publicity either way unless agreeable to both sides. .Reports Reports ' concerning ' Ludvlgh's withdrawal from P-P were nbmer oils but non^ touched on the Inner ' court system revealed by the law- yer In an Interview the day his ' resignation became effective. Among the reports, some of which °are still ill circulation, are: .. New money In Paramognt-Fubllz Is demanding a new Uhe-up of exec- utives and Ludvigh'Is the first of the original line to go. liiidvlgh refused to take the sec- ond cut Just ielTected.by Paramount because of Indications'that a. third win be introduced before long. Instead of resigning heatedly and suddenly .as Vas' surmised liislde, Ludvlgh stated he made known his Intention to sever relations last fall. Paramount' was Just a client at the start and for Its first 11 years so far as he was concerned, the lawyer revealed. Then, as it grew he' Increased his time devoted to Its Interests, even to the moving of his headquarters downtown next to the Paramount offices oji 6th avenue, until nine years ago Ludvigh con- centrated as general counsel of P-P. That he Is weary of 'having the responsibility of an entire organ Izatlon on my shoulders' and th&t he feels he is equipped to function as an Intermediary and'general coh sultantfor the entire Industry cont' pose a summary of Ludvelgh's'final decision t6 execute original 'Inten- tions. During. the last 'few years liUd; vigh has had a staff of IE lawyers under hlM, Each man he describes as being responsible for 96% of his Job, the other 6% reverting to . the boss. Those E-per-cents mounted up liito a lot Of trouble and more time than he felt it was necessary to subscribe at this time In life, the lawyer also said of himself. As to relations with Paramount Publlx they will continue to be com- mercial, as '^ell as cordial. Lud vlgh has been asked by P-P to handle certain Important matters of .the organization as outside counsel -To this he has agreed. His offices will be at 1460 Broadway. Louie Swai'tz succeeds Ludvlgh as P-P's chief attorney. RadioVRhrak East A coast report was denied at the Columbia offices by one of the officers who stated he wouldn't have .minded. If It were true. It mentioned a deal to buy out the present Colum- bia parthers^ Joe Brandt and, . the two Cohn brothers. Joe Schnltzer, BUI I/eBaron and .Charlie Rogers were men- ', tloned as the| . possible pur- chasers. ^Rogers .Is, In Ife^ York an<i Schnltser . Is on his way. I^Baron may show 'ipTp shortly. 'All trere recent rivals of Dave Selznlck In the Radio' studio on .the coast, r . Rogers has ahhounced he's' throiigh with Fathe, hecauise of its 'merger' Mth.- ^ladio'; Schnltzer Is likewise .out and' IjeBarbii, It Is said, may settle', his ; ^coritiract 'with' ; RaSlo^ through' making three pictures! , In *he''unit way for ItT- With . the different heads leaving the Radio studio,. the*, four-way operaUoh' It looked t&. to due' fpi* will automatically end. W at $2 (^rion After viewing the first print east of 'Man I Killed,' first non-musical made for Paramount by Ernst I,u- bitsch, Publlx made reserviatlon for It at the Criterion, New Tork, for a $2 run. It will follow the Incum- bent, •Explorers of the 'World' (Ras- pln), probably In three weeks. For some time advance Publlx bookings have had .'Man I Killed' on the Rivoll-Rlalto run list Fat SooUard Out Pat Scollard left Radio Pictures Saturday. He had been a hold over of the Pathe merger and was known as a Joe Kennedy appointee, .dating back to FBO. Balderston Trying John Li, Balderston, writer and former "World* man, will try writ- ing for . pictures under a - short- termer with Metro. . He has been signed for 10 weeks with options. - CHEVALIEft COMCEBT TQUR start*- Peb. 20 at Si. Loult—Wind* Up in Ntfw York .Maurice 'Chevalier starts a eon- cert tour under the direction of Chariea Diillngham, Feb: 20, at St. l«uls. He Is booked Into Chicago Jan. 24 for a -week, T«o and three !days are listed for Indianapolis^ Co- JuMbus, Detaralt, Boston, Philadel- phia, Baltlitibre and-Washington. JThe tour will' finish In New Tork, with a two-week engagement, prob- ably at the Fulton. ' Oievaller will 'be aided by Jacquies Fray and Marie Braglottl, Maro Lachman Is In advance, with John H, Potter the managier, . 4RADI0E'S? .. Hollywood, Jan. 4. ' Combine of'the foiir ex-execs of iEtadl»—Charles R. Rogers, Joseph !. Schnltzer, 'WUllam LeBaron and IiOuIs . A. SareckyiT-for Independent production, Islooked-fof.as next, Suggestloto' 'In the bfflclal RKd- Rogers" Etotemenl that' the-' 'wound- up' .produetlbii 'chief' might' take' a unit on-the coast 'Is' not' considered sd^blously heret. As an India ' for Radio release It looks-likelier.' Bchnitzer's departure to'talk With Hiram S; Brown suggests - he'-s' gor- ing baclr to -wash up, as he's -under ' four weeks'^ notice. . - <' Sarecky £as Just signed with Co- lumbia as an associate iiroducer. LieBaron Is still on the R%dlo' lot, with the balance of his contract yet to be settled, Charles E. SuUlvan Is in as David O. Selznlck''s business aldei, strictly exec, and not in on Radio produc- tion as when teamed with E. B. Derr at Patbe. > Hiram S. Bro-wn Is. expected to return to the coast shortly for- an- other look at the studio. Hiuris' New . Duties Hollywood, Jan, 4. Although Robert Harris will carry the title of associate producer at Paramount, his duties will be those of exec asst. to B. P. Schulberg. Same title is also cttrried by Al Kaufqan. Hughes May Appeal Code Decbion On Coast to Hays FuD Board East JjOb Angeles, Jan. 4. First adverse ruling by a secret board of Judges, compoaed of pro- ducer heads working'In conjunction t^Ith the Hays Production Code ma- chine, vlll be appealed to the entire Hays board of directors In New Tork. Howard Hughes refuses to accept the condemnation of his entire pro- duction, 'Cock o' the Air,' within the past few days "by the.-Hollywood Judges. He will be the first Hays member, since the organization was formed, to seek the ruling of Its di- rectorate. .'. That Hii'ghes alms to teat not only the code but the dictatorial powers of the organization, in: which he pays due?. Is Inferred Inside to - be one of the reasons for this major step. Heard Inside also are reports credited Hughes that the Hays or- ganization would freeze him out, and, despite he Is a member, would minimize his opportunities for suc- cess as a producer In the film In- dustry. Hughes Is reported to have voiced his beliefs. Warned That, contrary to attempting or considering any Injui-y to Hughes, flimdom's overseers warned him three epeclflc times during the four months required to make 'Air* and urged him to abandon,further con- sideration of' the story os adapted, are points that doubtless will fea- ture in the Hays reply to tli6 Hughes charges when they come up on appeal In New 'York. The same situation was under' gpne between the organization and Hughes'on''Scarface,' It Is- declared' Then calling the producer-judges Into session was not necessary be- cause Hughes, before that extreme meuure was resorted to, agreed to remake portions of the 'Scarface' picture. Confidence that Hughes wll) abide by the decision of the Hays direc- torate, which Is the hIgheM court for the code. Is expressed. That Hughes should Ignore such a ruling -^ould mean little chance of United Artists releasing the rejected. sub- ject or-aby tof the representative' companies or-tliedtres 'Considering It, and would confine Its run to In- dependent^ |n states without censor bodies,' This was n^ode clearly un- derstood by re8ponali>Ie parties, It Is said; In New York Howard Hughes 'retiirn to New York was to again consult with the New Tork State Censoring Board over Its objections to another of the Hughes talkers, this time" 'Cock b' th' Air.' The other Hughes picture Jammed with the same board Is 'Scar Face,' Hughes has $1,400,000 now tied up In censored films he Is attempting to release. The 'Air' picture cost $600,000 to produce and 'Scar Face' $800,000, Along with $600,000 Hughes spent for production. cost for 'The Age for Love,' now on release, the oil man has sewed up $2,000,000 In three talkers. The Hughes pictures are to be released through United Artists, Brown Due West Hiram Brown, -of RKO, may leave for the company's Hollywood studio In about two weeks. His ktny away Is Indefinite. Ho Brhlly rewritten exttPacta from '^•rlttyV Hollywood bulletin, printed each Friday in Hollywood, and placed aa''«. wrappor upOn tlia reoulal weekly "Variety." , • "niuiop. The Bulietin dooo.not eirculato other than on the Paelfio Slope. News from the'Dailiea in Loo-Angolo* will bo found-ln'that ouotomais departmont, * •f Ijooking Ilka •choolroonu, whai*' 1st Rims oil Broadway {Subject to Change) Week Jan. 8 Paramount — 'This Restless Age* (Par.) Roxy—'Stepping Sisters' (Fox). Capitol—"Mata Harl' (Metro) (2nd -wk.).' . RlvtHlr^'Jekyll and Hyde' (Par.), <2nd,wk.). r. : Strand—*TaxI'CWB). Mayfair—'Girl of the Rib' (Radio). ' Winter Gartlen-^'Mahhattan Parade'CWB) (8rd wk.), RIaHe—^TTonlght or Never' (UA) .(4th,wk.). Woelt Jan^ 1B Paramount—'Two Kinds of -Women' (Par,).. Roxy—?>ance Team* (Fox). . .iCapltoir—"WeBt of Broadway* (Metro). . . Rivoli—'Jekyll and Hydtf ' (Par) (8id wk.). Mayfair—'Prestige* (Pathe). Winter ..Garden—'Union IJe-. pot' CWfi) (14). Riaito — 'Forbidden' (Col.) (14). $2 Pioturep . 'Arrowsmith* (UA) (Gaiety) (5th wk!)". 'Explorers' (Raspin) terlon) (4th wk.), 'Hell Divers' (Metro) (Astor) (3rd wk.)s (Crl- Foreign Films 'Zwel Mensehen' (Cicero) (German)' . (Little Carnegie) (3rd -w*.). ^Secrets of Orient' (Ufa) (Europa) (2nd wk.). 'Kjeine Selntensprung' (Ufa) (Ufa-CpsmopoUtan) (2nd wk.)v No Pathe Shorts Hollywood, Jan.' 4. Chic Sale short to be completed in the next two weeks at Radio will wash up the studio's two-reel pro- gram for the year. Future shorts policy awaits the next confab migration of' RKO execs. Elxpectatlon is that all shorts hereafter, will carry the Radio trademark. Lew LIpton, ex-comedy chief for Pathe, goes off the payroll Feb. 1.'' 13th Visoal Test The visual education try. In Cam- bridge, Mass., iMrhlch Monday, dallies In some Instances front-paged, Is the 13th test of Its kind. Western Electric, although con- tributing two of Its' subjects, .was declared not to be In back of it. Test is understood by educator fol- lowers in. the Industry to be mainly- Harvard's. Idea. ARTHUR-MARCO EAST Producer' on Roxy—Fox Theatre Head May Be East, Indef. ' Hollywood, Jan. 4. Harry Arthur and Mike Marco leave for New Tork Thursday (7) ■with Marco to stay' several weeks supervising the Roxy. Miss Fancbdn arrived from Eu- rope today (4) and will get to -vvork with Marco staging a Fanc'hon and Marco special lOth anniversary show. ^ Artliur's plans are for a couple of weeks in east looking over the- atres, but Indications here seem to point to his staying there Indef. Erickson a Eegnlar Hollywood, Jan. 4. Carl Erickson has been pro- moted from reading to writing at the 'Warner studio, following the acceptance of his 'Competition' as Chic Sale's next vehicle. Erlckson'B first assignment as an official author will be to turn out another story for Sale. was 'Intenfled (or muBio and reh^^ sal halls ar^ being uded as writer^ ' offices at Sy>x Movietone City. Seventeen -writers and readers nri grouped In one room, with head readers on raised platforms. Cur., rent shortage of room has four and five'writers creating per office.. Stock Shrinkage Suit Shrinkage In value of stock of tha ■Van Beuren Corp, from a' repre- sent^ $40. per share to $6 caused Jesse Qoldburg to sue the company for 117,000. He had a year's coh«: tract for 6eryices'at-$20d per -weA . apd 600 . shares of stock, Sum' sued ' for represents the difference In book value over current price o£ the stock, .- v . Strange Faces" Three unfamiliar faces will hit thA screen In Paramount's Digincers .'In the Dark': . Sam .BrlcSer, flve'years a^prop boy waiting for his chance; .Alberta Vaughn, .former star for some time Invisible, and 'William Halllgan, ex-legit, who has been writing at Radio. ' Default Judgment against Chariea H. Christie for .$11,627 on a per- sonal note given Fred, M. Scott at Pensacola,' Fla., In 1926. ' . Bicycling Charges of bicycling five Yiddish talkers on the coast while holding rights only for Ohio and western Pennsylvania are made against Jo- seph Finger of Import Film Co., by Joseph.Seldeh of Judea Films. Lat- ter, asking injunction and damages, also names Fred Miller, owner of the California- theatre where the fltqia 'wei'e shown last week. :B. & C* 'Fraser' The Second Mrs. Fraser' is Belas- co & Curran's pick to follow 'Grand Hotel.' Grace George and A. 'W. Mathews will be brought out for th» coast production. . Fox Effieiency Fox's production efficiency Is working already, with 'Silent 'Wit- ness* and 'First Cabin' In the can ia 16 and 14 working days respectively. Studio's average last yeai- was 24 days. H. G. Wells' Invisible Man,' belntf scripted for U by Garrett Fort,. wlU Star Boris Karloff under Robert' Florey's direction, , U to W, B. Univei-sal let-outa are walking over the back lot to Warners, Betty Davis Is the latest hitch-on with WB, starting In 'Rich Are Always With Us.^ George Brent did it pre- viously. Warners has borrowed Ann Dvorak from Caddo for 'Rich Are Always With Us,' and has Dorothy Burgess, for .'Love on a Budget.'- KQFJ-Union Ohe KGFJ settled Its dispute with the r muslclans" union and the station'V again has a band. Paul Flnsteln's a-. 12-plece combo, . Brilant Set Arthur M. Erllant got a writing ^ termer -with Paramount, which also bought his play, 'Clara Deane," for ■ Wynne Gibson. Bi-llant used to be a < Par v-a. in: the east. L. A.. Off 'Vanities' That $12,000 guarantee Earl' Car- ■ roll wants for 'Vanities' kills It for the Los Angeles theatre. Joe Leo, . ' 'William Fox's bro-ln-law, is still , ■i..isettled on house policy. Universal wants . Gene Fowler's /. ■Shoe the Wild Mare' but screen ^ rights must be cleared through the "' (Continued on page 40) Moss' Film Reopening, hot May Try Stage Fare Again Reopening the house Thursday (31) for straight pictures, B. S. Moss will determine on a permanent pol-. Icy for the Broadway in the next week or two. It will call for stage. attractions in some form or other ., plus film. House has been dark after a fruitless attempt to make a go of pictures and stage shows. Upon relighting the house the scale is 26 and 60c for four 'shorts and a Pathe feature, 'The Big Shot,' No news- reel, Columbia's entire output, and prints available from Tiffany and RKO-Pathe will be the film service. Joe Rinkin, lately with Educa- tlonal-Tlffany, has Joined Moss In charge of publicity and advertising.