Variety (March 1932)

VARIETY P ■ C T ES Tuesaaj, March 1, 1932 LubitschV Analysis of Picte ortance Ernst Lubltsch welcomes Inter- Tlewa with the i>i'ess because, very, naively . and sincerely, he belleVes that is the only means a director has. for Identifying himself to the pubilc. . Since s^. .director does not appear in .person. In his pictures, how can the audience ,be avfare of his existence, Mr. liubttsch asks. The public does riot analyze why Jt likes a picture; either it's en- tertaining or else It's. .bad. What makes It entertaining does not In- terest the film .audience. ; The director's really a very. unr Important fellotv in the public mind, Mr. Lubltsch Is sure thit his name as the director of a picture means nothing In Itself at the gate. Perhaps it draws a few professlopals, but their numbers are too slight to mat- ter. No, Mr. Lubltsch will not ad- jnlt that the public knows or cares who he Is. Maybe they've liked his pictures, but'they don't remem- ber his name. In the Industry, Mr. Lubltsch .says, directors are supposed to, be artistic chaps. They're not sup- posed to have a head-for 'business. ■. Buslnesa men ; have been running the picture business, maybe Into the ground.' However, they don't con- sult artistic chaps about it. Mr. Lubltsch happens to have a few Ideas about the business, end of the Industry^ but then don't forget he's an artistic chap, he cautions. < tl Directors' on % Gamblmg Trip Hollywood, il'eb. 29. No salaries will bie paid by Douglas Fairbanics to players and technicians working Jn his ^outh seas : :-l)i<i^ure. .. Entire troupe, with the exception of three or four minor eihployees, are In on a. percentage basis with the star. , Fairbanks furnishes trans- pbrtatioiij and stands all other expenses, which will be takpn dut of the picture's returns be- fore any splitting is done. Stagfr Version of Picture First for Cantor oil Coast There's this development about the payment of directors on per- centage, for instance. Mr. Lubltsch api)Vbves of the plan, but only if it Is carried out'on the; first principle that the director should receive a share of the Individual gross of each theatre in which his picture plays. Figuring his percentage from the total of the distribution sales is not fair because the rental charge of a picture does not a.Iways jibe with amount of business it does. Mr. Lubitsch prefers, if his picture does less business than ex- pected in Some houses,, to receive a proportionately smaller, share, just as he thinks It only equitable that he receives more If the picture sur- passes expectations. He further believes the percent-, age payment system must find a; more satisfactory means, for allo- cating production costs before it can work Justly. At present, studio overhead Is charged equally kgalnst all production but each production does - not use an equal amount of Btudlp help. Some directors, of which he is one, dispense with the services of a supervisor, yet their productions must bear the : burden of the supervisors' salaries just like all the others. Inexperienced directors require more studio assistance, hence they are more responsible for. the stag- gering total of studio overheod than experienced directors, but this fact is not taken Jrito ac- count when ' studio overhead charges are distributed. Mr. Lu- bitsch feels these two problems must be solved beifore the percent- age arrangement Is tboroughly ac- ceptable. Justlflably he takes ref- uge in his artistry when asked for the practical solution. Inspirational Direction: ■While a director is called an ar- tistic fellow in the picture industry, in order to hush him lip about its business problems, the exigencies of the trade prohibits his.; wdrklhg like an; artist. Ideally, a director should make a picture only when he has ah idea, just as an artist cre- ates only when he has something to say,, but tjie necessity of turning out a stated number of pictui-es a year prevents such a Utopian freedom. Let the director then strive to make whatever he's assigned interesting If what he has to Ayork wltli Is not exactly inspiring to him, let him try at least to say it well, to give It style, to make it individual. Treat ment can disguise many a thread bare idea. - Lubltsch abhors the current over d.olng of the moving camera. I.i his opinion, the tremendous amount of • (Continued oh page .17) Hollywood, ■ Feb. .29. : A stage production of his bomedy talker will beHfled out along, the coast by Eddie Cantor. The stage and screen productions will be made by Goldwyn-Unlted Artists. • Cantor believes the .stage tryout, a film comedy, to set laughs for timing, etc., le essential to -a, film reproduction. About six weeks 'will be taken for the show, starting .with two weeks In San Frariciscb. Subject of the Cantor piece/will In part call for lilm to do. a realistic bull fight, , but will not clash with the new Zlegfeld show, 'Hot Cha,! which has' Bert Lahr as a bull fighter. Cantor told Zleg?eld two years ago of his toreador Idea for a musical comedy. It Is estimated that the. Cantor stage end may .go In the red for $20,000 In Its six weeks of playing, but this Is considered cheap Insur- ance to protect the costly screen re-: production. Between the stage and film •work Cantor expects to remain out here until next September. ^LL MAHON£Y In Earl Carrpl'l's "Vanities" The Pittsburgh "Press" said: "Here Is a statement ^hich even when It .cools will still be true: Will Malioney Is the funniest man In the world. The funniest. The screaihlest."' ■■Direction RALPH G. FARNUM 1660 Broadway ; C4S^s Plenty McLaglen-Fox Settle ' Hollywood, Feb. 29. Victor McLaglen has made a cash settlement of his Fox contract, which runs until next.'June. Settle- ment followed the actor's strong protest against the inconsequential parts given. him In recent produc- tions and the small opportunities offered him. ' McLaglen will freelance, for- the present, though he claims to have a contract with an English company, maturing in June, at $5,000 a week, DONT COUNT WHAT YOU HAVE UOiTt put WHAT YOU HAVE LEFT. 4,"Barrymore*s Injury Hollywood, Feb. 29. John Barrymore, who sustained injuries to his hip in an auto acci- dent last Wednesday (24), will not be able to go into 'State's Attorney as planned. Production Is being delayed about a week. — • Los Angeles, Feb. 29. For the first time . In . 75 years California's ranges are completely snow-capped despite a glaring des-; ert sun. Indians say the snow :In the hills means plenty of water for 1932-. Since . gold, mining declined as Califiornia's . bleeest ballyhoo, ex-- ceptlng the sunshine, water appears to be the state's most precious and costly possession. And the Indians who. live in: the mountains Intend to go on the water wagon of rain riches. Freshets are forming In the val- leys and along the low lands as the sun, which is now oh the job once more; slowly reduces the snow- clad peaks. These rivulets may Stop traffic along the main highways for while, unless autos will chance getting a carfuU pf.water. The wa- ter was nearly: up to the. hubs of the wheels in some places last wiBek Snow drifts and' snow-Ins are forcing several of the resorts In the hills to be dug out from under the white blanket. Native sbns agree that this win ter. Inland and along the Pacific, has been the freakiest the old timers recall from niemory or legend. The Indians agree, too. STILL SCABED OF 'LIZZIE' Hollywood, Feb. 29, 'Lysistrata' satire by the Dominoes Club of screen actresses, scheduled for March 6 Was called oft by the older members of the club through fear of police interference as 'with the original 'Lysistrata,' Masquers will do satire later. Local legit cast was later ex oncrated. BY-AND-WITH GIRL LEGIT Carmen Barnes,' juvenile prodigy that Paramount dug up for both writing and acting, is now in New York with legltltls. Glrl ls being taught the rudiments of stage acting by Louis. Cline, legit stager. WHITBECK EETURNS . ; HollyAvood, Feb. 29 Frank Whitbeck. following two weeks of rest-at Palm Springs, re turned todayn(Mohday) to. his pub liclty post at tlie 'Universal studios, .UB. AMD MRS- JACH NORWOBTU 180 West 44tli 6trMt New Tork '■' .Mayo Radio Caster Hollywood, Feb. 29 Robert Mayo hns been made as slstant to Lynn. Shores, Radio cast Ing director. Mayo was in Pathe's casting de partment, but was- out for a while when the studios merged. Tiine in 75 Yrs. 19 of 110 Cratrad Are Legi^lr^ Dental Problein, Hpllywdod, Feb. 29. , Ja6k Warner left here on a - Friday because he had lost a. tpoth on Wednesday; other- wise be would have . gone. Thursday. On! Wednesday, •while lunch- ing with Will Hays and Darryl Zanuck, Warner s'uggested to Zanuck, hils studio, gen. mgr>> that Zanuck, before taking his European vacation In April, be certain to see Warner's dentist,: Shortly after a Warner pivot tooth dropped put; . . That didn't break up the luncii, but. It still has Zanuck perplexed. RED ROLES OKAYED BY RUSSIANilfffl^ Hollyw'obd; Feb. .29i .,. Nose tilting gesture of White Russians toward working.as s'creeili revolutionists Is gone, and the bncei aristocratic gents and laiaies will enact the re.ddest of Reds for a studio check. Old hatred of the Russian upper class living here toward the. crov^d who upset them : is dimming. It was Indicated In se- curing a cast for a picture. . ' There are estimated te. be oyer 1,000 White; Russlians living here, and majority of them will now ac- cept a revolutionary- costume for the pay. Two years, or even one year ago, they would play only aris- tocrats. ; Film In view, Is the first In some' time with a Russian locale, hence the exiles haven't been working- much, nor eating regularly. Dim- ming memories, Americanization and empty -stomachs caused them to renege in their attitude and for-, get the "Tsar. . . Kearney's Foldup Hollywood, Feb. 29. Patrick' Kearney, playwright now writing at Uiii'versal, filed bank- ruptcy papers Thursday (24). He owes $19,581, ahd his assets are |2,600. in books and prints, $160 worth of clothes, a like amtJunt in a Ford roadster, and a $30 type- Ayriter. Larigest debt was $5,689 for medl cal services. He owes Otto -H. Kahn $2,500 for a loan In 1926, and Sam Manhelni $900 for a loan In 1928. Other loans total $1,060, mostly In New York lai* year. His $1,846 debt to Century Play Company Is se cured by his rights In "Three Wishes,' 'Old Man Murphy' and 'bear Dead Woman.' BADid OPTIONS BATOFF Hollywood; Feb. 29, Because of thie good work done by (Jregory Ratoff In 'Symphony of Six Millions,' Radio will option him as dn actor. Ratoff IS In Buffalo bur- rentlyi in connection with the cori- densed '<31rl Crazy,' which lie con- trols, but: will return shortly to join the regular Radio forces. : 'Symphony' was his first picture. IIAUBEEN'S 6 MOS. Maureen O'Sulllvan, 'wanted by Metro., for 'Dbwhstalrs,' In which she'll play opposite John Gilbert will remain -with , the company for six mbnths at least. She moves over to Metro soon after finishing present film work at Universal. LSa Lee Attaches Cot. Hollywood. Feb. 29. Ralph H; Blum today (Monday), attached $4,000 In Columbia's bank account on behalf of Lila Lee, who claims breach of contract. Miss Lee stat;es that she was en- gaged last Decenriber for a, part In Bddle Buzzel's picture. Harry Cohh, she alleges, picked Barbara Stan- wyck for the job, repudiating Miss; Lee's verbal contract at $1,000 weekly. Dillon for Fox John Francis Dillon, who received a previous, directorial comeback chance from Richard A. Rowland when at First. National and has been working steadily . since, is about to sign at Fox as director. Hollywood, Feb. 29. At the major studios there are 110 directors; under contract, Of this n.uniljer only 19 have come frbm the stage since talkers arrived. It is estimated that over 100 stage direc- tors have had a fling at directing' talkers. 6t the 19 who ABC'd In legit, th© four studio veterans are John Crom« well, Rouben Mambullah and George Abbott of Paramount, who have been with that company since 1929, and Edgar Selwyn vof Metro, 'wlfo started early In the eam.e, year, .Re- maining 15 have con^e to , plctupes during the past two years. . ■ Robert. Milton IS a,noiher .'29£(r, but at present does nQt hpld. a ticket at any major studio, bielpg. under a one-picture contract to Radio. Cbiinbining .Both Other stage directors, who a.re at' present ; contracted ./arei. .George Ciikpr,'■'" George. Somncs, Marlon Ge;:lng, Berthold Vlert^l and Stuart Walker at Paramount, . ■ Russell Mack, Edwin. Knopf , aiia James Whale are at Universal. Haniiitoh MacFadden, Kjenneth Mc- Keniia and Marcel' Varhel at Fox; and. Ralph Murphy and Paul Stein at Radio. . According to the stage directoirs who. havcf made the grade in talkerSf failure to realize they had to leara a hew .business has been -the down*, fall of their brothers froni this-legit. Success, of the old silent directory according to the stage imports, Is that .plctures remain a eo-called art which Is . 90 % motion. Intelligent actors who caii handle the dialog they get, such as it is, coupled with the motion that the old silent dl-: rectors understand, have won thelif battle for them. Film Producer Saves 1 ;' Of 5 Chinese TaJkciit^ ■>-'■ Hollywood; Feb, 29. Arriving here Friday (26), from Shanghai,. Leon Brlttoh, head of Unique Films in that tity, left the same night by plane for New Tork; taking with him 11,000 feet of Slno- Jap warfare , film he took around Shanghai. . ■ Britten's studio is Ih the. French concession and he does not hold much , hope of salvaging a great deal out of the $300,000 he has tied up in five Chinese talkers he made durinjg the past year there. .Brlttpn's negative.includes every- thing, that happened at Shanghai up until three weeks ago, when he left for this country on the Em- press of China. He will, headquar- ter in New York , where .he will cut the 11,000 feet into .a. feature. No distribution. deal set yet.) Lesser Still Confined Sol Lesser's cold has turned into bronchitis. He is still.lald iip in his New York hotel. Must stay on a fortnight ait least beyond his convalescent- date , to finish the business which brought him east. SAILINGS March 15 (Paris to New York), Lou Wolf son, Harry Natano, Stone and Vernon (lie de France). . March 9 (Paris to New . York), Rosie : Dolly, Irving Netcher (Olympic). March 4 (New York to Paris), Moss Hart, Ambrose S. Dowling, Dr. Hlrschland, Arthur Loew (lie de Franbe). ' March 4 (New York to London), Harry Green, Baron Mandelstam (Berengaria). Maili^^'h Z (Honolulu to Los An? geles)v 'IMrd of Paradise' company (Malola). Feb, . 26 (New York to Paris) Serge Rachmanlnoit, Mr. and , Mrs. Robert Kane, Mrs. Rowland Lee (Europa)* Feb. ,26 (New Ybrk to tiondon) Mr. and Mrs. Lynn Farnol (Maure- tanla-). Feb'. ''.24 (London to New York), Maurice Ostrcr (Berengaria). Par's New Story Board Ousts Montagne,. Heath Hollywood, Feb. 29. Partially bereft of authority by the new story board, and asked to take a cut, Edward J. Montagne, Paramount story head, is leaving Conijpany April 9. , . Percy! Heath, head of the experl- ihentary-.story board, is: also quit- ting that positioh shortly to resume story treatment duties with the same; company. Kennedy South Joseph p. Kenhedy returned south late last week from New York. It may be that on the way: he Stopped off to fling the bhallenge of his ninth child at the feet of E. V. Richards, who boasts a.s many, a^nd both of whom are evidently playing Fathers' Day on percentage. Wm. DeBiille Stays Par . Hollywood, Feb. 29. William C. DeMllle stays on at Paramount at least until June 30, When his contract is up. After directing 'Sinners In the Sun' for two. weeks, DeMille went off the assignment and David Bur- ton took his place. DeMille no^ looking around for a substitute. 2D GENEBATION TESTING Hollywood, Feb. 29^, ■Wallace Roid, Jr., is being tested for a part in Universal's 'Brown of Culver.' U Ifl also, after Noah Beery, Jr, for a part in the same picture.