Variety (Aug 1932)

Tuesday, August 2; 193!2 r ICTilR ES VARIETY MAKOREtSE Hollywood, Augr. 1. One aspect ot the Jesse Xiaaky- P'attemount situation Is reported to t|4 that Lasky either wants to head 'the production phase of this com- jpany. again or obtain his release. • •'Lasky requested a three months' leave of absence and got it. That perlpd has now expired with Lasky, 111 . baseball parlance, still warming the bench. The long siege of in- activity is said to be chafing the former studio Jieiid, iaiid he presum- ^ably wants to gain ^ deAnlte word from cbnipany e^^utlves as to his stiatus. Lasky'a - Paramount contract has iabout'twO years to go. In-the event .fit 'any settlement it is believed about. |20Q,000 would be involved. AHBnlWBWiO Renew Says ERPI On Ma«c Riglite ERPI Is counting upon all pro- ducers, with the exception of War- ners, renewing contracts which will continue the electric as the lnter-< mediary of the producers and pub- lishers in bringing copyrighted mu- sic to the screen. • Negotiations are now under. way for such renewal since present con- tracts expire Sept. 6. . Reports that Metro and Para- xhountK ..as well as WB, would dis- continue this ERPI service because of their own music publishing affl- liations were discounted by electric .executives. They stated that .indi- cations to date in the renewal con- ferences evidence. that only the iWarners may dispense with this . ERPI service which has always been rendered on a cost basis and has .operated without profit, it is de- clared. ARBUCKLE'S SERIES AU DEPENDS ON 1ST SHORT ; Fatty Arbuckle's return to the screen is a one-picture gamble for the comedian and Warners. Only If this short clicks will Arbuckle maUis jft series for WB. . This is an understanding reported lo have been reached between the .Warners and the Hays Organization prior to the announcement of Ar- buckle's return. , Arbuckle goes into production on his first two-reeler Aug.. 24 at the Warner Brooklyn studio and ■ will direct himself. He has been off the screen more , than 10 years. Katz Flying In Hollywood, Aug. 1. Sam Katz arrives in New York this Friday (5). He takes off from here tomorrow (Wednesday), mak- ing the trip by plane and will re^ turn the same way in about 10 days or two weeks. . -Katz win make the trip alone, Emanuel Cohen remaining in charge at the studio. UP F0& CONGRESS Detroit, Aug. 1. Tommy McQuire manager of the Hollywood theatre is a candidate for Congress from the ICth Michi- gan District if elected McQuire will be the youngest Congressman; being only 32 years old. FRAIOQJN ON TOUR H, R Franklin, K AO proxy, leaves for a tour of the KAO circuit around the middle of this month. The trip will take him to the Coast. He will be gone two or three weeks. LOMG WAY FOR CREDIT Illinois Exhib Gosi to Germany to Finanes His Theatres-. Chicago, Aug. 1. Qua Polka, one ' of the Polka Brothers who operate picture houses in Park Ridge, Dies Plaints and . Kalb, 111., is in Germany seeking ad- ditional credit to continue bis bujBt- ness. He Is due back .Aug. 17. On two previous occasions Polka went to Germany, his native land, to Efecure capital for his picture the- atres. This long-distance banking is possibly unparalleled among ex- hlbs in the United States. In Park Ridgei the Polkigt brothers* landlord is William H. Malohe, who ran against Len Small in the Re- publican gubernatorial primarieGl. Hays Wrathful AsPfods. Show New Smut Intent Hollywood, Aug. 1. Will Hays is on the warpath against,' what is claimed, an in- creased tendency on the part of pro- ducers to fllni salacious and sexy material. He is preparing a blast to deliver before the Producers' as- sociation this week, using as proof recent releases, scripts of others In preparation, and the intention of some companies to Him pictures, previously banned. Fact that one major is contem- plating picturization of 'liady Chatterley's Lover;' another may make a picture in which a mother has ah affair with her son and still another will make a . film based, on miscegenation, is part of his am- munition. Further, Hays contends . most companies are currently guilty, of giving oflt-color treatments to situ- ations, in pictures that could be dealt with otherwise. Film czar's campaign to clean films is to follow up. his organiza- tion's, recent assault on press de- partments for offensive advertising and publicity. All publicity depart- ments, both in studios and con- nected with circuits here, have agreed to tone down, but nothing has been done until now against the dirt at its source^ HORWITZ-HAYS PACT NOT YET COMPLETED With the Horwitz-Hays-Cleve- land pact still unratified, after two formal announcements of settlement during the past month, the situa- tion yesterday (Monday) threat- ened to flare up again. \. This time the disturbance has narrowed down to Loew and the in- dies. What has come up is die- scribed as strictly technical and having to do with legal interpreta- tion of the Agreement. Gabe Hess, counsel for Hays in the Horwitz matter, drew up and submitted the terms, agreed upon In the presence of Will Hays, to com- pany attorneys: The present hitch, it is gleaned, is due to Loew objec- tions to language describing certain of the clauses. Participants figure the present dlfhcultles will be Ironed out this week. Three Studios Preparing Film Yarns on Ziegfeld Hollywood, Aug. 1. On the heels of Florcnz Zicgfeld's death, three screen stories based on his life are being hurried to com- pletion. ^ Two major studios are interested in Howard Emme'tt Rogers' script on the producer; William Anthony McGuire Is doing a Zlggy story for Goldwyn, and Lew LIpton Is 'on one for Columbia. CiMONT BRII.. PimiNDyfll Biggest International Film Combine Between Ameri- can, British and German Companies to Solve Mutti- Lingual and Quota Profai- lems—Secret Confabs in Paris Culminating in Pres- ent London Parleys USING THREE STUDIOS London, Aug. 1. Possibly the biggest international picture deal yet attempted ia now being negstiated in London. When the details are ironed out Para- mount, of New York, Qaumont Brit- ish, of London, and Ufa, of Berlin, will become partnara for the pro- duction and distribution of multi- linguala for the world market. Each company will, however, retain its individual' status as a separate isn- tity for its horns market. ■\Vay the deat will work out will be to use Paramount'a Joinville studios near Paris for production of French pictures; Ufa's Berlin stu- dies foi: Gerniitin Alms, and G-B's London studies for English. All three companies will co-operate on pi eduction,, using whein possible the same story and technical staff on all three versions, merely moVing them from studio -to studio. Also, where ptissible, actors are to be shifted around among the three cap- italia and usedMn as many lan- guages as possible. Distribution is to be by the home company' in each of the three Countries, with Par- amount figuring in the deal as a French company. Films that Par takes out of the combine for use in America are to be bought, on sep- ,arate contracts, from the combined company. Paramount and Ufa are practi- cally set on the deal and will go through on a two-sided agreement of their own if the Qaumont-Brit- ish thing doesn't pan out. Only difncultles encountered so far are on the status of the British company. Minor Hitches . Hitch here comes first from the fact that Paramount already has a 10-picture quota production contract with British & Dominion. Some arrangement 'will have to be made to dispose of the B. & D. pictures, despite the fact that B. & D. films (Continued on page 3$) ' Phinkett Attaches RKO; Co. Posts $28,000 Bond RKO had to post $28,000 in Lib- erty bonds with the Maryland Casualty, which In turn bonded the ?24,375 attachment by Joe Plunkett against RKO. Theatre corpora- tion's accounts in the Irying Trust and Chemical banks had been tied up by Abeles & Green, attorneys for the suing cx-RKO v.-p. . Plunkett's salary claim for $24,- 375 is for an unexpired term on a $45,000 annual salary. Plunkett was let out July ,9 last. Two days prior to this (July 7) a letter from H. H ■Franklin quoted Hiram S. Brown, former; RKO prexy, as stating. that Plunkett's contract with RKO. was Cor one year only. This letter Is part of the attachment papers. ' RKO has until Aug. 9 to file answer to the complaint, following which Plunkett will move for a preference or for Immediate trial of the Issues. ' Hays Back in Sept Will Hays will not return to New York until Sept. 1, according to ad- vises to the home ofllce yesterday (Monday). Hays- will spend .ill of August in Hollywood. Fox-Skouras Reopen Rbxy Week B. O. Shortages •Within the past'two weeks shortages In boxofflce receipts . uncovered by the circuits has grpvvn beyond the limit of any- '■ thing of the kind known"with- in the past 10 years. A single' division of a major chain dis- covered eight houses shy iii thieir receipts aiid this circuit has gone Intb conference with the insurance companies. With the evir mushrooming so fa,3t the major circuits are contemplating a meeting on the matter to.'try and figure out a solution. 4-Day Week for Studios Is Plan To Aid Jobless Hollywooid, Aug, 1. Picture industry is virtually cer- tain to follow Pres. Hoover's sug- gestion of curtailed employment of regular workers, in order to provide work for the Jobless. As discussed by the producer members of the Producers' associa- tion, ja, maximum of four days a week will be placed on all types of day labor, thereby allowlhg^vthe two extra days' work per man. for others, now unemployed. Matter cbnaes up for formal ac- tion at a meeting of the producers this week, attended by Kenneth R. Kingsbury, handling, the unemiiloy- meht situation on the coast. State has 460,000 unemployed, with pic- ture production having its share. Unions have been informally can- vassed by the producers for their viewpoint on the 'staggered' plan, with a favorable verdict from this end reported. That there v/lll be no opposition from the labor organiza- tions is seen in the fact that re^ cently, at the instance of the unions, overtime in the studios was elim- inated wherever possible in order to scatter the work aro'i.nd. Similarly, a few months ago stu- dios agreed to limit their extra work to individuals in order to di- vide the mob work among more of the large army of extra players. Whether or- not the short-week plan can be extended to office work- ers is problematic. There is talk among the producers of extondlng^ tlie plan to this white collar class, but this Is a matter to be decided on at the coming )>roduccr meeting. Idea was introduced to the pro- ducer association by Louis B. Mayer, at the instance of- Pres. Hoover. PAR TESTING ANIMATED 24-SHEErS IN 6 CITIES Hollywood, Aug. 1, Paramount is tryliig out electric- ally operated animated billboards In seven cities. Some of the moving 24-sheet3 wilt use Ilvmg models and all will depict scenes from Par pic- tures. "Test cities selected are New York, Chicago. Boston, San Fran- cisco, St. Louis, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. If the idea clicks all key cities get them. Tinker Meeting Kent Hollywood, Aug. 1. E. R. TlnUor, chairman of the Fox board, leaves here Aug. C for New York to meet Kent on the lallcr's arrival from abroad. The Roxy theatre, New York, re- opens the week of Aug. 15 under Fox Film management .with the Skouras brothers operating and Frank Cambria as managing direc- tor of the house,., A. P> Waxman will head the publicity department. - Arrangements have been ^com- pleted for at least part. payment of salaries due employes and talent in the last .Roxy show, before the house closed. Deal .to pay off was a negotiation between • Receiver Harry Kosch and the bondholders represented by Attorney parlos lisraels of the law firm of White and Case; Bondhplders have agreed to waive a claim to their share of the cash surrender value of a $260,000 Insurr ance policy on the life . of Roxy (Rothafel) held by the theatre corf poratlon in'favor of the Continental Bank, trustee, Around $16,000 may thus be made available to pay oft actors and help who didn't collect for work on the closing week oC the house. Remainder, or $16,000, is reported going to trade bills due, " Former Members Stay ' Negotiations to reoi>en' the house are practically completed. The deal Is three. cornered as between 'Fox Film, the bondholders and Receiver Kosch. 'First Tear' (Fox) will b« the reopening picture. House personnel isn't completely selected, but some of the former Roxy staff will be retained Includ- ing the stage stock company and Clark Robinson, head of the pro- duction department. Besides Fox pictures the Roxy will play 12 Warners features.' Fox^ itself, according to reports, guar- antees 30 films minimum. Buying ojp product is left to the operating heads with Receiver Kosch sitting as supervisory on that end as he I;t respdnsible for costs. The . inclusion" of Warner product indicates that WB will give up its tenancy of the Winter Garden (Shu- bert) next winter, ./this will leave that circuit with three- Broadway houses—Strand, Hollywood and Warners. : Disposition of the latter two is not known. Any deal in which Fox Films! en- ters to manage the Roxy Is subject to tha:t company's assurailng certain financial risk in the operation, com- parablf> to the risk involving the bondholders as represented by tM $150,000' receivers' certificates. In this way Fox may subordinate its film rentals to other operating costs. As management principals Fox and Skouras will represent both 'A' and 'B' stockholders. Bondholders are understood as having representation on the ope- rating end through a supervisor or consultant- still to ..be appointed. Such a supervisor will mainly be a consultant to the i>ondholders on the budget and will have no active voice In the Operation. Also reported is that the, bondholders reserve for themselves a 3d-day cancellation right in the deal if the operation doesn't show an improvement oC income. This part of the arrange- ment and the. budget requirements are not yet fully adjusted with a confab having been slated yester- day (Monday), to iron matters out. Choosing New Name Question of a name for the thea- tre is still open. Leading sugges- tions are the Fox, Roosevelt and Taft, The Taft designation comes by way of the Taft hotel people who own. the ground on which the house lobby is built. Tlieatre pays $25,000 rent annually for this lobby space. , ' The house has until Sept. 12 to change Its name as per agreement between the ho.usc and S. L. Rotha-'' fel (Roxy) when he moved over't» RKO. ScloctJon of a n3w name and a campaign to educate the publlo lo the .selected title is lilcely to be (Continued on page 40)