Variety (Aug 1932)

.Tiieadaf, Aiii^st 2, 1932 ED VT I AC rARiEtr 8W BUwmaD, Fraildrat ■ •|M-%«W Wb Btrt«t j<«y 'TaHt Citr "^..v: •„ ;_SUB8CmWTlON;.. ■ ' No.'8 15 YEARS AGO .' (JProm Tiarifeti/Vontf 'Clipper') : •iHariry I^Vaui,.. president of Ac- tors' International!'tJniQn No; - l, : told that the American Federation •of Ijabor, which had isBued a char-: ter which later was transferred to tbe TyhllOi^ts^', was about to form a Iteirtatlbn ■ of^-ta -stage- jOIa^yers, with branch locals In.y^r^ous cities. SvOntual outcbme was a charter to B<nrity •'^•'uncler- the' Actor's Union'.: Xiatter save 11)9' the ^host a year or .«0> ag«l' So'.lohg as;-i(<>llVed' Bqulty hiBld' under: that charter; :< Booking o'fflde toldxthe agents' to '^tatir r'honle'?:'.'a'rtdi' 'tend yto:iibuslriesd: ,Ag:entiSiOWned- yachta. In. those, days: •IiOew circuit tooicithe < new. StlU ntan . theatre,( :Cleveiandr and > th& ^.'Vrtentlni^, Toledo^-; Sloherlng ifor : eight mbre. ■ .. • i v ' j W4Ulam' CoUler, @i;.>i<i)}ann~ed:ohIs oyra^^lnk. company to ustotr.: his. son, Pullisd ".Buster ..ou,t..,:of ..■•Fiar;aj..'TDra Sfl^wywl. because Jt^ckiS^lckfoi'd was starred.- • , U;. [••■.i.-/.. FirstNational Was preparing ■ to, make the first film production of I.'.- j^'"*-!***^-miin * .'■i' ■■.••n. iL-«i-c>.''-i^i (»■■•-.it'i>i ■ ■ ■ ■ 'TaDMinvVi—.:- ; -....i.i-... ■ i- ■'Cllppe)?;.i5:vestimat<sd that. there j^T^jBre^SOO .A^w- acts for the coming pVaulff^'vseakSn: , - inside Stnff-Pictiires (Continued from page. 6) . movie poBslblllties In Buck and 'Bring 'Em Back Alive; with sincere iljsards, Frank. Buck.' Ooldburg at that time was general manager for A; Jl Van Beuren. ;J(ape..and .Katherlne Lee ,yanked but ."ot ;the.. Lpew. theatres by Gerry; ■ N. y; ' Screen Glub. realized .$3,600 Oil Its first public'showt :,Had'idciasi fbir a clubhouse, but the trek-wtistj left: It: hlgJi. andi (iry:, .jj, f.eity, years' Ja^er. v.••.. .^' ! ' :jack'''03.teji'mah" got his.'flrati ieglt; ddW- Play«d. a \iraiter. In .Chi cbm-| pahy of ''Ohv teoyi, • /' *. '> ." JSxhlbsr. warned' again^ ; faked^ ■Fif^^cb^ war films iabeled:. 'ofBclal.'' jljift-XEAiis'Afiq:':^ > .Willie-^Sells, w}th Sells Bros, ehbw. 'set a new leaipijig record. Did: 29 feet oyer the backs of 10 ele-' phants. Four'feet better' than/his nearest competitor; • ^. •. 1 .: : ' :Van Amburg 'Show 'clalni^ a. ree- oM. Wagon shoW ;droVe> from Ox-' foird, ,N;..Y., to Chenango' Falls, ii' miles, gave two shows and drov^ 12; miles lio ' Binghamton ^ahd loadedi oh; train for a 172" mile jump to Warwick^, landing there 4 p.m. th^ iWJtt dai'^:'^ ■ '•■ ■ : ■.y. . ■. I ■^.Cpurt action .brouglit out the testimony thaf thd .triembers -.of -ai juvenile 'Patience' troupe playing New "Tork got $5'a' week apd board; ' Iron • Steamboat' Co."! %n a jam. Giving concerts at Pier, 1, Northj Rlyer/alTid charging admission'. Cpr-i poration Counsel jlniad^: ithem quit,' They're still stopping at the same pier. et. . 'toid . an influirer .. that .banjoy players were- not iln demand by minlstrel troupes uiiiess they "Were of high rank, and then , they were not hired as banjo players but as comedians. Daly's theatrel then one of the class houses, was being renovated. Cliarges Included equipment to elec- tric light for stage and auditorium. ■' John Tj' Sullivan, who had been ai) .amateur actor, got - a job with Rhea for next season. Developed Into a strong leading man. .Remem-' bered- by old timers for a fist light with Leander Klchardson over a notice given his.wife, Rose Goghlan. Barlow-WHspn. .ministrels had a new specialty—song and dance men opened in full airmor, Hodge opera house, Lockport, N. Y.,. advertising for shows. Rent was $40 a. night, or $200 a week, ^vlth one box reserved for the prop. : In yeair^ past th^ iii^otion picture Industry was well represented. a,t the three-week rev^l of the Bohemian Club, San Fran9i8cb, held each JTuly at the Bohemian Grove on the Red river,' Calif.' ' ' • . ' • . This yejar they were absent and thbse whb dfd go kept It under cover. The event, which generally has about 300 from all parts of the country, was- not so successful from the attendance standpoint, there being less th,an 200, there., Th<)ise' coming' from' sections outside of Sah Francisco are knostly. guests of the members',; with the latter paying for. their maintenance during the sojourn. •■ ; A formev. agent,, recently appointed a j)roductlon asslstarit at a major stud.lo, was assigned ■ to supervise ehtertainment • o? yisftlnfe Olyltnplc sithletes and other celebs. Agent'is wife Is a freelance playei*; and at'all affairs she tpok complete charge of the entertalnrtieht'and did'consider^. able -orderlng- atoytv4>1»t contract stars and..pl^^^ ..Front .o.fflte later Informed the, tormer io percenter tcJ retard ' the activities oi Mb ifrau" reminding him that after ail he wasLthe only one In his'faiinlly bli the .company's-.payrbll.'''."..'' '-.'''^' -. ■ ■. !' • , ' . ' •' '' " V Christy'%^a^^^^ has' th^..ii, fobti)all. players he brbught to Universal for '^All Amerlba,' ^led up lijitil fou.r mortths/^^fter the picture, is completed. Men were signed for S'Cf.days at $10. a 4a^y and keep, and. agreed-, in. their contracts they .wo.y.ld..n.ot. appear On stage, s.creenv.or..radio fpr 120 days after cbmple'tion' oir:,tlie.^.bpus. .; . i. > ; ; Sieveral of the boys are. .already regretting, theli;. commitments, as, they have n'time'r^us ofl!ers tp'obtain extra money on the-side while on-the ; -..Buffalo hunt material filmed-ryears 'agft' 'in 'YollOWst'ohe Pai-k i)Jr"'the jiate' Thomas Ince;< for !The Ijast Frontier,' wiit^'^baik^' ahbtlier 'iCp^afa^ lin.the serlal. of ithat title, now .being made,'by 'Jv A-. Vah'BUre^''for''jttldtb. ■{ 'iiaat -Frontier'' no\^ b^bbmes a HollyWbb^'U'midltibn.. Plct^^^^ •i*'as''ari pn- and ©fCiior two years.- prlor to I<ice"s-aedfth,;-^t''|Idte^ aiid completed .Iti-usin'g some'of .the Jjuitaio''f6otagfe;'' , ' ■• ^ ■ i When PDG.-^Bathe- passed to Radlb the'buftaib ''fi^m;Vas''acquired- In the-transactlonv'--- ■,-, hside Stiiff-Vaude Variety club of Columbus, O.-, held a-.royal fete last week at Olentangy park with Leo Haenlein-iEi-s host. All jhembers of the theatrical organlza- tibn were guests of . tiie park for the. n^ . - , , ' ,H. B. Cherrington,; .'Dispatch', critic^ put in so stirenuous a night that lb reviewed the proceedings the iiext day .and'signed it 'By. whiat is left f a critle. .politicians, aloi^g the Atlantic coast are handing their followers vaude' sKdws Instead of the usual'political rallies. Monmbu^h County Deiho- cratic Cub opened 'its campaign at the AsbUry Park Conventibn Hall (27) with six acts and a 10-plece band for dancing. . ' Show was advertised as a 'speechless rally,' And it was. Publicity matter issued byllKO In connection with the NBC-RKQ radio talent contests in the circuit's theatres givbs an unusual plug to. bpposish network artists. 1. Morton Downey and Kate Smith, iboth CBS names; are prominently publicized , along witii. NBC talentt , . .;, . .. ,' Arthur Vah Dieh; for infiany years ■ with RKO as its traffic mana'ge]^, has gone Into busine'ss for hlrti^Jf, opetting a New York travel bureaui i He grew up wiih'thp Keith regime In the old daysi° Handling all'triahs^ portation matters on .acts,, etc. ■ iiou Holtz and Phil"Baker are splitting billing in the crbsaw'otd i>uzz1d manner at the Caplt6r, Ne'<v York, this week, ' " ' ' No way to satisfy'both In the ads sO a qpmprp'Yrilse ^yas arranged; In' half of the. adyertlelng Holtz is on top, and vice Versa. '• • • • .Advertising fjiiciget for the .Palace, New Y.brtt,' ha^ been Increased" $50D weekly for the first, three weeks ol ■ ^he • new! vaudhlih; policy/ Will rUn. to $1,500 weekly now. ■ . ■ ■ ; i ■ v,—■ - -,. !-, .- •' ■ \ - . Lobby decoration costs -ate limited tb $200 weekly, : - ■ '■ "Walter ■vyinch«il ttirni6d dow;i1[ a*!!'offer from Louis K.' Sidney for a'Week fit'the dapitol,'.Ne;^5Ybrk, 'bn the grb . - . . I \yincl)e.ll .receiV at the Palace last-yeai)-and was ofitei'ed af>oV€! jthat fb^ 'the 'Ct^.p we .'. ...). , ,.. . ■ ,.11 ' .. |.,,./...'■, I' 111; .?'-lii>!4>' -,(■ .. . . . Fox were' trying desperately. to ,get, .a burl^ male ..lead for, 'Rackety Raxl. wjr.lch Jftck Whitf^ ,.wlllf direct. 1 Thfy wanted!'iyi^ lSdwa,rd G.. Roblnson,.-.but were turried down. Last week Sol Wuttze.l saw a 490 pounder eating in the resieuu.rant on. the'lot.. Man was .work Ing-extra at .$6 avday. Wurtzel rushed him .in, had a test taken and ilmmedlsteiy contracted hini'for the part at $'200 a week. His name Js Dewey Robinson.■■'■''■ ' ■.'"" "'■. ■ ■ 1. .--.i- ; i;.'.::, :- : 1 - . ■' ■ .... . ■ .. ; ri'i . 1' •■■-.if'.'.' . - .. " ■ ■' • Amongst Other, thittgs, . S. L. Rot}3(afeI plans a change of guards, atf at Buckingham Palace, for Radio City theatreiaf urtlfbrmed-staff.; ' ' • There will be different squads,- including'splecica bffl'c^rs, guards, paged; ushers, doorman/! attendants'and- musicians, each with uniforms that win-differ from etCfch 'Other under Interitlohs. 'besides' Which 'there will lie two typies' of unSforth's for eabh of tii'e grbuii'sf. 'bnfe' tbr after^nbbn ,.^ear tO'''6'i)l''m'.i' tWe '6"ther''t'or''-eye.nlrig.-, . --i v,i ■' • - .-.. ; Before leavlrig-for d-Chicago trit)" last .week, Joe ^ulll'yahi RKO ageiii^ declared he WiS'going but tb 'liibk 'over the situation as a personal emlsV bary for Ge6rfee''6bdifreV.' ' ■■'■'•^v■•■ ■''''^''.■'■.'' ^ '. ■■ . ;■■ i .J--v.......... ■.— -.-■...' —'— ■" . ' ■ " : pilhiost''simultanebusl}^ a- contract with Tech wHlbh'carriea a forfeit"^ claiiele. if the Tech process Vas not '{/6ed: ••Hbwevei', U "is- under*! stood that tills contract was oh a. fo.9tage rather than a per feature baslT^' .OT. i^uch'a-, settlement was reached, hehce the solution-via (Kb .Iwo-reelei-B. Besides which WB has-a -feature length mastery tale in color to be rej< leased for the new season.' "i .•The-main house organ owned by G;aumont British has been squawking- becausfl'th'e arirfvai'Of Joan- Grawftttd l;ere \riettied 'flvtl-cblunlhi- of' rilja'ce, excluding .photographs, .In .thfe' niajbr Loridbh .dailies;'^hile tW. Opening] o'f the palatlaljG(a^!mojrti'fc!'!$ Studios In ,Lc>nd,on. the .pr;^ylo,u? IVee*^ pelted phjly.tvjro^'..': i^v^",. .'. . : ■■.■:.. ::.'.:.(■■. , Snllghteiied scribe^ rate It as a .fair representation of the relative. newiSi value of a Star's arrival aridithe building, of newostudios, ■ |- -i >' Frenzied flnan.ce has hit one of the Coast, Jiidle ^tudJos where, three of the producerfs backers are established • on the- set in. canvas chairs with their names thereon. They're-watching costsi --" ' ". ' Director oblIgi|igly explains each se«liieiice before-he starts the cam- eras, a process .tliil!'is adding plenty of overtime; ' Rut,the angfels have effected economies. They sent home three extras on quarter cTiecks. be- cause they were nOt needed after the first two hours a day. . .A male star recently, pleaded. a broken ankle and delayed prbductlpji on. a picture for hearly. five weeks, ifut beyond that is that the star, the follower of ah astrologer, was advised by the sdbthsayer not to woric during.a certain perlo.d If he desired artistic and flna,nclal success. Only way out for the actor was to plead ill, so he thought of the ankle complaint. • ' _ • ' ' ' ■ ' '• —'■■-■. • ' T Thpre -yvas,.something s^rtllng in the dumb question of an .autograph hound, ^Lt' the. 'Congprilla' ppeping at the Winter Garden,' New York;, signature snatcher.-was,.wished onto a theatre man as a gag and told he .was a prominent Paramount exiec^utive just In- frqm iTollywpp.d; . ■ The hound said, 'Who'zit,'Znkor?' Told it was Jesse Lasky, the light- weight- with the fodntain pen- then asked, 'Is he still with the firm?' '; • Paramount- exchanges have been ordered .not -to hopk the: first block 'pf Inew l982-',a3 pictures of . the company until eyetythlng? on the'curr^t 'seasbn'ls out of:the-^way. .Edict comes from G'. Ji.Schaefer, sales head. i 'If they want th^ 'hfeiAr prbdubt ribw on the way to them, see that they jcieih.'up the older•'pfbdijct first. .This must Incl-irde-aU shorts,' says-the Ibiilleltn: . :•'•>.•; f -■■'.'■■ ' Film attorneys who speolallze in lo|3by work;;an«\ government as .It 'affects the: Industr^y, are not worrying over thre'ats from Indie organiza- ;tIons which are talking about going to their own state legislatures for a solution bf picture problems. Picture prices In back or In front of the boxpffices cannot be regu- lated by legislation,' declare the .film lawyers: . In line with Radio's future policy to limit heavy expenditure only to ithe Constance, Bennett, Richard DIx and Ann Harding pictures, Dave 'Selznlck has brought in the first of his program output for next season 'for $105,000. Picture is 'The Age of Consent,' directed by Gregory La ! Total ,cost Includes a directorial, ciiarge of $12,600 and a $7,600 story. Considerable l.ntiferest by American film cpnipanles in 'Maedchen in Uniform,' German talker, and an amateur effort except for the producer and director. j. Made in a German girl's school, doing away with the necessity, for building sets, a government building was arranged for the court scenes. Film cost well under $30,000 to produce. Warner Brothers' new series pf natural tint two'-reelers Is said to be an offshoot of its briglnal contract with Technicolor. WB is making a half dozen' or so of these shorts, one of which has already been released. At the time the -vogue for musical films and color started to. wane, Shooting; a : 76,''with 't>ie end showing threb 'bbns^ birdies^ iyijijSift Pettijohn, 14, son bi the Hays lawyer, has received offers from two clubs foe exhibition rounds, on the links. ' . Youngster flashed ht's, round Sunday afternoon (31) at the; Wesiy Chester iDountriy Club, New "Torjcv YpjungiJ^etitiJohrt .a-lso holds sey^ral' records for ,trap .shooting... .. .. ■ - . ; i , Four reels of animal stuff, taken in r Africa-by the -'Hope !Ex|>edltloh^ is< under 'consideration by 'Bducatibnalj: Film- may be' split up-for Use itt' shorts:' ■■.<>-■' ^.-■•.: .-.•■'I .. ^ '"'':■■',["".!'■' Meanwhile, Jihbth^r .tTbpe 'Eipedlt^bi^^ p>et>a!rat^p'%, SoiqieVfilm fro^'the^ hreV trip.w s'teaiiii^i; Which .sank bff,;tii* African coast. ■;'.••''..'■ ;•■,,,■':, ...'';..; ..i-: .- ; > There:.ai-e soixie exhibitors-who have,-no :complalnts to offei^'ln'playlnff' at 86% to. the distributor-after overhead, taking the unprecedented-Sbbr); end of-16%: for'themselves'.;' '•''.". •'If we" could be'sdre of even-getting-'expenses'ithese. days,' stated southern exhib ylsltlng N'ew York, fthere'd be no kick on ,any plcturel'.' ' -Although passes'should carry the line,.,'Subject to U, S. Goveijimeni tax,' those which werie printed prior to;'the enforcement of-.ihe tax may. be used by theatres until'stocks are depleted, ' On all passes going into theatres a record is being kept of-the name, number, whether one oi'two adiiiisslons, and the amount of ted cplliected* A few transfers between New York and' Chicago are'reported feeing' considered for-the Paramount-Publlz -publicity and advertising stafCi Not a question of let-outs in any case^ merely a change, in locale. Exchange may include some of the executive staff of these. Manhattaij and "Windy City departments.. Anticipation now regarding Radio City's theatres, are that the tw^ houses will open a week apart next ■winter. . l • Plans point to the music hall, or stage house;-opening first with thi ' straight fllm spot to follow. Question.; jsTeems to. remain b'pien whethei;'': the' stage site will debut under a $2 o^. $1.60 top .scalb'^ J! Some players in the Al Jolson ;iiIbturo 'The.New .Yorker^ *ave been": on the payroll fbr. 10 weeks. A f^w have wotked as little as three day*:; and others ndt inore than a week. : • '• . I.; It Is^flgured, that the m'ajority of the "cast Will hwe draWn frofn 16 t#' ' i^eks'pay btifore picture is finally: cpnipletedi ' A ' . • . I,' 20' Theatre'department and sales execs Of' RKO-Ita;dlb' took a squint [old:'Em Jair ilast w feet and send it, filong 'HpId''Em Jail'(last week in -New Rbchelle, They'll prohably cut int at it (0(»; This Is the' last Wheeler-'Woolsey pltiturb for Radio. The'supplemeii'tary 'Congorilla' exhibit In the darkened WB Hbllywood, across the street from the Winter Garden, New York, is being moved to the Federal Halls in Bryant Park and Mount Vernon as institution^ plugs for the picture. , Taking their 'Paramount Year' campaign seriously, some of ..the eieai in the home office are looking forward to January with, much cnthuelajsm; They feel that at least one of the salary cuts Imposed by the con^- pany during 1932 may bfi rescinded at that tlnie. Midnlte admission prices at the RKO Mayfalr, New York; to a 66-cent' top daily. Price was formerly limited to weekdays Only. j Paramount has 26 directors under contract. Of this number only flyflf. hold one picture agreements. They are'Frarik Borzage, Thornton Freew, land, Erie Kenton, Max Marcin and Frank Tuttle. '| : Metro's "Wild Party,' announced as first starring , picture for JeaW Harlow, takes Its title from the poem by Jcseph Mphcure March, no^ a Hollywood scenarist. RKO's drive for increased box-office result.", to be called 'RKO Greater Show SesS.son,' AUg, 12-Sept. 15, niay bo postponed for the Greater New; York area to wait for the new product to arrive.