Variety (Aug 1932)

4 VASIETT Crafts D^ma^S-Ifr- Day^ Mimniiini ; Wi^e % ti Loc^ Ashodocers Proposal Hollywood, Ave- 22. In the midst o£ negotiations y/ith union offlcials to put Into «ffect a Btaggrer . plaxi of employment to spread work aniong the Johless' 11 locals, aflillated with the Federated Motion Picture crafts, aery.ed notice on producers of the establishment, Auer. 29, of ihnlnimum waerd scales for the 18 crafts involved and de mands for an eight-hour day. While the wage scales submitted do' not nmaterlally chiange the aver- age now paid, the irfsistence for an eight-hour; day and. time and tlm6 and a half for ovei'tlme would, if accepted, set a precedent for thes^ crafts most of which are engaged oil a.day rate basis with no hour limit considered. . Unions Involved in the new de- malrid^, none of t/hich are partici- pants in thd lATSB biaslc studio ajafreemertt, ajrer Biienic artists; as- sistant dii'ectors and script clci^s. tratisHrartation' 'drivers, ■inachliilats, painters,; costumers, plumbers and steoinfltters, operating englneern, url.hoi>)lerers • and' Carpet la'yers, aeroplane pilots^ utilily workers ibid^ plasterers, and cement finishers. Produeei^ft. Mark Time Pcoducers,' .botii members of: the Hays prganlizatloii and independ- ents, have adopted a waiting policy ;on tho lissuei' in otder ta first Isettle the Btagger plan, in keeping with Pfe3.'. li'oover-is suggestion. Several ijiieetings; -were held the pSiBi few days bietween studlo; busi- ness managers and heads of the unions to . evolve tlie best plan of staggering emi>loyment, so as to uieet_ the peculiar conditions in- volved irt plcturV prVjdiliic^ Others iard 'Sflt for- this week ' with little UkeUhooa'-of -the Work-^spreadlhg' arrangement becpmliig effective for at leaet -a montbi Kojre pf the union heads ai^ uoein^' {fcisUtkg opposition to the stagg^ me'thO\ir sQUibuglii' there is"e(6me' "op<' position' eimonj^'iiie Hnlc 'and '~iaie wJilch' y^lU hfeve"t<*'sct on the mat-' tei^''<iet"ti^bli ipatheHii)^ the' system'cAik-cr^ ' ■ .;. .• FoUfr- Day W«elc" Favo'red ■ ]^odttder3 favor , .t^^^^ j(ourrday>«r week pl^h, .iillowing ,t|!iro days \york per' ^lan ib. go. to the' uhempl6ye4« Bui' some' labor i^iips, such as canietaihen iand sounflmen,. are £i- Torfng a; system' wliereby a worker oaix Ue .itept'jOn. a'p^^ from start to'finlsii oil the ihepi^ that ijt '.is sounder economically fMid: e]ifDclently'. not io change ' during prbductioh. Producers agree oh this but .just hoTir the work sharing can be ac- complished in this respect Is still a problem. For some crafts a plan is under dlscuselon which .would ,allow six hours rwotk dfiiil^ : jtor regulars and additional houks for those not now working. Yet andtber plan is to limit all workei-s'to '48 hours a week, ihe v/orkera being automatically relieved by another when that time has teen completed. Harris Loses $9^600 Acticm Aganist Radio ..iios Angeles, Aug. 22. Charles Harris, legit manager, who brouglit suit against Radio for fulflllment .of a verbal contract thiat he alleged would have netted him ?9,(I00,. lost the action. V Superior Judge Green returned a verdict in favor of the studio^ declaring he faUed to find evidence of the con- tract Harris claimed be had been en- gaged, for 40 weeks to produce stage plays at the local .Mason theatre for I^adlo. Only one.play was :put oh, with Harris. working fotir yreeks iat $250 a.wee^. /He sued for the l^aiance, but by terms of the deci- sion must pay Radio's costs. . . Chicago, Augv.22. : Mayor Anton Cermalc eni^P.ute to Europe for a^ •vac£^tIon saw-yniver- sal's 'Radio .Patrol' on hoard ship and wrote back to Chicago to re- voke the picture's permit. It was flrst-runned a.t tite StaterlUike In the XipOp some. inonijhs .aero^.Wd been generally released , and yjaa down, to the 'E5' houses when. the ban came through.., Universal haid obtained, about 90% of Its play dates, in Chicago...; , . . '" ; . .... > Picture was considered lhhocu,ous enough in. its iglpiiilcatlon of tlie. po^ licOf. In. many> -towns /exhibitors, ^x^ range:4i;Pu]bitcLty 'tie-ups w.it^.the Ip- c|iVi»olice fprcei.', ; . \'. , I However, Miayor Cermak is a1- .ways sensitive al>out gangster pic- tures and it Is 'believed thajt, the in^' elusion of a 'sibbky&rd sequence fluenced him;., ..-That tended to iden- tify the locale as <7bleaigq. ' Empress, .20-cent grind at (tSrd and Hali^tekd, yriiB not Allowed to play the film. . "'' O'KEEFE HEADING FOX REVAMPED MUSIC DEPT. Par First ^i£o Uang^; : New nimm. SpGt-Fiki . Hollywood, Aug.: 22. ' ; ■ Split-film recbtdlng, one of the ecohoiny nieas)ires .to be iirged by tli^ Acaiderriy's new research; coun- cil, has been adopted by ;3PariBwn6Unt. New system is belne usid on 'Fare- Veil to Arms.' . . '.. Split film' is. li% mm. in iyidtbi; for the sound, track, Just half "the sisse of standard idim, and saves one half the footage formerly used In recording sound. Hollywood, Aug. 22. "With a heavy campaign to mu- slcallze future .Fox pictures; that studio's tune' dejpartment has been reorganized and Will be operated under'the general business admin istratlon of James O'Keefe.. ' Departnient; has been broken up into five different groups, music composition and- songwrltlhg, scor ing, recording, synchronization and the staging of dance numbers and enseipbles. .LibUis De Francisco has been ap pointed general musical director, with composition of music, writing of lyrics, arrangements and copy- right clearance under him. Frank Tregselt Is In charge of musical casting, voice direction, auditions and tests. Samhiy Lee Is handling the terpslchorean end. Doris SIl ver Is in charge of musical research^ musical film library, music library tuaid photostat copying. Above are under Do Francisco, with business regarding these sections conducted by O'Keefe. Sam Fox, publisher of the stu (dip's'production tunes. Is New York contact for the-istudid'on music. (Subject to''Change) 'n .;' Weekv AajB. 2S Paramount^'Nlgbt Club Lady' (Cpl). ./ , CapltP»;^'X^t'/ vMiltf (Tlf?)., (25). Strand—'Two Against the World' (WB) <2d week). Mayfair—'Baoik Street' <y), Rivoli-r'liove ::^e Tonight' (Par) (2d:week). Winter Garden-^'Crooner' (WB) (2d week), r Rialtp-^'Horsefeathers' (Par) (8d week)i > . Week Sa(>t^ 2 P a ra »h o u h t—'70,000 Wit- nesses' (Par). Capitol—'Downstairs*. (Me- tro).: •■ ■ ' ■•. X : Stranid—^'31 e s s e d B v e n t' (WB)." ■ .'^ . ^. Mayfair^'^k Street'. fU) (2d week)., Rlvofi--'Ijbv& Me Tohlghti (Par) cad week). ' Wfntor Ga'rden-^Tasspo'rt to Heir (Fox). ; V ■ Rialto—'Horsefeathers' (Par) (4th week). • (As- $2 Picturos 'Grand Hotel' (Metro) tor) (19th week). , 'Life Bedtfis' (WB) (Holly- wood) (25). . 'Strange Interlude' (Metro) (Astpr) (|) vv,-,. ■■ , .. Fbrejfln .Films , " r, , 'F^li dep OJ>erst Redl^ (Sonor>, (German) (Little Carnegie) (2dl weiek)i. -' 'Sehosh' 1st ilie Manoover- zeif (Qermfiln) (Uttle 'Hinden- beirg) (WorldTi'ade) (2d week). 'Sniper* (AmlTlno) (Russian)^ (Cameo). (2fr).-. ■ ; 'I Kiss Your Hand, Madame' (Qerman>. (Stanley) .(Kuropa) (27). T^iBBJay, :Angqst.23, 198^ * GroiHiiing Elni^r Balaban In Chi Picture Booking Chicago, Aug;. 22. Elmer Balaban, yoUngest b£ the brothers and formerly with Publiz In New Tork, is being initiated into film bboIUiig at B&IK here. It Is the department in which the late^Max' Bdklaban specialized.,,, * . Abe Kaufman, who was ,Ma,z,Bal- aban's assistant, is how In charge of the department and. is teaching EHmer the fine liinints, Af^er gradu- ating from the University of Penn- sylvania Elmer . Balaban "was .5K>n- nected, with the .auditing end for ]^bllx in the. east." . ".• terectorates at 4 FOR $125,(100 or . . .'Wa.terbury, ,Connv, Aug. 22. ; Mayor Frank ,Hayes< of this city, h|u-,|>ee.n'reaueisied/to Intercede with Qa^^ Art|tur,;prealdent of the Ar^ tbiir .7heaters,:.,Inc, .In an effort to. hiave ,hiin change blS' policy of sign-, ing contracts to guarantea that cer- tain pictures playing bis bouses will never again be shpwn in the ^me city4 It's the lextelusive nin.ldea re- c^nOy prac1;leed'. by thO' film cvm- pianles. ; -The niayor will carry the request of second jand third run ex- hibitors In the state to Arthur. A group of. 2G> managers and own- ers Interviewed the mayor and re- ceived from him a promise be would seek some ^, sort of compromise. Group impressed.: upon the execu- tive] that .their, i^u'iure depends upon the'showing .qi second , runs of first class pictures. ;. ; Hollywood, Aug^ 22k ' To cbihpens&te for heavy budgets on 'The cbnqu^ors.' 'Kong^ and 'Sweepings,' Radio is holding dPwn the'budgets on other pictures.. 'Stu- dio has nianaged to' turn out four in the last two months under (126, 000 each. 'Age of Consent,' 'Most Dangerous Gaine,'. '13 Women' ajid 'Hell's •Highway' comprise tills quartet.' Retakes pn latter twp:;'wlll boost the budget somie, .but It Is figured tbat-final outlay on each will not be* over $125,000. Budget tightening followed the rave M. H. Aylesworth, RKQ prexy, did over 'Age of Cphsent.'. ■ ^pth ;M(»ikey'8..Paw', and-'Sport Page.* eurrently in production, are budgeted at 1100,000.:. . , Dopont Betunis to U; ; For .*Iiivisible Man' . Hollywood, Aug.; 22. "E, A. Dupont, who directed Trap eze*. abroad, goes with Universal to direct Invisible Man.' It's a return for Dupbnt; to! ibis lot,' he',> having made 'Love l^e. and:: tlie World Is Mine' four years ago. • ■ Dupont starts when Boris Karloff returns iroin doing "Fu .Iflajichu' at Metro. Burke as Director Hollywood, Aug. 22, Bdwih Burke, after three years in the Fox scenario department, will be elevated to directorial rank. He Is to write an drlginal which he will meg early in January. iBurke^ is a former New York playwright. Stanley Logan Directing Stanley Logan has headed west with a dlrectolr's contract at War riers. Logan flew west after closing the deal through the M. S. Bentham oince in New York. patis^Eileliiiaii 5 <mJhm f^ WOULD BREAK WILL J. . S. Brovyn, .pf: Syracusei .Wants His St\are' Before He's-:60 r. , Sy^abuse, Augi 22,. Julius S.. Brown,' .erstwhile local tiieatre and night, club impresario^ W)k>. three yef^rs ago inherited one tlilrd of the i.7,00{),.0M, estate of bis fdthern has , ta}cen steps to .break the will of ill? mother bequeath- ing him half of her 92,500^000 es- tate but tying Up the money in a trust iund until he is 60. Counsel for Brown, whose ten ancy of' the Dewitt theatre and construction of a 1300,000 night club were a prelude to financial anid legdT dlfilcultle^ attacks the wiirof Mrs, Alexander T. Brown on nine points-in objections filed with Surrogate J. W. Sadler. Affairs of Brown and of the De- witt Development Corp., which he headed, have for some time been in the hands of receivers In equity. Trial of the will contest will take pl^ce in October, ij: is indicated. 'Arab^ Remake by M-G With Novarro Repeating Hollywood, Aug, 22. Jietrp is figuring on a remake of 'The Arab' with Ramon Novarro In his original part Company made this picture as silent eight years ago. Alice Terry played opposite Novarro with Rex Ingram directing. Hollywood AUg^ 22. Following the, studio faVor 'won by Fatber and iSoh,' Frank,' Davis and Loiiie Bdelniah, assistants t'^ '^arry Rapf, wiU' product five pictures without supsrvlslon for Metro. Legit Critic on Fibns For Some Activity .Baltimore, Aug. 22. Switch in the' picture ; revie^e^ setup of . the Baltimore 'Evening Sun' gives to Gilbert Kanouf the double duty of catching both filins and leglt. Kanour, reguliar legit snatcher for the paper for years, re- places Gusteiv Klem, the fi'lm looker- over un'der the tag of Q. E." D.' Move made'primarily ti) give Ka- nour some activity (since leglt at* traction^ ar6' about las frequent as Oi total eclipse. • ■ '. Kleta'wlll concentrate on his otiier job. program : manager for' radio station WBAL in Baltimore.' . Holding that only through oii% voice can Independent theatre ownW . era expect to beMteard and respects ed. the Motioi:^ Picture Theat^ Owners of Aiherlca is. attempting tojr set up the first national organizatloi^ macblne designed to cover Indie ez^ blbitprs from coast to coast. Details of the unity campaign re< veal many novelties in the histor:^^-:f pf. exhibitor.: organlzatioh methpdAv/ Primary c^mong these Is one whicUv would cohline 'the exhibitor convent lion, Ik place generally of juait much noise and misunderstanding lit. tiie past,; to leading thealtre ownerf^f in close contact with Industry active ities. ■. " : ■ '"^^ ..... ... . While not openly warring agalnstiji Allied, and kindred rival groups <^-( indies, the. campa^ign is. so set as-t<>i take care. of^ what would 'otherwise«^^ be' box office forays in a quiet ahd'j, automatic manner. ; The MI>TOA'. plans to take . its tip^tp .until its ma-it-' ch'ine.^is sp spread tbat it-will meA-^ ohanicaily al^sorb groups now con^i■ sidered obstructive. -'32.Zones-.'. Plan is to. divide'the country intoV 32 zones 'and ' directorates. Each-, zone wiU'iitive a' head and a boaiidi.. of directors made up of between 12' and 24 exhibitors.. 'She zone beada-. will Constitute the.'national directors- ate. As.:suoh,: or as the national':'" repreBenta,tlye of. each group, thoi zone head will receive all instruc-r - tlo'ns from his own-home group. ;ln the event of ^he iannual conven*' tion only the zone heads and the> zone directorate will participate in. the business part of the progranu'- Tiiis - means that , instead of -non-^- descript theatre-owners being calleA<-.- upPU'to vote, as has been .the* pol>»' i'Cy pf all organizations in the past^ the official .iuidle'body of about 68.0 - delegates will rule on all political'; naatters.." ■ ■■■ ■ - Theatre ownera as a whole, hoW'>"' ever, will: not be. barred, from tbe» proceedings, but' their attendancer will be definitely shorn of any busi*^ ness. capacity t^t the convention; Of the 82 zones aimed for, -th^t ' MFTOA now'claims to have *20. Hut ' until it obtains the final 12 the scheme cannot become effective on ' a national basis. 3 for; Roach . ' / Hollywood, A:Vg< 22, Roach studio . reopen^ .Aug.'| 29 after three , weeks' layoff. Three comedies sfait 'on that date—a Charles Chase two reeler, .an bur Gang, and the fourth Taxi Boys film. With Laurel and Hardy expected to return from Europe the first week in September, writers will start work on that team's next, yarn immediiately. ° Coast D. A. Starts Probe on Lottery Gags by Theatres Los Angeles, Atig. 22. : With the indlctmient of fratemaj; ' society heads on charges of 6p'<^; '!^ erating lotteries, theatre naen artf^.' -worried that Federal authPritieil ., will start after them also for op«.!; erating giveaway stunts. ,. , Out here U. S, Districl Attomeji; McNabb, In conjunction with treas- ury and post office inspectors. Is checking southern California fo^ alleged lottery stunts conducted by* theatres. ■" Howard Gieen Lingers ■•I.-)' , Hollywood, Aug, 22. Howard J], Green, -writer, stays oil.V at Waniers for a second six monthflt^; period, •Just finished writing 'Radi<i| Girl' ifpr Bebe Daniels. .s.-t}" N. Y. to L. A, Beahan at Radiio? Charles .Beahan, : whom Carl Laemmle, Jr., took away from American Play Co., to be eastern story editor for U, Is reported slated for a Radio studio scenario berth on the Coast. The Selznick-Joyce agency Is In- terested in spotting Beahan as he and Leiand Hayward, when they were with American Play, were thp eastern reps for S-Ji Martin Beck. Pat Casey. James Cagney, Nat Dorfman. Harold Franklin. Paulino Gordon. George Loveday. Ralph Ralnger, Phil Relsman. S. L. Rothafel. Bob Sisk. Sam Katz. L. A. to N. Y. Ray Egan. Irving FIneman. Nat Ross. Luplta Tovar. Fred Wilcox. . George Putnam. Joe Engel.