Variety (Aug 1932)

. Tuesday, Xugasl 193^ F.- ■» liC T ll « ^ 9 VARIETY InMono ow Loa Angeles, AUe. 29. Armed with affidavits charging discrimination against indie ex- hibitors by distributers, and alleg- ing a monopolistic attitude by Fox- West Coast, Major Frahk S. Hut- ton, attorney for liidependent The- atre Owners of Southern California, is in Washington,; on invitation of IT. S. Attorney General Mitchell, to jpiresent his case. Hut con's trxp follovved mesting of directors of indie organization, to devise ways and means of making what the exhibs.term a final stand for their existence. Attempt of indies recently to force action by the federal govern- inent against signer^ of the consent decree entered into in 1929, where- in indies sought,to obtain contempt of court order against F-WC and certain distributors, has made no headway, . with radical element of indie group charglhig Interference in Washington by film, Interests. Latest thorn in side of Indies is reported closing by .WB-FN ' with Fox-West Coast to supply next sea- son's entire product, which leaves unaffiliated theatre men only two major services, and a few inde- pendent Alms, for their use. Threats of ■ redress through fed- eral courts are not taken seriously by major distrlbs, who hold no con- tractual obligations are being violated in selling new season's product. Framing Roxy Chicago, Aug. 29. Martin Beck appeared locally in " the role of a practical Joker, his victim being,S. L. Bothafel. It ;was - ah old gag,- but Boxy hkdn't . a suspicion. Hoax was pulled . at the luncheon at the Blackstone hor tel with members of the press, among others, present" to meet the BKO party passing through to the Coast. ' Beck had a .phoney microphone planted at the table and framed Boxy to talk tor 10 minutes on Badlo ■ City., .'■ , Best of the • luncheon guests were in oa the gag. Boxy was told later in the day. His re- actloh Is not reported. BIIIIK[IIS' INTtNT RUtRDING niMS Major Produeers Say Move Must Be Unanimous— Liken It to Disarinament -rSet Three Budgets. of $1$0,000, $200,000 and $300,000 —^ Conferences HeldinN. Y. Cagney-Dvorak's Contraict Breach Scored by Coast Producers' Assi, WM^ Ms M' l^^^^ Metro Gets Tough Breaks on Planned 3 $200,000 Budgets Hollywood, Aug. 29. Plan of Metro to slap maximum budgets of $200,000, and a limit of 16 shooting days on three pictures Ills failed through bad breaks. •Kongo,' 'Tin Foil' and 'Mask of Fu Manchu' are the films. Bobert Montgomery's, appendix operation held up 'Tin Foil'; direc- torial disagreements, with Charles> Brabln finally replacing Charles "Vidor, delayed,'Manchu,' script dif- ficulties held 'Kongo' back. Pictures Can Only Stand 1 More Year Of Doubles, Hanunons Figuring that the pi'oduction. end of the Industry cannot stand more than another year of double-featur- ing, E. W. Hammons, oldest pro- ducer of short subjects iii the in- dustry, declares that he 'is willing to 'take-'it on the cliin' for another year. • Hammons,.-admitting that he will be happy if he • breaks even on his two-reeler overhead during 1932-33, declares that the public, as well, will not countenance twin features much longer. , . Hammons observes that exhibit- ors are paying for two features wliat should be the price of one, and that producers are becoming aware that their phllanthrppy is not ap- preciated, DROP CENSOR FORMULA IDEAS ON NEWSREELS •QUIT STALLING' JAFFE JOINS RADIO AS GENERAL STUDIO MGR. Hollywood, Aug. 29. Having broken away from com- mitments to return either to Par- amount or go to Fox, Sam Jaltee has tied with B.-idio to become gen- eral .studio manager. ' " Besides oarrying this title and pup jrvlsin.; the physical end of pro- duction, Jaffee will be ah aide to Bavivi Selznick. Also a possibility of his: later handling units as an associate producer. ,C. p. White continues as studio man.Vgoi- under Jaf£e. • Efforts to. establish a censor formula for newsreels, similar to that of the. Hays Code for features and short, have been abandoned. Beason for elasticity in the news end is the cohclus.lon. that any spe- cific laws would . rob the reels of initiative." Newsreels are now not even being previewed though every picture pro- duced by the studios is seen in script and preview form by Hays representatives on both Coasts. Judgment on news ipatters has been relegated solely to the news- reel editor. Occasionally counsel of the Hays group is sought, but this is never binding. WB GIVES 8 EXTRAS CHANCE AT REAL PARTS it *Night Mayor^ Is Shown in Des Moines Des Moines, Aug. 29. 'Nifjlit Mayor' showed at the Strand last week in spite of Colum- bia acnulescing to the picture being postponed on. Broadway screens. In reply to the request that Milton Simon, manager of the Strand, withdraw the film, Slhion explained that his bookings would not permit a last-minute alteration. Hollywood; Aug. 29. Statement of Jack Warner several months ago that he would give con- tracts to unknowns who had. possi- bilities. and didn't think in box-car figures, has resulted in contracts for eight extra girls at WB. Girls are Liorena Leyson, Jac- quclyn Allen, Ceralne Greer, Alize Janz, Helen Mann, Muriel Gordon, Patricia Green and Monica Bannis^ ter. Contracts are sliort termers at $75 and $100 a week; .Acting on what is said to b* an ultimatum from ths bankers to 'quit stalling,' film produeers ar« consid- o'ring a coHcertod mova to got the average cost of feature length pic- tures- ddwii to ^ATSfiOOi . Eastern - conferences during the past few weeks, following. ■ isur- yey which Will Hays is personally making, reveal that in many in stances Hollywood's promisa to eoonpmize has been on «; ftomor row' basis. Bankers, admitted to have wearied of ' promises, are credited with the attitude thiat the picture business must have reduced prbduction budgets regardless of the means to this end. The new grades of budgets as In tended would start at $160,000 for the average program type, $200,000 when deemed necessary and $300,- 000 top. Any budget exceeding this maximum would have to be for a special feature. Desire, however, is that at tho end of the production year the producers' books shair bal- ance so that the cost checked off to each feature will average the aimed at $175,000. Disarmament Complex One of the most popular excuses of companies for not preening' prior to this is that organizations taking the initiative would sufTer; that their best people would move to lots continuin|r to pay higher wages and that, like disarmament, the studio first taking action woiuld leave itself open to the other companies. This is the reason for companies con- templating one united front on the subject Major studios are currently turn- ing out features running from $126,- 000 to $1,000,000 with executives figuring that $326^000 Is the average cost at present and too high. LASKY AS INDIE PRODUCER FOR PAR GLUCKSiatAN BETUKNS E. M. Glucksman, former general theatre director for BKO, gets back this week after a two months' holi- day in Europe. Glucksman is bringing back play scripts as legit and picture produc- tion possibilities. Fox Clears 'Sherlock' - After 5 Mons. Chase All details on,lights iov 'Sherlock Holmes' were finally cleared Thurs- day (25),.so Fox can now go ahead with making the film; It represents a flye nionths" world chase. Dialog rights were held in New York, somebody in. Switzerland held the talker rights and the Doyle estaco, in London, also had to be contacted. Besides that, the Froh- man company, which first produced the play, had its contentions. Clive Brook will be borrowed by Fox from Paramount for the lead. , Hollywood, Aug. 29. Paramount is working out a. simi- lar deal with Jesse Lasky to the one it recently arranged with B, P. Schulberg for a series of independ- ent productions. The Lasky arrangement is said to include full settlement of his pres- ent contract, with has about 16 months to go, and means a consid- eration of about $250,000. A pro- vision of the settlement Is report- ed to be the indie production stipu lation with release through Par. Deal will get a final decision to- ■day I.Monday) or tomorrow, when Lasky returns from a trip to Mexi>*o Belief is that Sam Katz worked out the details while In New York recently. Former Paramount studio head has been away from production for oyer a year, but his indie arrange- ment with Par, the same as Schul- berg's, will be on a profit-sharing basts .for six or eight pictures. Plan.s "call for an Oct. 1 start, with Cecil DeMllie proijably directing Lasky's first. Working on RbojF . Hoilywopfl, Aug. 29. With nine pictures in pro- duction and requiring all avail- able stage space at Badio, stu- dio has built exterior sets for 'Kcng' on the stage roofs at Pathe. ; . 'Conqueror' sets on the ranch made It impossible for con- struction of 'Kong' sets there. Studios Agree oh Fiilleir Co-Op as to Player Exchanges Hollywood, Aug. 29. At producers' meeting, following a complaint by Samuel Goldwyn that real co-operation among the studios was lacklrtg, because Irene Dunne (Badio) refused to be loaned to Goldwyn . for 'Cynara,' producers agreed that as their companies are playing each others' pictures they must go out of their way In cx changing players. Matter of work Ihg out an agreement with the artr ists' agents was taken up and .re ferrad to a committee consisting of Irving Thalberg, Dave Selznick and Edwin Loeb. Also, suggestion was made that rules and regulations should be worked out to become effective about Jan. 1. . Regarding the resolution of hands oft o'-i player^ Jumping contracts, it was decided that any pljffyer who. figured his contract was hot eatls- factory could. demand a hearing frqm ihe producers or through the academy for arbitration. But if the player should quit during the shoot- ing of-a picture no decision is nec- essary for the other members of the associtition to neigotiate with them. Hollywood, Aug. 29. At the semi-annual meeting of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors' Association last weetE ; a resolution ,.T?as passed recom- mending .tl>at 'All members .at no time in the future shall employ any artist who has refused,, without le- gal justiflcatiori, to comply with hla contractual, obligations to any pro- ducer Qf motion pictures.'. Will H. Hays himself made thie formal an- nouncement of the adoption of the reHplution. ' This means that pirpducers will adopt a hands-ofC. attitude toward any. squabble between any produ- cer and his players. It also means that there Is no chance bf James Caghey working again In films until he shall have adjusted hl^ dispute with Warner Brothers, In the absence bf Louis 6. Mayer, Jack Warner presided over the nieeting, and the resolution was in- troduced by Darryl Zanuck, who laid particular stress upon his own studip's troubles with Cagney and Ann Dvorak.. Association went on the record as .formally- accepting' the Hoover stagger plan of employment, on which, the studio heads , have 'been working out the details for several weeks, in conjunction with the unionis concerned, Hays strongly urged . a cleanup both In picture production ahd .th» manner In which they were adver- tised. Producers agreed upon a stricter abidance by the Hays code for the sake of. the economy which would follow the elimination of the present extensive censorship cutsl 'SUnUN'THRU'COSTING M-G AROUND $750,000 Hollywood, Aug. 29. ■ Metro expects that •Smllin' Thru,' now in Its iOth week of production, will cost around $760,000 before It reaches release. Budget was $290,000 . 4)efore a caniera crank was turned. This rep- resents cost of film rights from Joe. Schenck, and salaries of those In- volved in the several treatments made before picture finally went into production. Norma Shearer heads the cast. Kent Is Not Flatly Agabst Higher Rentals The film industry cannot stand rental increases of from 30 to 60% over last year, declares S. B. Kent, Fox head, .but those films deemed outstanding pictures, can be in- creased from 15 to 25% because they will merit more than that in return at the bo-x office. By the same token low grade program pictures should be less than they were in '.31-'32, he declares. Kent emphasizes these distinc- tions in pointing out that he is not flatly Opposed t) higher rentals for '32-'33. Allied Sees Political Propaganda in Films Chicago, Aiig. 29. . Allied Exhibitors has adopted a resolution not to permit politically biased pictures on its screens. AllJt'd declared the producers' .are taking sides in politic.-) .and .slip|)Ing in dir:ict or subtle propaganda, KATZ, COHEN BOTH SAY LAnER STAYS AT PAR Hollywood, Aug^' 29. Both Sam Katz and Emanuel Cohen have Issued' denials to 'th0 story that Cohen Is leaving this Par- amount- studio. Tarn appeared in •Variety's' Coast bulletin last Friday (26). . • Beports that Cohen's withdrawal from the studio was Imminent orig- inated in a rumored dispute < be- tween Katz and Cohen over the B. P. Schulberg indie production deal and similar proposal for Jesse. Lasky. Cohen was said to have opposed fhe closing of both these, propositions. Katz, however,, de- clares that he has had no disagree- ment with Cohen on the subject and points out that Cohen Is the' one who closed the Schulberg deal. Cohen remains In cha'rge of > thd Coast studio with K!atz merely pay- ing his peripdlc nnd supervisory visits to the lot as general man- ager for Paraniount-Publlx. No changes In executive personnel are oontemplatied, with the studio stafT concentrating pii turning out pic- tures. Schenck Denies Any U.A. Refease Thrn M-G United' Artists will retain its present release status throughout the year. Joseph M, Schenck made this statement in denying reports that, he Is east to arrange for distribu- tion of UA product througlj Metro exchanges. L(a)unching Roxy Hollywood, Aug. 29. Badio studio will give a compli- mentary luncheon to Boxy at the Boosevelt tomprrow (30^. Boxy will leave the Beck party here and return to New York by boat, via the canal.