Variety (Jan 1933)

Tuesday, January 3, 1933 PICTURES VARIETY FILMS Fnufing Ways to Weed Out Losers Publix Men Concentrating on Black Again or Deluxers Out Publix Is glvlner study to means b)r which certain houses in Its chain zbay climb out of the red they have been in consistently for two years or more. This is with an idea of cither retaining these theatres themselves or putting them In bet- ter business shape with a view to finding buyers or lessees. Many problems are Involved In «onslderatlon of the situation af- fecting numerous Publix houses, notably the deluxers, with no two exactly alike due to local conditions. Some cities present knotty down- town first-run problems brought about of recent seasons In som% cases by a deflection of potential patronage. This has been due in Instances to expansion of neighbor- hood communities, and the bulld- tng In those communities of - flrst- run houses In competition with downtown. Los Angeles probably is the most typical of this problem, with Hollywood draining every- thing from downtown L. A., Includ- ing transient trade. How to get houses out of the red and Into the black again, with Pub- lix believing It can be done in some •r all spots. Is the reigning point at the h.o. Different policies, along with other steps considered as pos- sibly helpful which may Include readjustment of price, are being suggested. Mascot Feefing Drop Hbllywood, Dec. 31. . With Income from rentals drop- ping and the local production head- quarters housing a large staff. Mas- cot Is emulating the majors by trimming the overhead. Nat Levlne is combing the cost sheets and slashing wherever pos- sible. SPLIT BILL N. S. G. Separate Mat^ Night Films Bring Mayfair $8,000 Red That experiment offered for the first time In filmdom by RKO of spotting separate Alms such as 'Orphan Annie' on matinees and *Pienguln Pool Murder' evenings at the Mayfair on Broadway the holiday week proved rather neg- ative. House tumbled to $7,100 for the week, very low. Means around an $9,000 loss for the house. The double showing idea was ad- vanced by one of the divisional heads, on plea kids might be at- tracted to the matinees by 'Orphan Annie' leaving the more adult film fare for the night audiences. The matinees turned out worse than the evenings, leaving the kid angle In the air at the Mayfair. There isn't any way of telling how many of the customers may have been attracted to the May- fair under the impression that two pictures were being shown at the same time. The management tried to avoid this by advertising in print and on the marquee that 'Orphan Annie' was on only daytime and the other film only at night. In Brooklyn the trade signs were the reverse with the same separated program at the RKO Albee, Brook- lyn, the house did $1,800 one mat- inee last week and $200 the same night Loew's Ziegfeld, N. Y? Loew's may take over the Zieg- feld theatre on 54th and Sixth ave- nue, N. T., hard by Radio City. Ne- gotiations are said to have been opened during the past week. Policy in mind by Loew's is simi- lar to the Capitol but as second choice first runs with stage shows. Cap retaining first pick. First run film problem has never existed for Loew's at Its Capitol with releases most always behind. Publicity Hogs Pay-oft of the lens' lice at the Radio City Music Hall pre- miere was the entrance of a notorious publicity seeking Broadway couple who, noticing they were unnoticed, exited through a side door and made another entrance so that the snapshooters wouldn't miss 'em this time. P.S.—They got took. Competidye Bids Saving to Studios On Their Own Work Hollywood, Dec. 31. In the current move for economy all studios are having considerable work done off the lot that hereto- fore was handled by their own de- partments. Particularly is this true of set and prop building, plaster- ing and similar technical work. Paramount, which led In this efflclencyjmove. Is asking for bids on almost all kinds of work that can .conveniently be done by outside concerns. Studio's own depart- inents turn in bids and lose the work unless their estimates are lower than the outside competing {Irms. ' Execs at this studio estimate that at least $100,000 a year will be savfed by this system. One of the principal spots where a saving is expected by this scheme is on the building of sets on loca- iion. By putting the work on a competitive basis it Is expected to cat down cost of carpenters and other workers, sent from the stu- dio, whose expenses and time start from the minute they leave the lot. Paramount also figures it is now saving $60,000 by using a monorail system in transporting sets and ma- terial from stage to stage. Casey and Labor Men West Pat Casey, film producer contact representative on union matters, left for the coast Wednesday (28). William C. Elliott, president of the lATSE, leaves immediately now for the purpose of going over the altu- ation at the studios generally and to clear up numerous matters. John P. Nick, who went to St. Louis to spend the Christmas holi- day with his family, may accom- pany Elliott out from St. Louis. He's an lA v.p. This will be Elliott's first trip to the film capital. AD CONTRACTS AS UNIT Work Done in N. Y. for Publix- Direct to Partner and Divisions Contact advertising In Publix Is now direct to partnerships and di- visions, with redistribution from there. Instead of direct to theatres as in the past. All manuals, bulle- tins and other supplementary ad- vertising for the theatres are being prepared at the home office under the new steup of Ed Olmstead, John Smith and Rodney Bush. Trio works as a unit In carrying out ad contact duties for the entire Publix chain, including the partner- ships, rather than having country split three ways between them. 'Yen' Next at New Roxy A Columbia picture is slated as the second for the RKO Roxy, New York, following opener, 'Animal Kingdom' (Radio). Col selection, all but set for the house, is 'Bitter Tea of General Yen.' By George McCall Hollywood, Dec. 27. Past 12 months have seen the ranks of the indie producers dwin- dle to where only 10 remain turning out features consistently. They made 88 in 1932. Three of the 10—Majestic, Mono- gram and Allied—g«t thsir producr tion money on the line from the ex- changes before their pictures go into work. Majestic and Monogram op- erate through the franchise eystem, whereas Allied has thrss exchanges of its own and takes paper for the rest of the country. Remainder in the Indie production field are George Weeks (Mayfair), George Batchelor (Chesterfield), Maury Cohen (Invincible), Builon King (Preuler Film), Albert Her- man (Eagle Productions), Nat Le- vine (Mascot), Kenneth Goldsmith (Goldsmith Productions). Of these all except Levlne sell direct to the state right exchanges. Levlne has several exchanges, and specializing in serials sells in a number of cases to the circuits. Backing Comss Hard Due to the lack of stability of the indie exchanges, financial bacldng for Indie features has been difficult to arrange. Bank of America (Giannini), which formerly did a great deal of the financing of recog nlzed indies, has turned down all deals with the exceplon of Mono- gram. Only reason the Giannini organization went for the Ray Johnson-Trem Carr deal Is that they have contracts and paper cov- ering the production costs of their pictures. Majestic is in the same boat with Phil Goldstone, who pro- duces for It, discounting Its paper. M. H. Hoffman of Allied Is practi- cally protected by negotiable paper before he starts production. Others have individuals contrib- uting part of their backing, and dis- count exchange paper for the re- mainder. Production costs of the three major indies—Monogram, Majestic and part of Allled's program—^run close to $40,000 per picture. This sum has been found to give them the best results in casting, produc- tion and direction. Under that fig- ure, $22,000 is about standard, with one company turning them out for $16,000, with everything bootleg. Compete With Majors At the $40,000 fierure Indies find they can compete with the lesser .pcogramers_of the majoccompanlss, at least in cast. Features made for the smaller figures are sold for what they are—fillers on the short end of a double bill. During the past year Indle ex- changes have fallen down on pick- ing up prints. Double billing situa- tion is blamed for this; also the poor standard of a large number of major studio features which made the attractions only for the smaller house and twin bills. Present unsettled condition of the picture business generally has those established in the Inside ranks slightly shaky. Closing of bouses plus the agitation against double billing h£Ui them figuring that their returns may be substantially dlmin ished during the next year. Total of 88 pictures have been produced by the indies in HoUywood during 1932. At the beginning of the year 150 yere announced. The difference represents those whose hopes faded. Indications are that the independent market will absorb about 100 features during 1933, pro- viding the double feature program is not eliminated. Selznick Reported AD Set at Metro; Kahane s New Year's Deal Mapped Infrequent Road Films Since sound came In the in- dustry Is turning out about one road show picture every other year, J. J. McCarthy, r.s. dean, calculates. HAYS'MEMBERS FIND FINDINGS Marriage htentibns Hollywood, Dec. 31. Notices of intention to wed were filed in the Los Angeles county court house by: Marcel Rivet, writer, and Grace Clements, artist; Edward C. Krue- ger and Elizabeth I. Markley, both film technicians; Arthur T. Horman, radio scenarist, and Eloise Currens; Gerald Morris, author, and Marie Meyer, writer; William Travis, stu- dio scenic artist, and Margy Slmms; William W. Watts, theatre musi- cian, and Margaret Johnson; Ralph Erwin, actor, and Ellssa Langston Following their final quarterly session In '32, Hays directors re- turned to their home offices con- fident that the yeaif Just ended had been the industry's biggest eye opener. Members of the industry are a lot truer to each other than ever before, they believe. That not only are directors mentioning the condi- tion of their respective companies, the same as they did of their wealth during prosperity, but that ex- hibitors as well are undergoing a similar metamorphosis. Now the distributor is forced to look at the owner's books. Conversation Is giving way to ink in other directions, the directors ob- serving this among their own activ- ities. Now questions never asked before are common and answered. Wait for Xavakade' No road show dates pn 'Cavalcade' will be lined up until Fox has studied the results on the New York engagement starting Friday (6) at Gaiety on a two-a-day basis. Picture is considered a natural for London, however, where it was an outstanding stage hit and may be especially opened over there under supervision of Clayton Sheehan re- gardless of the New York showing. John P. Goring, with Publix at Criterion many years, is in charge bT~the Gaiety enBseremCTit.— ^Rubs Moon, also vet P-P exploiter, is . on the ad-pub end. Scale will be $1 mats and $1.60 top nights. FARNOL AHEAD OF 2 'Kid' and 'Cynara' Starting Out of Town—at Phila. Jan. 6 Lynn Farnol shot down to Phila- delphia to set advance on 'Kid From Spain,' opening at Stanley there Jan. 6. Monday (2) he started on a trip as far west as Kansas City on additional dates for 'Kid' as well as for 'Cynara,' both Goldwyn. First stop Columbus, where 'Cyn' opens Jan. 6. Other dates on this picture Farnol will contact are In- dianapolis, St. Louis and Kansas City, each premiering Jan. 13. Farnol also goes into Cincinnati ahead of 'Kid' engagement there Jan. 13. BALK AT 'SCABFACE' The Hague, Dec. 22. For weeks the Dutch Board of Censors has passed all the reels submitted without many cuts, but last week they put the ,illd on United Artists' 'Scarface.' It is not probable that it will get through when being reviewed by full board. OAUTZENSTEIN A SUICIDE Berlin, Dec. 20. Maxim Galltzenstein, owner of the Maxim Film company, commit- ted suicide. He has not been ac- tive in production lately, but ar- ranged theatre and film business. His stepbrother, with whom he worked. Was killed recently in an airplane accident. Hollywood, Dec. 31. Though Ben B. Kahane Is wait- " ing for confirmation from David SarnofC and M. H. Aylesworth on a new deal for David O. Selznick to remain for another year at Radio Pictures, is Is understood from au- thorative sources that Selznick may before Tuesday change his mind and go over to Metro as a produc- tion executive. Selznick has been talking with LquIs B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg during the past few days and Is understood they are anxious to have him. Deal which Kahane wanted okayed from New York, provided for Selznick to make 20 produc- tions aided by Merlan C. Cooper and Pandro Berman, Selanick to con- tinue at $2,600 weekly with 10% of profits after productions and dis- tribution costs were gotten for the picture. Also understood that numerous ' executives, writers and directors under new setup to be eliminated from payroll as soon as their con- tracts expire. . Howard Estabrook, who was scenario editor and wrote numerous stories, leaves Saturday upon expiration of his contract. H. N. SwansOn, brought in from 'Col- lege Humor,' is also out when his contract expires during January. • Included in proposed Selznick deal was agreement that no independent- outside products would be' included' among those working oh Radio lot. Kahane after disposing of the RKO Radio studio situation will take up the matter of Increased pro-.:> duotlon coming from, outside in- dependents on the Pathe, lot for Radio releiase. Wanger to Be Recalled By Par, Expectation with the attitude expressed that it not only wants 'value received,' but that it has 'a place for him now,» Paramount, from all Indications, may call Walter Wanger^ back to ■work out his original producing con- tract, which has another year to run. If Wanger returns, it will be his third re-aflniiation with Paramount. Twice before Wanger left and re- joined Par. In the event that Paramount In- sists, Wanger will be forced to re- turn or else forfeit a contract which pays him a minimum weekly salary of $4,500. The Wanger-Paramount alleged breach of contract suit so far has reached only that stage in litigation where depositions have been taken. As things have existed up until now. Paramount, it Is understood, has paid Wanger the difference in salary he has received in t)>e employ of others, namely Columbia, where he has been getting $2,000 weekly. Wanger's contractual relations with Columbia do not actually end until January .16. Then Paramount is expected immediately to exercise its prerogative over his services. On the West Coast, where he now is, it is reported that Wanger, upon the expiration of his Columbia con- tract, may go to either Metro or Radio. Hollywood, Dec. 31. Walter Wanger's future, after leaving Columbia, has not been de- cided. He has been conferring with Metro to join as ah associate pro- ducer, and has also huddled with Bon Kahane on a possible Radio setup. 2 6EBMAN UNITS CRASH Berlin, Dec. 20. Two well-known film companies had to go into receivership: Mess- tro-Orplld and Biograph Film GmbH. Both companies could no longer fulfill their financial obligations. A friendly arrangement with the cred- itors is being sought.