Variety (Sep 1933)

Toesiay, September 12, 1933 PICTURES VARIETY Fake Reviews of Pix Tops Frantic Competish of Fan Mags to Survive Hollywood, Sept. 11. Battle for supremacy- among the ffin. magazines is getting hot, now that their activities in dirt gather- ing have been stemmed by studios ^d picture people who are fed up with the magazines' low class ma- terials. .They are now out for spot news, each trying to beat the other. Beat example of how far they are reaching is the current 'New Movie' which carries so-called re- -views oi 10 picturs, two of which wfere only previewed for the first time last week. Five are in the cutting 'I'ooms, having been com- pleted within the past fortnight. One was finished Friday, while an- other is still in production and a third has not yet gone into work. Reviewing Paramount's 'Chrysa- lis,' which will not go into produc- tion until November, mag states •Wtlriam Hopkins and Frederic March are so infinitely better than the players in the stage play George Raft and Sylvia Sidney bring additional glamour to roles that are made to stand out under this treatment.' Of Universal's 'Only Yesterday,' which was com- pleted last Friday, 'New Movie's* critic states, 'At times it is slojv and somewhat stodgy.' Crystal Gazing, Maybe 'Dancing Lady,' still in produc- Effect of Machine Age San Francisco, Sept. 11. Direct descendant of Johan Sebastian Bach, the composer, is John Bach, usher at the Fox. His musical background is called into play in performing one of his daily jobs. It's'to put the music rolls in the house's mechanical organ in the lobby. PAR WANTS ANOTHER WEST FILM PRONTO JOEL OLD TIMERS BEST Shaws Where Old Timers Are Hits on Radio, Pic- tures, Legit and Vaude- ville — Public Seems to Want Them, Laurie States, Giving Reasons Why—Too Many Copy Acts 'Blessed Event' Likl Damaging, Allege Daniels-Lyon on WincheD By Joe Laurie, Jr. Hollywood, Sept. 11. Although Mae West's contract calls for only two pictures yearly. Paramount bringing pressure to get star to make three under special financial arrangements. 'I'm No Angel* washed up Saturday. Mae West starts immediately writing another original, 'It Ain't No Sin,' which Paramount hopes to have completed by first of year. Studio planning in these two pic- tures to cash In on 'She Done Him Wrong.' i(6n at Metro,' gets directorial corriment as follows: 'Robert Leon- ard' has directed a fast moving «how.' Radio's 'Ann Vickers,' which •wsls completed last week, draws this comment: 'From the moment when she gives in to her first man until she stills the unrest of her last man, there Is not a moment ease. 'Footlight Parade,' which is In the cutting process at Warners, was not praised by the reviewer. •The songs are not so hot as those in '42d Street,' but this is the best yarn of their three musicals of this year. If only to see James (Cag- ney) work in his new surround- ings, this is worth while seeing.' Fox' 'My Weakness,' Radio's •Little Women' and 'Ace of Aces' are reviewed, though none of them have been previewed as yet, and all are in the cutting room. 'I Loved a Woman' and 'Wild Boys of the Road,' both Warners' pic- tures which have had their first preview within the last week ,are also previewed In the October Is- sue of 'New Movie,' which reached the stands September C. Bob Leonard Goes Up Hollywood, Sept. 11. •Going Hollywood' is Robert Z. Leonard's directorial job at Metro. On completion of pictiire he is upped to associate producer. Leonard is a veteran on the Metro lot and rated a money picture direc- As between youth and old timers on the stage, the old timers will do more for the box office of the stage theatre, ses 1. Touring, with my 'Memory Lane' act, in vhe cast of which are 15 headliners of the early 90*8, and seeing the response they receive from the audiences, proves to me that what vaudeville needs for a come" back is some OLD TIMERS. Not old timers that never were any good ■ even In the days when they were young timers—but the ones that can really do something. Present day vaudeville has too many copy-cats, they steal each others jokes, mannerisms, style, steps, tricks, make up, and even dress alike. M. C.'s nearly all have slick hair, wear slave bracelets, light suits and funny hats. Result is carbon-copy vaudeville. Every show looks and pounds alike. The same goes for the presentation of vaudeville shows. It's a drape era. Drapes for acts in one, for sketches, dancing and acrobatic acts. Under Cover Among the disappointments attendant to the sloppy weather over the Labor Day week-end, should be included the break drawn by visitors to nudist camps. All the nudies wore rain- coats. JAP ACTOR FORCED TO LEAVE N.Y. FOR HOME Yoshle Fujiwara, Japanese singer and film actor, sails for Europe to- morrow (13) leaving a film and an experience behind him. Fujiwara came to New Tork to make a personal appearance with 'Cry of Asia,' first Jap talker, in which he stars. He couldn't wait around New Tork long enough for the film to find a release date, so he's going home. Harvey, Garat in Paris For Fox Multi-Lingual 'Mu.slc in the Air,' legit musical, will be made into a Fox picture starring Lilian Harvey , and Henry Garat as a team. Picture will be made in Paris in several language versions. ' It'll be the second big Eric Pom- Itver extravaganza for Fox in Paris, going into work as soon as 'Llliom,' now in production under Fritz Liang's megaphone, is completed ■ Garat first came to attention as a team-mate of Lilian Harvey's In the French and English versions of 'Congress Dances' (Ufa). Russ Brown's Film Job Russ Brown deserts the Broad ;/ay stage to join the Twentieth "Century. He will be spotted in •Moulin Rouge.' 'Broadway comedian wa.s in Scan dails' and "Plying High,' -among other .shows. WB Sells Rothschild Yarn Hollywood, Sept. 11 Warnci-.s lias sold 'Life of Rothschild.' which they bought for George Arliss, to Twentieth Cen- ')tury fooling that the yarn is Thalberg, Selznick Get Elaborate New Stalls Hollywood, Sept. 11. Irvinug Thalberg found when getting back to Metro that his for- mer oflSces were not suitable for him now that he's an independent unit producer making six to ten films a year. Studio will build him a bungalow. It'll be next door to the one being occupied by David Selznick. Selznick also has ideas about a more swanky edifice, the one he's now occupying being a revamp from John Gilbert's dressing room. He, too, will get a complete new building put up for him. All of which is making the NRA group here plenty enthusiastic, es- pecially in view of the fact that Metro is also building a couple of extra stages. One of these latter will probably be given Thalberg for his exclusive use. ' Bo-Peep Returns Chicago, Sept. 11. Little Bo-Peep Ammonia is com- ing back to the ether this year, three major midwest stations; WGN, Chicago; WJR, Detroit, and WLW, Cincinnati. Placed by Chas. Silvers agency, Chicago, program will go three times weekly, starting Sept. 27. Using studio talent. In the case of WGN, the program will use Tom, Dick and Harry three times weekly in the evening. Pro- gram is to etherize over a 39-week stretch locally. The bookers' excuse is that the public demands youth. Talentless youth. Vaudeville of 16 years ago produced personalities, talented per- sonalities, regardless of age. All Gone How many of the present gener- ation have seen jugglers who juggle cigar boxes, lamps, billiard cues and balls? How many have ever seen a triple bar act? Where are the Conroy and LeMaires, Mcintyre and Heaths, Fox and Wards and other blackface acts that had them screaming? Bring back the dances of yesterday and it would be all new to the youngsters oif today. Lancashire clog, soft shoe, sand (Continued on page 58) Brendel's Contract Ending El Brendel's fourth year at Fox ends Oct. 1 when the final year of his contract options him from $1,500 to $1,700 a week. Notification on an extension rests with Winnie Shee- han, now abroad. Brendel has a radio bid from the Cecil, Warwick & Cecil ad agency in New York, besides one from George White for the 'Scandals' and other personal appearance offers, through Sidney Phillips, his Broad- way agent.", Walter Winchieirs progrriostica- tions of 'blessed events' are deemed to be profossipnally damaging, whether or not the people are al- ready parents, according to Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyon. They have retained Attorney Samuel W. Tan- nenbaum to proceed legally against the columnist. Both feel that while they already are patents of onp child, any misinformation concerrir ing future parenthood is a buslnesb handicap, considering that both have just returned from London^ and British pictures contracts to resume at Warner Bros, and Metro (Lyon, to the latter). -rr^ Miss Daniels, as a, celeb, esti-. mates this sort of gossip may niini-r^ mize her professional standing and" public appeal. Both retained At^ tomey Tarinenbaum to proceed aganst the New York 'Dally Mir- ror,' Winchell and the J. Walter Thompson advertising age UiC y, handling the Jergen's radio ac- count, which Winchell broadcasts. All concerned promised suitable re- tractions. .. .-.r-iay's (Sept. 5) 'Mir- ■r,y' ca ricd a mild :retractIon by Winchell. Winchell made the re- traction double in his last Sunday's (10) broadcast. Attorney Tannenbaum, has made further demands on the 'Mirror' by what authority it printed that sort of misinformation. buildinfT McCoy Recalled from Stage for News Yarn Hollywood, Sept.. 11. Tim McCoy has been recalled by Columbia from a personal appear- ance tour of F-WC theatrei9 to go into 'Hold the Press,' newspaper yarn starting today (11). Following this, the former west- ern star goes into 'Straightaway,' auto racing yarn. McCoy had completed six weeks of the tour. Two weeks he had still to go in San Francisco and Salt Lake will be filled after he finishes 'Press.' Mrs. Pickford s Early Advisor Suing Mary Pickford on Mother s Promise Muni's Advisor Hollywood, Sept. 11. Paul Muni has brought Abram Finlcel, his brother-in-law, out from New York as his private story ad- visor. Finkel must approve all scripts before Muni will play them. Currently, Finkel is doing a lot of revi.<iing and re-wrlting on 'Hi, Nellie,' Muni's next. 'Nellie' is a newspaper yarn and although Finkel admits he knows nothing of news- papers, he claims he is building up ■vidantablc only to this actor. paper.s, ne uiaui.s it, i^ui i sSlo wa.s for actual cost price. ' tho .story's dramatic values Edward Hammer has started suit against Gladys Fairbanks, also known as Mary Pickford, for $250,- 000, allegedly based on a contract or agreement with Miss Pickford's mother whereby he acted as the guide and mentor in all personal matters for the entire Pickford family. Charging that Mrs. Char- lotte Smith (Pickford) left her en- tire estate of $1,500,000 to Mary Pickford, Hammer is proceeding against the screen star. Complaint sets forth allegations that Hammer acted as 'guardian and foster-father' to Miss Pickford, 'living with the family.' It goes into details how he acted as business manager and advisor to Mrs. Pick- ford, even unto selecting Dennis F. O'Brien as her attorney; how he directed her cafesf aifld lnow hfe re- ceived a salary at divers times, but that 'the bulk of his services for advising and consulting with the defendant and her mother, and di- recting the course of their business ventures prior to the advent of Douglas Fairbanks upon the scene, were never paid fof because of the fact that at the time the plaintiff was considered by the defendant and her mother to be one of the family and subject to Call for as slstance in all family affairs, and also subject to participate In any estate that the family might ac cumulate.' Two Sides The complaint filed through Mackey, Herrlich, Vatner & Breen, states that both Hammer and Miss Pickford's mother -were vigorously opposed to the association of the defendant with Douglas Fairbanks prior to her divorce from Owen Moore. The situation led to such disputes between the plaintiff and defendant's mother on one side, and defendant on the other, that dur ing 1922 the situation came, to i climax and plaintiff agreed to sever the long relation.ship that had ex- isted bctwocn him and the PlckCOl'd family.' HAmmer alleges that because of the confidence reposed in him. Miss Pickford believed her mother wouUl make 'ample provl.sion' for him in her will but that in the event.she didn't M1.SS Pickford Is alleged to have agreed to take care of him at a roa.sonable time after her death Hence the suit. TEAMING MAY ROBSON WITH POLLY MORAN Metro is teaming May Robsos*' with Polly Moran in 'the hopes of jr Marie Dressier and Polly. A story has been prepared as flrat' for the Robson-Moran cofnblnation. It has the working title of 'HlUbll-' lies,' but this may not be retained' for release. Miss Robson left New York Thursday night (7) for the Coast. Crawford Joins WB Hollywood, Sept,>ll, Bobby Crawford comes ttf'Waf'w-^— ners on Oct. 1 as supervisor of musicals, working In conjunction with Jack Warner. Warners this year, by October 1, In three and a half months, haVe finished 22 of the scheduled -60 pic-' tures of the season, putting theza se^^eral films ahead of Bchedule; Lot has. five, supervisors at pres- ent,' with Crawford making a sixth.,. 4 Yrs. on Stage Brings Jean Lbff Back to Film^ Hollywood, Sept. 11. Jeannette Loff is staging a film comeback in 'Vinegar Tree' at Metro. She was last seen in 'King of Jazz' at Universal. Has been on stage four years. Raft East by Car George Raft, coming east by auto, is expected to get in by the end of the current week or early next for a stay until Oct; 1, when, he'll leave to report at Par studios for 'Chrysalis.' On the way eastward. Raft is stopping off at the Chicago fair, His driving companion is Mack Gray, trainer and secretary. ADEIENNE AMES DIVORCE Hollywood," Sept. 11. Adrlenrie Ames will shortly com- mence divorce proceedings in Su- perior Court here against- Stephen Ames, New York broker. This waa^ decided upon during a conference: of attorneys following Ames' sud- den return from Honolulu and visiting the home of his actre.ss wife unannounced and accompaniedj by friend.s. Ames is now in New York.