Variety (May 1934)

Tne8clay, May 1» 1934 PICTURES VARIETr NEW SCHOOL FILM IDEA for Fihis to Be limited by Discretion Than Law, Declares Mayo The motion picture producer Is In the same position as the newspaper piiblisher. Like the newspaper puh- lislier he wields a power that af- fects the public good, he's an in- fluence for the common weal. The producer is also lii a business that caters to the masses—he asks every-, bodyi men, women and children, to see his pictures. Therefore he has a . moral responsibility to his audi^ ehce. He must use discretion as to the type of material he puts out. Though the necessity for discretion niay limit him, It is better to be limited by discretion than by law. So says Archie ^Mayd 'who believes tiiere can be ethics and principle in entertainment as well. Children shbiild be able to see all pictures, says Mayo. He doesn't mean that pictures should be juvenile in conception • or subject matter, not at all, but that the handling of situations beyond a chiid*s experience should be such that his parents can explain it to him without embarrassment. Sit- uations in pictures should be cap- able of interpretation to flt the age of their audience. ■It is not necessary, nor intelligent, to banish, sex from ijictures in order (Continued on page 19) - J.-..";.'-' Hepbani Wants to Do Three a Year Instead of Psdr Blow Cold Hollywood, April 30. Complaints of realistic- minded, fans that vapor of. players' breath-didn't .show In the snow iscenes of 'As. the Earth Turns' has stirred War- ners to developing a chemical device. Invented by Dr. Frank Nolan, gadget Is shaped like a plate of false teeth and contains dry ice; Ice melting as players talk brings the vapor effect. Chief trouble is, to get the de- vice to fit the player's mouth so he can talk properly. M6 Abandons Plan To Make 'Earth' with Native Chinesi;' Cast Hollywood, April 30. Radio is expected to iron out Its situation. with Katharine Hepburn, who is due back at the studio June 1. Contract with Miss Hepburn has four years to go and calls for the actress to do two pictures a year. But Miss Hepburn Is said to desire an increase in salary by repatchlhg the pact to do three a year. Un- derstood she will not leave New York untinshe gets a definite an- swer. If Radio abides by Miss Hep- burn's wishes it is figured her In- come will, be Increased ..by about 175,000 a yjpa{r; Too Many Mariners, WB Drydocks Tleet' Hollywood, April 30. Relieving the market will be glutted with sailor. Alms,. Warners has shelved 'Miss Pacific Fleet* after a week's writing by Brwin Gelsey. At leaiat half a dozen salt Water fea,ture3 are Jockeying to be first under the preview wire. , Extras Hold Up Hollywood, April 30. Ehttras held their own again last week; 4,677: being placed through Central. Casting for the seven days ending Friday night (27). Metre took the largest mob, around 500 for 'Operatpr 13.' Laughtons Enroute London, April 30 Charles Laughton and his Wife (Bl$a Lanchester) sail for New *York--May-:6i LaugJiton is siat^d for 'Barretts ofr iWimpole Street' at Metro, Jack Yellen Set Hollywood, April 30 Jack Tellen's contract with Fox as writer of lyrics and dialog starts Oct. 1. Yellon is returning 'here shortly, having cancelled his proposed sail ittg Ifi-sl wpek with F )phie Tucker. mmm Pic Agents Indicate Court Fight '' Against CaL Arbitration Qause Intertainment in Education- al Stories Derived from Juvenile Clas9ic»-^Would Use Un«inpl6yed as Full Production Units —^ Films to Be Shown Within School Hours GOV'T SUBSIDY? Hollywood, April 30. Metro will produce 'Good Earth' at the Culver City studios, execs having abandoned idea of trying to make the picture In China with ain all-native cast; irector George Hill is returning from China with around 50,000 feet of negative shot during the past four months, and which will be used for proceiss and background shots for the picture when it goes into work at the studio. In addition. Hill and his crew collected a boatload of props while in China which will be used ifor the production. RALPH GRAVES $5,350 BEHIND IN ALIMONY San Diego, April 30. Ralph Graves must show cause In superior court iiere soon why he' is $5,350 behind in alimony pay- ments to his former wife, Virginia Goodwin Graves. Mrs. Graves told Judge C. N. Andrews that her for- mer husband had slipped up on some $400 monthly alimony pay- ments and $100 monthly payments for support of their child, Jerry, 4. Judge Andrews also ordered the film actor-author to report his ex- penditures to show why he should not be cited for contempt of court for his failure to meet the pay- ments. Mrs. Graves was granted a di- vorce from Graves by Judge An- drews Aug. 3, 1933. Studio Warner Chib Harold Rodner left for Hollywood yesterday (Monday) to organize a, Warner Club at the WB and First National studios in Burbank, Rod ner, WB exec, handled organlza tion of the employees' club at the home office in New York. Returns to New Tork in 10 days. Hollywood, AprU 30. There's a plan put her© to in- augurate a new form of educational film for school children via Holly- wood's umemployed. While it may only be Idea at the moment, just a little puff may blow the thought into a 'movement.' The intent Is entertainment com- bined with a background of yisual education by bringing to the screen semi-historic, or period, stories which rate as juvenile classics. Ip. asniuch as the first holler against any such undertaking is expected to <Contlnued oh page 44) Mayer Leading Prod. Fight on Dickstein 631 Taking No Chances Vienna, April 19, Emll Janninga evidently doesn't- believe in taking any unnecessary chances. Ho was signed to appear here in a stage version of' •Henry the VIH,' but after see- ing the Laughton film changed his mind. week (4), and follows with a week in Minneapolis, which winds up the tour. . Rpthafel was originally booked by Paramount for seven weeks, but the Detroit cancellation cuts it down to six. Detroit was called oft by mutual agreement between the Par bankruptcy trustees and Rothafel. For the final three weeks of his trip, Rothafel's revised salary Is $2i000 a week, single. Original figure, received the first'thcpe weeks, was $5,000. So. far Rothafel has played Boston, Now Tork, Brooklyn and Buffalo. Par Trustees Request Roxy Cancel Detroit; New Salary $2,000 Jj, Rothafel (Roxy) and 'His Gang' are laying oft this week in stead of playing the Michigan, De „— _„ , — troit. as originally booked. Show; i(Monday) at a conference b^^tWeen i 1 waJf the protesting attorneys and AttOr- goes to the Chicago, Chicago, neit ^ey Charles F. Lowrey. of the Labor Los Angeles, April 30; Writ, of mandamus to compel tlie California State Labor Bureau to okay agent-artist contracts, v^der the new regulations; without inclu- sion of the. much-disputed arbitra- tion clause, is lu prospect. Action is contemplated by Attor- neys Samuel S. Zagon, Harold E. Aaron and David Tannenbaum, rep- resenting motion picture agencies. were In- structed not to Include in contracts the disputed clause requiring sub- mission all controversies be- tween players i-nd agents to tbe state bureau before they could have standing, in courts Tihese contracts, in consequence, were nixed by the regulatory body. Final decision in the matteic of court test was to be. reached today Lasky's 'Tree' First Hollywood, April 30. Jesse Lasky has moved up pro dtictlon start on Galsworthy's 'Apple Tree' at Fox. Sets back 'Redheads on P'arade' until fall. 'Apple Tree' is due in Juhe, when director EVank Tiittle returns to the lot from directing one picture at ^Pai*amount.^.=. ^ Hollywood, April 30.. Major- producers have launched a canipalgn to fight further efforts to pass the Dickstein bill, which would curtail the number of foreign play- ers that could be used in American- made pictures. ' Producers plan to present a petition against: passage of the bill, dlgned by native Americans now employed In Hollywood. First gun in. the campaign was fired when Louis B. Mayer called all the Metro eontract players into his oflflce and after putting the pro- posed bill on the griddle asked for signatures to the petition. All signed it. Mayer's argument waa that only about 6% of the players used in Hollywood are foreign born and that to pass a bill denying right of foreigners to play in American pic- tures would be Inviting legislation abroad against American actors and jttgainst Hollywood-made films. Publix Would Extend On Daniels and Lypri Publix is trying to talk Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyon into playing New York and Boston. Screen pair have so far played Chicago, Detroit and Brooklyn at $6,500. They did $26,000 for the Michigan, Detroit. Publl? wants the pair for the Broadway Paramount May 4 and for the Met, Boston, May 11, Loew ,1s picking up Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyon for a circuit route commencing May 11 in Washihgton. William Morris office set. the Loew deal. Inez Courtney West Inez Courtney returns to the Coast this spring, this time for Columbia, Contract was signatured last week and she Is due out there June 1. Miss Courtney is not new to pic- tures, having previously been under cdntract to both Fox and First Na tional. Her last show whs Joe Cook'.« Hold Your Horsos.' LUPE'S 5 LOEW WEEKS CiOI FOR $2,500 AND Lupe Velez is coming east for five Loew stage weeks on her studio (Metro), salary and a percentage deal, opening May 4 in Columbus. Balance of time consists of Balti more, Washington, Pittsburgh and New York (Capitol), In order named Loew Originally Intended to play Miss Velez and Johnny Weissmuller as a team, but Tarzan's picture work interfered. As a single, Miss Velei's reported guarantee with Loew is $2,600. In negotiations with Para mount for stage bookings last month, she asked for $6,500. MG's Rosamond Pincliot ..V , Rosamond Pinchot, of society arid daughter of the Pennsy Pinfahots, Is going Into' pictures. Metro has given her a contract for three years. Miss Pinchot doesn't go west un- til, dctober. 6f BBOWN-FB££D TUNES Hollyvrtjod, April 30 . Song... nu mb ers., f o r_. 'Duchesa Delihonicois,' Jeannette""l*acponard starrer for Metro, will be written by Niacio Herb Brown and Arthur- Freed. Picture is slated for. late summer production, with Gregory I^a Cava directing. EESKIN'S WAiX ST. FIG. Sidney Howard is Writing a Wall Street film story to be produced in I he east by Chester Erskin, Yachting It Bureau, in art efCort to reach a mu- tually satisfactory agreement. Attorneys argue that the labor Bureau has no legal right to Include a compulsory arbitration article in the reisulations. They say It is an attempt of a non-Judicial body to exercise a judicial and unconstitu- tional function; The State Employ- ment Agency Act, under which the agency rules and regulations re- cently amended are operated, does not prescribe arbitration, and recent court tests on this score have been In favor of agencies which have re- fused to submit their controversies with film players to the state com- mission before going to court. Difficult Collection* Once included 1 the contract, however, as the Labor Rureau is demandi.ng( the arbitration 'plause would be valid and enforcible, re-, bellioue attorneys and agencies ad- mit. Chief objection is that collec- tion, of cotnmlsslons from recalci- trant artists would be practically Imi^osslble under the BubmlsAlon procedure ..because the artists Would have time to make themselves judg- ment proof. Writ Of mandamusi. If granted, would compel the Labor Bureau as an administrative agency to per- form a purely administrative act where the other r'egulatory require- ments had been Complied wltb. State's position is that Its regula- tions are well suppoirted; by law and that the arbitration rule was: incor- porated to prevent numerous legal bickerings and lawsuits between agents and players now current. '4 SchenckV Impprt London, April 21. Joseph MJ Schenck has borrowed Sydney Howard .from Bfitidh.-& Dominions, to appear In a comedy in Hollywood. Howard sails May 26,' For Dick Powell ^ Joe. Pincus, casting head for Fox in the east, sailed for Los Angeles last Friday (27) via the Cahal. It will be a quick trip, once Plhcus arrives on. the Coast. A short stay and tiien back by plane or train. Departing on the same boat was Rosy Dolly (Dqliy Sistiers). Faraol Due In Sailing from Ireland, Lynn Far- nol is scheduled to reach New York Thursday^). "^FarnorieavV^'for"^^ day (6), to spend the summer out there, again at the Sam Goldwyn studio. Joe Cook's Foxer Hollywood, April 30, aVe Ciui.sen is in from the Kast .'Mid starts'at Fox tomorrow (Tucs- .(lay) on preparations for Joe (look's first ff^Mture for that .^itudio. HoUyWood, April 30. J;erry Wald Is at Warners, writing- I a radio story for Dick FpwelL Sam Blschpff will supervise. TBACY'S 'TEIP' FOE CAGBEY Eialtlmore, April 30. Warners has purchased screen rights to 'Round Trip,' novel by Don Tracy, which Vanguard will get out between covers next month. Flick will be a vehicle for Jimmy Cagney. The author, former local newspaperman,=has^been<.coja£racied^ by WB to come to the coast to dia- log the script. HARRY HOLMAN'S DtlET Hollywood, April 30. Harry Holinan has been signed M)y King Vidnr for a part in 'Our Dally 35r('atl,' and tiien swings over to .Metro for spot in 'Merry Widow.' Lpo Mon-iHon handlod both deals .for the pifi.ycr.