Variety (May 1934)

2 VARJETY PI C T W R E S Tuesday, May 29, 1934 Frank SciiUy, Riviera HiDbilly, i Confesses Why He's Going H'wM By FRANK SCULLY . lollyvybod, May 28; For y^iars I've reversed the-, hill- billy forniuia, about big tiwhs. They're great places, to livtj in, but I wouldn't -want to go there for a vislti SQ^ for -15 years, thougjv a born -New Torke", I hayen'it Tieen visiting them. But -who can resist the call of Hollywood ? As the author of the 'Fun in Bed' books' and - a biographical collab orator, I had been prepared to get the Hollywood works. That is, to come as a somebody and to be cut so .dead that jiobody would know was. on ..the payroll 'till months aftei' 1 had been fired.;. That, writers had assured me, -was the formula. Hather than take, such studied re-^ bukes.. I had decided to go anti' Hollywood. On leaving the Catskills I gave my evening clothes to : Rip Van Winkle's -igrandson.- On leav ing X«w I-ork-i gave mjr dinner jacket to a; night .Watchman, was prepared to cqinie here as na ture made ri\e, stripped of side It Wasn't such .a. bad idea, as - it turned . ;put, L.. A. was so hot when we flinally. arriVed by way of the: Canal I could have walked .ashore In my underwear. Even so I didn't think the place was so :hot. aiid was Indie Field Scribblers Foifm Protective Body ttollywood,' May 2iB.' Hoping tO: establish, a minimum \yage and price on stories» roup of writers working In .the independent field met Wednesday (23) to forin an organization; Jack Natteford. lndie'^riters' rep- resentative with the Screen Writers' Guild, was chairman. Conimittee wa^ aippdiiited to ^robe. sentiment of the SLpprpximately 80 writers, in the western' and i action. stpry i clasM toward*.• .protective torgjanissatioii; • ri — ' — -r- —^—— M After Bartlieliiiess; ibid Ronald Cobiiaiii Hollywood, May 2i. " Columbia has deals on with Rich r ard BarthelfTxess 'knd Ronald Colman for one picture each. Fit-m has bor- rowed Warner Baxter from Fox for .3roadway Bill.' vthe Matk Helliiiger story, which Frank Capra directs. Nancy Carroll, Just signed for four still ready to sell When It got to 100. j.pictures, may be the lead. Alison Skipwprth also likely in the cast. On Hospitiiility Blit that was on thfe road from San Pedro; As to .hospitality, 't^ found all I could htind'le. From the, transportatibn. of bUr 30 bundles,'to a bungalow to house" the heir^ to all our miseries, I found .willing hand9 on every side. "We .saw" every-' thing from.a.«hack in Seattle.to a, couple of silent peaks in' Darleh on our first day. But however you 8pelle4 it it was still Los Angeles. Still, it might be argued that' a writer among writers doesn't ' In- dicate how a wlioie c6iAmunIty may feel toward 'you. "' Ju^i beeause Rupert HOghes and J. P. McEyoy* Irvin S. Cobb a'nd" Rob' Waj^nei'j •Wm. Patterson ^cNiitt and 5*61111' Monk ' Sau'nderis, Donald *' . O'erd^.n Stewart," and 'others too' iiiimofptis to mention, may blow you to '& diri'-' ner is ■ no proof that you're more than-a microbe in the pIctui:e.-coldny. They're great kIdJers, these wxlters,' and i<t.s great to heai; them in actr tion,-;. if. ;'to .prove that, ribbijig didn't go out with long underwear.' But you'd be kidding yourself if you thought they, mattered. In fact, they don't think so either. Stewart thinks you can only explain a screen writer on the theory that .his mother had been frightened by a studio exec. So I still would have had a case against Hollywood if it hadn't been for a visit from Hiarry Lachman, once a painter in France, and now a Fox director. I was In bed of a Sunday afternoon, calming a writer's sore throat (since dialog came lii they suffer much more from this than from writer's cramp) when Liachman arriyed. I hadn't seen him In years. They told me he had gone plenty. Hollywood* If' that means talcing your .two-and-a-half- year-old son out to the corner for (Continued on page 3^) y r ^ This studio is. also dlckerliig '«7ith EJd. G. Robinson for 'The':6acket,' which Howard Hawk? directs. Hatry' Cohh flew In frorii'. Kew York last, -Week'.after se'veral weeks' stajr 4n the east setting hekt' bea- s6h'i9 prograin'. Meigfaan Back in Fix Hollywood, May 28. ; After 4" three-year absence, Thomas Meighan Is returning to Hollywood for .a part in 'Peck's Bad Bloy.' Film starts June .9. Actor In Great Neck, K I., closed d^al over the phone with Principal Pictures. Wtfiiiaih Pbwreii's' 'JLm i! WILL MAHONEY '!^Variety said:, '.'Mahoney tore, 'em light'out bf their chairs with his Inimitable tomfoolery and top-notch hoke hoofinig. Did 19 minutes at performance. glinimied and had 'em grovelling. ibr more, ..,^pparently parcel of taob liad not hald a. gander aFthe Mahoneyphpne and he 'scored ail ace reception with his toe-tune- S^nlthlng, His gab,. Incidentally, Is ^he . moist • insldey that haa . been flipped .over a trough .hereaboqts, in years.',' ''. Oirection' ' WM. MORRIS AGENCY Mayfalr Theatreji Bido* New York Oity As to Dancing, or Dancing, Says f Astaire, Difference Is k the Selling Blowout Halts Air Show From Hollywood iStudio I ^Hollywood,. M^y 28. Blibwout of power lines shortly after. 8 o'clock Sunday night re- sulted In suspension "of brpadcas't- Iiie bn ' 'Hollywood, ph Air, , over NBC from RKO studios. Lines Were' not/fixed until 8 :47 and time was set to expire at nine. Those who Were to go on air were Fay Wray, Gene AusMn, with tJandy and seen"! By CECELIA AQER always ■ a good idea, Astalrei- beUevfes, If an • actbr'is too ilttle, both on and off tiie boards, "The niost Inoportatiti thing for an actpr to know, he says, is where tb stpp. Mr» Astaire not 'only-says it, he means It, and lives up to it. Mr.' Astalre's dlevotees complalnea that tliere wasn't-enough of him in ^Dancing Lady'r-he himself consi ers that a darned good break, be« Coco, ilazerFdi-belB,'Carol Lie, and c^use he wanted to creep into pic- Jiain ttublhi, ' [ loWoiit also'affected'.Paramount ] Ipt. ■wherie DeMIlle yfsL^ Working. p'n 'Cleppatha;' and held'up production for cpuple hpurs. Lloyd ?k$m heviews To Slidw Foxites Taw' Wm. Foweill's Next i^jjllywoo^,' itfay'as..' .bWreli's, starrer^ ulideiJ-his' contract with OMefro wHl^ bi ''Caslho Murdclr basfe,' : s ' DIM- ritbi^."'' '"■ ■ • ' ' •Black Chamber,' Herbert'Tari n^yetery yai^' Which was orl^Iiialty s^t tor the playef s- first, ^has beeni nioVed' back on the isphedule; ! Extras Still llow l- 'Hollywood, May 28. (Extras job total picked up a little over last week's low' mark, but It Is still below par. Only 3,769 people fpund 'spots for the Week ending Friday (26) through Central Cast- jBest day Was Wednesday (25), when 815 were working, 260 of them b^i'ng dress pebple for Metro's 'Merry Widow.' rtoDywood'-atJ^ajr I Chicago^ May 28. lOscar-^Rosehthal cla)m&' full back- ing of the Hays office and all the studios for his isecond edition of the • Hollywood exhibit at the World's Fair. Lias,t yeqjf the .HollyWpod-.atTtheti 5ialr. couldn't get started when the I^ays.ojOlce .a.nd. the. west .coast nlxe^^ cb-operatlon, . . Already In town for the Hollywood exhibit are the . "^hallans from the wes,t .coast, Witii , .tn*; (grd.iip ' Including," Ar- thur likice, Mary Carr, Shirley ,Pen.n bU^,. iiAna, ■ CaiJahan,i..;pilly, ,Taift, Betty. I^agan, Audrlne iBrlar, John , I^anp^i, , 'Vlcipr . L*ewls, ^ijiid JJllUan rS|eadmaxt4'..: ilollSrwodd, May ?8.' Harold Lloyd left here Saturday <26) with a print pf .hiB 'The Cat's Paw' to,show at :tiie Fox eaied con- vei^itipn ■ In New. "Torif;. Lloyd 'took along hIs' cutter> Bernard Pvirton. to edit the film after previewing It for. the convention, as picture Is. 1>60|0' feet- over-Jlength.. , ,Actpr< .'Who generally ^has'.a. half dozen. previeWs. around Holly^yood to get. reactions.on his gage*.-did; not shQ'w 'CJat's Paw:' around here at all. o.fflcia.lly, although.he lis-reported to have had one sneak preview In a- suburb.. •: Rivkin-Wolf son's Raise. Culver City, May 28. Metro has pacted Allen RIvkin and .P.. J. WPlfson for another year:, although writing team still had. a month tp go. on. present contract. N«w deal calls for 621 weeks a year,. tureSj.qii^letly, modesjtly, so. as not to, hfirt whu'tever stage reputation he's, rjiandged 'tp build' for himself. He didn't-knew;' 'did "ahS-one else.'-'^ whether he had anything .for pic- tures, Better, then, to flnd out ,^ jippbtrusively. an c 1 ii g L*ady,*" dan'clng^ with 'a ' star, ^ave him a'.'" good . opening. In his second pIc-». ',' tijije. 'Flyliig Down ; toi. Rib/ there,.,, was moire Astaire. But, just about^ enough Astaire, he thinks. In his succeeding:' plctiires he'd'like to do but twp riuniber's of ,a niinute arid! a half each, at the tobst; -He's not '- the straight leading ihaii 'type, lie argues; but With'his taopfhrilg he may make - up for' his Shbrtiioihlngs* In other 'Ways. Yes, his' next picture wjlU be 'day DlVorce',' l)u't he Is not a. Straight roinanttc lea'd in'that, he thlhks.'^t's sort of a character role, hk say^. That's what; he is, sort of a I character actor. - !Nobody^ could believe ■ him saying 'I Ipve you,' he ecla're^. > ' As to HoPfing 'Hooflng in pictures Is' a little bit different than stage dancing, he's found. Chiefly because there's so little time allbtted to work up .a routine. For the stage he's been used- to-" weeks of jpreparatlon and practice; 'Carloca' had to be ready in two days. Ho it ready. They let him cut his dancesi: That way he wais able, to match /the steps and instead of 40, and a raise RIvkin and. Wolfsoi|i are serlptiner.] get continuity from whichever anglie» 'Dolly.' [From RottndrWorid TqiIt , Hollywood, May 28. iMaurine Watklns Is due In New- Tprk. from ,her trip- around- the wiorld. aiid iWiU be met there jb-y. her agept, Arthur Landau, "Who is plan- ing'eastward to ofCe.r her one of two w'riiihg 'C|ffers here. Prpppsitlbns are from Metro and Paramount each for a term con- tract. INDEX Bills Burlesque Chatter Editorial Exploitation Film Reviews..... < 54 44 . 17 .12-13 >*•«»■ '• • • * t- 16 48 14 46 39 44 37 44 Foreign Film News.... i. Foreign Sho News iflouse Reyiews........... Inside—Legit Inside—^Muslc Inside—Pictures Iniside-^Radio Inside—Vaude Legitimate > < 45-47 Literati ...».•...,« • >k •... 49 Music 39-40 New Acts .. .. . j^^. . ... 43 'News^rom the "dSIH^s . i'. Nite Clubs 39-40 Obituary 64 Outdoors 66 Pictures .....•»..»* 2r30 Radio ...........31-38 Radio Reports........... 34 Talking Shorts ..<...*.... 13 Times Square............ 61 Vaudeville 41 -42 Women 50 ;AL SEliO; UTERABT A6T. i A1"S*UPi : former Columbia -Pic ttlre's advertising chief. Is, represent injg George, .Hembrett Wes^ley on lajtter's latest .play, ^elle of isaltl more*. _ W;estle3r Is the, authpr ' of 'Ejoiise of Rothschild*. |Selig also is representing other people; fpr film contact, pn their lit- erary woirks. VICTOR MOORE GOjSS V Hollywood, May 2|8. yictor Moore Is due June 5 from New York, holding, a one-picture deal with Universal. Player slated for a feature J part In 'Romance in ,the Rain,* tanley Bergerman production which Stuart "Walker directs. FOR CENTER IIIADAME! Hollywood, May 28. =^jaamp.tJnt^MlL^tJafig]t^^ lihall and Kitty Carlisle in the priri clpal parts of 'Enter Madame,' the stage play Just acquired. Stager was written by Gilda Zar- ].sl and Dolly Byrne. LEMAIRE'S CAPRA Hollywood, May 28 Rufu.-J LcMalre has taken Priank Capra under his personal manage ment. ;HISS VE^ABLE'S 'OUTRAGE' Hollywopd, May 28. .Paramount has' Set. 'Ou.trage' .as second picture on- the 1934-)-36 pro- gram to feature . Evelyn 'Venable, Prodvptlbn. will ^.follow her next, Mrs.'.Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch.'. Stoiy! Is' .a'n original by Beulah. Marie, Dix and Bertram Millhaus.er, with Tristram Tupper' engaged by Paramount to Write the screen [ play and script. Miigglet Sells Yam Hollywood, May 28. Jack. Stanley, 19-year-;old stud^t at the "University of California \t Los Angeles, has sold an original story, 'General Alarm,' to Majestic, for production by Larry Darmour. Fire yarn w^l be scripted and dla^ lo'ged by iSari ShelL He Is the. son of Fred Stanley of VAjubttt's Hollywbbd stalTk BLOCK BOIAIH) QEGIRA Hollywood, May 28. {Aiary .iBol'fnd has b.een called back frbm New. York hy Parampunt fpr a part In the .Ben Schultjerg. prpducr tion,' 'rier ^Master's 'Voice,' which' I? slated to ;,8tar.t .tomorrrpw (Tues- day) .'with ^^ilarlpn Gerlng directing, 'Pjayer w.as .forced to cancel vaca- tlpn trljp to Eiirbpe because of stiji dio call to i%turn to the Coast for the picture. Cagney-O'Brieii's Air Pic Hollywood, May 28, James Cagrtey and Pat O'Brien are teamed Warners' 'Air Devils.' __^Yai-n4s*an=.original=;by.J.ohn.=Monk; Saundeirs. No other assignments as yet. MONTGOMERY'S 'HIDE OUT' Hblly wood. May 28. Robert MontgpmCry arrived Sat urday 6) from 10-week' vacatiPn on his New England farm. Player's next for Metro will be 'Hideout,' which W. S. Van Dyke directs. TIE HELEN TRENHOLME Burbank, May 28. Warners has tied Helen Tren holme, stage actress, on a contract. She is due here in two weeks. ASTAIRE COAST-BOUND Fred Astaire becbmes Coastbound Ttiesday (29), taking It on the run to plunge Into 'Gay Dl-vorce,'' It's a Radio picture and to which studio Astaire Is under contract. _SAILINaS June" 13 (Lphdpn to New -York) Will Morris (Champlaln). June 16 (New.Yprk to Londonj) Lou Brock (lie de ihrahce).. :June 1 (Los Angeles to New York), Al Jolson and Ruby -Keeler (St. Helena). June 1 (New York, to Paris) Mr, and Mrs,.- Jim Furmah (Westernr., land). June, 1 (Honolulu to Los -Anee^fes Joe.E. Brown (President Coolidge),, May 30 (Los Angeles to Honp lulu), JHarry Green, and wife-(Mon- terey). May 28 (London to New York), Herbert Agar (Olympic). May 23 (London to New York), Clifford Fischer, Jacques Charles, American cast of 'She Loves Me Not' (Champlaih), May 27 (New York to London) George Lalt fMontcalm); May 26 (New York to Italy); =Edna-^May-=-Gliverj-^ Arthur—-Train; Boris Morros (Rex). May 26 (NgW York to London), Walter Wanger, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Eckman, Jr.; Laudy Lawrence. Mrs. William Field, Roy Sheldon, Colette d'Arville, RaPul Fleisch- mann, Fritz Reiner, Edward Paul England, Lee Ephraim, Robert Rls< kin, Fleur I'enton, Nat Karson (lie do France). May 26 (Nassau cruise), Richard Crooks (Reliance). they, were shot. ;He'd heard that you have Lwiitch yburself In pictures,, take carai that yqy .ig.et your .sl^arei pf Space on the screen, that you're not shov.e'd aside. Well, It wasn't like that at all. In the first place, the director's there, sbeirig to It Jthat-Everybody dbes. what he's supposed tp dP, and . besides, If you've gpt >nythlhg to offer the public's Watching you any- way*. , . "■ The'' ditference between dancing, and dancing, Astaire believes, Is 1' the selilng. A series bf hard Steps is- not enough. It Isn't the steps you've'^g^rt to sell. It's ydur person- ality. Astaire, can do hard steps, but he never stresses them in his routines, never builds his routines upon that fact. A routine must prU marily have an Idea behind It. He's been pretty lucky so far, finding ldeas> but It doesn't keep him from worrying, worrying where his next idea's eoming from. Get Easy Wheii he works up a routine his goai Is what he calls 'an,easy re- sult/ Get easy at It. Get the steps dpwn:so..that.yQ.u.dq 'WOXTy. .abput the next one. liet your routine iiow haturally. 'Never let tiie public feel you're Worrying about .r the next step/ When he devises- a routine fbr a giri partner he' trjies tp suit her with what she can.do, to make heir feel comfortable In what she's doing; ' He adapts his bWri'style to that' bf the abilities'of; hifi partner, say^s'his own stuff f'6r his spiecial- tles. ' ile dbes npt; for , Irtstance, , WPrk' iip a tap' ro'UtlVii'e 'for 'a partner ' who ikh't swell at taps, Ease fbr both of them, that's it. N"© strain- ing; It's easier on, the audience, too, People often ask him if he.misseS Adele, his sister. He doesn't. That is, as a stage partner. He always knew that one day She would marry and retire from the stage. So he pi'epared himself, developed his style so. that when the time came he could go on alone. That's what . he's doing now. Nobody knows him liffjprctufes""ye^frK€^^''sayS^^ hap^ they will,. At least they've' coins to accept him on the .«?tage without Adele. —Tether Preston Foster Hollywood. May 28, Preston Foster stays at Mclr. under a term contract. He is set for parts in fSacred nn Profane Love' and 'Painted Veil.'