Variety (Dec 1934)

VARiETY r i C T ll R E s Tuesday, December 18, 1934 . . Trade conjecture Us w^de on the . 20% Vcancellation demand by the . MPTOA " asv- sounded last week thrpiierh Ed; Kuykendal, president The >lg thpugrht on the" problem Is, how'come; ho effort so fiiir has' been' inadei to seek this .concessioh . via ■ ■•- the code? : It could, be that the matter has come up :too suddenly ,,lh the MPTOA nilnd to present It to the Code Authority' for. fionslderatloh, as yetr , But It's. assured tha.t no' . such wide canceHatioh. prlvUegie cah coDie through ' thia staiidardi- con- • •triact.':.' v:'--'-' : The code alloiitrs a 10^ cancella.-' tlori privilege but of how. much- value the 10% cancellation privilege can be to the' average • exhibitor under the limitations and cohdt- tloiis ■ taipo^: by the code, . it is ; pointed out, Is ian open quejstl^^ V ; The .{Uigie 'pf Kuy^ Ive, however, as was pronounced by- . hlm:l)eifdre the MPTQA conveiitlon: , .of. North and south Carolina^ only a, we^k ago, could be that he la sounding the baittlei cry for removal: —of.^he-conditions surrounding thie- 10%. cancellation privilege, at least v: Trade thought ijs. that ■tlie 2oi% . . privilege- sought is oj^e wiilcix the companies.:wlil flgiit stubijornly. To- grant this wide calncellatloii: privi- lege en - bianc could' opien the way for. the sha;tti6rlrig. of the block . hooking principle in the trade. The MPTOA as a body Is not against bJpok booking. Matter bif fact the . MPTOA sees block booking as a necessity; In the trade, but It wants i wider ineirgln for this' exhibitor to make ia choice buy of product. Then again, the MPTOA bugle call may be Just one of those strategic moves to Jump ahead of the Allied group. ^. Feeling is thalt kuykendal's ad- aress lii North ; Carolina was made with ; much consideratlbh aforer hand and that, . high execs, of the trade expected It . The $ig question Is whether the .dematad as jnade was ^iily, an ad- dress or reaiiy- the beglnnihg ol a ;. canipiaJen;' BETWEEN U AND METRO 'V Hollywood, Dec, 17. ■ John M. Stabl, .before returning to Ifnlversal to make one picture pn his hew deal for 176,000 and 20% of; the net . will return to Metro, frohi . which organization he has been absent about i^lght years. First of the Metro series will go Into w6rk shortly after New Tear's when he retitfhd fI'dpa New York, universal la to give him 60 diys' notice to retulrh. Expected the call .wllL.come-«bme-tlme^ln-the-summer: United Artists >l;a holdlhg a mid.; seasbh sales confab between home office execs headed by Al Llchtmari end the.fleld force. Huddle Is split Into fQuir regional meetings," with the first taking place Suhf^ay (iO) a.t the Roosevelt hotel, Ntiw Orleans, a:hd covering the southern branches. Eastern; meeting skeded for Dec. 22 at the home office and the. west -ern meeting' is marked for Dec. 29 at the Drake Hotel, Chicago. ^LADY BEWARE? AGAIN Col Pulls One Down Off the Shoif v'For-Bachman.' Hollywortd, beb. 17:" Columbia has "Lady; Beware' off the shelf , again aftbr being ah oii- flLn/dT offer for several months. J. O. Baciimtm will now produce it: Doris Anderson Joins Columbia's writing staff to write the hew treat- ment...' ■ ■■- '\. coIm's kew sound stage HoUys^opd, pec. 17. Columbia has awarded, contract for 'the construction of a ne^ ficor- Ing stagb a|id sotind buiidlhg on its lot to cost $4C,600. l«t Runs on Birpadiway .. (Subjeet to Changis) Week of Doc. 21_ ■ Astor—^'Babes in Tbylarid* (MG) (2i wk);; • Capitol-^'Fbrsaking All Oth- ers' (MQ) (2R). . ; Mayfair^'Hell In the Heaiy- ehs' (Fbx) :t2d ivk); - ; Music ; Hall—'Bright Byes' (Fox) (20). Paraihbunt-^'Here Is . My Heart' (Par). ■ , Rialto—'Gky Bride' (Metro) .■(18).: ■:,■■„.■. '.^ '^ Riybli—^'Bamum' (UA) (22). ■'. Roxy-r'Anne bit ! Green Ga- bles' (Radio). ; ■ "v/:; Week bf beie^-^^ Capitoi—-'Forsaklhg All Oth- brs' (MGy (id wk); V Kllayifiilr—1 Seir Ahytivingr (WB) (28). Music Hall-^lilttle Minister' (Radio) (27). Pa'ramount^'JIere Is My ,Hea;i1^ (Par) (2d iJwki. - - - - Rialt©'Murder In tiie Clouds'. (WB) (26^; ; ' RiyoUr^'Barttu^ rwit)i''v:::;■ r. :'v " Roxy---VA.nhe of Green Gables' (itedlo) _(2^iwk>.;U-:V ^ (UA) (2d »fG Ships Own Trailers, IMv<^ Nat. Sk;ree^ . : Holll^ood, Dec. Metro Is : shipping trailers bn 'Biography b( a Bachelor Girl' and. 'The Night; Is Toung' to the com- pany's own exchanges, in prepara- tion for Inauisuratlpn of releiisb^ of Metro's trailers to theatres starting Jan^.^l.',.' ■ ' ■' ' . Company Is breaking away frbm NatlPnai; Screbh Service dlstrlbu- Upn bt . its . advance trailers effec-''. tlvo Jan. 1 in favpr of .Its own ex- changes, a-IthoughNSS will arrange to .service customers iwlth MTetro trailers the same as It has iieen dolhk on the Warner product for the past several yiears. ^ VERMCT FOR KEARNS, CDRTIZ CASE PUT OVER lios Angeles, Dec. 17. Two actions Involving paternity, reached final stages In local courts last -week; Jack Keanis, • former manager of Jacic Dempsey, sued, for- $23,400 by Elizabeth Willlariis, was adjudged hy Superior Judg^ Myron Wisstover as Jiot thb' father of the^ plalntUFa; ft-year.-old daughter... Woman; former x!lgS.r counter" girl In Dempsejr'a; Barbcu^ hotel here,' charged Keams' forced _hbr to slg^, «±-the pbinf x>f i gtihr a' papir at*' solving him of . paternity of the child. ;.^ .,, • Settlement out bf court oi: the case of Mathllde Foerster against Michael Curtlz; involving support bi, her;, son, L.14,.--was- -indicated -Iri- Superior Court when' the case was continued Indefinitely, . ; IRISH WAR IN WORK O'Flaherty'a MniFprmer' Handed to John Ford Direction Eastern film production, which Iboked so promising. at the begin- hlhsr 'bf thi seasoh; has^ down to a'.crawl. . ; :: :'. ..v Not a feature how being madei and ohly twb plants now operating •T-Farattiount studio - in Astoria, and Wairaer lot V:**latbush^^^b^^^ shortSi^ -Aatoriit' -8hbrts"Tnaker~-is" Christie (EdiicatloniEil). :; Only other current eastern aic- tlVlty Is at the Cu:aval studio in .Hempstead,. Ii. I, wberb the Dave Plhcus outfit ib making an Indus- .triaL:fptL.6ocdrlclji--Rubber.^--r-^^ East's last teature^lengtii was Burt Kelly and Bill Saal's Select Pictures' 'Bad Penhy', which con- bluded DecJ 4 at the Bio^ph 8tu> dlo. . Hecht-MacArthvr" are finished In Astorlia,:; Nbthlhg further In the feature line is In' prospect for New Tork pr vicinity. Hollywood, Dec. 17. .-Tf^tn-^For d has .Iweii; wngaged by Radio to direct the screen version O f Llah b'F laherty's 'The Informer'^, story of the . Black and Tin' op- pressldn; In Ireland. Dudley Niciiols Will wrlte. 'the screen play. Same directorial 'and" wrtting combb did Radio's 'Lost Patrol'. ' ; .Nichols goes byer , thb fence as sbbn ; as. he, compietea ' scripting Paramount's . 'Crusades'. . - ■ Would Wash Up 2 Par Claims^ After argument :ftgal.nst Pstivt- mbuht of claims arldlhg out oi: long pendi ng a,»tl-ii'.ual a c tlbn B ,. ttrla f a weria' filed l)efbre Special' Master John E. Joyce during the past week with the Par trustees attempting to;wash out $10,O0O,0O0i. :. Claims ' are tho'i^e Pf the B.- M. Lpew circuit In New Englahd and the Momand theatre chain: In Okla- homa,: both of which several years ago sued Par, et ai„ under the Sher- man antl-trnst laws. MORGAN TOR^^ , Hpiiywood, pec. 17; TTnlversftr is trying to boirrbw Frank Morgan from Metro to play the part of Chiarles Dlllinirham Ih 'Great Zlegfeld.' Picture iHTlll have tbstlmonlal foot- ago of the va,rlous stkrs who worked for Zlegfeld appearing their flash hunitler of the picture. Will Rogers and Eddie Cantor are already okayed fpr^the appeacanc*. JOCK WHITNEY CONFABS ONipiEERnxM : Hpiiywood, Dee. It; Jpck.'Whltney landed here Thurs- day (13) fPr a three-week btay for Pioneer . and Tfechnlcoipr cbnferr ehces.^He-^Is-maklne~hIsr^headquar^ ters at Pathb where Pioneer Is pro- ducing, r During his stay It ls| expected Pioneer's, future prbduction plans win be settled.' TASSPORr DELAYED ■ . - Hollywood, Deo. 17. ; Colunibia's 'Pa.ssport to Fame,' the Edward. G. : . Iio^>ipspn , picture, washed up Tuesday hight, 16 da-ys behind schedule. . Picture is the second jstraggler: on. the; lot,- 'Carnival'-limping in last week nine days over the schedule. Yesterd^sr's V Prices Sales. - 000 - 800 1.600 1,400 11,700 OrSOO 4.700 l.OOO 33,700 .6,000 3,000 ^ •,■ / Hlgb.L.ow.I<aBt Col. Plot.. 30 80 80 Ggn. PJlm. 4% 4%- 4' Bastv K. .>100)4 IO8V4 108 For A Oen,. Bi.. tiOeV: Par. ctfs. :Pathe A..: ^OA HKO .... .W. fi,.,... .100. Tee^ 8^ Ixew ... .:'.104% ibi% 104H <»% 64(2 04% 18,000 Oen. T. 8,000 8,000 l.OOQ 2n.ooo 24,000 04.000 13H 13 20H - :86v5 ■3% _ 14'y4 14 ::::-43- CURB ... i* BONDS 8H BH 13H, iS 1094 10"^ 35H 8% 8H 18 is : Par-P-L „.„ Do Ctf*..- 94)i 64H MH P«p-Pub . . OTi e4M e4H Do ctfa.. 65 64H 64" W, B...... «0K 8^ 8" ALLAN 1tIVKINB0l]€HT EROMM^RFOXLOT Hollywood, pec. 17. ' FollbwIng. his w^ 'Okay JLrgeQtIhaL:.Fox^has--bbught^-AlIan- Rlykin's writing , cohtract from Metro. " ■ • ■ Biykih left fpr Nev^ Tork Satuir-. day night tb make arrangements for publlcatloh bf" 'i Wasn't Bom .f es- terday,': which he . aiuthore d w ith ni^eonard Splgleglass. Mcdauiey will publish.; I^r Wins Prionly from HG on Nighdng^ Pic Hollywood, Dec. 17. Metro : hitts dropped. Iti'• Idej^ bf malclng "The Brave Live On,' yarn based on the life of Florence Night- ingale, . In favpr .,bf Paramount, which p^bVed ptlbrlty to .st story: on the English hurse/ anniouhc6d - last July.; /■-; :. . Paramount .T at that r. time , ah- nbuncfed it .wpiild make a, plbtiire b^ed' on the Crinieah War experi- ehces -of-theThUrse»^nd-since-tlieh has had a . script completed. Re- cently Metro bpught 'Brave Live On' from Florence Ryerspn. and Colin Clements and Pari put In a protest. ■;. . Paramount, .holding off produc- tlpn "tlntll prldrlfy' was'^ieMablished, win now assign a. director to: Its stbry, . hbping to get into , produc- tipn .wltii It early In the Jiew year., WEITZENEORN'S CHORE Louis Weltzenkorn has closed a. oho picture deal with Reliance. Author left, for the Coast Satur- day .<16).- .. . flMdfilaies ■r-. • ^^ - -HPUj^ ;: In the past few months a- dozen feitures have been, released,, thb running time of w^ilch-haa been well over 105 nilhutes. Against ah avbr- &gb'runnlng time , of silent ^ pictures which was . around Trmihutes, taiki em flt;a . lfl ahniit, 90 ml aut eg. . Now cornea the hdtir and; three-quarter features and H. terrific headache for. theatre operators, particularly :tho3e. playing double features. And who ■isn'tr■■■■■■■■:;■:■ Recent features which havb gone over IpB.hiinutes are 'Monte Cristo/ ■'Cleopktra,' 'Gay: Divorcee,' 'Bar- retts,' "Rbthschild,? "Treasure Island' and.'Scarlet Empress.'. When played oh twin bUla, It i)[|eahb - that • the -- theatre doesn't break until l a, m. It also means that If the house Is In a. neighbor- hood. It opens at 7 • P. m,, and the first shpw isn't oVer until 10 or 10:.30!. That kills any chance.. of turnover P5 a second show.. Even without the long picture and with two average length pictures It's 9:30 before this first performonoe Is over, .ahd 12130-before the show :breaks.. Studios arb hblng blamed fbr hot gettlns: § plotwo .dowa to progteaa: length bf arbiind 80-96^ : Ttlmmlhg could be done, on mibst of the long features,, but It Is: charged .this .would ineah that some tevorite piece of writing, directing or acting would have to come out. ■■: '■. It usually jjieans- that sbmb alhgle 'Person la welgnty taough to keep ■.in extraneous material, no matter how much other people on the plc- -ture-.would-llke-to-see^t-elImlriirtedr Another . cause Is that slhcb the screen fpuhd voice, there has been a marked tendency to overwrite and likewise a grea;t .tendency, mostly through personal pride of prbduper, to see everything vlslohed on the ■:iscreen.- ■■■■■.'■:.".■.■..''•■•.■■■:•,■■ With a picture pla^^ about 10% of Its dktes as a single feature, time ..element Is: important to box bfiices,^^ where the patrons, particu- larly fahilHeSj object to being kept up so late. . Youngsters who get family permission tb attend nabo houses are prevented from going because, bf parental objections ,;to cpmmg hpmp late. Theatre - opera- tors are all familiar with this situa- tion, but unable to. do anything as long as prpdueers continue to turri but plctUTM gunnlnc fiXdiC to y'." - Market yesterday ^Monday) wa* coloness,^. the sllgi-.t price changes meaning little. Amusements.' le^ by Loew!s common and Pathe A* were flrijti.. RKO . was active an* higher vhlle -Ra-lilb Corp. commoaj stiffened to 634.' . y Reactionary tendencies cohtlnueft to. grip market In most of sessibna during past week, Dow Jones Indus^ trial; averages slipping 1.99 polhtH to 100.84 at close. Amusement'grbutf: foliowiBd: general trend and fell bM^ 0.B62 pblnts to close slightly aboviri 26^. Such abtloh had been ahtlt^^: pated, and It. was only reoaonaMll tb. expect: amiisehients to take tUMl put to' consblidatb recent gains. . ■ Amusement group of , 12 repr^ sentatlve stocks rose tp 26 on aver«( ages and declined to 24% at its low" est point; Proijotinced weaicness' liil Easthian Kodak-and declining tenid^ . eholes of Loew's cbnimon. and Pathtf A. augmented the general slump In; this group. In fact, only four bf th«i 12 managed to wind up week behli\4 plus iBlghs. ; Amusements had closed hlgher . ul a group the. previous six weekd, and pnly; the most optimistic bulls haul exi)ected a cbntlhuahce of that ' trendr-ChartWse,^ the "decline'^^1^^ amusement group last week prob« ably enhanced its position. Purthej* consblldatlon or period of markio* Ume would seem likely. Interest ih group was centered <m Loew's since dividend action on cpmmon^as-sliitedrlDIrett'prs^bt^id"^ an extra cash dividend, ais had be^n* forecast, ; Sohie were disappointed at the amount, .7Bc per share extwt being voted. But this, .plus tisual 25c quarterly payment, made a neat Christmas gift for stockholders, dlv* Idends being payable Dec. 3i ik* stock. Ph record Dec. 21. : i<j Stock fell back on good. neWs, ta^ rallied near close to 35%, wherp:iit was bff a point Ph week. Loew^a common had gone tp a hew high for year at 87 pre,cedlng action on dlVt^ dend, but Its nearest approach' dlrfP Ihg past week w.as 86%. Voluid* w;aB about same as prebedlhg week.- Some stockholders apparently hjUi been expecting-: $1 as in extra pay-^ ,ment or a small extri plus ah Ih- . crease In .regular: quarterly payment* r '.Lbbw'a Salaries. Previous :tb vote on dividend ni Tepi»rtj*as_made.4o annual moetlhg'— of expenditures' for management salaries. The figures issued showed that Nicholas Schehck,' president received $219,607; Dayld Bernstein, vice-president and: treasurer, |148;- 664; J. R. Rubin, as ah roflaclal- oi Metrp.-Goldwyn-Mayer, |67,000 dujr* Ing T)ast- year.":' If also was revealed that Irving Thdlberg,. Rubin and! Louis Mayer received total salarleii of $287,000, and that;. In addition, thp Mayier company, composed of thesflj Individuals, received 8741J38 aa their share' of the , profits froaif M.etro-Qoldwyn film production^; C. C. Moskbwltz 'Was elected a dl«< rector to Loew's, Inc,.- at tlig meeting.- , .... ■■ Mbtro-Goldwyn preferred stiffen^ to o n Issuanco of an nu al r< K . (Continued on t>.age^ 27) : ■ Edward SnialL , • Lbuis WeltienkbfTi. ; ■ Lillian Hellman. . :; . ■ Sam Wood. ^ ' ' " ■; ■ Harry ,M. Warner. . ' S. Charles Elnfeld. .".Andy. ';Smlth.- \. ; Jake Wilk. Marguerite Wallman. . W. R. Sheehan. ; Gabe Yorke. : L. A. to N. Y. Richard Boleslawskl. Bob Glllham. John M. Stahl. = R. H. Cochrane. Wlllard McKay. Herbert H. Tatcs. • Italph Pbucher.; J. T. . Reed. B. T.; Harburg. Frank Lawton, : ■ Evelyn Laye. ' Tom-Mix, . - - Dick English, Ray Long. ' Allan Rlvkln. Pat Casey. , Henry Armetta, Arthur Jacobs. Carroll Peacock. Hardle Albright. Martha Sleeper. Joseph M. Schenck. Nicholas M. Schenck. Paul Muni. Arthur Stebblns. , filaude Baino. <•■• .i: