Variety (Jan 1935)

VARIETr P I C T Ji 11 E S Tuesday, January U 1935 RATING THE CAMERAMEN . Hollywood/^D^^ Btara will, tolerate aupiervlHorai producers or directors. . The will argue over stories or scripts, battle over clothes and give In inb&t ot the . time. But when it comes to a cam- eraman-^that's where the star' will, ■tand like Gibraltar. The favorite "OTahfcer~'mu¥f'"lJB:-^^^ doesn't start Several of the femme : stars de- mand their own particular camera- man, ev^n have It spectfled In stu- dio contracts that certain clnema- tographers be assigned • to / their pictures. Others hold verbal agree- ments with the. coritractlne studio that -they have the right to' select the man who Is to photograph them. Top stars seem to figure that the cameraman holds the. key to the problem of keeping on top of the^ heap. And . make no mistake^ a teguiiar clnematbgrapihcr who in-. .tently studies setufis for both close and long ■ shorts, to protect th^ iplayer - against either poor lighting or composition that plays down the star, Is worth fighting for.. Many timeia top ranking' players, a.nd In Bome. Instances directors, have TefiiBed to start pictures until the eahieramen dieslred are avail- able. The situation lieaveis nothing for a. studio to do biit pull, t.he de- manded photographer oil another prbductlpn or stall the picture! until he J Is available; ———^^banUii-■nd-Garbb^_-!_Ilil 10 Best CameranKen Wllllain Daniels—Metro QaorooFoliey—Metro : Ray June—QoldVvyn Charles Lang?--ParamoMnt Victor Milnep—Paramount '"Karr8?ru¥»^PaWl1f«»unV--- James Wong Howe-^Metro Cliarlet' Rosher ~ SOthj Cen* tury George Barnes—Warner* Arthur Millei^Fox For instance, Wllllani Daniels hais photograjphed Greta Garboi since lier first picture a,t Metro nearly 10 years ago, and the Swedish girl will not go to', woric nntil Daniels is be- hind the le ns. Ho has also photo- grapiied . Nbrintt~^lieaTei^or—the- past several . years. Should both: Garbo and iSbearer happen to. be in production at the same time, or their' pictures overlap, Daniels goes .with■ G:arbp. " ' Gebrg:e: Folsey got a break to lian- dle a Marlon Davles feature more tiian a year ago. Now. she won't . have ianotiier .cainerainan on: her pictures. 'With the, star moving over- from . M-Q: to Warners. It J.a likely that a loan-out deal for Fol- sey will be arranged. :Up -to the -comlng-of sound,:j:obn,Amold ban- died the^ Davles productions and was eilwiay B hield by Metro for hw. . Roillo Totheroh lias been chliBf of the camercf. ..staft for Charles Chap- ; lln since .1917 arid- was ca,rried be- tween pictures by the coni^dliEin up to About five yeara ago. ■ Walter Lunden has been-with Harold Uoyd '■Jhc(i~tlie~c^)median' started his own- production unit fiomb 10 years ago Victor Mllner, perhaps the dean of cinematographers in point of aet^Ice i^ow consistently Wiprklng, h^s the inside track .cui head caim.' eraman on any picture Ernst Lu bitsch ; directs. Pair split 'wheni the director went to Metro to make 'Merry Widow', aa Milner was tied up with DeMllle on 'Cleopatra* at Paramount, where h* is under con tract. Milner goes on the next De MUle picture and no one knows ~^h at will develop If li Ufaitsch—is ready to start his neit for Para- mount around the same time. Until his sudden death some : weeks 'ago, Henry Gerrard had flirst call on any and all pictures ICeith- arine Hepburn made at Radio. Jpe Walker .must; be behind: thb cam era when Frank Capra tolls up hls: sleeyes at Columbia, Walker tnade a trip back, from London, where he was offered seveFaTiplCtiires'rln'r* row, to camera for Capra . on 'It. Happened One Night'. ; : Clark's B7 for Mix Of the c(ld-tirtie"6tar-cametam$,n teams Dan Clark probably holds record In, photogra.phihg 87 straight T om ' Mix weslwriia bel Weeii-'Pex- James Brown, Jr., has been .pho- tographer oh all. of the Larry Dar^ mour pictures for several years-r- and doubles in brass iEis unit pro- duction ; ihanager. • Frank Good photographed all but two of the Jackie Coogari features produced by Sol Lesser and isi now baick with the latter as heaid cameraman. Len Powers,?: who wasjwith Hal Roach for around 12 years, pho- tographed . practically all of the Warren Doa'he sliorta for IJnlver- sal up to a few months !ago. ; Clyde DeViniia was t^e camera globe-trotting companion with W* Van Dyke when the Ifitter made pic- tures for Metro Jn: the South Seas, Africa, and the Arctic!, DeVinna Is a cincli: to, awing back with Van Dyke when, and if,. the latter takes any otlier: expeditionary .jaunts. Rfiy Rennahan Is rated -tiie. out- sfandlrig cdlor^ business today.; He has been with Teohnicolor for years, waa ah ex- pert on .the old two color process and Is now toi;>s In shbotlhg the new ihree way development. contract, .to. B. ..P. Schulberg, has been doing all of the Sylvia Sid- ney productions for the past two years, while John Mescall made a tie-up .with James Whale, at Uni- versal, to shoot his: pictures exclu- sively about a year ago, George Barnes, under WO'rner contract. and. Uhlversal.; Charles. Rosher was . exclusive' - cameraiman , for,. Mary Plckford for a long time and Tony GaudlQ. was the first pick when Norma Talmadge was starring; for Joe Schenek. The late Bllljr Bitzer was witli D. W. Griffith for years and ievlMartey." seerrted to be the camera ahadow for Cecil DeMllle over a Ibng tfcrloa of tTme. Joe Au vust was tabbed as ciilef clniematog rapher for Bill Hfirt, cranking on moat of hla westerns. John.J3eitz was attached to all of the Rex. In- graia pletUred 'for iieyen years and then bandied the camera for Co rihne Griffith; who bad a clause In herw cohti'aci to that effect; . John Atnold,' now head of the Metro eahiera :department, photo- graphed all of the Viola Dana fea- ture* for the old Metro /cbmpahy aitd waa also In char^o .of the camera emw on tho King Vldor pro- 4il?tlons at Ifetrd up to the time ho fMdc «bai«o ef the dep&rtment -fdepehd on their crewf to # great extent to get the desired results.. ; Few From Europo ' Only three European cameramen have come over here to: inake. the grade during the past eight years— Ifarl Freund (how directing for tjniversai), Theodore Efparkuhl, and Rady'1ilate7--In'comparisoiih^^^ can cinematographers have gone to Europe, to biecome outstiandlng. Glenn McWilliams la with Gau- mont - British , as chief • cihe-r matographer alhd those on the other side doing well are Charles Van Engeri Phil Tanhura, iLloyd Kneich- tel, Osmond; Borrodaile and Harry Stradling. . Ciiarles Bo and Charles Stumar both .made a num- ber of pictures for Ufa- in Germany a few years ago. ■ "When Stumwf re- turned from; abroad he atated' that cameramen ovisr there were; adverr tised on thei^tre marciueeB above the dlrect.or of a picturie. Wat'chiho V«h siernbera . The camerajnen . but here are keenly Watching the projgress of Josef, voh Sternberg In acting, ais both director, and heiad cameraman on Marlene Dietrich's 'Caprice Eto- pagnole* at Paramount.: Voh Stern- berg has always been noted for his lighting and camera angles, ahd as- sumed charge of the camera crew on: this picture when he waa uhfluccessr ful in ipovlhg up a favorite assistant too fast.; When the cainerameh'p. organization:; refused—to-allow the: the man to iiahdle a flrst Job with- out more experlencie, the director decided to t^e over the restonsibll- ity. The outcome holds the camera- men in tiiat oh all previous plcturies on the Paramount lot Von Sternberg Second Ten Tony. Gaudio—Warner* Bert Glehnon—Fox Oliver Marsh—Metro/ John 9eltz—F6x James Van Trees—Warners Leo Tovai^—Paramount ■ . Paveroll-. Marley—20th Cen- tury . George Sehniederman-rFox Joe Walker—Columbia ■ Sol Polito-T-WariiierB naiuraUy~iS^ws the camera assign- ment on all pictures where his wife, Joan Bldndell, holds a featured spot. And you can Imagine if- Barnes doesn't help make his bride- look okay. , ,$aUries : ■'■ There has been a general Increase in salaries to first grade camera- men during the .past year. T^P weekly paychecks are now about $660 to tisOOi either on - contiuct or on a free lance basis. Despite there aria' about 130 first cameramen listed for production on the Coast, studios occasionally find It' hard to select gi^de A men for available Jobs when a productlph peak exists. Undoubtedljr-there-are-a-njjmber= capable .first men who would' click If ^jjlven a chance, oul .a.;)najb;r, .lot, but they ai'e .genejT9,ljy. passed up because, cie^mera department iieads; producers, directors' or •players re fuse^tb^takexihanceslwlthJthem.:^:! As a" whole, the Metro- and Para mount '. camera. de|)artmentB,. arie deemed to have the., best rounded^ out camera crews from firsts down' through seconds, assistants and still men. It ls,> worth pointing out thut thft .<i fl are the p n ly twO' studios' which have .experienced cameramen as heads of their respective camera departmehts. ;?' ' John Arnold^ at Metro, is a pioneer camieramian having starting In the business prior to 1910. /Virgil Miller, at Par, waa/aiflrst man for many years and the baOkgrouhd of prac-< tical; experience : is ' Ih -aluatile to companies when camera otgahiza-i tiona are being maintained ' at top efflclenejr. Outstanding ' first men are natui>ally Taluable '6n & camera department roster, btii tb^y. miist. Top Specialitti r Exteriors — Clyde DeVinhat Joe Valentine, M«Q. Airplane photboraphy-rrElmer Dyer, WB. , Process and trick werk<^Fr*d Jackman, WB;' Farciot Eduart* Pan Var^ Walker, Radio. ERNO RAPEE Diriefetor of Mtiito Radio City Mu*i6 Hall GREETINGS WHAT TO DO Washington,' Dec. II. : Ooyemmeht morals; experts are mulling 'question of admission of ligtr^l iad ait a ce photoirrj^heiir-as^^^he-X^zecht^lovaidan^ signed to •work with him. The accompanying lists of best cameramen is VAiuBrT's selection based on '34 performances, and ex- ecutive studio opinions. : 'Br^t Eyes' Pic Fox .Film and the Rockefeller In-^ t^resM! have turned deaf ears to any purported eillbls to? the7woret"'"clear=" ance Jam any theatre 6r chain has ever gotten Into. BKO has been asked to' make 'retribution in cash.- I^he; price is stated to be around |i6,obo.'- Last aticouhts have RKO agreielng to. make this payment to Fox Film and the Rockefeller In- terests in Radio CI,ty In the size of damages Ihyolved and general Importance to the trade the slttiation has no precedent. Relations have been-strained con- siderably, in consequence of the Following . special screening of this silent film Saturday afternoon (29) at Loew's Fox here. Treasury officials, attorneys, special morals advisers ahd; Others went Into se- cret huddles' to - degide -whether film, which stars Madame . Fritz Mandel, wife of Austria's leading munitions maker, will corrupt American morals. No declslpn had been made .when Treasury knocked oil today (Monday) for holiday. Pic has-, befin in' New. "York cusr tomS, as Manbattan sigents de- clined, to-take responsibility ahd passed buck to Washington higher ups who likewise were reluctant to take definite stand. No Treasury officials would dls cuss subject further than admit ae^ cret screening Saturday and say that no decision had been reached. Fiim~tell8 of~boy~Bnd7girl lost in woods aind forced to spend night in a cabin. They also lose , their clothes. It was displayed at Musgo llnl's International. Motion Picture Exhibition at Venice last iBummer, and a print I has also been privately; screened on the Coast for studio bunch. Also :repprted that Mandel had pressure brought to stop .film abroad' .ahd.. has bought It; off in some spots. Clearance nlmtrtls Witlr^lnr-Rocl feller people -who run Radio CHty and Fox Film additionally. Thea- tre* which are Involved, in thiei clear- Ahcfe-Jamrj>^e" mostl y Kei th -Aibe c- Orpbeum. theatres. For- the?: Rockefeller people the hurt 'seems doubly aggrava^d l^ mucih. as - Rkp :is officially advisor oh operattpn at Music Hall, and for Which RKO Is paid, a .-weekly "stipend.: The -.^liF.OOO," indemnity would Just about' represent /half Of the possible annual fees which RKO ;riiay'get from the Mtislc Hall In this advisory capacity. . Roclcefellersvpre-vlously on RKO's request had' agteed to reduce its i»1ftwfarif»fl . r«Hi[Utrftniftpt a: on ^Bright Bj^es? so thatv RKp could get the benefit of a New Tear's opening: on the picture iii the RKO lielghba The ;Rockefeller peol>Ie- sent cam- eramen around to the RKO nelghbis, thiiB ciltchlhg all fthe- Bituatlons In- volved on a 'photographic record Only the PaliEice. on Broadmiy was not Inyoived; accoi^dlng to: account. The Palace' Is a couple of blocks a-way from Radio: City. - > , : A 'fltmliar tlblatloh wm. perpe trdted by RKO- agalhiit the -Music Hall In Uiet IJew Toj* tetrftokir oh 'Gay pivorcee^ (!<mi* 'vifieek.s ago, ac/ cordihiEr to accounts.' Therefore 'the Rockefeller pepple prepared. them selv«'B"fo^ any repetition of alleged violation of clearance. 'When the thing broke, the Rocke- feller people cpnisldered the breach sufBciently serious to, call a special board meeting of the Radio. City theatre company board to consider the matter. It wa* Ihrowh Into RKO'* lap f6r an utplanatlon a* to Holly wood, pec. 81. _J<ian_ElpjiMii!S-A she :retired to have her baby will be* •Traveling jSaleslady,' with William Gargan playing 6pppslte,, af War- ners. . S wrt is .*et fpr jTan. 7. Ray .iBnrlght directs,: and -Sam BlschofE produces. ■ y '■ ■ ' how 24 RKO houses could-trallerlze simultaneously Ih: alleged violation of . clearance rights of.' the. Music Hall without the home oflice knbw-' ing about IL v. v Charles McDonald IS the N.: i. division manager of the RKO thea tres. ■;:■ on Friday (28) the kAO board and the B. F. ' Keith, .board held meetings, but: .whether ithls matter came up , for discussion liii. hot known.! Malcolm Klnsburg, chief Meeba:h- represehtative In'^RKO and vice-chairman: pf the board, at tended. ; the: meeting, which was. chialrmaned by . Herbert BAyard Swope, ■■'■■•" ■; "■:- ':: ,■■'■'■ The Fox .Film grievance on the inatter is that by such advance trallerlslng the potential exploita- tion 'valye, -as well as the. potential holdover pbssibillty for 'Bright JSyeu^ was dainaged and eliminated. - The picture,' according to accounts^ fin ished for around 188,000, very good gross whloh: might have -been eh' hunced perhaps, It lii charged. The IIMOO' Indemnity,: It ' 1* ojc! pected, will be divided ^betweed Fox Film and th* Rockefeller IhterMts^ SHOW BIZ WILL BE ON GRILL Washington, Dec. 31. Opening of 74th Cpngiresa next. Thursday (3) Is expected to be the •go* sign for film enemies and re- ' formers, While members antagonistic to picture Industry so far are sitting tight, and saying next to nothing, sighs Indicate that before legislators quit for the summer they will have/ put both-the code and the Industry on the griddle and possibly havoi dabbled again in the censorship and > block booking situations. BlowptC ' seems most probably when President Roosevelt calls for new Recovery legislation and com- , mlttees of-both houses start to work on measure to supplant the tem- ■ porary N.I.R.A. which goes out of existence . In June. Reports that Senator Nye • of North '.. Dakota Is . whpttlnig his . scalping knife again and getting set for another foray at Divisional Ad- ' tnlhlstrator Sol A. Rosenblatt and the majors persist despite Nye'* statement today that, 'So far I have, not made up my mind.* North Da- kotan Is currently pretty well tied. UP' with his sensational munitions' probe and hasn't given much . thought to other hobbies and legis- latlve' pets. Interests ' opposed to the code, both within and outside the Indus- try, are smirking confidently ' and- reel sure tne iia. will, be blastea oif^ when the NBA -subject comes up. Nye said he Is playing a waiting game and will hold off any move to renew his code war until 1 see what the NRA is going to do.' Allied States is set to.*ttr up ex^'i cltement over the inlqultes of thef> film pact' when the recovery topio-' .becomes the major matter of busi-*^^ ness,. although so far Abram R-' Myers,: indie . leader,. ha*' kept hl#y. mouth buttoned and declined to dfar--'- close his Stj^tegrt^; Dependlng.-hp-w"-— ever, on -Nye and Borah- to r.eylyo . theii: last iyear's'crusade against tiie agreement; Moral 'Issues are virtually certain : to, come up again In. both houses^ particularly slncte the Legloh of De- cency ha* been made permanent end; the Motion Picture Research. Cpun- cll has been consolidating forces op- posed, to bLock_bopklng. _^ PsJt old dehbll Brookbart bill un- questionably will ralee Its head ; again and Rejpresentatlve Patman of Text^ Is reported all set to renew demahd* for - consideration in the House. Representative Cannon of Wisconsin; who authored.two other decency measure* last year, is due to reintroduce his bills prohibiting. : Interstate transportation ■■ of • 'any questionable moving picture film* and establishing a Federal film con-v trpl board. Copyrights may become - an im-.i portant issue smce Representative, Slrovicb of New Tork Is determined,. to force revision of basic law and, Senate- Foreign Affairs- Committee, still. hjuiJ;he_lht(MatIojial_!GOpy.rightv. union resolution In its. file*. Othei: it^m* ; . . Continuance of admlsslcnhs tax. la, Inevitable and will be extended for at least a year If not indefinitely. HoiLse^ubcpmmltte^ all prepared- to recommend bhe-year extension of' all nuisance Imposts which go out next June. ,; - i; ,,, Perennial alien-actor bill also ex- pected to bob up again as measure Still: Btlclcs on Federation pf Labor list of' badly wanted legislation,. House Ilfimlgraflon f!nmTinlttrtft probably will wait some time before ! taking any steps, however, as its members are , busily engaged in winding Up their investigation of Communistic and Nazi propaganda' and activities. Pix may figure In ■ the Red probe report, since several witnesses have complained that films pbrtrayIhg~RuBslah ideas ahd'^ scenes have been so produced as to come under the propaganda classic ficatlon. i Radio Industry. $lb well as films. Is sitting on. Pins and needles waiting ': for report -from Communications'-^ Commission on educatlphal broadr casting and for confirmation of- members (Of the Commlsh, \.:- Fight, over appointment-of Judge v Eugene O, 'Sykes, . phafaman. has been threatened by Senator Bilbo of Mississippi,' newcomer who threat-', en* to 'raise more hell than Huey' Long,* .and who Is carrying- a chip on his shoulder because' Sykes iCCbntlhued on page 192) ■