Variety (Mar 1935)

2 VARIETY Pi CT H R es Wednesday* March 0,. 1935 Extras from Being Tossed Out by Ci. Hesentmeht; apalnst the secrecy ivhlch has surrounded extria. re? reelsirdtioii proceedings' un(aer the film code, on order of Sol A; !Ro8eh- l)iatt flared In the ojpen. at a meet- ingr of the Screen Actors' GuU^ Thursday (28). Guilders dispatched teijegram to their president, Eddie cantor, a nicmbev of the Code Aii- jkhority, bratidlng extra rereglstra- tlon . : .'star chamber voctloh' apd iaskliig that h^e get; the CJA, to hold It up. Guild wants to throw joiit ;t.he, whole present' setup-^^^^^^ hay* public hearings In H011y\yoOd. . Guild. ha:3 0v<k' 1,60 Cld'ss. B, . extras and bit players, - while ortly ' i,pp'4 'nam are . .the list Oked by the GA arid noTv before Eosy for flnal nodi Local C Authority office Is all Bet to- put the list Into effect this week/ and plans to pass -out . code 'work cards' to accredited Extras .the ihlmite JRosy ships the final . list .back to Hollywood.. V ; ^^""Extra , 'geritlny eht . Is , behliid the .Guild protestj. with wild iniinors and charges of fayoritlsni buzzing. Despite extreme, secreby with . Which Code Extra Committee's work has been . veiled oh Rojiy's . itrict^brdets, detallis of thiS: scoring. Bysteih used to .qualify extrQ,8 for . the co.veted .'Oi-k cards' have be- gun to leak biit. Bitter criticism of the; system arid charges of favor- itism, have folio wed, ;ieadlhg up to the Qiiild's, actiori.:V. - ; . . : Insiders bielieve; the sltuiatlon v Is fraujght trith more: potentialities for grief' thaii any ' other production phase of : the ■ code. -.?EJxtrai3. are ■clamoring against the_^^^^^ Btandlng cqnimlttee for .a year has been iinable to- clean up^ tli.6. vital clauije w:hlcb provides '$26: per. day for players speaking lines.' This also is In conflict with the Acad- emy's, 'day playei^' $16 ininimum. Threat' Ib,oms that. Jurisdiction of complaint and. grievance subcom- fmittee may be restrlctei to pnly thOise carrying cards, leaving others but In tke cold. An Okfprd Guide Hollywood, March 6. : ^etro hM. decided tha^^ male Emily Posts are scarce lii Hollywood, so they've sent tb j|ngland .for. Major ;R.. V.^ BbS-. ley of Oxford University/ . Studio hojites the m*Jbr \ylll" ha]sten - to - act as techniical ad- visor on .'Manners Ma:keth the Mah.f.^ '■ ■ •. ^ . Hollywood, March .5. ' Metro / arid Maurice Chevialler have, mutually agreed i/^t^ :. cancel fAfbhicaii^ with Ot>eroiv; After 15-Year Snooze •- ; - HollywoodrM B; . lAst. of the, Mohicans' has been selected by Edward Small as one of -ther^group.TOf-Bellance prbductloris .be win liitUce for/the 1936-36^:8^ United Artists .' releasing. . Producer will'have Merle. Oberbn for femme: lead In the plcture 'lh schedule tor prpductlbri in early fall. . :Ijast silent' version of \'Mohlcajis' Woa ;. produced 16 .years . ago by Maurice T^urneiir. when latter was majtlhg a seBes for'Associated" Pro ducers. Liiiing Up Middie* Hollywood, March 6. , Henry Hathaway .fl6Vir - east, en route to 'Washington and: Annapoliis, to* confei^ with NOvy depEutmeni ofiScials over plans of Paramount tb film ' Annapolis Farewell' at the Naval Acaderiiy this spring. Paramount director stays east three weeks.' ^■ KaufmaLn Retiifiiiiig . \ Hollywood, March 6, George Ka;ufman finishes his Metro scripting,. Job fop thi^ Marx Brothers' picture . next ! week and ■, ieavb's' for .the. iea^t;;' Morrle Rysklnd -wUi stay on to polish lip. arid . iake another writ log essigrimerit.' . v~ ■ . : their; pre^6nt icoritract which, had twb .more pictures to jgp, ii.ut .star Will, probably niake a niew deal with this studloi ■ ■[ '. : ^ . irvlrig :Thalb«rg warit^^ to find a suitkb'le yarn and ; set the start of star's next picture Sept. .1,. but.. Chevalier wanted to get gblhg in a few weeks. Cheyalier made 'Merry 'Widbw' a three picture deal and is expeicted.: tb • negotiate a .new M-iS contract "lieforb leaving foir.PttrlB'; in April.::'. Story dlfferencbs, disputes ..oyer, bllilhg in: the case of a possible film with Grace .Hibore, and production deiisy^^i'figupe'iiriaie"^ tear up the papers. • * ; POMMER SETTLEMENT IS QUE TO fllNESS Hollvwood, March 5.: . Pox will: (settle. its contract - with Erich -Pomnier^ prbdiicer;'b^efbre thie termination bit: the iriohth's. layoff he's taking due to ill health. Pact has a-'year to ; go. : Two . pictures . being prepared under: PbWmer'a" wing"will pi^^^^ be . assigned to others. Pommer, ill_for_,t.be past three months, cdme'to pbx kbout a year ago friom Germany, ^herb he Was in charge of production at UFA, . '-i Metro Takes On Gaii : RandaU as Hoof Prof. - , ■ Hollywood, March 6. Carl Randall' has bb.en given a Metro termer as dance stager^ Randall formerly did a standard dance ■ act In vaudeville. Together wltb Barbara .Newberry, 'be staged the dances for 'Gay Divorcee' ■(show).-:;' . -. JLouis Hayw^rd Metroed .Louis 'Haywai'd,,. who closes ' bn Broadway in 'Point yalairie' Saturr day <9), goes, plctutes. .under a termer with Metro.; ^ He reports on the Coast May i; Lyons & iyons;represented.; .' { ^lyanhpe' Unshelved/ ; Hollywood, March B. parryl Zariuck will make a talkfel- version of Sir Waiter Scott's 'Ivan- hoe': a?, a special for; the 1936-36 program of ZOith Century, . Picture- is; on . tlib . schedule f<jr, production: in July. V ' :: Butler imLloyiY^ . Hbllywood, March 6. . : Prank Butl6r V goes tb. Harold Llbyd's. unit on, loarioiit from Hal Roach studios. .;Writer Joins the cpmediah . and Richard . Conrieli in .developing a. story- idea previously lined up by Llbyd and ConnelK / Previous, loanout. : deal; wiiereby JButier was to 'go to the 1; Samuel dbldwyh 'orgariiiatibn to virbirk 'on the' next Eddie ^Cantb^ yarn failed to jell after prellmiriary :arrahge- ments had been cpnnpieted.. BOBBOWS H-G aUABTET . Holly wood/March B. Edward ^ Small . borrows . Ilaryey Stephens froin Metro for spot in his FLeliance production, 'Let 'Em :Haye It,' which Sam Wood is. directing, at RKO-Pathe. ---y.' Stephens is fourth inember of the bast', producer has gr-abbed from; Metro on loari. TWICE A DIMICTOR HbliyWoOd, March 6. ' Holly wood Park jockey. Club has been .Incorporated, for .|'75(),000, with Raoul Walsh,: dire.ctor, On' the dl- ectorate.: :. :.•'■:' . ■ WILL MAHONEX -The-Evening Standard in: -Lbn-^ don said: 'Thd: bldest Jokbvln the world, still , the funiilesti: is; a; man who inadvertehtly falls dbwn. It needs a supreme clown to do it properly, and Will Mahoney, the American comedian. . at. the Pair ladiurii, haiQ brought it to perfec- tion." ■ ; Direction '■.■■ . ■..-■:■'■- ':: WM. MORRIS AGENCY ; Mayfalr- Tlieatre :^uildlng j'- ■'r ■ ■'■ NeW'^'Tork-.City ;: ■■ FAMOUS FffiST NIGHTS Pad, LA. Crart Rdes Los Angeles, March S. Precedental . ruling-: by Judge josepb liyv Vickera on a preliminary, motion saved ..tbe trial of the Leo Morrison 16,600 agency commission suit against Juno :^nigtat/from a possible one-puncb, flrst-rouijd le gal k n ockout before ovidence- reT: latirig to .the contrpyersy could have been ihtrdducea.' Court's ruling held that a con- tract by a minor to employ an agent, is not delegation of the minor's powbrs, under the law, and that su($b. compacts are therefore nbt voljdable on that ground. . Attbrneys Jiiles C. Gbldstbne and David A. Sonde], for Miss Knight, ha^ raised the point lb a motion to exolude ail other ovidence upon in- trojduction of the actrbss'' birth certificate abowlng she was under 18 jat tbe tii ae sh b inade the agree- riient witb ~the "Monrts Httid the motipni grantedi on the plea . that the-: contract was . a dblegation of power in an unwar- rahtablb sense. It would, have been tantamount ' to. dismissal of . the whole action. ' . |'.'. ; Court, however, .sustained bbjec-: tlbuB of Attorneys SSaigbn, Aaron .& Fink, and also upheld their objec- tion to belated effort to introduce a cross complaint Wbicta'would have made counter demand for $3,600 commissions already paid in : by Miss Knight Leo Mbrrison's compliint,- which, proceeded at trial yesterday (Mon- day), seeks to establish that he was damaged $6,600,. the amount MisS Knight would have paid in commis- sions at her current salary figure, over the period of her. contract, had she not terminated it. Actress con- tends she was Justiiled in dismissing Morrison on the ground of. lack of diligence in her behalf, as well as bh the Bcbre of minority . when abb signed. . ' The following descriptions of memorable theatrical premieres is a pQinpilaiion of stage, screen, concert or nite club openings which, for some odd circumstances or atiother, stand out in show business. They will be recorded without thought to chronological order. Tlie reasons for the distinction of each premiere range aityitihefe from so'nie hUioHcai significance, in connection with the debut of an artist, novelty show venture, play or comikiny, to some other attendant excitement bacHstage, sofne colorful occurrence out front, or merely because of the gala cir- cumstances. This is to J>e a continued series. ♦This Black Crobk' ^; : (NIblo's Qirden, N. Y., Sept. 12, 1866) .^ Nlne mlnutea pastvl a.mi a. crbwd/ which tested the capacity" of the theatre, flocked out of Niblo's in the Metropolitan hotel," wild-eyed and- Jlttery, It had been a long show, but It was a fairy-magic story, told in the rhymed doggerel of that day. But the dialog was unimportant.' New York was getting its first taste of 'the leg show'; Jarrett and Palmer, who produced, had imported a ballet from Europe, with the danders, in iDurely technical skirts arid theoretical waists Instead of the below the knee tarletan which even the most daring dancers wore. An outstanding tableau^ showed. ^Nymphs Disporttrig in the Batli'. Tlfey were pretty well clad according: to mbdem ideasj "but" It was soriiething then. . .•:.: ; .: ■■■':.:''■'■■■.-'':::■'■'■■■■'..'':'{-■: ■ By the end bf the week (the show operied bri a Wednesday) they Were getting the audience out at 11 arid that Sunday almost every minister denounced it from his pulpit'.'> The production ran for irioriths and was several tlriaes revived, last in the early 'gO's, when It was shown at the Academy of Music to its first loosing run. SAILINGS March 13 (London to New York) Betty Jane Cooper,' Lathrop Broth- ers. (He de France). . :' March. 11 . (world cruise) < Clara Blandlck (Pres. Adams). March 9 (Mediterranean cruise) Mr. and Mrs. Sam Saxe, Mr. arid Mrs. Hoy Mack (Roma)'. . March 6 (tarlS to New. York) Frank Farley (Champlain). March 6 (San'Frandsbo to Syd- ney) J; H. Seldelman, Oskar Deres (Monterrey). March 4 (Los Angeles ; to .New York) Barry Bernard, Dietrich Kohlsaat (Virginia). ■ March 2 (New ; York to Paris) Charles . Boyer,. Rosle: Dolly, John Hay Whitney (lie de France).. March 2 (Los Angeles to Aculupla; Mex.) J. J. Mllstein (Antigua). Feb. 28 (Paris to New York) Gus Schaefer; (Washington). .. Feb. 26 (Los 'Angeles to New York)' Irerie Dunne (Santa Rosa); • : (Garden, N. Y., April 16, 1895) . : Paul. M. Potter's dramatlzatlbn of Du Maurler's novel was given Its New York ahowing at this'theatre in the northwest corner of old Madison Square Garden under the managembnt of A. M. Palmer. .-, Though Virginia Harried. In the title role,'waS supposed to be the, star, WUtbn Lackaye stole tTie show as Svengalll, arid Was chiefly responsible for the' more than a year's run. Mary Louise Clary, concert singer, was the offstage voice for 'Au claire de la lune* and-'Beri Bolt'. Lackaye's death scen<r~wa8 the outstanding feature, • • To;, stave off piracy WIlHam A. Brady, who: bought the road rights, launched 20'companies into the field, blanketing: the cburitry and invad- irig even the tanks.' . ■-;:.,■^'•'.;^;;./ StucUds to Su^ l^l^nt: Overlook NoUiiniB^ Hollywood, March 6. ,:, Five minutes iafter - Gilbert Roland was taken to the hos- pital from off a Fox set, with a supposed appendicitis attack,. 12 people called the studio to find jput If they cbuld get his' Acad^riny banquet tickets.; BRING SANDWICH TO SOUTH SEAS PICNIC ; . Hollywood, March 6. ; With, construction of a native South Sea village completed on lo- cation at Papeete, Frank Lloyd has started, shooting exteribr and proc- ess background shots for Metro's 'Mutiny On the Bounty' on the Ta- hiti location.'' . ■ . Director cabled producer Irving Thalberg that. be expected to coni- plete schedule on the location in time to catch the next boat home within., two. weeks. .; Rajriiiond's Radio Want Ann Sothem Hollywood,. March 6. Gene Raymond has signed a two- picture contract with. Radio and diu'ws the lead in ?Hooray for Love.' , Studio is also , dickering With Co- lumbia for loan of Ann Sotherri for this Aim. Felix Young musical gets going at this studio March 11. LeRoyV *Mi8S Glory* . Hbllywood, March 6. V Mervyn LeRoy will finish'Oil for Lamps in China' at Warriers around March 16 and immediately Starts directing the Marion Davles pic- ture, 'Page Miss Glory.' t Hollywood, March 6. Movement tb transform the Car- thay Circle iritb a legit show Win-, dow for local talent has been launched by Ben Jackson arid Har- old Ley ton, -with. Ray Dueerne penned in as the producer.' Subject has; been broached to cast- ing directors, who met last week with Fred Beetson of the produoera association. . Project has met with approval- so far, with the pfoducers themselves now to be heard from. . .Under the plan, one play would be- glveri bne night a week.. To defray. cost of operation, studios Would be asJied.to take.SO- seats for each per-- formance. Any proflts accrulngr would" be'contributed to the Motion Picture Relief Fund or the Assist-' ance League. MiUtaiy Outfit Gets - - McLaglen Into Suit Loa; Angeles, March 6. • Through his asserted Interest in horses furnished by riding schools for the California Light Horse Troop, Victor McLaglen. has' been made .co-defendarit In a Superior Court suit which demands $115,142 for injuries sustained by Charlotte Ann Post, a Student. One bf the horses used by the troop, organized by McLaglen, is claimed to have run away, crashed into an auto in which the plaintiff was riding and tb have Injured her seriously and permanently. MABICA BECOMES HABIETTA Metro went irito session in New York last week to pick a new naihe for Marica Gervay, Hung:arian im- port. ■ : ';■;■._ ' .'.}' , The tag will be Marietta Gerva.y. V'. UEF N. Y. BOmb Hollywood, March 6. Maj^ Lief has finished the treat- mient of his original, 'Two. For To- night,' for Blng Crosby at Para- mount arid'leaves for New York to ready a stage musical With his brother, Nat. ■ ■.'- ..■:' tibbeits' Opera Pip Hollywood, March 6. Lawrence Tlbbett's first picture on his 20th Century contract will have background of modern U. S. opera. Original story idea has been as- signed to Bess Meredyth.; BOBZAGE ON 'STBANDED' HolIywo.od, March B. P^ank Borzage has. been handed direction of his second Kay Fran- cis-George ; Brent picture at War- ners, . 'Stranded,' set to start to- morrow (Wed). : . ' V • First was 'Living On Velvet,' Just released. '■ STBOMBEBG'S.B'WAY lOOK Hollywood, March, 6. Hunt Stromberg is going east to. catch the new shows.:; .Frances -Goodrich 'and Albert H^^^ company tb; work ; with' him on 'Thin Man' sequel' for Metro. • W... S^.'Van .Dyke,:-who 'will direct; ' Joins tcjo in i^eW'.'3fork. '