Variety (Mar 1935)

Wednesday! March 6* 1935 r i C T ll R E S VARIETT ON TAP 8 of 18* Firsts Go to Acdeniyiahils ■ Hollywood/March B^; Columbia walked In, out, around, and. 6tt with the annual award ehlndy of the Af^demy of Motion 'Pictures Arts and Sciences here last Wednesday (28); - - Never biefore has one company so. completely doinihated this statuette sweepstakes^ Eight firsts out of a possible 18, and nearly all of them In the Important classifications, comprises a record which may never be surpassed. One picture, 'It Hap- pened One Night;* turned the trick. ■When it wasn't that ifilm, 'One Night of Love'was on, deck. Next, to C61umbla . it was a. gala for Shirley Temple. Accoladed with a special ;award' for the greatest contribiition to pictures In 1934, Fpx's, child star takes her place alongside of Warners' 'Jazz Singer,' ■Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse, and ehapllri's 'City Lights;' the only others to be similarly breveted by the industry. ■ ■' ■■ ' Score Card. Here's;, how the score cards read .after the dishes were carted awayr Special award; Shirley Temple, "Fo7:w■ ■ '■ ■'■ . Bcjst production: 'It Happened; One Nlght;! Columbia. Bost performance by actor: Clark Gable, ;it Happened One Night.' . iiest' performance by actress: Claudette Colbevt,:i!U_Laappehed One Night.^:".;-.:.,'^;;:.v. ■ '■ Best directox*; Frank Capia, .'It . Happened One Night.' Best .adaptation: Robert Rlskin, •It Happeneci One Night' Best sound recording: 'One Night of Love,'Columbia. IBest scoring; Lou Slivers, 'OniB /T41ght of Love.' /• Best origlnai scrteen story: Arthur Caesar, 'Manhattan Melodrama,' . Metro. • • Best art direction: Cedrlo Gib- iiong,! Fred Hope, 'Merry Widow,' ■.Ik^etro. ■ , Best cinematography: Victor Mll- ner, ?Cleopatra,',Par.; Best fljm editing: Conrad Nervlg, *Eaklmo,' Metro. B.eist ..assistant, . directioh: . .John Waters* •Viva Villa,' Metro. . Best film song: 'Cohtlnerital,* by Con, Conrad and Herb Magldson, Radio. ■; -■ _ ' • .■■ Shorts . Best comedy: 'La Cucuracha,' Piflkieer-Radib.' ■ Best novelty:• 'City of Wax' Edu-. "catlonal; ' '.—^ —.._ _ : iBest dartoon: 'Tortoise and Haire,' Walt Disney. Scientific-TecKnical . Claiss l: No award. - - Claiss 2: Merit certificate' to Elec- trlcal Resiearch Products, for new type (hill and dale) of recording. Class 3: Honorable mention to Cplumbia. for application of ERPI . recording. Bell and Howell for fully auto- niatlc printer. Major Natlian Levinson, of War- : nei-s' technical staff, presided at the banquet with Irvln S. Cobb toast- master and desimtcher, of thel gold statuettes. , Preyious best mark for ■ A.cademy honors \va,s shared by 'Cavalcade' (Fox) and 'CImarrpn' (Radio). Each of these pictures,were cited for prb- ductlon, direction :arid|.art d^^ .■ Runners-Up kuniicrs-up in the. various .divl-. ■Ions were: . . Performance by actress: Norma Shearer, .'Barretts of /U'impole Street,' Metro,'second; Grace Mobre. •One Night of Love,' Cdl.; third; Bette Davis, 'Of Human Bondage,^ Radio, fourth. . ■ ; : '■ Performance by ' actor: Frank ;Morgan, 'Cellini,' 20th Ceritwry, sec bnd; Winiam Powell, 'Thin Man,' .:: Metro, third. • ; Art direction: Gibbons-Hope, !Gay Divorcee,' Radio. Productlori: 'Barretts of Wimpole Street,'..second; 'One Night of Love,' .■third/;' :■''■/■■■■■,■--■:'.'. Original story: Normah Krasna, ;'Bi(!hest Girl in the World.' Radlp, second; Mauri Grashin, 'Hideout,' / Metro, third. . ^ ': . Adaptation,: Frances Gopdrlch and . .Albprt .H^cke:tt, ;,^hln ilari,'' Metro, Hennv tlie: First: Hollywood, March 5. . First player to have hts.fllg-' i jjatiire gallop along; th? dotted line, of the new Academy 'con-, tract Is Henry Rocauemore. He drew a day-to-day stint , In Paramount's . 'Glass Key.', 31 WB's'3 Men Are Paint Utopian m lahcers^Net Con^ Studios Offering^ Ace Talent Straight 2-Yr. Deals— / Some AceeptV Others D^dger^ MoMv Ofttions Hold for Neophytes TOO MUCH BICKERING With three film companies seek- ing the picture rights of 'Three Men oh A Horse,' show may reach the top buy price of the seaison. • It takes. riank as the first Broadway show backed by film coin to receive active bidding. Sam Goldwyh wants the ] play for Eddie, dantor,; Paramount has put in a' bid, and Warners, which .sup- plled the pliy's production money, also w ants it on celluloid. Claimed thai""lfieT5Iddiiig ls""aJr(E!adi5r7lttrounrd^ the $90,000 mark. Situation is as. anticipated by the Dramatists' Guild, the Basic Mini- mum Agreement specifically pro- tecting., authors through its open bidding requirements. Heretofore rules covering .activities of picture firms in Broadwa-y productions apr peared to have been misinterpreted. There is lib b&r to capital from any source in . backing productions, so long:, as siich .money does not re|pre- seht the purchase of picture rights in advaiice of presentation. There must be open bidding for the :pic- tMT®. rights of. plays bac ked by film concerns or" otherwise. - In the case, of .'Three Men,* War ners will prbflt. doubly -whether. It secures the film rights or not. Alex Yokel presents the comedy at the Playhbuse, N.; T., with the Warner interest said to be 50%. That com pany would' therefore receive half the managerial share of the picture rights money. If sold to another-firm in addition • th(ere" would lie tihie profits of -thie stage presentation. Severial participants In Yokiel's share of the show. Among, them .Is Irving Cooper, formerly In Lieblaiig's ticket agency. Ted ■ liasser, thea- trical - attbrhcy, also - owhs ^a per- centage. , , : ■rhe Playhbuse does not share in the theatre end. of the engagement because the booking 1^ a four, walls rental. It's a case of the house management making the wrong guess, leasing tiiei theatre Instead of taking the play on sharlhjs: terins. Perfect break for the show, how ever. : v;. This situation .also applied: to 'Sailor. Beware' last season - at the Lyceum. House had little confidence that T tliat show had a chance, bo rented to this attraction.^ Show, a .surprise hit, then stayed 62 weeks. Janet Beecher Settles : • Holiywood, March ,6. The; $11,000 commission suit by Lew Gantbr ' and ^ C. S.CTink) Humphrey, agents, asainst janet Beecher has bieen settled out of court.'- -.V ■ MARC CONNELLY TO M-G Marc Connelly left for Hollywood Sunday (3) with a. two-day stop over In Florida.. "He will. spend iwo niohths on the Metro lot. Cprtnell.v has been asked by Metro to look, over the ihalf dozeh available scripts on 'Good Earth- as his first chore. second; ■ Ben VHecht, ;^Viva Villa/ Metro, third. . Cinematography: 'Cellini,' second; 'Op^erator 13,*, third, ,-: ■' • ■ Hbllywpod, March 6. : Long accepted practice of the pic- ture studios of Issuing contracts to Players^ writers .and .dlrectprs for six months followed by; options^ per rlods, is beginning to fall by the wayside. Most of the inajbr com- panies are now anxious to clinch ace talent beyond the origlnil six months, stretch. . In the past .Jfew .wee,kjj-.:8ey^i^i, writers, players . and directors have been given -Btralght-two-year - dealB. In two cases the contractee has de- clined the 24-mohth ticket In favor of: a siiigie year contracts Studios are evidently, fed up with, signing talent for the shorter terms as this invariably causes bickering at each renewal, plus the mental anxiety on the part of the'^con- tractee that the option will he al- Towed to .lapseT wnen nearmg op- tion . time cointractees generally develop an attitude that is not coh^ ducive to good work, At Metro James: K.. McGuinne.ss and Herman Manklewlcz, - both scriveners; have Just received new contracts for tw© yetufli - William K,' Howard, director, was also of fered the longer contrlact there, but preferred to sign for one year oiily. Paramount offered two-year, cpn- tricta. to Lewid Milestone «hd Nor' man "Taurog, director^, with itfile Stohe accepting but Taurpg only taking: the single year. Samei studio has- Normah—Krasna -and Claude BlnyoA. writers, oh the longer term contracts, . ' Thouifh' "iheilieiigthy agreement is favored by the studioS; for proven taleiit, the lots still refuse to don tract anyone without a name -fqr inore than three montbB on the first buy. They figure tliat. most: people will indicate their picture jw?^^^^^ ties within that length of time. Seagoin' Sawbones IflWBV Military C^^ Hollywood, March 6. Next military' service feature to be produced in the Warner cycle deals with the. U. S. Navy Medical Corps. ' ■■ ' Original and untitled yarn is by Commander H. A. jones and wlU.be made under Harry Joe Brown's supervision. Malcolmn Stuart Boylan and Roy Chanslot assigned to the Bcrlipting Job. , Sea-going sawbones opus trails the U. S. Coaat Guard picture now being readied at WB, Lewis and Gordon,^ and Business ■;: Hollywood, March 6. ; ' Max Gordon «;nd Al Liftwis, Para-: mount producer, leave end of this month for a European, vacation. Gordbn's: Atetro deal, as advisor on musicals, expires at that tlihe. ^coutiiig- Hollywood, March 6. . .: Robert HopklnsV Metro writer, bought a ranch in San Fernan- db valley, and has a inan scour- ing Beverly: Hills to pick up a secohd-hand swimming ppbl.. mKdfor Radio approached Gaumont-British Jlast^W6ek_loc_th€Ll;lQaii_of^:J^^ Matthews. Studio /wants 'to tcaiti the—Britli3h"-glrl-with—Fred—Astaire^ and offered; $50,000 for Miss Mat- thews- serviceia for the one film. G-B countered with an okay, prbvidlng Radio will allow Adtaire ;to do otie'with Miss Matthews for G-B, and first. There the . matter stands. Hollywood, March 6. ^Paramouht^iai3-been-nlbblinig--for- a one picture deal with Jessie Matthews, British girl, but deal fell by the wiayside when Miss Matthews asked $160,000 for the single pic. RENEW FOR YR. .. . Hollywood, March 6. Her contract expiring with 'The Devil is a Woman,' Marlene Dietrich gets .a. new. pact from. Paramount, signed by Adolph Zukor. New deal calls for two pictures next year and carries an option for a second year's pair. ■ ': Expected that Miss Dietrich's next will, be Napoleon's Josephine. Ernst Lubitsch was to have directed thiia, but it now goes to another pl- Ibter" "On Lubltsch's "announcement that he won't direct any pictures while holding his current exec berth at the studio. Ann Harding Returns . Hollywood, Maroh 6. . : Ann Harding docks tomorrow (Wednesday) from Honolulu, wind- ing up her extended vacation after a recent illness. Player, reports to Metro immedi- ately for 'Flame Within.' Expect to get the picture uiider way within 10 days. -■ J.-, w' TO THE WOODS ■Hollywood, March B. New Academy contracts for free- lance actors went into chfect March 1. These are for week-tOrweek and day players, the form of whi< h is to be effective for five years under the recently signed agreement between producers and the Academy. ■ That the contracts which give a better break all around for actors are to be observed both in letter and spirit was pledged to producers at a meeting, called at the Fox stu- dio, and attended by more than 300 studio execs, at which top officials warned-the-Iesser execs that there - is tp be no chiseling hereafter on actors. Louis B. Mayer at the session stated: he would give $26,000 to any charity if it. could be proved the major companies were not oh the level in their Intent to give the actor a better, deal. Ni>.«Skuliduggiiry» B. B. Kahane told the lesser.execs m-ta"treffdatrc"^th"at^t"^T8 theTi"flten=~ tlbn of the producers to live up to the spirit as well as the letter of the new contracts "without evasion, trickery or skullduggery,' and added that any studio executive who re- ported to the front ofQce that he had twisted the wording of the con- tract to give the studio the better of ,the • break would receive censure- Instead ot praise. - ■ - • ■;■ .■ - Mayer said that harmony, must be the keynote of the prodiicng end of the busness hereafter if the busi- ness is. to form a united fi-ont against the comnipn enemies, which' he grouped as agitators, censorship- minded .reformers _and. those.. .Who.. would heaviiy and unreasonably tax the. Industry. Toward this harmony - Mayer asiced the execs that hereafter in. case of any doubt where an actor is Involved that the latter must get' the benefit of the doubt. Irving Thalberg presided at the session. Aaents Within 5 Miles of L. A. Would Be Nicked $100 Fee by Bill Hollywood, March 5. Those frugal percenters who moved to the. Beverly hinterlands, and the unincorporated county area close by to escape this Los Angeles $100 license fee as against a $10 sock by other communities, may shortly have to., commute consider- ably farther. At the Instance of Edward Nolan, State Labor Commissioner, .senate and assembly bills have been intro- duced at Sacramento which, will, if enacted, impose the $100 fee on agents operating. Avithin ,Ave miles of a mctrdppli.s: as well , as . wlthiu the city itself. This would take in all the terri- tory now occupied by a&e'hts trans- acting .business \vitli studios in the Los Angeles metropolitan ehvir.oh.s'. A penal bond of $2,000 to In.sure compliance with license regulatIonf< would also be required. V Bill, identical in both houses, .haisj been referred to labor and capital committee, and la touted, as having good chance to pass.. •■ WENDY BAEEIE HOME Hollywood, March 5. ■ Imtnigratioh pfllcials haye ordered Wendy Barrie, English actress tin- der Pariamount cbhtraf:t, to p;ir1c .ur), as her visitor's stay Is up. ' ' Trade UmrW Rerlitered' POUNDED ' BT SIHE 8ILVBRMAN Pablbhed Weekly by yABIETT. Inc. Sid Silverman, President iSi Weal 46th Street, New York City 80BSCRIPTION -Annual,'..... .16- Foreign7-r-r|7 Single Copies. ,-,..... .15 Centi Vol. 117 IM No. 12 INDEX Bills ................. Burlcsriue ............ Chatter . ■ .....'. Exploitation ...... ... 15 and 50 Years Ago... Film .Reviews:.,...... : Foreign Ne w.^......'. . .. HouHc. Reviews......... /inside—Legit" ... i.:.. Inside—Music ■ ..;..... Inside—Pictures Logitimute . .i-,-. Literati .\tu.sic New Acts...:......... Now.'! fi'<)m 'tlto ,]'.>:'.ilio.'! Nite Clubs.! . - Obituary . ..:.'. . : Outdoors •...,. 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