Variety (Mar 1935)

VARIETY Wedhetda|> March IS, 19311 Slump of Entire Market Bears Amus. list tyii •"^--^ THe atock ''m^ at- tempting to recover its balance yes- terday (Tuesday) after the beat- ing taiten the previous day as a re- ^ _ 8ult„oilthe-.diastlal6lump j£.W.ttfm prices/: Whl^ tended til firm up: at one tiine, they itell back to new lows at. the -linlah. , Volume rose to more; than' 1,000,000 ■- Bharies/ ". ~ Amusement issues also were sold ,;6ii the decline, h^^ priced! .l!ilstobks--dtapplnB_^ipjie3^ for 1935. . These Includfed American Seat, Paramount certlflcatea, Pathe A, Radia coinirion, IUdlo Preferred --^rBr WestlnBhouse-commbfi-and War-i ner. Brothers commoni Radio B fell ■ 1% points to- 35%/ Westlnehouse ' preferred fought the trend, soarlner 3 points to close at 97%; Eastnian KSdak preferred hit a new 1935 high at 152^,' up 1% polntis^ : , v H ieavlnessjof. Entire market bore down on" the ariiuserijent list during thb week ending Monday; (11); and numerous stocks in the grdiip fell to new jows for 1935.. The Amuser -J-ment-^oup^verjigesr-Anlshed—thc- week near the bottom at 25%, down 1.50 points.. The. low point .. was ^.J slightly above .24%. . .Sar.Uer. ln the .weel;;~tiierie-Wasva show of strength • with - the result - that the averages went up to 26%. .. .. Despite the . weak : showing of . Amuiseriientsv. near .the' flnish; the ~ ""grofiiif a^ aTwh'dltf^ stub- bornly. Even lit- its . closing level, t^" the Ainui^ertierit"' "Grot!t>^ - avferages ' were well abov^ the lows of Pebru-■ ary and-the latter part of January. But the 'apparent wave' of llqul-»^ . dation. sent, seven coitimori stocks and three preferreds In this Amuse- ment list down to new lows for, the year. Even In the facie of this, one new 193& high was hung up "by an Amusement common Jsaue and two .by' preferred, stocks. Tw.d picture, company bonds sulik to fresh '35 low marks. ;-.-V--; ■■ ' ■ . . The lows were made by Conpoll- ■dated Film Industry common, at &, oiff % on the W£ek; Metro^-Qoldwyn- Mayer preferred, at 27, off V* for the week; Paramount certificates, at 27/^, off % net; Pathe common, at BOc, oft i2%Ci; Pathe preferred.A, at ■IS^i off 1%; liadlo common, :at-4%, off %; Radio preferred A, at 60%,. ; off 1%; RK.O, at 1%;"off a.Quarter; ^ Wamft r conrinqh, at 2%V-offi a quar- ..ter;-/Warnier prefert off . (Continued .on page 63) ~ YestefdayV Prices ; • •"■> Net;';"' 'Sales. ^ ' Hleh.I^w.Iiaat.cbKe. 1.2O0 Coli Plct.;. « . 40% 41 . + .*; •-.200-Con.>Pllm. - nu 314 —.,%. 200 East. K.; .llOH 110 110 -1 1,100 Pox- A..V. 0% OH OH- % 22.000 Gen. Bl. .. 7,600 Loew 10,100 P?r. ctfe; aOO Pathe ... 2i;j»>0 RCA .... 1,800 RKO .... 7;400 W, B.'..i. 22%. 21% 2t%-.- H 34H 38%- SSH -IH 800 Tech. W PREVIEWS OUT IN OPEN; I KEEP BUCK JONES ON whREMnfto Hollywood/March 12. dohslderlng Buck Jones the best BeriaV money maker it.bas ever had, Universal Is preparing 'The RoJlr-: -lng^Wcst'4-is-^the:^next/ i chapfer- yehlcle for the western star, to be put" intb ^irbductldn ag soon as lie spmpletes his next untitled. feature under the current contract.- Serial will - probably , be launched ; about April 15, with script being super vised by.; Henry McRae and Ella . O'NelU ifor fall release. Drafting of J^puls Friedlander from the serial department to direct ,The Raven,', his first Universal t^a , ture, leaves .th.e pilot spot on 'Roar .'Friedlander T directed the previous Buck , Jones ciiffesrs, 'Gordon of Ghost City,' and 'R,ed Riders' arid ■ others. ■ MacGowaii Prod. . Aide ■ : On Itedio^^^ ; Hollywood, March 1 kiehneth'; MacGowen will act as associate producer on the. next Ann ilardlng starrer at Radio. Picture Is slated for production late In-May after, player flnlbhes 'Flame Within' at Metro. ' '. ; ;: ]Pr>ducer is currently:'dn lb Pioneer to handle production duties on the technicolor feature, 'Becky ■ jSharp.*-- ■■■:*.■ . ' a:" 2%-. % 13%'IS ;13 -1; . . . ..4% M% 4%- .H ■ .... 1%: 1% 1%.+H 2Ti. •2% 2%--.%., CURB- ... 15 : 14H IB; , , BONDS . • 21.000 ae'n. Th... 7% 7. 7-■ - % 12,000 )Loew. .i.i.104%104% 104%-% 29,000 P-PrI* ctfa 73 ' 7214 7214 — 14 : 20.000-Par-Pub: v; 7414- TSH 73% -r- 32.000 Do c«».. 7414 72% 7214—1% , 8,000 ,W, R;.. . ..: mk 80% 60% - % : • New 1035 low.'' m' FOR COSMO tamp* of China' la Saeond Hearst ■ Pio for WB Hollywood, March 12. Jack- Lr and-Harry M. Warner have closed negotiations with Ed Hatrick, . Cosmopolitan PlctureB' v.-p. for 'Oil for the tampB of China' to, go, put as a Cosmopdlltan picture. iE'lcturo hiaa 10 dayia to. ahoiot and ■vv'ili ■■ be-^he fiecbhd Warner tleup. ; . ' v Hollywood, Marfch 12. .Warners 13 abandoning the sneak preview aa not prod,uctlve of. .the best re8!ulta,js6 far ,an the,JBtudIo la ■coOC!6riiedr-;a'nd-will -hereaW flfst'showing' of its prbduct, qpeniy to th4 pres)^ as a, matter, of pollcyi .: Hithertp, W.arn.er. pictures gerier- all^ got'two or three fliieaks;. biefore pi'ess ogling, Very few actually ran this prelim gs^uritlet' w %ade papeir reviewers beating the gun. '/X - -: ■\"..,.: '^ ' • . : :;• . . • '' ViH Oppose Fibn Co de Oh the ^ve of termlhatibn of pres ent code, which must: be continued through,, a new Act. of Congress ef- fective Juriie 16,'Allied States Asso elation goes, into convention In. At larita May 22-23 prepareid to agitate against the ^lue Eagle -as it applies to the: picture Industry. ' V Fighting tiie CjiSde from the starts- Allied *may~refusiB'::t^a^^ seasments :iMeyoii.d Juii^ 16 .unless better independent representation is ■ received^--.■■ Inside StufM^ :''C;,/'iivv Orleans, March 12. A.; police ::vloo': aquad.jTOlded.:jth«i Crescent theatre, arrested tiiree men for violating the state act aga,lnst immoral motion pictures, and con - Reception of Nelson Bddy In previaw of Waughty Mftrlftta^ <1I-G): has Radio kicking Itself. .Badio was th» flnt atudio obntaoted by SMdy' wben KV oa^^^ tp^he Coi^t: :$tu<Uo-«SMv tiun«d hto of PiiU : Harris, despite tho feict that Bd'dy offered to ,do a plotura icff nothing and algn a .contract, to IJi&pt^ . Eddy taas' been under contract to Me^o for two years, has appoa^rM : III, two pictures but only getting bla fai«o on ttte screen for less tha^ 200'feet ,In that.time, Eddy^has left Hollywood on a concert touf^p^ 22 .key cities. Release of ^ll^arl^tta' will':foUow 'him in these/citleir. -'i;B.ddy .was advised' to line up'' with Metro by lAwrence Tlbbeti^ who/has~guid.ed, htm for -yc«iJn^ as hais Li. B. Magee^ ^ho has been Ekldy^a spohsoi^ on the Metro lot. Publicity heads of the picture companies recently got together In New 'X'orfc to discuss the insi^ stui); Sid Skolsky conUnuously reveals in hia Hollywood; column. It reaches New TorK thro^gix the Dally Newa (tab):. As - a matter of fact, the Aim -hoys. seem . constantly grumbling at the'News. If IVs-not sitolsi<y, lt> the star rating system. In this case the nuijority were rabid over Skolsky tipping off procesS' stulft Who double for the^^tairs and when, how effects are achleyed, oto; Tiiey were-all for going rtb the News ih a body to squawk' un^ company- rep balked. His vleWpblrit was that. the Skolsky reyelatloha were okay and that he'.believed it good publicity. So .unahle to^muster were okay and that ho believed It igood piibHoity. /Unable to muster Minnea.polls« Ma:rch 12. prominent Iridepehdent exhibitors from all over the • U. : S. have ac cepted an - invitation --from W. .A. Stef£es>' president: of^Northwest- Al-^ lie^dr States, to .attend a national symppsUim. or . open forum on the- atre owners' problems here on April 2-3, Those present will also be en- Ti'gh'ti"liieia^""rVgaYdiffg~the^^"-m^^ used Jn, sbn>e territories to ellmina,te percentage deals and- obta,in pic- tures on flat rentals and to buy se- lective contracts. It is pronilsCd; that facts and . figures will be laid ipn the table to absorb and. digest. Steftes ' sa:ys he . will present his resignation as president of North- west Allied-because ill . health for^ bid.*; continued service. Efforts will bo made to combinV the NAS with' the recently. .orgarilzed opposition .Independent, Theatre - Association.' J. B. ^Clinton; prexy of the latter' group, will take an active part in the meeting. . in conneptlon wit h the exhibitors' mij^tlng:', directors of National Al- lied States, will hold a siessioh, and President;" Sydney SaLmuelsbh and Abram. F. Myers, gc heral counsel, will be in attendance. fiscated the phbibplay, 'Children of the $un,' display' posters and stills .which were .eiiiiblted. In. t^^^^ lobbyi ' Trio taken into custody : were Lerby iAhdrews> who,, police said, wasthe .theatre,, manager; 'Samuel Cummingst New. York city, saidj.to be Bn~advahce agent, for- the firms seized, and ' Rert Lewis, Newark, N. i'v whose occupation was; .given as, 'a -theatre manager.' Iiewis protested to Chief of Police Reyer that the fllip, a nudist picture supposedly made in Prance, was educational. / Three ■ performances had been completed when, the cop- pers intervened... Eddie'Chiltendfen,- operator of the Crescent,' brbiight suit in civil court iinme'dlately aifter .the seizure of the fl'im. ;Ip his legal objection, Chitten-^ deri said / 'this " unwarranted move hals'-preventid many Orleanian^ and .yisitoi's ^ijoii' seeing .'an_educatlQnflL and Instructive .exhibit.'.; ; The suit - was sciieduled to be heard. .))efore' J.udge- - Nat "W"- Bond Friday " (8), and a phenomenal in- crease , in cpurt attendance resulted in the .hope that„ the Jurist Would give the' production ilts first senil- publlc showing In his jjourtroom. iAll.. j1irer6lILdlVapfi.olnted,"^:-h when, the suit was continued for one week at the tequest of attorneys of the theatre. Counsel for the the atre Operator later said , his client had—reached;-ajiLagre4ineniLjElth Chief rteyer riot to show' the picture at the Crescerit., ■ y Chief Reyer believes that exposure is a good thing in films, but that there can be cases of 'over-expos ure,' as In the case of 'Children of theSun.' In his original advertisement of the film, Chittenden also listed a bevy of damsels -whose .fittire was to be in. keeping with the spirit of the .film., it . was this, It was said, that made .' the; dhlef look Into < the whole matter; , • ' . Coast stnjdlos estimate it wU^ cost them more, than liOiOOO a week In added salaries for the concessions granted itree lance, actors through the riew . Acadeiiny. contract, and: also :the: cbncesslons'; given . ce.rtalri lahpr_ classes in the reCent revision of the studio basic agreement.' tJnibn. men to get the additional pay are key -men in' the electrical, carpehterlng and prop classes, heretofore on a straight weekly 'Wage :; basis but, 'now allowed time and a, half for byertlme abbyo' 60/hour8 a week: With: two electrician i«;ey! men, one boss standby carpenter :an prop .man on leach unit of production,: It Is fligured this extra overtlnie. therii all-together the; matter^ died-there^; - ; Coast attoi-riey representing Arthur Rosaon, .riiow wprkirig with Beii ilticht arid Charied MacArthur in New York, ia askiriisr Why his client'* nariie .was'not bracketed with John Waters in the Acadeniy; award, for the best ^issistant directlrig of thb year on 'Viva-yilla.' in the originals tiominatlons both were given credit- for aisell^ting, but wheri the final ballots were Issued only the name of Waters appeared. Academy explariatlpn Is that, Metro designated. tliat official credit should go. to Waters.) . Rosaon, ..besides acting as co-ksslstant on. the picture, directed considerable of the footage taken In. MexlCo for the; picture. ■ Setting 'Muslwteers* ^; Hollywood, March 12. , Radjb has fslgn.ed; Rowland V.. Lee to direct the filmusiCal productlpri of'The Three Musketeers.' ; ■ .. Director pulls out this week . for -vacation-cnilsBTto^HonolUlur report- ing to Kadlp In three .weeks to stia-rt casting the pauslcaL . BBISSOFS PIAT TEir - HollywoPd, March 12. Carl Brlsson Is asking-^ leave pf ^ai'amount to/do a play in libndpjiJ Reinhardt's $1,000,000 'Dream' Completed at WB Hollywood, March 12. Max Relnhardt brought In 'Midr suirimer Night's Dream' today (Tuesday) after 11 weeks and at a cost over ,$1,000,000. Hli next' assigntrierit awaits a conference with Jack Jj, Warner, Just returned from New York.' Plan is to roadshow 'Dream' at $1 and (1.60, using about 36 prints to cover the country. : J DIXIE lEE AT FOX ^ : ■■ Hollywood;~March 12.- Dixie Lee. (Mrs. Bing Crosby) has been handed one of the fern me leads in 'Redheads on Parade,* to be pro- duced by Jesse; Lasky at Fox. . She last appeared in Parampunt's 'Love lit Blpom,' and her original film contract <Was at Fpz five or six years ago. ' ■ N.Y/tOLA. ■Jlmmie Durante, Lou Clayton. Albert Dcane; ' Nat N. Dorfman. Molly Lamqnt. Charles Buckley. Wm. Larrigan. , Herb Rawlinson. Jock Lawrence; Eleanor Powell, • Irving Rels. Phoebe Foster. - Andrew Tomble. : Nana Bryant,. , . : Donald MacDonald, Paul Ciuilfoyle.. . ; John C. Flinn. B. B. Kahane^ ,' J. R. McDonough Dave Chaseri. L. A. TO N. Y. George Batcheller. Gait Bell.- — ■ . Margo Grahame.. : Nathan Burkan. Hugh Herbert. Arthur Loew. Maury Cohen. Nell McCarthy. Roger Pryor. ■LllUan Hellman. Attorneys and defendants in the St. Louis conspiracy case are await- ing word as to whether arria,lgrim6nt for purposes of pleading to Indict- ments will be postponed beyond Friday (1«). , ^hls is the date set for ' arraignment, with trial to follow later. Government ha* not been asked to postpone the case,. everyone Involved being anxious to , go forward with it, but declared likely - that the Department of Justice itsel<,,Will order a postponement. Attorneys have been preparing the defense for weeks and are prepared to shove o^ for St, Louis today (Wednesday) or tomorrow. at"the.la|eBt. date crashers at the Mondiy night: shpWings of liew; pictures, at.Sletro's Cpast studio's held especially for writers and 'execs on the lot, will have to find another way of looking at the new product. Other employee* have gradually increased, attendance at the T^oriday night runoffs of two features,'with-the wr axrivihg only to find all seats, taken, Blowoff came when the scribblers squawked and went on record that they would not attend further ahowlnga unless seats are provided. Re-, suit was "a system whereby all writers apply for admission ticket* through the scenario department pfflce, Richard P, Hoyt; Who died at 46 last week, as V.p. of the Hayston* Securities Corp, waa well known in the film trade. As a banker he Was ariiong those flriancial mentors who have been considered sympathetio to the shbw businesa. films particuiarly:^"H^^^ clal adviser of the Skouras Bros, and Sidney R, .Kent, Before the crea« tlon of the Haystone Corp, Hoyt was a partner in Hayden, Stone, down* town ba.nkers. He was also at orie time an officer of the Madison Square C3arden^Corp.,_a_dlrector of Fbx F llrii arid the Skouras theatres. -> Promoter on the Coast, who lined up a group pf yburigatera for school scenes iri a major picture, and thert snatched all Pf the kids' checks, ex* cept eoc he. gave them daily for four days' work, was forced to cough up after investigation by the California labor commlsh. Hays' office Is now trying to find out whether there was any Collusion between the chiseler and casting office aides. L. A. board of educatioA also entered the picture through failure of promoter to get permits-fof the youngsters to work. . * Los Angeles Chamber Of Commerce officials, and other civic leaders, appear concerned with the threat of film men to change their base. C. of G. recently, conducted a. secret, survey tft learn if ^s would be physically possible, without the loss of millions and a production set-; back of six months or more. - : ^; They discovered that it could be done. This data was kept under cpvep and emissaries were despatched to Sacramento to lobby, against the prp^ posed deep tax bite into the picture business. Bank night in the Los Angeles territory still has its supporters, even among those exhibitors who have filed complaints againat competitor* with the grievance board over this matter. ' Holding that In many instances these nights are the best grossers of the week, and often represent. the difference between profit and .loss, ; many theatre men are ready to contribute financially to bank night cases now belrig cbnaldered for Federal court action. Stated on -thO .(Coast, that bank night representatives may also dig Into the bankroll; : Independent Theatre Owners of Southern California now have their long sought representation on orie bf tlie Los'Angeles code bbardB iri the person of R. D, Whltson, Returri to the ranks of ITO, from which ho resigned, last year, by Whltson, and his appointment to the L A* eri.w* ance board to replace Ben N. BCTlnstein, transferred to the z-c board, brought about the representation that ITO has been battling bver for moriths, The Pox Theatres-United Artists deal for the Fox Met chain control may come up bef ore Federal Judge Mack in N. Y. some time next week, Saul Rogers may offer an alterriative plan, ^ :: . . The Fox Theatres' plan encompasses a cash payment of around. 20O on. the dollar to _FM^ondholders, It has been generally known, and i, new bond fpr 660. ; V .■-:^ , • ■:•' ' . , ,;V Major studio engaged a New York newspaperman to go to the Coast .to write a yarn around a secret service man. Reporter was given a two- picture deal with provision for a layoff between stories. , During the glesta period the writer went to another major to concoct a similar yarn for that organization. First company went on a peeve, but news- -. (Continued on page 27)