Variety (Apr 1935)

Wcdneflday? -Aprll-8, -1935 Kohnp FI(M:k Imports* ; llgerth '■Paul JCohner left for Hollywood Friday (29) • to become an agso- cl'ate producer on tjhe Universal lot. He has been producing for U In Europe for a, number of years, but will ^hefeafter devottt himself to the Coast exclusively., :H0 -will bring considerable talent over from Eu rope to wbrk In his films and de- vote himself especially to fllms- with on European dales angle Among the first Kohner Imports will, be Wlljy Forst and Anatole Liltwaic, dIriEctors; Both borne froin , German films 6rlglna.lly , but have beeii w.orklng In London iand Vienna of late. Also, Universal will, have Martha Eggerth In the near fi)ture< Miss Eggerth Is a slnger-a:etress, and currently a big b.6, name on thie continent Kohner expects LItwak and Forst to arrive In the U. S. about mid M^iy,; w:lth Miss Eggeth. to follow soon afterwards. By that time he hopes to h ave several ■ stories la id KIDS' SCREEN CREbiT put and.will start operations pronto, Kohner hds with hliri; a nuipber of .European stories and several Eu rppean-fllms. .L:Theso films, for re- make versions, may or may not be made by hlmJ Idea,, as a,t present ; laid out, Is for Kohner to pick Eu tbpean yarris wherever and however he can. These, then^ will be. given a- (Hollywood studio o.o.- from an American standpoint. If satlisfylng, they will be made, theory being that they will thus be internationally sales-worthy. Actual-details oh op: eratlon will be figured i.out: during confabs this week between Kohner and Carl Laemmle on the Coast. Max Jfart Out ?s U's Eastern Talent Scout Sehpel Marks for Pic 8K6w Attend- anca; 'Dayid,' 'Sequoia' Listecl Hollywood, April 2. ' Sichoor kids can now, go to pic^ ture shows iind get school credit .for'lt. .. ■ Through i Hays offlCia tie-up with the Natipnal Council of Teachers of English, study guides are. being printed to be distributed to schools a^ basis for. lessons; ■ Pictures from the classics or of an educational nature are the only films to be utilized In this system of classroom study. So far .'David Copperfleld' and .'Sequoia^ have been lisedj third In the list is, to be 'Les Miserables.' > Hollywood. April t First showing of Max Reln- hardt'ia 'Midsumin^ Right's Dream,' At the Warner studio, ran fduf and a half hours. 'Problem among studio execs Is how to reduce the footage without ^lUnr tbe professor's Impending honeymppm SPENCER TRACY Paris, April 2. . Paramount Is trying to buy up all the.rlghts to 'Carmein' for film'pur- poses, and is bumping Into trouble here. Has contacted the heirs o'f George: Bizet, composer, <i,and: Hi Melihac and L. Halevy, librettists, with ah agreement reached .for the payment of (45,000. Local publisher, Choudehs, how- evier, l3~Btill holding oiit and refuses to Jet the deal e<> through. Believed he win conie around soon, however. Another American film ; concern, unnamed,. Is contacting local music eifeies-tipan-at-temp t t o buy r lghtg for 'Tales of HofCmari,' by Often- baich.- ■?■ > Hbllywoody April V : Speincer .Tracy wfUi given bis re- lease by Fox thlfl afternoon .(Tuesr day),, contract having a year and a haU- : to run. . .H« was immediately signed by Metro for one year. ?racy^HyIft-^o six plc turwi." for Metro within th* year and is to be starred^ Hla llrat at bulyer City will he lUtt Rair for Irving Thalberg;-■ Led Morrison arranged the deal. With ho overtures toward a coih- promim of: Jmm U Laaky's .claim against Panunount having bettii made, hearing oh: tha clalni will be held oh Maiy 27. . It had been sched- uled ^ corn* up befor* Special Master John B. Joyc* In New Tork next Monday (8) but postponement -waa-made-ln-order-thaf:-«iA p<>iTitlonB- PICK LOUISE McNAMARA American Pianist .Tested by G«U' ' mbnt-British in London • London, March 24. . Louise McNamara, wlio came over here to thump the IVprles to the taps bf. Mann, Robinson and Martin, the . American dancers, is likely to liand a film contract. A; Gatimont- Brltish scout watched the aot at the Hoibom Empire, but the only one who Interested him Was the piano tickler. . : ;.Gal Is being trimmed for a spe- cial film test, and has been told to disregard; any prbppsltlbns coming to her from any. other source, .as she is: Just the type G-B has been huhtlng.for a long time. RHODES'^BPIC Pittsburgh, April 2. Walter Huston, here In 'Dods.- wbrth,' completed : arrangemientB over the weekend to make a picture for .Gaumont-Brliish In England this summer. Story, now In prepa- ratlpn, Is based on . life . of Cecil Rhodes. ■.:.■:■;■ 'Dpdswbrth'; closing Its present tour May 15 and actor will sail twp weeks later. Michael Baicon, now oh the Coast, Is expected to stop In Detroit Friday (5) on his wayiback east to^ go: over final details with Huston, Los Anp-eles, Aprll l. On; the ■ heels of his refusal. t» abide Jby the Academy* aJibltratloB award in a salary dispute with .Uni- versal; Wa^fehHymer has taken the case lhto Superior Court on a (iomplalilt for (3,600 dp,niages toe asserted broken, contract. Hymier, in hls.complulnt. contends that U promised. him . (1,000 p«r \yeek on . a : pact for playing in 'Straight from • the Heart,' but. that the. studio refused tP allow blm to work when he showed : up. Plctur* was three and one-half weeks Ih ths malklhg, on. which the adtor bases his money demand. : Universal In Us represehtatloos before the Academy, ou which thf studio was given the award of 6w« Ing the. complainaht npthing, gay* specific reason why Hymer was al-- legedly; not ready tP work. It is this case Pn which Superlmr Judge Robert W. Kenny refused to . sustain the.Academy finding, on tbs ^rbimd-th at as th e court Ketdthatiaiisr aqtor Is a laborer In his cohtractuol relations with a studio and. Is thereforia not amenable to the Call- :ornla staltute providing for afbitra- tlpn disputes. It is upon .thl« sthtuto that the Abadeihy . conclllatlpil clause Is based. • . .Kenny ruling ph the Issue Is duo to go to higher court on appeal, ael« cording to Attorneys Loeb, Wa,Ucer & Loeb for Universal; SuperitMr Court action was filed through At- torneys Milton M. Golden and Ar-" thur Kaufman who also secured tho labor . characterization of ah actor from Judge Kenhy.. PRINTEMPS-FRESNAY NIX HOLLYWOOD BID : Max Hart Is put as eiastern"^ talent scout for Universal after, three months. Jerry Sackhelm, story •^dltor^at—Univerisal^Ityr^ho-has •been in .the east for t^P last two weeks seeking material for 1935-36 product, rem.a-lns both east and west ccntact. uhtll an eastPrh head Is .chosKtn to follow Hart. Leonard Splegelglass, s6enarlo •dltpr,^ at' Universal City, still re- ttalns^as head ^^^^ stojry staff, . Hart returns to agentlng." STILL NO CHINEE Metroes Hiint for 'Good Eiarth' Leads Not Over Yet; 200 Testa ■ , Shanghai, March 9. Metro - is" still looking for local leads for Pearl Buck's 'GoPd :Earth.' Three months' sea,rch has failed to - stlifhulafe successful applicants for patts Pf Olan and Wang Lung, a!!- thdugh 200 Chinese males- and femme.s ha.ve been tested. : Mpit failed because of stature . and limited k.npwiedee.of EngHshi . Giarland Wants tb Say Hello to Queenie Smith Robert Garland, N. T. World- Telegram drama cricks fs off to ; Hollywood April 11 but .only for a week's stop ahd, a look-see* John J. Wlldberg, the£rtrlcal; attorney, will make the trip with him and both . will fly back and forth, t6- -—ter-nlng-TWIthln^-arXviee^ ttfrlblVfe to for Marx Bros, to Gauge Pic Bits Before Rhmng . • Los Angeles^ April i. Four weeks' personal appearance tour of the Three Marx brothers, to try out sequences - from their next, untitled, picture, gets under wa:y April 11 at the Orpheum, Salt Lake. Trio will be supported by a cast of 2P, It Is believed first time that sequences of a forthcoming picture will be tried out for aiidl ence reaction before filming. Following Salt Lake, unit plays a, week . each in thie Paramount,. Se- attle; Paramount,'Portland, and the Orpheum, San Francisco.. Supporting cast Includes ''Olga Dane, Uasel Hayes, Dorothy Chris- tie, GrAce Astor, Marlon Bell, Lu- ther Loobyar, Colin Ferrett, Mark ebok, ^etty Verue, Nayneen Fer- rlll, Dolores Fladers, Tudor Wil- liams and Jean Biirt. Garland^s purpose, he says. Is to say;, hello to.- his • wiifc,- Queenie -r-^mitlv"Ow-o n the ParaniQuiit lot. ' ANNA ziaiiaiBK D ~ " HollyN^rood, ■ A^lV 2.'~ Anna May Keeler, 19, sister of Ruby Keeler, wife of Al Jolsori, died March 31 here from a complication of diseases afteir seven months' 111- : ness. Services will be held* tomor- :tov f . (Wednesdiav). " . . Par Picking Own Hollywood, April 2. Second defection In: ranks 6f ■Wampas In the choice of baby stars has Paramount picking its own, in- -dependeht-pf-t-he-press-agent-outfltr Fox will also trot out Its debutantes this year as before.. LT?3-^bleomlhg s t a r l ets Bu f ar picked Include Rita Cansino, Frances^ Grant, Rosina Lawrence and Barbara Blane. ASMETTA'S PEBSOHAL APPS. Henry Armetta, Italian film comic, under contract to Unlverisal, starts a p a. tour April 12 at the Academy, N. Y., going from there to the Mlch- ' Jolspn; In New York for .a now radio series, -was held east by p6or fiyirtg: weather. If. not leaving Mon- -dairll-jrraarintended, he couTdifr.nje back In time for- his flr.st broadcast in N. v. .this Saturday (6). ' ' : Hollywood, April 2. I'roston Foster .hag been given a Radio termer, and is assigned to 'The Peacemaker,' . Richard' Dlx starrer which Charles Vidor dlre'cts. TgaivT)etrolt, April 26. Deaf set 'by John Sjchultz, pf Fanchon & Marco, :at $2,000 per week. . ^ ,' Armetta Is also booked for one -weelr^for- toie-WTTsrayTS or 10, wIlH' thp house not set, via Matty Rosen. HEBBEET SKIPS HUB P A. Hugh Herbert,, tentatively set for another p.a. week for Paramount In Boston April 19, scrams back to the Coast unabls to fill the date, Herbert is ekedded to start * War- ner pis April 15. could be taken In CallfombL , Par trustee will oppose the Xasky «lalm for $2S2,000 on alleg^ breach of contract. - ■ SamueL-lMeluir-oeHH>iins«l-fpr-the Par trustees,. spent several weeks on the Coast recently but did not talk to Laskjr boneemlng a possible settlement Xasky. defendant In two different dlrcKstors suits also, has not been served so far. 'Chaiidl ScfaodF Reyamp Efollywood, April 1. Parambunt's next for Jos Pehner will be H^oUegs Edueatlbh.' Screen play Is being written by Walter de Leoa «uid Frances Murphy. Picture was made silent as 'Swestls.' Orig- inally It was the play Ths Charm School.? : W^ pfeturs will be Jack Oakie, Fred MacMurray, and: -possibly Ginger Rogers If a loan deal can be made with Radio. Nprmah Taurog will direct KarlofPs Britisk Film Hollywood, April 2. Boris Karloft goes to England to niake at least one picture there, fol- lowing his commitment: for "Black Room Mystery* at; Columbia. Karlpft: la currently In Unlversal's adaptation .of Poe's "The Raven,' which Btin has several weeks to go. This concludes his presient contract with U, but he has signed for two pi ctures for t he i93S-«« sieajioii, with privileges of outside features. Harg. SuUaTan in British Pic to B^^^^^ Meggedlm^lllenna , London, March 24. Clement and Garrat, literary agents and play brokers, who had a share In "For Ever,' a, play -writ ten by Noel Langley, a young South African, and based on the life of Dante, which flopped In the West End some months ago, are going In for. picture producing. . . .. ; First will be story written , by Walter ReJc^, who helped to direct 'Maskerade.' an AuiStrlan picture, that Is cleahing. up_.he.te. jtndjEhlch has been bought by Metroi ■ Cables ^re gbihg back and forth for the services of Margaret Sullai- vian, with Carl Laiemmle finally hav- ing agreed on loaning, the star,: pro-', yldlng the terms are. right. Picture will be niade In Vienna; hut despite locale : will be done In, English/ with a dubbed Viennese version. • UnderstpPd firm has private baclt- Ing.. ; Yvonne Prlntemps and Pleite Fresnay sailed back to Frahce oi Saturday (30) aftPr rejecting a one* picture deal with Reliance Picturem. Deal^had-bVeh all set, iQcludlhg Miss Printemp$' privilege to have a last say on the story. She didn't Ilk* •the yarn when'she Ippked at It Couple #111 do a pipture In Frtuuf pronto and may also do i leglt the- atre. Both hope to return to N. T, in the summer and oiay then tab* up a. Hollywood deal. ~TO as W ABTB L A IL ::■ ■■;■. ' - Paris, AprU I. Francis .Ai Mangan has wired Hollywood In hppes of getting Laurel and Hardy for personal: ap- pcaranceei'here.;"'' Wanta them to show at the Rex, stage mansfgement of which he took over again last-week. : Mangan, In Paris, obviously hasn't heard yet «boat the split In the comedy team. Affli VOi flUEUSICAU Jack Powell, the trap drum single, gets a picture chance with Para- mount In. May.; going Into Burns and Allen's 'The Plot Thickens.'. Set by the Morris "oirace. "■ Another Taude oot golhg Hlms, also with Per Mt thrbiish Morris, is the KlchoUi Broi., engaged for 'The :Blff ..BrMddMI/'.. Gene Fowler, his -wife, mother-in- law and three chlldreh, all leift New York yesterday (2) for a three to four month tour pf the world.. Scrib- bler had been In New York from the -Fo\vle^'B first Idea #as. to hop a freighter wandering around the ■w>i4dr-but^e-Pould n't flnJ any going out Just at tills time and going to the places he wanted-to. visit. So he hopped . a small boat to Irpland; arid will Mrander ph from there, as fancy mpyes him. TAT (UBN^ Hollywood, April 2, Helga Moray,_EnKlli3h actrjss, and Tay Garricft,''flihi''dlirep to?," were re - married March 31 In Yiima, Ariz,, after a ceremony a,board the Gar- hett yacht four months agp. -r-Metro: director- was- recently" di- vorced by Patsy Ruth. Mllliir;;' ^ BOBSONrXNIGHT STAY ON Hollywood, April 2. Metro picked up options for one year more on. May Robson and June Knight. Latter gofes into 'Broadway MtU- ody as dance partner with Carl RandalL Trade H«r(|VReglaur«d . FQVNPBD BT SIUB SILVBnilAN Pnbllfhed_Weeklr.by TABIKTI, Ise. Sid'silvtrmaB, PrMldeot 154 WMt 4tth Street, New Tork qty SUBSCBIPTION Annual..,. v. .18 Forelga...... ,|T Slngl^^Coplee............. ..il Ceata Vol. 118 No. i INDEX Bills ..v.;. Burlesque 'Chatter ...., ExplPltatlon .,. 15, and 60 Years » • • •. s '. • •••.««•«• e 9 . .60- Ago.. 61 63 61 21 48 •.... *■* FTltn Reylews,..;., jFbrielgn Film News.. . ... .14,- House RcvlewH. Inside—-Leijlt' ... Inslde--MuHlc .;. > U.^;.. . .46- Inslde—Pictures: .. Inside^—Radio Legitimate ,. * r... ■. .■..'..'. .62 Literati • Music.. wi...................4C New Acts News from the Dallies. -.; Nite Clubs;.... Obitiiary V.. /..,.,; 1,,,,.. :Qutdpoi:ai::. v^rVrr; rr; ."t^vV; ".' Pictures .,: i.., /;/. .;. ,:...; . 2 RadloV;.,...si. liafllo—Chalter .;;.; -. Itadio-r-Xew IJusintvss.... • Tlii'llo—Reports ....:.v. .:... ■ Kadl0:;^Showman.s))lf)..;..:. Tl'rncs Square . . ... . . Units . Vaudf vllle .. . ...•,. , .,.,;.18■ Wonien - y.. .'. ; ., ■ V 17 15 i6- 19 66 47 41 S6 57 a.- 50 59 .40 , •63" i!3 •15 43 'U 38 46 5d 60. no 68