Variety (Sep 1935)

VARIETY P IC ¥ E S Wednesday, September 1935 Screen Actors and Writers' Guilds Revive Alpingigents^^U Hollywood, Sept. 17. Screen Actors and Writers Guild iwermlpers are working on leading agents and agenCy attorneys in at- tempt to revive the Idea of Guilds and agents getting together on mutually protective rules and regu- lations plus an arbitration machin- ery 10 setU<i I'TS^'dispuiesr Plan i>"5iyiyea~nF"iHBr -week—with- presentation of detailed report from a joint actor-writer committee that has been Investigating the agency situation. Guilders figure, with an eye on possible Wagner la.w recog- nition, it might, be a good Idea "to have the agents on their side. However, Guilds are passing up any belligerent tactics, their insls.^ tence on bringing agents 100% into line having killed sin liar negotia- tions two years ago, Just before NRA. Actor and writer organizations now are figuring on. aligning agents Individually, figuring others will eventually drift In In time. Agents are divided on Guild plan. Expected Guilds will ha-'e a con- crete proposal to offer the percent- ers In a short time, present negotia- tions .being to sound out agency sentiment. $5,000 Naf I Park Fund 'Dovjatioii'-^ Ends- Govt's Metirb-Seqnioa Peeve Washington, Sept. 17. Inal traces of bad feeling be- tween Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and the Federal Government over al- leged damage to Government prop- erty by fllra companies on location In Sequoia National Park were eliminated last week when the studio kicked in $6,000 to the new National Park Trust Fund. Check, first donation to the ncwly- «>stabllshed account for preserva- tion of Historic sites, was teAderied <n appreciation for facilities placed at the comnany's disposal in filming scenes for 'Sequoia,' Interior Depart- ment said. Official sources in<^l- c&ted the contribution will put an end to controversy over the com- pany's liability for various Injuries to park property which flared up several months ago and led to adoption of the policy of requiring producers to post bond before using parks for film purposes in the future. Government mouthpiece tacitly admitted the 'voluntary' donation bore a direct relation to the Gov- ernment's " demand that* M-G-M compensate the Interlof Department and pay share of cleaning up and. repairing ' after departure of the shooting units. One exec said the $5,000 covered all of the Govern- ment's claims with iai margin to spare for ggod will. Although film producers have given the national park system more advertising over a period of years than any other medium; Sriretary Ickes upon assuming oflflce took the position that the Government should be paid for the use of its preserves for film production. "Then when th<* Sequoia incident broke, Ickes and subordinate officials finally agreed to waive the rental fee idea provid- ing studios would post cash guar- antee, same as l3 required by the Army and Na\y, to cover any damages and unusual expenses which the Governnient might sus- tain. Slight Delay Speaking of a procrastlnatr ing eastern test director, Sam Lyons complained: 'I bring him Ingenues, and by the time he's ready for a test they're chafi^cter woqjen-,', ; PARAMOUNT ON WRITING DEAL WITH PIRANDELLO Hollywood, Sept. 17. Lulgl Pirandello will do the screen play of his own script at Parainount if Ernst Lubltsch okays the Story brought ' to the siUdlo by Frank Orsatti. Metro has the Nobel prize wlnnier under commitn^ent for one story, which would ha/x to be discharged before he ties at Paramount, BbtK Metro, Lasky Ready Film Scripts for S-Hemk Hollywood, Sept. 17. Both Metro.- and Jesse Lasky- Pickford ure rtlshlhg stories for Mme. Ernestine Schumann-Heink, while Lasky's protest to the Hay's .organization over Metro signing the fslnger awaits settlement. Singer comes -to the coast' Oct. 1 for her first picture on..three year contract signed last week with M6. Lasky, who claims. Metro wrong- fully interferred with his negctia- tfoha to sign Mme. Schuniann- Heink, cabled Maurice Hanline, his story editor, to ru6h preparation of a film story to be based on the life of the singer. PAR'S GANARY HEADACHE studio Hunts Fitting Stories As Jepson, Ellis, Natzler Mark Time • Hollywood, feept. 17, A flock 6l headaches at Para mount among writers and execs who. are trying to find story mate rial for the studio's -foiir canaries, Helen, Jepson, Gladys ^warthout, Mary Ellis and Greta Natzler. Studio has assigned Miss iSwarth out as the lead in 'Give Us This Night,' the Jan Klepura picture, However, after that, there's noth- ing .on th.e fire. Meanwhile, the other three operatic warblers arc marking time, hoping a story will turn up. Writer and execs feel that the players all must have; the same type stories which are tough enough to find for one singer, let alone trying to fix up a quartet. Sternberg Draws 5 Yr. Pact with Columbia Hollywood, Sept. 17. Josef von Sternberg has been tabbed to a five-year contract by Columbia to direct minimum of two pictures yearly during that period. Director was signed by Horry Colin after getting a flash of first preview of 'Crime, and Punishment" at Santa Barbara last week. Played in *Ghosts,' H€'ll Now Script It Hollywood, Sept. 17, Charles MoNau^htbn, who played the lead in the original production of "Three Live Ghosts,' wartime play, gets his writing break in Hollywood- thi-6ugh being fengaged by Metro to write the screen play of the stage production.. McNaughton has been acting in pictures for several years. Donohue-2dth Cancel Hollywood, Sept. 17. Jack Donohue recelv>d cancella tlon of his contract with 20th Cen- tury-Fo:^, which has 10 Weeks to go, He had .handled the dance numbers for 12 pictures at the ptudip-during the past year. Donohue was brought fropi Eng- land by Winfleld Shechan on con- tract that gave studio privilege of using him as a writer, director, producer and player. E. E. NASEL, F. A. Hollywood, Sept. 17. E. K. Nadel, former writer and producer of vaude acts, has been named publicity director of Mascot- R(3PUbliC. Succeeds Jack Hess, who is .set for atiother .studio. FAR AETEB NIESEN Hollywood, Sept. 17 Paramount is carrying on long distance negotiations on a termi con tract with Gertrude Niesen liv Chi cago. Lou Diamond planed there front New York to arrange the de talis, Radio and night club singer was teA:>led here' byi the studio when she played at the Continental club three weeks iigo» ..u WILL MAHONEY ^ IN THE WORLD'S FAIR * Bert Ross says: — 'The Great Will Mahoney Is back at the Holborn Empire. This means capacity business for that music ha,ll. Mahoney is the most energetic performer I have ever seen. His vitality and sense of humour are both amazing. Ho is the most en- gaging of all comediaris, his won- derful danV:lhg atop of ia'xylophone upon which he taps out perfect tunes, aiid his quaint-fooling and breath-taking falls stamp him as the king of comedians. Twice night- ly audiences cheer the entertaining little Irish-'Amerlcan with a recep- tion tfia€ has 'seldom' been equalled in tt>is country.' Direction . WM. MORRIS AGENCY Mayfalp Theatre Building New York City PULLMAN FILMS ALL SET TO GO Trana-Lux Moving Picture Corp. project to use moving pictures in specially designed Pullman^ cars has progressed to stage where tiBBts may soon be made over short distances, probably .between .l^ew York and Philadelphia. All me- chanical requirements have been met and equipment and physical details of setup have been success- fully proved by technical depart- ment of Trahs-Lux. Next move will, be installations. Pullman company has remained in background In whole project, claiming that the proposition is that this train show feature will be In the hands and control of Trans-Lux. Officially stated that all the Pullman company will do Is furnish the cars. Capt. Jefferson Davls-Cohh is credited with being the prime mover behind the train picture pro posal. Recently he has been in England, where picture shows on trains are successfully operated mainly on short hauls. Expected that Trans-Lux picture shoWs first will be installed on the crack Urn iteds such as the 20th Century, Broadway Limited, The Chief, Overland Limited, etc. KIEPURA'S NEXT PIC IN REICH AT $150,000 Berlin, Sept. 8. Jan. Klepura, now, in Hollywood ori his first picture fOr Paramount, is expected back here In the'middle of Dec. to immediately start on his next German picture. Though dc clsion on the script is still out, the financial end came to a definite set tl^ment Just before Klepura's sail ing date. For this bl-llngual film Polish singer will receive $150,000, which will be paid him In Polish coin in his own country. ThlS: is the first instance of official yessing to pay ment made to an artist In foreign currency and outside! the German border, which Is usually her metlcally sealed to all money trans fer. Stand-in Stood Up . Hollywood, Sept. 17. Accusing Drs. Dickey, and Casa of malpractice because he was left with a limp after treatment for a foot injury, Eric Pettit is suing for $27,006 damages. Claims he was deprived of a livelihood as stand-in for Richard Barthelmess-.:! ) Can FCC Force iT.&T. to Cont^ue Television on Govt. Tenns-i Charge It A gyy who saw 'Top Hat' early the first vveek' ' like - Muslb Hall, N. Y., phoned the reserved . sieat hoxoffice. asking If he could open a charge ac- count for the run. iroTHTToiwcr VITAPHONE SHORTS Hollywood, Sept. 17. Murray Roth has, been-signed by Warners to become producer-direc- tor of Vltaphone shorts made on the west coast. He will function under the production wing of Bryan Foy. Roth succeeds Ralph Staiub, who has handled, thi producer-director job on shorts at Warners for the past tvfo years and who lea,ves the organization on 'expiration "of.-his contract Nov. 1. T Picture People Named On Rogers Memorial Bd. Hollywood,, Sept. 17» iSeyeral , picture people here have been appointed by Governor E. W. Marland, of Oklahoma, to National Will Rogers Memorial Cprnmlsslon. Group Inclii&e^i lllle Burke, Eddie Cantor,. Mary Ickford, Will Hays, Dt. A. H: Qlannlnl, Frank Lloyd, Joseph M. Schenck, Wlnfield Sheehan, Frank Hawks, Marlon Davles, Jack Warner, Irvln Cobb, Harry Chandler, Cirleton Burke, Fred Bixby and Oscar Lavfler. STILL AFTER QUINTS Lloyd Would Take Production Crew/ to Canada if Okayed ollywood, Sept. 17. . Paramount; still hopes to be able to Photograph the DIonne quintu- plets for a sequence In the Harold Lloyd starrer, 'The Milky Way.' Proposition Is no^y up to Canadian government officials for final deci- sion. If deal offered by Paramount is okayed, Lloyd will fly to Callender, Ontario, with a" sound and produc- tion.; crew to secure the necessary sequences \ylth the quints. Washington, Jept. Fear that the United Sates ^ayt be subjebte<I to a Brittsninonopoly^^ in. . t.M .teljeylslon. field^ ^ .l?a9li.- ground for the stringent i^ohdltlona laid down by the Federal^ommun- icatipns Commission in gij|ntlng the American Telephone & ifelegraph Co. consent to begin .exiprl lenta- tlon with a cHSftXiai cabB between -New-^—YflTk-—-and p|)adeH>hia« Variott learned today. As:'Washlngton heard imports .thej^j A.Ti&Ti will, not go thr|bgh .wljth^-^; Its contemplated ^eld te|s at the^,^^ prfBsent time, a,,iugr,of-.waj(. bet\yeen^^ ^ the Beli system and thj( govern-' ' meht regulatory agencyS was In. prospect,. Stake would b| freedom. of U. S." broadcasters aif theatre \ operator? from complete *tnlndtioh ,.- by English Interests. it Although the question .ol .whether the A.T.&T. will bO* ahWd with..; plans to put the npyel. m)j|ti-circuit ' cable Into'use in field testjiiwas not-.: definitely answered, therejivere In-:,, dications the GOmmish isi^eady tq^i order the cxnerimentu infiated irt , the eveht A.T.&T. shows ^pld feet, and. seeks delay., Commlai^ enjoys necessary, authority, It IsjlifeUeved, to compel the corporatloil to pro- ceed with any developmefit, which may^ hold hope of ImpioTed or cheaper service, ^.Ithougih t^l| prppr.,... osltloh is a matter - of dlsa|i«ement > between lawyers, I loterScruti , The tiommish; however, ^ •patch- ing closely and preparec i to keep ' strict account of wliatever lA*! T.&T. discovers In its ^roppsed New York- Phllly experiments, fearful tljat as soon as bugs t-re eliminated from the process the telephone^' t^rsteirt' ' will go ahead with teported ptihs td"'} lay ^ ■ transoceanic cable altd pip^ images from England. In thU-con-<j^ nectlon, it is a matter of ^t^4e in*''' terest that British interests^'hav*':'* almost a complete mondpolylon plc>»fl* ture-sendlng outside of the'i.trnltcd StateSi tw Should the A.T.&T. desli-' (Continued on page Ziy Monte Carlo Russ Ballet Film-Minded, Due Oc^9 David Llchine arrives next week In advance of the Monte Cairlo Bal- let Russe troupe,, tp make a hurried trip to the Coast on a tentative pic- ture deal. He made a short fdr Frank Tuttle at Paramount last spring, during the company's eri- gagement in Los Angeles, and it may be spotted In a forthcoming re- lease for a specialty, Llchine was the only dancer to win any special attention from the studl'o scouts, out of the entire com- pa;ny. Ballet's N. Y. season opens Oct. 9 at the Met. Landi Opp Fairbanks Jr. Paris, Sept. 8. ilssa Ij^ndi, now making .English and French versions of 'Koenigs- mark' for Rioger Rlchebe here, has signed with Marcel Hellman in Lon- don to make a film there opposite Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Distribution will be done by Uni- ted Artists, BANKER'S 31/a YE. OLD IN PEC Okla;homa City, Sept. 17. Darla Jean Hood, years old, has left for Hollywood to join Hal Roach's .Our Gang. Joe Rlvkln signed the kid up when she was taken to New York by Kathryri Duf- fy, local dtinclng school operator. Darla Is daughter of Leedy, Okla., banker. FIXING 'PEEFECT GENT' Hollywood, Sept. 17. Metro puts 'The Perfect Gentle- man' back Into work this week for aiidltlonal scenes, with Tlni 'Whelan, who made the picture, handling the chores,!'' Newsreelers Like Newsmen on Hoots, Reel Exec's Q^iiion International photographers' un- ion is holding oflt temporarily In its proposal to obtain a deflnlt) un- derstanding from newsreel com- • panles as to what constltutes^Work- Ing hours for the newsreel ciamera grinders. It Is unlikely that ^ilther'- side will move to seek a de^tiitlon of what constitutes these hours on duty until after the present''argu-' ment' over boothmen'.s scale .is set- tled In New York area. Cameramen have been' liifcpeful ever since the NRA folded wat a' definite Interpretation of working. hours might he obtained. ' " ■ Attitude of one newsreel execu- tlve, as expressed this week, Ik that news canriera grinder's time and .,' hours of actual Worlc closely re- semble those of newspaper report- ers. In otlier words, he felt tljat. newsreelers. knew no working hpurs, being largely a. matter of asslgti- ment and completing of that taski SAILINGS Sept. 21 (New York to London), Mr. and Mrs. George Dickenson' (Britannic). Sept. 19 (New York to London), Alexander korda, Sir Connop Guth. rie. Etienne Pallos, Fred Heren- deen (Berengarla). Sept.. 18 (Paris to New York), Louis Nlzer, Jiack Alicoate (Nor- mandie). Sept. 14 (New York to Paris), Laudy Lawrence, Pierre Mypteu^ , (Lafayette). - , S.ept.. 14 (New York to Gfinoa), Mrs. Gabriel He.ss .(Conte Grande), ^ Sept, 14 (Los Angeles to New York), Lucille Ball (Talamanca). ARRIVALS Alma Gluck, Marcia Davenport, Miriam Jordan, Wallace Beery, Be- nlta Gould, Felix Feist, Robert Rit-" chle, Harry Foster, Val Parnell. Lou' Wolfson, Mrs. Sol Hurok, Alfred J. McCoskei', Jack Kennedy. Jack Con- nolly, Charles- K. Gordon.' ■•'