Variety (Sep 1935)

VASIETY PICT E S 'W^ednesday, September 25, I9I3S 39 Orgaiiizations on Coast To Safeguard Picture Works pllywood, Sept. 24. Few industries are surrounded by as many offlclal organizations to loo^t af.ffiT thti .byslnie5;s,]nterests and social and econdmic welfare of those within .its gates as motion pictures. Every corner, in^ Holly wood houses some organization or group whcfse business it is to see that Its mem- bers get ti{<^^oyerblal square deal. -It~Btarts"Wlth thosfr-at--4h©-4«p^ with their Academy-of Motion Pic ture Arts and Sciences and the Producers' Association, works all the way. down to the Studio Utility .Workers, J9 in all . , That. they, chart courses which continually cross ea.ch other means nothing. They go-their separate ways, crossing each others' pa.ths, satisfy, their, members that some- tlling. is, being done for their par- ticular cause.. Where other fndustrl^s maintain (L. trade association governing the employers, and the various unions reipresent the employees, motion pictures has an ori^anlzatlpn repre- senting practically' everyone em- -ployed ill the business. Just to Mention a Few For actors, there is the Actor's Guild, the Junior Actors Guild, Equity, and the Actor'a Branch of the. Academy. On. the social side, there is the Mayfair, the Domlpoes and the Masquers. For Producers there-, is their Academy Bi-anch -and the Producers' Association. There are also thfl~Pt'odu'c§V-Actors and- Producer.rWriters 5-5 Gominiittees. Cameramen have their union and ialso the- American Society of Cinematographers. Assistant di- rectors 'and laboratory workfers both have their unions besides their social cliibs. Separate unions handle the affairs of; costumers, make-up artists, plasterers and cement flnish- ■ers, electricians and sound en- gineers, studio technicians, trans- ■portatioh drivers, scenic artists and carpenters. In case these eroucs are .not sufflclehtly represented by their various unions, there ia the Studio Labor Committee. ' 'Not to Overlook Politics Screen writers have their Guild; studios even have a Democratic Club. Agents have their association •and there's an agents branch of the Academy. There's a Location ■Bureau to handle locations and a. Location Mens' Association to see that they are treated riglit. Central . Casting looks after the .extras and bit people. Hollywood Studio - Club provides a home for girls employed in , pictures. A.8- Bistance. League and Motion Picture Relief Fund look after.the indigent .In: pictures.- Society of Motion Plc ture Ehglneers is>aAother o cial or gahlzation . taking - in ■ technical heads. The 233 Club is a Masonic organization within pictures. Despite all of these governing and 80cial bodies,- picture industry is continually fighting within its gates, neither organizations nor in- dividuals being able to chart a straight course. SiP.t: Your Ticker -Daylight .Saying Tline ends "Sunday. (JJSj at 2-a.m. It's 'daylight losing time,' so the clocks go back one hour. Jafl_Kie|ara Film Kidded Monte Xarlo^ Whicli Burns Plenty Mon(e Carlo, Sept. 15^ Victim of a scenario "writer's whim, Jan Kiepura cannot hope to se«i his name added to the; list of famous tenors' who have sung at the Monte Carlo Opera. Kiepura. was very much 'periaona, grata' in Monte Carlo until Gau- mont-Britlsh made hi do *My Heart Is Calling.' This plc pokes a good amount of fun at the' Monte Carlo institution and at it's, direc'- tor. Monte Carlo . Is sensitive, ..so Kiepura was blackiisted. Henry" Holland, of .'the Monte Carlo' G&zette, "Principality weekly,! In a blg-IeadofC article blames Kie-] pura for what he calls, 'the serious; digs at the Monte Carlo Opera,'and considers it a clear case of 'spite/ work.' Wrath of the casino moguls has^ now spread ..to^ films in generai.' When DOuglas Fairbanks,- Jr., came" down here to do some exteriors for 'Th^ Water Njjmiph' (WB), storjr having a Mont«i Carlo background, municipality at first. refused the cohipany permission to turn the camera cranks. Only after the authorities had seen a halstily made translation of the script Into. French, to assure themselves- it contained nothing to discredit the Casino, were the filmites allowed to proceed. And the director had to give his word of honor that nothing would be subsequently changed in the story to permit the introduction of criticism of any Monte Carlo institution. Newsreds Elaborate Safari to Cover Italo-Ethiopia Hostiliies That Big If Still Suing After That HVood Cafe Skinnish WILL MAHONEY The Ldnddii' Bvenlne Times said: "He's the hardest. wbrklncr, most versatile, funniest guy you could meet'In- a week-end's hltch-hikin? (Just to be up. to date). He not only digs up the audience en masse with his dancing (on .stage), but he breaks them Into tiny pieces with his 'dancing (on^ xylophone), stirs them up with his dancing (with fe- male, partner), and leaves them a hopeless, helpless, gurgling mass with his singing, especially of 'Lily'." Direction WM* MORRIS AGENCY Mayfair Theatre Building New York City Beikel(^WiD Face 2d Degree es A. J. BALABAN SETTLES WITH FAMILY IN GENEVA Greneva, Sept. 24; . A. J. Balaban, residing at a villa here. Is committed to the Swiss country almost for life. His.three children are attending Switzerland schools, and the former Chicago showman has been instrumental in raising-funds for the* second Chrls- < tian Science church here. Balaban passed through Geneva •for a day some years ago and de- termined to come back, and stay longer, chiefly because of its geo- graphical appeal; Weitzenkdrn Loses To Metro on Contract LOs A;igeles, Sept. 24. Louis Weitzenkorn failed in his attempt to collect $1,343 from Metro which he claimed studio owed him on contract. He has been ordered to pay. costs of lengthy proceedings in municipal court. Writer's complaint declared he should have received $5,000 for five weeks Work but, Instead, was p.ald but , $3,666.66. Difficulties aro.se When writer, assertedly lon.^lng for Kew Yorlt, walked before job was completed. He had been here help-; iiig Gene Fowler on 'Tlmberline.' Lbs Angeles, Sept. 24. i3choes of the free-for-all Uew Year's Evj in.the Troc-Jdero caf«t in HoIIyw^uod are heard he»'e. again in a suit for $(i,7E0 damages flir>d in Superior Coui-t by Roy Chanelor against Dave Eisner. Writer's suit charges that his nose was knocked out of .line, thai; he was forced to pay heavy iiaedlcal bills and. kept out of work a,3 result of injuries he suffered during fistic encounter. Lon Young recently won Judgment against Mrs. Chanslor for hurts he received in same melee when" a thrown glass caught him in the eye. Hollywood, iSept. 24. Busby Berkeley, film dance direc- jtor, must, stand trial o;i two charges of second degree murder, the out- come of an auto crash in which two,persons were killed.and Berke- ley severely Injured. In changing the charge from manslaughter. Judge Call said, 'evidence shows clearly that probably a greater crime than manslaughter has b^en committed.' Berkeley was released On (10,000 ball. Hollywood. Sept. 24. Armed with pei^^^^^ appear* ance offers aihid 'a bhe-pi'cture contract for Max Baer, Leo^ Morrison planed east for New, York )ai3t Thufsday (19). No dice If he loses. Fairlie Abroad on 1st Fox British Pic Hollywood. Sept. 24. Gferald Fairlie leaves here next week for England to script 'Bottled Verdict,', first of 20th-Fox British productions.' Picture will be pro- duced by John Findlay, who re- turned to England several weeks ago after six months at the studio getting a working Idea of American production. Original story is by W- P. Lips- comb. Al Parker will handle the direction. Reverse Crime Fix Nipped Hays Office Calls Halt on Rifi^teous Angle of Gangster Films Hollywood, Sept. 24. Reverse angle on criminal or gangster pictures, whereby law en- forcement groups clamp down on the wrong-doers, is banned under new ruling laid down by the Pro- ducers Association. Board of directors of the latter organization passed resolution" rending: 'Crime stories are not to be approved Avhen they portray the activities of American gangsters armed In violent conflict with the law, or la%v enforcing officers.'' Ban virtually becomes an amend-1 ment to the production code, under which purity seals are issued by the Jof) Breen organization. Latter has been Instructed to turn down any pictures that'violate the ne.w order, and to also delete seauences In reg- ular run of pictures that go against llio ruling. •However, in-voting for immediate operation of the resolution, large lunnUer of pictures were speqlfically oxemiitcd as being finished, under .way'()r so far along that companlfes would suffer heavy .losses. Readers Become Writers Hollywood, Sept. 24. Earl Feltoh and Charles Trumble have been snatched from the War- ners reading department and given staff writing assignmenta under production wing of Bryan Foy. Felton's first script, in collabora- tion with deorge Brlcker, Ig 'Fresh- man Love,' which Frank McDonald directs. Trumble is doing a solo original, 'Prison Far !' Blake Ends Daf oe Yarn Hollywood, Sept. 24. ChaMes Blake of the Chicago American statt, brought here on five-week deal by 20th-Fox, winds up with the studio next Saturday (28) and retiu'ns to resume his con- tract with the Hearst daily. 'Writer came oirt for the studio to work on development of his-original story, <The Country • Doctor,' based on the llfft.of Dr. Alan Dafoe. Stalig?^(SI^^ Ethiopian Film Entry, Deal Set by Cable Hollywood,. Sept. 24. With all ma:jor studios looking for stories on which to base picturies with Ethiopian background, Darryl Stenuck has" closed, with Laurence Stalllngs for latter's original, 'Gibraltar,' llj rush produc- tion. StalUngs' story Idea'was sold to Zonuck by- Myron Selznlck, the writer's' agent, from brief outline supplied by .cattle, in addition iq preparing a complete story and script, Stallings Is dii;ectlng ca.mera crew r in securing atmosphere* and background shots. Stallings is now in Ethiopia for Fox Movietone News. Paramount, has closed for distri- bution rights to a six reel travel- ogue feature under title of ^Ethiopia Speaks.' Picture was made in Ethi- opia by ^T. Weschler, Swiss pro- ducer, wfio croissed through tiie In- terior of the country with a safari. John Hammill, studio censor con- tact, is handling production super- vision of the picture, which is being recut preparatory for sound track music and descriptive background. Garnett Weston is writing the dia- logue; Gayne Whitman will handle the recording.' Paramount gets the picture for the entire world outside of England, as Weschler previously sold the British-rights; New Bartholomew Pact Calls for $1,250 Week Hollywood, Sept. Metro has substituted a new year's contract for the old one with Freddie Bartholomew which ups the English youngster's weekly salary by $1,000 Old figure was $250 per. New arrangement is a straight one- year deal which also permits Bar- tholomew to make personal ap- pearances, up to maximum of 18 weeks, with Metro having first call and subject to picture assignments. Deal was made direct between Metro and young player, latter hav- ing no agent. Bartholomew's p.a. figure is $5,000 per week, since lad got $3,000 per at the Capitol; New Y'crk, with 'David Copperfield.' With outbreak of hostilities be- tween Italy and Ethlopio e:tpected mbmentarily, riewsreel o ces j ih" New "York hummed with activity as each company^itteinjitedjto perfect a system of tfahspoft '^hi'ch* would' bring film firpm the" battle\fronts to this cotintry with minimum amount of delay. 'Estimated that it •wi.U require two .weeks to get newsreel shots.from ■Etitiopia-''to-Nr 7yT,-^rovlding- eon*— panics get all the breaks en route. Many of these will tiran^porj^. to Djibouti, seaport town "ip French ..Somallland.:;.then_to Cairo ?ai.4iha to London ito, catch .liners; for| Amer- ica. Train service .on 'p,ne rajlfway connecting Addis Xbaba, capl^i^. of Ethiopia, . operates ^ int^rmitti^tly with the result that many' neijiysj^eel officials plan to shlp.yia^£?act6i; oyer this route.' . - - i-i? > After battle footage' has been 6btained,' fllm will be'put on tractors Which travel on the rails'rieft viirapt by cessation of -trstin service.' Sev- eral of the companies have pboled together on transportation of ne'ga- tives in order to cut the cost which undoubtedly ■will be exceisslv.?.'.' Race to get newsreel s;;enes from scene of activities to the U. S. Is expedtea to constitute major'War- fare between the newsreel com^ panics. Many schemes of checkiner oh rival newsreelers already have been devised and seft up. . In the last two or three months, home office' represenfatives of sev- eral newsreel companies have gone to Europe to establish their camera experts and line of communication. Others have.duplicated same acti-vl- ties by using telephone and cable. ASTAIRE'S 2 A YEAR, STARTS WITH NEXT FILM Hollywood, Sept.. 24. EVed Astaire's new deal at Radio reported to Include the prjoviso that hie makfl but two pictures a year. This scl^edule becomes effective with 'Follow.the Fleet,' how, in re- hearsal. . Astaire's first picture, 'Flying Down to Rio,' was released late in '33; since which he has made three more films, If 'iFleet' Is. turned loose in December it will give Astaire. five pictures in. .exactly two years. Contract clause on. the fwo-a- year is a precautionary measure sa that he will not' make top many. Studio already has a story outline on the Astaire flicker to follow 'Fleet.' SAILINGS Sept. 28 (London to' New York) Walter Huston (Bremen). Sept. 26 (New York to Los An- geles); Mr. and Mrs. Carlos Israels (Pres. Pierce). Sept. 26 (Ne-w York to Paris) Benn W. Levy, Constance Cum-; mings, Cliff Fischer, Buddy Rogers, Arthur Woods (NOrmandle). .Sept. 21 (Los Angeles to Hono- lulu) Fred Beetson, Mrs. Trem Carr, Mrs. C. King Charney, Ed- ward Arnold (Lurline). Sept. 21 (London to New York) Ben Goetz, Morris ' Goodman, Paul Robeson, R. C. Sherriif (Empress of Britain). Sept. 21 (Los Angeles to New York) John Warburton, Kenneth Morgan (Santa Rosa). Sept, 18 (Sydney to Los Angeles) Cecil Marks, Frank Graham (Mon- terey). ARRIVALS Jack Hulbert, Jack Connpliy, Jack Allcoate, Louis Nlzer, Walter Bul- lock, Arthur Rodzlnskl, Katharine Coirnell,. Jules Brulatour, Hope Hampton, Jo.s. y. Cohholly, Paul Stein. Cameras Finally Grind On Metro's *Ziegfeld' Hollywood, S^pt. 24. Dramatic sequences for .'The Great Zlegfeld" went before, the cameras last week at Metro, with Robert 2. Leonard dlre9ting, and Hunt Stromberg producing. Wil- liam Anthony McGuIre is acting as associate producer. Oliver Marsh has been assigned to handle photography on the fllmusical. Rogers' Double Goes MG Pittsburgh, Sept. 24. Almost an exact -double for the late Will Rogers, A. A. Trimble, Pittsburgh-Cleveland disti-lct sales- man for Rand-McNally map. com- pany, has been signed by Metro for the role of famous humorist in 'Great Zlegfeld.' He has received a leave of absence from his flrm and departs for Hollywood immediately. Even to the Rogers mannerisms, Trimble is the star's duplicate. He has appeared at several clubs here, dinners and other gatherings in the guise of Rogers. SIMONE'S 2 20TH-FOX PIX Hollywood, Sept. 24. Twentieth-Fox has set SIrtione Simon for the lead opposite Wal- lace Beery, loaned from Metrb, in 'Message to Garcia.' She follows this with femme lead In 'Under Two Fags.' READYING FOR RING Hollywood, Sept. 24, Paramount i.s renrlylii.p:' '■ liytb of the Range* for .BIiir CiosbSr. Jacques Wolfe and J. K. 'T".' writing the tunes. ■A