Variety (Feb 1936)

Wednesilay, February 5, 1936 P I C TIIR E S VARJETY PICTURE STARS Hollywood,. Feb. 4. In Eddie Cantor's 'Strike Me pink' and Harold Lloyd's 'Milky Way* Hollywood sees a decided change. In the attitude pit at least two stars in their contributions to each •;o£ these pictures. ' In both cases, Cantor and IiIoyd> unlike other stars, particularly comedians, allowed other players to take sdeiies, and gave, the director and writers a free hand: in .concocting the pic- ture. Ca.ntor has allowed a number of the people in the .cast to take scenes from him.. Stanley Fields, Clyde Hager, Parkyakarkas (Harry Parke) and btliers top him in many sequences.' Normaii Taurog, the dl rector, had complete' control of'the picture,. Catitor allowing the direc- tor full sway. . Libya's attitude has !be'en ditto; Adolph' Menjou iand aled. Verree Teas'dale both have meaty opppr- tuhlties. .. William, Gargan and Jylonel iStandcr take sis vera! scenes troxn- the .comedian. Leo McCarey; the d""^ctpr. In -this case was the boss. WARNERS STANDS OFF CAGNEY, SPOTS FLYNN Hollywood, Feb. 4. Warners is.standing pat in split with" James Cagney and has spotted Errol Flyn to top 'Robin Hood,' once slated f01'" Cagney.. Cagney's, • salary has- been sus- pended since Pec. 8r Current pact has two yiears to go. StaH Filmed'Town Hall' Hollywood, Feb. 4. Fred Allen's film version of 'Town Hall Tonight* for 20th-Fox Is! be- ing set back until the radio come- dian is ready. He has other commitments. In Support of Shirley Hollywood, Feb. 4. Alice Faye, Jack Haley and Gloria Stuart are set with Shir- ley Temple In 20th-Fox's 'Poor Lit- tle Rich Girl,' Ii'ving Cummlngs will direct. 'Special' Leads Set Hollywood, Feb. 4. Jake Oakie, Sally Eilers and J. Farrell MacDonald are set for Par- amount's 'Florida Special,' skede'd for Feb. 10. start. Ralph Murphy will direct. JiOTH-FOX'S TESTEES Cherry and June Preisser, of cur- rent 'Ziegfeld Follies.' have been Bcreen-t6sted by Fox. J'oe Pincus' eastern talent de- partment' also gave lens scanning to Gavin Mulr and Denis O'Dea, rominent. In ;The Puritan,' folded it show. CEOSBY'S 'BEACH OF DREAMS' Hollywood, Feb. 4. Harry Hervey's 'Beach of Dreams,' purchased by Paramount, may serve as a Bing Crosby starrer. William LeBaron producing. DUPONT'S PAR PIC Hollywood, Feb. 4. E, A. Dupont has been signed by PaTamount to direct Richard VVasli- burn Gbilds* 'Heliotrope.' Goes/ out as 'Forgotten Faces.' Sally Eilers in ^Fla. Special' Hollywood, Feb, ^. Paramount has. signed Sally Eilcrf. for lead in 'Florida Special.' one of the few Inst.inoes the sfinlio lias eone off it.s own lot for topper. Title Switch In the Bronx they've changed the name of the current Eddie Cantor-picture.- Up there lt'$ called 'Strlkei Me Pincus.' mm sp^ com; im Hollywood, Feb. 4"i Heaviest business, ever done by a Hollywood agency was recorded by Myron Selznlck; Inc.j for the first week of this .year. Firm collected $.67,600 for booking for its clients $676,000'-worth pf business. Highest 10% yield fpr one day In that period gave the agency $41,000. Hm NOT SPLiniNG; REWRITE JOB FOR'2r Because of Paramount's, objections to their' story, /Murder at 21',' subr mitted to. Par diiring the past week for approval before filming, Ben Hecht and Charlie MacArthur have decided to write ah entirely hew yarn. It carries the same working title of 'Murdei^at 21,' but this prob- ai)ly will not stick for release, Hope Is "that a substitute stpry as Hecht-MacArthur's fifth picture for Par release will be ready within 30 days, so that filming at Astoria, L. 1., may bes^^ March. Hecht and MacArthur are at present working on the new yarn, at Nyack, N. T., where they live. Report that Hecht and Mac- Arthur ualght split as a producing team, tljp latter to continue produfc- ing" alone for Par, was denied by MacArthur. Not so long ago Ernst Lubitsch urged- Hecht to-join Up iDvith Par at the studios in aii executive story department capacity. He refused because he did not want to give up his business association with Mac- Arthur and their plans to Continue producing for Par. No Chaplin Air BaDy Hollywood, Feb. 4. Both networks turned down the trans-continental broadcast of Charlie Chaplin's 'Modern Times' premiere from Grauman's Chinese theatre, Feb. 12; It; was rejected both as a sustainer and commercial when Chaplin refused to guarantee his appearance. The webs also ob- jected to double sponsorship. Max Factor was set to foot the bill. Both chains . said the plug was either to be for cosmetics or the film, but not both. First impasse was reached when Chaplin refused to pay the line charges for the susr tainer. iParamount, Coliimbia, Lc^-^ roy, "tlialberg, Schulberg Providf^d Other Financing —fAfi\ro*% Best Record FiLMS\.319% NO ENCORE Howard 'Dies' for ^Forest' Finish- Other .Ending Dropped Warner Bros made, two ehdings for /Petrified Forest,' but has tabled one and will send the picture on ria- lease everywhere with the death finish. Suljsfitute ending had Les- lie Howard, start, recovering for the fade'. Picture goes into the Music Hall, N. Y., tomorrow (Thursday) on a two-week bookins commitment to Warners. CONWAY'S 'COURAa.EOUS' Hollywood, Feb. 4. Jack Conway has been as-signed by Metro to direct 'Captains Coura- geous,' which Louis p. Lighten will produce. Metro secured atmosphere and marine storm scenes, off Newfound- Itihd with production Ufli* sailing on the 120 foot two-masted Gloucester fisherman during past four monHis. iloat is being brought here through the Pniinma ("Janal for di'anvalic se- squences of the picture. Twerity-Pne playB have been, prp- dAced on ■ Broadway thus far this leason with'picture bankrolls. War- ners had money in six of the prp- duclilohs, Metro money In five, Para-r mount .four, Columbia one .and 20th Century-FoxAlso "Meryyn Leroy and Doris Warner (Mrs/ Le Roy) had personal money back oi^ two plays, Irving Thalberg financed one . and B. P; Sphulberg financed one. Coupled with two play pur- chases, that gives. Hollywood a .319 percentage oh Broadway production this season. On a percentage of click basis Metro is considerably ahead of 'the field thus far. ' Of the five plays in which it was Inyolvec^ this season, all five are still running and - dtl look likely to end their runs as hits. Plays are 'Wlnterset,' 'Jubilee,' 'Pride and Prejudice,* 'First Lady' and "Ethan Frome.' Company Is in on most of these via, its Max Gor- don-Sam H. Harris deal, whereby If has a piece, of all plays in 'which either of. these leglt producers is involved. Smallest hunk of coin Is in 'Winterset,' of which Gordon and Martin Beck bought interests prior to opening. Warners seems to have picked only one hit out' of its sextet, but that one, 'Boy Meets Girl/ ip likely to pay off the losses incurred by any or all the. others. Plays in which It was concerned thus far this sea- son are 'Sweet Mystery of Life,' 'Eden End,' 'Good Men iand True/ 'For Valor/ 'Boy Meets Girl' and 'Weep for the Virgins/ .Its last, season's smash, 'Three Men on a Horse,' of course Is in Its second year. Paramount only seems to have one hit candidate In its quartet of plays—'Paths of Glorj^/ 'Most of the Game,' "Wisdom In Women' and 'May Wine/ The Warner-Leroy dUo, both fiops, were ;Play, Genius, Play' and 'Body Beautiful,' opening and closing with- in the same week, Columbia, or one of the Cohn brothers, helped finance 'Stick in the Mud/ with nobody wanting to ad- mit It up there. It lasted only a few performances. Twentieth Century-Fox seems to have, a hit in its 'Libel.' Irving Thalberg's 'Bright Star' didn't last very, long, although Metro subse- quently bouight it for pictures.. Sciiulberg's 'Tapestry in Gray' barely., lasted three weeks. Outside of the plays backed by film coin there has been very little purchasing of plays this season by. the film companies. Metro bought •Pafneir and Warners bought 'Slight Case of Murder,' those being the only purchases, so far of current season's product. There's a current deal on for 'Blind Alley* with War-, ners and others. Several companies are interested in 'Rejrniember the T)ay,' with no deals set as yet. CROSBY READY BUT PAR'S llHYTHM' ISN'T Hollywood, Feb. 4. Blng Crosby went on salary yes* terday (Alonday) at Paramount, al- thouffh his hext, 'Rhythm on the Range,' is still in the story mill, On nine-week basis he'll glean ?1D5,000 for the chore. Start Was originally skeded for Decemben but Crosby asked post- ponement. His single picture for Emanuel Cohen at Columbia also derailed by delay. Black Miayfair .. Hollywood, Feb. 4. tudio wags.are promoting a Black Mayfair shindy Feb. 29 for stags in dark apparel. Instead of announcing guests .by name, they'll craclc their weekly salaries. ASTAIRERADIO Hollywood, Feb. 4. Attorneys for Fred Astalre and RKO Radio studio bfilcials are hud- dling In an effort to iron put actor's tilt in salary J>ef ore starting his nex t picture with Ginger Rogers. ^One to Two/ next William Pow- ell pic, is expected to go befoi*e the cameras Feb. 16, same date for Ai^r .ta,ire-Rogers flicker, and If Astalre and the studio fall to get .togeth<er by that time, Miss Rogers will be set opposite Powell. RADIO Cim'HUMAN PROGRESS' EXHIBIT Forum Septlon of. Rockefeller Center building (RCA) will be opened I*eb. 12 in . what is described as ift 'Living Museum of Humajp progreigs.' Will be officially tabbed T. Museum of Science and In- dustry, with Eastman Kodak Co. and General Electric among the large corporations already signed to sejid material to show from their laboratories. ~i^eview of show night of Feb. 11 will .find Marconi, In Rome, Robert A. Miilikan In California, Eiiistelri (iprobably In N. T.) and Sir William Bragg in ^London; set for talks on vast international radio hook-up. Figured that the RCA Building museum ^ill be equal or better than any other of its kind in the wbrlc(, Including Deutsches Museum at Munich and Franklin Institute In Philadelphia. It's expeci;ed' to far surpass these In Its up-to-date demonstration of science's progress. Initial funds for musetim w«re obtained through endowment left In will of Henry R> Towne. Its rapid expansion made necessary larger quarters, which ultimately were found in Rockefeller Center and made possible through additional gifts from Carnegie Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation and "T. Foundation. Colbert in 'Old Maid' Holly\vood, Feb. 4. Claudette Colbert is defl.nitely set to star in 'The Old Maid' at Para- mount. Arthur Hprnblow, Jr., will pro- duce, with job to start soon after actress finishes in 20th-Fox's 'Under Two Flags.' ' HEALY'S NEW STOOGES Metro Lines Up Knockabouts for .Comic, Bereft by Spli Holly wood, Feb. 4. Ted Ilealy has surrounded himv self with janother set of stooges. Red Pearson, Jimniy Brewster and Al Lasky have been put under contract by Metro. Stooges have been work- ing with Ronnie Mack in cafes here. He Is also Included in deal. Trio will work in pix with Ilealy, who also will work up a p.a. trek. Actor lost his original aides • when Howard, Fine and HowaiHl de- manded more billing. Since the split, they have been malting shorts at Columbia. Mahin-Metro Glad Again Hollywood. Feb... 4. John Lee MahIn and Metro have •settled their contract dlfrercnces and the writer stays on the lot for an- other year. Scripts 'Small Town as liis next. BUSIEST ACTORS Hollywood, Feb. . . . number of actors re- ceiving, major screen credits during 1935, based bri compilation of credits by the Academy of Motion iPicturp Arts and Sciences, shows 974 actors participatlhg in screen credits, of 2,189 roles. Of this- nuniber only 62 actors shared 400 roles with each haying six or more parts. They are: Lionel AtwlU, Jean ^Arthur, Robert Allen, Heather Angtl, £dward Ardolcl, Henry Arnietta, George Barbler, JRobert Arn^Btronp, Ralph BeUamyt Joan Ben- nett, Sidney Blackmer, Xieorge Brent, Virginia Bruce, BlUle Burke, Colin C»ve, Donald Cook, Richard CrqmvFeU, Jane Pdrwell, Claire I>odd, - Douglass Duni- brllle, Patricia ElHs. Glenda, FarWII, Wallace JFord, Nornidn Foster, Preston Foster, Irene Hervey, Ru6sell Hoptan. Kdward Everett Horton, Allen Jehklns, Buck Jones,'Arlene Judge, Guy Klbbee, Jack- LaRue, .MargiariBt Lindsay, Bdmund Lowe, mm McCoy, Frank McHugh, Fred MacMiirray, • Donald . Meek, Una, Merkel, Frank Morgan. »Karen Morley, Pat O'Brien, Hugh O'Connell, Warqer Oland. Htfureen O'SulUvtin, Lynn Overman, ZaSu Pitts. Dick Powell, Roger Pryor, Florence Rice, May Robson. Reb Riiaaell, Allison SIclpvvorth. Lewis Stone, Lyla Talbot, Fratichot Tone, JIvelyn Ven6.ble, Rayoipind Walbum, Irene Ware, Johq Wayne. Gilimore m Coast To Straighten Out Hollywood, Feb, Frank Gilimore, president Actors Equity, Is here to Irpn 'out dlflJcultles betwe^en ' Screen Actors Guild and his organization. Meet- ing to be held this. Week at the Roosevelt hotel wIU'be an open forjim. While here .Gilimpte also Will In- vestigate reports that local Wplrks Progress Administration theatre project has beien lax In putting peo- ple to work. Chief plan is to at- tempt to get perbPns not ,bn relief Into the projects, Gilimore said, ^, Gilimore and Paul Turner; Equity counsel, sail for New Tork the end" of this week. Tr^idti Mark JElegliitered FOUNDED BT SlilE SILVERMAN Publif)h«d Weekly by VABICTV. Inc. S14 Silverman, I>reildent 154 West 46th "Street, ^Iew Tork Cjly SUBSCRIPTION Annual....... $0 Foreign,'|T Jingle Copies... 16 Cents Vol. 121 No, INDEX Ad vance Production Chart zi Bills 51 Burlesdiu 63 Chatter .61 Concert 57 iExploitatlon 19 15 and 50 years Ago,.... -SO Film Reviews 12 Hpu.se Reviews.,.. Inside—Legit , , 54 Inside—Pictures 6 Inside—Radio , S9 International FUrn Ke\ys.. 15 International Show I^ews. 68 Legitimate e2-r>C Literati fiO Music .46-4S N'ew Acts., 60 News from the Dallies... 60 Nlte Clubs....... 4S Obituary 6L' Outdottrs 63 Pictures ,,,,...2-311 Radio ." ..,.,r..34-35 Radio—Chatter 45 Radlo^Ncw Business..,. 44 Radio—P^eports 36 Radio—:Showmapslrip 42 Times Square. GO SlToi't Subjects 12 U .its ...... |i» Vaudeville -50