Variety (Mar 1936)

VARIETY PICI II RES Wednesday, March 25, 1935 Breen Body Okays 345 Fix Since Jam 1; Organization s Heaviest Load Hollywood, March 24. Since •> first of January total of 345* pictures have been sealed by .Joe Breen's office here, including fea- tures and shorts. Relatively small -number "of • shorts are looked' over at this end, but recent heavy,Impor- tation of foreign features to, this country has. resulted in overflow beyond, capacity.of.the Hays organi- <5ation's. New .York .office, which necessities, the Breen staff , here handling a large group at this end.-. Production peak, both in 'finished •product and story preparation, at this time has the. Breen organiza- tion viewing five features arid five "shorts daily for approval stamp. iFrom Indications this pace, will be maintained tor several weeks, with pictures caught including ■ those from both major and. independent producers,. During 1935, Breen sealers passed 816 features, of which number 305 were reissues. - In. addition, seals ' were- handed put to about, 1,000 short subjects, including 150 re- issues. Expansion of production this year, according to present indica- tions; will send totals far above last; year marks,, despite the large, num- ber of reissues which were pulled off company shelves for added coin. Submissions of atc:':«ry synopses ,and ;Scripts t tQ" the Brc.sn offices by major and Independent companies average around-12.daily at this time.; Number includes second, _third or fourth submissions of one "script or •'story treatment in various-forms. On tabulations of last year, av- erage submission" per story to the ' Breen office was 3% times. General procedure is filing of book or play numerous times before studio pur-' • chases .the •property,' to get'reaction, oh suitability of the material." Later, ^screen treatment; of about -20 pages rOlls .'in, 'followed' hy .first or final . draft of' script. K changes fire rec- ommended in latter, revised script ' Journeys up to the offices, again. .' Results of > the Breen purity seal- ■ Ing method prior and during pro- duction is shown by fact that cen- . sorship eliminations by political, state, and . city censorship boards V around the country are down t'o a minimum. No really serious eilmlna- - tlons have been made by these cen- sors on any .purity sealed picture during the past six months. Result is elimination of impairment of grosses in percentage spots through mutilation ■ of completed production of censor • shears. PIC IN ITSELF WB. Using Prod. Crew on 'Adverse' Teaser Hollywood, March 24. Trailer for Warner's 'Anthony Adverse' will be made as a regular Short subject; requiring- a week for production. Trailer unit is being handled, on short subject ".basis on production sheets, with its own manager; budget) director-and crew. Trailer will not include any scenes from the picture, but will feature'history of the book. Gary Cooper May Sign Up with Sam Goldwyn; Latter Sets Bergner Hollywood, March 24, • Gary Cooper may swing- over to -Samuel Goldwyn when v-his Para- mount contract runs out. Jack Moss, actor's, manager, went east' last'week to talk deal -with the-pro- ducer on latter's " return from abroad; Switch Is largely one of senti- ment, as. Cooper.le.els .that,Goldwyn gave him his first brjeak in '.Win- ning of Barbara Worth.! Actor has a .one.-plcture commitment with Emanuel Cohen. London, March 24, Sam. Goldwyn left for the Con- tinent today (24) after completing de-tails with. Elisabeth- Bergner. and her husband, Dr. Paul Cztnner, on her pictures for ■United Artists. •Will return here for another .ses- sion before going back -to New York. De LawdY Cloud Hollywood, M4rch 24, Having completedhis chores in 'Green Pastures' at Warners, arid, severed marital ties in lo- cal courts; Rex Ingram ('De Lawd') is journeying south- eastward in a specially con-, structed land- yacht. .: Auto cruiser is labelled 'Sil- ver Cloud,' and is equipped with radio, ice box and sundry gadgets for mundane bliss on *De Lawd's' hlgera. IB' John BarrymOre and Elaine Bar- rie, his protegee, have been tenta- tively set for two weeks of personals at $7,500 net. weekly as a team, by. the William Morris agency. They're scheduled to-open April 17 at the Chicago, Chicago, With the Michi- gan, Detroit, and. indie Hipp, Balti- more, following. Barrymore and Miss Barrie, who filled ttte columns of the tabs in New York for several months,- will do a sketch. . Another film name being offered to .N. Y. vaude • booking offices is Elissa Landl, who is asking $5,000 a week. ShC's being agented by Charles. Morrison. Holly woofs StilHensers* £ute Ways to Make fin Stars BUSY GAL Four Pix Await Return of Eleanor Powell to MG Hollywood, March 24. Allan Jones gets assignment to play opposite Eleanor Powell In •Shove Off' at Metro, stepping into part from which Robert Montgomery walked because he felt cast con- tained tOb many comics. T*lc set to start upon arrival of Miss Powell, Hollywood, March 24^ temperamental as the Vtai' S they photograph ' the "freelance fan mag and syndicate' photog- raphers who . Munt. Hollywood's cafes, night spots, parties, opening!) and other, social arid Industry gath- • -/ ' erings to gvAb unusual pictures ot the cinema's great and near, great." Bulb-squeezing lads,. ahout a dozeji in number, can turn the heat on.any- picture name' who makes it tough ' to get a good negative. Some of the •lads-work on' straight salaries but- most of them, are paid according to the reader -interest contained- jn expected here in two weeks. Studio has three other stories l"". 7" lltineu ' ready or'in wofrk foV the^dancer. I t ^ pl ?*ffi es ' n JJf? fo *« They are 'Hats In the Air,' 'YoursfeT^^^^S^ " d .'* h W' and Mine' .and 'Broadway Melody of - the . A u ffi^ * M * ?om> Aii Inc ahnnt « ,i»hP«P to--bring them to time. Film Writers WiB Vote for Closer Tie With Anthers' League DIETRICH TESTS FOR SELZNICIT COLOR PIC Hollywood, March 24. Marlene Dietrich has completed exhaustive color tests for David O. Selznick. made under supervision of Director Richard Boleslawskl. Pos- sibility is player will make a tlnter for Selznlck-International upon her return from England. Studio' has deal on with Walter Wanger for loan of Charles Boyer, to be *co-starred with Merle Oberon in 'Garden o'f Allah.' Paramount shelving 'Hotel Imperial,' makes Boyer. available almost immediately for the Selznlck picture. THRING TO HOLLYW'D ON PIC TALENT HUNT Sydney, March 4. F„ W« Thring; Efftee, leaves this we'ek/for "Hollywood to.^equre play- ers and technicians for-Australian ,pfx. Thrlng will' also have expert scenarists whip . several-scripts- into shape for use oyer here ]ptei\ .Prov- able that an American director will return with him. .After being out of the production -game for some time. Thrlng decided to transfer his activities to N/.S. Wales, because of the quota arid. Joined with • Mastercraft. Efftee- Mas.tercraft unit expects to produce six pix annually and an agreement has. practically been completed with a major American distrib on this 6ide. Par Testing Nazimova Hollywood, March 24. Nazimova, who recently closed in 'C hosts' at the Biitmore, is being tested by Paramount It's her first camera try since her Metro stint 12 years ago, She was a silent screen star at that time. WOODS, MOERISON ON COAST Hollywood, March '24. Al Woods and Charlie Morrison planed in over the weekend. Mor- rison working on picture deals with majors, in negotiation before arrival. Pair to spend a week at Palm Springs. Woods is here trying to get five fairly well-established Hollywood names for 'Night of January 1C* which Tom Waller will produce in London Aug. 1. Myron Selznick Sailing Hollywood, March 24. Myron Selznick pulls out Thurs- day (26) for New York and sails for London April 4. Remains In Europe two months. Hayes to Get Buildup For Sherman's Hopalong Hollywood, March 24. Harry Sherman, has ticketed Ceorge Hayes to. a termer and will feature the character player along with Bill Boyd and James Ellison In new series of Hopalong Cassidy pic- tures, which Sherman will make for 1936-37 Paramount program. Hayes appeared in three of the Cassidy films this season. Sherman Is also negotiating with Paramount to produce; talker ver- sions of 'The. Barrier' and 'Ne'er Do Well,' also-for 1936-37 release. 'Bar-, rier* would be'made in color if deal jells. < ' Holly wood, March 24. Closer tieup of Screen Writers Guild under" banner of Authors League of America will be sought at' the annual election set for April 18. In addition to election of officers, members w|U -be- called, upon to ap- prove new scale of dues,, to become effective with such approval. Directorate of Writers' Guild, along with boards of Authors, Dramatists, and Screen Writers, Newspaper and Radio Writers Guilds, has approved plan to have Authors League, function as parent body tp* the several organizations. All groups must'ratify before plan cain be made operative. "' Reported that new dues*, plan would prove beneficial to highest and lowest bracket writers,' so far as savings are concerned, over present setup, but middle class, with incomes ranging from $5>000 to $50,000, would pay increases over present dues. Junior Screen Actors Guild will elect offcers April 19. Present offi- cers .have all been renominated, with no opposition so far. They are: President, Pat Somerset; vice Presi- dents,. Bob. Ellsworth and Jay Eaton; secretai'y-treasurer, Aubrey ! arts, Blair; asst. secretary, Nate Ed- wards. Nominees for directors are Dick Allen, Louis J. Becker, Jack Cheatham, Helene Caverly, Betty Blair, Oliver A. Cross, Larry Em- mons, Mel Forrester, Peter Gard- ner i Sam Garrett, Charles Graham, Mabel Ingraham, Mike Lally, Harry MayO, Jack Mower, Lee Phelps, Max Pollack, Jean Valjean and JTlo Wix. Buck Moulton, Bud Winters, nom- inated as alternates. WB to Hold Connelly Hollywood, March 24. Marc Connelly, upon his return here after three weeks vacash in New York, will discuss a term con- tract at Warners. Jack L. Warner wants to keep him on the Burbank lot. RUGGIES' 'P00B SAP' Hollywood, March 24. Wesley Ruggles assigned by Par- amount to direct pic tentatively titled 'Poor Sap;' with Carole Lorn bard in femme lead. Charles Laughton sought from Metro for male top spot. 1937.' All yarns are about a dahcer who goes on the stage .and makes good. '-' Elfish Actors' Rugby Funds, $10,000, Go South, So Does Treas. Currently one jemme star" is a pet peeve and . the lads have their cinn- I eras loaded waiting and hoping that ■ the lady will make a- misstep so that they can photograph it. Otherwise she can't get pn a. picture for .this particular satellite has offended the lads by refusing to pose. When [ they do manage to get her-in ['group, ,she -jams things up by stick- ing but her tongue or covering her | face with her hands. After a num- ber of attempts .to get a good poso. the lads gave it-up " and are no\v ; waiting to photograph her at a dia- Hollywood, March 24. John Waite, treasurer "of South- ern California Rugby Union, 1 who I advantage, under name of G. .Beaufort West No^Bulbt, Puleeze was # ..fi.e.cretary of the ,Writers club .Another on the. , photographic here, »is reported missing, along blacklist is a male star who dls- . . 1ftflAA w AftV. Mkes posing. Recently he allowed with 510,000. ' Mtmey, lai'gely con- \ ■ * ■■■ ^„„„^j. i.^ „ w „.-i ,- i 2^ l ,t -i. j-L . _ a cameraman to snap him in an trlbutedI by members of film^ony,. t ^ y th ^ n . proteste 4 to the m*' : was. to be.used to bring Oxford TJnl- L gemen)t & ^ nit aU owlng the bute versitjr rugby team here t ^ LJuiM^.i'-.ta the plice. One slaT land for series of matches with \ \ fee ttm ^ e chm ^cauL teams representing ^Southern Santa Anita race ^trkek he took' a?Lo a s AngeVe" ver « lt y ^ Call ^' n1a a swing at a.photOg. Now when \T a ^^t..K»f n , 0 he wters a spot, where the camera Hollywood centrlbutors, to fund batt ^ i3 Jlned u ^ the canie( . a . reported to include Nigel Bruce, men lv6 ^ ^ b )a ( - Ronald - Colman C. Aubrey Smith. boxeg ■ the fl<J & * Victor McLaglen,. Ralph Jorbes,. h likea t<y make the fan Herbert Marshall and-C, B. DeMille: cUW . entJy getmg t ,i e ,same;treat nient because, he refused to pose at a party and talked to the boys ,too rough to suit them. A femnie star who. turned the lads down often now gets passed by unless the pic- ture looks particularly attractive; Ability to'get her to pose, depended Museum of Moder "Art film [entirely upon w n 'o was her escon, There are others who are on tlie in and put list, with the photoga FILM MUSEUM NAMES ADVISORY COMMITTEE library has formed an advisory com mittee which Will meet monthly to discuss activities of the project, ' In- cluded are Will Hays, Jules Bruky- tpur, Stanton Griffls, trustee of Cor- nell University and- member of • the firm of Hemphill, Noyes & Co., Dr. Irwin Panofsky, Professor o'f Fine | presently having them oh proba* tlon. Certain stars who 1>avfc given the lads the works on severe!;; occasions at present are on. th^ good behavior when cameras !«V^* around. Some onetime tough sttW Jects now pose without a murmur* More trOublo than the hardrty) Arts at Princeton, David H. Stevens, | handle- stars are the executives and director. for the Humanities of Rockefeller Foundation, and Irving," Thalberg. These men will meet - with JOhn Hay Whitney, president of the Hbrai'y; A. Conger- Goodyear, Ed- ward M. M. Warburg, John E. Ab bott and Iris Barry. Library ■ will be in closer contact with film industry, education and philanthropy, these' associations, it's (Continued on page. 12). ' JACK FIER TO PRODUCE 0ATIES AT REPUBLIC Champ Figure Skater's Pro Tour, MG Test Later SOnja Henie, Olympic figure skat- ing champion, considers her pres- ent - schedule of: public appearances at indoor ice shows, first since her return from recent triumphs at the German championship games, so important that she is foregoing a screen test until they are com- pleted. She just signed a $200,000 pro tour. As soon as her present schedule of indoor shows is completed; Miss Henie will be tested by Metro. Hollywood, March 2i. Jack Fier, who gave up western division sales job for Republic week ago with J. J; Milstein, of Metro, replacing, will be upped to produced through thought. This summer certain members are to make a European survey, gather . _ -.. . ing foreign films of noteworthy in- berth at Republic. in charge of west' terest which will be acquired'for in- erns. elusion in the, collection already in' Fier, under setup, would handle circulation on'this side. Two groups Gene Aiitry productions, as well as arc now being serviced to schools, Pix of another -western star, wiio societies and other organizations for. will replace Jo hn Wayne whehi -lat' general study' and observation. | ter goes over to Universal. Clements on Dicker for SAILINGS n i» i\ w i i A P riI 4 < New York to Lona °?!; Kouhen, Par Release ^?' ro 1 n s &lM > senator um i r 1 (He de France), . March 28 (Now York to Genoa}, Grace Moore (Conti de Sav'oi). March 28 (Los Angeles to Hono- lulu), Mr. and Mrs. Harold Huvl«J (Lurllne). March 27 (Los Angeles to Shang- hai). Clyde Eliott (Chichibu SfaW- March 27 (New York to LonddWi Hollywood, March 24. Frank Z. Clements, New York producer, who announced himself as set for production here, is negotiat ing with Raul Roullen oh a starring contract Clements, who Is dickering for Paramount release, will use General Barry Trivers (Aquitania). . ~ March 25 (New York to COnflon/i Service studios. WALLACE MAY DIRECT AT M-G Hollywood, March 24. Metro Is talking a one-picture deal with Richard Wallace. Director is reading a script by Louis Lighton he's anxious to pro- Hendry's Double Duty Hollywood, March 24. \yhitey Hendry, - chief, of ..Metro studio police, is taking over per- sonnel department in addition to his policing duties. Head of personnel berth vacated by Mel Harris, who Is returning east to resume post with union organi- zation he quit when joining studio few years aa,o. Richard Arlcn (Manhattan). . . March 25 (London- to New.Torp Edmund Lowe (lie de Ivrance). March 21 "(New York to Pa««» Jack Connolly. Samuol T r u"d i : Schoop,Alfred- (Paris). ..JTiaWfl ARRIVALS Patrlc Kuowles. .lulii'S BronJslava Nijinska/] Inrrison Fisher.