Variety (May 1936)

4 VARIETY P I C t il R E S Wednesday, May 6, 1936 I the! ftmfoiSa^^ lor Two developments In the last few weeks have put the skWs under the proposed "Assoclftted jbf newsreels. Both have convinced the most enthusiastic supporters of .the plan that it: will require ypar pr more to. smooth out current unfore- seen developments. Disparity Iti the weekly ren talis of the five Arhex-Ican hewsreel com." panles, which Is th€! tip-off on, the number of prints supplied exhibitors each «week in the .U,. S. and out o]t the country, is on? point of . dlss^n- tlpn. The high-brabkete^ reels, now operating it profit, figure that a pooling of news shots on numerous national (events wciutd benefit their competitors, .enabling them soon to' end'. operating in; tbei- red* These eame: . newsreels^ 'vlsua-llze,-the' de- struction of certain distinctive fea- tures • cxifjferitly , kasociated "with their reels under the poblihg set-up. Statisticiaiis estimate that ' the- A.P. newsreel project' eventually ■would pot dnly permit all five news' weekly fltms to opierjate at a profit; 's6rai«fthin& .hot possible every week- at present," ,but would, boost .'.the revenues of those tutrently making ; net profit. Tlie neWSreel boys-at 'the top of thie; hfeAp'say otherwise, claiming that .sfa'ridairdiKalloh, of co-vcragp on national-event^ WPUi* in' time cost them' cuatom^rs. rbki Faith Other development, ?tnd pne that has made at least pne enthusiastic booster of.the Associated. Press idea' to drop it, resulted from, several ■ trial testsl .In a preliminary ppol- Ing experiment, one pf. the larger newsreels was asked by rival com- pany to hold up a specific release oh grounds that, other companies were doing likewise. After spend- ing several hundred dollars .ion; cov- era:ge of thiig specific 6vent, execu- tives of newsreel ildked. to hold off awslkeiied .next. day , t'p find theni- selves ignominiously scooped^ Not o«iy did the rival lieWsreel, Which had cpntacted and requested, delay in *release -of. other- company^ spot th^^ newis 'event iiccoridlng to its pwji gchedule.: but the other- three reels did'likewlset^ ^esideia meaning heavy- monetary loss on that particular clip, this: in- cident, convinced • . editors. • of the scooped r^el that if Cooperation was lacking iti this minor trial ^Vlth a, single competitor, -chance', of wprkr ihg out a pooling plan i oh a. na- tional scale v.wouid be; inipossible* :. LENSER GIVEN U ACTING CONTRACT David Oliver, cameraman for-Uni versal newsreel who , attracted, the eyes of syndicates, sci^ibe^ and radio by his staged clownirig in the newsr reel, has. been...signatured to seyenr year terriierVby U. He will appear in featux^es.. Deal .was handled by Chqirle's ■'Foid.ri^iittii' 0. tJhlversal News." Oliver lekves for Hollywood Thursday (7).^ Comedy talents, first revealed when ' Oliver appeared ae .yrhe Sweepstnlie Loser.' Hfe fpllMved with j:aster Parade ahd .Kentttcky .perljy, . two oth.er humorous clips vl|> heWsreel, and .decided to switch to other side of camera wiien Universal bid for his services. Mouths of Babes As an: >' explditation atuht, WHN runs a, 'Great Ziegfeld' broadcast every afternoon, with outgiving patrons asked to comment on the picture In the Astor, NiBw York, lobby. , Xiast wieek Ann Stern, eight- year-old niece of Buddy Doyle, who plays Eddie Cantor in the. picture, was collared by the radio ,man. To the stock ques- tion 6t what she : liked best about tjie picture,. th(B Jtid re- lied: ' ■• 'UricTe Buddy.' 'And who is Uncle, BuddyV the ra^io man, inquired. Th^ ,kid explained she meant hcr uncle, Biuddy : Doyle. ;.'Tcll 'us more' tjncle ..Biiiddy,' .suggestedl' 'Well,' said the little girl, 'he;iived With' us until he get a 36*;* * ' IN 20TH, LOEW STOCKS W&,shingtoh,.May;5, ;Si^aU deals in 10th Oentury.rFox and. ;Lo^w's securities, by ■ iniaiders during eipirly . April were revealed last weelc .Ijiy Securities and Exr change. Cpinthlssion^ Biggest transactipli in film stpck, was purchased by Arthur M. Loew, through a: holdihg company^ of 1,412 shares of LoeW common, boosting his hpldings to 3.177 ishares; Charles C. Moskowltz of New: York, a direc- tor,- also picked up 300 shares qt I^oew common, giving him . 6,Q0; Wilfred. Jaine^ Eadie ..6f.V..jJew York, director, sold 125 shares , of 20th Century.-Fox.' common and 250. shares of $1.50 cumulative ferred, •wiping otit his interest. pe KUIle Wi Make on Hollywood, Mky 5. . •Legion of -the Dishonored,* war yiarn by Ivan LebedefC,, has been purchased by Cecil B. DeMllle, Who will niake It either foi^ Paramount, or independently in event .he does not realign himself with studio upon cPmpietion of 'This Breed, of Men.! Story is built around deserters pf the iegipii^. using all male cast. HIS BIG MOMENT Unknown. Picked by Warner^, for Fat Park in paviea Pi ' A Hollywood, ^ay :B. David Carlyie, newcomer, ii3 B6t by Warhers for the isecPnd- hiale lead part in, Cosmopplitan's 'Cain ahd. Mabel,' Ma.rion Davies starrer. C^rlyle's only professional experi- ence has .beeri on radio, ', '....Warners negotiated with .Colum- hla to bdrrPSv Michael Bartlelt for part, and failing this made tests pf several other singers before select- ing Carlyie... Youth has been ticketed to seven- year termer with options. He'll warble four numbers in the Davies film. FOLLOW-UP VS. Wilmington, Del., AJ[ay 5. jGeher Talking, Pictures (de- Forest.) and Piiovac tladlo's filed clfiijins, tptailing $37,860,000, aetalnst Electrical Research Products, in Vi S. Disb-ict Court here, -. lo'\vk .up the GTP-Duoyac joint, ac- tion, in equity alleging' mohppolies by ERPI, its parent, Western Electric, and its grandparent, Amer- ican-Telephone & Telegraph Co. The equity action is, stUl awaiting final adjudication in uie district court by Jvidg® Nields follovvlhg February . argunients and. subse- quent briefing. Present filing bfclaims anticipates a final permanent injunction against ERPI and cp-defendants, A decislpn on this may be issued at any time. Temporary ini?ihctioh is already is-s sued'and if the permanent injunc- tion follows, the claims ^yIll be' pressed. '-'Otherwise an .apt)eai: would ensue. GTP figures its damages at- $10,000,000* Under triple puntatiVe damages allowed for violation of anti-trust-monopoly laws, tills comes to a total of $30,000,000 asked ..by GTP. ■■ .Duoyac claims $2,500,000 damages, or ' $"7,500,000 punitive damages. Additionally, GTP claims $250,000 in lawyers' fees and Duovac claims $100-,000 for the same. Cllalms'are filed .in ^ 125-page document which reviews thfe tesii-; mphy^at the joint trial, and the sub- sequent arguments. Words But Nd Miisic Hollywood, May 5* Universal has dropped idea of doing a "Victor McLagleri musical and Instead is looking iEor a' dra- matic story for actor. Meanwhile, Lou BrocH, producer. Is completing a yarn for 'Everybody Sings,''title under which McLagleri pic was to have been made. Schulberg Signs Kath Locke From N. Y. Legit As the.first,.of his new players for his next company association, B. P iSchulberg has signed Katherlne Locke, New York legit player. She was seen last in 'if a Body,' and 'Crime and Punishment,' on Broad- way. Miss Locke has been signed to a year's, contract,, w4th options* start- ing in June, Toreador . Sid Franklin Ruled No Bullthrower Albany, May '5. Almost' two-years ago a sports' conimentator for Columbia Pictures ■in a running commeiit in a travelog,, '-'Bullfighting the World Over,' re- marked: 'I want to introduce iSJd- ney Franklin, the greatest bull- thrower-^I mean bullflghter-^ver born under the sunny skies of Brppklyn.' ■ Franklin-'^uted Columblk Pictures for $300,000, claiming the "buli- thrawer" remark ^v-as %^ libel.on Him as si professional buiiflghter. Justice CareW iif N. Y. Supreme Court •a.warded himi a verdict. of :$7;000, -vVhich-Was promiitly appealed. The Court of Apjieals has aflirmed the decision,' but cut .th'e verdict to $5,000. Menaes' Korda Chore Hollywood, May 5. William Canneron Menzies trained east yesterday (Mohday) and sails for London to dhrect 'The Red Rose' for Alexander li^orda. He came tp the Coast for the opening of 'Things to Come,* which he directed. JOHES OUT, ZING Ilir Hollywood, May 5. Ray Taylor wound up production Saturday ,(2) on Buck Jones 12- olhapter serial, 'Phantom Rider' at Universal, several days ahead of; sked. - - , Next serial at U, undfer superr y^lslpn. of Barney Sarecky, will be 'Ace. Drummond,'- featuring John. King, flgured,fo go in work around^ May 20. ■ BERLIN SETS'AVENUE' AT 20-FOX, TRIPS EAST Hollywood, May 5, Completing original story, lyrics and. music for 'On the: Avenue' at 20th^Fox, .Irving Berlin trained for ■New. York to join his family. Slated. to return in Augu.9t at which time picture will be P^t in work,, planned as biggest filmusical on studio's 1D36-37 program. He will sit in on production. Lnbitsch in Moscow Moscow, April 48. Er'iist Lubltsch- is Ih tpwn with Mrs. Lubitsch. It's his first visit to the Soviet Union, and he says It's 'purely, private.' Has no plans for motion' picture Work here. B. Z. Shumyatsky; head of the Central . Adminlstratipn of " the Soviet Film Industry, is hosting "the Lubltsches. FLASH! U PASSES Won't Make B Pictures Based Fly-by-Night News on Hollywood, May 5.. Substantial news trerid.% , rather than mei*e flash events, will form basis of majority of Class B or sec- ondary pictures turned out by tJpi- versal ne.\t sea.son. 1 Melodramatic action Will he relegated to back- ground for this type of film. Decision to this ena reached fol- lowing story-product conferences ,Just concluded here by Oharle-s R. Rogers and William Kbenig with Blaa Neuberger, easj^ern story editor. Latter, upon pulling out for New York Saturday (2) 'was instructed by Rogers to. enlarge her reading department.. Just a Coincidence •• Vi.A.lbahy', Jiay. 5,'' .... Theatre advertising took a jump in. Albany newspapers last week, and with it there reappeared, after a lap^e pf a nionth, publicity stories ahdut current pictures, especially 'Under Two Flags.* Actipn of the publishers came after .a -"checkup showed, theatre a ,d y .e r t i a i n g had- slumped considerably .from , a -year ago.. Times-Union, Hearst .sheet, had. nary a picture ,of local attractions in its Sunday issue, a week ago, the illustra- tions all being. Hollywood pub- licity, for shows past pr, COTP-': ing. t , :X'ast Sunday (3) advertising lineage having Jumped, th.c Al- bany'i)aper.9 got back to th,e former status, pf a picture' fpr; practically., all theatres. UA BACK TO REGIONAL SALES CONFERENCES United Artists, which held.its first national c'Pnyentlon last year in. Holiy wopd,; i9 planning to go hack to regional sales, conferences this year, these tp be ■ held probably in .June, The number of pictures for 1936-3T Will probably run over 30, Irtcludlnj; deals such as with Walter Warigar which remain to be set. George J. Schaefer, v. p. In charge of distribution, who had ' planned going we^t with Sam. Gold-wyn to set up the programi did not await Goldwyn whPis still laid-up in Doc- tor's hospital, N. Y. The new Wahger-UA cpntraet alsp hastened Schaefer to the Cpajst this. week. DoDn's Personals, Three Week®, After lite light James .Dun*i, -virho is motoring to N. Y. from the Coast to cdtch the Jimmy McLarriin-Tony Canionerl fight'Friday (18), Will stick east for three weeks ot personals fpr'Loew's. Agented by Rdlph Farnum, Dunn's Coast rep.- Dunn's opening stage week is May 15, at the Century, Baltimore,, -vi'Ith the Fox, "Wa^ington, and State, on Broadway; - folibwlng-in that'order immediately thereafter. FarreJFs One-a-Year Plans in Australia Sydney, April ,7; Charles Farrell may jnake one pic annually iii Australia for National, if present plans gp through." Far-, rell has just completed 'The,Flying Doctor' for the company ai^d is rest- ing ,prior to making a few personal appearances.'' He is reported, somewhat, annoyed at the huge tax slugs takep^out of his earnings by the governme:pt. He is also reported as ready tp. make two pix in Hollywood following his return frorh Australia^ 20th-Fox/Sighs Singers Hollywood, May 5. Inez Gormanj opera singer from the midwest, given fives year con- tract at .;:oth-Fox. Studio will grooi mu- sicals: Inez Gorman's first assignn^ent at 20th will be the lead opposite Law- rence TIbbett in filmusical remake of 'The Mark of Zoito.' The longrhegotlated combinafion of New York Operators, Local 306, with, t^.Allied and Enipire iiriion<5, is off-, and' Crdsioplcketing; has re^ turned in the Greater -New York sector, including on Broadway. This sudden turn in the situation,* after It had .heen repprted a .merger was close at hand and the matter was in - the hands of the Interna- tional Alliance of Theatrical Stage Ernplpyees; for appro-yal, leaves the bppth prPblem in New York about where . it. was nearly a year ago wiien plaiis were initiated. While -understood tha:t Local was willing to waive exah^lnation .of all Allied .and Empire members'- in absorbing the unions, admitting all operators who held ca.rds, and dtpod iready to make other conces- sions, a deadlock wag reached over scales. Allied, which has long-term: ■ cbntraptS-■ tp serve the .' booths PE ' exhibitors in the Independent Tliea- ti-e Own6r$-Assn., wanted a smaller scale for such- houses than 300 was willing to accede, it is. understood'; With 306-having contracts. Itseic. in Indie theatres at scales much above a reported $75 weekly for two men urged;by Allied, leaders were un- able. to > reach accord. ITOa houH have seven . years' to go 'on a 10- year aisreement with Allied w ich has -been furnishing operator, latent at much .less cost tp the theatr operator than 306. The. effort was to.i'each a scale for all indie house.s that would be "satisfactory not only to the unions byt to the ^xhil)itpi-s. Lattei*, with lohg-tei'm contracts for Allied 'operatPrs, in many cases are declared to have feU that whil'e a.;., merger of the-'N. Yi bPothm(»n unions was deslredf their operating costs Would have to be considered ^n setting scales. In . exhibiting ranlcs. it was, felt that.sPprte theatirfif t;. could afford to pay ""miore for thotf^ bppths but that others, at prevail- ing Aliied scales, w6re pay ins? about ai3, much as the^ could stanil. George' E. Brown6, p'ressident oC the lATSE, who has been interested in seeing-the N. Y. operator situa- tion clea,red -up once and for all, personally ^ approved of . nieirgpr plans some months ago, Joseph D. Bassoni,,. president of 306,, 'vvhp orig- inally' declared a truce with Allied, ending all ^cross-picketing and other problems^ fpr the theatres, has spent months oh the merger. Local 306- is prepai'lhg to picket every theatre, in N. Y. not. employ- ing its'niembers in starting to wage a fight, agaihst all independent unions for. supremacy In the N.- Y. sectoi', ^ The organization regards that this is" not a fight between rival unions, but between a, bona-firte American Federatlpn of Labor afTil- late dnd a company union.'' On Monday, when four s'cTe pickets were arrested on 42d street, scene of many prior arrests and riots, the- AFL local began'picketing 21 houses In Manhattan and Bronx, 20 in' Brooklyn and five in Queens, all of' which employ either Allied or Em- pire ops. According to union sources, house.s suffering from picketing ar already bieglnnlng to ciit admls.sion scales with a view of making their shows the mPre Inviting to. the piilj- lic in spile of labor troubles. MARXES SADDLE GAGS TO A WILD MUSTANG Holly wpod", Next picture for -Marx" Metro will be a western, venture into this field. Beit Kalmar, Harry Ruby arrd William Siavens McNutt working fiii yarn. Leah Ray, songstress with. Phil Harris' band, has been signatured by 20th Century-Fox. Ritz Bros. (3) recently were signed by same company thvpugh Lou Irwin, who also li ndled the Ray deal. • Griffith Drops Anchor Hrtllywpod. May 5. Edward H. Griffith has beeh tick- eted by 20th-Fox to direct ,t\yo pic- tures yearly over a two-year pe- riod, t . .First will be 'Three Girls/, tield bp lempprai'ily by casting troujil LeMaire Columbusing HPllywood, i\\hy T). Rufus LaMalre dug up Mlcliael Ijoring, baritone, in a local nitc^iy and put him under a stock term con- tract with Universal yesici''''«y' (Monday). This Was done without a test »'f the boy, who came from Mlnneai)oliH where he starred and produ?-eil lii.^ own plays at a little theatre. TYEONE POWEE, ^E 'S 1ST Hollywood, Ma.v Tyrone Power, Jr., in,from legit, gets as liIs first assipniiH-iit.. on a term contract tlie iuve ic-u'I I'l 'Sing. Bahy, Sing-' at 20th-F"X.