Variety (Jun 1936)

{6 •« . Sends Screen GuOders East for Aid Hollywood, June 2. Several leaders of the Screen Writers' Guild, Tyorried by the sit- uation here, have gotfe to New T.o;ic' to consult, the Authors £<eague. They feel that there-^fs;significance in the fact that a number of thejr ;nieimber3 hare been laid oft during, the past weeki despite'the fact fhfet 'MittlS is "the" time of*-annual'lldt-' '• iShearinfe' here. Fedr expressed Ik ihftt studios are 'siiit'lng' at thdt ; .membership as a result of thd bait- ■•Vlie last' month and the subseqiifeht iiormatibri bt the allegedly stiidlAr baiCked 'Opposition Screen Writers' "drganlzatlionJ " ■'• Thdugltt is that, If the alleged' jinlping 1^' substantiaited, tKe New York' ertd i should help .on fighting ^biiflt, ani win request New 'Torit '-Jji-Blt Ih* "fv'lth them pronto 6n a new i^ard of directors to handle the . .,Li5apue May Np^ Fight . .,' ,j:.;4-^t;ndrs League iix New 'Tork, ''OTioaph. vitally Interested In tfie |3creen Wntera* troubles, especially ^ itlnce jthe organizations are now urt- iifed, Is .loath to take £ny direct, action. iFeeiB that the Coast should ... flght it out itself for the time being, .especially In view of the fact that there have been charges on the Coast that New yqi-k w}il run,tl)e qpast In an ajlegeft^ 'f^sclstlc' niai\- Several meetings are scheduled between the tvro grduns In- New .. Tork during .the week, but, if po,s- slble, iSfew Zork will' refrain' frpm appointing any of fts members pp. any (boast board of committee. Cimmish Claim Vs. Gertnide Hollywood, June 2. - Gertrude Michael is being sued by >ii assignee of the Charles ^Teld- - ,p?an agency for .$29,000, commissions ■ftfeserfedly due and damages for dis- solving .contract. Complaint sets fortii the actress will have received In salaries, up to 1937, .$242,000. Suit aso charged she collected $iO,000 in royalties and outside monies. WARREN WILLIAM BUYS ;PFF WB PACT FOR lOG '■■' .' ■ ' Hollywood, June 2. ' ■ Warren Wimam ana~ Warners are calling It quits after live yearg. Play- ■'tr'a cdntrafct is being' terminated '' WPOA completion of 'Stfege Struck',' Ws cuiTent film at Burbank, ui)6n •payment-to studio of $10,000 for re- lease; "J 5'VPimaW -niU freelance: • ■ ' " ■ itf- fjl^oug Maclean Resuming As an Indie Producer ; * ' . Hollywood, June 2. , , pouglas MacLean is • resuming independent production after lapse ; Of several years". He plans to pro- nucc threfe pictures a year, first to oe a talker remake of '23»/6 Hours Leave.' '■"''^Mtxclifean Is negotiating for a major release, also for a name star Who would be tied up for the series. ■Jules Shermer goes with producer '^s his executive aide. *ME. ZEEO' IlEADYnjG, T Hollywpod, .June 2,., •, •Mister Zero,' comedy which. .X.U-, cien Hubbard will prp^lype at Metro, virlli be written by Lawrence Kimbjo., former San Francisco newspaper' man. '■' • >-^_ •' ' - ••"-'' Michael Fessler is .cbmbolriitlttg; *ith Kimble and may supervise. Get Off My Foot ) ,.5IoJlywood, • June 2,' . , - py^ijy • mt^n for^ himself Inr I'Letis ,Eret&nd'. at W^rnej-s, whjcb Ray JJnrlght is directing. In • the cast are five of the .studio's featured comics, Hugh .Hei'bert, I Franlc, McH.ughr. Allbn Jenklnsj^ Marie. Wilson ,and :]flc»- :bart C^Tyfthaugh,., . i ' SILENTS BY : <- .iHollywood, 'June, 2. Hollywood's" .first Memorial |Day. for veterans ;of.'the silent day's of pictures -drew a crowd of several hundred old timers to the Srealcfast Club Wednesday (27). Reminiscences and anecdotes of the pioneer. • days were related by J, Stuart Blackton,. who called to mind,, .yit^graph, the only film company ever to .have Its 'own fam- ily,''and the .'Alma Mater otthe plc» ture business.' He also referred to the photographipg- by Albert E. Smith and, himself of troops' de- partips -fpf.. the Spanjish-American ,yar in 18^^, as marking the birth' of the new^reel. ,' '■' .Spraying the Aotpra Blacktop told of the early days in Flatbush, when it Was necessary to -spray'vthe .actors to drive away tlie files that gathered. from the livery stable"" next doort a,nd gave a. few other humorous incidents of the early, days, of films. Some of the silent' stars Intro- duced by: Victor Potel Included Flora Finch, Florence Lawrence, Helen ■ Gibson, William ^ Farnum, Baby Peggy Montgomery, • Helen Jerome Eddy,. Mlnta .Durfee, Bryant Washburn, Agnes Ayrfes, Lionel Bel- jnore, Charles Middleton, Lois Wil- son, Creighton Hale, Kenneth Har- lan,- Otis Harlan, "Vera Gordon; Mary McLaren, Jack Richardson; "Walter Long, James Home, Helen Holmes, Cleo Ridgeley, "Virginia Pearson, Alice Lake, Dot Farley and Katha;r}ne. Adams. As a closing tribute. Captain, 27- year-old horse owned' by "Will Rogers, was led.out. Belmore read the Breakfast Club's pcem as finale. Mrs. Schulberg's French , Legiter for Wameirs Mrs.' A^d,' ,(B. P.), Schulberg, back from Europe, is staying in New York briefly^ and after a short visit to Hollywood, will return to London, where she, will open an agency for picture talent, Her first agentlng accomplishment was securing Fer- nand Graavey, French stage star, who had previously rejected all Hollywood offers. Contract with Mervyn LeRoy for Warners iS one of the largest yet signed with a foreign actor for first Coast assignments. Over a five- year period Graavey Is guaranteed nearly $700,000. He Is to receive f35,000 fpr ,hlg .first picture. ; Piirh-'l^^a^c^led Film Indus-4 .' ^irj^ ^oikiid to '-Assume Siz-' able Portiop — $500,000,- 660 Exti^ Needed Will See' Pix Biearing the Brunt —-^Individuals and Cd^o- .. ,fatidijis:.Alil^e. ' . ^,. 1 . ^ . , Washington, ^une 2. •. Film" industry, and picture, people Wlll-.feiel the-full, brunt of the. new Government tax program, which im-" poses) .additional burdens'on li>uslr. iness'corporatlpns and'large incomes. ' After 'weeks bf wtangling; Seriactte finance c6mtailttee.ppi's.ed. the 'Boo'se- vell reve'niie refcirm-bllt for Jtlhei last 6oiigifesslonal_. lap * by . scrapplnfe ,m[anv.; of ' tlie.. President's retam^ me^d^i^lon'fl . ifi<h4 adopting, a, com- promise sch'emie to. ^boost Goverh- ment income by .stiffening existing levies. I ... Bulk of the new Federal coin will come from corporations, with nearly $500,000,000 of the additional hurr dens being placed on Indjastry. This will *be accomplished thrbilgh hori- zontal jaise in :the corporation in- come tax and a flat levy on undis- tributed corporation surpluses. ..Refusing to subscribe to- the Presid.ent's .idea of a stiff series of gr9,dujited taxes, on .jsiirpluses, the Senate; voted overwhelmingly to up the; normal corporation tap from 1^%%-1B% to -IS^ro-lS^; and to place a 7% bite, pn profits withheld from stockholders. Furthermore} It agreed to make, dividend payriiehts subject to normal Individual income taxes, - Instead of only, to surtaxes, and decided to retain present im- posts on capital stock and excess profits, •The individual income surtaxes were jacked, up at the same time dividend pai'ments were brought un der the basic 4% tax. Rates ort everything between $6,000 and $50, 000 were boosted 1%, so they, -will range from 6 .to 28%. Although ex- cess Income over $50,000 will still be subject to. the. present 31% bite, persons drawing more than this fig- ure will have to fork over $440 more a year because of the cumulat- ive effect of the boosts in the inter- mediate brackets. Some of the . Senate committee changes may be'moiaifled before the new bill reaches the White House, but the temper, of Congress indicates the bulk of thei recommendations stand a good chance of becoming law. • . . GLADYS GEORCE SIGNED FOR LEAD IN'CARRIE^ Astaire to Rest Abroad < Hollywood, June Upon, completion of 'Never Gonna ,Pance,' at Radio, Fred Astaire goes to Europe .for two months' rest. - .Astaire. upon .return reports to .studio for another* .picture with. Gin.?er Rogers, JWatch Tour Step,' Latter, .during !Astalre's absence, will Elolo stai- In Edward SmAU's (Radio) 'Mother Carey's Chickens.* Hollywood, Jilne 2, ;. ' Gladys. iGeo'rkfe,''currently 'ln road- show production of 'Personal Ap- pearance' at fcieary theatre, San Francisco, has.. been signed by Emanuel Cohen for lead part in 'Valiant Is the Word "for Carrie," which he will make for, Paramount. Deal that has been hanging fire for several weeks, closed in Frisco by Wesley. Ruggles, who brought Brock Pemberton* producer, of ;Ap- pe-arance' .back here for further con- fabs with Cohen. Latter will .do Pemberton'a •:'P» • A.' In pic form, probably -wRh Mae .West, • Isabel Jewell has been added to 'Carrie' cast. IHANCIS IN <LIUBO' jSollywdbd; Jiinc 2, Laird D6jHe •^111 db, screen play tbr ^Refum thSni Limbo' kt War- ners. ■ " ■ . ' * i«Icture' will be « 'Kay' Francis starrer. Studios Mullii^ Means of Getting Around Dramatist Gufld Impasse Virtue's Reward Hollywood,'jTume - 2. . Picture actors,'■ having expe- rlencted about .every - emotion,, can now look forward to a brand new one, recently sprung on Walter Kingford by Pro- ducer Louis D. Lightoii at Metro. In explaining why his part hadj^been cut, jfront, 'Troublfe For Two,' ■■ Llghfoii' ' Wrote KIngsford[ th?it 'his. work was' so 'firie that the' story motiva- tion suffered in consequence.' Hollywood, June 1. Transcontinental - Western Air Lines . settled for $104,000 . four claims . filed by Paramount em- ployees as result of the air crash near Atlanta, Mo., a year ago. Pat Drew and Capt. Paul Wing each drew $39,000.. Henry Sharp collect- ed. $14,800, and William Kaplan $6,- J.75. Compensation carriers and the studio received, the remainder of the payoff. ■ • Director Richard Wallace, suing for $35,000, declined to make a set- tlement. , ' .'}•■ •. ^ . Crash, occurred while the.>Para- liount,company was en; route to an eastern location to make the filmj '13 Hours by Air,' recently released. Ken Hawks' Claim Washington, June 2. Relatives of'Kenneth N. Hawks; Fox Film director, lost their last chance to collect damages for Hawks' accidental death while film- ing a picture when fhe U. S. Su- preme Count Monday (1) refused to review damage proceedings against firms which supplied the airplanes. The high tribunal ruled it had no jurisdiction over California court proceedings and refused to review rulings of the state judiciary on the question of whether intra-state air- craft operations arff subjejJt to Fed- eral air commerce regulations. Thomas J; Parker, administrator of Hawks' estate, had ende avoreg to sue James Grainger, .Inc„ agency whicii fixed up the plane deal,-and Tanner Motor Livery,, owner of the crate, but had been balked when the trial court ruled Congress has no authority to' regulate all air navigation. Following this decision, the Hawks-relatives had Insufflcierit! evidence to'press the claim, . Hawks and others were killed in January, 19S0, when two ships used for IL Fox -.production collided 2,000 feet in..the. air over the Pacific; Ocean . a ;few miles from . Santa Monica, All..occupants were killed, but witnesses who saw the collision from the water claimed the planes had not kept as far apart as Fed- eral regulations required. Hollywood, June 2. Major film companies have no In- tentloh' of retiring from" play-ftnanc^ "ing' fieia,; despittS their' refi^sal to hack legit prodiictioris undeirj terms laid " "down' by Dramatists ' Guild's Bew contract, " ".' .' ' ' Number of studio .; heads are .chiecklng up on playwrlghtp' under •contract to. them, figuring that suf.. -ficlent number of ..new plays can be secured. for backing from . among screen writers- and others not con- nected with Dramatists Guild. .. Metro, despite its stand against legit production, will go through with its plans to put the Mane Bros, oxit as a stage unit hefore they go into film production,. in order to test value of" sketches; Idea will "be" same as used for 'A iJighf.at the Opera,' last season. Studio execs are discussing vari- ous plans, one. of which Is accept- ance of plays oA.tJasls of , flat pay- ment, for .ptage And picture rights prloir ' lto sbig* '.prbduOtloln, - "with author also to receive customary royalties during run of; pi^pj ' ■ A counter-proposal Is to have' author on weekly salary during run of play,^ polishing story along same lines as In effect for film scripts. Amalgamation of, the Screen Writers' Guild with Authors' League of America is expected ■ to be threshed put at meeting of League council tills week. Powwow with directors of Screen .Writers iGuiid .was held last week by Marc Con- nelly, president, to clarify several 'points that l«ad'.arisen. More Caljf. "Faxes ' SacranfShto, Ckl., June 2. Picture' industry faces ' added tax burden through passage by Call-' foriiia legislature of the old age pension bill,', forcing tax rates up. Impost will be upped at least 5% to meet Increased/ pensions for those 66 or. older from $20 to $36 'SUMMER HAIL' STARRER FOR GINGER ROGERS Hollywood,'June 2. Radio' -has purchased" 'Summer Hall,' nCvfel 'by Valarlfe' 'Savage, starrer for Ginger Rogers, It will be a Pandro Berma'n pro- duction, Edith Moisc-r' doing screen play. LINDSAY IN 'EDEN' . ' SoUywood, 'June 2. '. PrankjMcDonald dir.ecjts 'Three in Eden' _ at Wa'rn.ers. , . . .. Margaret Lindsay Is the cast- topper Trade Mark Reslstei'ed POONDiSD Bt SIME. Sir,VBRMAN rubllHlied Weekly hf VARIBTV, Inc. . Sid SlJverma'n. Preqlrtent 1&4 West *atb $trpet, Ne.w Tork City INDEX Advance Production Chart 21 Bills 45 Chatter 63 Concert 61 Explcltatlon ,-',.,.;.......19 15 and 60 years. Ago..... 43 Film Reviews .15 House Reviews 4 . # 17 Inside—Legit 4f> Inside—Music 42 ln.side—Pictures C In.'ilde—Radio - 32 Intornatiorial Ncw-s ; 12-13 Legitimate .........,,... ,40-49 Literati 50 Music 40-42 ' No.w Acts t; ■ 44 •Newis from the Dallies,, /. "H^. 42 64 Outdoors - 65 Pictures 2-28 Radio ..." 29-3'J . Radlo-^Reportu 30 Radio-r-Showmanshlp ..>. 38 iShorts IS ' Sports .'X 52 •Times Square..V ..kt ' 62 Units •'44 "Vaudeville 43x44 "Women ,,.,...,» 25 /I<Ue Clubs A,-, '^Obftuairy ''