Variety (Jun 1936)

fAKIEtt By MIKE WEAR .ATjbrevl?i,t6& -traVilrij^ frfeek .pro- j duced few prices changes of im- ' portance In the 6t&ck market last wieek. Hlehei' priced, stock,. par- ticularly steel shares, again con- tinued In demand at higher levels wrach promised well for future jn/rkets. With many traders with- drawing from the market early Fri- day (29) In advance .of the Satur- day holiday (Memorial Day), most of -Interest was concentrated In Tuesday and Wednesday sessions; Amusement Group- followed the same pattern as In the preceding week, with the same high of 42 and a low of 40%, which was slightly higher than the i)recedlng week pro- duced* . Glose at 41%, was at vir- tually the same level. Volume picked up In the.facle of the short- ! ened weeki . Two preferred Issues, Kelth„ which hit 91.%, end ijEiadlo Corpora- tion new cumulative, 11%, registered . liiew. .193ff highs. The latter, tHe \Radio first preferred, showed a 2- polnt advance at the close. But there were other markedly Btrong . spota .aside, .from these. American Seating soared points ' tb 22 In later trading. In Mpnday^ ' (1) trading^. . • Eaf tman Ifodak. showed (Sriough'Vigor to get up 1% joints to 162%. : ■'• xUnlversai -pfd. Was up. 2% i^olnts ,1, -(Continued,ba page 28) iniSS flUi HAS ; G-B IN CANADA 1936-7 Toronto, June 2, iBjmpIre Films has signed to -. handle the Canadian distribution of • the - GSail.njiqiit-Brltish i93fl-37 prod- uct^ It.Tfas anncunpfed by A, W. . Perry, general thariager, at Empire's .•, 2-day; annual convention.here. .QB ;' >l€'ature6 total 30 for tlie coming sea- • son. Contract .was formerly held by " Regal FJlmft subsidiary of Fanious ! plajrerB-Cartadian. ' . : Wj a. Marriott hap been ap- , jpolnted new exploitation and adyer- ^.tlslng ..chle| for!. Enppire.. Jimmy . Campbellf Xiondon music publisher hahdllhg, (r-Br pix music, also catae here plotting exploitation. ' Apwt from the' GB announce- V Wejit, convention proceedings were . ■ routine, merely outlining the pro- gram for .the cQming. season plus round-table conferences on sales policy. Reported that Empire will drop the distribution of British In> ternatlonal ' Pictures product fo)r • l08j6-37 "but still has six of tha,t " company's pictures to handle undet present contract Sequel Is the de- parture from here for London wlth- • In-the fortnlte of Fred S. Bevejl, ' Canadian' representative for Bill, ' who • will confer" with Managing Director Arthur Dent Caliadlan distribution of BIP films. • NAPOLEON CYCCE Littlp Corporal to Fi'sure in Two Wai'nep Pix Hollywood, June 2, Next Marlon Davles. picture for Cosmopolitan, as. yet untitled; will be French costume play of the Na- poleonic period, with the Little Cor- poral prominently featured. Cosmopolitan has owned yarn;for several years. Claude' Rains, . who plays' part b£ Napoleon In Miss bay- les' current feature, 'Hearty Adrift,', will handle Emperor role In next picture. STTib M COP. Chicago, June 2. ' S. R. Kent, Darryl: Zanuck, Joe Scihenck and Sol Wurtzel ■ were among the key men attending the 20th Century-Fox film ' convention here over the Memorial- Day week- end. Chief c'Omic was Lew'Lefir, funny guy of the Fox Jiewsreels. Some 69. pictures Will be' released on.'the 1,936-193,7 schedule, including six from Sol Lesser. There will bb three 'Charlie Chan' pictures,- three or four with Shirley Temple, sim- ilar number with Jfine Withers and three of the new 'Jones Family' se- ries. : -Remakes will Include 'Seventh Heaven' and 'Mark of Zorro.' Hollywood, June 2. . 20th-Fox International sales con- vention will be held here next year. Around. 600 will be brought from qonapany's offices throughout the world for the 10-day'session. ^peraidi^ Tees Off iioilywood, June 2. production on.'The Gay Desper- : •' ado' at. Plckford-Lasky starts to- morrow (3). Nino Martini is ; fltari'ed with supporting cast includ- ing Leo CarrlUo, Ida Luplno, Harold .. Huber, Mlscha Auer and James . Blakely, / Eight weeks working schedule -has been allowed Director Rouben . Mapioulian. . . Trovadores Chlnacos, trio of singers- musicians, is being im- . ported from Mexico City for spot In film. In connection with the 20th Cen- turyrFpx fire, Kent' annoiuiced at the N. T. home office that. the. Pre at the eompany's Westwood Hills j9tudlo caused no serious losses, and will InvolVe no produfction delay. Dajnages,.mostly from Water, wlU not exceed^lO.OOO,. all covered by insur- ance. WB's mck L<$i«ii' Hollywood, June 2. First picture based on the cur- rent Black Legion cult Investiga- tion win be made by Robert Lord for Warners. Aben Flnkel Is writ- ing yam. ■■■■ r ' Film will carry title 'Black Legion' and will be rushed Into production to take advantage of publicity. Femme Megger at Col. Hollywood, June 2. Dorothy Arzner and Columbia are talking a directorial, contract,- • Her, producer deal with the-studio recently never went through. BOIES AT SADIO Hollywood, June 2. John Boles goes to Radio on one picture deal, with options, and has returned here from personal appear- ance tour in east for conferences with Sam Brlskln, Studio has several musicals from which one will be picked as Boles opus,, •. CHANGE OF ADDRESS Hollywood, June 2. Securing release from his con- tract at Metro, Robert Livingston has joined Republic, , .First assignment for the actor will be in serial, 'The Vigilantes Are iComing,' going Into production this week and directed by Ray Taylor. ■ " . L; A. to N Y. ,Robert Taylor,. Una Merkel, Joe Brandt. H. C, Potter. John Boettiger. Rosemary Ames. . Buster ICeaton. Leo Carrlllb; Liw Bro.wn. In'ing Caesar. Roy Ralnies; Maurice Conn. George O'Brien. Brock Pemberton, Francis Wallace. R. H. Cochrane. P. D. Cochrane. J. Cheever Cowdin, Judge WlUard McKay, Charles Rosher. Frances Marlon. David Lewis. William Helnenian. Sammy Whl^^' Eddie Carrier. N. Y. to L. A. Jerome Cowan. D. A. Doran. Gedrgeg Metaxa. Talullah Bankhead. Sam H. Grisman. Norman Markwell, David S. Samuels. Luclen Mandelik. Gladys Swarthout, Frank Chapman, Jack Mesklll. Mrs; Jack Klngsberry. T TTT 100 300 200 4,700 5,200 800 eoo 81,000 . 8,A0O ' . 200 400 • i.m $2,000 4,000 2,000 16,000 21,000 Col. PIct. ail, 82li. 32?4fir % Con. Pilm..75 ' 4%-, 4t5 .! East.. K.. .10814 103 " l03 -4- % •G«n. !El. i.> 37'4 ' 87^': 37% -f % l,oew: ■46}f.r43% =4314--% Para'mount' 816' fl -8—14 Do 2d pf S 8% 8%- % Pathe .... 7% VA 7?4-% RCA 12 11%. 12 +% •Do iBt pr 77»A. 76 77% +% RKO J. . c% 5%., 20tl»Vrox JS% 22% 22% + % W. B..... 10% 10 10%+ % BONDS Gen, Th,. 24 24 24 ioew .,.. 07%-'0714 0754+ % Pnr-B'wajT 69 69 09 Paramount 87% 87% 87% - % W. B..... 83% 82% 03%+ % Warners Buflding Stadio Expansion 5„ Hollywflipd, June 2. Warners Is extending . Us stvjidlo building program to' Include jtwo additional ,£tag«s, In addition to 10 stages recently completed. Stiidii* will also'erec't flve-atbry office build- ing and a complete theatre with 1,000-seatlng capacity., I ' In addltl9^, one of lot's 1(0*8:631 stages win, bie increased, In height by BO feet; gl|yln^ If an .Interldr clearance of 90 feet^from floor. New- niakeup department .yvrlll be Installed in 'bulldlftg iormerjy iised by propt- ettir depiirtment, and series of por-, ttal't galleries will be added^ , Later, studio planp erection.e*iA;ew teolinlcal bulIdlngSi to liiduse moj^ern fllrii laboratory, In addition to new , studio build- ings. Jack ,L. Warner announced acquisition of 5.00-acre tract near Calabasas,. to be u^ed for exteriors. $1^14,950 Skonras Claim h St. Loois Is Allowed St -Louis, June 2. Referee in Bankruptcy Hope, has allowed $1,214,9&0 claim against bankrupt estate of Skouras Bros. Enterprises, ■ Inc., based upon "un- paid-balance of a. 14,600,000 bond Issu& floated In 1^26 and guaranteed by fIma, Claim was filed by William R. Orthwein, co-trustee, and Mel- vin L. Straus, original trustee under a deed of trust and chattel mort- gage executed by Central Properties Corp., which Issued the 94,500,000 bonds. Central. Properties, was a sub- sidiary,of Skouras Bros. Bn-terprises, Inc. and parent company guaranteed payment of bondSk Bonds issued on a 6% annual interest basis, were due and payable Oct. 8, 1932. On that date entire issue h%d not been retired. Allowance of claim was on a general basis and.it will not be given preference when final adjust- ment is miEide 'of ..estate of Skouras Bros. Enterprise,' . Walker Draws Whodunit As Pact Starter at RepnbGc . Hollywood, June 2. Stuart Walker, who was at Uni- vei'sal and Paramount as director after leaving" legif stoOk In the mid J. west, has been tlOkefed at Republic as Wrlter-ipfoducer. • " ., • His flrflt asslgrttoent will be to produce the Liberty magazine yam, 'ThO President's Mystery,' first of the ..group, of. eigi;t, fecials to be ma4e Ijy 'Republl(5:foi? 19?^i-37 pro graiii.' Writers Holler Piracy Los Angeles, June 2, Suit filed here by John P. Cousin and Bertram Bracken, writers, charges Radio Pictures with piracy of story structure,, situations and cllmas .of pIx In studio's fllm px-a- duction, 'Ex-Mrs. Bradford.' • Writers allege studio used por- tions of their- story, ^The Turtle Murder,' as basis for the picture and arc asking for an Injunction and accounting of profits. .O'BEIEN GEAN&ES -OVER ■ Hollywood,. June 2. Winding up production on 'Bor- der Patrolman' for Lesser-Prin- cipal, George O'Brien terminated two years with Sol Lesser and moves Into the George Hirliman fold. Western star will make a series of action pictures for Hirliman, lor Radio release. fjieyelafton J'llm8, |nc„ is dtjvlng tOrpijt over iiii thf theatres a/tfeertls- ifig fliins 6£ more or less entertalniftent vsa3v«o. Tliere;i(%s teen a -constant trend toward the Inclusion in minor programs of advertising Alms, but the initial experiment, by which the Independent .exhibitor was to show such pictures for profit, giving part of.hiS to his trade aggocla^ tlon, flopped xUstrcfisliigly. • ■■ 'il . • ;•: Under the new argument, the film cbintipariy points'out that billionB are yearly spent for advertising and that 'even the carnival, the circus and the speaking stage' get a share, while , the sorely pressed- exhibitor fs left out In the cold. -It adds that one of Its color pictures has been shown In 4,000 theatres in England Including de luxe'rs in. London and tliO exhibitor Is urged to turn to sponsored films to crack the nut Im- posed by. the niountlng expenses, including fflm rentals and taxes. It points out that newspapers endure only by virtue of their advertising Income and urges the eofhlbs to share in this generous distribution of advertising coin. Despite being introduce^ y>y confused Rotary .Club president as 'Major Bowes," J^hrt Boles seemed to enjoy a flying visit to, Lyncliburg, Va,, made in" oirder to see his wife's alma mater, Ranplolph-Macon Wo- man's College. Some 600 girl students ,mobbed the actor, who received their attentions politely but refused to ping. Made a- hit by telephoning, his wife itt Hollywood from,, the president's office. , : ; .. Later said he expects to,^ send his two daughters,; now 9 and 15, to iiandolph-Macon "vifheft they'r'e old .enough to matriculate. •'"iilother-In-iaW of a iaim comic, who.has. it-all-socked away In eurrency because of lack, of faith In stocks, bonds or other Investments, Is reported framing plan whereby lad will be relieved of around: 60 grand through purchase of'a nearby ranch. Wifey's .mama has worked up yen- for the property, figuring it will bfa cortf ortable, spot for the .'three Of'us.'i' Al- though price of $60,000 is'said to be only, drop In-bucket of what comio has In the vaults, mother-in-la;w is trying to barter down price so that blo^ will be sbftehed 'when piie. pops the, tidings. Although proxy: comrtjlttees by certain .elements in Par may be formed, as talked about, for purpqsos of the annual atockholdbrV meeting, June 16, or later, there is nothing to Ihdioate that J. P. Kennedy will be asso- ciated with'any such groups. Kennedy is expected' to stay entirely neutral of any inside contro.v.ers!y or any battle which may be going on outside, among banker groups. Any talk about Kuhn-Loeb. being in- volved in a- proxy battle over Paramount, looks offside. "Warner Bros, request'that Federal Securities and Exchange Commis- sion keep secret details Of certain executive contracts effectively pre- vented publication of four-figure salaries until long after the agreements died. No Indication was given whether the pacts have been renewed when the S. E". C. last week removed seals from certain parts of the W.B. registration statement.. One of the contracts expired last Sep- tember while the other ran out In January. Free outdoor picture shows, given under; sponsorsiiip'pf merchants of small towns as means of drawing shot>pers, have made annual appear- ance In Southern California. PoVtable projection outfit la used, with plain wooden benches doing duty for seats:~-Firagram made ut> of an antiquated talker and. a short is given one night weekly in each -town, over period of 20 weeks In, some spots, all of which Is Causing theatre exhlbs some uneasiness. Femme agent oh Coast,. constantly on lookout for new male talent, has faculty of digging up youths of wealthy families. Recently, landing a young fellow of the Cary Gran^ type, but .whose'facial appearance, was not just right, agentess decided that before submitting' lad Jto studios he must undergo a change in nasal structur^. He's how in a Coast hos- pital undergoing schnoz remake. Universal Is first of Coast, studios to l>ass its quota in the United Jew- ish Welfare drive. Chairmen of campaign are Charles R.. Rogers, Wil- liam Koenlg and Fred S. Meyers. Hollywood quota is $126,000,.,with current drive having already garnered ^"78,000 compared -with previous corresponding high of $60,000. Defeat by California legislature of measure sponsored by Gov. Ij'ranls F. Merriam to refund all monies paid to state on unemployment in- surance In event act is declared unconstitutional, prevents film com- panies . from getting chance to recover any of coin already paid In. "Lost Horizon' will be brought in at Columbia by Director Frank' Capra around July 2 as studio's most ambitious feature. Production costs to date have reached the $1,6.00,000 mark, after two months of filming. Metro's play-financing de^il last year 'with Max Gordon and Sam H. Harris, Individually, gjuaranteed each $750 a week for 62 weeks, under- wrote .all losses, and gave both legft managers a percentage of the profits. -' Errol Taggart, directing his first picture at Metro after several years as top assistant On the lot* brought in 'Women Are Trouble,' m • 16 d,ays, three days ahead of schedule. *Spawn,' with Lombard, For LeBaron at Par Hollywood, June 2* William LeBaron will produce 'Spawn of the North,' with Carole Lombard starred, for Paramount. Henry Hathaway directs, with company going, to Alaska next month on location. Grover Jones la putting script in shape for early start.' %eam'No Steal Says RKO ■ Attorneys for RKO on Monday (1) entered a general denial In the U. S. District Court, N. Y., to the allegations made by Samuel Ship- man and Clara Lipman, playwrights, that the picture, 'I Dream Too Much,' was a steal on their play, 'It Depends on the Woman.' The suit is for an Injunction and accounting. THOMPSON TO TURN ; OUT FODR FOR PAR ■Hollywood, Jtme 2. Harlan Thompson will produce four pictures for 1936-37 program at Paramount under terms of his new contract. In addition to 'Wives Never Know' and 'Champagne Waltz,' in preparation, Thompson will work out a college • musical idea with Frederick Hazlett Brennan, designed to give studio's stock players a chance. DeMILLE TO REP. CONV. Cecil B. de Mllle will be delegate from California to the national Re- publican convention In Cleveland starting Monday (9). He will probably leave the Coast today (Wed.); • Ballew to Serenade Spthern on the Seine Hollywood, June 2. Ann Sothern and Smith Ballew set for lead parts In 'Se.-enade on the Seine,' at Radio. Musical is by Franz Schulz and Jay Gorney. BUilTON DIRECTS 'DADDY' Hollywood, June 2. Radio signed David Burton to di- rect 'Darry and I,' which Zlon Meye;rs will produce. Anne Shirley tops ca&t.' 1