Variety (Nov 1936)

VARIEtr PIC¥««ES Wednesday, NQvember 4, 1935 Three Tiesri. tM Snyw^^nt Fli-st After, ,Fiv^ Mbntli*^ jParlcying, Writers fthd Pro- ducers'Appbiiit Cbmmitteet to Fasfcibn a Suitf i^bie WiiilFkmg Uh«l,!erftahcimg Hollywoodj Nov. 3. After five Tiwjith^ jparleying writersj committee appointed by t3tteri»ewly^br6ahi2:ed--Scre^n^lay* Wright;?, met for the first time "with the prpducefs to .disbuss vrhat they 1)£lievfid to be 911 equitable agree-. \ m«i>t . between : ui>r<)^ui;e^^^ and writers. , Practically of thie top studio ' :(e)cecutives attended the . parley^; at the invitittion of Thi^se! Included Jb^viyl Zanuek, chairman <tf jfht p^«dU^^ ,. liouis B, Mayer^ Joseph Mt Schehck, Adblph i;\]kbr, f^ddie Mannix, .Ben 1^. kahuiej Hen^ vjiCoenlg aild WijAiaiii^ d^ $creeD Playwrights 'were : represented by : ;Grbv<r Joheis; pfexy; B^ss Mecedy fh, .; Paiil^^)^^ Vouhis, Wiili«lm Br< McNutt. and Janqi^s. K. JilcGuinness. ^ .Prbducera Jtold; : the .?Kriter group that they had a ciohtract for writers i|» Effect 'until lfl37» with: the ;^ Writtrs: bifan* ^ol the Academy pit >ioti^^ Picture. Ati* and jSciehces, which th#y Were hot iricUnMl to ; i b^eajit. • . But they virould l:bceak a 'y.'::precedwt ' and atlcei>t the organizar ; ';tibn's. ihvitatibh. t«! trieet with them . and listen- tofwlitat^:tile screeiiwrlghts r^';j)ad in niind^'^^ ):'~^!^Wa.;^']^!(^tl4l^Oin,;^ ...... /V-iiJWtbi* r^^^ t|[i|i they ' " lyln'ted rik!0$nitl<M o^^ their bbdy and ,. : Airorking iplah i^^^^ in any •' •:'%way want, thernselyeis; ti(id in with '«the Acadeiny.r No attempt, however,. .- wias ma4e by the writers pi lay be.- I fore the' prpducerilt; the bntlm of their bodie, ^yhich the /Ptihimittee had v.spent mohthiB' in compiling, Bhd the . ^ jneeting was adjpurned with the ap- ' i pbintment of .bdmmittees frbni: the llrpiiwert and i«r'it«>rs to lateir on" a cbHe that would be ^- equitable to both parties. '-.'.On, thbse cpmYKittfees 'McNut^^ Young .and . Schbefie^^ Were ap- pointed -to^ represent the Screen Playwrights^ Mannix, Briskin and B^ Kahahe Were appointed by 'j2^uf;k to r|ppresent:ih<? pr<c^ucers. . pfbisb 'cbinit:^tt^s:%eti# Week| fpr tWp-lu^^ \wbich. tlmb; the ipiscussibn centered on What- wPtUd, be the prpper prb*^ cedurb ^tP talcb fbr . an amicable agiieeniient bi^tweeh the- tWo bodies. These -^bmmittees >. are scheduled.. to meet again early this week. /OutlooK Is iJncertain While the writers have gotten ■ to- gether with the producer's for . the first time" since the bid Spreen , Writers' Gqjld jlblded, there was ' much speculation among' the writers in the. various stiidibs as to the. out- come of the par\eys;,. An important writer, wbo is sai ' .to be in the icnoW, declared, that there , would be little/difficulty jn coimhg;:.. an agreement which wpuld.brin^^^^ ition qf the. SP by - the bosses^ ,$crib asserted that most of th0 jiieni- bers .'of the Academy Writers Board aire members of ; SP or arb partial to its purpbsjes, aiid that they, would lipt stand ini the way of the pro- ducers abrpgating the contract made :between themselves and the. Acad- emy., feels the two committees ..Will look with favor on a; plan tb turn oyer the handling.of the Acad- emy agreement to the Scireen Play- Wrights with the sanction bf the ioard of Directors of the Ab^^demy and to be revised to the satisfaction, of ail; Writers cpncbrned." Meeting scheduled between ,^ the Prbducerjs Ass'h £nd Screen Play- ..WrightS:, committees for yesterday '(Monday) was postponied until lat- :ie^i* part of this wee'.:, vrogr^ss thus , far made between the 'Prbducers* conimittee and Screen Playwrights .Was recorded: at^ meeting yesterday ^(Monday) Of the^ Producers. Associ -- , tibn. Accord of ''both, pa'rt'es to the new agreement will . necessitate the ^crapping of ^he rpresent Academy pact, which runs October, W37. .j' The few details still to be'ironed, out'will Qomb; before the next Prp- ducer4 ineeiing later in' the Week^ Hdcbeich^ H^^^ Breach bf contract "suit fo)r $100,000 was filed in N^ Y. suprbme' court Monday (2) by Samuel I'auber, busi- niess a^ent, againist Vbcafilm Corp. of America and its president^ iDavid K. Hochrelch, Tiuber today .(Wed.) Will a^ the court Ipr an . order to exaniinb Hochreich before trial of the tictioh. In his complaint, Tauber claims the defendant induced him to sign a contract for three' years to "Work as personal' representative of Vocafilm at a >aldr^ of $50b a week. He en- tet^d the ^greenlienl^ hb aVbrs, pnly aftet the defendant had tpid him bf a^plan^tp birgani^ >; gigantic outfit to be known as the Exhibitors' Fran- chise Corp. Wbich' i^i^nded to con- solidate several oil the large filih companies ^nto onb jind to eliminate many of tfiW"preiseh^ and assistant producers Hochreich, the plaintiff also claiihs, told him he expectied a .settlement for $5,250,000 of a suit Which .Voca- fllm had .institutedi against A. Se Tw, JErpi and Wbsterh .Electric. Tauber said he Worked for Hochreich under the agreement until June 16 withbut receiving any pay, •' SEA PIX NOT AFFECTED BY SHIPPING STRIKE HollyWPodt -Nov. Cbast. shipping strike Will tiot in- terfere, with :iilmin^ pf two major studio productions, presently in 'work, Metrp*^. 'Captains Cbura^eous,' wbrkiii^ off Cataliha Isldtnd, is using two vessels '^that .iare: not' engaged Commercially^ therefbrb exempt from the tieup. Film. iS. just finish- ing. . ,J;;,:::v;^.'. Siniilarly, two ships beipg used by Par'aniount f or'Sbiils at Sea* Will not be interfeired with. This pic has jlist started.' Trem Carr, has purchased the 150- fbot twp-masted; schooiieri 'Ma^d of Orleans^' last ' " the' bid ' Wrialinjg ships on the ■ CbasJ;.. Pro.ducer, who acquired the. boat in Vancouver, will have it sailed south fpr use in his next John Wayne feature, 'Adven- ture's End.' There's no possibility of any studio strike or their being 'affected.'. An agrbement niadb bc;tween the long- shoremen, seamen and ship. carpen^ ters prior to the strike provided they Would, not. interfere., with picture companies working .in the harbor. ' Berlin, Oct, 26^ Pbla Negri, whose neW flim 'Mos- cow-Shanghai' (Terra) is iii its third' week at the Capitol, plans to retire in less than three years. However, before the world can get over thia piece of' sad hews, Pola is dete^iied to db at • least tWd mbre pictures. Ibsen's 'Nora' is teinpting ler to again shoW off her dramatic Ability, ', and ReymorttV* 'Baverh' ('Peasants^* drama 'that got the Nobel Prize in 1924 and is spotted in Iter native country, Poland, would also be specially . suited to her, she thlnka.'. KEN MURRAY and OSWALD . Just released "Victbr'Record Np. 2B418, 'Mama That" Man's . Here Agaln-T-Oh, Yeah.' Starting fourth of is' series of Wa;mer Bros. Vitaphone. Shorts, Dec. 9. : Broadcasting l^augh With Ken Murriiy'" for Rlhso — Lifebuoy — coast-to-cottst, Tuesdays*' 8: Sft P.M., EST. CBS—34th - week* RUNYON-CAESAR PUY, CANTOR'S 1ST AT 20TH Hollywood, Tifov. 3. First picture for Eddie Cantor un der his 20th-Fox cpntract will be 'Saratoga Chips.' In acquiring the race yarn by Ddmbn itimybn and Irving Caesar, it Was announced by Zanuck that the studio had paid the highest price, bver doled out for an unprbdu^ed play, although not re vealihg thA figure; Lawrence Schwab goes bn the pic tur^ as associate producer when it hits the cameras in January. - LeoU; ard 'Praski doing the adapta- tioni. Krasna's Par to M Shift Holly wbpd,^ Nov. 3; Normah. .krasnia's. Was passed by Parambunti; ,. He goes to Metro on a dijrector. Wiriter Contract to make .three tjures''a, yeai:.'' ^. .j; ' ■ Giin Way at Metro HbilyWbod,. Novv3. , Top femme^ Spot in 'They Gave Him a Gun/ at Metro, iges to Gladys Georjgel •. Spencer 'Tracy aind Franchpt "Tone have miale .leads. ., L . A . <o N . Y. Sidney M. Bidell, Ai . M, Botsfbrd.. .. Joseph I. Breen.. Harry Joe -Brbwh. June ClayWorth. /Ilichard Crooks. Harry Grey. ; Olivia de Hayiiiand- Dinty Ppyic , C. M. Fliashnick: Harrison Foreman., Clark Gable. Martin Jones. Arthur Laindau. Jeff £<azarus. Arthur Lee,; . Marie Jjevenhagan., Albert Lewin.' W. P- Lipseomb. ■johhMaschio. Mrs.-.Lewis Milestone.. Williahi Morris,' Jr. Phil Regan. Spyros Skouras. Howard Strickling. Frank S; Tait. Kenneth Thomson. : .Don Thprnburgh. Jim "tully; Ruth Waterb^y. POLA NEGRI RETIRING ofltedstoBBC Rene Clair Does-an^ —- Alphonse & Gastoii; Defers to Chapfin Frohlich &; Schwartz, counsel for Charlie Chaplini are making inquiry into a claim iadvanced by ToWs that Chaplin's 'Modern Times' is'in some measure an infringement on 'A l^bus' La Liberte* which Renb ' Clair directed in Paris for that company. No suit has beeii filed i^: cpnnectipn With the* claim. ■ ituation Wais brought to Frohlich Si Schwartz's attention by Milton Diamond, Ainerican counsel for Tobis;: Former firm has arranged fbr a personal showing of the French film, before maicing any reply tb Diamond. .; It is imdersWbd' that Clair asked that hTs name be left out of any litigation, should it be started, be- cause if Chaplin had taken any gags he was very :much compilimented-. Clair is also said to have declared' that he had probably used a ^situa- tion a^ One iime br another which came f rorii someone's, else picture. ■ I«pndbn, Oct. 25.; . Concerns Pperating^ jnews .theatres' herb , are ahj^ry at lli'jt.ish Movietone because that cPmpahy'is supplying neWsrbels to the British Broadcast- ing. Corp. for television transmis- sipns. /Exhibs have protested by. letter, complaining it does- not give them a square deal when the puiji l ie can see a t home on its te l evision rec.eivers t^e sanie topical: programs a^ are showing in neW theatres. Attempt is also being made , with- out likelihood of success to get ac- tion through the Cinematograph Exhibitors Assn,, on the strength of discussions held sohie time ago be- tween pffipials and newsreei heads, when a loose undeirstanding was reached that: . B.. e. would not be supplied with news item until three mbniiis after the last- diate ot their shbWing in cinemas. No final agree, ment was reached on that scheme, though it would havb been enforced undier HhP propo^ form of stahd- aird renting contract draWh up. by a parcel of istribs and exhibs and rejected by the : general body, bf C.E.A.*'mei^bers< B.B,C. is currentlir. radiating only experimental transinissioibs to a lim-. ited number of televisor owners, and has bten itsing film-and newiireel since tiiej^i^t^ua ^^^I^^ August, when Ihb' Btti.p]ab^ demoi^ strations were'glv^nk: LAIRD DOYIE KILLED IN TRAINING PLANE Hollywood, Nov. 3. i Lair Dojrle, 30, Warner Bros, scenarist, was killed Monday (2) hear Glendale' airport when a train- ing plane he tbblE up for isolo flight cracked up When he banked top. sharply. He died Within an hPur on the-operating^able from internal injuries. Doyle, was a newspaperman in Frisco before going tP KNX as a writer-producer. He joined the Warners- writinig staff three years ago, after one picture at Metro.. Re- cently completed ,■: screen play ; of "Three Men On a Horse* and Was working on 'Call It a Day,' 'Widow and infant daughter sur- vive.. ' \ ' N Y. to L A. Stanley Adams. Barney Balaban. Mary Carlisle. Hbagy Carmichael. iSbbby Crawford. Julius Epstein. Philip Epstei Leo' Fischer.; Stanton L. Gri Mose Gumble. William K. Howard. Elizabeth Jenns.. Carl Laemmle, Jr; Frederick Lonsdale: Herbert Mardiall. kenyon' Nicholson. Charles Robinson. Lester Santly: P. G. Wodehouse. NED DOBSptr SCOUTiNa .. Chicago, Nov. Ned. Dobson, caisting director, and talent scout for Republic filnris,. in. town for-a week.'' , drying to hunt up some talent .for pictures. Le Roy's 'Crooner* Hpllywpod, jNov. 3. , Mervyri . Le Roy has ' engaged Michael Uris .for his .writing staff. First .assignment will be screen play of .'The. Great. Crooixer,' sched- uled tp follow Le'Roy's 'The King and the Chorus Glrr at Wiarners^ Execsiit N. 1; iNsgnmtkd Ag^ the isgrUhtled minority among the eiasterh casting: agencies ,whp are finding 'petty and imagirtairy flaws With the present picture com- pany systern of . selecting talent in the east, in the opinion ;pf film cor- poratipn ,talent : executiyes. , They attribute this <lj.sconteht aimbng. a feW agents to. fact, that, their style, has been cramped by the Ui>-and-up methods employed by eastern talent departments in their . dealings with reputable agents. It; is these few, who seek in, some insitances to. build up,a feeling df exalted iinportance With a potenAi.nl artist before he or she even Iia'3 Vai!Siftd ia. successful test, , who cause nny ill-teeli , .say .the fllm comp;i icials. Talent divisions in the east defend tiie high-calibre of'their Work by pointing to specific instances Where casting agents, .authors, prbducers and Vets of .the stage have praised the .iscren, tests, turned, but in N.Y, pnb executive in N .Y;^ eVen goes to' the trouble pf obtaining especially prepari^d scripts tb bring put. the beist in the people being tested. While it is tirue: some, years ago certai companies did.nqt maintain the mbpt perfect liaison betWeen the eastern talent, department, and, the Cbast, Studios, that; situation-had. been remedied.. The large number,of new faces recently sent tb the Coast by Universal and,20th-Fox specifically refutes Ihi Montgomery's Agent Contract with Small Hollywood, Nov. . Small-Landau agency collected better than . $25,00Cr; #oni Robert Montgomery for Waiving its man- agerial contiract, which has almost three years to. go. v At the same time, Montgomery withdraws hi^ action in Siu)erior Court asking for declara« tory relief r to vbid the contract. Montgomery, under his Metro deal made by the Small-Landau officer which brought him to the Coast, is getting .^160,000 aJ jLeari-fpr,. the length of the dealy playing 39 vfeiil annually. ARRIVALS . William k. Howard, Margie King, Sally EUers, ■ Dolljr Haas, Tamara Desni,'Jack Oakie, Elizabeth; Jenns, Roman Starzynski," Max Ree, Zyg- muht Karaff^fT^eUtbrcrJift, Marion Davies, Williiam . ft. Hearst, ' Hugh Walpole, Daniele Delbruybre, Her* ■bert Wiliox, • Sergi' "ftacnmaninplf, ""Jose Iturbi, Tullio Carminati,' Syd- ney Kent, Philip 'Astley, Budapest String (Quartette, Mr. and Mrs.' Hi* cardo Cortez, Dudley Nichols, Wcij* ster: Aitkeh, Mr. ahd Mrs. Gene Tun- ney, Sylvia Thompson, G; I. Wood- ham-Smith, Anna Neagle, Nigel Brbce, Mary Carlisle, Mai'^oTie Law- rence, Mauricb Hambert, Chamber- lain C. Lbrche,: Kaijr Christiansen, Balthasar Vanderpol, RaymPnd Braillard, Baron Valentin. Mandel stamm, EnUJe . Haume, . Lbopolf Sachse, Alfred Letoiu'neur, Franco Gleorgetti, M. Ignat, Marcel Diot Claudi Lombard, Dr; KUrt yor Bbecknianh, Dr; Ladislay, Sourek Erich von Kuhsti, Errtst Knoch John W. Hicks, Kurt Robitschek, B G. de Sylva, Robert Graham; Percl Philipson, iSydney Moseley, En Portman;' ierre Sandrini; "Jacque Charles.': ' SAILINGS Nov. 25. (New" York to. Paris), A bert Lew in (Normalndie). Nov. 11 (NeW Ybrk to London Loiiis Dreyfus, Hiatry Foster, t-o Wolfsbn, Val Pamell (Normandie). Nov. (New York; to London Merle Oberon, Mr.- and Mrs. Douj las Fairbanks, Sr^ William: Wyle Ethel Shutta, • 'Mme.'^Y. Kiyie^ (Queen'Mary). Nov. 8 (Havana to Vera Cruz Ballet Espaghol; Juan'Martinez, C9: los Montoya, Juahito, Enrique 'Vi' caino, Anna .Maria,; Ahtonita, Isi bella, Rbsarita, Castellana, Soleda Carmelita) Sarasina, . Amaya, Ma quila, Bobadilla, Zanouba (Yucatar . Oct. 29. (New York to Paris), A .nes de MillCj Dorothy Mackaiill ■' de Fi'ance),