Variety (Nov 1936)

VAKIETY ITediifsdayvNoyeinti^r 4v 1936 ios Angeles/iNpv^ . Now thieatre cohstniction, up to $1,000,000, Avili be financed by , PbiV Goldsldne fer^ Fox-W^st Coast, it lid whien additional bouses to take care' of deinahds «re needed. Film , pro4ucex hSs an iigre^jmiBnt; with tKfe: ■ SkoWas Bro^. Avhereby -he igetsr first call bri arty new theatre construction in the Los Angeles $reia over a pe- riod 'otvyears. i)eal Was virtually set fdr t361d- stone to construct a. de luxe opera- tion for the circuLt in the "Wilshire district heie,.but this has 'bieert tem- poi-arUy sidetracked by the Skdu- , lases, wild feel deniand is notVpe for additional seats in that arti Skoiiras Bros., with .20th-Fox as partners, have deal on to acquire ttie liarty HUtfm^ o* 'Six de luxers in Denver; marking theif fitit inVasiOii of the Colorado capi- 'tal city pi:oper» Negotiations wer«e isoussed by Sipyros and; Charles Pi Skouras lind Rick Ricketson, their . Rbcby Mountain aiJea operator, with Hoflnni^w y- Acquisition of houses is said to have; beien okfiyed by Spyros ' jSkOurasi so iar as the. Skouras in- terests tire concerned. Houses that ^jvyould figiu'e ih^ the deal include Ihe .Bah^ Aladdin, Pehver and I'abdiV (downtown* and cojUplc; ot . nabesi , . , * Invasion-of Denyer woidd give ^Ikouras Bii'os- r^jpresentation in all l a r ^ f' <^U^gs of the Intenhduntain • HreaV:they rfiwntly' hsLving ac^iuirei -ihe Orpheuih and jStudio.^^^S^ l*ke ■j^iiy, fab^ Fanchon & Mario,; Spyros Skouras wound lip a tout if .iiisRiKtiOn ol Coast housjes Irere ' ovicr tW weekend and headed teck ' ^ait. Meetings were held hi aJKiiyi- siwi ^ts, y/ith district martagferS l and bookersl' ,'% DOUBLE DUTY Toby-'WW SIcm; For i^* Ai Tour . Wjth Pic After M akthg It Hollywood, Nov, .. toby Wing :.b^n signatured WiMelody'Pictures for top spb+ op- posite Pinky Tomiin in its first feja-: tiire iproductioh, TiiOye and: Kisses, i Actress is also: optioned for three additional jplctuires and will do six weeks of personals with TQmlin> iiii connection with first runs of thie initial filirt. ' :^oiiiywo<la, ^N^ Maxie Bosehbloqm will lay dual roles i fTrial, Kotse,' now in production at Warners. . Pugilist will portray both ia prize figfiter as well as dra- ;matic • part, lindei- Wi iam Clemens' irectio;, Hogli Bockkr, Sod, tMNGS KICKS 0^^^ 20-FOX DIREaOR Hollywood, Nov. 3. Irving Cummings •abruptly tet- ininated directorial , berth at 20th-Fox:when he asked for and was given, a release; of his, contract that stiu had' fiye months to. jgo ^ ai straight two-year deal. ' : Controiviersies.. ittiait have a' r i s e n duri past coui>le^^ of months be- tween director and studio top execs oyer , h a n dl i n if "\bif assighmehts promptied^.Ciunmini^sir decisiph to withdraw from the lot. For . Nornia '!raimad;ge Jcssel was blamed ; ty Biiktet iCeaton tOr Sill his matltal Vwofes: which, cost him his ;fi*st wifei %at«aie-Talraadg« Keaion, ini an af- idayit Ke IBifel in N:'Y, isupj^ ; j:QUrt la^ Week Jn answer to Natalie's "isuit ior fiSOd back alimony* Kea- . tort-al?6 pleads he. is bt^ 'th^ cbiiirt, to iesVmd . i iudgiheiil or-; cter which his tied up his aaatjr^ Educatibnal Pictures for which he is A ioing ihorts^ Tlie mattet upt %r argument iNby. i2, . ; ' ^ Aitby citing, thjat he . . turned cash-and property amounting to ^^pyet $500,6bO iip to 1933 wliert Natalie jBie4toh- divojrced liimi on flie Coast, iromediaii also mention^ the feet .that -^ong Other losing . yenture^t he -^sjank-^djOGOQn; the Hbjtel Roosevelt, Hollywood to prbye that he is prac ,tically a pauper.. Ih this same ven ture, he says, otheifs who lost heavily included Louis B. Mdyer, . the late, Iri^ing Thalberg, Jloseiph M. Schenck and Irying Berlin. The dead^^pan cbmediiin moans, that without his present salary, lie cannot pay ,his hotel bills or hiSr Carfare back tP the Obast. Buster, saysr that. Natalie's sister, Norma, h.as>ai.ways disliked him and cbhtiiiualiy brought trouble between him and his. .wife, the present ac- tion, lie helieyes,. iS heir idea of try- ing.to make the public think that he is a scoundrel arid does riot love' his two boys, whb he say^s, he has.atjiply provided for iri. trust, ;funds. _ v ^ In Ekcss d( $tiOfl^ Coincident With the declaration of an initial di vi den d of $1.10, Gener^, Theatres 'Equipment last week imriounced estimated net profit of $837,950' for the nijie months end- ing Sept. 30.. Company; also reveals estinlated - net "ptofit fot the ■ third quarter endinl^ Sept 30 of $255,768. The' $1.10 diwy the (japital stocki . of which th^re axe inbre than 435,000 shares curtenUr 6titstandin«t, is jp^yable De.c'. 10 to stockholders on recor4 Dec. 1. The .company "an nouriced that stockholjiers who fai to exchange liieir ' securities nan Or before Dec. 1 ;iorJ stock \mder the reorganization ' plan ' 'will, not- be eligible Id teceive thiS 'first; payment Present indication^ are.- that Gen eral Theatres :het i>roflit for the yyear will W rtore thiui tv^ace Necessary to ,pay the first ' dividend oir iniexcess of $l,000;000. lioliywoQdi Nov;. 3^ Hugh . Buckier, dt, ^nd . his son, John Buckler, 30; both stf^e. ,arid screen actors^, Were-;: droV/ned : when their automobile skidded oflf the road into Mtdibu Lake, Saturd^^ <31X They Were 'en r^oute. to the Buckler Home at MialibU: Lake to Spend the Hallowe'en weekend. The son, Ay'as driving and it is' believed, the ciar ; eft tite narirow road during a heavy downpour. Young Buckley was born in Cape- town, South Africa. His father wfis identified with Englteh theatricals as actor, and managet of stock com panies: After John came to Holly wood ^and established, himself in films, hiis father foUowed and otily r^ecently. had importaipt ;rples. in 'Lost Horizon* at Columbia, ."The Jungle •rincess' at Patamount and 'The Last of the Mohicans** The younger Buckler hafd ^gpeared oh. the New York Stage in 'Birretts of Wimpbie Street,! 'Mourning Be comes: Electi^,' 'Jouirney'^ . End* and ^The-^Green^ai*--4n-Holljrv'ood-he played, in 'Divid Copperfteld,* 'Hcl^Vs Grititude';: and The mgiujtfded Jloiir.' For the past, several months he has,,bpen working iri 'Tarzari Es- capes' at iiletrO. "~ , John was engaged to .be. piarried to T3Jlaltoz»ribva, actress. The father- was married to Violet Paget, an ac tress with whorit he had .toured. Another^ Accounting of the net profits earned by the Metra film, 'Letiy lyntbn,^ to decide the: awtird diK authqis ^Edw^ird ^Sheldonv ^d vMargatet Ayer Barnes for alleged plagiarism Of their story, 'Dishoiibred Lady,' will be submitted to plaintiffs' attorneys, O'Brien, riScoll ^ Raftery, by attbr* rieys. for defendants, IiQews>'Iric;,i'iand MG Figures submitted last week listed the net take at ■$280,009; . : issatisfied with first accounting! plaintiffs' attbrheysvi^^ Jbat their accountants also eiiiairiine Ihe bobkl$; In ^iBriswer Lbew. ^M ti more amplified and detailed report. Fnrst was a. skeleton, .say deferidiants.; A hearing lias been set for Noy. S at which time it is. understood still ; uHher ohjectiemsr wiU be bffered agaiiist 1^^^ siiin by he pUiiintiffsr Edwaird Clark, representing fiuthorsi. wUl br«h^ further investigation .by impartial acbountants' to deiter filin's iricomt • to.plairitiff'S satisfactipri. Preferred stb:(5c and; d^ Of I^ramount Pictures^ Inc.i Which vot» . ng trustees of reorgariized . Missouri ^eatre Bldg.' -Corp. reeeiyed' in set«. lenient of claim against^Paramount-Publix Cprp^ for biicfc terit, may not )e iised to retire Miissoiiri Theatre. <St LOiiis) honds under plan projposed }y voting trusties. Judge Chiules B. Faris^ ^ Voting trustees had offered to exchange ohe siiare of stock and ohe debenture for each $300, par yalue, . of . income m6rtg«ige bonds which holdeihs of theatre's original londs ri^eived iri. reorganization.' ,. ' ' " . '; . Judge Davis upheld contention of Boatriieri's Natidrial .Barik, trustee uri- der $2,000,000 income : bbrid . Issue, that Pai^oimt : stock arid debentures: represented'i>art of assets mortgaged uiridet. old;issuO' and should be turned Over to bank afs trusty holders of new bonds. The Paromoiint pieferred stock giyen i settlement Of rerit; ciaini has a par yaliie of $110,000 iuqtd de^^ also, hi^ve si p[ar value Of'fllO,000. ; Repercussibn of a f uind of several\grand which several, actoi^& in; wood sent to striking lettuce pickers in Salinas, Calif., has coitrie: to, troupers in form of « threat from a HearsVhigh .exec that another gesture like^ and ho liame of such a dbribr will eyer appear~iri a Heiarst paper again, not: eyen in a paid ad. Exec was at jpains to say the order hadn-t eome fro]iin Lord of iSan Simeon himSelf but. was just as effective as if it had. Actors have tried to laugh" the threat off by citing upping -effect ori^ grw^ Hearstls blackUstirig had on Mae West's last picture 4ind ore figur- ing sorije way tb answer-it. ■ Pra6ti«« a Coast major stu4ip in tacking fixed studio .Overheid charges again^the. productjof a_.produw Works O n ia sa lary;' plus a cut of the_^ prdfits, ^ leading W a^showiclbwri, "Diirector has put" up'-the^ cn':. that this practicie cuts into his own profits.! ; On his current picture he figures the fixed overhead, charges have upped total cost not less, thaih $200,000, which means it ntiust grpSs that much ;riioTe before he gets h^ IS particularly irked oyer faibt that sieyeral other producers are. iniakihg piC' tures for ^he sairie release^ but by making .Uieitt on .butside lotSf; do; nbt have the fixed-overhead charges attached; General Talking Pictures Corp. last week obtained a ista^ of the peTmar nent injunction granted Western-Electric, Brpi and -A. /T. fc T.^ restrain- ing General from 'infringing; on their :paterits» Pending appeal^ :Federal JiH]ge!''Byers allowed Gen^^^ 20 days iini which to file a bori^d. of'$.1<1,OO0 to insure the cost of-action. Marliene^* T9n$iU Marlene Dietrich, starring Syith Robert Dpnat in ,'Kni Without Armbr,* * holding. the picture due .'to illness. . .~ Suddeti attack; of tonsilitiS knocked her but. Los Ane:eles, Nov. 3 Ken Maynard's application-for. per- niissibn to maintain winter quarters for his wild aniriial circus near:.Van Nuys Was'deriied by L. A. City Coun- cil Applicatibn Mais referreii back to planning coriiriiissiOn .which, had: recoriuniended' its api>rbval. "Understood that recommendation will be rewritten to eliminate, pps-, sibility of! Maynard's holding per- formances at proposed quarters. This has been main cause . of residents' protests. London; . Nov. 3. •Greta Nissen is in; a hospital here;' Underwent a sudden appendicr tpmy last weeii. Los\ Arigeles, Nov. 3; Second suit :for separate mainte- xiarice. against . . Stan .' Laurel (and Sardy); was. filed, ;Saturday /Oiy by rs. lilae Laiurel,. who ciiarged she ^eritered a "contract of comniori, laW: •xaarriage;'with hirti in NeW Yorkfin 1019.' She asks ^.1,000 a mohthi: . ^urel::recently, was sued, by his wife. .. MrSi Mae Laurel ^aid they.: Work^ In vatideyille^^t as: Stan and 'May . . She receritiy- appeared in a WpA play h^ere. Ford CctHs for Jeeves Hollywood, Nov» 3. , l>ire(;torlal assignment on second Arthur Treacher .feature, 'Step Liye- .ly^ Jeeves,' at 2()th-Fox, goes to Eu- j paper .gene Ford, Film and GN Sold by Ini^der«r—Moves ill Lo^w's, 20di John Stone. will produce. Washington,, Noy^ substaritial amourits of Consplidated ilrii Indiistries and Giarid National Films, siders duririg early September came to light: today with -publicatiori of semi-monthly report, by Securities JBxchangie; CbmmiSsiorif Other deal ingS in various films stocks wcire revealed at sariie, time. ptsposal of 4,700 shares of Con t soiidated coriimon ' arid purchase of 1,400 shares: of Consblidated .pre- ferred by James; .E; : MacPherspn of New York ..were the leading , is» closures. Commish statenierit showed he iped out" his cbriimori:-holdings^^ i six trariSactibriS byer'; nirierday period and , picked up; l^e; preferred tickets -over a; longer; period; during: Septeiriber. •: Gradual liqui Gori corii^ riiori by MacPherson .wais shown: iri the. report, Belated filings disclosed the Consolidated director dumped 1,600 shaires in Noveriiber, 500 in De- cember and 2,300 in February; Alto-: gether, • MiaicPhersori: pi^iddled :6,500 common ducats, in 10 months. ' More dumi)ing of Grand National ..aper by Edward . Jj. AlperSon .of I NeW York was revealed. For third Successive time^ SEC showed , the G.N.- selling Suhstflintial amounts.. , is -holdings. .: In six batches over a 26-day spread during Septeriiber, he sloughed "Off 4,000 shares of GJN. common; reducing hiis irivestriient to 22,546 shares. Biggfest block • 1,500 peddled Sept. ?5,... Simultaneous sales and purchases of Loew'S cbmniipri i>y j. Robert Ru- bin, were revealed by SEC, Making a gain of 290 shares, Rubin bought 7,890 tickets and sold; 7,600 the same: day arid then later icked up another 200. llis holdi; the end of the mbnth were 3,090 cpmniibn arid 350 iii:.ef erred, lattcF owned by a holding cornpany. S(2veral Overdue stateriient?' re vealed.:activity by Officers and i rectors of 20th eentury-Fox, Chase Natipnal Bank was revealed as sell- ing, 5,946 .shares ; of cbriinrion during August, cuttirig holdirigis to 381,431 Williaifri C. Michel reported purchase of 88 shares of bpnimon .duririg. Sep- tember- arid 176 shares of breferried Ghase . announced e;xpiratiori of 7^81 Coriiriiori warrants in. March arid sale :of 11,892 preferred shares in August, cutting latter interest lb, 76,862.. A, Rv Jenkins, Wife of Felix Ao Jenkins, reported purchase of 20 preferred tickets in September, ' Canvass of independent theatre exhibS in. small' town? ^adjacent t<f Xibs Angeles,, conducted by Hubiert Voighit and Dick . Pritchard of UriiversiB]^ revealed that display space in the L; A. dailies carries, more weight, with their patrons than doeS space .iin the local publlcatibjis. As a result; Uni« yersal is sewing up series of co^Oiperative page ad$ .for the L. A. sheetjs to plug Uiiiyersad persoriaiities and pictures for^^ out-of-tOwn showmen. '" '' Despite fabt that Emily Lane, ;under contract tb Uniyersai^ ^engaged for her warbling, spine orie at studio .blundere(^. ari;d:durihg.filming of:; a picture, gal was .instructed , to . inak^^a^ silent lip jnove- ments while a $3.50 per day extra gal supplied the off-scene song. Later, it was recallell that Miss Lahe Ayas principal warbler with the Eddy Duchi ork .and had: otherwise demonstrated her/singing ppssibiUties.^ Major distributirig Organisations in the Los ArigeleS exehang^ area are. reporting revenues ranging frprii 10% to 30% for first two months Of the rieW season, in excess of similar period a year ego. Virtually all'of the major cioriipanies have delivered one or more features bti the riew season's schedule. With returns iri most instances bbrisideifably in excess of early releases m 1935. That very creditable showing bein^ made by Keith-Aittee-Orpheum in earnings for the past 52 weeks dates from the tirtie.;that Herbert iSayard Swoipe as chairman of -that RKO subsidiary undertook tOl harmbiaize; that situation. KAO riiade;payment on preferred arrears fpr "the first time i years under SwbE»e's supex-yisiori. " • March of Time's latest release waited until the wee sriiall hours this (Wednesday) morriing before being actually completed. Reason was that One subject in the -Time^ issue was on the 'U. S. Presidency! and the final rel^ise version had to await definite iresults from.Tuesday's polling. First known time that *M. of T.'waited for a last-rhinute flas^^^ Departure early this week from San Pedro harbor (Calif:) of the Paidifrc fleet for a riiorith of riianeuvcrs in Northern Califoriiia waters, has exhibs; iri. Long Beach, SSari Pedro arid . other' (tTalifpniia over, prospect of heavy patronage drbpbff. Fleet persoririel nUmlaers around 35,pp0, riiaiority Of whoni exhibs regard as potential patrons. Benefits, totallirig $57,644,52 have been paid to metribers oiE the Warner : Biros.; Studio club diiring piast . 30 months; Sick ijeriefitS to amount bf $32,944.52 were paid but. Birth benefits reached $8,600, while 175 meriibers received riiarrjage benefits totaling $8,756; Death benefits paid but ainburited to.:$7,350;-^ "■■ Now i its seventh riipni in the ^ lije Mouse thieatre, Pbrtland, Cbiuriibia's 'Mr. . Deeds Gbes tb Town' continues to smash all preVibu records fbr; length of run in the: PaciiSc NbrthWest. House, 850-seateri iias already played to alriiost the entire 300,000 pbpulatibn" of Portlandt Uriiversal's publicity staff is going strorig pri snaring tourist on the' :to ipaplure that honie tbwn plant,. Those, enleiring the lot via sightseieing busses ate invited to lunch and taken through the studio. Photbs of en- raptured ones will be sent back to various home towri papers. ' AsspGiates at Parainourit studio, though pplitlealiijr bri; opposite Sides, bf the •fence,; Cecil B. DeMille and Frank Lloyd were cp-hosts at an eiectibn party staged at the peMillp home ori the Coast. , DeMille was a Replublican elector, and: Lloyd, a member of the Roosevelt western committee;' One bf biggest sets evier. ci-pcted.^t Universal is for; the,Moonbeam Rbom; sequence' In Studio's 'Top:pf theVTby/ production. Setti , Orie of several' elaborate pnesv occupies 45p,0CiO square feet, of si)ace, Fnlire; floor,is covered with silver leaf. ■ There Is a battle, royal on ,-it one of. .the major studios between top execS and associate producers to. grab picture crisdilSi More, specific designation of screen credits is expected to'nullify tlie strained feeMng,