Variety (Jul 1937)

VARIETY PICTURES Wednesday, July 7, 1937- s Name Piayers Heads like Idea; Prolongs Stars B.O. Worth Hollywood, July 6. iz, unique in many ways, has heavily oyerbpard/jpn borrowihg lending -..topnotch ^tars th&t this has come to. be cus- tomary practice instead of anything unusual, ?ind p^piicy prdniises to be- come more and more as benefits evidence themselves. Formerly a stair was always known by his or her studio handle. Not any niore. Outside of Metro, there is hardly a major lot that can cast ig picture from itis own roster ot ciohtract playfefs, itujation has many - interesting angles, riot the least ot wbich is the fact that many stars have left their home lots to score their biggest successes and re- turned as stronger draws than v^heri they departed on loariii Another unusual angle lies in the fact th^t money. Is hot considered an important bargiai ing detail of these star deals* First question a fellow askst whea approached for the use of a name player is not 'kow much will you pay?' but, /What have yoii got to trade?' . istudio : will' sometimes be caught short on star' material as was the case when Universal desired Carole Lombard for 'My Man Godfrey/ Miss Lombard 'Was .not: so keen for , the deal arid interposed, numerous demands, all. of which Universal met. Film turned out to be her big- gest success, sent, her price; sky-: rocketingi and landed her in an en- vied spot as a comedienne With' a per picture price said to be $150,000. She now* has two-picture contracts each with Paramount, Selznick In- ternational and RKQ-rRadiOi Okay All Aroond . CrrdWing pplicy .of borrowing and lending is gaiiiing popularity bie- cause . it strikes favorable reaction in both producers and the stars themselves. There's a two-edged for that condition too. Stars, one and all, aire hot for .class A stories and no studio has a monopoly on stories. One is as like- iy as another to stumble on a pearl of great value, if not price, and this is always happening. Stars figure, and rightly; thsit if they do all their work for one studio they are bound to pick up sbriie palookas, and that happens, too. Studios on the other hand, com mitted /to handing heavy coin to stars, like to shake some of that overhead when, feasible and pass it - around; at jvicy overcharges. Too, experience has shown that the fans like different star combos and Will ilock to a picture that dis- plays two or three prime favorites from different studios.. Metro has been in a position to dish up varie- gated star fare more than most others because of having more name players tied up than any of their rivials.; Thus in the course of a sea- son the trade will see Glark Gable, Greta Garbo, Myrna Loy, William PoweH Joan Crawford, Franchot Tone, Robert Montgomery, Lionel Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Robert Taylor, Spencer Tracy and others cast iri a number of cominations that add spice to the film victuals served up to thfsi fans. Three Better Than One . As one Universal executive, put it; Three studios can do better than one for a star.' Citing the instances of Carole Loriibard, Irene Dunne and Robert Taylor, he pointed out that each of vthe trio did a loanbut picJture fpr U that greatly enhanced their value. Taylor and Miss Dunne in 'Magnificent Obsessi ' set the pace that Taylor was to follow later on at his own studio, . Metro.- ; 'Stars.can get better stories by moving around,' he added. ;if Para- mount or Metro contracts to put', a star in hialf a dozen picturies a year it's hard to get . that miany good ones... *We at Universal are strong for the trading system. It is necessary for the lifeblood of the industry. It tends to break down any tendency to ward, monopoly. Especially is it. an asset to the newer stars who need the .assistance of fine pictures to get them set; with the public.' Universal has strengthened its star position In the last year arid now is iri a better spot to make deals than formerly. Deanna Durbin, who sky- tocketed with Three iSriiart Girls,' may soon be seen off the home lot. Trades in air involving Mischa Auer, Chairles Winninger and at numiber of other U contractees. Probably the briskest borrower in the last, year has been 20th-Fpx. Thiey've teriipprarily had Robert Taylor,; Barbara tahwyck; ('Banjo on My Knee* , arid 'This Is My .Af- air'), Claudette Colbert ('Under Two Flags'), Dick Powell ('On the Avenue'), Myma Lby ('To Mary-^ With Love'), Madeleirie Carroll ('Lloyds of Loridon'), Wallace Beery ('Slave Ship'), and James Stewart ('Seventh Heaven'). Beery was bor- rowed under: a set. deaL At the same time, studio has been scarcely less prolific in its loans, letting Roy Del Ruth go to Metro to direct 'Rosalie,* and parting for the time with Warner Baxter, LOretta Yoiing, Don Ameche, Arline Judge, Claire Trevor and Rochelle Hudson. Alice Faye was set for; a loan to U for Buddy DeSylva's 'MerryrGo-Roiirid of l938^ but Jean Harldw's'death offed the deai and she was held to fill the Harlow rOle in -In Old Chicago.' The . Talent Pay Off .; William. LeBarOn, Paramount pro- duction executive, figures that 'Hollywood loins pay the greatest dividend .in history if the 'collateral is talent.' He cites the cases of Miss Lohi' bard and Frances Farmer for start- ers. Topinotch- players, he says, are clamoring hot for contracts but for independence. They . like to pick their, stories. Miss Farmer was run-of'th)^-niiil jplayer When Samuel Goldwyri got her for 'Come and Get It,' which put her on top. Para mount allowed. Gertrude Michael's coritract: to lapse and she went to RKO. Meanwhile Miss Michael's 'Sophiei Lang' character clicked and when the studio wanted her back they got her at hiked price. , Studios, are constantly on the look- out for promising talent, Le Baron pointed out. Thus Paramount cast Shirley Ross, a coriiparative un known from Meti?o's stock roster and used her in one picture. Rus.hes showed they had the makings of a featured player so before the film' was released Paramount had her under contract Paramount's Xittle Miss Marker' put Shirley Teriiple over and since then she has cbiried plenty of profit for 20th-Fox. Clark Gable was in a lull period . 'when Columbia co- starred him with Claudette Colbert i 'It Happened One Night.' Both Orid Gmvy Hollywood, July 6, Studios are handing gridiron greats a break this summer. Warners sijgned the entire 1037 football isquad of the University of Southern Califoi'riia for 'Block That Kick,' while Radio has pacted a dozen, players for 'Saturday's Heroes.' MDNTSEXTTER Hollywood, July 6. Warners isi riijilling whether to shelve 'Panama Canal' temporarily and select another for Paul Mum's )ow-out under his term deal which las one more to go. Player is understood .to- be averse 6 signing again, preferring tb; friee- iarice and make Orily such stories as he likes. MARION DAVIES HEADS RELIEF FUND 5TH YR. have been goirig places since, and to day Miss Colbert has contractual ties With CJblumbia, Paramount, Warniers and Radio. ColuinbLa also took up Grace Moore after she hiad set no box office rivers afire with Metro and turned out 'One Night of Love' with her Terrific audience reaction gave Miss Moore mpmentum to join the top layer of draws. Columbia takes credit also for proving up Irene Dunne as a .comedienne in 'Theodora Goes Wild' and did much for Gary Cooper with 'Mr. .. Deeds Goes to Town.' Passing :i!Erii Around rolific; star .borrowers have been and are Samiiei Gbldwyn, David O, Selznick and IValter Wariger, Wanr ger also is a lender, par exbellencej having some strong b.o. 'bets' of the biz under his contractual wing. Goldwyn has tinie and again paid through the nOse for <the personali- ties he Wanted. He, has; spme aces in the hole for trading purposes in Joel McCrea, Miriam Hopkins, Walter Brennan and others. Miss Hopkins makes more films elsewhere than; on the home lot For -The Hurricane,' now shooting, (Soldwyn borrbwed Dorothy Lamovu* "froni Paramount, C. Aubrey Smith from Selznick, Mary Astpr from Columbia. Wialter Brennan, .(Goldwyn character player, never had an idle moment. / Selznick, in his few screen contri- butions, has used such top box of- ficp personalities as Fredric March, Jariet Gaynor, Freddie fiiartholomew, Dolores Costello Barrympre, Mar- lene Dietrich and Charles Boyer. Dietrich is reputed to have .cost Selz-. nick $300,000 for 'The Garden of Allah.' and Boyer $90,000 for the same film. Besides the dickers for the biggest names, there is a tremendous lot of Interchanging ^oing on all the time (Continued on page 63) , ... .'Hollywopd, July 6. Msirion DaVies was reelected presi- dent of the Motion Picture Relief Fund at the . annual meeting of members J^ne 29 for the fifth suc- cessive time. Joseph M. Schenck was elect^; fo the board of.'trustees for a. threes year terni. Trustees reelected for three years are: Richard Barthel- niess^. Joe E. Brown,. Prank Craven, Mariori Davies, .Cecil B.' DeMille, William. Randolph Hearst,. Janet Gay nor, Carl Laenunle, Fredric March. Receipts during 1936 totaled $158,- 551 and disbursements $160,523. In- come came from direct contributions and from members' of the motiori picture industry who contribute ^% of their earninjgs. Statistics fpr th^ year showed that aid. Was distributed to 3,967 cases involving 9,242 individuals. This succor was apportioned as follows: 1, Illness, including hospitaliza tion, sanitariiims,. rest homes, etc; ,2. Uneriiployment and it^ many problems, such, as food, rent, clbth^ irig and public utilities. 3. Cooperation with other agehcies —Actors' Fund, , state aid pensions, Gpurtty aid, etc. , Other statistics: Average monthly case' load,- 308; . total medical and dental visits, 4,690; honle aind hos- piital calls, lil58> major opeirations, 35; minor operations, 16; patients re-, ceiving institutional care, 268; in- dividuals provided' with inedical. ap- pliances, 69; . special nursing cases, 49; Christmas baskets, etc.y 905; deaths, 28; burials handled, 44. Crosby's Coast Track Get$ Heavy Pic Play Hollywood, July Picture crowd gave Del Mar racetrack a big play on opening day last Saturday. (2), also Mpndayi, En- terprise is largely managed and con- trolled by film fblk, with Bing Crosby chief 'shareholder and Wil- liam LeBaron jockey club prexy. is located practically on the s^aishore at Del Mar, 100\ miles, south' of .Lbs Angeles, lience the slogari, 'where the t,urf meets the- surf.' Grandstsinds accoriiriiodate 4,00O and clubhouse 3,500 persons. Planes, trai buses and' motor cairs : all are convenient tp the gate. NEWSREELS TO BALLY N.Y.'S'39 WORLD FAIR New York World's Fair in 1939 will depend almost entirely on the five neWsreel companies for riiptibn picturp. cbverage, which indiriectiy would mean publicizing though pri-- marily a news. story. This became kripWn this week when fair officials denied the exposition was planning- tb make films later and'fly them by specifil pliane to various sections of the U. S: and possibly elsewhere in the world as ballyhoo: for the N; Y. fair. This plan was under consideration) it. is understood, at one time, ith the tentative Set-up including a'pro- jection equipment, screen and other apparatus sO that the/ fair pictures could be. displayed befprfe civic or- ganizations and. clubs, such, as the Chamber of Cbriimercei Rbtary club, Kiwanis, Merchants' Associations, etc., in various communities visited by the aiir traveling theatre. , Huge expense Wrapped up in such a project coupled, with the desiire of the New York fair executives to take advantage of the major filni indus- try's facilitiie^ as well as the sweep- ing rnewsreel coverage ' credited with abandonment of this plan; Gridders on the Griddle Otterson in Harkrider Spot as U Art Director Hollywoodi July 6. JAck (Dtterson has started a five- year optional stretch as Universal's art director succeeding John Hark- rider, whose option was not lifted. Harkrider remains on the lot until Aug. 1 with lOtterson actually taking over in the meantime. Flag Up on ToYarich' .Hollywood, July 6. Cameras, rolled .today (Tues.) on 'Tovarlch' at Warners, one of the Burhanic plant's big pnes for the year. Anatole Litvak directs,. ;with Robiert Lord in the producer spot. Featured principals, Charles Boyer arid Claudette Colbert, put in three days of rehearsal last week. ' Rivkin Scripts Yarn For Moppet Glanfey . -Hollywopd, July 6. Allien Rivkin is: writing the script for 'Call Back LOve,' Colliers serial' by Rose Frankeri and William Brown Melbney,. which will be produced by Major. Enrianuel Cohen, Mijor prez, de- signs the picture as a debut vehicle for Kitty Clancy, new moppet. ill Hollywood, July 6. Paramount has skeded 'Yesterday's Cheers,' football film, fpr August production. No director: has beeri set. but cast so far ^includes Mary Car- lisle,: John Howiard, Marsha Hunt and Robert Cummings. RKO has cast. Rochelle Hudson in the top fenime spot of . 'Saturday's Heroes,' football film, ith Vah Heflin opposite. Filming is skeded to start late this week: with Edward Killy directing. George Templeton authored the original. Foran Gallops Off, WB Loads Up on Foy Hollywood, July 6. ryan Foy will produce six addi- tional films for Warners on next year's program to take the place of half a dozen Dick Forah gallopers lopped off, Ronald Reagan has been picked tentatively to be featured in the pic- tures, first of which will be 'Right of Way,* with background of the trucking biz. St. Clair's Moppet Pic Hollywood, July .6. Mai St. Clair has been set to di- rect the next Jane Withers film at 20th-Fox, '45 Fathers,' ith John Stone, producing. ... . .Script is being readied by Albert Ray and Frances Hyland. Art Morton's Tun^ Takenp Hollywood, July 6. Hal Roach has renewed Arthur Morton as musical director. Term is for another six months. TUNES FOR 'SACREF . Hollywood, July 6. ick . Internatiorial has pacted Louis Alter and Walter Bullock to originate special musiC for 'Npthing Sacred.' . Margaret Hamilton, who has a fear tured spot in the film, also draWs a part in same studio's 'Adventures of Torn Sawyer.* SUNBURNTTIS IS HollyWpod, July 3un-broiled and consequently j capacitated players are the bane this summer of the prOductiori managers at the studios.. Due to the strikes and kindred delays all during this yearj activity is at a fever heat cur- rently. In other years, hot-months' shootirig schedules were light, but this is the exception. And the re- sults of the stark sopping up too much sUn arid sea are gaized upon a minor smallpox spread. Vacations are giving the studio? almost as much grief as bathtubs. The good publicity copy they pro- duce is offset by the accidents in- curred. The pase of the late Jean Harlow*s sunburn which left much scar- tissue it led to fatal complications is but one of the many Hollywood ac- cidents traceable to or Sol's shafts, .Nearly every weekend two or three w.k. nariies bob up ith yarns of how they almost drOwned, and a good deal of this is the McCPy; The story anent Frances bee ing knocked', xmcoriscious by arid revived by artificial respifatibri while a producer yapped, 'Why give her artificiial respii-ation; we can af- fprd the real thing,' is obviously p.a. stuff.. But. the near-drownirig of Madeleine Carroll at Malibu last' week was istraight stuff, however. Scrib Guild's Shindig Hollywood, July 6. Screen Writers Guild menibership win toSs its first .binge since reor- ganizing with a dinner dance in the Hotel Ambassador July 22. . Committee appointed by President Dudley Nichols includes Johnny Gray, chairman; Albert Hackett, E. E. Parai:nore, .Xr., and Allen Rivkiri. Benny Rubin is chairman of the en- tertainment coriimittee. ARNOW IN WB EXEC SPOT; TRILUNG CASTER Hollywood, July 6. Maxwell Arnow has been upped to a studio executive spot at Warners aftPr five years "as casting director. He will' cbntinue to supervise cast- ing and also will build up budding niateriaL Ticket' runs seven years. Ambw is. succeeded in the cast- ing director spOt by Steve Trilling, transferred frOni New York and starts his new duties today (Tues). Trilling, 15 years in' show biz, hais been with Warners 12 years, 10 as Vaude booker and two as talent scout. Frank Ross, son-ihrlaw of Frank Gillmore of Equity, steps into Trilling's spot from test director. WB's Waring Picture, 'Vardty Stow/ Ends Hollywood, July 6. •Varsity Show,' starring Fred War- ing's. oirch, wound up today (Tues- day) at Warners, four weeks behind shooting schedule; Waring got $260,000 for his bit, studio paying him $15,000 weekly for each weeic beyond the. originally, outlined sched- ule. WB has an option on the band leader for ainother film. Waring starts a string of person- als Thursday (8) at the Paramount, liOS Angeles, /which will take him east. His manager, Johnny O'Con- nor leaves for New York this Friday to.negotiate a deal for fall radio pro- gram, airing to be from the C^oast Goldwyn's $2,000,000 Pic Hollywood, July 6. George Marshall has been definite- ly set toVdirect 'The, Goldwyn Fol- lies' for Samuel Goldwyn. Prbductiori will start early i gust with a $2,000,000 budget. Keittiy Baker to Dude It In WB *Howdy Stranger' Hollywood, July 6, Mei-vyri LeRoy will produce 'Howdy Stranger' at Warnei-s ith Kertny Baker featured. Yarn by Howard loane Joseph Pellettier deals With the in- vasion of a dude ranch by an eastern crooner. It was a flop Broadvvay |)lay this season. DIXIE'S PROTEGEE Atlanta. July 6. Dixi; , Dunbar, 20th-Fox con- tractee, influenced a screen test for Mary Frances Davis, 16,. another Atlanta dancer, who trouped with Miss Dunbar in their kid dayis in Atlanta. Miss Davis, now Sri Hollywood, has toured the south as an enter- tainer.