Variety (Dec 1937)

Wednesday* pew PicirviiES Search ipr. new faces cbiitihues pn < » widespinwi 'rpht in the east by at least louK^^ajor companies and iii ; a r«ser iligfel&l^^ companies; :Tw^ prpd . ICS,; Met^P. and:ParampUnt, have re- doubled their effortsi br hit on new : ideas i^^^ iresh. thespiaii talent. It's all Bredicated on the ■ theory, that current^ gp oh. Iprdver and that Kew-^P^ eastern 'seabpard/cPmrn with .-their diversified -types ofVentertain- irieht/ offer the greatisst source from " Which tb "obtain suitablie "Tnaterial.' ■, An ad. lib type. r.or . screen-testing - has been sucpeissfully wpr^^ MG: .,Idea is to !place pptential can- didates at ease aiid-prpdy^^^^^ suits, including -outstanding merits of ipeirspri; before :eamera^ Al^^^^^ ■ :Mctrp talent isxeCr hias; emplpyed the' idea Pn several recent tests;: Cas , in i)piiit was :thait Of iPhyllis Welcbi who besides ;disp6rtihg;^^^h thespiari ^ teiehjts, yeh^^ ftd.Iib irou- tifte that tpld officials a^ about the giil with pictPm^ illustrations put ■i bii immediateiy. after coiifab. Com- pany ofj Scials were enthusiastic over ~Tesr~'. . ^ r.- ■'.NA' ■ 'I'estee: is inter^^^ an .pff- ; stage voice; of^n that bf the testing director; - with discussion pn things the candidate knows and-is interested , in;' ^.Theory. * rthat this lirings dut the ego ' in the . artijsts-^^^ a the jjsychpaiialyticai flavpr. ;diy^ art open; book: irtjsight Into person ber . Ing lamped for the studio to best dfetei^mihe where Jcail 'be. i^^^^ in films^ One recent,, teist had a candii-. date goihg into, a series, of nVoiiologs arid^ facial or' character expressions is. they werfe; su Another; :. jgave twp youthful vets thcf ;dance « chance; to strut their, modern terps : movements; a'fter t^ .background ; Jiad been gone. over while thie cam- - eraj'grbund put facial xlosieUps; : .' ;20tii-Fox'8 Stunt Thus far 20thiFpx has ■ fpund ho one frpmV its Sunday night silienf tests among Buests at the Stprk cliibV . N, Y,; Under a tieiip with the spot but fig;ufed by ZOth's testers and talent scouts that if a single pps- . sibility ; for pictures is .found. pver ' the wi|iter, it'll bie worth the trpur ; ble, icPst, etc. Meantime, the riitery Is benefiting by, added business Sun-- / day evenings and 20th is jgettihg the 'publicity. . ■■■, r Two reels ,ate shpt silently. each iSuhday night and shown at the club ; • . the fpllowirtg Sunday .for ''Reaction, . pnbe at Id p.m. and again at 1 or 1:30, After that they; are shipped tp the Gpast fpr ;o.P.^ing by. the 20th ybx ijrpductipn forces; In the eyent that the Coast thlnlcs. spme of thosS shot,, - which .irtcludes. debs invading, the;.. Stork^ . are ■sfcreeh ppssibiiitiesi; ■ irrahgempnts: w^ made iov a. : ^ounid . test under studip, facilities. .; Nancy Kelly, young; girl who has ' been pn the stage since' seven years ■ old, and. npW: in 'Sus^ii arid God,' I* being tested by ;2p.th,-Fox, whiicb .: has been .keeping an' eye on her for ik)m;e^V time; HU Own Stahd-Iii : •; Holiyw Novi -30. After a/, generation.. in. show., bii as 'an/ fexhibitpr, Sid. Crau- mah- turns' aptbr itpr" Utliversars *Mad Abput . Music;' ; . Deanna l).Urbm; starrer, .;He'll . play himiseif in "scene?? shbt .in .the;:for(ecou^ Chinese; . theatre . -showing;' .. a Qraumari; pr.eriiiere.. lounis If : Anything^ W^sKihgtbh ; ^^wmak^yi9i Woulfi FaVpf •a Break for Legit or: Sp^ ;; ar; Anything : ;|3ut \ IPix-- Films 10^ ta* Tp o vT^ SWeet a $ouifce( of Rev-^ •'■■■.*hiie for.'.the"U;iv'S;;'V'>^ :-': Ifo^-m; F PAR'S CAMPAIGN ■ •:' f:- Italy Protests Roiiie, No.y; 20. . / Italy ,: ha joined the ranks of European bieefers beihoaning and de-; '■- crying Holly wood's talBnt;raids. Re- cehtly the .Homaii papers jpined. the . Ft^ncb jsheets, y^ith'^ w^^ • • dom agree, .in - yammering . against 'the practice arid givihg vbice to the ; ; general:; ■ that' Eui-bpe wiU ■ bie ; left iajibchindiin Al'n -p the present Yank pace i^^ , Uriderlying jnotive fbr;the wailing . WaU attitude is .nb^^ ;: .?nt :Stealing\_which - i^^^^ ^-^hie'feiar; adVainccId JirPduclibri; . methods arid technicpior, advances;; pf .: Yaiik • producers . will;leave the- rest .bf: the world in the lurch. Announced . productibh-pt 1937'38 seasbn in Vli. S ; with heayyViriiflUencie of tintirig, lends . worry, "tl^t: U,; S. Will, monopolize; fie l d b 6forieT<>thers-K^ .; : ^^jjlians . had . a;-' little re.assurdrice; 'recently: when Rbuberi Mambuliari. - , . visiting ;Itialy, stated that t^^^ cburitry ,' h^s agrbat. .natural adyaritage /in ; color fijriling becaUs:e of ithe uiiique hlicis (Of :the^ liativ*;;^:laridscape^ In L A. . .._ Hii Metro - V. •■ Paris, Nov. 30. ; Spadolirii, premier; dkncer of M .Cairio • Qpe.raj,.: whp ; won '[ Eurbpehn attentipn ih; Frerich picture; 'Mari-~ hella' .with Tirip Rpssl, lias sighed; with Metrb-Goldwyh stage Tils :'Paris -Exposition ^Ballets' at-^Philharmonic- -Audito¥iUm7~~l3JS" Ariigeles, invJanuiary/as^^.a filrri. .chpres.'. ijiscayered and; screen, tested; by R<)bert Rite^ Currently dancing .; in • stage . produ of .'Ca theririe. .the. Grieat? at Gdeoh thie- ati^eyherfev'■ •';'■■;; 7.■ ' ■ Ballets are ■ "Teriipo: 3$/ riiachirie- age novelty by . Kurt Xeval, young Moscow nibderhist,'Dante's Inferrip,' another dynamic ^pmippsitibh by LiC- val, and fCasiabliarica,* ' a . . Foreign Legipn; thrillier;; ^ W .bring.;pririci-^ pals, / costumes; • and . brchbstrations f rom: Pa ris; ; Now negotiating- to iuse group of ^ Sara. Mildred Strauss dahc-: erS:'for"ehsemble..: Spadblthi made ibis, debut in Monte .Carlo iii '1932. iFeatured with Jpsephine fiaker in Casino de Paris: revues in 3,933-3.4; Thereafter dahced anhually;- ■ . operas . in ! Paris . arid Monte Carlo. ■ Headed his own ballet troupe; on: tour in Belgium, Hbllahd ahd^SwitzerlandV last year.^^^^^;^ ,; Spadplini. is staging perfbrmanc^^^^ in Lios; . Angeles at ■ own expense, to give;. M-d-M[ execs . first .;hand^ idea of his repertbire. . On account bf ihcreasing vogub of. ballet sequences in-; pictures, .figureis. Hpllywood . will soon supplant New York 'ais center of dance ;aictiyities .in U; S. : Declined ..pfter last suritiifier to suc- ceed ;Adblph Bplm as! director of, Sah Franciscb .bpera Ballet. Since 'Marinella' click hak decided to cion- centrale! ori film careeir. : NdVARIip'S PI0 SET ^^^^ ^ \ ^^ . Republic has set 'It Happehed in .Paris' as the next Raniioh; Nbvarro starrer, with adiaptatiPn of .Albert j; "Cohen's original- beirig writteri by J; Webster .Goates. . . . .Cohen is Rep's scenario chief. ':.;■;...•';;;; ;.- :;Washington;.No^,30.:''.. Littlerlikeiihbpd p£ changes iri. the amusement tak - is jseen . ih . Corigress althpugh;there teriiaihs a ■baie; pos-r sibility that , the 1Q% 'gyp may be ii*"dified-: if- . ,'the industry ; exerts enough-'.priessure; • ■. Despite reppfts that the action-pf Paramount: in fbrwarding,' lengthy, aniaiysis'ibf the bite has^^ teritiph on the leyy, there is nb evi-. dence here that the. repeal ireconri -. -iT[iendatibhSvhaYe--CaTasWd ripple in the: Internal' Revenue .Bureau;^ The House Ways and: Meani subcommittee; re :iewing the entire, tax .structure,: which is the real group to be coptacted.'ls imaware of the study or the repeal suggestions; .' .;; Looks like a much, high'e r-ppweried: lobby will be necessary if the busi- ness expects tp; needie the law-mak- ers into giving sympathetic treat- ment to; their views; Reliably stated that the thought of lifting the tax from medium-priced admissions has not beeri vpiced audibly in' the House committee room- ' ';,;.' ; Even if the Treasury .people are- as/;- rumored—favorably . irhpressed with th<! tar. studyr-nbne; © the eji-. perts has suggested to the Ways and Means unit, that anything should be done. With the present impost on all ducats; over 4ic. ."The coriimittee last week quickly surveyed the -miiscelrr lariebus nuisarice. taxes but did not even pa use to d iscuss.' whether the adniish bite should be modified. Un- til newspapermen beigan inquiring. House members WPre entirely : ig- ribrant of any desire oh th.e; part bf the .industry ' fPr :alteratibns.- Thai Budget ; - With .the: :President: applying. heat to bring abbut a balanced budget iri the fiscal yearVstarting next July, the. film industry will have to become much' more • active before it can en- tertain any. hope of ; relief. The Trbasury'. attitude,; which has been unchanged fPr several; years, is that the need for revenue " so serious and the adm'ish.Jjite is; so! relatively profitable, that neither, the big nor 'iittle felipws should; expect increased exemptions, -let albne repeal. . Until" the business lobbyists can arouse enough; interest :among the Congres- V. Continued on page 31) ;• Miiah Home for Greta? :... ■ .:;;.- • Milan, Nov. 16. ■ ' .Reported- here that a $160,000 . villa being built in Val di. Spg- •; at .Maicesine del .Garda,. is; for . Greta • Garbb. v; It is to b'e, ready by next May., ' ■■ '^ ; ;tipcal .firm bf bU doing the job refuses to identify the .bwner, .bt,her :than to .say it is Swedish family. - ^h6win9n'-tN)lice Chief : Rubcins to Hollywood On Fmger4'Vint Idea Chicago, Nov; 30. ■ With the plan for thp ^firig^errpri n t-, jrig_tbr;jdentificatioiv:- other niotibn picture wbrkcrs pro- gresising'rapidly ^^a^ Com- missioner .L.; M.- iiubens,. pblice chief of JToliet, 111., and brii ■ the board J pf directors -of the International Assor ci'atiprt; f or; Identificatiori,'e Hollywood shortly, >• v' . L. M. Rubens, who is also Euro- pean representative bfy this Interna.- tlonal Chiefs Pf Pblice, goes, to spend a fbrtnighi di.scussirig . the; set-up for identifica:tion. with the Various studio heads;: It - is; believed that .this - cb- operation with; the .motion picture studios by the International Associa- tion bf 'Identificatiori will. enable: the Coast picture situation ;tp . eliminate; many undesirable persons. who have been hangers-oti around the picture colpriy. .V..; ^ \ :', .' Situation has becomie more-marked within the past two Weeks, due to the gangster-like /killing; of - ah extra; Von th^- Coast, besides ' the ihcreasirig number of bla:ckmail and kidnap threats. . ■ ?v ■ ^ 'i'V' ^'.- i Rubens will arrive pn the. Cpast arpuhd Dec. 15 and will go into imr mediate, huddles to attempt to. clear, up the situation with the studip chieftains. EDiott Held in Jungle ; HollywPod, Nov, 30, : Clyde EUiptt, heading ParampUnt's expedition shooting footage • for 'Bboloo,' Malaysian jungle picture, has notified the studip that he ex- pects to return heire toward, the last of January^ having been delayed a riionth by stormy weather.' •Nine reels of animal "and repitile shots hdve been sent back by the ex- pedition. V- iteservations Mdy: Be Sent to Any Ycifiely Office NEW YORK 154 West 46th St. LOS ANGELES 1708 No. Vine St CHICAGO, I LONDON ; 54 W.. Randolph St. | 8 St. Martin's PI : .; : ■ . ' Holly wood, Nov. 30.;. . Film - industry : has found itself .ehsnarled in the hobdliim; purpe which , started here whtri officials were uiiable to. untangle-'rthe mjys*; tery surroundihg the killl^^^ Bruripmnri. a local garttblbr, arid. \vith\ the. killing ..several:, weeks later of .Hyrnie Miller,'who ran ■ ari. calery •in .Hollywood called/Gcllis', a motion picture extra work as s( side- line. ] ;'.;... . : ■. ':\ '• District• ■ Attorney ' Burton FittS, hbt being 'able to solve the situa- tion with : local; information, d'.' patched two of his investigators to New York to ^check'bn: the • exodus of mobsters to Hollywpbd, sirice:- the Thomas Dew.ey electioh as d. . of N. Y. They came back with a long list of: 'we-rboys' • why had tnjgratod to - Holly wopd. and suddenly an in-:, vestigatipn started / . to hnob . raclceteeriiig in . extra irariks here; :Fitts brought' a spore ; of picture extra. > .players^., to_^JbLis_ ...office',.. qucstibned: them regarding stirprig- arff?" methods of easterners ..np.wr. here. ■. First!; moye was ; .• taking into custody,; ori: Ibcatipn bf 'Robin. Hbpd,' Johnny - Pishei:> pri suspicion of knowing about the - Hymie Miller . shooting. Fisher shed no light but was. released; fr'bm a vagrancy tence when he agreed to leave town.; Comb Extra itariks: ;.'■ ; With the Fisher arrest,. stbri broke that there hiad beeri whole-, salie racketeering going on' In. place- mehts of extras, and the d, a. got unusually busy in bringing in; peo- ple and rounding up alleged; mob:^ stier contacts. Little headway made; as tp any culpable .people in . the Inyestigatipri thrPugh this chieck- up. ■ ^ • ■; ■ : .. ., However, it was ascertained that a number "of so-called eastern; racketeers -have, from time to time, obtairied ; work; in pictures at most . ofthe trhajor studios. I This.. how-- eyer, is npthing new as, for the post lb years at. 'some time pr other, police have picked up a.lie.'TCd racketeers on extra sets; either, for other; jurisdictlbns; or - investigation.. Most bf those were run out of. town. In current situation; the d; a. has ' cbricehtrated pri .the Millei:, killirig and at weekend had .'a warrant is- ' sued for; arrest of Danny Wiis-m, who worked as -. pic extra, fbr tha - killing of Miller. Wilson is now be- ing sought by police and with that several other easterners, alleged to ; (Continued ph page 24) . WB WILL PRODUCE 'FLYING ACES'SERIES Hollywoodi Nov, 30/ : Series of. fpur flying - pictiirea tagged 'The Flying Aces' will: b^^^ duced by Warners next season, ' Bert Hall is . scripting the quartet. Which will deal with aviation adven- tures in remote spots of the- globe. Serips will haiye a serial flavor, sarija characters running through all. 'Wings' Set Back Hollywood, Nov, 30. Paramount has set a tdiilative starting date of March 10 for- its;; \ - spectacle ' in . Technicolori -'Men A\ i i h ' Wings,' with director William Wc'M ; man .and. writprcRobert.Carspn m.nk- ing; dr'astic script: changes,; ■ ■'^■ ;/- >^^^ . ProdUctipri- . .set back: to . fi^^^^^ the right kind /pr weather ;fbr t\)e air sequences. .:■ /■ / Metrp's Grid Fpotage ; / ' H pnyvyobd7l!Jov;/;;i|.., ~ Arrny-Navy football game at Pliiia- • de]ph^a/:^yaS/photogra'p^d in techn^i^^ color by.;Metro' camera, crew under supervision;of Bill Skojl. : / ;/.'; ■ ;Footagc will be -used in an M-O grid piclurcj . ; . ' : /-■ ',. .•