Variety (Dec 1937)

VARIETY If \B^iz Dbesii^t Sop f(b*v Terms Re es JE^scchfiihges of ;V Chicago, Dec. 28. With the «khibit6rs:i)titting. MP in- creasing- oppositibn. and ': antagpn- jsrn to perbehtage pibturQS in the first plabe/ and high Percentages ahd rental figures . in, the se Pl^P"^' distrib^toris:,.are . finding a ; ri4\y ■ ' -. nue to niflre .-pleasant^^^r^^^ with' the exhibs by instituting con- tx'acts which contain 'revie\v ■ aind; te-, yisipn^:claysei;-'.\:'. ::vr v.; ; Most preyiaiiing^ form of. these rej- view 'and: revisibn clauses is the 'stipulation., of,' sa^X_35%ior .'theVd^^^ tributor on :; asjp^ifted, huni pictures/ but with the . percentiage take to drop to 30% in the cases in ,which .a .particular picture .fkils :to ' hit;va:.'c«(rtain''grbss, ■figti^e^; ■•'V.' In. , this .'.way the;. ekichariiies'. arfe mariagihg t6 get Ground the squawks of eichibs-wh'o ;ha^^ ihey - were payinig:. too much on' per- icentigie fltckers,' particuliariy ;iri; View of the fact."^; that; $everal of thiese shaririig pictures didn't. giVe :value reeeiyed insofar .as the thieatri^wasvcbncernied.-^;;. ^ Exhibs are seeking ;as many these: reyi^W,:ahd teyision clauses, as; possible, 'sieeihg in them a rej^l in- surance of satisfactory adjusti^^^ should picturiSs fail to ■ come Up .;to bbx-bflicei; expectittiphsi - tliey.'re asking for similar clause agrejements on. straight • rental .jpkic-^ tures; figured on; a total, gross re- ceipts of :ali: of .the : distributpr!s pit-r; lures in ai, specifiedprice bracket. But ihe exchanges- aren't interested. in such arrahiiementsi . feeling . that this wojuld . inyolye too. rnuch acf counting' and: run the cbst ■ pf iis-, Iribution too hi^h.. for .^profitable: operation. on ; r ■ Dec. 28'•■ With arrival here of H. J. itoth- inan,; .new. board- And executive committee- chairman of Cohdpf ;Pic- , tures, .cneditprs ;of- the company, .go into session tombirlrpw (29) to launch ,a piah for reorganiz^^^ pn a. ha$ii . of 100% . iiayniettt/ of . butstan^ claims.:; Rbthrhan's plan,: which will be submitted to. ■federal; court for approval, V prpyides -for \: reihstate- ment of. all production contracts and \_ completion : of .deliveries , cphr tracted for. Meanwhile, . Automatic Products Gofp., of, GhicaigOi. a Condor creditor in the sum- of ;.$i:18,000, presented its claims:- before Federal. - Judge GOsgrave- in; lios "^Arigeles yesterday (iWondiaiyL. .. Rothman's reorgahiza- tipn ;pros£JectUs;. is - underistpod tp elimihate aU ,temporary plaiis:h lofpre inade. ihybivirig - any; .cpnnec- tioh; betweeh (Epndpr and Automatic Pi-Oducts, also the Lester Co:wan in- terests.." .•.:•/.■■■ ■-::;.;: . './■•;:■ Hollywood, Dec- 28. : Eankruptcjy petition .filled vby. Mau-- rice Cpnh, prez of 'Ambassador Pic tyrek; .:i(ric., - lists- debts ;pf ^ $200,142 iiist•assets totaling $1.51,Q00,';Gon-' sistirig. of - l-5i,0(jO -:shar.es ,bf - Am- bassa'dor stpck.; ;^^e^y. pietitibii ;is Cpnn's personal, p^ distinct from the ,77B petitipns of Amb.assiadbr and Conii Productions, Jr)c. ' . ' y.; ^ Count Louis DeBriantes is nanied as ? ::Gorin traditor ;in -the -sum--of. $23,000. Cpn^ : no persbrial property .arid .(Claimed' $200'; clptiririg exerhptionl.^' C: ':- .:. \ ''.^ ; ■ Spokane, Dec! i28. , . The Spokane Council of Christiain Youth adbpted; a resolution thiis wieek cbridemnirig 'Annapolis Salute,.' .'Nivvy Blue ..and , Gold . 'Singing: JViarine,' 'iSubmarine.D-l;'.'Winigs Over Hono- lulu,' 'Hold 'Eni,: Navy,' '23% flours Le^ye,' .'Sweethearts.- of :. the^.NaVyj' 'You're: in the; Army Now,' - andv.'Our F:ghting Navy' as fbstenhg .a . spirit of militarisrn. .. Pictures commended for their ef- fect in building a sentiment fof peace were "The Road Back,' 'They Gave Him a. Gun,' 'The Dead March,' 'The Life pf: Eini|e;^Zpla,' and 'Lost Hori- zon.' -: . ":'' \ ■ -■: HAYS' RADIO TALK Yesterday on CBS-r-Reviewed itadio Dept. in By JACK OiStERMAN : Hold on tp; your hats boys. . here .We go again1938 ls;;iu^^^^^ the :.weekend ■ and we .; .hope.: it.: has a more .charming persbriality: than 1937; We start off iby wishing every- one a very Happy New Year.,,; sPme; switch) eh?. . .but we'ye.got another line, to finish .the cplumh with ... all tight, so -we ended that last.line with a preposiCion; We quit school when we were a kid. . We did a Ipt- of running -.isround this week, in fact, we- were so busy that on Xmas Day ;we had; twb-:diays' growth pn <>Ur kisser . ; we IPoked like: ■ a iSve'fobt edition of Man Mountain' Dean.while rushing oh pur way to bur.own :yariety barb.er ?l ipp, one of thbse^typieal-Brbadway: Ann Sbtherii: ivoi^ ■ ' • Hpily wood, pec; 28. . ' Ann Sothern is .back on the RKO payroll after beirig/bn,:the suspended list foi^ twb\ weeks -.due to her : re- fusal: to accept the role handed to her in *Jpy of Loving.-!: ^ ':.--.-. . AnPther ; player : ' \ playing-Xthc .'Loving' role... ., muggsjgrabbed us and asked, 'Jackie, don't ypu shave on Xmas?' We - swered, 'Did Santa GlaUs?' ; . Went to the opening of the former dlub ,psterman, now- called 'Zeke';s' .' .' . very nice, -and the' boss, Lee Rramei;; (nothing . to do . with the Hotel Edison), deseryes a break. We saw -'Golden Boy* .arid- enjoyed . it, even though at the .finish Odets was frightened by Michael Arlen and had his; twb characters killed in .an auto crash. : Mayb that . was-the easiest way (with apologies to Eugene ViTal- terXt.o get the cUritain dowji.pn time; And the finale of'Between "rt'e peyil' .. Dietz and ■ Schwartz,vytwo fine writers, ask the audierice; how tp end it Whien /it -Would have 'been. -riiUch. bettier had. they .asked themselves how to start it! ; \ : ' . ■-' . Why -doesn't Billy Rose call it "The Little.Ca.sino?'' AridVAve suggest Arlen; .and.HarBurg's.'Cjcpd's Country', as the theme sortg ifor .the World's Fair...-, .what^'.no prize?''- Snapshots While Sappfn^^ ; We open at the 'ManrAbdut-'FPwn' ab6ut/:2i- hours befp 'this colurnri .win be read.^^..-yeah, we'i:e-in business .again- ;; .drop in 'arid v.see.: us, /it's 15 .W, Slst ■ street.- .(iDear-;Ed.:'.Leaye.:this in, •\\MI1.: ya; - yPu . know the holiday- .spiritp;;.:.,„;■;;:V'/J-;;;-;-;-'--' ' Now that, .':we'i;e -celebra'^^^^ - fifth month; pn. y/vpliEiy and. dashing o.ut a ;feW' thlrigs ior. the Mirirpr, -all yvie -need are- two more pdpers:'arid .we're, a cihch for. Lbew'js/^State,.. .are you reading .Pierriipnt;? -.'';■: ' '- Sy. (Lee^ds). Devqre,.-who -leaves fpr the'/.Cioast to grab, a sto:re locatipn,. won't accept a HollywPPd':i,Tiyitat.ipn ,i:inless therif s I a- swimniing -poolj in-: --side':-and-:.pi:itsi,de! ; .Whielan's .47<h. street; drug.<itPre.. raf- fled : off 'a, ;large.. doll ;lliie; pthei^.^cliiy and the picket. Outside.won 'it! Ac- coi'ding to the; rules, they had ,tb de- :iIyer it;.to hinj outside.- \ Thoughts Whjie.Thinking ' Wonder :if: F.D.R. wPuld ratheV ill .the -Alvln th'ari; the While 'House? .Speaking of 'I'd Rather Be Right,' ; we have seen it so btten ; we wis.h they'd move the sedond act to Pro.s- pecl Pfiik just, for . change of sceri- "ery-T.., Suggestion to'- actor.s::-who' as- pire '.to. be another .Warficld — bu> •some, shaves of Lpewls stock'arid re- tire. :.:, r.'Navy. Blue and. Gold,' swell pictiirie,';\t. the Capitol; next week they move from; Annapoi.is - to' West -Ppi.nt with 'Rpsaii.e'v . . why'n ; Win HaySi. --who sperit; the Christ- mas holidays at his home ,in IridiSria returned in time yesterday (Tues,) tP broadcast hiis Departrrient Pf G.om- trierce radio talk over WABC-CBS ivetworkf ;f'rhe I'adib talk is reyiewed: in dietail: in ti|is issue.] ,: . .,/ ■He. ■iyili remairii ; New. Ybrtt urir til the middle; of • Jariuary hecause of >:t\v.P ;.irt^pprtari^^ so . far schedliied. that . will-ptev^^^^ ^^x\y.f iiiirmsLT^^ \ depa.hure 'for: the' Cpast;.. One . :pf these, -Will be the adjburried DeiGieimber^ quarterly ' sesr.. 'Sipn^pf Pidfiire pybdubers : & pistributors' assbciatioiriv 'whicli ' has; J>een;,set.;'ior: Jan.:^. -,'' :'■ ! : • :• i.. . ■ . (Dn Jan. 14, Hays will gb: to Pbilar delphia to; .speak ,^ before tJie; Poor Richard : club and' receive that -'brf ganizatibri'^ ;annual -:$b,ld',. riiedal ^ in behalf -pf the motion picture ipdus-.. ;try..:; 'Med^l- wag, awarded this year, for , 'greatest;; achieyement' during: 1937, V/ith, the "p^ so designated. He w start ;fpr Hbl" 1yy/pod:;abput-Jan; iO^-, ■J. JJ'k ,$2D,0iQ6-:p.a.:;ideas ;fPr' NprW^ ':Japs'-., fpreigri .ireezePut,.'.;;,;.';.^^.'^-vv'«Vi • <';i..V-.,i;.'.-.'V;.>i, '• .-•Pa'pte.,IS;-, ,::-iiadioy'Mae.:'\yest jitter^..;,^....;.v.■....;...^.v:-''■';' ..'": ;■'', '.'- - ..Paj^e. 28- , Radio reviews ,pf:, Will ; Hays; Slia-vv :arid. Lee; Sarita^ Anita! ■ opening.«-'>'A-•«• •' t • •. V-«*'* * *-* *■ * * * • • * •. t. • •'^r P<i'SjO.* ■-SbrijaNH^eriie's '■'iGe ;;ishbw'.:.'^V--: v;^. .-v'' •v.;.'.;.\».v; ;■.■;■';>. i;;::^',,.-;page' 45 , John Barrym'pre's B,r;badway, play 47 Budapest, Decv 21; > 'Life pf Emile Zola' has been defi- hiteiy yetbed by. eensors herie. : ■ , Slurs .-bast o.ri . the - army Vof -.aiiy cbuntry or oh- other governineritsiai'e -the:reaSPri;. ■-.'• ', ,-''■''■-.')..■• ■ MON CRAIMR Ta S0CCEEDJ.J;Mffl5m . Jarrie.s R. /Grainger,-■Sales mariiafier' who vedently quit tjriiyergal and is now on the Coast, is mentioned as possible successor- tp. J; J; Milstein,' resigned general :.saies ; chief . o^t^ public;; ...Grainger . * . also repprted tpyirig wifh 'idea: pf going into a: new; producingrdi^tributing company... .. Before coniirig iritp '.U, 'Grainger was for' years gen. sales mgr.- of Fox: Slightly diisappbiriting.. .business over the Christmas weekend* partly due to a bad break, with the holiday falling on; a; Saturday, may eiause changes iii: New .Year week- adyer- tisirig caritipaigns; etc.,, since , ;New: Year's Day ' al^o falis .on; Saturday. Nice weather, with too many people iotTTfhe street been .a drawback in New York- and various other situationsi .:: ', '. ■ ; Business natiorially showed ; that Saturday wasn't as good as the epm-^ parable Saturday;a year.agb/bUt that Sunday was a little better than in 1936,. though not ehoiigh to make, lip for this yeiar's Friday setbiack. Last year Xmas: fell on; Friday, which niade it a strong three-day weekend at increased holiday prices. .. . However, although Thursday and Friday, ahead - of IXmas -were both bad, this year.*s two-dky weekend ;bri the :hbliday is not- expected: tot; aver- age up for, -very; much of ai. drop as coriipared'-with last year's Ghris;tmas; Theatres everywhere are .sbhedul- i rig; the best pictures ayailable from the .-vdnpus distributors for Ne.w, Year's week,, although with; the holi- days, fallirigVas they did this, year; kids get-orily 10 days; but of school this year; as against 16 oyer; last year's holidays. :'->,:-•; - ■, 'DISTANT FIELDS' FOR STANWYCK AT RKO Holly wood, Dec, 28;, . Metro :has a.ssigried Williami: yon . Wymetal,; fbrrrierly associated with ,„pTrn red-to-have' Ih^-Mctropblitjmr-asrTa-Hgiand-i;^ ^vSfc- w York, and produce-\. to Work On pla "eiopinjg ■ opera productions for the screen;.■-';-':;-:■'■;.': '.; -' ■'. \ '-:'-', •■ Hollywood, Dec. 28. Je5.ce L.. Lasky ; Will, place, ,'Distant r.' lids' before i-the cairieras at: RKO , Jari. 10, Barbara Stanwyek starred, Rpwiat d- y. .Lee directirijgi:, . - '.•'^■',-,, ; vWiiiti,ng assigrimerits have ,,Lipnei Hpuse'r,; screeriplaiying' his :• brigirial, 'Ground- .(Ilrvw,* arid" Friariklin Cpen scribbinjg ari:.original, 'Life Goe!5 to-a^ IVTurde.-,' vvhich Lee Marcus "will prpr :^';:,::^:,^.N.;-'Y.;ibXv.A;^ Georges. Bariyai: . ■ ■-. • " Emanuel Cohen; -' .Savingtpn Cramptpn. -\. Mr,: and Mrs, Brian ©onlevy.- . ^ Wose Gumble. : ; '".'-..-■ -.. ■■/} ■■; Ixiu '-Perry,: . ..-'...i:i;: ^ :■ RPcco yocco. . ''--'-, John J; Wildberg... • jor Bo\ve.<!, call it the Capitol iWili- tary Academy?;. /Maestro Joe Rincs —r and. this is exclusive, r--^-knows a: , Brpadwayite , \vh b ■ ■ -ptits '■■ h iri)self, to .sleep couritirig;tHe;,bI,a,ck sheep in his, family.; , ; . When Fraricis ,,Jienaull- played the Victoria theatre in Law- rence .'la St.; week; he , .was billed .a.s, 'Wpiltl's Greatest Female,-linposter;' Von Wymetal in H'wood T» Pri«e Scr^ 0^ ■ He staged a,,,hu.rriber, of sequences for 'Maytihie,' -as ithe .result pf Which he htts- beeri tied .to a term contract. . 'Poland Sets IJp laser Hollywood; Dec. iM. ' W^riers has handed Barney Gla- zer. 'The Life, of Jimmy Dblan' as his second prpdUctibn ii-ssigriment, with starting date in April. .: ;' ; Initialer will be 'Ypu Can't Escape Forever,' skeded to roll in February. L A. to N Y. Edward L. Alperson. Harry: Brand. , Walter' Brooks. • "' '• Walter H. Cokell. 'V--^'- Frank Factor'.': '" Lynn Farnol. ;; Ben Gbetz, ,'- ■.: ^ '• ' . Betty Healy. v^.'-.;.. ■ .,';;-, -,-' Hal Kerhp. Alexander Kprda. :A1 Lichtmari. ■'' JPhn Lite!. '.-. .-; ■,■'■ --. Helen Meiriardi. .. -.; Ken. Murray. ;'::" ;-'' . Mary Peace. \'.''.--; .■-;.----' '': .,\ • . RPyer. -. .'. ■■''■:■ .--■: -■-,-'■•;' Victor Snville. . '' ■ Gerald Savory. ■ ■ ' '■",,.; ; Mi.) rray ; Sil verstone., • ; ,-;;., > , " Jpseph M. Schenck. ,, •.. - Harry Tobias. ,' "■;■'..'.-.-'.-v ■ Jacqueline Wells,. Ralph Whitehead. . ■ .; • .■- ' -■ Darryl .F. .ZanUck. .-- iM^RIVALS : Reginald. Whitlcyi -'June : Knight; Marian Andersonrv -P Rai^i, Gapbousova,. Fredbrib ■ Lons- :dale,:' Mr. .arid .lyirs. Lew .Anatole-vLitvak, 'Tommy Farr, Heriri- DiamaninBerger/i - Paul ■ BercherlV Yyonire-. Astruc,; Richard Rddgers; K.rbsti : Vauhanen ■; Gaspar Gassado. Rose: Pauiy. Clifton Webb, Dariie Sybil tbprridikeii:: Jessica ; Taudy,' Lady Cedr'ic • Hardwicke^ Irene Hertschel, :'Ptiy,ne' Jcrinings-^^ Sam Erigel.- ■.' -.-:.'-.. , , - Holly wood, Dec., 28.; ': .Contract thit will switeh -feaiures riiade ' by Selznick-lriterha'tibrial to Metro' release is;, expected to be for- mally signatured before the ; New Year; foUpwing [the;, reach.irig, .bf ' , yerbjil agreement betv^^^ principal^; , .Dea[l: provides fpr b^ O. Sielznick to produce 18 pictures forv'-Metro release, within 36 mpriths, starting with the 1938-39 progranri. Sjelznick and Al :Lichtrnan got to- gether last Week at Palm .Springs f^^^^^ cbrifabs. Legal huddles:: also were . heldi participated in-on th side by Jbhri Wharton, treasurer of S-I; Loyd. Wright, Danny . O'Shea of the Selznick studio legal .staff, and Henry Ginsberg;; S-I general mari» iager; bh; the/; Metro end: by xEdwirv Loeb and George M. Gohen, Of Loeb, Walker Lbeb. ./-,'„;:;■ Selznick, it, is believed; will be: conceded. the protection, for which- he has.held .put; against ;'hayirig his pictures .lumped in With the general' Metrb product.. For th is cbncession it -understood Selzriick;wiii. " his ^eiriarid-r: that .ln^^ okay all isales cbntracts on his .out- put. Metro- will provide the. entire financing -fbr ..the l.ft pictures.; '•.-■' Bob Rubin's Huddle : , 'Discussions ; held Monday : wei- ;. participated iri by. J. Robert* Rubin, Metro's legal head, here from vNe^^^ Metro's share of the profits, ,firom; ^Selznick pictures distribution' returns. :' ,,';; ;;'' V,; As set up, deal calls for - M-G to release; filnis flat .20% ;di$- tribution -vbasis^ foreign and ; doniestic, With; Selzriick-iriterna- tional haying paid " . capital' of around $3,600,000, these. would be -UtiUzed for financing pie-. tures, with; Metro to add to - that ariiount whereVer needed to meet productibn costs. Agreement profit'-sh.aring fig- ures, is engrpssirig cbriferees.Kwilh IVietrb execs vacillating - between. 25- 45-% of S-I. p.rbfits, abased; on. amount of investment Metro has in product turned but for the period. • '.Little ;: difficulty . expected' in straightening out Ithe ■ di.«tributipn matter, , to .. Selznick s -■ satisfactipn, with; .latter Waiving his;: okay - every Metro sales contract ' '., surance his" pictures won't -be in- , eluded; in block sale Pf Metro: prod- ; uct. ■'■;'-^':"''''-■•';■;■•-:v■'-•,:-^^' John Hay Whitney,- who returned from a hunt trip in Georgia last week,; plaris to leave for the Coast - Jam 2 or 3. :', "'. ' His : Selzriick-Internatibnal s6 far indicates no desire to have pictures sold with regular 1 ineup of M-G fea-;' tures, . but as' a separate;;viriil-. -;..Cpri- tentibn :of ;S-I; that,: all',-of Ms, pic-' :tiires\Wiii ;,be costly; ones, ;and cbnse--; tiuently should be so.ld apart from • Metro's reg.ui«>r linelipi,-^--'v ; ' ' .'■ SAILINGS Jan, 5 (New York to' LbndbnA, ■ Gerald: Saybry. . Irvi . Marks.-V Beri;, ,Gbet^i: ■■Victbr-. SaviljeV,. Murray::, .Silr^'-: verstone'XBferengaria.). ;-■■ : . '"' y. •• Jan; 4,;(New York to London);. Neil'a Gobdelle- (Champlain,). ; -, .-. ; bed. 26 (New York, to London Jpseph Schmidt, "Toriy . Hpv. ard. :A.' C, Berniian, Mr., and MrS. ;Deir Gcicori^ de; Cayaignae, Ben Bliimen- thal, ,. Josephine. ; Huston. Jeanne Renouard,; Mr^ and Mrs. Arthii.r; Loew (r»Jorriiandie); Dec. -24.;(;V^est- Jri.diois, GruistS, l\,lr."; iand Mrs. R. Bi; ;Wiiby. ('ColiiiTibiis). ''■ Dec; 22\(West :Indie,«- Criiisc V, Mr! .arid'-iVli's. :G.7G. Petlijohn iiSiilu