Variety (Dec 1937)

VARIETr Wetliie^day^ \ Pecember 29, 1937 ffvniodS««t(l3ri^ nuses ■ ; -Hollywoddj Dec; 28. Christnws wpnt k loit^^^f^^^ was spread thihwr. than usual for Hblljnvbod iplk this year, th^^ of lavish giftis ol jewelry, furs, motor cars: and that sort ..of . think, bi confined their: giVing to less specr, tacular items but passed out many iiior^ indiyidual'^gifts. - i. R^aidn for: this , cphditibn. is th^ fadt that diirinis the: past year biz relationships involving film name? have reaciicid out beyond the con- fines of ;;the^;screen:; tptai^ • th^ entire world of radio entertaihmeW and an it inipliesi rA much heavier *iiUst' list of gift recipien^^ the re- Buit, with',;the flyje-and-ieiis. garner- ing; £iguratiyely, a gireat deal of the tradie that in previoui years went to the highrbtacket si^ HoiiyVrbod. boulevard retail trade genei:aUy has reflect general prbsperitir that blei^^^ pic biz;pi-ietty uninterruptedly ; tlirough vth0 year. Trhc!; studios- have ; bfeeri kiiowri vtp, break out more geniefbus!y h i ther^ but this yuletide yirtually all of them . loosened tjii'. to a cohsiderabl^ extent though gijnuibeiy Ij^yish giyihg /x^as resierved to ■ a .faVpred few. individr lials. Numetous reports haye crppped upi however, of princely individual gifts .exchanged among the top sal- . ary brackets^. Feituxe of this year's Ghristniias was thb wider spread, on the .ayerr jBge, of ;the pirospertty that has been passed.' around HpUywopd . through^ 1937. This la^t , year sharts of :film prpflis have found their way into the pockets .of workers on, the lots than hetetofore.^^ does :npt mean solely that labor hais benefited but that proportipnately, writers, di-^ reptorsj players abd all engaged on the creative side of: production^have been handed a heftier slice of the screen dollar perhaps than ever be- fore.; This condition is due partialiy to. iiew; labor .agreieniehts negotiate duuring: the year and also. to. the acriamble of-CDmpetitioii which . has keipt comipeteht players in demand and :also miamtaiiied jobs for the ■ other creative icrafte;, ; Trebd in the. during, the year .wais. to eiercise more, care than ever Jn pbtalning the best ^1^^^ before shooting so that oftUmes as many as a^ dozen; •iyritei's' W^^ given vrorlc on' the >same iscript.^^'; A this Vfouhd 'its' reflection' in the Christihas . shppping rush and . .the general zest with-AVhich the holidays; ■ were.bbservied.- '■ BrUc Bottle Trade ' . ' , ■ Giggle ; 'water .proyided. no sriiiair propprtibn of. the 'gifts, passed out -by thie; Various :s^^ others. Merchants, who have- ifarisack Wine: pellai^B Of the Continent for rafe viritiages. to titillate HPlly wpod palates,: report the briskest trade they have ever Imown. ' Studio pub- licity departments . generally pbr served: the day . before ; Ghristmas with general- open .house with flacks, exiecutiVeSi; stars-: and a few selected visitbi^s ihteirminglihg. for wassail^; \ ^' Metro's . StudlcTli'argessfr'-.-.. Metro : surprised .studib . workers drawing $50 weekly; or less by . dis- tributing to: them tbe.^.taSh equiva- lerit: of ^wo weeks' salary; /Yule\ bonus not anticipated; as word went arpuhd nO diyvy this .year. ■ Only .SelziiiiGk International gave half: .. ;V/eek*s pay to those . jeGeiyr' ing $75 .. pr . less weeiUy,-, and Harry. Sherman, "gifting in., same, bracket, passed-but' Kpliday largesse. / Home ioffece and iield eriiprp^ Fbx-'West; Cbaist Theatres diyyied" a $25,006 Ghr cpn- secutiye year . that ;the cirduil ..has handed but .-the coin,- both V 1 caph and group ; insurance. . Charles.; P. Skoui'jis disbursed the- awards. : Man's $25,000 . Mary Kplan '(tmbgeue. .Wilson), fbrmier mbtibn picture star; filed suit in. Ni . Y.; siiprenie /. court: Thursday (23 ) against Wiliina ':Go^ its; at- tbrhey, Sainuel I). Friedman^ and City Marshal AIm Ad isky, for $25,0M false; arrest. Miss Nolan claims she was incarcerated; ■. fbr ■ two; days last May at .the instance pi. the defen- idahts: fbr failing to ■ liay;' .: bill^' for dressies she gbt frbni the gpwh shop :!The arrest: iollbwed^ a ■ judgment pbtained in the muhicipai^\c^ when the iactress failed, to nieet it. . - RKO has hand^: the. screenp^ of 'Carefree,' iiext Fred ;Astairei Ginger:"- Rogers .: f^^ D.iidley Nichols,' : who .f is ~ cpliabbihg Svith. .Hagar :Wilde; an original by Guy: Endore and Marian; Ainslee. ; " Mprtimer Oifher and Philip G- Epsteih: ar^: scripting Married for Money,' Ursula; Parrott original,- at RKp. iPandro S> Bernian' will pi-oduce., Arithony yeiller dra the assignmeht to. . screenplay .'Irene.' Both featureis are vtentaitively skeded- for '.Ginger.'-Rogers. ■ HIND FOR T^ WY^S ■. ■ ■ "'': '- ', ^ v.^.H5^l3|*opd,Dec. 2A, , Friends . and '^ttiBio workers, at Meirb ■ are .raising a ■ fund .for the widow arid, infant of :Ted who died, suddenly last. week.\ . '; Although drawing $1,750 pn his Metro contractj and, steadily em^ plbyed the past " few years in/pic- tures, .he left, little for his family. / iDeath:': 'pt-.. the;; filmeomediaiv Was ; the" 'subject pf a; brief ''■ bfiiciai intiuiry .when /it develpped .that he had had a first figlit with . Albert Broccoli. at -^th^.; Trpcaderp cafej riii which, he w^^ ever, the /autopsy tepprt - to Cprorier Frank Nance was that :Heajy; had died of natural bauses. . : Funeral was held iat St. AugUsV tirie's . Church, . C.tilVer ; City, .Dec. 23, .with ..burial following; in Calvary" ceiiieteipy.y.;-{'; .''■:.: ■•:... ':.■'.■ :..■ . ;,. Tiilsa^ Okla., Dec. 28. Thie.jate Ted Ilieaiy.'S stage name -wjis ■ bprrowed /fi'om; bis: first, wife> Betty" Healy • (origiriiaily Elizabeth Brauri),: a Tulsa girl,,from .whom he: was . diybrced in 1932... Heaiy's, Own tag .was Ted .l^ash, until he . arid Betty ie;vm:up in vaudeville.; •He. Tejtparried- a^ ;year 'ahd: .ashalf ago.';- ■: /';•■•■■-.'--■..'..■:''.'O' :::.'"-::-/'v' Hollywood, Deci, 28i: ; '■. /Warners will • i^reetai *Tpvarich' in 212 theatres: New Year's .Eye. ' Local openings are . skeded for Warner^ Downtowii aiid: Hollywbbd houses;— '■■ r^.'. \ '.. . -/ VT-- ;AuerV''Per86naU' /Mischa :Auer . wends . east heirt /morith ■ ifor .his first appearances: in. vaiide. Curtis .-& Allen agency is bobkirig the diaiect-comic: actor, ■.- , Already- set are three successive weeks f or RK0^ Opens at the RKO, Boston, then .proceeds to. the Palace, Chicago, ;and the Palace, Cleveland. . v41' iit 'the.' Side Corner' -<.'''.''. y^:^ Dec. 28. T . Edmund Grainger has been, handed the /producer . assigiimei^t bh .'Nurse from Brooklyn,' featurihg Sally, Eilers.y:;. • : IV»y McCairey^ w^^ ; \ ; ..'^::--..r;:? ^./..HbllyWpodi/'Dec^--2^^^ ' jane. "Withers i^^^^ working at !20t.b- Foi under a .new ^'ticket ^^/x^^ weekly piay frbm $1,500 to $2,5dO for the next.; t^ starting ;frbin last.. Dec. 10,. but with the studib refusing, to permit the 11-^year-old moppet's appearances on the radio :and7threateriinig legal action should her parents defy this edict. . General Mills had dangled $75,000 fPr 26 weeks of weekly, appear- ances fPr her: H. J. Heinz Corp. made an offer, and she had been in- vlteJ as guester—ph-^the -Chase-rraj- Sanbbrn hour for last Sunday (26). New ticket, however,, provides for a- six. weeks'- layoff starting in Janu- ary and a p.a. ; toui-' already has been arranged for' three weeks ^ at $5,000 a week, all for the jrioppet Tour Opens late in jahliary and will include Chicago, Detroit • arid New York. Wbat Do You Think? Hollywood, Dec. 28. Next Olaudette Colbert starrer, at' Parainourit will be -Are Husbands Necessary?' which Liicien Hubbard will producie. - ;/.' Virginia Van Upp will script 'from Dorbthy Bennett's original yarn. ' [f Not Radio. Exhibs How It Worked in the East Of "the fiVe :pL'oducer-di!^tributo"r.s: dlsiperisirjg :'Christmiis bonuses,.. ntpst of these held it down to the lower- salaried employees.' - United Artists . topped the : others on' bbnus^vs, iss'ii- ing a week's salary to all persons earning up .to $200 per. ReHiaiiijng . four to pay bonuses this - yiear were . Xibew's-Metro, -Paramo.unt .Cpium.bia' arid " Warner Bros. - All were paid, the extra. .coin ■Thursday . .i23) Or Friday (24 X ■ ;- For''."Warners, it •was the :flrst bonus In. four years, whereas for Lpew's; Par,:-UA 'and Colunibia it -wa-s a re- (ConUnued-ori page. 55:> ;. . Chicago, Dec. 28. Burn-up of exhibitors over prp- ducer methods ' of exploitation by . radio and personal appearance of stars reached a. climax .here;" with tiu-rent appearance of Sonja .Henie". at. the Stadium;; [Show is reviewed on page' .45 in this, issue; eight, days'; gross may hit ;$175,000.]. ; . ' In Chicagb/ as everywhere ' else, oxhibitprS 'have been :proteisting, al-r beit liot strenUPuisly. agairist Metro- Maxwell House airirigs on Thurs- day ights,.-as well as" against fur- ther radio activities! by other Holly-- wood /Situdios,• ':-'■':.■/■'./v . ' ,7/:■'.-,'.: ' They class/; such explbitation /as direct ;competitipri,-/rather than any- thing which will dp them- any ,go0,d, but, since they couldn't. see mass hurt, tlieir .protestations were vague, and only -that Thursday night busi- ness, was off because pf the Metro shbwy cpmihg as; ,it does, on a par- ticularly strong radio night. • Now., however, with Sonja Henie cominig m lor a stadium appearance, l ight at the" top of the/season, and backed up by' the largest si.ngle ex- plpitatiOn .campai^in.. given ..a show in recent years, exhibitors at AV.atcHiiVg/ thousands of potential.cus-r tbriiers go by their box-olTices arid to the Stadiumi and 'they're mad enough to do sorhething about it. Talk of boycotting/ pictures pro- duced by the offenders has been dis- carded, iSirice, the majbrity think that 'method wpuid take too loilg everi if they could be a'^ured of everybody sticking ; together/ and they assure each other they/can't/ Therefore,; they intend to see if soriiethirig; can't, be ; done legally, by making" i.<5sues of certain minPr points of the,. law •" ' the. case Of Sonja./Hehie's, appearance, .and the way it is conducted. . One. of,/the firist things which will,be dpne, ' to call attention • to the Stadium's policy of; selling riibr.e-, tickets' than ;;there/ are seats/ "KBe- law •tfegardirig - jiorstan-, dee^.'^is rigidly enforced for theatres, yet the ■ Stad.iuri^: usu has' from 200. to ,300:standees/in'each price sec- tion Ji;t sellout events. Exhibitors want to know about that. ; ,. They're also/ Rooking// for other minpr pbints su.cj^S the use of kleig .Uighls,..and while they bah't'.hppe^.t^^ woi-k a canceliatipn oi .Miss." Heriicls appearance, ;they ifigiire that riiaybe they can niakc so; much tro.uble that the next one \v i 11 - th i nk tw ice; before they cbmpole -with Chi/ exhibitors.. . er-Ds Hollywood, Dec. 28." Producers of super-B's look to be the fair-haired picture turner* Outers with the turn of the year; Mfeaning, of course, that they'll bf under-$500,000 productions, with an A quality, and capable of gar- nering A coin, .;'■-/ .' ' Necessity to. trim those production costa and get away frbm the $1,000,000 A's is the main idea. Where formerly that represented a 'colossal,' of late a $1,000,000 budget, or better, has become an ac- cepted thirig fbr a top-bracket jprbduction. THE JEAN HERSHOLTS' SILVER Jean Hershplt, Who; has; profes- sionally .fathered'; more stars than any other motion picture . actor, is prbbably one of the world's, hap-! piest meii. / He is thoroughly -con- tented with his life, his work ' and. his ;family. ■.;'■'/ Mr. HershoU/ is justifiiably. proud of flaking twp Hpllywpod' records:, (1) in 25 years^ of -filmihg, bnly four and a half mojiths ■ were. spent free- lancing, the, 2i and/sbrnething. years liavirig been Uhdei^ contract, /and /;(i2) the Hersholts will shortly celebrate their 25tri :wedding /anriiyersary And that will/ be- the ; first thespian 25th originating in the film cplbny ever to DC. celebrated ;..there. , After nine riiPnths iri tibliywobdv ■ Hershblt dcr cided that; everything was going to 36 ' all right, and /sent to Donriiark for his. hometown sweetheart. And, he skys, everything- has been , all right with' the H's ever Since. ;-' Apologizing : . for ! 'sounding/ like ^ragging,' ' Hershplt ■; parted with these bits: of pefsorial history./w hile honor-guesting at' •■ a cocktail party given at the Park Lane by his radio spbnspris, the Chesebrbugh Mfg. Co, The. Hershplts', son, now 23^ start--- ed to fblipw /in papa's; acting fpotV steps but wfirit off at a literary tangent and is now Hollywood corr respondent for 23 Scandinavian newspapers. \/ . The Danish - consul.. general/ and his wife'^'ppsafsdrat~the" ipaTty~;ifi~ honor ;bf their famous countryman. Rosemarie Brancato of radio arid the Chicago Opera/ Co. wore a puffed sleeve velvet juniper and red scarf Over a black crepe dress; arid a bonnet tie<i urider her chin, to greet the Hplly wood star, His broadcasts, usually emanating from the Cpast, will be sent but from New York. for two weeks, so that he may .remain . for the metro- politan Opening of his homie lot's 'Iii Old Chicago,' ' e/ 20th.Fox. Maiidd as Bischoff on YV JB 'iiiggers /■ Hollywood, Dec. 28. Hal Wallis has handed Frank Mandei the assignment -to assist; Sam Bischoff in preparing 'Gold, Diggers in Paris' for production. / / Film will roll around Jan. 15 with Rudy Vallee featured arid Ray En- right directing. 's WB Powwows Hplly wood, Dec. 28. . John Sloan,; production 'bhief at Warners Teddingtpn stud io, has ar- rived, at/the Burbank studio for prbd- uct huddles with Jack L, Warner, Hal Wallis, Irving Asher and iSam E,. Morris. ' . - /- ./ He returns-, to England: aroiirid Jan. 15. :/ -'-.//-■./ . V Par Hot on Airctic Pic . ; Hollywood, Dec .2)8. :.. An Arctib; drama, "'Angel in Fur,' Was hanc^ed to serpen wir;iters.-at Paramount : for early .. production. Leads to go tb G.ail Piitriclk andHsiri- dolph Scott./ / ■'-.•-;.: Yarn is: about a- rnl«Rlbnary nurse. and aviator flying- ejtier^^^ supplies^ . /;.- •- ;/ -' ... LADY m DEMAND; :/ Hollywood/ Dec, 28. . - Universal, seeking to cast Lee Patrick /in the femme Icrid bf 'The Shannons'' of Broadwrty/' - .wants'" to borrow .the player .frPrti 'RKQ. : ,-' ■ ; Home lot. .want.s her for . *Cdn- demned; Wbrricn,'; so .scHcclulc.c /arc being arranged; .'so '.tliat she :ni';iy iip-. pear in both. '■■ Hollywood, Dec. 28. As 61 Jan.. 3, Loew's, Iric., will"^ take over the corporate; entities of Metro .- . Goldwyn r Mayer, Metrb- Goldwyri-Mayer v: Distributing Corp.* ? and all other subsidiaries currently - under Loew control,; following a de-: cision reached at a recent session : of the Loew board of directors. The ipain purpose behi.nd the move i« / to siriiplify the handling of tax - problems/ urider existing conditions imposed by the federal .; govern- /:' riient./-- :■■-:■■:■-;:/.■-■■'■/ Effect of the charige will be-that henceforth all contracts, deals arid businesis trahsactions will be car- ried; pn, by arid/ through Lbew*s^ Inc., Whereas up to now the /sub- sidiary cpmpariies have operated in* dependently.. Contracts • still In force are to be taken over by ihti parent corporation./ './-■/-':-.; V.// -;•-.''-'No Trademark Chaof« there Will be no change in thi / brand or trademark of Metro .films,: / which will continue to be /presented by Loew's, Inc], as heretofore. - ; Parent security holder of Loew's is Film .Securities Corp., / whiclj . holding company holds controlling stock in Loew's arid; which was -or*: ganized under the laws of Dela- ware/ Obt. 18, 1919. ;0f the issua bf 300,000 shares bf preferred stock . of the holding company, 136,722 are outstanding, / pn Which cumula- tive dividends of $6;50 per shara are paid. Stock carried no par value. / . Common. stpck issue is 4,0Q0,00O -shates_jio_par/yMluerHwith-^lA12,985-:--- shares outstanding. Of a total of 250,000 shares : set aside under option for. company executives, in- cluding tops in the, jiicture-produc- ing branch, 201,226 are outstanding; Company's Stoiek ■ Setup Metro : Gpldwytt Distributing Cbrp., wholly owned subsidiary of Metro-Goldwyn Pictures Corp, bwDs shares in various other sub- sidiaries and is a / New York cor- ■ poration organized Nov. 19, 1916, as a consolidation of Metro Corp. and GpldWyri Pictures Corp. Preferred stock in this coriipariy / Was/ retired in 1935. It has a cbrilmori .issue of / shares with $5 par of which $3,100,- 000 worth is authorized and out- standing, all held by Metro-Gold-: wyri-Mayer Co., 'Inc., of Delaware, which in turn is 100% Owned by. Loew's, Inc.; .',.■. Meliro-GoldWyn-Mayer. was incor- porated as a Delaware corporation May 17, 1934. It .was organized originally in; 1916 as the Goldwyn ' Producing Corp.: .. ";,'/■... -../- First coritracts taken / over by Loew's will be those of Louis B. Mayer, Edward J. Mannix, Beriny Thau, ':■ Sam •, Katz; and Harry Rapf, all ■ made by Nicholas M- / Schenck as president of Loew's, Inc., ori his recent visit ; to: Hollywood^ MVItlEBACKTO LONDON WITH GOETZ / Hollywopd, bee. 28; Victor SaVille is here conferring on tije,. first picture hb prod.uces and directs for Metro in London next spring, With 'The Citadel' assigned:, to him he is discussing with /studio . execs the story and casting: setup. .. . He 'Will; probably take back with hinfj two •writers and several player,s.; Ben Gbetz, Metro production chief in. England, sails With Saville Jan. 5. Brit. Scrib on Peclc / :A: Hplly wood, Dec. 28./ / . (Charles de; <3randcourt,: ;Bi^itish: scrib, whp .did / the...sbre'enp|ay for Herbert Wilcox's feature, 'Victoria, the; Great,': has; arrived ;.at 20th-Fpx' on a writing.ticket. :/;.'-.- - Ho wiil script an. ubtitlcd/ hislori- ; Gal subject -which; haj. been placed bn Gene Ma^Vpv^s production list