Variety (Feb 1938)

Actors Eijiiity Assn; has ruled that (jje guaraiitees of actors' .sala dat^d f rom the first pu arice. If players are paid prior' to that tiine, either for preview per- formnaceW or because rehearsal time has been exceeded, such coin is n<t)t lo be figured as part of the, salary s^t forth in the contract:. ; 'Rdosty,* Avhicli closed at the Ly^ ceum; N. Y.; last Saturday (19), aft^r playing one .wiMk, resulted . the newest Ejquity claim. Cast was paid for three prevjew showings, and, ac- cording to the stahdat-d minini.um conti-jicts; which iguaraniee at least : two ^weeks' salary, Albert wis, the producer, paid the players an extra fiveieighths. ;Cast sigriifd;; the pay- : Toli under protest, as ordered by rJEauity; latter atfiuiiijg thii^t; payrtiexit for the previews, is hot to he counted and that full salary for the iiiiplayed secbnd week should g r to the actors. ■ I^wis a . : : Standard' contracts set forth; .that 6s iotig as actorsv receive ho less /than two weeks' salary, ho fui-ther, compensation, -i^ required; One vof Il^ulty's staff adV ised. the; 'Roosty' mariagemerit that Its obligation. was: fuifiUedV With the^ piiymeht <^ eighths for the second week, but was bverruled by the association's legal department; ■ . tattei: argued; tjiat; new prece^ de^it was, set by arbitration in the case of: 'Time and the Gohways,* an English play,- which recentliy . closed on Brbadway. . . .Th managemeht agreed: to; pay Equity the ini^^^^ and dues ot British playeris iri the event the play did not ruri mb|re than four weeks:; Engagement. was for four weeks, but a preview performi- ance had been given, for, which tlie . cast received an extra eighth. ■ ; ; JBecaiise of the paid preview, th^ managenient claimed-, the orie-rnpnth .Vdeadline '.was exceeded ^ and h^ld out Ihc coin due: Equity. Arbitrators .ruled the preview was hot'a regular ;pertormance, :and . the!, ■ was ; therefore srespoh.sibIe for the hioney,- total involvjed being slightly oVer $1,000. Equity now: takes the stanid that . the \uijng . covers . all ' shows: arid that - previews air*:hot to .:be counted in "iSg.urinigVsalari^^^ \ a[nteed-:the' adtprsv'' ■;•■•::'■;■;:■■:, l^ariiihg:: F^st: ;.Stehpg just 6ut..of. school got ;d: joblast ..w<sek .^^ a 'pi:!f>- ducier- , -First :day iat^^:^.w actress: friiehd .dropped .in tq see about a job; -thinKing she- : was in-strong. : $tehog. tbl d: her' off ,' with usua^^^ .;and finished the friehdly brtfshoff: /with:/vv -• ■ • -•■' '^yhosv, /you're - not : the type,'::>::/:•■: X '^ o. Managers who. have -been in the habit:, of holding /mass^ readings of plays while .casting now re-: stricted: by Actors Equity Assn; and such procedure . may. only be fol- lowed if piermissibn is :i[iv€!n by . the' executive ;comrriitt<fee; : .Permissiqri ; may be giyen:.under certain terms and cbnditlohis and m no event:>sh'a.il there be more than one such- reading for any play. .:\ ' ''^ ■' Players have- : complained : about : mass "readihgSTfoinsbme lime. "They claim that without an ■ inkling, o.f- :What> the play \ -about it;is. im- possi)3lc to ;^giye .an intelligent • dilioh' of lines presehted to thern. at .random. .. Som^^^^ pJayeVi^ add. that, they are" :^em- :bai-rassed by being called bti at iriass: : readings before a ; group of u aspirants. ' Syraici^e-s lsl Legit, in : ■ : ■.:.- /. .Syi;ai:uste,-N: Y.; Efeb. 19.! '• Syracuse, with ndilcsit sirice^ i^^ booked 'in 'Yes; My. Dar.ling .Dau{»h-. ter' fqr two-day- fitand at Civic^^ A 4-5,. with.No, 1 CO headed by Florence Reed ;.oh ..iis: return; swing from Goast dates. ■ Famine in local lei>it:circlcp ended with civjd-minded; {jroupb 'bring back.. flesh ■ .«ho\y' idea being played tip by dailies aiVc) s-eeking fu- tin e bookings. /! befi issued recently by the Draiirt^ atists .Guild .against the:: Bureau of New Plays appears to have: sputtered out. Tl^^resa Helbyrn remains at the head .of - the bure^iu/ also .with the directorate of the Theaitre Guild, de- spite the objection: by the authors. . It was announced last week that the Theatire Guild would next season produce Tool's Hill,' which won the bureau's newr play, contest There was ho reaction front the Dramatists Guild; because the play will be pre- sented under the rules of that group • Authors' were critical of the; bu- reau on general principles, and have been wary Of its functions because of its Hollywood backing. They also objected, to the bureau haying; strings on plays entered, in its competitibhs, particularly the prize Winniers. Bu- reau now. claiming credit for having developed new play writing talent. While it is not certain how many managers had a chance of passing on the script of the winning 'Fool's Hill,' it " stated that the Theatre Guild's directors were unanimous in accepting the script. Play won a $500 prize for its author,. Robert WutzelU University;/of Michigan graduate. 'Hiir is a college play. Bureau' is 'financed by seven pic-, ture companies, operating cost being around $50,000 annually, or slightly more than $7j000'for each firm.: Miss Helburn Tiecieives a sizeable salaiy; arid: an officti .is: maintained/ in New York. Although it was. stated that the.bureau is not a production outfit,, the prisseritation of 'HlU' wa.s cbnsid'^ cred. It appeai-s, however; that somcf of the picture people did not care to venture into stage financing. :' Theatre Guild .. also' announced 'Simply Henry Hogg;' due shortly, it will: be played privately, for sub- scribers, show to; be done in a.sso-- tion with the Actors Repertory Co., which put on 'Bury The Dead' last season. . It has not yet been decided .whiether : critics: will be. invited. Play is based on a .book called. iNyashing-^ ton, .Jitters.' ■ .//..,;„- ; .:■■ . Guild aiso' announced that 'Jaiie Eyre' would not be shown: on Broad- way this season with Katharine Hep- burn, but that she is Utidct;-TOhtr^ct. to that organization for next season. Whether she will then .show in 'Jane' was riot indicated. Play toured with the /film star last, seajiori, but; was withdriawrt. when Miss Hepburn dis-, agreed on script changes. ' : /' : Season of 1937-38 , Likely New ijoiw f FUni Deals for Legit Shpw^-r-iEveii If Sieyeral More Sales Pe-* Velop^ Priced Total; Will BeWaypffT-r'StarWfligon' Qnly .One Sety but: Sey<!eral G6b4 Pro«P;ect*^ on; NO RETALIATION? // Season of 1937.-38 may/establish a new low for Hollywood buys of legit plays!; With; February /terminating^ only : one play.; has been purchased by Hollyvyood. and no other deals are reported near'.consummation;.: 'Even if the studios do iriake' buys to doll up production schedules/with; name titles for ^fiaill arinouncemehts, indi- cations are that' ai meagre; nioney tota^.;■^yiil,;be: set.; "^': ':\ ..,'' Five but of/six ;of the more, recent arrivals oij:; Broadway were rated having : picture chances ..on th4 strength of favorable; reviews, but in film, circles there seems to be doubt about most of the new plays reaching the screen. Two are so rated: because of' the .background of the hereafter. ;. Records show that Death Takes a Holiday.' and 'Out- ward Bound,' . which had themes similar to the : latest hits, were not- money-making pictures. ;.' / Despite/that, 'On Borrowed Time' is definitely rated the topper of the jiew xrpp_.anjLh.as.. the_best„prospect :for Hollywood bids.. 'Our Town' does not appear to. have as good a chance; while ; iiicture people carinot figure 'Shadovir ..and ..Substance/; rUnhpr-up to 'Bbrrowed Time' iri gross,;; as. pic- ture iriaterial/ •;'Bachelor; Born' Was made in England as, "The House- master' <its brigiriai;titie'"iiere); .; New Play Chances. ; Two plays which opened last week have a charice for .Coast coin how- eve/—'Once : is Eriough' irid; -Ri?6sty' Rights foi ; the latter, which were: hastily, withdrawn, figure: 'foiri a .mod-; est pfite. This was /Al ..liewis' Broadway comeback and had.-private Hollywood, bankirbllihg, ;: ; / Earlier - successes are-in. statu -quo so far/;as''picture rights; are . cerned. 'Susan and God,' the leading coin getter among the straight shows;, is still,:on the market So is 'Golden fiby/ aripther boxoffice sock:repoi:ted getting bids. / 'The Star; Wagon' re- mains the' only purchase yet made from the seasori's list ;for a price approximating $65,000. / :-. . Let-down in Hollywood buys is in- dicated by thie approximate figure for ; the season of 1936-37 wheri 17 productions werie bought at ai price of ?1,271,50b. . -.In addition, ;rights for eight; other shows previously pro- duced were; purchased for an addi- tional $48l;000, making^ the total $1,752,500. Should the picture inter- est spurt; there is little chance that . th^s ;s?'asph's_pic;t.u ' • ■ - (Continued on page 61) Buffalo Invited' Legit; Ha^ Ohljr 2 Shows Set ; '.-;■: '/;;■-.-;/-■. . Buffalo, Feb. 22. C Buffalo, widely touted-last fall as the prize revival spot. of . the oad, ha's been .-\vith6 uta; .1 eg it ■ .alira.cti on si ri ce- last/November.— ,;—/• ., O. E. 'Wee-s: production of .'Ethan ^rbm.e,'.; with . Waiter' .Hampden,; comes/to; the Erlanger for three days beginning Feb, 28. but except fqr this and a tentative date for 'Julius Caesar' ■. in March, the books are; blank for the rost of tlie • . --•' ;• .Buffalo' paper put,out a spcci.ai i.s- ' sue.lnst spring; for distributron al the American^ Theatre Council, conven- tion in. New York. . It. plugged ./I he city as a .spot for touring lesji .^hpws. ; Irilerhationai: Ladies Gar m t Workers ;'Unipn: . ; prepair'ihg;;;tWo' rdad corhpanies of 'Pins arid' Needles' :4rir nddi-t^on^b- the-pri-gina^^ -. Casts for- roadens, first :of which is-;:already operating. Sunday ~ aft;- ernoOns ^ andV -'evenings: at Labor Stage, as • 'rehearsals' /with admis-. siohs; also to come 'from the. ranks .of the uriipn.;.^ .Sundny/ troupe: al-. ternatos for ihii\ rcguiar.: prridupti'pn; which -Vests' /Sabbath;-. /- ;.; ■. / Third'crew is being .cast'."now a'nd^ Wiu\s for cAcb bei.ng ifned up,. Both of new;cpnriers.:'.\viil aLso/jdiri.-Equity' ranks when; lull fledged. •' Agreements being worked out by writer groups in /the U. S., England and the ScandinaViijn ibountrre's. may. prpfouridiy; affect the .entire field of authorship, iricluding legit,- films, and radio. ■' ' : ■/ ;/ ■ ] ;//■■ :/ / Priricipai/tppperat negotiatiori between the Authors League of Amer-ica and. the Scandi- navian authors societies, is primarily aimed to coveir' publicatiori, of books and articles, but is likely to be ex-, tended latet:;t6:.pther branches, of t^ writing field: /Second deal, still largely/;* : thi^/nebulpusstage;ijnrvay lead to a working; agreement .bef fween the Dramatists Guild .;<Authoris League, member body ) in this coun- try and the Siniilar group in England. "Third; move, by. the writer organi- zations, still in the. pi-eliriiiriary state blit almost ready to be given the full speed gun, .would: ti up the; authpris in all dempcrjitic. countries in: a cPrii- bined fight to protect the freedom of:-writers:and . writing against cen- sorship. TP. some; exten t, the third rh.arieiive'r hinges pri the first.; .. Dr. Hartvig Jacobsen, president of the Danish Authors Society arid Rep- resentative of the Scanidinavlan Au- thors ; Societies,; is. how in: New. York, where he has been for some; weeks laying the. groundwork for the agree- ment between his orgariizatiori ; arid the Authors League of America, He Ueaves for home this week-and;will possibly be followed in about six or eight weeks by Hendrik Willern Van Loon, AuthPrs.Guild prez'. Publlshinr . :Immediate goal of the U./S.-Scan- dina.viah author deal, is tP correct inr .equalities in publishing .practice /in Sweden, Norway .arid' Denmark-, which, faypr^ the ./vyoi ks of Ui S: writers,..rather than those of natives, ■kadip material; is also Said, to be on the list fpr early attention. /'.■.,.■;;■ ':■ After the deal is worked out with the Scaridinaviari authoi-s,:;ari: attempt ;wiH be made to unite Wrjler*s;iri .Eng- land, Fraricie- and other democracies. Informal, friendly arrangenierits re- garding mutual publicatiPn problems already exist with authors organiza- tions in England and Fran ire, but thi j 'mpy.^' will be the first by Arrierican Writers to enter' a fprriial. jrepijprocal .agreement with foreigri author or- ganizations. Just what: forrir the ef-, fort will take is still in the air, to be considered ; later by - . the various grPup.S; That it will take place.; how- eyer, is assured. '■ ;■ ■;• ;.. ;. ;- Working agreement between th^ dramatist organizations ; England arid America is at present merely a probability, .still under..; discussion. What form it will take and, hpw much grPund it; w i 11 cpver,a re st il 1 to be considered.' British playwrights have no such ba.«:ic; agreemerit with the producers as has the Dramati.sts Guild in the U. S.. 'Matter has been discussed for sonne time, but 'such-a 'Contract; has rieyt^r" been .set. Con- sidered likely/that such a ' .stindard contract may be oije of ;thG forcriio:?t: goals of a cooperative setiip bctweori the 'U.- S. -and/Briti.sh d''amafi.i,a^, .; .; Wheri; su'ch a pact i.s cslablixfved, a: .probable' result wauid be-, a. wdrking .agreement. between the , t\^'f);oi gah;-; izations; •;!5i;|ch,^ deal, mi.i'.h.i.' w.ork a.;rnariner similar'tp-thill- betwcCri.'.the Actors;: Equity; A.s.sii;:/ai'id.-. /Bi-i.l.i.sh. Equity. ....w.hcreby/.ariy;:.')'clor. -b li'stcd ; by /onc; brgfihi/^Uinn,: i.v itiito- m.atica riy: ba ri ed by., the.; cith<ii-; grp.up.: fian .couid jI.^o br ypplii.-d . to pr o- .duc^rs./ ;/, .- .v^__';._ -/.^ ;;:-ln; 'additi<|ny u-. cotjpc/l'.riirvfe; ; !i«|-(':c- . merit could b«; OxlOndod . to.; cover .the .sub..sidi;)rY.; right.*-, to play's.' I mm^ci J a.tc'ly.: jjiffei; t i 0 g 'film a rid i ad [♦) fights, ju.s.t as the Dram.Ytlf.l.s Guild's-: ;b;i.sic: contract irn.e done; in Am'oi'ica.: .; .Po.ssibilit.v of. .'••Icp.i b>; the .Aiirh<Trs' Guild; to work-'ouL an arviihf'c.mont ffir ; obtainihg. hif'tter . terrii.*; ff)!'.. ihc- ;tilm :rjKh.t.<: to:.novolK; book:i-.:,md ma storiof: i.s .'■tlil very nrrijch ;)livC; Ciir- rent economy '..wa ve- Tf'i 111 b .w-'nod i.s believed - tp.v have- slowed . -.up ■•'(he:' -~. plan, however. .;..-;..:. ■/.'/;' "•/;'■'• ;■ : Lonsdale's. In<>tan4<e in conricctiQh-;^wilh the ; pp.ssible ; deal betwieen the .Dramatists. Gi'ild .; . and the Briti,$h, p!ay-wright.s;.; ■ siiua'-, ':; tipri . has .arisen . on tJi.e Broadway: /. front regarding. Frederick Lonsdale, : Dramatists .Guild member whose 'Once Is Eriough' ■ :being proscrittd. at the Henry Mjller. N.. Y.. by ; / Gilbert Jiiiller. Since the pr.bduc*'r ;:. has never ./signed ; the. Di^riiJiti.sts Guild: basic tfpntract, no miernb permitted - to deal with him. ;; • '-;;. •In the case of Lonsdal e, how ever, \i ..is e'xplairied"that :'Orii:e'';WiVs^^^^^^^^ intended ;for production in London and when tbe plari was "changed to present it here, the British playr Wright overlooked the ■ Guild .stipu- lations. Figured urilikely .that the Guild will discipline Lonsdale, how-.; ever, because it would } simply . arnourit to giving 'Qiibert ':M ilier;- exclusive American rights.to all hi.s. plays. Since Miller is the only major/ U.; S. producer Who has; npC signed ■ the Guild agreement, he .would be the; only one who cpuld deal yiiith ' LPnsdale were the Englishman to be' tos.<ed.- out by/ the Guild. Because IWyilerj not; Lonsdale, is the: real op- ii>onerit, action, against the.playwright ;; is not expected. ;Two young actresses appearing in. 'The Women,' at the Bar ry more, N; Y., answered the chprus call for 'I Married An Angel,' which Dwight Deere Wiman is readying. They fig- ure that if they .aire., accepted; it'wpu id mean a salary boost . Girls have: few lines in the Clare Bpothe play and make ■■several; cpstuirie. chahges,:; fb'r which/ they receive $25 weekly, • being junior members of'Equity. , In' the musical. they would; receive $35/ weekly, pr $40 if accepted as show- girls. ;;..;/;. ;../.: ■-, .y:'' :.'■ '''■•;,/'•■'" Equity ; has dispensed with the junior ;minimurii salary, subsi^ one minimum of $40 weekly in legit. Rule ' not retroactive, however. ■Women' has been playing on Broad- way more than a year, but if the juniors withdraw from . the shOw, thO.se replacing them rn ust be pa id riot less than $40 weekly. • ; IRVING BERLIN TO DO B'WAY MUSICAL , Ii;, ing- Berlin ' Will .dp a stage .nj(;i.-'. Ki6ai ;for/.npxt sca.sori. . When: he rt- turnS in late April he will slani; work ., on. the show prohto;- and .remain .t-;i.<-t foi- the:rest of the year. / :/,- Currentiy ;;Bbr)ln . :li«s.; .the.". ;^ Astaire-Rogers ■ picture ; .stiirtihg;' ia; lato--March;'at/lil^ and^;his.''Ak•: arider's' Ragtime 'Band' a t 201 h• Ft)x ;is! already ' work, ... ../'- "'■ /.;■•.-/-, In Incense"W ;. ;D<;ciwf)ri: '.': .fa\'Gr'l Ofv the -phiy:/ fioorri GUib, N. ,Y,, yiiin' hnridbri -cltjw n.: by .MiVgi^tratP F^^^ /d)i\/('r r/lijst:-' week. (17) relieving tli.'it .vrolip from tiwcssily • ■ of ;'h'aviiig; 'if ' -tbv.iili;Jc;il'•'•'. lii-cn.sc. . ' ;--.■■; :. -.■■ :■..-■ ■. ■"".: /Gionp h;id iipplied l,o ooniml.'-siori- . vv P.'iul .Moss. • for ;t liccnsr. bul ycus^ tII.1 • ricd .,(I()\yn fm -tl)e . .iii')'i1 1 1dv 1 h u t ■ Uvndp'ii. . b.uilfli'i.M- t.'id not; coinp.ly. . \'v ith- li r c r.cy ci I at i oris..