Variety (Jun 1938)

VARIETY PICTURES Wetlncsday, June 1, FEW MAN 0'WARS IN 1937-8 SEASON'S ENTRIES IN THE B. 0. SWEEPSTAKES Performances Spotty, Despite Some of the Rentals Bespeaking Championship Fonin—Analysis of the Major Companies' Top Money-Getters Uttie Old NeiiT Yorker Considering the product of each major producer-distributoi: in the light of performance at the box ofr fiee, the 19a7-38 season failed to bring out an imposing coll tion of cham- pions. The Man o' Wars were! scar , the'results at the theatres hot living: up to the handicapping prior lo exhibition. Buyers went sour oh many selections at contract tini last year when the stock, after close study on paper, appeared to include more winners than developed. Of the eight majors sending, out brook Farm' and ' Comipany also had its: dogs. VMTED ARTISTS 'Hurricane' gets the nod by a neck over 'Stella Dallas;' Ith 'Pead End' about a half-length behind, the three topflight performers for UA being close-bunched at the wire for Heavy b.o. coin. Coming up pretty close to menace the in-the-money Alms for UA were 'GOldwyn. Follies,' 'Pri.soi^r of Zenda,' 'TOm Sawyer' and 'Nofh-. ing'Sacr?d,' _the rest being farther out of it, a 'few so far they should' large , fields of film charges,, some ■ have been sho]L^ companies have finished stronger _ „ „ V"*Y^'**™ , , . than others in terms of attendance. The Hollywood conditioning plant some have rated under average with their '37-38 strings, and a couple have brought forth little from their Etudio stabl that the thiiatres XMi^ld back to the last dollar. In. the suryey on how; they rah for *37-38; the speed at the box office is \tised as a basis rathet; than the rentals returhed to distributors since many' pictures which commanded high rentals did* not prove ir rental valiie when played. any turned out to be ' 6dds-on choices which finished out of the'money, be-< hind the first three pictures of i of this nriajor sent forth only two real good ones, '1 en and a Girl' and 'Mad About usic,' both Deanna Durbins. A poor third was 'Meri-y- Go-Round of 1938,- followed by 'Road Back.' The balance were platers of the cheap grade. WABNEK BROS, ing evidence as to the stretch- running., ability of '^obin Hood,' the charts show that the.,No. 1 picture from this distributor is so. hard to decide that it's virtually a dead-hfeat arnqng three, fll.. , 'Zoia,' 'Jezebel' and 'Tovairich;' "'liobin HoOd' might yet. jump over them. Behind the ■ ■ ,■ Tt. . i • • I y*i- jump wvcr uiciii. umiiiu. d.vidua companies that met their not outstanding, being far feed bills and more, df the total of films sent Into the running during- the. current season, too -few have shown they belong in 'championship company,' while too many have performed, like Grade B handicap ih-and-outers and others have proved themselves 'dogs.' The result, with the theatres playing everything that ran, has been that there' have hot been enough good .yinn'ers to rarke up for the long, list of losers. B^sed solely oil theatre b.o. per- formance, the survey shows which pictures rah 1-2-3 for their com- panies since the' '37-38 season began, for some distributors in July, others in August Each major, listed alpha- betically, shows'tlve foUov/ing: COLUMBIA "Lost Horizon* is the tOp winner of this company but gets the decision by a nose over The Awful Truth,', with 'I'll Take. Rorhance' an undis- tinguished third. The rest of the field of releases trails far behind. MlETBd Test Pilot' is the best for this pro- ducer-distrib by lengths,- while "Ro- salie,* aided a great, deal by the song hit of that nan>e, moved into place position about a half-length ahead of 'Good Earth,' Last-rnentioned noses out 'Broadway Melody' for the show, while behind this picture are the less- illustrious champs, 'Last Gangster,' 'Saratoga' and 'Firefly.' FARAMOUN'T 'ArtisU and Models' and 'Wells Targo' are in a photj finish for first that remains to be decided by a whisker, whije 'Souls at Sea' turns up ia good third. 'Souls' noses out •Buccaneer' for the show.spot Those out of the slakes division but per- forming satisfactorily behind the leaders for lesser honors include •Double or Nothing,' 'Bluebeard's Eighth Wife,' 'Ebb Ti and 'True Confess! .' RKO-RADIO Running away from the field in a Ismoolh gallop and by lengths better than the winners of other majors, ^Snow While' gives this company the Man o' War of the year. Second best for.RKO is 'Stage Door,' while 'Viva- -^ioUs Lady,' recently sent to lyqrk, will probably finish third. "The at - rans include nothing that shows sparkling class, among best being •joy of. Living,' 'Damsel in Distress' ahd'Bringing Up Baby.' 2eTH-F0X 'Old Chicago,' by many pounds the best for this company,'had the dis- flcivantage of oS-track conditions fihce it was released recently in the recession. It triumphs easily over Thi,n Ice,' Henie release of last Sep- tember, this one beating Henie's lat- est! .'Happy Landing,' by about a head. The rii'nners-up in 20th have pro.ved of better stock .than -.n most companies, these Including 'You .Cr"'t Have Everything,' 'Wile, Doc- ahd Nurse,' 'Life Begins at Col- ,' 'Ali Baba,' 'Hebscca of Siinii « from a menace for those ahead, were 'Alcatraz,' 'San Quentin,' 'Submarine D-1! and ^Crinie School,' last men- tioned just oh release. Aaron Fox Hollywood; May 31. Aaron Fox, foririer treasurer .of the Fox Theitre Corp., has formed Aaron Fpx Productions, wjih Tom Moore as chairman of the board and R. A. Burns as production head and treas- urer.' Company plans to produce a series of picfur "sailings June 23 (Trieste to New 'York) Constance Hope (Saturnia). June 1 (London to New York) A1-- fred Hitchcock (Queen Mary). June 'is (New York to London) Carl Laemmle, Jack Ross (Norman-: die). June 1 (New York to: London) Bernard Sobel, Hildegarde, Claire Luce. Mr. and Mrs. Darryl F. Zanuck, Sol Hurok (Normandie). May 27 (New York to London) Mac Kriiendlef, Joe' Besser^ Bill Miller, Mr. and Mrs. Al Christie, Julien Benda (Paris). May 28 (New York to Genoa) Mr. and Mrs. Walter Lippmann, Carlo Buti, George- McAneny (Conte di Savoia). May 28 (Ne-w York to Poland) Molly Picon, Benjamin J, Weinberg (Pilsudski). By JACK OSTERMAN . , Broadway's youngest, old man re turned to the .street he loves by spe- cial permission of Sidney Skolsky. We are referring to one of the best after dinner-speakers we have, show him a grapefruit and he goea into a Eugene .'O'Neill script withoiit Eugene; a Cohanesque touch, and many touches he got from Sam Har- ris. A Bronx boy who ught cigars larger than his. size, the only kid we knOw who, at 18, dyed his hair,grey in order to hide the black and look older, the fellow that put-Ai Joi- son in pictures because he wanted more money to do "The Jazz Singer' with sound, cause his original contract with the Warner Bros, (who, at that time, ^yeren't signed up with Warden Lawes) made the- contract for a. silent. .By this'time, if there is a reader left,- wie guess you .are- guessing whom we are discussing; whoever guesses right get$. a Crawford suit. He talks oyer . the phone to his mother .every Sunday night arotind 6:30, Stend in. three buttons'from a' suit'-made.'by the same name as the last name , of. the guy who' played Lenny in 'Mice ' and Men';. sings 'Mother's Eyes' ofl-key and'what' dp yoa get...a picture of one of show business' veteran youngsters and a copy.of Variety of five years ago when your, reporter took a full page ad. ..But why should we worry you ., .his, name is Geor ie Jessel, as if you didn't know. LAEMMLE to AUTO TOUR EUROPE THIS SUMMER Hollywood, May 31. Carl Laemmle embarks June 15 on a two months' vacation through Europe, Taking. along his car and chauffeur for tour of England, France, Switzerland and'Norway. Jack Ross, his secretary, a^comr panies. It HippcDc4 Last Week Herman Timberg, -Jr. opened oh his own at the Roxy. His father, also named Timberg, didn't'know of the event until , he read the ad in the dailies. Questioning the kid as to whether he shouldn't have asked him- for .a little fatherly, theatrical advice. Junior answered, 'No, Her- man, I wanted' lo feel myself oiit alone!' Of course he forgot to men- tion there are 24'Gae Foster girls on the same bill. We remember wheii Herman and. we feU our way through the WVMA. Revival . of Rudolf Valentino In 'The-Sheik' at the Gaiety is drawing some of the smart mob,who delight in the piano player, a la. 'Hearts and Flowers,', playing for the old silent. They took nine-year-old Josephine Starr' off Jessel's. State show, -but Peter Holden is allowed to play In 'On Borrowed Timfi' . . . law reads it's okay for legit kids, but singing and dancing is n.g. We just called up our five-year-old . daughter and told her to stop trying to sing 'Red, NAZI GRAB OF PK COIN HAS BIZWORRe Uncle Sam and Hitler are squar- ing off for a Anahcial skir ish iii which a lot of film, money is at stake. \Feud is-the result of a re- cent edict that all cash in Germany belonging 'to Jews of any nation-^ ality will be .earmarked for a Nazi' grab. . Several picture companies hav6 been tipped that'theii! cash in Ber- lin banks. may be confiscated, if their leading execs are of . Jewish'.ex;trac- tlon., Warners ithdrew, i ac- counts when Hitler canrie into power, but Metro, 20th-Fox and Parampiiint have considerable coin there. Official details are lacking, but it is known: that the State D^artment entered a protest several weeks ago and nothing' more has been heard about it. Picture heiads fear that even if Hitler is persuaded to keep' his hands off their iTioney,.he may iise it as « club'to make'them -.play ball for Nazi propaganda or else. Meanr while U, - S. Government officials are watching closely. Universal, th^ -only American cemany producing in Germany, was practically kicked Out when- Hitler came in. United Artists moved, out before the Nazi regime, and RKO and Columbia never had much in- vested there. Red, Robin' and learn the soliloquy from 'Hamlet.' Tboariits While Thluking Add time marches on: the Club Richman is now the Jewish Philoso- phers. Institute, and the bar 'where you used to pay a slug a copy is now a luricheonetfe. ^ New picket, a mind-reader walk- ing iip and down,in. front of a. joint: 'Unfair to Tea Leaves.' And isn't, it fiinny how peaceful the guys are who sell those poppies . . . wonder why they didn't behave themselves that way during their anr •ual convention? N. Y. to L. A. Milton H. Feld. John W. Hicks, Inc. Fred W. Lange, David Lipton. Philip Loeb. Bob Miiford, Fred Norman. Bob Taplihger. Irene ITiirer. Lodiwick Vrbom. John J. Wildberg. ARRIVALS J. R. Poppele, Mr. and Mrs. Eman- uel Cohen, Mr. and Mr.s. Bernardo Mdlinari, Benjamin Heifetz, Billy Wilkerspn, Walter J. Hutchinson, Frederic Thayer, Al- ROsen, I. M. Noble,. Henry Sherek. Eight Pidied as Rudest Supporthig flayers in Pix by Casting Chiefs Hollywood, May 31. Featured players who consistently make the ' heaviest contributions to pictures are Mischa Auer, Beulah Bondi, Walter Connolly, Edward Everett Hortbn,. Jean Hersholt. Don- ald M'eek,: Alan'Mowbray and Frank Morgan, Group has just been crowned as Hollywood's histronic toppers through -a Daily Variety poll oif the casting directors who ar- range the- actor rosters for Holly- wood's grade-A pr uct. •Eight casters were asked to name 50 players, who in their estimation belong - in the forefront of Holly- wood's vast army of supporting ar- tists. Auer, Miss Bondi, Connolly, 'Horton, Hersholt, Meek," Mowbray and Morgan' drew seven votes each. Other New s of htere st to Films London concerned over waning film interest..... .....Page 11 Sydney daily hits U. S. cpntrol of Australian film biz.... Page 11 U. S. Co. resumes Japan e.xport......... I '. Page 11 Winchell's $5,000. .Page 27 More television, .Page 32 Radio revievi's of Gene Autry, Jack Benny, Barbara. Stan- wyck, Charles B. Cochran...... -, ....iPage 34 Bregman-yocco-Cohn's now mu.sic ......... Pagie 41 Arthur Byrpn.^Bert Lytell, Page 49. Bvoadways play toboggan .Page 49 Pix eyed by Max Gordon.... .Page 49 There were no unanimous selections. Lacking only one vote of winning berths in the top bracket were Billie Burke, Leo Carrillo, Andy Devine, Hugh Herbert, Lewis Stone and Charles Winninger, -each of whom was cited on six of the eight lists. Drawing five out of. eight, nods were Una Merkle, Reginald Owen, Basil Rathbone, Henry istephienson. Fay Bainter, Alice' Brady, Spring Byingtoh and Walter Brehnan. Fourth group, in which each scored four- times, is made up of Edward Arnold, Ralph Bellamy, Humphrey Bogart, Herman Blng, Donald. Crisp, Fritz Feld, Glenda Farrell, Bonita Granville, Edna May Oliver, May RobsOn, C. Aubrey Smith,. Ned Sparks, Slim Summerville, George Sanders and Akim Tamiroff. Eight votes submitted by the cast- ers contain a total of 189 names. Receiving one to three votes each were 152'players. Because contractual clauses and general regulations in certain stur dips prohibit the publicizing of their casting directors, identity of those who participated in the poll must remain anonymous.. That the casters leaned backward in their efforts lo be fair to all sup- porting players, freelance and con- traclees; alike, is indicated by the fact that each list contains nominees tied to term deals by rival plants.', REISSUE COIN TO OFFSET NEW mmes Distrlbs hope to garner erio\igh extra money firom this summer's re- i.s.sues to apply it to writing oft ihe losses ^sustained on certain new pic. tures that lacked profit-making qiialitie.s. Virtually any distributor will ad- mit that too many'pi,.tures look like they're going to take a licking on the final count-up, attitude- being that it may be wiser to try to show a ,profit on a reissue than attempt to push a new release which, even with mpn^y behind it, isn't going to get any- where. Estimates on reissue profits range anywhere from. $100,000 up to $300,000. ^ Chicago, May Balaban tt Katz .Garrick may transformed into a revival , and re-- i.ssue theatre as result of the wow biz start of 'Son of the Sheik.' Old Valenti silent, o ning Friday (27). With a flock of other reissues and revivals on the lists of nearly all distributing compahies, B. & K, feels that perhaps a 'house Of proven .pic-- tures' might garner coin in the loop. . 'There is also a possibility that B.'fit K.~ ill combine the revival' plan with its earlier discus.sed news- r I policy :for' the house, making it alhnost a 'double feature' policy for the Garrick, carrying a reissue plus a full newsr 1 series. The old 'Valentino release, 'Son of Shei ,' rights of: which .aire owned by Emil C... Jensen, indie, is being booked throughout the country. It opened, during the-past week at the Garrick; Chicago, where it , grossed ^ $1,200 opening day against a . house average of around. $5,000 weekly It also bowed at the Hub, Boston., and went cold into - the Qeorge M. Cohan on' Broadway, after Harry Brandt announced opening pf "The Sheik* , Saturday (2*) at his Gaiety, N. Y. Jensen obtained rights to -Son of the Sheik' from Joseph M. Schenck, who - . produced-it for 'UA years ago. Al Biirks, recently with RKO. goes out on the; road on mid western bpokr iiigs of pictures, leaving today (Wed.) for Detroit, first stop. ■ Just Like » New '.Uii .Hollywood, May 31. Paramount's reissue of 'A Farewell to Arms' will be carried oh with all the publicity of a new prpduction, with a local press,preview this week and heavy exploitation. No more Paramount pictures will be dusted off at present, except on the initiative of individual exhi tors. 1 . , Reisisue distribution rights to 'Son of the Sheik,' originally produced by Art Cinema (Joseph M. Schenck) for United Artists in 1928, have been-ac- quired by Jay M. Sutton of All Star Features. Indie .exchange, for South- ern California'and Arizona. Another deal is pending. for same group io take over 'The Eagle,' made by Art Cinema in 1925. Heaigson Off Metro Hollywood, May Henry Henigson has chei.-kt'l oft the Metro payroll after a yeiir on the lot as producer. While, there he made 'Port of Seven Seas' and had two in prepura- tion. : L. A. to N. Y. Sam Berger, Irving Berlin. Nate Blumberg. A. C. Bluraenthal. J. Checver Cowdin. George Dembow, '\yilliam Dover. Frederick Feher. Sig Herzig. G. .R. keyser Henry King. Mauch Twins. Rudolph Mate. Charles E. McCarthy. James Mulvey. Jay Paley. Paul Perry. Floirence Rice. Roy Rogers. Wells Root. AI .Rosen: -Manny Silverstone. .Arthur Stebbi H. N, Swansop. Kenneth Thomson. Darryl Zanuck.