Variety (Jun 1938)

t St. HoitlB's FlMO. Tn>fal«a* l«i mat*. INTERNATIONAL SHOW NEWS Cuhle Aililrecfl: V.^RIRTT. I.ONI) Tririilinne Temiile U»r MHl-fi SI British Production Boom (Cpntiniied Irom page 13) Americnft companies to' comply with fh? quota, will cost about $5,000,000 in the present season. But of the 12 or more pictures on studio floors or in preparation at the present time, about hair are being turned out on a tharirig basis. This means no imme- diate expenses except for Incidental Tnaterial, exlris, stagehands and TmaU-s-aiary players. While it is early to estimate how this is going to work put, apparently a formula has been formed to put new, blood into the veins of the British picture industry. Double and triple quote prpvlsions iinder the new Ja\y are making for high-budget pictures lor U; S com- : Banies, just as had been anticipated. Clearly indicative of this trend is the current record of not a single shoestring .picture being in work, although there is probably more shooting on pictures urider way tha^n any one period in the last 12 months. Big urge now is to con- centrate on class stuff and forget the uickies. Current productions include four, costly features at Denham. 'Four Feathers,' first ^orda's ne>v schedule, and 'Prison Without Bars head the list. At .the.same studio, Metro's ' itadcl,^ soon will get under It's a big-coin picture. Her- ilcox's '60 lorlous Years' also is iset for Dehham. At Pinewbod Bob Kane s unit will do 'Piccadilly Circus' lor 20th- Fox ith Gi-aci Fliel storred. Geoffrey Toye's unit wiUr.do the Gilbert-Sullivan opera; IThe Mikado •at the same plant Warner Bros., is busy at Teddinglon on Max Miller's first musical, 'Everything Happens • To Me.' At Elstr i three Associated Brit- ish subj 'Yes Madaim,' 'Black Limelight' and 'Hold My Head,' are skedded. Basil- Dean Jias a bread-! biilter filrin. Penny Paradise' in work at Eali with a . hew George Fromby, 'It's in the Air,' almost a certainty. to shorten the length of a number of' U; S.-made features, there prob- ably will be little consideration given to this phase: if the high bOdget films made in England by American-firms turn but to.be box-office throughput the world. It's just a case of success- ful draw picture in the'world, mar- ket alleviating, all worries about quota, fobtagie and other details. Cutting Claim Op. (Continued from page 3) Hollywood N« Like Hollywood is beginning to look askance at the plans for elaborate productions in England by American companies under the new British uota.. Thus far the situation is her iiig mulled secretly or. still remains merely a sUte of mind. But there is .no question but that, those dependent on. a flourishing Coast studib setup are beginning to wonder how much the British quota is'goinjg to affect 'producing in California, 'Also how much less coin it will niean in ttie pockets of actors, technicians, labor- ers, etc., this year and. in ieinsuing years as the'quota becomes more ex- tensive. Opinion on the Coast is that it was bad enough for American.companies when-the new British quota doubled the . mihlmum labor cost require- ments. But that extra inducement, to make high-budget features, held out in the triple and double quota 6f the production outlay, risks, etc., involved, all accounts shoiild be pay- ing niore for the product ttian they are. The iPimrcR Show II It iis admitted that there are abuses on- both sides, ith the chain-con- trolled buyer and the independent alike,, but that in. the final analysis the figures'shbw that things level off. If-that were hot the case, and -the affiliated theatre, cheated pn film rental, the distributor would be bet- ter off selling the independents in- stead. This isn't done, .except for certain .situations wheire a sell-away is indulged, and then maybe at lower rentals than considered fair; ig producer-distributor cir-r cuits\may attempt to . hold down terms in buying product, but; that goes only to a. certain poi , it is de- clared. Any inference .also that com- panies like Metro, Pariamount, War- ner Bros, and' RKO, with their chains, control playing tirhe to the' detriment of others,- is answered by. a record which shows that United Artists-and Cdlumbi without.-thea- tres, do all right when they have pic- tures. The answer for the Hollywood pro- ducers^ say distributors, lies not In the ba.rgai ing-power of chains nor in any mistaken notion that indie rentals - must carry the majority- of the high percentage burden, but in the making of product that all buyers will pay the right prices for. A dis- tributor leader, armed with figures, cites many pictures which have pUyed. to 10,000 or 11,000 accounts, turning in handsome profits. Such pictures wpuld not get that many in- dependents. Chains-representing only about 2.500 .houses, nor at supposed higher Iridie rentals than paid by af- filiated circuits. .If the pictures weren't earni Evelyn Laye. Desmond, Hildegarde, Lillie Click London, June 21, Palladium's bes't-balanced progr'aih since reopening ith vaudeville policy is topped by -Evelj^n Laye in excerpts from hei former musical successes to solid, reception. Others outstanding are Florence Desniond, Vic Olivier, Holland and Hart, ,the Three-Swifts and Lazander Quartet Latter are brilliant comedy acrobats ideally suited for cabaret woirk on- both sides Cf the Atlantic. A.t the .Berkeley hotel Hildegarde opened splendidly. In for a month, and sure holdover, but cannot stay, longer due to American commit.- m.ents. .Beatrice Lillie bowed at the Cafe de Paris last Tuesday U4); She was splendidly greeted by audience and remains for seven weeks, until nitery closes for. the surnmer. SIkmmn..., ,. Honnmbo Joe HciblInK" ■'. ■. fi.ahdcrfl. i Scrgt. AbllM) Cnpt. .Thlinllttin. I.leiie. .Tlbbonn.... GooKle. •.. '■ . ..V... Abdul Hatl-z .. .Mr. KOKk-lri.. I>l:ina rergu.s«on. Fliema. ,'. 'Scrgt. 1Inpk>"»... .The OIrt King 'Kuf UiUi^ , ,.,, credit provisos, how Is being taken , verse. DecMon In e Fall inneapolis, July 21. Indications now are''that consid- erable time will elapse before the three federal judges who sat 'in the North /Dakota theatre divorcement trial will hand down their decision as to the measure's constitutionality and whether a permaheht injunction should be issued restraining Its en- forcement and thiiB leaving Para- mount In possession and enjoyment of its North Dakota theatres. Both sides are prepared, to appeal to the U. S. supreme court from the three judges' findings if they i»re ad- Schwartz Nixes RothschOd On Pdlitkal Song Paris, 12. de ^Rothschild has requested Maurice .Schwartz, now presenting 'Brothers Ashkenazi' at the 'Pprte-Saint-M'artin - theatre.' here With Hhe N. Y, Yiddish theatire com- pany, tp el i inate the scene' where the Communist 'Internationale'' is sung! The baron made "the demand right after' the prerniere June Ivon the ground that he feared the rendi- tion of the. song identifies Jews with conirhunistic ideas and theories, thereby inviting. anti-^Semitic ' critic cisni ivhich Jews .are trying to avoid in France. Schwartz refused to take oiit the scene, because, he claims, the song is necessary, to give aii accurate pic- ture of a vital episode i the life of the Ashkenazi brothers. Rothschild made his demand to Albert Gouldeh, manager of the company, but .' no. further protests have been made. Schwartz termed the demand ridiculous. 'The. song is part of a revolutioh- a'ry scene,'- he said. 'Besides, we are not communists; we are artists portraying an .'historical > episode.- No one has a right to'act as dictator of Jewish art.' as a direct thrust at a certain num- ber tif Hollywood's better class pror duclion's. . 'Wprkei's on the Coast dependent for employment on extensive pro- gram lineups reason that every fea- ture made in England by an Ameri- ..can corhpany for distribution in the U. S. means , just one less picture made in Hollywood. It is a matter Plays Abroad SUN NEVER SETS London, Jvine. 10. Melodr^inft will) .•^ontcH. hi two ptirls (eight .aceni-?), by I'ul W.■lll:l<•<^, ami Oliy l^olton, aUaini'il friiiii f.«t. Afi-l.-an' stor- lea by. Etlgar \V:iUuci;: iinislr. by v'i>lc Por- ter, Keiin(>t Le.slle-.'^iiUihi.iKULv)) dahtes by I.yilld -.'iokolov., XierUiii .-■hishcrK. .Pre- sented by O'Di'yHn. l.lii ii ,<i Dimri-e, Util., productinn stagrri by Jiriftil D'eun. nl. Ui-ui-y Lane, .London, '.'June !i, "<ii^i " .- noliert .\dam8 .'rodd Diinc.in CIntrleil FiirrftU. . i..'.. .-.T.-e.'<llc llnnks .-..'..'viinnel Mfihnlhg ....siewuit Or.inger ., '. ..Miu-ki-n-/.le iWn'rd ,..., .SUolrigh l-'iirley -..'...Jioni-y 0.«cnr ., VViirbui'lon Gninbl^ , Kiliiii ne»i AilrlnUle IJniT ,..; .Wally Pati-h ,,.... Friinlt Kennedy ,.., ..Krunk Coehr.-ine.' Mechanized atmosphere is admira- bly created in the adaptation of the 'Sanders of the River' .storiies of Ed- gar Wallace. No small part of the atmosphere is due to the employment of ■ colored people . Cabout 100) .to en- act the native rples. Second are the splendid'scenic and.lighting effects, .culminating in the blowing lip of a Voodoo temple; and third the .emr ployment. of Le.slie' Banks' for the role of the intrepid hero. , The colored contingent lend them- selves so thoroughly to the tropical dances and costuming (mostly lack of it) that one. almost, feels that the genuine article is being dished up^ Drury Lane audiences demand traditional, spectacular melodrama and -it.:has been ladled but-to them effectively, and with the utmost com- petence ' tht current, attraction, with all indications poihting to a lengthy and healthy Tiin. • America-would not he very: much interested in such-a presentation; i^old. morilal nijjhi thiil he huf mnn-icd the wife of Vhe othw-, who has ob- tained a Reiia diyoice. Neither of the.ir coiinlries will recognize the. ArhoriMri decree. All of this is projected with clever wisecracks-wbith are not in keeping .with' the story, and the progression of the -tale is-conS'nnlly interriiptert by splendid musical ntimbcrs. Good as they are, they merely retard the action' while rendered by two coh- ■trastins, but competent " sinBcr.<!, Greta Nissen and.Lea Scidl; both of whom, score elTectively. ' Sharinjg with them the honors of; the. eve- ning is Edward Hor'an's rtiusic, ably augmented by Ian Grant's lyrics. So effective are these songs that a prom- inent. West End producers of musi-^ cals was heard to- remark that he • would- like to purchase these num-^ bers and would immediately en-, deavor to do so. The . whole thin^!, seems to miss by a very narrow margin. Jolo. HAPPY RETURNS London, June- 12, Tltf'VM^ In two nrl.s, {'20 utrenea): preBcnUd by (*hH)-l«s It roihi'iin.: Sl:if;eil hy EdWArd. DowliiiK. KnuHii'vfl lip/ilrice hlUle, FlAnn- KAn mini Allen, JMiyllld StAnley. Mtckl Ui-nniz', Pntt'irlu Constance -Cnr* pcnlcr,' RrKlnHliI llofkwiih,' Oerald Nadln. "MuMlr.'Ai-lliur Julin.<i(itni>, Klcltitnl no'fleei'i;, HurotO Ailon; Aiihtir Schvvhrlifi, GcoVfce fiershwin, Herrium Kiij'iff'lil; lyvlcr,' J«n Gniht. l.oronx I-l:iri/lln\v:u*<t'Dlelz; Oonce^, niu^'ionl nuti\b(>rfl^ .lUidily J^indlpy; co^ttitmRS, Dorig Ii^lnkelHcn. 'At llie AilclphI; Lonilon. WOULD OFFER WIN PARIS Judge J. B. Sanborn of the federal circuit court of appeals, who pre- sided, has annoiinced that the other two federal district icourt judges, Seth Thomas effort Dodge, la., and G. F. Sullivan of iSt. Paul have gone to their home.'!. The briefs submitted will be carefully studied and he will call the other two judges together in St. Paul from time to time to tif Simple mathematics, as they view ; weigh the evidence and arguments, it, because the films turned out by he .said. U. S. prpducers.in Great Britaiiii, ac- President W. A. Steffes of North- cording to labor stipulations, can use ' west Allied States, which sponsored an extieiTiely low minirniiih,number i the law prohibiting producer owner- ol American artists and wbrkeirs. [ ship and operation of theatres, ex- Con.scquehtly, the biggest: element,; pressed confidence, at h.is-organiz»r to be considered, in the .extensive | tiori's convention that the defendant, effort of U. S. companies to turn out j the state 6( North Dakota, .would Win Briti.sh quota features in the h'gh- the decision. budget cla-s.s; is the undying ahtag- Steffes informed members of onism 01 Hollywood against anything, Northwest Allied that the cost of Henriette Pa.^car, founder and director of the .iScarampuche theatre^ Paris, .may return to New^York this season. She was here recently to seek the. French rights of 'Golden Boy/ Nothing set so far. She left New York, Wednesday (15). Only One New Show ; Heat Boifs West End Londbn, June 21. 'Comedienne,' another hew Ivor Novello comedy, opened at-the Hay- market theatre last Thursday (I6). Was v>ell received, but. seems un- likely. Heat wave is the last -straw in general box office .depre.ssion. ' Result is the i linisnt closing of .at least a half dozen big.'VVesf End shows. SPRING MEETING London, June 11. Comedy lii three Ktir by M. J. • Farrell And John Perry; pr«Heb(e4l by H. M. Ten- nent, T.ld. nirvcted liy JObn .Cieliiud. At the AihbnHMidorii,. l^ndon. Joan .Kur7.e..-i..Toyre Cnr^y Baby Furae...............Helly Ghancellnr -TRmen .-. i......'-...Arthur Slnt-'lnir". BIJou Purse.. -V... .'.Miirpiret. 'Kuthe^foVd Mlchafrl Byrne...... , j...... NIhU Mficglnnla Sir Rlchhrd. Furze... .■'.'.' Ilbge'r Livowy. -Jnhnny- Mnhoney. W. G. Fny Tiny Foi-<''olller.:,.; ..,.,.'/enn. nnre Tony Fox-L'dlller.....,... ..NIeholue Thipps. thai i.s not Hollywood. The industry con.'iequenlly is watching closely the progress, made oh these more elabo the suit to Paramount ran into the six figures and that there wasn't nough. at stake to warrant the ex rale pictures made in England,' iid i penditure. The largest earnings ever undoubtedly will follow their box-.'.derived from the circuit's North office trends with more than usual'. Dakota theatres in any one year '"'*'«St. were approximately $«0,OOPi he said, Companies needing, five or six |'.so that Paramount well ,^cpuld have tliiota credit features how will at-, let them go by the bPards and .spent tempi to turn, out two or three high- ] ii.s money and u.sed its energies 10 budget pvoductions, suited for U. S. and world dislvibutibn. Others will .tome irIoiiK .'lightly above thie mini- rr.um labor requirements. In many re.spt'cls the latter will be only elab- I'iilionf on the old quickies familiar iint er ihe foiniCr British quPta law defeat si il«.r legislation in other stales, instead of l is •ing an unfav- orable deci.sion in ihi.s ca.se.' Member.s o{ tiie body nl.so were told by Stefles thai the" shelving .of Necl.v ill by the ioucr-llou.se of Congress, aJler it pas.sed live Senate, Although 'Spring .Meeting' isn't a very good play, it is amusing enough and looks as if it will enjoy a healthy run. The authors know their Irisih, -and they have drawn, characters that ring true. It's the tale of two daughters of an Irish barOnet, of alternately prodigal and stingy characteristics, who! are anxious to.marry. The elder is '32 and', the younger 20. Father spends all his: time, and mo.st of his money, breeding horses. Elder sisr ter . is in love with a young man, whom her ■ father employed as a groom and whom the baronet educa- ted sufficiently to qualify' as, a vet- erinary. Father-plans to marry her off to the son of an earlier love affair of his, but the younger daughter and the latter, yoiing man have different ideas. This is' the basis of the plot, which never biecome.s wholly serious. Arthur Sinclair'. W, G. Fa,y, Betty Chancellor, Margaret Rutherford, Roger Livesey and Zena Dare play intelligently, ainong others. Directed by John Gielgud. with authentic setr tingsbyRogerFur.se.' Jolo. NO SKY SO BLUE London. June 9- MiiMlr|il piny in lliri'c m-ls. by >l»'nry f. Janiiuf;. niut^lr by Kd\VJir<l H(ii-»n; l,vrl<-K by Ian Griint, l'ri»eitU'iI li,v flordxn Ihirhord, produfred by- Henry KciidHll HI Ihe .SaVoy, London, .liine H, '-*lft. Sir t'hnrU:M Uprkeley BOrin. Hnchlnorf Adole.. .. Countet^H I'elkiiff ThereM'e Teddy W. ■ .Serrel.'try ..levnh After more than a year's absence, Charles B.' Cochran has returned to the West End .with ,a new revue, 'Happy -Returns.' Beati'ice Lillie has brought considerable material, from American successes, which':are typi- cal, and readily recognizable even if the soiircess , aren't acknowledged. Aliss Lillie reveals herself a far bet- ter clown than anybody suspected when she last, iappeared here. Shei has cultivated a sefrious repose that aids her materially,. ' being also cleverly fed by. the supporting cast; Flanagan and Allen aren't too well served with comedy material, but what they have is done well.- . ickL Braatz clicks with ah acrobatic tap, and Jean Blac)t and Gordon Humph- rie; are effective adagio dahcers. - ' A large suporling ' cOmpany con-^ tiribUtes clever bits and the dance niimbers by Buddy Bradley are well- costumed and lighted. Scenery, as in all Cochran revues, play ho small part toward providihg- the. evening's entertainment. There, js more. Io,w comedy .' than in most of Cochrah'a more' recent shows, and this will un- doubtedly be ihcreaised when the show gets into its full stride. Among contributors to the revue's, .sketches are Mo.ss Hart,-the late David' Freedman aiid Saiin Mayo. Jolo. ..f'yril n;)ymon,l ..... .JMm II .S'.-l'iiler .; ;i.e:i >'i.iill .(•t-i'iMiile .Vlcsen )\U:ihith Viiughn .'.. .Kiiiiion Ityan Itnindiin-TIr^nifts ..0>-.Mg« Thirlwcll Acts Playing Aussie Sydney, June 3. . Tivoli resents Four 'Vespers, Ross;, ierre. Schiistcr, Charles Cook, Kenypn and Fcwings, Sirdani, Les Hugos. Peter White, Kermohd Bros., Roy Rene, ernard-aqd Hcnrie,.ahd Sadie Gale. Hal YalCE is realer Ion.. '^hile, the, wdrdage of the new |'is only > ieinpoi:;ii y ."-ttback.'.Hc :dc- <?uotH. which nkes the percentages I clared the •bill ii- tu taiii ic be piis.-cd spply to fooluge alone,'-would tend - by the next C>iif)'tM.- •Vielboiirne, Jurie 3. ivoli liiis Billy Costc'llo <Pop- cye), Slri .Piittt.. Slonc and Lee, Wal- ton iiiitl M;.y. Klilf Trio. Morah Clii.iltv. Moi'<iiii iiiid Coralce, JUDGMENT DAY (IN HEBREW) Tel,Aviv, Palestine. June 8. Drn'nlii In Ihfeo ri^.lM by Kliner )tl<-«; hreiK'hlt-d by Ohcl Vliryeri*. Adiiplr'd. by .\1. HoKdnnu,vfil<,v; Helltngp, 'A. ',KlhAiwnl, <■• Ucrger, J: '/Mriu-M and /., -'Yiiiik. Alexander Kuin.nn..'. '.S; I.ydia Ceorge KItof ........ Klirt Schnr-ifler ., .-.• (vcnerni Itako.vHky....' Dr. VIora ;.. Count .Sliii-'iraky.. Prof. >l<>ro!i|. , -.... . Pr. /H.nknv.,, .('ol, .Stiird^v....' - -.. Pr. ]lHtorl. Dr. .Sluinliuliiv '. ., f'onrad .\oll VeJinlh Or. I'urv;in VhhIII H<V(nriibii .-. .Sonio Knin'Hh..,-. ' Juiia ('r/'.volll......' ,...' I'aptain Miii-«.k r.lmt .S'ikliiiiiiiv.... . .Secretary l<; ilic t'lnit-i Interpreter. . It has been pretty generally con- 'ceded that satire and music do not blend . as stage entcr(:iinment. and that : is the main adver.se; comment to be found with this piece., It is clever in its cpntra.stih^ ingredients and, despite a cordial reccolion by an apparently .friendly audience,, it falVs between the two. and will prob- ably fail to attract paying"patronage. A, new Bernard Shaw play sched- uled to open Ihe annual Malvern Festival is said to treat on the same subject, that of poking fun at the Txiague of Nation.s. This one satirizes the League's efforts for Peace and opens in the conference room of the, delegates at Geneva. Four of them are playing bridge: one firiiig at, a dart board; another is-asleep, and so on. The conference is In decide which of two nations shall anriex ii'n uni - habited island ih the Artie rcgion.s. which the (Jf.-leKalcs are unable to find upon the rri<ip. In the end ah Americiri ncwspiipcrniiin discovers, the United SJ.ntcs'bought the i.sland several year." acn. There .are liidl rou? ritrimnnia) silliatinni.-. .nich- a.' uii nf the (''in- Icsling cleiciiiics i>covti;; •■ on is Recent succcs.s^ of the Ohel Troupe's performances in Cairo has given its managers an idea they ought to tour HUirope and the U. S. The group's latest product is almost certain to- (ilick.whcre there are Uebrew-.spcak- ing audiences. PI;iy was done in English on roadway a few years ago. Entire three acts, set in a .court- room, where two men and a woman are tried for an alleged attempt on the lite of one who has placed him- .self- at the helm of the slate follow- ing a coup. HebreW: adaption n,rst - rate, al- though portrayals ore a bit overdonie. Leah Dcganitl. nnd Jacob Cnaani are effective, but Z, Barabiin i.s not too convincing as the doped Kurt Schneider. One of the most effective parts is that of Cha'ani, as George Kitov, a'radical. Entire action lakes. place in a single .scene. Whole pro- duction has a.sli.ihl tcmlcricy to over-length and. tcdioiisne.s.s, b;it it cut and ooli-shcd would be n cla.'sy, /addition to' the Ohcl repertoire. • Seitel, Marcus .Clicks in S. Afr. .lo ;innc.>;i)iir'.', .Iii'i .3. Marcus rovue, "it I'iirec,' I.- (I ing cauacily .i.t tin- Kinpi.'c -lii-; .Show is Ijviv.lil jkkI .\\(II Africiin Goinolidii d Thc;;tic.- (lliM,t; it. Oiillit limn.