Variety (Aug 1938)

^edaesda^t AugU8t 10, 1938 nCTURES VARIETY IT Campaigns Start in U. S. and Canada On Tictures-Besf Entertainm Harold B. Franklin was appointed husinfess manager of the 'greatest en- lertainmentv campaign Monday (8) by George J. Schaeter, chalrihah of executive committee. He formerly was president of RKO Theatres! In his experience with Paramount, BKO and Fox West Coast theatres, he had executive charge of several •greater picture'' seasons, , Begins new job at once.. . _ ■ Louis Berg, former publicity man- ager for Gaumont-Brltish, and, A. L. Selig, veteran picture advertising- Dulili'city man, have heen added to Paul GulicJc's staff In headquarters at 1540 Broadway, N. Y. Chicago, Aug. 9. While there may be plenty ot in- ternal biclterings and squabbles in the industry, the motion - picture! business is showing a concerted ifront In the battle" for increased patronage. . This was demonstrated at the meetr Ing held at the Stevens, hotel here; on Friday (5) when exhibitors of four states met under the chairman- ship of Ed Silverman- of Kssahess to discuss plans for participation in the motion picture expioitiation drive. Grad Sears of Warner Bros, was, the leading, speaker and he met with a response of whole-hearted coopera- tion from all groups of exhibitors, both independent aiid aiTlliated. Among the spontaneous expressions of full coopeiration in the campaign: Were those made, by. Ascher Levy, Van Nomikps, Jiile^ Rubens, Johnny Joiies, Jack Kirsch, Morrie Leonard. Exhibitors firom the four states of niinois, Indiana, Wisconsin. and Michigan assembled at Silverman's call and on the meeting floor pledged. . more, than $10,000 towards the fund. While no special figure .yi^as set as a quota, it is generally established that Uie drive is seeking a contribution of 10c. per seat from the theatres.' :Ed. Silverman for, Essaness cbn- .tributed $3,000'for the circuit, Johnny Jones pledged $1,000 for Jones, Llii- ick & Schaefer, Mort , Goldberg sig- natured for $500 for the GCS circuit. No Radio Co-Op Philadelphia, Aug. 9. - The film industry will spend $600,000 in daily newspapers. Movie industry will request radio sitattons to cooperate. WDAS will definitely not co- operate, except at card rates.' P. J. Stanton. General Manager, WDAS, Philadelphia. A Real Battle Hollywood, Aug.: 9. .Heather Angel plays opposite John Howard in Paramount's 'Scot- land Yard vs. Bulldog Orummond,' slated to start next Monday (IS). .'Miss Angel played the femme lead : in 'Bulldog Drummond in Africa.' paign t'o head off Government in- vestieatlon; which most.-of. them would like to see pushed to the limit H'wood Understatement Hollywood, Aug. 9. '500.000,000 People Can't Be Wrong* If the pITicial name of the short to be exhibited in connection with' the •Motion Pictures Are Your Best En terUinmenf campaign. Frank Whit beck, selected as producer, is draft- ing an all-star cast of actors, writers and directors. Canada's Patseh Ottawa,' Aug. 9. Independent exhlbs and chain managers of the Ottawa district, numbering 25, gathered in the Chateau Laurier today for the second conference to be held in Canada to make arrangements for the film in- dustry's grand drive opening Sept. 1 with a quiz contest continuing un- til Oct. 31 and the special advertise Ing campaign remaining in effect un- tU Dec. 31. Two special speakers representing the Canadian committee for the co operative campaign gave rousing speeches,, these being N. A. Taylor, president of the Motion Picture Sec- tion of the Toronto Board of Trade, and Gordon Lightstone, Ontario branch manager of Regal Films, Toronto. Taylor is the chairman of we ^Canadian drive and recently at tended a conference of U. S. trade boosters in New York directed by G. J. Schaefer. Canadian indies are pledging 10c. per seat toward the cost of the four months' drive in the Dominion with *amous Players-Canadian Corp., rep resentmg the chain interests, con iributmg a larger amount. Canadian ^im distributors ar* also tossing.sub ^^■^"31. donations into the common Suspicious PhUly Philadelphia, Aug. 9. .Meeting has been called here to jnorrow to opSn local campaign in drt 51.000,000- industry publicity 'Exhlbs received invitations 'ill Signed by Lewen Pizor, tr. rv° Motion Picture Thea- jre,Owners, and Ted Schlanger, zone manager of Warner circuit. . i,„*''y.^l'Hle interest being shown oy exhlbs here in the„drive, especial- JL.^'"^*^ they have been informed jnat they will be asked to contribute thi' * seat to keep it going. Most of }^°°^ askance on the .whole ,"1 ng because it's spoiisorcd- by the producers. They think the money is oe used for an advertising cam- Ei^M-Dubbed Frencli Talkers Loom as New Competish to H'wi S. W. Gets Under Way Oklahoma City, Aug. 9. At a meeting of Oklahoma theatre exhibs at the Biltmore hotel last Thursday (4) the 'Movies Are ,Your Best Entertainment' . exploitation movement pulled into full swing in the state with approximately $2,000 pledged on the' spot. Other exhibitors will be signed up by film salesmen battling for $200 in prizes donated by R. E. Griffith, exec of the Griffith Amus. Co. to the three salesrhen bringing the greatest number of ex- hibs in on the plan. . Meeting was called by Morris Lpewenstein, president of the Oklar- hbma . theatre owners association; L. C. Griffith, of Griffith Amus, and Ralph Talbot, ' operator of Tulsa's four downtown first riin houses. All of .the state's independent cir- cuits came into the plan along with most of the independent exhibitors who attended the meeting. R. B. Griffith, who heads the Griffith Ih- terests: in Texas, gave assuirance that the state's Griffith houses would also line up. , ' Ralph : Talbot pointed, but to the gathering that ice companies, tire companies, coal dealers and auto dealers had all at one time or an- other cooperated in similar move- ments to help that particular branch of business at large, and that theaitre . men may expect the sam6 good re- sults from a similar movement He pointed out that during the rPcent 'used car week' more than 200,000 used cars were nioved off the nation's lots. m BEEFING ABOUT EXTRA CHORES Complaints are being yvoiced out of earshot • of higher :. executives against the extra work that pub- licists, advertising men, exploiteers, etc., are being. forced to do on the canipaign . for ■ - 'Motion Pictures* Greatest Year/ for which around $1,000,000 is being spent. In many cases, the men asked to throw: In their time on the work .are being forced to do ition weekends or nights in order to also take care of their regular duties. So far Paul Gullck coordinator of the campaign and committees, , has . put on an assisting staff of a half dozen, plus secretaries but many others in the various major companies are also being. asked to jump in on. heavy assignments. It*s causing ':plenty of squawks, especial ly with $1,000,000 budgeted on the four months'job. Donahue ti . Coe/ which handles Metro and United Artists' accounts, was favored as the agency on the advertising, but others for majors, under an understanding, are to par ticipate. BAYNES' SETBACK $30,000 AtUchment Voided In Me- ridian Suit Warrant of attachment tying up $30,000 in cash belonging to Meridian Pictures Corp., now In possession of Columbia Distributing Corp., and which is claimed Ijy George. McLeod, Baynes, as his 10% bit on the in- come in United Staites and Canada on Meridian's picture, 'Thunder in the City,' was vacated by N. Y. Supreme Court Justice Pecora Friday (5). Baynes is suing Meridian on a con- tract under which he was to handle the distribution of the picture on a 10%; basis. Plaintiff claims the pic- ture grossed over $300,000. PommeF^s Two Pics Not Yet Set, Defers Sailing Erich Pommer, English producer- distributor who had planned to sail home: today (Wednesday), has de- layed 'his departure until Aug. 17. Partial reason for postponing sailing was thkt Pommer wanted to get defi- nitely set on the U. S. distribution of his two Charles Laughton features, 'Vessels of Wrath' and 'St Martin's Lane.' ' Pommer presently Is negotiating with United Artists,and several other companies. Ldiew's $1 Divvy Makes $3.50 Paid Out So Far • Loew's, Inc., lifted its dividend payitient on the common as compared with the *.w6 previous quarters by voting $1 cash dividend on these shares, last w .ek. Company had paid 50c. both in June and March quar' ters, while the total paid :in Decem- ber last was $1.50. New $1 divvy is payable Aiig. 25 tfli stock on record June 15. Makes total distribution on Loew's common $3.50 ior company's, fiscal year to date. IiOew*s paid $8.50 for the pre' vibus full fiscal year on the coih- mon, Only one more dividend has yet to be . acted on in the current fiscal year, for company. TAX ON SLEEP Lee Tracy's $161 Tap for Tips on Morpheus 'Algiers' Fancy LA Rental Los Angeles, Aug. 9. ' 'Algiers* at the Four Star earned $6,500 in rental for United Artists on'its first four weeks, with the pos- sibility of $10,000 by the end of the sixth week of run. If latter figure reached it will top rentals of Fox-West Coast deluxers in recent months. Ken Maynard's Gentral American Tour Being Set Martin Wagner of the William Morris office' left New Yorlc Aug. 6 lor Havana. He will arrange for lours of Cuba, Mexico, Jamaica, etc., fo: Ken Maynard, film and circus, cowboy. Wagner will al.so be on the hunt for new and novelt, acts for impor- tation to the U. S., or for booking in England, where there's, a great de- Tliand. Hollywood; Aug. 9. Buck Jone.'! cancelled out oh Coro- net Pictures with two westerns to go through Columbia release and will start a six weeks' p. a. tour in Sep- tember, arranged by Led Morrison. Jones broke with Coronet, claiming the studio didn't live up to its eon- tract. Shooting ■was to have started to- morrow (Wednesday) oh 'South of the Rio Grande.' , Washington, Aug. 9. Film temperamentals cannot; write down their income taxes because they like to snooze in the morning, Late sleeping habits of Lee Tracy were not treated syrnpa thetically by the Internal Revenue Bureau this week when it came to reviewing the actor's income re turn. Government insisted deduc tion of $161 paid in tips to studio employees to let him snuggle under the sheets extra late, is illegal. Pay ments of this kind are 'purely per sonal,' not legitimate 'business ex- penses.' Jayne Wants Refund Los Angeles. Aug.: 9. Jayne Regan's demand for the re turn of $367.50 by, the Monter-Gray agency was denied reinstatement l>y the State Labor Commission for lack of ^jurisdiction. Commission ruled that cases involving man- agerial pacts must be settled in the courts. Miss Regan asked the return of commissions and the cancellation of her contract on the grounds tha Monter-Gray induced her to sigh < deal by misrepresentation. No Hoss Thief, Sez Rep Los Angeles, Aug. 9. . Republic denies stealing Buck j.ones' horse's name. Silver, in an .nn.swei" to; the cowboy actor's $250,000 suit in Federal Court over the serial, "The Lone Ranger.' Studio claims the steed's name canie from an air serial broadcast from Detroit several years ago, Pioneer Cfiffhanger, Pearl White, Dies in Paris, at Age of 49 Pearl White, who probably did more than any other one person to popularize the serial! or chapter play type of picture, died in Paris Aug. . 4, of a liver complaint which had sent her to , the American hos- pital there three weeks previously. She had been in retirement since 1923. She was bom in Green Ridge, Mo,, March . 4, 1697, according to her father, which would put her age,at 41,/but according, to her own .state ment she was 49, She went With an 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' troupe when she was only six, playing Little Eva, and later joined a circus as a bare back rider. "Then she 'went into stock and in .1913 obtained an en. gagement in the pictures; The .fol lowing :year she startled picture- igoers. with - her success - in 'Th^ Perils of Pauline,' a series of two- reel episodes in which, at the end of eaich part, she was left hanging from a cliff, tied in a burning build- ing, or had just fallen from the deck of an ocean liner. -The following week she was rescued frorni her perilous situation and; went on to face new dangers. For a.time she did the stunt work herself, but her producers, the (American) Pathe company, refused to permit her to endanger, the continuance ot the serial by , iassumihg such ' risks. Thereafter her chief double was an agile young woman known only as 'Patsy.' In the more difficult stunts she was substituted for by male acrobats. So far as is recalled,.only one of her doubles sustained'serious injury; an acrobat who had his skull fractured while passing; under the New York elevated structure. 'Pauline' was. an insta^itaneous hit, and probably the first to inspire a songwrite;r. Thus, 'Poor ■ Pauline,' the first 'theme' song, enjoyed an enormous sale. 'Pauline' was promptly followed by a host of similar plays in which she and other women stars appeared but she easily held her lead and was never headed until she tired of the monotony of cliffhanging in 1923 and went to France. For a time she secluded ' herself in a French con, vent for recuperation,, but soon went to Paris, where she made various theatrical appearances, always with success.. She maintained a small racing stable which was fairly sue cessful in France and England and for a time operated a gaming casino at Biarritz. She owned a town house in Paris arid a chalet at Rambouillet She managed her finances so well that she amassed a fortune estimated at $2,000,000,' and did not have to worry about the future. She was twice married, first to Vi'ctbr Sutherland and later to Major Wally McCutcheon, both of whom she divorced. Burial was in Paris, Beginning of new competition in English - speiiklng countries for American distributors is foreseien in New York as result of the recent in- flux of especially strong French pro- ductions that have been dubbed intoi English and shipped to England and elsewhere in the British Empire for showing. , It is tough competition be- cause the features can be jlaiid down in England cheaper than iriany first- run U. S. productions: These: Frerich- made (dubbed in English) pictures promise to make It particularly tough for sch-cailed Class B features seifit to Great Britain. Where former' American or Brit- ish stage or screen hits have' been remade ;ih French and then: dubbed in this manner, the exhib in England rates, the b.o. of these films above a reissue though obviously constitut- ing much of the same appeal. It is with such former old-time vehicles that best results have, been obtained by French producers. Recent example was the way a French company made a new \ vision of The Cheat,' and then dubbed it into English for showing to British exhibitors. : Rights to the film were purchased from Paramount, and ap- parently 'covered all dialog rights. Under.itood that tiii, is to be the first of a series of Frencrt pictures to be dubbed'into English, Paramount fiirst made 'The Cheat' w th Fanny Ward atid *inii p'ortuced another :,silent. version with Pola Negri. ; Later it was made In'.b a talking picture with TallUlah Baiik* head as star. M^jpr companies may. discouragi the practice by watching in' the fu- ture about selling rights to old. ve- hicles. PAR DROPS DUALS AT RIVIERA, ST. PAUL Minneapolis, Aug. 9.: The Paramount circuit has discon- tinued double-featuring in its down- town Riviera, St. Paul, and the dual bill policy now is being used In only, one loop house. In each of the Twin . Cities'l the Aster here: and Tower, St. Paul. Northwest Allied States, inde- pendent exhibitors' organization, has been trying to induce the Paramount chain to drop the dual bills In one of its two' St. Paul twin feature house's, the same as was do*^ Sere. But John • J. Friedl, ParariiOi cir- ' cult general manager, indicates that the move doesn't represent a pulling In of horns in deference to Twin City Independent exhibitors' wishes. The reason 'Why the double features were! discontinued at the Riviera, he do-, Clares, is "because the policy has been 'a sad disappointment' there. At the Aster here and Tower, St. Paul, however, results have been 'satisfactory,* according to Frlcdl. Although double features are go- ing into their second month at the Princess, big local- independent neighborhood nouse, the policy hasn't spread yet and other inde- pendents. Northwest Allied mem- bers, insist they will not follow suit with twin bills. At the same time, the Princess is determined to con- tinue, with the policy in the fa,ce of the 'soreness' that it has engendered among most of the other indies and despite^ the antagonism on some of the branch managers' part, according to W. L. Hamilton, its owner; Par's Televish Contract WB Tours 4'Daughters' Paramount Pictures is the first major film company to ko into im- portant television research for the future. Comoany signed a contract yester- day (Monday) with the Allen , I(> DuMoht Inborotory. for a tor of years. William Morris ofTicc aijcn'cd the deal.' Pnsoii Remake Hollywood, Aui?. 9. 'Up the nivci-;' piijion slory which introduced Spciic-r Traoy to tho Hollywood, Aug, 9; ■Title quartet in Warners' 'Four Daughters' are, slated for four pcr- ] Sonal appearances this month in, .conjunction with' the pre-release' •"•'••rceii oIkMI yens :ii;o, will bo l u- showing of (the picture'. | nimi.'d by Sol. M. Wui-t/.ol. 20th-f'ojc Priscilla Lane will .p.a. in New ^ rxf>('iiliv(; prodiinM, lliis fall. York, Gale Page in Los Angeles.' h<iii Brcslow ;itul John Patriclc I Rosemary Lane in Philadelphia and arc working' on the story, which" i Lola Lang in Dcs Moincs' : •.'. ill h.'ive .a new tag.