Variety (Sep 1938)

Wednesday September 7, 1938 PICTURES VARIETY 21 Bioff Out of IATSE as U.S. Pushes Probe; Douglas for Prez of SAG Hollywood, Sept. 6. Announcement that William Bioff ■was bowing out as boss of West Coast studio locals , of the Interna- tional Allianbe of Theatrical Stage Employees overshadowed all Guild fights for producer -recognition. George E. Browne, IA International president, wired his Coast offices that Bioff was severing all official connection with ihe organization. Shortly after this announcement •was received it was disclosed, that federal agents are still .hare in- vestigating the receipt by Bioff of $100,000 shortly after settlement of the studio strike last summer. Pat Casey and other producer repre- sentatives have been questioned by G-men, and the financial records of various studios are being scru- tinized. Bioff admitted to a Sacramento grand jury that he deposited the money in a Hollywood safety de- posit box, but contended it was a personal loan he had negotiated; Government is interested ;in thie in- come tax angle. West Coast operation or the IATSE will be taken over by Harold Smith, another personal representative of President Browne, in collaboration With Harland Holmden, third vice- pr ident of the IA. Smith is gen- erally popular with the member- ship. . Plea of young writers for a mini- mum wage scale has won over the executive board of Screen Writers Guild, and minimum will be set at $100 per week if the proposal is okayed by the membership. Mini- mum has already-been approved by the board and ballots mailed to members. Scrlb Agreement In Making Seven major studios have already contacted Screen Writers Guild and suggested they 'get together and talk agreement* Companies are acting independently, however, in- stead of jointly -as before anti- monopoly suit was instituted by the government. Paramount was the. first to con- tact the Guild. Metro, RKO-Radio, Samuel Goldwyn, Columbia, Repub- lic and Universal: quickly followed suit. Companies advised the SWG that, in offering to talk agreement they were not waiving any legal rights and were in no way rec: cgnizing the jurisdiction of the Na- tional Labor. Relations Board Opening parley is scheduled, for •8 p.m. Wednesday (tomorrow) un- less the producers decide qualified acceptance by the SWG might jeopardize any future action that night be taken in the courts. Studios which have not yet con taeted the Guild are 20th-Fox, Warners, Monogram, 'Larry Dar mour and Selznick-International. Donglas Wants to Be Prez Melvyn Douglas Is a last-minute nomination for president of the SAG. He will oppose Ralph Morgan, se- lected as a candidate by the Guild nominating committee, Other nominees advanced by senior members outside the ■ admin- istration nominating committee, are Irving Pichel, for recording secre- tary and J. Edward Bromberg, Doro Hurting B. O. (Continued from page 1) ho organizatipn had the right to waive the state minimum wage. Strike of Studio Painters has been authorized unless producers grant organization a closed shop for scenic artists. Situation is now being dis- cussed by Pat Casey ^ producer-labor contact, and Herbert Sorrell, busi- ness representative of Motion Picture Painters Local 644. Hearing on petition of Screen Directors' Guild charging 10 major studios with unfair labor practice and asking to be certified as bar- gaining representative for directors, unit managers and assistant direc- tors, was resumed today before the National Labor Relations Board Session was recessed from last Fri- day (2) to give attorneys an op portunity to stipulate on tentimony of directors who are now engaged in production. Three Groups Linked ost of hearing has been devoted to efforts by the SDG to show that a community . interest exists among the three groups. . ove by Guild, however, to show that intention of all unit managers and assistant di- rectors is to become directors was blocked by producer attorneys. Lat- ter pointed out that in the Bendix case even apprentice" employees were not permitted to testify as to their intentions. Alfred Wright, attorney for 20th-Fox, said a man Ight de- sire, to . be one thing ' today and change his mind tomorrow. Maraonllan's $3,866.67 a Week' Principal 'interest centered on salaries paid directors. ... Rouben Mamoulian's contract with Para- mount, sighed March 4, 1931, was for 60 weeks with two options of 45 weeks each. It called for produc- tion of 10 features, with Mamouliaii to receive $3,866.07 per week, with, advancement to $5,000. Clause pro- vided that if 10 productions were fin- ished-ahead of schedule the director was to receive the difference: be- tween what -he had been paid and $658,000. -Another contract, dated Oct, 20, 1936, called for $75,000, payable at rate of $7,500 weekly for directorial duties oh 'High, Wi .and Hand- some.' He was to receive $1,250 per day for retakes, with additional Compensation for cutting. Attorneys contended he actually was paid $178,750 for directing the picture, but Mamoulian said he thought the figure, was closer, to $145,000. Herbert Biberman testified he signed a term contract with Co- lumbia on Nov. 13, 1934, for five years, but asked for and. received his release after one and a half years. His starting salary was $250 week and had been advanced to $350 when he quit. Had he served out the con- tract his maximum pay would have been. $750 week. Howard Hawks stated that he had received an average of $75,000 per picture for his last six productions. Contract of Frank Tuttle. with Paramount showed he was paid $3,- 000 per week for 10 weeks for di- rectorial duties on 'Paris Honey- moon.' Dyke's Bonus Scale Five-year contract between Metro and W. S. VanDyke calls for pay- ment of $3,250 per week. However, of 100,000 and more are common occurrences at most of the . promo- tion festivals pulled by the local dailies, Chi's situation is a mirror of the newspapers' extra-publishing activities ' everywhere. Good-Will, Mostly In most, cases, the newspapers are pulling these stunts strictly for publicity and good-will rather than any immediate gains in advertising or circulation since the majority of these promotions do not lend them- selves to any direct tie-in with newsstand sales or home, delivery. But the promotions are coming through, with remarkable success, and- pulling hordes of potential pa- trons away from the theatre box- offices. In one season the various stunts delivered by the Chicago news- papers have pulled an estimated at- tendance of 2,500,000. And some of the-bigger promotional events have actually emptied the downtown, streets of picture-goers. Among, these promotions which are rated as particularly tough com- Rivoli, N. Y., in a Spot for Product; Shuberts Talk Cabaret-Theatre Idea Gov't Impatient (Continued from page 3) thy Petersen, Maurice Murphy and f u supplemental agreement provides Robert Gleckler as members of the * u ~ J board of directors. Regular administration slate in ad- dition to Morgan is James Cagney and Joan Crawford for relection as first and second vice-presidents, re- spectively; Edward Arnold for third v.p., Paul Harvey for recording sec- retary and Porter Hall for treasurer; Board candidates selected by the the director is to receive additional compensation of $750 per week for the first/year of his contract; $1,000 the second year; $1,250 the third year; $1,500 the fourth year, and $1,750 the fifth year. J. P. McGowan, executive secre- tary of the SDG, testified that he had been a director for 28 years; He said his first salary was $75 week Harvest Moon's B.O. One instance of tieing In with a big newspaper stunt , is Loew's State's . regular book- ing of the Harvest Moon dance contest winners, a stunt staged by the N. Y. Daily News. Ed Sullivan, the tabloid's column- ist, m.c.'s at $2,500 a week, the winning dance team gets $250 each - for the Week's en- gagement, the No. 2-3 Lindy- hoppers realize $100 a team for. their services, and the State invariably does bullish b o. The winners- usually play a fort-, night at the Broadway vaudr fllmer, and this year. Sullivan also takes the prize hoofers to Chicago for a supplementary engagement; The News shindig at Madi- son Square Garden a week ago ' Wednesday (31) was jampack- ed. with 20,000; tickets, were at a premium, and the-News turned away many more ap- plications for tickets. will at least assemble for a talk about the issues. This, despite the strong. indications from New York that the companies intend to fight.' Unless the industry makes a move soon on the matter of theatre own- ership, the Federal Government is likely, however, to adopt a stern at- titude which would lessen chances of reaching terms on a. consent de- cree. Should the Justice Department re- quest a preliminary Injunction, ban- ning further expansion of theatre ownership, the burden on the indus- try would be increased. Already swamped by the chore of preparing formal answers to the Government's 119-page petition, the majors' legal battery would be compelled to con- centrate immediately upon the pro- ducer-exhi itor phase of the prob- lem and ready for an advance fight. The Department appears to be still counting oh the possibility the in- dustry will prefer to avoid this in- crease In work and added expense. The Justice Department is willing to make a limited concession in try- ing to simplify the proceedings through a truce, it was revealed last week. Text of the July 28 letter suggesting a stipulation under which the companies would voluntarily re- frain from increasing realty hold- ings, revealed by Arnold's office Friday (2), showed the Government ready to promise that contracts which cannot be suspended by mutual agreement should hot beaf- : footed by the proposed pact. If the industry refuses to initial a pledge, and the D. J. is forced to resort to a temporary restrainer, no such ex- emption is likely. ' | with $7.50 hotel allowance. He said ° ",""1 *".\"""^ •'7', this was increased frorr. lime to time IW. v\ r^"? , Arnold ' Beulahj Ulltil h e'received $1,700 per week Jw, ' S 3 P h „ By . rd ' Melvyn Dol, S las '' for directing the Helen Holmes Porter Hall, Paul Harvey, Hugh Her-1 sel . ia i s bert, Howard Hickman, Peter Loire, Edwi tanley and Gloria Stuart. Election is scheduled for Sept. 18 at general membership meeting. Universal executives and officials of the Boy Scouts of America have been instructed to appear before the " State Wplfnrp rnmmlcclnA nn Sont i J; Keighley Draws 'Kid' Hollywood, Sept. 6. William Keighley gets the direct-, ig job on 'The Oklahoma Kid,' SUfe WclFa^-ComSon ^ 2b W W V tl °? W J th e Z?7T n l ° £ : T^c on to spot locations for the pic- ouu Boy Scouts for 'That Certain ,, " ,„ m ii c 5 „t in Age,' featuring Deanna JDurbin. Only Uuc ' due t0 10 " Sept ^ 22 of the Boy Scouts were members of-the SAG and received $11 per day for their appearance. The re- mainder were not paid, but it was explained Universal had agreed to ?iake a substantial donation to the Roy Scout organization petition for the theatres are the Chicago Tribune's All Stars-Pro Champions Football game' in Sol- dier's Field; the Tribune's Golden Gloves contests; the Tribune's Gold- en Gloves Champions-vs.-European Champions tourney; the Chicago Times Ski Meet in.Soldier's Field; the Times Swingfest in Soldier's Field; the Tribune Golf School and Golf Championship Tourney; the Hearst Soft Ball contest; the Hearst: Money-Fish stunt; the Hearst Soap Box Derby; the Hearst Regatta; the Tribune's annual Music Festival, and the. Tribune's. Silver Skates. Some Last a Long Time Most of these are one-time shots, but many others, such as the ■ golf school, the Silver Skates, the Gold- en Gloves, the Soap Box Derby and Soft Ball contests, run several days, or through a number of weeks of preliminaries and eliminations. Theatres can't see any way.' to buck these shows and are now fig- uring out methods or tying in with 'em in some way, so as to salvage something out of the actual box- office damage. What makes it par- ticularly an aspirin-doser for the exhibitors is that there is ho stop in these activities on the part of the newspapers in the future. Instead they are looking ahead into even increased hustling by the dailies, to put over big citywide and nation- wide show biz and sports stunts, with the sports editors, amusement editors and promotion heads look- ing about frantically- for additional avenues for crowd-gathering events. Wellman's Kipli Hollywood, Sept. 6. William Wellman's next job at Paramount is Rudyard Kipling's story, 'The Light That Failed,' slated to roll next January,. European vacation for the Well- man family has been called off, with Bermuda' as a probable substitute. Source of product supply for the Rivoli, New York, for the new sea- son becomes further complicated with United Artists selling all its product to date to the Music Hall, N. Y., under individual deals. The Roxy, N. Y.,. now owned 20th-Fox, is expected to make a new deal with Universal on a selective basis. And with first-choice on prod- uct being covered for every major producer-distributor by a Broadway first run outlet, the outlook is that the Rivoli, controlled by the United Artists Theatre Circuit, headed by Joseph M. Schenck, but in ho way affiliated with UA, will have to play second fiddle on each company's out- put. Theatre has had a difficult struggle since' its long-term. UA franchise ran out last year; enabling UA to offer its pictures to the Music Hall. Opening, this season with 'Gate- way' and following with 'Little Tough Guy,' b.o. fizzles, the Riv is currently in the! chips with 'Letter of Introduction.' The house got a break on this picture siiice the Roxy had call on it as a '37-'38 Universal release but permitted it to go to the Riv in view of the holdover of 'Alexander's iRagtime Band.' Other- wise the Roxy would be playing it, Metro, has the Cap as its show window; Paramount the Par; RKO the Music Hall; Columbia the M.H. under a selective deal; Warner Bros, its own Strand, and, if last year's deal is renewed as expected, the Roxy will have initial pick on around 12 Universals. Additionally, the Hall gets' anything it wants from UA, which-leaves a former well-en- trenched first run, the, Riv, in the position of taking what's left, along with lesser first runs such as the Rialto, Criterion and Globe. Rivoli property, owned by an es- tate which tried to sell it two years ago to Walter Reade and others, is a far more valuable property than the other secondary first run grinds, There have been reports of the Rivoli flirting with the idea of going cabaret-theatre. The Shuberts are more or less interested, as Lee Shu- bert is also a UA Theatres director. New York Theatres Beg. Friday, 9 A.M. l!f l'KKKON WAYNE MORRIS os tub sta<;k Ozzie Nelson. & Orch. ON TIIK Nt'KKKN "Valley of the Giants" STRAND— 25c Jl'way 4 4<lli St. TJ LOT DOLLING UP j Hollywood, : Sept. 6. Unk-ersal studio is putting on a hew makeup under direction of C.IiIT Work, who has ordered every build- ~. i£auj£ , ing on the lot repaired and repainted. .Matter reached Welfare Commis- l Some of the struc »rcs hayent s 'on when several mothers protested. ■ been painted ;i more than lu years. TITLE CHANGES Hoi I v wood. Sept. 6. 'One for All' is latest title for The Three Musketeers' a.t 20th-Fox. Warners changed.'The Hot Heiress' to 'Kiss and Run.' Release title of Warners 'Passport ' to Larkspur. Lane' ' 'Nancy Drew, 1 Detective.' j Latest tag for 'Deportation TV at Republic is''Forged-Passport.' 'Inside Storv' hits the release sheet as 'A Very Practical Joke' at 20lh- Fox. STORY BUYS Hollywood. Sept. 6. Metro purchased' 'Such Mad Fu mag story by Jane Hall. Rcmiblic bought 'M.ss Streamline. PARAMOUNT^ George RAFT Henry FONDA Dorntliyl.AMOUR "Spawn of the North" I'.iramounl ricliire IN PERSON Eddy Duchin And Hie ORC1IE8TBA The 3 Stooges 7th tr.« 6UU1 HI. R 0 X Y i a i.i. 25* TO BKAT8- I I'M. "MY LUCKY STAR" —'On the Nlnff«- Njew Btiiire Shim NORMA TYKONK SHEARER POWER MARIE ANTOINETTE ■M. (;. m. nit nailr 2:?.0. 11:13: M[.lrl«lilAIR-C'OOI.ED Show Sal.. Snn. 3, <). .\fyl«. SDr. li, $]. Kiel. •"'»■. In J2. Sal. & Sun. '.Msn., Kai. MM. .& Sun. r, I' M. ... ■ lo 41.50 (i'lui Tax) ll'ivny & •I."" AST0R ILoew's STATE | ■ I PAD WAT 4 <Jth irnIT I Today Only >:» sri.MVAN I A Ifurvrhl Moon Jlillire WlriNiTM , "Love Finril And/, t H«rd>" I Senrtu Xh urti. Itol,!. TAVl.Olt 'The Crowd Roars' Vllll'l'-l illo by Clarence Marks and Robert Wylcr. ".Vv 0 MUSIC HALL IIKM) OVKK "YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU" Spectacul Stage Production* N'niv I'lii.vlnir .limi't (i.WNOIC It.ilirrl .MONT<i«.MKUV Kriiiirlilil TONK In ■ 'Three Loves Has Nancy' Slirlt Thuri., Snenttr T.RACV. Mickey ROONEY In 'Boyt Town'