Variety (Sep 1938)

t VARIETY PICTURES Wednesday, September 28, 1938 Wall Street Approves of Family Cycle of Films Because of Budgets Trend towards family series of features is reacting favorably in Wall Street, which views, this de- velopment in 'the industry, accentu- ated in recent months, as a whole- hearted desire on the part of pro- ducers to market conservatively budgeted Alms, With constantly de- veloping audience appeal. 'It has finally dawned on the pic- ture industry that it is hot necessary to produce a million-dollar picture in order to turn out money-makers,' one downtowner observed. While these series pictures ob- viously can expect little or no re- turn from bulk of foreign market, thus far they have proved money- makers in the domestic field alone. Film financiers estimate that even moderate boxoffice returns mean a profit for most of these releases. Hollywood, Sept. 27. Metro is going in for bread-and- butter films in a big way in the hope of catching up with 20th-Fox, now the leader in the group division. In addition to the Hardy Family series, its lone entry to date, the Culver City outfit is readying to launch six more groups within six months. New groups will be super-bread- and-butters approaching the $1,000,- 000-budget class. Among them will be a series built around 'The Thin Man,' with Dashiell Hammett con- tinuing to write yarns around the character he originated. Series on 'Young Dr. Kildare' will be the first to get the gun, with Lew Ayres and Lionel Baxrymore fea- tured. Next is a series based on •Fast Company,' made last spring •with Melvyn Douglas and Florence Rice featured. These will be fortified by four new . groups based on adventure-mystery yarns, all in the upper brackets and featuring name players, 'Out West With the Hardys,' fifth of the Hardy family series, went into production at Metro with George B. Seitz directing. Cast is the same: Mickey Rooney, Lewis Stone, Fay Holden, Cecilia Parker, Ann Rutherford and Ralph Morgan. 'The Headleys at Home,' first of a new family series to be produced by Standard Pictures, gets the gun at Grand National tomorrow (Wed.) with Charles Beute directing. Another series, '20,000,000, Wit- nesses,' based on a string of magazine stories, goes into production Oct. 10. Jack Oakie, after being let go by • v v ' x .cause of his demands for per picture, has effected a a'l, and three more 'Annabel' ,-s, with Lucille Ball, will be 'Affairs of Annabel' was the and 'Annabel Takes a Tour' -ias just been completed. RKO has two more, 'Saint' pix slated to gp, Louis Hayward starting The Saint Strikes Twice,' and 'The Saint in London' follows. PAR HOLDING OFF ON NEW STUDIO LAYOUT Hollywood, Sept. 27. Paramount stays in its present studio for at least another year. Deal to take over property near the 20th- Fox plant was nixed, for the time being by president Barney Balaban. Company decided to wait six or eight months to see the trend of business conditions before laying out the millions required in the con- struction of a new studio. Administration Curious About All Trade Assns. Washington, Sept. 27. Study of trade associations started this week as a sideline to the New Deal investigation into industrial monopolies and need for more com- petition in business. Questionnaires went to 2,300 groups, including sev- eral organizations -in the film busi- ness. Not linked with the Justice De- partment's pending prosecutions for violation of the anti-trust laws, the study being carried on by the Com- merce Department is a fact-finding affair which will show the Congres- sional Departmental committee what the function of trade association is. Complaints have been made that the groups are often more concerned about minimizing rivalry and insur- ing profits than they are with pro- tection of consumers and promoting the public interest. Blanks, which were framed follow- ing discussion with numerous busi- ness executives, cover historical mat- ters, type of organization, financial activities, practices and policies. Much of the data regarding the Motion Picture Producers & Dis- tributors of America, Inc., already is in the Government's possession, having been gathered during the old NRA days and brought up to date by the several Justice Department studies which led to the injunction proceeding against the major com- panies, but Federal records do not contain comparable ' information about other smaller bodies in the film industry. Santley Off 'Samson' Straight-Place-and-Show Business HOWARD BROS.-'HOTE' CLICK IN AUCKLAND BOW Auckland, N. Z., Sept. 15. Willie and Eugene Howard, in •Hollywood Hotel,* stage revue, got off to a fine start at the St. James for the Fullers. Legit season in Sydney starts late this month at the Royal through an arrangement with Williamson-Tait Melbourne run is timed to take ad- vantage of the racing season in No- vember. Pic Title Suit Threat Hollywood, Sept. 27. Jack Welsh, former legit producer, served notice on Warners against the use of the title, 'Words and Music,' for the proposed Dick Powell starrer. Welsh claims he produced a musi- cal show by that name in New York, In association with Raymond Hitch- cock and E. Ray Goetz in 1916. Farrow Off WB Hollywood, Sept. 27. John Farrow is lea /ing Warners after completing direction of 'Wo- men in the Wind.! ' He will finish a book, 'History of the Popes,', before aligning with an- other siJdio. Hollywood, Sept. 27. H. Bruce Humberstone replaced Joseph Santley ■ yesterday (Mon.) as director of 'Samson and the Ladies' after it had been in production for a week at 20th-Fox. Charges. Clark relieved Edward Crbnjager at the camera. Santley and the studio are dicker- ing on a settlement of his contract. McCarthy lingers west Hollywood, Sept. 27. Charles McCarthy, 20th Century- Fox pub-ad head, who was scheduled tc go east last Sunday (25), is stay- ing here until tomorrow (Wednes- day) to view a couple of forth- coming pictures. Studio plans to give them a heavy campaign. GOLDEN NOTES j Goldwyn Paylnr Helfetz 50G for Six Numbers Hollywood, Sept. 27. Jascha Heifetz and a 77-piece or- chestra went before the cameras at United Artists to shoot advance foot- age for Samuel Goldwyn's The Reckless Age/ Violinist gets $5(f,000 for playing four numbers with the orchestra and two with piano accom- paniment. Footage will be stored until the rest of the cast goes to work late in December. ZANUCK PANS H'WOOD PINKS iff Hollywood, Sept. 27. Darryl Zanuck denounced Holly- wood's handful of 'pink shirts' and pledged himself and his brother ex- ecutives to support the American Le- gion's war against 'isms.' Of the 30,000 or 40,000 engaged in the picture industry, he declared, the vast majority are for American prin- ciples, while a few agitators and posers give the industry a bad name. He added: 'When they get out the pink shirt now and then, they promptly get splattered over the nation's front pages, and Hollywood is branded Communistic'. These people no more represent this industry than does one drop of water represent a lake.' One-reeler covering the welcome of 50,000 American Legion guests on the Wamer lot will be presented to the veteran organization as a sou- venir. Following favorable editorial comment on Harry M. Warner's speech on- 'isms,' the studio is mak- ing up 150,000 reprints for distribu- tion to papers and exhibitors throughout the country. McCarthy Gets Bergen Into Who's Who; 22 From Pictures Listed Hollywood, Sept. 27. Film colony crashed the 1938 edi- tion of 'Who's Who* with 22 new names, including Charlie McCarthy's boy : ffiendi^dgar Bergen. Charlie, himself, was ignored. Other new entrants are Fred As- taire, Jack Benny, Bob Burns, Frank Capra, Madeleine Carroll, Alan Dinehart, W, C. Fields, Werner Janssen, Carole Lombard, Frances Marion, Paul Muni, Frederick Perry, Ginger Rogers, Leo G. Rosten, Win- field Sheehan, Sylvia Sidney, Ber- nard Sobel, Jim Tully, Frances Lang- ford, Loretta Young, Walter Wanger and Darryl. Zanuck, SAILINGS Sept. 28 (London to New York) Reg Connelly, Claire Luce, Henry Oscar, William Levy, M'r. and Mrs. Douglas Fairbanks (Queen Mary). Sept 28 (Vancouver to Sydney), William and Joe Mandell, Jack Cavanaugh, Aland and Anise, Peter Ray, Jack Gregory Co., Barbara Baline, Gray and Kathleen (Ac- rangi). Sept. 28 (New York to London), James Whale* J. Cheever Cowdin, Fernand Gravet, Lili Damita, Jack L. Warner, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur M. Loew, Louis Chatain, Mr. and Mrs. 'Fausta Magnani (Normandie). Sept. 27 (New York to London), Robert Donat (Nieuw Amesterdam). Sept. 24 (West Indies Cruise), Frank Reilly, Gertrude M. Klingel (Columbus). Sept 22 (New York to London)', Erich von Stroheim, F. W. Allport, Al Trahan, Mme. Elizabeth Schu- mann, Jack Powell (lie de France). WURTZEL'S SIESTA; PIX IN THE NEWS Hollywood, Sept, 27. With 13 of his 28%pictures com- pleted for the 20th2ffox_ 1938-39 schedule, Sol M. WurtzH is so far ahead of his work that he is going to Mexico for a vacation. Month's siesta begins Oct. 10. Development of new story ideas is the function of a new department formed by Wurtzel, with Louis Moore at the head, assisted by Lester Zif- fren, Walter Morosco, John Re.in- hardt and Harry Fried. Group will keep a close watch on national and international news events which might be picture material. British Exhibs Counter-War On Telecasting Pix London, Sept. 16. Exhibs are setting up their own corps of vigilantes to war on British Broadcasting Corp/s television de- partment. General Council of Cine- matograph Exhibitors Ass'n decided to establish special subcommittee which will watch every move of visio, and report back every month on any developments and implica- tions. Move is sequel to BBC's efforts to telecast films over the air. Four have already been ethered, and a fifth is due to follow soon. C.E.A. view is that trade should jointly oppose radio-films, and will urge Kinem-ato- graph Renters Society (distribs) to cooperate. Latter body has a volun- tary understanding among its mem- bers not to release pix to BBC, and, anyway, it is hardly likely any dis- trib would take a few pounds as fee from BBC if he thought there was still some box-office juice to be squeezed^from it. BBC meanwhile has goten around trade opppsish by using either very old reissues or Continental pictures which have only specialized market value here. Exhibs, however, fear its appetite may grow, and if some own- ers like the broadcasts they will ask for modern pix. THAT WOMAN AGAIN Hollywood, Sept. 27. 'There's That Woman Again,' se- quel to 'There's Always a Woman,' gets the gun tomorrow (Wed) at Columbia, with Virginia Bruce and Melvyn .Douglas in the top roles. '■ L. A. to N. Y. Jack Bernard. Herman Bernstein. Frank Capra. Douglas Corrigan. Xavier Cugat. Hugh Daniel. Henry Daniell. Roy Disney. Minnie Dupree. John Emerson. Lynn Farnol. Jimmie Franklin. Ben Goetz. E. W. Hammons. W. J. Heineman. Morris Helprin. Henry Henigson. A. W. Kohler. Lou Holtz. Hal Home. Allen Jenkins. George Kelly. Alexander Korda. Ben Larson. Mr. and Mrs. Al Lichtman. Charles E. McCarthy, A. H. McCausland. Dr. Herbert Meyer. ,,J. J. Milstein. Thomas Mitchell. Frank Parker. Louise Piatt. George Raft. Albertina Rasch. B. W. Richards. Hal Roach. Ann Rosenthal. Sabu. SDyros Skouras. Nate Spingold. Dwight Taylor. George E. Trainer. .os Whale. ..am Wood. By Bill Halligan In the good old days, actors went to the races on holidays and Satur- days to bet on a horse now and then and<£b say hello to a lot of people they never met anywhere else. Very few show people were regular pa- trons. However, owners and jock- eys liked to drop around to the stars' dressing-room after the per- formance and maybe stop in at Rec- tor's for a late snack. Dave Mont- gomery, Fred Stone's old partner, was a great pal of Danny Maher, a great jockey in the early part of the century who went to England to ride for the Prince of Wales. Out- side of Tod Sloan, Maher was the most successful American rider to ever invade the United Kingdom. Robert Hilliard, a great star in his day, liked to go to Belmont Park once in a while dressed like they do in France at the Grand Prix—gray topper and all. The most, consistent attender was. Vincent Serrano, whose last appearance on the stage was in 'Rio Rita.' His first hit was in Augustus Thomas' 'Arizona/ Vince played 'Tony, the Mexican.' After that he played nearly every part in the play, finally supplanting . John Barrymore. as. Lieut Denton, the hero of the piece. Sam Bernard knew all the book- makers but wouldn't bet on a horse unless he was an 'odds on favor- ite.' Sam Harris and his right-hand man, Jack Welch, were regulars. Sam had a stable of his own. So did George Choos, the vaudeville producer, Alexander Pantages dabbled a bit around California and had all of his horses named after members, of his family. That's where Hollywood probably got the idea. Today the picture stars and the producers are heavily interested financially in most of the tracks in. California. Hal Roach is the president of Santa Anita. Bing Crosby, also a big stockholder, owns a track of his own at Del Mar, where Pat O'Brien is one of his partners. David Butler, the picture director, has a fine stable. Bulwark, one of his horses, won a couple of races only recently at Aqueduct. Lou Anger, the old Dutch comic, used to control Agua Caliente, and Jack. Warner is the boss of the new Hollywood track out near the Metro studio. Raoul Walsh has his own breeding farm and Dave Selznick and his father-in-law, Louis B. Mayer, also have their rac- ing colors. Al Jolson and George White are old hands at the racket. As a matter of fact, White got the money for his first 'Scandals' by beating the New York bookies out of a chunk. He went sour later, however, and at one time Arnold Rothstein owned quite a bit of one of the 'Scandals,' All the Hollywood stars are in- vesting in horses. Pat O'Brien says, 'If you can't get your name on a marquee, get it on a racetrack pro- .gram,'. Look Mag Eyes Shorts Field for Photo Clips Hollywood, Sept. 27. Publishers of Look mag are ready- ing to enter the film shorts field. One of the editors, Bob Hansen, is in town looking over the briefie busi- ness. Plan is to use Look's best photo features for build-up into one-reelers. It's a Paramount releasing tie-up. ARRIVALS Elizabeth Rethberg, Rinaldo Zam- boni, Constantino Yon, Herbert Jacoby, Werner. Bateman, Lilian Gish, Vladimir Golschmann, Irene Wicker, Edwin L. James, Alister Cooke, Serge Koussevitsky, Edward N. Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Noble, Mrs. Gilbert Miller, Sherman K. Ellis, Mr. and Mrs. Harry C. Ad- ler, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Lippmann, Claus Mann, Harriet Henry, Leopold Sachse, Diana Barrymore, Benia- mino Gigli, Ezio Pinza, Salvatore Baccaloni, Malfada Favero, Aies- sandro Ziliani, Rosalind Russell, Rio Bros., Gaston Palmer, Jean Florian. N. Y. to L. A. Brian Aherne. Pat Casey. Walter Donaldson. Matty Fox. John Goldwyn. Jed Harris. Leland Hayward. Lee Marcus. James McCallion. Burgess Meredith. Jack Robbins. Other News of Interest to Films Defaulting on British quota Page 11 Jolson east for pair ; Page 26 Radio reviews of E. G. Robinson-Claire Trevor, Eddy Duchin, Al Jolson show, Lanny Ross, Crumit-Sanderson, Jack Benny-C. B. DeMille, Bert Lytell Pages 30-31 Hollywood's quartet east Page 34 Vaude 'revival' may be stymied by labor unions...; Page 47 New act reviews of Ethel Merman, Jan Garber j.Page 50 Colin to rep Reinhardt * Page 55 Legit road comeback plan Page 55 Freedley's two 3hows' Page 57