Variety (Oct 1938)

Wednesdaj, Octob«r 26, 1^38 PICTURES VARIETY 23 M His fellow-workers in the Hollywood laboratories of Paramount and Metro did not suspect that the young slant-eyed Russian who worked there until last May was an authentic Russian prince and the godson of Czar Nicholas 11. The 26 year old Prince Alexi* Nikolayevich Badmaieff; sound engineer and inventor, concealed his title while holding down technical jobs in Consolidated Films, then Metro and finally for six months in Para- mount. He left for New York in connection with several inventions in the field of sound reproduction. Audio Devices, Inc., have bought an option on a new recording mechanism developed by Prince Badmaiefl. This week he returned to Hollywood, where he expects once more to enter a film laboratory. Hollywood had a good chuckle over the rib on Sam Goldwyn that might have reached colossal proportions but for the vigilance of the New York oiTlce. Producer was elected honorary Lord Rector of Glasgow University, almost. News of the 'election' was contained in a wire to George J. P. Arcliibald, v.p. of United Artists Corp., Ltd., London, It bore the signa- ture of Duncan' Johnson, hisad of the Glasgow U student body. Archibald cabled it to Hollywood, where the flacks ate it up. Suspiciously the home office execs delayed publication and wired Glasgow for further details. They found it was a traditional 'rip,' pulled once a year by prankish students. Last year the honor was bestowed on Haile Selassie, and the year before on Shirley Temple. Publicity experiment on Warners 'Angels With Dirty Faces' bans radio broadcasts, newspaper or mag serializatioa or any other medium which would tip off the plot in advance. Studio wants to know whether publicity of this kind, prior to a film's release, is harmful to the boxoffice. Flack department has turned down several requests for broadcasts of dramatic sequences. Warners mulled a title switch for 'Brother Rat' for some time, fearing possible confusion with the gangster cycle. Finally decided to rely on pre-selling as a means to establish the meaning of the tag. Hence the *world premiere' baQyhoo at Lexington, Va,, home of the Virginia Military Institute, background of the Broadway play, now a WB film. What may or may hot be a publicity suit is that involving the chiro- practic sequence in 'There Goes My Heart' (UA). The American Bureau of Chiropractic, Inc., and its members, according to attorneys for the organization, filed in N. Y. supreme court Friday (14) for $100,000 dam- ages, naming Hal Roach, Alan Mowbray, Eddie Moran, Jack Jevne and Ed Sullivan co-defendants. The chiropractic outfit charges the picture is not only slanderous but it tends to hold members of the profession up to ridicule. It specifically objects to the inferetoce set forth in the picture that the profession can be taught correspondence. Newsreel films of the opening day's services of the National Eucharistic services Tuesday (18) were destroyed in the Eastern Airlines plane from New Orleans which crashed in flames near Montgomery, Ala., a few hours after leaving there. Also destroyed in the flames was a short of Cardinal Mundelein taken by Metro's News of the Day crew for the Catholic meeting. The publicity bureau of the Association of Commerce, although regret- ting the loss, pointed out that it was raining during most of the opening day 'shots' whereas the sun shone the rest of the week. Annual award from Motibtt Picture Traffic Safety Committee (David S, Beyer Memorial Award), which went to March of Time last week for its safety subject, 'Man at the Wheel,' is the sixth honor given M. of T. since the short subject started 4hree and a half years ago. Included in this list is the Academy shorts (newsreel) award, the laurel from American Society for Control of Cancer, and National Civil Service Assembly honor award. 'Award was given Louis de Rochemont, producer of March of Time, at a gathering of 6,000 safety leaders at National Safety Congress, Chicago. Signing of Eddie Albert, legit actor, to a seven-year contract |at War- ners, makes an even dozen young players undergoing intensive grooming for stardom. Others are John Garfield, Jeffrey l«ynn, Priscilla Dean, Marie Wilson, Gale Page, Marie Wrixon, Rosella Towne, Ha Rhodes, Jane Wy- man, Ann Sheridan and Joha Payne. Albert's contract was his third deal Vrith the studio in five months, the last for 'Brother Rat.' However, Albert can't start for WB until the end of the run of 'Boys Prom Syracuse,' new George Abbott play for Broadway. International complications are irking actors and flacks at a major studio •where a fair young femme from Europe is practicing newly acquired American phrases on her fellow workers, who are not accustomed to being addressed that way. Flacks, in particular, are burned up because she has learned- to say 'no' with all its American trimmings. Young woman's attitude has cost her a lot of good publicity and friends. J. Harold Murray's shorts he made for Mentome some time ago will be part of the former musical comedy star's campaign lor the Democratic sta^e senatorship in Connecticut Shorts will be screened cuffo in inter- ested theatres and Murray will follow up with personals—a sort of campaign stump tour under show biz auspices. David O. Selznick's story department is hunting a yarn suitable as a Starrer for Minnie Dupree, Broadway veteran. Search was ordered after the producer scanned 400 preview cards following the recent screening of The Young ih Heart,' which bad been revamped since its first preview. Studio is also seeking stories to star Paulette Goddard and Richard Carlson. Next "Thin Man' picture at Metro will introduce a new co-star team in Virginia Bruce and either Melvyn Douglas or Reginald Gardiner. With William Powell definitely out of the cast, Myrna Loy thought a complete change of faces would be better than a partial switch, so she retired in favor of Miss Bruce. Latest arrival at Boys Towii, Neb., was an ll-year-old lad from New Jersey who saw Metro's picture about Father Flanagan's home one night, got spanked lor staying out late at the theatre and hitch-hiked to Omaha, While held here by police pending word from Ijis parents, the lad decided that after all, 'There's no place like home.' W. G. Van Schmus, managing director of Radio. City Music Hall, N. Y., heads the motion pictures group for the annual membership drive of the New York chapter, American Red Cross, Campaign extends from Armis- tice Day (Nov, 11) through Thanksgiving, 'This'U Make You Whistle,' Herbert Wilcox production, starring Jack Buchanan of two years back, was held up for U, S. release due to failure to get Hays organization approval. Finally Joebreened and edited, it opens at the 55th St. Playhouse Oct 31. Twentieth-Fox is planning a special showing of 'Submarine Patrol' at Annapolis Oct. 30. Trade paper representatives will be taken down in car3 Saturday (29) for a dinner at Annapolis and the special screening. Marc Lachmann's exploitation stunt. Music Corp. of America's 'Ice Follies' troupe is collecting $12,500 a week for the four weeks it idled while the Metro film was being readied. That's the ice show's regular figure. Bill Fox's Corp. Loaned Got. EaHe 1^)00 Shares Philadelphia, Oct. 25. Attempt by the philly Inquirer last week to smear Governor Earle and Senator Guffey brought to light the fact that All-Continent Corp., holding company entirely owned by the family of William Fox, loaned the governor 1,000 shares of stock. Stock was us;ed by the chief exec as collateral for a loan of $50,000, with which he bought bonds of the New York Post in 1935. Bonds were later sold and the stock returned to All- Continent Connection of All-Continent with the governor, or the reason it should lend him the collateral—other than that it owned an interest in the Post and was anxious for Earle to ad- vance" the money—was not brought out in testimony before the House Investigating Committee in Harris- burg last Wednesday. Asked why the corporation should make the loan, exolanation of Albert M, Greenfield, Philly realty man and banker, who brought out the Fox connection, was: 'Because All-Conti- nent had an interest, in the New York Post. It owned debentures of $100,000 of the company.' All-Continent has figured in the news continuously for the past sev- eral years as the result of court charges that Fox transferred all of his holdings to the family-owned company just before he went into bankruptcy. EXPLOITATION By Epos W. Sargent Theatres-Exchanges Ball Player Plug St. Louis. A natural for exploiting MG's 'Boys Town' fell into the laps of Manager Harold 'Chick' Evens and Jimmy Harris, p. a. at Loew's, and this pair heeded* opportunity's knock and proceeded to put over a sock campaign. In the pic which Evens and Harris previewed several weeks before its showing here they noted that Father Flanagan (Spencer Tracy) told Mickey Rooney that one of the former residents of 'Boys Town' had become a professional ball player and had been signed by the St. Louis Bi'owns. Evens and Hari-is checked the authenticity of the statement with Cy Casper, p. a. of the ball club and learned it was not only true, but that Larry Ken- nedy, the roolrie ball tosser, had been brought from one of the club's farm teams and was in town work- ing out with the major leaguers. Kennedy was sounded out for as- sisting in the exploitation csimpaign, and the youngster co-operated 100%. He visited the theatre where^ through an arrangement Evens and Harris made with the Post-Dispatch, a p. m. rag, a half-page interview was obtained and it broke in the women's section the day 'Boys Town' begsTi its run. The Star- Times, another p. m. rag, featured Kennedy in a series of photos in which the theatre got plenty of men- tion. Cleveland. Al Gregg, former newspaperman and p.a. for RKO Palace, made pub- licity director of -Republic Pictures in Ohio and W^t' Virginia territory last week by Nat Lefton, zone man- ager. Greensboro, N. C. Plans for a new moving picture theatre with a seating capacity of 700, to be located just off the camous of the Woman's College of the Uni- versity of North Carolina are near-^ ing completion, Troy, N. Y. Fifth Ave. theatre, of the Rosen- thai-operated group, has been sold By the Troy Savings' Bank 'to the Sequoia Theatre Corp. Latter re- cently formed by Albany men, with Harry Hellman, owner of two Albany nabes, reported as interested. Omaha. Business men at Dunning. Neb., are planning a new 250-seat theatre to cost $12,000. H. K, Holly, in charge. Members of Local B47, Film Ex- change Employees Union, had their annual par^ this week in the union clubrooms on Filmrow. Committee included Fritz Bietman. Gus Kopald and Phil Mansell. i Los Angeles. F. J. Casey reopened Mission, San Juan Capistrano. Morris Safier back from northwest where he appointed two Grand Na- tional branch managers—^Lloyd V. Lamb, Seattle, and G. E, Jackson, Portland. Lewis Berkofl building new thea- tre to be completed in three-months, seating 400, Kelly Seligman bought the Colum- bia, dark eight months, from George Finck; will .be reopened as Dorkel. George T. Brown, owner of Riviera for 10 years, sold it to, Shamberg- Finkelstein intdreets. Lincoln. ,H. K. Holly, Dunning, Neb., plans to start construction of a 250-seat theatre In that location within a month. Price status in theatres here Is better than it has been for several yfars. By Jan. 1, there will* be no house on theatre row operating for less than 10-15-20, and four are on a 10-25-40 basis now. Only three months ago, dual bills were going for 5c, Des Moines. Ogden. Ogden, la., opened last week. J, G. Fair of Laurens, Iowa, is the owner. Pairing Them Vp Salt Lake City. C. Clare Woods, manager of the Paramount, worked a slick bit of praisery for 'Boy Meets Givl,' cur- rently playing, during the initial collegiate football contest between university of Utah and Montana State College here. He distributed 8,000 cards, num- bered in duplicate to grid patrons. Card holders were instructed" to wear button in plain sight. Boy and girl wearing the same numbw- re- ceived a brace of Annie Oakleys. Exploitation gag, while aimed to attract the rah-rah trade, drummed up interest among the alumni as well. New Style Kid Show Spartanburg, S, C, Tying-up with local Foremost ipairies branch. State very effective- ly has launched 'Back to School' boys and girls matinees. Shows all scheduled Saturday forenoons, there- by avoiding conflict with studies and home-work. Dairies coming in with free pop- sicles and balloons, plus a Foremost milk caps swap for prizes. Idea has been enlarged to include theatre's safety club, a sure-fire stunt for sev- eral years. WSPA has been hooked- in for safety club shows and com- bination has attracted wide attention. On the Job 'Around the World,' United Art- ists' foreign house organ, produced an original front page recently when, the space was given to war news^ each headiirig followed by a line tell- ing of the triumph of U. A. bookings in that section. As an example the Prague dateline carries: 'Czechs mobilize fbr war in 6 hours,' fol- lowed by 'Polo, Blockade, Follies record wreckers.' It got attention and emphasized the fact that pictures are on the job in all the war-torn countries. It is not always easy to carry on, particularly in the more active areas;. Norman Westwood, Shanghai mana- ger, recently wrote that the offices were on the edge of the bombed area and all of the windows had been blown out but that the staff was carrying on and not even ducking at the drone of the militant planes. Those Metro Marionettes St. Louis. Advance exploitation for WGMlS 'Great Waltz,' 'Sweethearts,' and 'The Citadel' skedded for early runs at Loew's, was achieved last week by- Manager .Harold 'Chick' Evens, p. a." Jimmy Harris and his aide, Wallie ITeim, when they made a tieup with the Board of Education, the Wash- ington university and two indie houses whereby these MGM mari- onette movies were shown. It is a rare occasion when the board of Education yields the sdhools for this purpose but it succumbed the- pleas of Loew's representatives. . The auditoriums of the Clevelonct and Beatimont high schools, located in opposite ends of this burg, accom- modated approximately 7,000 pupils and about 4,000 students at the Wash- ington university took advantage of the opportunity fpr a free-look. The Uptown and Will Rogers, indie nabes, showed the pic. Both houses run MGM pica as ^cond runs. The. local showing of the marionettes began a midwest tour which is expected to bolster biz considerably when the features are shown in this territory. Search for Sisters Camden, N. J. Gratified with the results from the stunt he staged in connection vritfa 'Love Finds. Andy Hardy,' for which he received considerable publicity by promising free grub and an eve- ning's entertainment to the largest family in Camden and vicinity, Jo- seph Murdock, manager of the local Stanley! put out a call last week for four West Jersey sisters bearing a close, resemblance to the four girls in the title roles of the film, 'Four Daughters.' Seems that Camden can duplicate Hollywood any day in the year, for there Was no dearth ' of candidates for Uie free dinner and show that was in store for the girls who fit the bill. Search for the quartet of girls netted the Stanley publicity aplenty. ^,_,^,......wwiiwiiwi«wmwiiMiwnwiwtMiu«iiMnBm«tit^ g :t|IWt lM WIIIIIIiWWrtllnWllHU)lltUIMiwonMnilWMlll«Ktl1HMi4ttWIM*miWI^ 11 New York Theatres 3 rjHItllHUIHHHMMmiHHtlHilHtMHI ilftMHWHtM mmHfHItmiHf II mil MMiffttHMM fiirMi u mmiiwinMii III Mill Htimiimiii HUN ROXY SRATS' I riL —On th« Stai M«w Stas0 Show Akron, O. Robert Rhodes, manager of the Colonial shifted to manager of the j Fulton, in Pittsburgh, succeeding' John Goring, who is leaving that post. Pittsburgh. Robert W, Rhodes of Shea's Colo- nial, Akron. O., named manager of Shea-Hyde Fulton here. He succeeds John Goring, resigned. Latter stick- ing around to await outcome of couole of local deals pending Are. Maurice Kinder of WB foreign denartment in New York has joined WB-PN exchange here as salesman covering W. Va. territory. He re- places Bob Dunbar, recently upped to office manager and city salesman. PARAMOUNT TIMES SQUARE In Technicolor "MEN WITH WINGS" Frcil MikcMiirruy Kuy MillMitd T.oui!«e C'Mm'pbell —IN PEBSON— .Mark- WARNOW and Band Kaymond SCOTT - Quintet Maxine Haiti van Ann Miller SECOND WEEK ««otFU#i •ETTE DAVIS IheSISTEIIS » A-.m, JofiS .NOMCE vmti A 4iik <k 256 woMrtrnawBHiiT, BEERY STABLEMATES MICKEY ROONEY If Coming;— "RoWrt I>onat-Bosa- llnd Rusoell In "Tb« CUnder JiV,'" MUSIC HALL "YOUNG DR. KriDARE" tp.«otacular Stag* Productions THHtSSQ, Loew'« TODAY ONLY "Spawn of The North" VAVDlEVlLhE "Too Htt/t tv\ Handl*" RUDY VA1.LE£. In PerMn