Variety (Feb 1939)

^edncsdaft Felrusiry 1, 1939 PICTURES VARIETY S Move ta End Jurisdictional FigU Among the 11 Studio Labor Onions Hollywood, Jan. 31. Move to end jurisdictional fight? in gtudios has been-undertaken by the unions, with Aubrey Blair of the Screen Actors Guild as arbitrator." Eleven crafts wfere represented at Monday's peace meet. Studio technicians affiliated with "the lATSE notified Pat Casey that the 'orggoization considers the studio union basic agreement to be in full force and effiect.' This statement fol- lowed reports that the lATSE was withdrawing from the agreement. lA OK's libcal Autonomy Long battling for the local auton- omy enjoyed by other unions of which the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees is the parent organization, studio locals on the Coast in the futmre will be per- mitted to make their own agree- . ments subject, as in all cases, to ap- • proyal of the lATSE. • In the past, the lA itself has ne- gotiated all deals in the studios for • the locals involved, as a signatory to ■ the five-year studio basic agreement.- •These locals are the studio techni- cians, photographers, laboratory tech- 'nicians and sound technicians. Ruling "of the lA during the convention of . this American Federation of Labor to Which George E. Browne is a dele- gate, - was reached at a meeting of the lA executive board held also .at Miami during the past week. AFL 'Convensh goes another three days at Miami, Browne probtbly return- ing to New York early next week. Agr'eemeiit to let the foiu: studio locals of the lA do their own bar- ^gaining with the film plants is not 'likely to remove the lA from the annual negotiations over studio workers in which the lA, the Amer- ican Federation of Musicians, Car- penters and others figure in deter- mining scales and conditions for the coming year; although the procedure will tmdoubtedly be. changed in that the lA will sit in as a single rep- resenting agency for all the locals involved, subject to latter's desires. The stage hands and operators in Los Angeles and Hollywood are sep- arate and distinct from the other four locals there. They negotiate their Qwn deals. Under the lA rules, if a loqal breaks a conti^act or in other ways violates regulations, the lA may revoke the charter, of such a local. It could continue the local itself or it could form a new one. Boys from Syracuse Chain to Lecture At Local U. on Theatres Syracuse, N, Y., Jan. 31. Film house operations will go aca- demic in Syracuse next week with Inaugural of a new course in prac- tical moving pictxu-e theatre man- agement by Syracuse University. Brainchild of Harry UntetjCort, man- ager of Keith's here, the stunt prom- ises not only to provide good bally- hoo for the Schine chain, operators 0' 135 houses in the east, but as a warning ground for a number of col- legfe lads anxious to get on ground floor of theatre management. In addition to absorbing theories in the classroom, students enrolled in the course will observe practical operations in the Schine outfit's four houses in Syracuse, using them as a laboratory and for field studies. Lectures in the course, organiza- tion of which has been aided by Gus lampe, city Schine manager, will be delivered by men from the executive ranks of Schine enterprise and at completion of year's studies, they Will interview best students with View to giving them start in their chain-gang. Scheduled lecturers are J. M. Schine, L. W. Schine, George Lynch. John May; Unterfort and Lampe of the Schine organization, and Fred Wers. RKO, and Sidney Samson. Fojc ' Studios' lA Worry • Hollywood, Jan. 31. Following the election of Sam- uel Goldwyn to membership in the Producers Association Mon- day (30) night, studio head» studied for several hours the lATSE's annotmced withdrawal from the studio basic agreement. Legal opinion is 6ein2 sought on what effect such action will hav« on agreements between pro- ducers and studio unions. There is some talk about deal- ing directly with various locals. U TRAHERIZING THE LATIN MARKET Idea of staging. previews of new product in each lai^e port . visited will be launched by. Joe Seidelman, v.p. in charge of foreign sales for Universal, on his 60-day . swing through South America which he be- gan yesterday (Tuiesday). He sailed with special facilities and equipment arranged for these showings on board the boat. It is Siedelman's idea of developing interest for U product in Latin-American market, and pre- sumed it will be followed by slmUat projects by other major companies. Seidelman is carrying a special three-reel print (in Spanish) consist- ing of scenes from the new Durbin, Crosby, Jackie Cooper-Bartholemew, Fields-Bergen-McCarthy and 'Frank.- enstein* pictures. Several stars talk in Spanish. Special reel also contains announcement of new Irene Dunne production and fact that Charles Boyer will play opposite Miss Dur- bin in her subsequent vehicle. In ad- dition there will be a trailer on 'The Mikado' previewed, with prolog Ih Spanish. Also announcement of Universal's Spanish program, with trailer on first film finished. FLEISCHER-DISNEY RACE 'Gulliver' vs. 'Pinnochio'—May Be Released Together A race is threatened between Max Fleischer and Walt Disney in get- ting to the market with their re- spective cartoon features, 'Gulliver's Travels' and 'Pinnochio.' Present in- dications are that neither picture will be ready for release until No- vember or December. Fleischer is at work on 'Travels' at his new studio in Miami, while Disney is under way with 'Pinno- chio' on the Coast. Former will re- lease through Paramount, while Dis- ney's pen-and-ink feature goes out through RKO, distributor of his 'Snow White.' All of Fleischer's cartoon opera- tions are now concentrated in his new Miami plant, with Pbpeye and other cartoon shorts all being turned out there. Recently Paramount sent Howard Hampton down there to han- dle publicity and exploitation for Fleischer. HEimillC MED FOB Li, FEB. U Wagner Act Violations Charged to Major Studios —U. S. May Compel Ne- gotiations with Unions COERCION CHARGES Sued Actor Sues Agent Los Angeles, Jan. 31. Claud AUister entered a counter- claim in answer to $12,825 commis- sion suit filed by Thelma Weisser, agent, in superior court. Actor charges agent with collecting fees in excess of 10% on 'pretense of paying off additional monies to unnamed persons in a studio casting depart- ment.' Allister asks the court to declare him within his rights in dismissing the agency on Feb. 18, 1938. Washington, Jan. 31. Serious indictment of 10 Holly- wood studios on charges of Wagner Act violations last week reopened the tiff between major producers and the Screen Writers Guild. Next move in the union trouble will be a hearing in Los Angeles, Feb, 13, on which the National Labor Rela- tions Board will gather evidence that will determine whether a for- mal order is issued compelling the companies to negotiate with the union. Refusal to bargain was charged against Paramount, RKO, Loew's (M-G), 20th Century-Fox, Columbia, Universal, Selznick, Goldwyn and Roach, following analysis of com- plaints, from the Guild.- Board last August certified SWG as bargaining agent for scribblers at these and three other studios. A mass of accusations was con- tained in th^ citation, with varying offenses charged against different defendants. General allegation was all of the studios 'interfered with, restrained, and coerced . ». employ- ees in the exercise of their rights' (Continued on page 18) Geo. Burns 1-Yr. Sentence; $17,000 Fmes; Smnggling Federal Judge William Bondy im- posed a fine of $8,000 and a sus- pended sentence of a year and a day on George (Nat) Bums yesterday (Tuesday) in Federal Court, N. Y., on the alleged smiiggling indictment involving less than $5,030 worth of diamond studded jewelry into the United States. Burns had alteady paid civil penalties amounting to $9,770 in addition, it was disclosed. This brings his monetary penalties to $17,770 on items totaling less than $5,000. Judge Bondy suspended the prison sentence on a promise of good be- havior, and Burns was put on proba- tion for the duration of the term. He got 10 days in which to pay the ifine. Burns' plea for leniency, made through his attorney, Carl Newton, was based on the fact that the actor had cooperated with the Govern- ment investigation since its incep- tion. Assistant United States At- torney Joseph. Delaney had origi- nally recommended a fine of $12,000. Comedian, it was announced, would be available as a witness in 'another' impending trial, growing out of the smuggling activities of Albert N. Chaperau. This was taken to mean the trial of Jack Benny, who comes up on like charges Feb, 14. Burns arrived in New York yes- terday (Tuesday) after the ¥lane he boarded on the Coast was grounded in Chicago by snowstorms and forced his transfer to rails. He avoided interviews after the case was cleared. 'Liberty' Budget Upped Hollywood, Jan. 31. Budget for ^ Warners' patriotic- short, 'Sons of Liberty,' was uppec to $60,000, highest of the series. Cast is headed by Claude Rains and Donald Crisp. Fight Over Licensing Film-Radio Agents Before Cal. Gen I Assembly; Would Make SAG the Arbitrators Hollywood, Jan. 31. Fight over licensing of film and radio agents was taken to Ihe Cali- fornia General Assembly ihis week, with drafting of a bill by the Screen Actors Guild taking arbitration, of disputes involving private employ- ment agencies out of the hsinds of the State Labor Commission. Amend- ment tak6s 'must' on arbitration out of Labor Code, paVing way for the SAG to handle any .disputes that may arise after bookers are placed on franchise basis. Strategic move by Laurence W. im SELLING m vm ON OWNPRiMKAM Philadelphia, Jan. .31. Plan of 20th Century-Fox to feed in Gaumont-British's 'The Lady Van- ishes' as part of its .own 1938-39 con- tract is raising a mild rumpus among exhibs in spots where. 20th and' G-B compete. Mixup results from G-B shuttering its distribution offices here and turning over booking and dis- tribbing to 20th. Under terms of thfe 20th contract, it has the privilege of delivering four fdreign-mades, and is taking., advantage of this tp use 'Vanishes' aS one of them,. Legally, exhibd feel, there can be ng kick at 20th's action, but they maintain that it violates the fair trade practices <![ode. > It i^ pointed out that where an exhiti ^bought G-B, but not 20th, he is, of course, still entitled to 'Van- ishes.' His competition may have bought 20th and not G-B, but he will get the pic, too, and may play it first. Thus the house which purchased the film originally will be relegated->to second run, which Is felt to be un- fair. Metro's Foreign Execs In U. S. on Powwows; Eckman Arrives Thurs. Sam Eckman, Jr., head of distribu- tion for Metro in Great Britain, ar- rives in New York tomorrow (Thurs- day) for an extended confab at the home office. He arrives while Ar- thur Loew, Metro's foreign'chief, is on the Coast with Laudy Lawrence, continental boss for M-G. , They went to the Coast Monday (30) to give once-over to story and produc- tion possibilities that may fit into European plans. Eckman will remain in the east un- til Loew and Lawrence return, al- though visiting Hollywood later as part of a vacation jaunt. Outgrew His Role Hollywood, Jan. 31. Because Paramount postponed the Irene Dunne-Fred MacMurray starr- er, 'Invitation to Happiness' five months and Donald O'Connor grew too fast, he lost the featured part. Young O'Connor transfers his add- ed altitude^ to the studio's 'Beau Geste.' GONE WITH THE Hollywood, Jan. 31. High wind ripped cloth covering off the cyclorama stage at 20th-Fox at a cost of $5,000 for replacement. Breeze also cost a day's shooting time for the second unit of 'The Hound of the Baskervilles,' piloted by Otto Brower, Beilenson, general counsel for th« SAG, is believed to have taken fight out of the Artists Managers Guild, which now controls all C^ast agents through associate memberships. Move will have support of Senator Robert Kenney, law partner of Beilenson, Agents had been counting on tha Labor Commission to aid them in securing terms with actors. This move will give SAG the necessary amunition to clinoh its licensing pro> gram, which will be pushed to com- pletion as soon as the tilt between the advertising agencies and th* American Federation of Radio Ar- tists is settled. The SAG has .deferred action on its agents' licensing program until threaten^ radio strike Is settled. Actors financed the organization of the radio ..actors, announcers, et al., and are' centering attention on this fight._ - Threat of another studio strike de- veloped this week, with foitmal with- drawal of the International AUianc* of Theatrical Stage Employees from the Studio Basic Agreem'ent, George E. Browne, international prexy of the lATSE, sent « special delivery letter from Miami to Pat Casey, pro- ducer labor contact, notifying him that in the future all negotiations would be handled by the four lA studio Ipcals. Copy of notice also was sent to W. L. Hutcheson, inter- national head of the studio carpenr ters and vice-chairman of the com- mittee handling the Studio Basla Agreement. Peace Move Speeded Hurried conference of .all film union headb was called by Dr^ Town*. Nylander," regional director of Na- tional Labor Relations Board in an effort to iron put jurisdictional dis- putes and avoid a general walkout Studio carpenters, m£ichinists, Studio Utility Employees Local 724 and' American Society of Cinematographr ers have petitions before the NIJIB asking certification as bargaining repfesentative for their members and involving the lATSE. Threatened strike of. studio paint- ers was averted this week when th» major studio managers agreed to pay time and half for men employed on the 'graveyard' shift. Agreement must be okayed by the producers, but this is considered a mere for- mality since it has approval of ths studio bosses and Pat Casey, The Screen Publicists Guild, which expects certification this week by the NLRB as bargaining agent for all studio flacks^ has elected Billy Edwardsy of Paramount, as president to succeed Mervin Houser. John Woolfenden, Metro, was sele'cted as vice-president; Katherine O'Neill, Columbia, as secretary, and Norman Rivkin, Universal, was reelected treasurer. Flacks have amended their demands for shorter hours to conform with the Federal Wage- Hour Law. . Stewart McKee, banker and brew- er, has been approved as third mem- ber of the Standing Committee ap- pointed to arbitrate differences aris- ing over the Screen Actors Guild Modification Agreement. Other mem- bers are Murray Kinnell, SAG, and Lou Anger, producers. Meeting Will be called this week to select perma- nent headquarters and hire staff. Becognltlon for Designers Screen Set Designers have been recognized by the producers and ars now negotiating wage agreement Union is asking minimum of $80 for 40-hour week and improved work- ing conditions. Workers now re- ceive an average of $65 to $70 for 44- hour week. A resolution condemning nepotism and calling for abolition of alleged favoritism and preferential hirJni in employment of extras is pending be- fore the SAG, Class B Council de- Terrcd action on resolu;Ion until i legal opinion as to its validity could be secured from SAG counsel.