Variety (Jul 1939)

Wedaesday, July 5, 1939 PICTURES VARIETY 21 Curbs Gifts by Extras (Continued from page 1) riilld over proposed Ucensing of all •fgent was averted by a tentative "oSreement to modify, certain clauses Trough draft ^f contract. ' U.nder- Iiood effort would be made to com- oromise demand that aU exteting term contracts be modified to con- form with standard pact to be ap- proved by the actors. Agents suggested present contracts be permitted to stand as Is. In re- turn for. this concession the agenU would not oppose the move of SAG to Umit future contracts, probably to 12 months. This, however, would not apply to contracts with 'stop gap' ■ clauses written since announcement of licensing program. Two groups generally agreed these contracts were prepared with the understand- ing tljey would be revamped to conform with SAG requirements. lisurence W. Beilenson, SAG counsel, and Kenneth Thomson, ex- ecutive secretary, represented the actors at showdown meeting with the agents. Committee representing the %ers included M. C. Levee, prexy of AMG, Bert Allenberg, Abe Last- fogel, Arthur Lyons, Ralph Blum and Byron C. Hanna, AMG attorney. Negotiations are being continued this weelc in an effort to agree on contract to be submitted to member- ships of two organizations. Browne Action Approved Charge of Technicians Local 37 that George E. Browne, prexy of ■ International Alliance Theatrical Stage Employees, seized control of -local union without consent of Gen. ' eral Executive Board, was exploded .In Superior Court here by testimony of lATSE executives. Five of seven lATSE vice-presidents testified they • gave their consent for Prexy Browne to declare an extreme emergency on ' March 13 and take over affairs of Local Another vice-president, Floyd . Billingsley, had previously testified that he gave his consent when called by Browne over long distance. James J. Brennan, Ramsay, N. J., and Richard Walsh, of Brooklyn, told the court they gave their con' sent personally at Browne's room in the Astor hotel. Harland Holmden, of Cleveland; William Patrick Co bert, of Toronto, and Roger M Ken Dedy, of Detroit, stated they gave their consent when Browne called them long distance from New York, It was also indicated during the tes' would be ready to render his verdict when the case is completed. Contempt citations issued against lATSE tops in connection with the revocation of the charter of Local 37 and issuance of new charters to five studio locals has been trans- ferred by Judge Emmet Wilson to Judge Willis. Judige Wilson stated the hearing had been postponed sev- eral times, and that Judge Willis was thoroughly familiar with all the is- sues since the case is now being tried in his court. Judge Willis ordered the hearing set for July 17. Negotiations are now under way between Coast advertising agencies and American Federation of Radio Artists on new regional and local radio wage scales for actors, an- nouncers, singers, news and sports commentators. Naylor Rogers is chairman of agency committee, with I. B. Kornblum supervising negotia- tio;i for. AFRA. New five-year agreement between producers and the American Society of Cinematographers provides for elevation of second cameramen to di- rectors of photography. Section cov- ering advancement follows: 'If a producer desires to elevate an operative cameraman (also known as second cameraman) to director of photography, the Society will, upon written request of the producer, grant such operative cameraman a temporary permit covering his ser- vices as a director of photography for one picture only. If the same producer assigns such .operative cameraman to act as director of phO' tography for a second picture within 90 days from the date of the comple- tion of his services on the first pic- ture, then the services of such party shall be considered as having been satisfactory to such producer, and he shall, upon application, be accepted as a member of the Society.' Minimum wage scale for directors of photography for productions of more than 4,000 feet are: golden hours, $15.13; daily, 8 hours, $54.45; 6 eight-hour consecutive week days, $272.25; weekly, 54 cumulative hours, four-week guarantee. $217.80: weekly, CO cumulative hours, 6 months guar-' antee, no Sunday or holidays, $163.35. Minimum rates, for productions of 4,000 feet or less are: golden hours; $15.13; daily 8 hours, $43.56; weekly 6 eight-hour consecutive week days, $217.80; weekly 54 cumulative hours, four-week guarantee, $163;35; weekly 60 cumulative hours, six months guarantee, no Sundays or holidays, $163.35. When director is assigned to dis- tant location the producer has the option of substituting a rate of 33.5% in excess of the studio minimum, in which event the director of photog- raphy agrees to perform services at any time while on location without overtime, except studio golden hours provision shall apply. The Society agrees not to engage in any strike during the life of the contract provided the producer fully performs terms of pact, and to re- quire its members to 'perform their services for the producer regardless of the existence of any strike.' Al Speede hais been reelected busi- ness representative of Local 40 of International Brotherhood of Elec- trical Workers. Other officers are Frank McDonald, president: Louis Berg, v.p.; Earl Counter, financial secretary,. and Harold Fross, treas- urer. Inside Stuff-Pictures Newspaper reviewers In Pittsburgh are doing a burn at Harris Amus. Co. there because of circuit's decision to open its new pictures at the Alvin on Sundays for remainder of the summer. Critics figure that being forced to cover pix on that day will ruin their weekends. It's the first time since ssven-day week was legalized in Pennsylvania that a first-run theatre has opened its new bill on a Sunday. Harris execs countered with statement that move was Imperative on account of conditions. Previously they had opened on Thursday, but that was one of house's two Bank Nights and management Insists those days can take care of themselves without an opening. Federal Judge Alfred C. Coxe on Friday (30) approved a request of Paramount Pictures, Inc., and authorized the New York Trust Co. to requisition and hold for redemption by Paramount all the unclaimed 20-Year 6% Sinking Fund debentures of the company, due Jan. 1, 1955, together with all the scrip certificates, not yet claimed. Out of a total of $51,157,734 in allowed claims, against which Paramount issued the debentures and scrip, some $16,437 are not claimed. Paramount is desirous of redeeming the debentures and scrip outstanding on this account. Plans of MayiBower Productions, British producing unit, to make 'Ad- mirable Crichton.' for Paramount release recalls the number of big name stars in the original silent, turned out about U years ago. It was generally regarded as the top all-star cast up to that time, Thomas Meighan, Eebe Daniels, Gloria Swanson, Lila Lee and Wallace Rcid were in the Cecil B. DeMille silent. Charles Laughton will be the name player in the British picture. It will not get under way until after September next The $500,000 action by Milton Spitz against Motion Pictures Greatest Year, Inc., the major film companies, Bobbydlck, Inc., and the Moredall Realty Corp., claiming the plagiarism of his copyrighted game, 'U-Spot-It,' in a booklet released by the Motion Pictures Greatest Year, was discon- tinued in the N. Y. federal court Friday (30). Plaintiff withdrew the action without settlement. Louis-Galento figh( pictures at the Palace and other RKO metropolitan N. Y. theatres opened to brisk business Thursday (29) on the heels of interest aroused by. press and radio reports of the fight, but lost a chance to step up grosses through quicker turnover and more shows due to the lengthy dual bills. After six months as an international film diplomat, James Roosevelt waa handed a new contract as production exec by Samuel Goldwyn last weelc From THE ETUDE "The Instrument simulates the piano, the harpsichord, the steel guitar, the organ, horns, reeds and strings. It also has Instru- mental timbres which are dis- tinctly new. Its possibilities are so great that it is very hard to estimate them. It should be very exciting to all who have acquired timony that Browne had the consent' a keyboard technic , .." Nick, of St. Louis. of John P, Brennan stated he was iii Browne's room when the lATSE prexy called Hollywood to ask how things were £oing. After the conversation, Bren- nan said Browne turned to himself mnd Walsh and stated: "Those people have gone com- pletely crazy again. It has got to ■ point where they have started a raid on the treasury. They held a meeting this afternoon and fired three of the local officers. Including the business representative, Lew C. G. Blix, They are now giving away our jurisdiction. I think we should declare an extreme emergency, and that is my recommendation.' Brennan testified he and Walsh promptly gave their consent, and that he heard Browne call four or five other vice-presidents to get their consent to an emergency. He then ■aid that Louis Krouse, lATSE gen- eral secretary-treasurer, had advised nim to go to Hollywood at once to testify at the trial now in its saventh week. Harold V. Smith, former Coast bead of lATSE, told Judge Henry M. Willis he had called Prexy Browne on Sunday before the takeover to Bve him information about a meet- ing of tiie board of governors of Lo- ral 37. Witnesses testified he advised Browne that board had fired three of Its mernbers, and was preparing to withdraw funds of the membership when the banlcs opened' next morn- Jng. Smith stated he recommended that Browne immediately declare an extreme emergency so the board would not have an opportunity to grab the funds.' He stated that John J. Gatelee, International representa- nve, and Congressman Williams Schulte, head of an lATSE.lnvesti- gaUng committee also urged that ac- tion. Early Verdict Expected .An early decision in the lATSE case has been promised by Judge wuiis, who stated he would hand aown an oral decUion at the comple- uon of the testimony. Tops on both woes had expected he might require , several weeks to consider the evi- acnce and prepare a written decision. Judge Willis Btated he had kept | aureast of the testimony daily and 1 "The Novachord not only imi- tates known instruments but produces sounds which have no equivalent on the conventlontd palette. As for the success of its nnltations, the piano tone sounds very similar to the piano over the radio. And its imitation of the harpsichord led one noted pian- ist to say that he considered it better than some actual harpsi- chords he had played on." "WE SING OF... a new musical instrument that is proving to be all things to all men! Looks like a spinet, has a single manual keyboard of 72 notes, is played as a piano, yet its volume Is con- In the opinion of the mmmmfo^ "The unique, dramatic and artistic character of the music from the Novachord ... gave the instrument a send-oflE nationally such as no otlier instrument has ever had, at least in the history of the music trade of the present century. . . . MiUions of people have already heard the Novachord, most of them over the air. ... A great popu- lar band leader has bought a Novachord, as have many other famous musicians and Hollywood studios. ... To sum up, it appears that the Novachord has gone over with a bang." nnouncing a brand new musical instrument for entertainers HAMMOND NOVACHORD These editorial comnenfs will give you an idea what it could add to the effectiveness of. YOUR music trolled by a swell pedal similar to that of an organ, while its tones are produced electrically by means of circuits of ordinary vacuum tubes. If you have learnecl to play a piano, you can improvise to your heart's content on this . . . work a little hurdy gurdy effect into a bit of Haydn; turn out a sentimental Aloha via the Hawaiian steel guitar; put a little marimba into Martha, or with a blurt of bassoon, turn your Bach into a flat foot fuguey. This versatile Invention is al- ready making its appearance in smart hotels and night clubs, they tell us, as well as being the life of the party in our better homes." "We, however, are living In a labor-saving age, and at this very moment, if you can play the piano you can also, wheUier you know it or not, tear off a piece for a Hajirallan guitar, .'cello, violin, horn (French or English), harpsichoird, clavichord, etc. ... Such genius will be effected not through your own hyper-dexter- ity but by virtue of the Nova- chord, which is a recent develop- ment of the Hammond Instru- ment Company, who are best known for their manufacture of organs." From the MUSICIAN "It is going to be about as easy to keep the Novachord out of EVERY orchestra as it would be to bar a sax from a jazz band. It isn't only that it produces sev- eral instruments In one, but it produces tones that no one ever imagined outside of a Thome Smith alcoholic extravaganza, and in a potential variety that will afford an undeveloped realm of. (ilscovery to keep the intrepid tondl explorers busy for the next year to come." ^ OUTSIDE NEW YORK m-NEW YORK See and Hear the NOVACHORD at Hammond Instrument Company 2947 N. Western Avenue, Chicago Please tell me where I can see and hear the Nmvchord. HAMMOND ORGAN SIDDIOS'i i Name. Street. 50 West 57th Street Telephone Qrcle 6-2290 City. State. 17A)