Variety (Jan 1941)

A PICTURES WedjAeeday, January 1, 1911 : C. J. .fPat^Scollard, Svilh P^r for .t\ii'0 years .iri; yarious capacitifejs,. at jpresent . in (tharge,; pf advertising budgetirifir Jjecomes ex«cutlye;.assist7 fint to Neil. F. -AgneAy' J^^^ 6.- He ■was for years as'spciated with - Joseph P, ■ Kenne.dy' in the.' Old TBO: and.| Pathe (idmpanies.. |."<. . j jacli'.Banriari, 'tor ] Astor .. Pictiif(e,s,, : independent V dis-. tributing compiany headed by Bob Savihi, is. also joining Parambunt in a. distributipn capacity, as. yet unde-- fined next Monday " (6).. .With .Astoi: for a year,. Barinan. Was" formerly With Sarh Dembowi. Jr.v -in -Paria.-. mount, later- in National Screen ;ahd subsequently with Fanchon & Marco In New York. Dembow himself re- turned to the Par fold last spring. : . Recently set fo^ a post in thei dis- tribution departnieht' at th.e Par .h-p.;, jpe Philipspn assumes his ne'w duties Jan. 7. HP will bp attached to a epeciial .department .that, is .being crer ated at Par headciUarters in line with the cphsept. decree., Ph)lipson will be second ;in cPmrhand. of the ^der partment, it; is .understood,',!wi|h Bonnieone else, hpt yet chosen, to head it undpr^Neii F. Agriew, v.p. pver,-ail Bales. , it may be that Scollard, as an. assistant to. Agnew<.,wiir be its active head. ■. ; Foi: many years Philipson has been in, charge, of film buying and Bccoiihting for thp J. Hi Cooper cir^ €:Uit> oper.atinjj in thP midwest; Gabks in ^Itihiore '. Baltimore,'.bfec:. 31,.' . . Glark G able/ .Carole Lombard and ■Howard. .Stricitlin.g, Metro '. studio publicity chief, 'arrived here Moh.day (30). for jheckup: al .Johns- Hopkins hospitar under care .of ,Dr. v Louis; Hamrtiori, ...celebrat«!d diagnostician. Gable's ailing shoulder will bei given a once over; It's d^*, tp. take .three dPys..- .'■ The Gable party will fly baxik ito the Cdast to go into vproduction Jah..'5,-~''.! ■ PUGURISM SUIT ON METRO'S'MURDER MAN' Carrying Oh . . Hollywood, Dec.. SI.. : Old . familiar nime if• Chanpy reappears on a dressing-room dppr ihiieulyer City after a lapse ■ Of years; • Lon Chaney, Jr.i is iJlaying In •Billy the Kitd' at Metro, where his father was a star. .' . . JOHN HARRIS .Stephen Van Gliick. and Joseph Eisinger have filPd suit in N. V..fed- eral court against Metro, Lpew.'is, Inc., Culver Export Co., Edward E. Cohen, Guy Bolton, and Tim Whplan,.seek- ing an injunction, accounting, of profltsi and damages fot.the alleged . piracy of their play, known under three title.s, '96 Point,* 'Jane Brady, Editor,' and 'The Last Edition,'' in Metro's ;'Murder Man.' Plaintiffs allege that their, play; was written prior to May, 1933, and submitted to. Metro in 1934. It is claimed that it was. submitted as an. idea for a play iot the film company to back, or for a picture. After rejection, the Metro picture was made. Cohen is brought in as a . defendant since he claims to bp en- titled tp 5% of thP play. Bolton and Whelah are the authors of the Metro .scenario On which 'Muirder Man' was based. ADD: B. O. WOES Kids Under 17, Sans Parents; Tabn After 9 P.M. In East St. Loo St. Louis, Dec, 31. A dozen exhibs ih East St. Loitis, pop." ;84,000,. arfi moaning long and loudly.; ovpt. the passagie here of a CurfPw Ordinance whicS! bans Kids under 17 froin- the streets after » p.Tjl. with a result that b.o, takes, ihone too robust- in : recent months, are taking another licking. The new ■■ ukase forbids ypungiteirs,: unless ac-. companied by a. parent pf guardian, frbriri .iruhmng an errand, returning- ' Iroili- chui-chi. theatre of .a- af- fair. Hizzoner John 'Connors., In-! dicated the drdi.nance/was de.sigried :tp make someone Tesppnsible for all kills out on the streets aher dark. The teeth in the ordinance fix a line of $1 to $10 fpr a child, and a fine. Pf $5 tp.,$25 for a parent 'cpri-- niving at the delinquency.'- .The ex- hibs report that before adPption pf the ordinance they received a good play from the ypung 'tins . vi/ho caught the last shipw, some •with the Idea pf beating an .earljir-to-bed parental'order. ; Ford Vke KbWeri Hipliy wood, Dec. 31. > - 'Glenn Ford took over the top mal(i ipot in Columbia's 'Tpxas' as a tP- .placenrient for William Holdeh, who has been removed, from the payfoil pending ^ettlcmpnt of a salary argti- pierit,. Filming starts next week .with- Stuart Heisler directing ahd \ Slam BischPfl producing^ ; 'Pittsburgh^Dec. 81. .'. jphn H. Harris^ .head", of theatre circuit bearing hi% name and.; - ticinal president of the' Variety.ClubSi. is - uridierstood: to . havp- ' bieen /ap- proached again by city GOP; lead.ers; to. become a candidate for the mayoralty on RPpublicah : ticket at primaries next sjDring. Harris, who is 42, was mehtipned' four years agp as a possibility, biit decided, at " last minute against making a. race of it.. .[Hiarris. family has' long been, in- volved in city, county and state poli- tics; Founder of the chiain, John P. Harrisi father of "John H., was a Pennsyiv'ahia state senator for years and sp \yas aii unclp, Frank J. Har- ris, > who. is presently cPurity GOP chairman and .was one of the of igir: hal'Willkie. bopsters in this state. Harrisy in addition to-his. theatri- cal 'interests; operates Gardens, sports arena h6re,' and is the owner- of the Pittisbufgh . Hornets hockey team. While he insists show busi- ness and not politics is his game and says hp basn't even given the maiyor- alty any cOnsidefation, . it's: well known-that party leaders are anx- ious to have him consfder it. He's married to the former Liicillp Wil- liams, pne-time screen. actress, and they have Pne son, 4. /Kfergef•• of Monpgfam with PrP- ducers.Reiieasing Corp- is foreseeh as result Pf steps reciehtly . taken by . both companies. Latest was the election last Week; .Pf O: Henry Briggs^ as prcz of PBC. - Briggs. is . a iitieinber .Pf the Mono hoard. He has also lohg been' associated 'with varL"' oiis Paithe enterprises and is a for- mer head of Pathe Laboratories and Pathe Film Corp., which, owns an ihtefest in Mono. ..r ......... ■ There haVp been reports. during the past six ihoniths of liionb .giving uji productiPn : and It is undefstood the hew setup may envisage PRC units doing all tbe film'making and' Mpnp liiniting itself to distribution of their product. Onfe of TRC's pro- ducers, Sig Npufpld,; is undefstodd Slated for :top studio sjpPt; • Other produPers ate Jed Buell, Ted Rich- mond and E.B,Dcrr and it is said that, negptiationsr.^re in progress; for' additiiin pf morp producers. ... /v Brigigs* electiph . followed the resignation several- .weeks /ago - of president. Ilarfy Rathner and fPr- financing- of PRC. ^ .Enough capital has been pbtainpd; It is reported, to make the 21 .' pictures refnainitig: of the 38 promised for the.year. , -Indicatioiis of a, change in Mpiip's status is the. resignation during the past few wpeks of "Thomas-P^ Loach as v.p.;.arid treasurer and of Edward A. Golden,: salesmanagef. Loach- is formpr y.p. and treasurer of Pathe Filrn Corp, and Pathp. Labs and -was repping.' Pathe interests at j/Iono. ... Hostefry Proprietors NoIikePix'HoterTags Films with-the word 'hotel* iri the. tjtle. Which have given hostelry operators a. headache , in the past, are again providing a call for an aspirin. Exec cPmmittee of th6 In- ternational Geneva Association, com- posed of . hptel owriers throughout the world, spnt protest letters on the subject to Hollywood studios and distributors last weeki : Grievance which occasioned thfe latest'protest was adyeftisirig for the French film,. .'Hotel .du. Nord^'- no'w at the Little Carnegie, N. V; . BPni- faces speciflcally ponipiaihed aboiit advertising outside- of N; Y. City reading 'Wh(fn in New YPirk,' doii't fail to visit'Hotel du Nord:'* Ap- parPntly a number of ; visitors have Goriie.into town and- searched for the hostelry, IGA claims to, have iPt- ters frpni' out-ofrtowners 'wh o have been inconvenienced by tfyirig to find a hotel that didii'tSexist.'. Same type of . advertising, hotel- njen squawk, has 'been, done in the. past on 'Grand Hotel,' 'Hotel Im- perial' and. 'HoUywppd Hotel.' 'They want it stopped, , " : M%%ed OH Sound Stage to Mabel Normand Mbtfs Bitttle-Neckd • : V, Hollywood, l)ec.; 31;; : 6yer.crowdihg oif' KKO's diiibbuitg:. departmPnt caused Hirold^^^^L^ set back ihe.pre view, o|'^A, Girl/ k Guy andVV Gob,' :fpr three wieeks. ' . .: Biggest Jam of: features' in 'sevieEar years is rpsppnsiblp' for the delay lii the dubbing trafflo. RKO and Loew Both Now: Want'Niglii^T^^ Following the. opening of 'Night Tfairi' at the Globe, N. Y;, .Saturday. (28), both RKO and Loew's arp: fighting to get the picture, whereas previously 20-Fox -had. offered it to RKO and latter refused ^tp give it more than two days on the circuit. Interesting developrrient is lhat LoeW's came along, offering 20th the chpiPe five days, whereupon RKO, in turn, also bid for five. As.fesult, the filrn, which had been in a lower bracket, has now moved it up to the highest allocation group. Elsewhere it is being delivered at Ipwer pef-^ centage or flat figures where con- - tracts had been taken. '• 'Night . Train* is a British-made. The Brandt Bros, bought it first riiri for the Globe some time ago and de- cided td" give it one of; the biggest campaigns any picture has. gotten; for the house. , A total of $5,000 was spent oh ads for the first week a nd. idyahce. It -will do around: $14,O0O' the first.Week,. It is estimated... . : Brandts iarp planning .to .'spei^ considerably more, through a . cain- . paign alpng cOntfpversial. lihes tliat will include ijallotirig by ihe, public dri '.wh.isthfer'or not :it' is..better tlian 'Graphs -of Wrath;* voted as' the top /picture of . th^ yeir: by- the.-N. Y. Filih, Critics eirclp. / Angle, is to challenge 'Grapes,*. :UndcrstoPd that a iew pf the critics picked it as pne of thp .best 10 . of the year, biit not enough, votes, were Pbt^in'able to; get it includ^di ; Brandts. obtained pernaissipn of 20th-F6x. on the .thai-- Iprige carripaign since IGxfipes' is also a 20th film. . "y .British cr^!dit ba[nk plan,..iC... J''l;!;, :;;..;;. iC;^...iPage 12 Hpyts-Gfeatpr Union, jmerger off,V;,....'.......v...>. Page.12v liicrease rentals:in:A\issie?...:.....;;,;iuC/;;v.,,......Pag^ 12 ■More Gerrtian plx in Nprwaiy.'^ .;; . ;', ,;:Pagp 12 J^^r, 20th push :pctl6n pik iii S. A... ...,.,....!..'. i.Page 12-: {^iscsll en route;;,...J.v;;..; A..Page 12 ! ASCAP ■ ...-.t. ....;.;... «■»,.'.;. ;..,;......,.;... ; .;', .,Page 1ft- Radio Reviews: '.The CitadPl,'Conrad Nsgel, Olivier-Leigh;. ; .F'age zisi BMt's Cpast. composersi'. ;..;. . .".';.7...;.. ... .......,..'. .Page .31 Metro may make music plugging shorts.........;.., ■,■. ,,.,. .Page .31'. AG'VA-Eqiiity njerger snags..... , ;....v.,i,/;.-Page 35 The . motion picture IhduStfy , is likely; to be the particular target of legislators 'when 48, Btisrtes;;ineet Ih legislative lessipn. this. year. 'V^ith a majprity of the states ho;y having about . every .known : method of taxation already in force, the. state spions. undoiibledly. Will bfe'scouring the field. to ^uncoy^r soine ' new; scheine fpf supplying .the necessary increased state operating .exppnsps. . All excepting one :state'start their sessions this, month, Florida iPgisla- tors not convening until . April 4! All . are regular biennial meetings excepting Georgia wliich has a sper- cial session .set for jaii. 13 With4he regular state sPssioq decided then.. This contrasts 'With pnly eight regu- i.af legisliative meetings last year plus spepial sessions In California,. Illinois, LpUisiana,;: Missouri; Nebraska - and, Pennsylvania. Greatiest task- cohfrohting' .-state soions, even .when .^10 special money- raising, problems are present, wilt be to balance- their budgets in ordpr 'to. handle old age pensions.. With the Federal government stipul'atlhg that states' must, lay put a certPin .amount to rhatch the money provided by it, various Ipgislatures must dig up new sources, of fevPnue.:' Film biisihess' has been the fall guy in the pas't and likely Will be picked on agsiin.. Most V states ■ already have^ sales ta^ces and. can't allPrd to :boost them. Many have chain store taxatipn (some even Ihdluding' the picture, ..business) and gasoline sales taxes., Cpnsequently any c o n s i d er a; ble amount of additional fundi -must coriie from a new source,- with the film industry seen as a possibly fa^; voired.gbat, despite thp. fact that-ex- hibitors already are hard hit by the tax. oh admissions down to 2ic while distributors are socked 'via thp ex- cess profits tax; (supposed to cover' defense preparedness firms), and in- creased income taxes. N, T. Okay However.. Biggest fear from the legislatures is that. a state admission taxation will . be established. One cheering, npte in this regard is that N. Y. istatP,. .with, the .'igreatest riurriber of theatres,: .will : hPt be forced into any ^ such tax on cinema dUcats! Reason! is that Tacetrack pari-mutuels brought in ;m6re -than exppgtpd . the . first year , and that;not^tbo much difficulty is likely to bp encountered in ■balahp'^ ing .the budget..' . - - • • i^':'-' ...-'dne of the-few cities havirig a stifE tax on admissions. ls_ New . Orleahs.. -TJip law provided a 2% levy Ph all adult adfniissipns,- with .the statiite ,apparently running . out yesterday, Dec.: 31. Formerly ,this city tax tyaS only on tickets of lip and upwards. A. hopeful . sign- in the. state^ Pf Lp.uisiaria - is thait the .hew goyerhpr . has' reppajed; the 1 % sales tax which., frees the film business 6f the obliga-. tlon ' of payihi? this oh ' film rentali andvadmissiohs. ' .; , Majority of the state legislatures : fun for 60; days, although many have no stipulatiprt as to, the length of their session: ; The state, splphs slated to Start 'work by,.Jah,';6 are California,;. Colpradp, CpnnebiicUt; Delaware, Idaho, Illinois^ Indiana, Maine, Maryland*— 'Ma£sachusette, Michigan, l^innesota, Missouri, Mon- tana, Nebraska,; .New , Harppshlre; New York, North C?aroli-na, North DakPta, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsyl- vania, Rhode Island, South .Dakota, Tennessee arid. Vermont,' '. : ; ,Hblly woPd,"%ec. 81/ :. .Silent ghosts fliPkered above a sppi in VSiari Fernando 'VallPy; wprtdering. what all the talk was. abPut, Noth., ing likp that had ever happeiiPd when Mack Senhett. wais prpduclrig mute plpturps and Mabel Normand was his voiceless star. It 'was Republic S.tu- dips' how, and Sehhett,, y/ith a touch ojt ripstalgia in his tones, was .rnaking a. speech, dedicating a soiihd sbjge to phe :he had palled 'the girl with .the golden, heart;* . Ghosts of tfie Keystone Kops swooped down from - their eternal cKase iri Elysian - Fields to. gl impsa the legend on the'plaque: ~ 'We . dedicate this, stage to the mempry of a Ipyable iBrti,st, Mabel Normand.. .Maiy .'vye: never forget her —a great- soul who ■ pioneered and gave purpose to the early motion pic. tqre. Through this hew art she brought laughter and beauty, other- wise, denied, millions burdened With despair and drabness.' • The sppoks may have wondered at the changes that have come over the .fllni' .art since they flatwhepled through Hollywood streets and up into the forests of Griffith Priik: A coyvboy Vvaa a; strong,' silent man ;in, thosp days, who spoke otvly with his trusty six-gun,. That was before he, broke, put with a- crppij and a- guitar arid a flair ifor riipdefnistic u.iiiforriis. Gathefed around with their feet on the grPund werp pals of the depart- ed spooks, solemnly taking part in the ceremonies. . Chiafley Murray^ Jack Mulhall, Noah Beefy. Chester Conklin,. Charliey Ray, Eddie Grib- bon,: Jimmy . Finlayson; R'nymond Hatton, Walter McGfail and Eddie Quillan listened with mi.sty eyes to the memories eypked by the master of - cerempniesi William Farnurn. From put of the front offices cinia Y. Frank Ffeeriian, Willinm Beau- dirie, J.: Stuart Blackton, Harry Joe Brown,'.A. Edward Sutherland, JPlin Auer, Jed Buell. Roy Del Ruih;,J..R, Grainger, John. Waldrbn, Ei-le Ken- ton;. Frank McDonald,; Joseph Santley and Louise Fazenda, who was there' iri" a double role as the wife of Hal B. Wallis and a former Mack Spnnett coinpdierine. \ ' Pulling the stringis- to unveiKthe plaque was' Judy Canova, slated to appear shortly In one of the early Normand roles, 'Sis Hopkins.'. Running a Shoestring Into a Fibn Career Hbllywopd, Dec. 31., : Alan Mowbray ■ arid Donald-' Mc- Bride signed, an actirig' deal , with iRKO, calling for four pictures a year to keep up the series which .stafted with 'Curtain Call' arid is continuing .with 'Show Business,' now in produc* tion. Third of the series, is In prepara- tion, with Mowbray and. McBride teamed as a pair of shoestring prp- ducers. Underwood's Successor At 20th StUl Uncertain .,: Interview?■ with pfPSpective ■ cessors to Frariklyn : Underwood as. eastern story editor of 20th-Fox are. being held by Joseph H., Moskb- witz. New York fep for the Studio.. Moskb,witz emphasized Monday '30) .that no- sele.ctioh for the .post ha»; bPen;made and that he .may fake up; to.;a, couple of mp.iiths, of; longer, to, get. thP rri.an .he wants; - ; ; -. ' Underwood; died about.; 10 . dayt ago;. : Robert Basslef, fof mpr;. as-^ sistant to Underwood, who's now asv sistant to Coast .story editor .Juliah; JohnsoriV. haS beiSn mentioned ;for Ihe New York job : as-.'hais been . Bert Bloc, who last served as story eo for Samuel Goldwyn. Twilight* for Rj»kin ; ;' •' ■ • Hollywood. Dec. 31. Everett Risitin draws the prpdpc- tibn chore on^ Columbia's recently •purchased: story,'Mr. TwiliRht.' ; Sidney Harmon "wrote, the yarn- It has a U. ;S., Supreme qourt baCk- ground.. ' --^ ■■] ' :' SHE'li. DAEE TO 'Hollywood; Dec. 31.- Femme lead : opposite- ; George Brent in Columbia's "They Dare NOi Love' goes to Martha Scott. Sam Bischoff production, gets un- der way Jan. 3.. with James Wt).w' as pilot. \ir : ...