Variety (Apr 1941)

/; Washington^ ■ Aipril; J- New efforts to .set a Gongi'essional comfnjttee. prowiihg jntb affairs pf_ the; rtlth ••.industry were stymied,: at least .temtKirariiy, last weeK. but- . -vived interest %as,sho^^ Ject ol divorcement legislation and there were threats pf iripther drive- lo lenact- block^booking measures; y, : The House Biiles comrnjttee, after hearing' ■ Represientative Lyje Boren of Oklahoma, fl'te- various; Wiciks at picttii'es ahd condemn, the consent ;dectee, put his ' resolution \io^ i ■yyeeping inquiry ■i.back von ;the. sh^If ' with.^^ hearings: will be held at some uns|>«- cifted future time- While some leg- islators seemed synjpathetic toward . his; aTiurh^nt^ that' both sociaV^and • (economic- asperts of tii* business shoiild be.,vehtilated. there was gen- . erally oniy scant interest on-the part of tOmmitteemehV/. ■' •^ thbugli he declared when/the res blution Was offered he isjjiot biased. Boren reflected before the: Rules' committee a deep coiivictiohLthat the ' Industry consists : largely of «6ugers and individyais . wintini , ta corrupt i>ublie morals. The tenor , ot his. arr gunieht was that, the. Justice De- ■ ■partment lias, been outsmarted and it is uip to Gongress to protect pub lie Welfare by examining trade prair ticesi financial structure, and moral .questions; The"industry already cheating; on the pact with, the Dl of . J., he charged, adding that nothing in the decfee remedies evils result- ing lirom prlceifixing, datinjg, rebat ing, dividing the country into zones, of shoddy production,. , ;' 'They always ccme in and offer to cooperate ■ every way, if we will Just let them do tiie job and have That Made It ■' •;Strip -tease . unique amona atriprteaseri—for the benefit: of the -ii^ys office—is perforrned. by, Mary : Martin ih • Paramounfs forthcoming .'Kiss the - Boys Goodbye.' .'.. - ■ Singer,-; noSv- . vacationing in , New - York, , is' telling Jr.iends 'of the difficulties caused: because .Hays.rules. fbrbadie her to touch her clotb.'hfi while She, shed as she. warbled 'That's How ,1 Got. My Start:' : The Par:, produc-. :tion ^department ;therefore. was/ forced ' to' piit. two . ni.eh tiie Wings of . the ;s^et .to_ .iju.ll. . ■ visible strings iinfastehing. s^^^ ciaii .snaiJS- on Miss. Martin's ciothei.. .iScene :w.as shot more than a dozen times before the two guys got synchronized and avoid^!d one-half of the Martin .■habilimijent.; dropping .before the; :,Qther/:\:;-■ v"'-;.: Shirley, Beery in 20th Yarn of Fishing Fleet . Hollywood, April V Wallace Beery and Shirleiy Tem-. pie' draw the co-:starnhg, spots In 'Lazy Bones,'' * tale of .thie tiina fc^ ing fleet off the California .coast, to., ije produted byvMetro. .. ■ ': , - . Richard Thorpe is a's?iihe'd to di- rect the Miltbn.Bren'production. Wednesday, April 2, 1941 Par blints the Way To Revjircd Id Aiduseinent Stocks Kelly, Oh nses their own wisiy,'-Boren wailed. 'Why are they so afraid to have" their in dustry looked into if everything is all right. I believe Congress ought to find out what should be done to malce the industry a .safe part of, ,!our American system, ecoriomically and sociallyv' . Propaganda Obarses i)y Fish Pi-bpagahda chargies were fired a; the industry: by Representative Ham ilton Fish, jr:/ who declared the " dustry is trying to stir tip war hys- teria and suggested the resolution should be broadened to permit spe- cial study of this situation;. Repr.e- sehtative Eugene E. Cox assailed the Industry for corrupUhg 'private and public morals,' opining, that control of screen entertainment ;is in. 'the hands of a groiip whose only interest is mipney, more money, and mbr6 inoney.' ; Demurrer was registered: by Rep- resentative Earl C. Michener. a Re- publican member, of the. Rules group. With everybody, trying to develop national unity and:. strengthen na- tional, defense, any such probe at thiis 'time niight have serious conse- quences by upsetting the industry, he cautioned. ' Consideration of divorcement leg- islation in the near future is contem- plated .m the Seriate,-where a special aubcbmmittee, has 'been ■ named; to take' up tiie: Reparation bill left behind by; former Senator'Matthew ■.M; Neely of . West Virginia, Chair- man of the pariel named from ranks^ of the / Judiciary (Mmmittee is Sen- ator .Harley Kilgore^ne of the -Neely I>emocr.atic taction and suc- cessor to former Senator, Rush' Holt .of West Virginia,' The West Virginians; allied with Nfeeiy, now occupyihiB the Governor's ; chair, appear bent on, harassing :the Industry and carrying on the Neely tradition, for Representatiye Andrew Edmistori of West Virjginia recently prated about the need for prohibit- ing block bpokingi: Kilgore also has promised to. do liis utmoist to."force liew Seriate action .on the twice-; " approved riieasure'; to overhaul the distribution maciiinery, although he is not on the Interstate ComTierce . Cbmriiittee which has:jurisdiction in this field. • .' Others named by Senator Fted- firick: Van; Nuys of Indiana, the Judiciiary . Cornniittee chairman, to; serve with Kilgore on the special Bubcbirimittee ; • areSenaitors Torii Connaljy. of .Texas arid James H. Hiighes . of ; Delaware, Deirioorats; Warren R, Austin of Vermont and William. Langer ^ of . North Dakota, Republicans.. Fbr the first tiriie „in mpnths, the hitherto neglectjed amusement shares received fiill attention . last, week from t'hie stock mai'ket as Pararabunt common'. became active leader on the New York Stbcic Exchange on several- diys. Last Friday. (28) Wit-• nessed these Par shares heading the list, in number of sales with-19,500 shares, changing hands, twice .as many as the. next rtipst: active stock. Paramount common climbed to a new high for the year at $12.75, ; - Paramount shares, .including also the first preferred arid, second pre- ferred, have beeri attracting atten- tion in Wall Street for .several weeks be<;3iuse of the cdnvictib^ that the company , soon would work piit a: deal whereby the; first preferred would be called into the Far treas- ury. - Retirement of some second pteferred also has been mentioned in the past; but denied by the com- pany.- Action of the first jpreferred in hovering birtwcen $99, and $100 inr dicates that; some, retirement plan for the first jpreferred is in tlae proc- ess of consummation. Calling in of these shares would rtiaterially enhance the value of the common, with the present activity in the comriion . stock largely being based on: the early completion of a deal on the first preferred. ..Besides proclucing. a savings of several hun- dred thousand dollars annually on the first preference issue, retirement of the first preferred would leave only 60c per share annual payriient on second preferred in the way of coirimon shareholders. Paramount already has paid 20c per share on the. common this year, with current rate of earnings said to justiify addi- tibnai ; distributions : ' the near ifuturie.;- ■ .' -'Philadelphia,.Apf?^ Iv - ' Wiliiam Fox, who ran a Tirpokiyn nickleodePri into a $300.000,000;.film empire,; on Friday (28) pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with giving a $12,500 bribe to forriier II. s; .Circuit Judge J; Warren Davis to "rule in faypir, of the exrpictiirc riiagnate ;ih five appi!aied tases . iri- .volvirig. .barikruptcy proceedings in Fbx*s Ail-Cpntirierit. Corp.; Indicted with Fbx were Judgie:Davis, and Mor- gari S; Kaufman, Fox^ for^neir cw^ sel. Both entered t>leas ot riot guiity and posted bonds of $5,000. All are liable, upon conviction,, to two-year, prison, terms and fines of $10,000 each. •■ '.■■;:■ ~' ' ■■ ■'; .: " ; The indictment charged that Judge Davis agreed to induce Judge Joseph Bulfingtori: 'to., sigii his name to tna- jority opiniorijs in Fox cases before the Third U. S. Circuit Court of Ap- peals. At the time of the alleged' conspiracy Biiftingtori . was senior member of the AiPPela'te Court, He is now'retired. The bonspiracy started, the Gov- ci-nment charged, in 1935, when Fox had declared himself, a bankrupt and creditors tried to take over the $6,000,000 in assets held by Fox's wife arid daughtei: in i trust knpwn as-the AU-Continerit Corp. Five tiriies in : the hearjrig 'on the bankruiitcy petition Federal District Judge J. Boiyd Avis rilled against Fo'x and five times, the Circuit Court, with Judge. DaVis sitting ini each case, overruled .the lower court. .• . Judge - Guy Bard, jpresidirig at. .the case, postponed sentencing . vnU\ April 14. Although he is a. confessed bankrupt, Fbx peeled off five $1,000- nbtes from a thick roll to pay bis bail. Fox is expected to appear as a Goverrimerit Witness against Judge Davis and Kaufriiaii. The Attorney-Generars office is cpntinuing its investigation into the alleged conspiracy. Under scrutiny of the probers .are Fox's wife. Eve, their daughter, ^lle; David E. Kauf- man, foririer Minister to Siam; and Miirray Becker and Daniel Rosen- blatt, New York;lawyer. Stepiiiirig :On Gai; ;. Btolitywod, April i.~ Use of . film-actors/to-glamoirize iristructiori to filling statiop at- - teridarits is being utilized . by ; Gerieral Petroleum along the . (Jpast.: Outfit has engaged 15. pefsonable bit .players, and; laid;' .' out-'a 'thireiis-week rbiite., - • ~' Actors will, assume 'roles; o^f pump m.bnikeys*; at, sales meet- ings tp;.;shbw the: regular attend- ants hpw; to ■ inject .personality ; and. showmanship iptoi their sales gab. Main idea is.to 'put Pri the front for the femme trade, .which goes for those' lit.le tpuches. Troupes are routed twice a year arid it the idea clicks it will; be; used natibriwide. Mary Pickfiffi^^ • Slverstone Hastens ::■ Hplljrwobd, April\li. 'v Arthut :W; Kelly, United Artists sales: head^ has aririyed for a C.heck- up 6f ^the company's 104li=42 product lineup. He leaves'again in a day or two tox New .York.; .He figures to aimounce.20 pibtures at the U^A: con- yehlion April 14 in New York, with - the.iikelihood that the Seasoh's block inay total close to .3bi ' . Aithoug^' the aoatter of selling pic- tures in blocks or iridividiiaJly. a .sub^ ■ject Under discussion sieverHl ye.->rs ago,; no .decision has yet. be^n • reached on the. selling policy' Pos- sibility is that. mercharidisirig will be the same as in previous yeai'f, . Murray 3ilverstorie is due . here ealrly ne]^ Week for cbri^bs pri pic--, ture- quotas .for. various producers; Talks are also slated With. Clarence Brown and jfphn Stahl for .heading their own tmits to release through UA. Although Brown, has been prof- fered iai new deal at Metro after' 15 > years-on the lot, he has held off sign-' irig. . S.tahl is .how at Coiunibi.a. . . ; illness of Maiy Pickford,: who was expected, in New York; from the Coast on; MPnday (32), is speeding plans, of MUi-ray Silyerstbne, ;Uriited Artists chiifftain, to go to Hollywood. Miss Pickfbrd, one of -;the owners of •the company, was due in fpi: cpnfabs with Silyerstpne on new producers, next season^s piroduct and neW distri- bution bonus plan. Her illness, has forced, her to :be hbspilalized and her trip east has been .postporied indefi- nitely.. Silverstpne will go to the Coast in a week or so tp join Arthur Kelly, v.p. in charge of 'sales, who left over the weekend. Kelly is lining up final details. of ;UA's program for an- nouncemerit at the company's five re- gional siales meets. First .-will be held in New' York April 14-15. Details of new bonus plan arid new UA unit to finance producers will be annouriced', shortly after he gets to the Coast, Silverstorie: said Monday (31).- r, :: DietriclhMoroscb Split ..: Holly wood, April ii. ■ Co-associato' producer- team ' of Ralpii .Dietrich arid Walter 'iWordsco, functipltiing for the last 18; months ;at .2Dlh-=^Fox, is splitting up; On cPm- pletipn of two pictures currently ip preparatibn they/ will produce sep- arately.- ;'■;:;■■. MprpsCo's first :solo; assigriment is 'Acpent. oh Love' ari^ . Dietrich's is 'Duchess by; Apppintmertt.^ : : $3,750TOLJ.LUDW1G IN AUTO CRi^ SUIT Minneapolis, April 1. L. Jf. Ludwig, formerly associated with John Fried! in the operation of Minnesota Amiis. Co. ^Paramount circuit) and; :nbw owner of , two JamestPwn, N. D:, theatres, has been' awarded a verdict of ;$3,750 damages, as result of injuries sustained, in, an aUtomobiiie .collision near.here a year ago.- In tiie-same accident, E, P. Philips of iPai'amount's home-office arid OttP Muller, Minriesota Anius,:' mairitenance; head, lost .the.ir lives^ .Ludwig arid ..MuHer's heirs, sued the owners of the truck, "Which cpl-; lided :\Vith ,' the car in whicii they were., fidingy for, $40^000. . A district court' jury re.turnied the. $3,750 ver- dict.-,-:' -■'':.-■■■'„--::; Archibald due *in N. Y; ..i;; , Hays' Latin-American aide. . Russia's, cinemas... .: . .Eddie Gantpr-Dinah Shore.. Television \,.., .V. .,.:... .page 14 . .iPage 14- ;. .Page. 14.. .•;.Page: 22 ■'. .F'age 27. Radio :feyiews: Louella Parsons, Elsa LahcheSter,;- Alec Terii-' • . i pletpn, 'Barrel of Fun'..... .;..>. ^,..',..;.; .Page 30: ASCAP':'■ ' :,.r,^;..v.:v\- ... AGVA .■; • •. •, ^..-V....; : .-.Page 39 Equity an4 the reds .again; .. .........' .;.,.;.. .... i^ . .Page 43 Mae Murray's Son Now Legally Somebody Else's Troy, N. Y , April 1. Court proceedings and legal; mat- ters aire over for 14-year-old Koriftri:. David Mdvani," son of Mae Murray, screen star of the silent days, and Pirirce; Dayld Mdvani. (She Is cur- rently at Biliy Rose's Diamond Horse.shbe, N. Y;) . In closed. prooeedings in Rensse- laer County surrogate court here the boy became Daniel Michael Cunning and'the legally adopted spn of Miss Bessie Cunning of Averill'Park. The procieedirigs, it was revealed., took place last December, and former Surrogate B. P., Kavanaugh signed the adoption order on Dec. 31, the last day of hLs term of office. .. The change of the boy's first arid middle names from .Koran David to Daniel Michael is in apparently nam- ing the child after Dr. Daniel M. Cunning of New Yorlt, brother of Miss Cuririing, whp operated on the boy in New York more than five years:'ago. . Miss Murray brought her son to Dr, Cuririing tb have a mastoid oper- atiPri peirfbrmed, arid-left him in the dbctor's care. Slie allegedly iriiade no effort to reclainl, the: boy Until aibout two years ago, arid then, brought two habeas . corpus/: prpceedings : betpi^e: .justice Fraincis Bergen-of Albany to' get custody- pf tiie ihild, and, was Un- successful in bpthl After: the laSt pro- ceeding Justice Bergan.: awarded the custody of the hoy to Miss/Gunning. The father. of the ::Child, who, rcr !:>des in . California, did not appear here, but. gave; his consent to the adoption.;';' '■ .■.;.;■..;..' SmslUa Big; Sehcdnle Aitbough Edward! Sriiall dui-ihg . the past Week announced, that he Will make veight films loir release by . Uriitedi Artiiste during tiie •1941-42 season, .tJA chieftain Murray Silver-, stone declared on Monday: ,(31) did not helie.ve Srtiall will turn- out that.: many. Sllverstone, who had . previously stated he would like , ho . more than, one or. two films; frorii each UA producer, expressed siir- prise at. Sriiall's announcement of a virtually .conveyor built production schedule. If Small goes ahead with his plan^ . he will turn out riaore films .than any other UA pi'oducer has ever made in, a ^ear. It will be in direct contrast to • the Silverstpne policy pf cutting down the number of films from eacii man so that more; attention can be given by the producer to each in- dividual picture. , During the current season. Small will have contributed three films, to the UA , skedi although all were.; promised for last season. There were rib now ones; Three of the eight Small has announced for 1941-42 are also oldies, "Two Years Before the Mast' and 'In Rudolph Valentino's Day' have been announced for the past two years and 'The Coisican Brothers' was slated in the 1940-41 program. , First of'"the. eight pix into pro- duction will be .'GrMan Vs. Scotland Yard,' with' Ilona Massey, Geprge Brent and BaSil Itathbpne.; Tim ' Wheian is directing from script b,y. E. Lloyd Sheldon and Jack De\yitt Others include 'Mast,' from the Richr ard Henry Dana story; 'Valentino,* frorii script , by Ho'w&rd E."rtabroDk; 'Corsican Brotheirs,' with Estabrpok screenplaying from 'famed Alexandre Dumas yarn; 'T-vviri'^Beds,' with .story by Walter De .LePn; 'Heliotrope,' for which Paterson McNutt is prepar- ing the script; 'My .Official WJfe,| which Ernest Vajda and Stanley Logan, arc writing;, and 'Murderer's Holiday,' which Lawrence Hazard is preparing' for the screen from; the. noyel by; Donald Henderson Clark. NANCY pOLEilAN'S TEST Nancy Coleman, who recently closed in one of the! featured leads in Philip- Barry's liberty . jones^' goes to Hollywood today (Wedries- day) to be tested by Sarii Wood for one of the .leads in 'King's Row,' at -Wairners. iShe's due at the.' studio Monday (7). Sarah Rollitts, of Columbia Artists. • bureau/ set the deal. • ' - Miss Coleman played the lead last night (Tuesday) on 'Grand Central Station,' in an original radio drama by Sam Locke, : brother of actress Katherine Locke. Garko's Dual Role Hollywood, April 1. CJiretai CJarbo plays hei- flr.<;t d'lial role in pictures ireta' coriiedy, still un- titled, to be directed.; by (Seorge Cukor, at Metro. Gottfried Reinhardt is the pro- ducer, arid the script is being handled by Walter Reisch and SalUa Viertcl.. VAtENTINO'S NEPHEW'S SUIT Jean Guglieimi, o.r'Jean Valentino, was denied a sumrtiary jtidgriieht against Artcinema Associates, Inc., and Eriiil C! Jensisri in N; Y. supreme: court last week when Justice Charles B.:.McLaughliri;,decided there were tri{ible;iissues. Action .■jeeks dariiages of $21^990.. Arteinema holds distri- bution rijghts .tO; the films' reis.sues.; Jensen being thie flrrii's prez, ; Plaintiff, as the heir (nephew) of Rudoif Valentiiio, claimi? 507<.,, Qf Hi«, net proifits,on the reissue of 'The Son of thie Sheik' and 'The Eagle ' accord.-: Ing to a coqtract-made by Valentino with Joseph M. Sqhenck in 1925. The defendants,claim to have paid Gugli- eimi $25,375 in full settlement of the contract. They acquired tiie conlract from Schenck.,