Variety (Oct 1942)

PICTUBES Wednesday, October 7, 1942 Battleship or Grenade, Hose HVood Propsters Make 'Em Look McCoyish Hollywood, Oct. 6. As priorities tighten grim talons about the jugular vein of studio materials and really begin to gouge and throttle, a system of barter and supply is fast setting itself up within the Industry, much as it did In hu- man chattels some years ago. Right now, for instance, a special job of gadgeting that successfully simulates the visible action of a siege gun or the surge of a ship at sea is worth eplenty. This, anyhow, is what Republic Is currently finding out since finish- ing 'The Flying Tigers." For prac- tically every studio in Hollywood Is Interested in acquiring a lend-lease option on the two devices used in this production to give tremendous realism to the bombing of a Japanese battleship. In the same way, Warners has its •Across the Pacific" portable ship that works on a steam winch, thus being made to roll, pitch , toss and plunge, practically at pleasure. The affair is virtually life-sized, with the resuH that it does a lot of its 'sailing' be- tween the dry dock at Burbank and many a port of call in Hollywood. However, it has remained for RKO to dredge up—out of the flotsam of a junk yard—the prize exhibit of ell the prop departments. It's a regulation five-inch naval gun ingenuously constructed for use In 'The Navy Comes Through,' is now being farmed out to Metro for use in 'Salute to the Marines,' with Paramount, 20th-Fox, possibly Co- lumbia and allegedly Warners wait- ing their turn. Paramount plans to use the gun in "The Story of Dr. Wassell,' 20th-Fox in 'Crash Dive." $20 Material. $8,000 Labor This fabulous contraption was jug- gled together at a cost of $20 for materials and $8,000 for labor by • Tomrny Thompson- and his assistant, Russell Sherman, in the RKO prop 'department. They went down to a junkyard and culled the materials they wanted from an old washing machine and a discarded vacuum cleaner, among other things; then with the use of wood and electricity, they produced a gun whose ersatz nature might confuse the practiced eye of a Navy man. They built it from photographs of a real model, giving it the required length by a wood-turning job, embel lished by a piece of oilwell, drilling pipe for its inner barrel. A 30-de gree piece of quadrant gear from an oil drilling rig was used for the ele vating swivel, while the traverse gear-boxes came from a bread-mix- ing machine, found in a bankrupt bakery. From this conglomeration plus perhaps a squeegee and an old boxing glove, was created a modern Navy gun that fires—via an electric flash—and recoils, via compressed air, all the while operating with the swift despatch of a Yankee ^battery in the Solomons. That's why the line of leasers is forming on the left, That, and another reason. It's like the old story of the crooked roulette wheel the guy said he had to play It's the only one in town. Republic's break on the rest of the field out here is that it started to make 'Flying Tigers" before priorities set in. It, therefore, came up with two rather tremendous items, namely, a couple or three of P-40 planes and n Japanese war craft, complete miniature. Paramount and 20th-Fox have already hired the planes at a rate that leaves a fair chance of Re- public breaking even on their con- struction. As for the battleship, it seems cer- tain to get a play from the other lots, sooner or later. It"s a 25-foot workable -node! that took three months and perhaps as much as $10,000 to build. But in operation, it is simplicity Itself, doing everything that the di- rector orders. And why? The di- rector himself can operate it, if he feels the urge. All he has to do is He down out of sight in the body of the 'ship' and, with a series of levers, make it obey his every whim Me, Too Hollywood, Oct. 6. Lou Costello became a' nltery impresario with the purchase of Pete and Billy Snyder's Bandbox in West Hollywood, making him even up with his film partner, Bud Abbott, who recently bought the Windsor House in San Fer- nando Valley. Billy Gray n)oved In as emcee of the Bandbox, succeeding Jackie Green, on tour with a vaude troupe. HOUSEWIVES TOO BUSY, MATINEE PIX BIZ OFF Minneapolis, Oct. 6. Gradual collapse of matinee busi- ness here — paradoxically as pros- perity increases—is starting to whit- tle down local theatre grosses which, however, still remain at the highest level in years due to booming night trade. Even the housewives apparently are too busy to attend matinees any more, what with their domestic du- ties plus their contributions to the war effort. An extreme shortage of housemaids, due to the fact that so many young women have gone into war industries, regarded as a factor in the depleted^ matinee patronage. Many who formerly had servant girls and could devote occasional af- ternoons to showgoing now do their own housework and are tied down. Moreover, according to surveys, many more women, including those who could afford to 'be idle, are working at various jobs, war and otherwise, than ever before in the city's history. Stndio Contracts Hollywood, Oct 8. Hazel Brooks drew minor player contiaet at Metro. Ann Carter s player option picked UD by Columbia. Marilyn Christine, ballet dancer, signed by Metro. Leighton Noble inked player pact a'. Universal. Eve Whitney handed acting ticket b> Metro. Milton Rosen signed as composer anc arranger by Universal Mary McLeod, schoolteacher- actress from Vancouver signed seven-jear contrac with Metro. Found by scout at Max Reinhardt school in Hollywood. Charles O'Neal Inked writer con- tract at RKO. Four Step Bros., hoofers, signed by Universal to play singly and as a Srcup. David Street drew actmg contract at Universal. Conrad Seller handed scripting contract by Metro. Andrew Rosenthal drew writing ticket at Warners. Brenda ."Warshall's player contract renewed by Warners. Raymond Massey optioned for an- other year on his three-pix-a-year pact at Warners. Louis Da Pron, dance director, signed by Universal. Pops and Louie, dance team signed by Republic, Comedy Ptrenuse in Rx Hasn't Changed in 25 Years; Its StiH Oime and Sex Bragging? Hollywood, Oct 9. With a shortage of men in the film industry, Columbia is pulling •omething different—an all-male cast in 'Port Said.' Melvyn Douglas U slated for the top role, with Harry Joe Brown producing ■ screenplay written by Phillip MacDonald. TRANS-LUX IN WASH. BUYS ITS BUnJ)ING Washington, Oct 6. Trans-Lux has just bought the building in which it is located at 14th street and New York avenue. Prop- erty is assessed for $1,400,000 and sale price was over that figure. Percy N. Furber of New York and P. N. Furber, Jr., negotiated the sale for Trans-Lux Corp. of New York. John J. Major represented Mrs. Evalyn Walsh McLean, previous owner. Must be money in newsreels. Trans-Lux was opened Friday, c"="i;.w pu,„..... I -i r.'fS at Warners. PAR HITS PROD. PEAK.9IN2 MOKTHS Extra- Jobs Drop Off To 17,000, Low for SepLl Hollywood, Oct 6. Production schedule at Paramount calls for nine starters in two months, the heaviest and most costly slate for any similar period In the studio's history Hollywood, Oct «. I In the lineup are the Ring Crosby September dropped below August musical, 'Dixie," 'The Miracle of in job placements for extras to a Morgan's Creek,' 'China,' 'Salute to new September low of 17,000, ac- Three,' 'Frenchman's Creek,* 'So cording to statistics by Central Cast- Proudly We Hall,' 'Five Graves -to ing. Estimated at $12 per job, the Cairo,' 'The Story of Dr. Wassell' film atmosphere players drew about and 'Lady in the Dark,' all high $20,000 less than they did in August budgeters, the lowest figure in 13 months. Studio predictions for October are little, if any, better. Daily wages have been climbing but fewer extras have been called, with the bulk of the work being given to the dress group at $16.50 per call. atre had a 40-year lease, with other tenants paying enough to give the house an occupancy rent free. NBC has upper two floors of extremely valuable corner. Trans-Lux is managed by Roland S. Robbins, who began his 30th year as a front-of-the-house boss this week. Robbins managed Keith's in its two-a-day regime. Last week 'Battle of Midway" gave theatre biggest cash week sinc^ open- ing. Largest week for attendance was for films of King and Queen of England"s visit, admission being lower. Third largest attendance was for burning of Zeppelin at Lakehurst in 1037. Freeze on Special Trayel WiO Affect Loba Malina May Get Stromberg Pic Role Pittsburgh, Oct. 6. Luba Malina, singer on tour with 'Priorities,' is up for one of the leads in Himt Stromberg's picturization of the Gypsy Rose Lee novel, 'G-String Murders.' Role is that of a Russian dame. Miss Malina recently flew to the Coast for a test, returning in time to rejoin 'Priorities' before it left for the road. It would be her screen debut. She was recently given the B7 DAVIS J. WALSH Hollywood, Oct 6. Believe It or don't but there ira two basic comedy themes In pictures, today as 25 years ago, and offhand they seem about as funny as a bullet in the back. They are (1) sex and (2) crime, and even more extraor- dinary is the fact that the author ot this most arresting Idea is said to be none other than that consummate exponent of prattfall. and lemon meringue humor. Mack Sennett. AU this on the word ot Ed Cline, the man who started out in life to be a Keystone Cop, but recovered to such purpose that surviving the great mortality rate through two generations ot picture-making, he'i still a top hand in broad comedy direction at Universal. He says the only fundamental difference between the old school and the new U that people once laughed at motion. And now laugh at situations. He also says that it wasn't refine- ment that stopped pie-throwing In pictures. It was World War I. That too, the script for the Sennett come- dies wasn't based on low slapstick. It was taken from the French clas- sics. Moreover, the one-piece bathing suit didn't originate as an early form of the strip-tease. It was brought about through an attempt to put over some propaganda on fish-eating. Sounds kind of crazy. But then Hollywood always was a place where only the daffy seems feasible. 'Of course it was World War I that stopped pie-throwing,' says Cllne^ matter-of-factly. 'The audiences be> gan to hiss. They thought we were waslinf! food when, in point of fact, we weren't using food. However, there was no way ot getting that point across, so we dropped all food sequences for the duration. They were getting out of hand, anyhow. Why, I once made a-Spanish picture in which we threw hot tamales. T^t BIf Question Mark 'At the time, we didn't know what made them laugh. We only found out later that humor-in-motion was a new expression which caught on so well with audiences that your actors were always falling or throw- ing things or jumping into the air when plugged from the rear by an irate hayseed. What we did waa milk the gag until it shriveled. 'Today of course 'situation' humor is the thing, even with slapstick ma- terial. Outside of that, though, the principle Is largely unchanged. Sen- nett said the basic elements were sex and crime. The crime part pro- duced his Keystone Cop who was an imitation ot the French gendarme, which was always coming up in our material 4>ecause Sennett hired a n«l I TwaItb recently given the material 4>ecause Sennett hirea a rimi LOCduOD ireKS once-over by Sam Goldwyn for a Frenchman to do the writing and h* SPROCKETS AND SOUND 2 or S-Sproeket Chaogeovera May Affect Sound Fidelity Hollywood, Oct 6, Freezing of railroad schedules, meaning the elmination of chartered trains of cars, is nothing new in the film industry in California, where Latest outburst against changing I studios have been up against that projection machines from the pres- P''°''>^'" months. The big ques- ent type to a 2 or 3-sprocket method "'^^ ^"""^^"^ issued by was unleashed this week by veteran Joseph B. Eastman, director of the projectionists familiar with rami- Office of Defense Transportation flcations of the projection setup. aPPly to the use of chartered spot In Bob Hope-Dorothy Lamour picture, TTiey Got Me Covered,' but deal didn't jell. LANA'S 'B' GOES 'A' I'Mary Smith, V. S. A.' Gets Upped Bodget From Metro 'Mary Smith, U. S. A.,* Arthur Hornblow, Jr.'s first for Metro, orig - ^ Inally scheduled as a B production. Aside from the technical 'bugs' they ''"^s. ^ °''<1*'' aPPly'ng to has been lifted into 'A' category with claim would result from the new that form of travel may be issued Lana Turner to be starred. Male methods, projection experts contend shortly. lead has not yet been selected that a cast sprocket could not be Recently the studios have been Yarn is to be projected against a employed. They contend the inter- chartering buses, trucks and ordinary wartime Washington background, mittent sprockets must be hand- motor cars to convey technical Mervyn Leroy, also east, will leave turned or hand-tooled—and that troupes to distant locations and hlr- for the capitol with Hornblow to there are not enough tooling experts ing natives as atmosphere players, discuss the backgrounding with to go around today. even though the studio must pay | Government officials. On the technical sound front, the penalty checks to the Screen Actors projection boys believe a change in Guild. On a recent location trip one sprockets Is bound to cut down on of the studios paid 1,400 penalty the sound fidelity. They cite that checks amounting to $11,700 and some 1,000 light vibrations per min- saved money that might have been ute go through a projection machine, spent on the transportation, feeding and feel certain the new sprocket and housing of extras from Holly- method would blur Ihe sound. This | wood would have to be eliminated via Susan Falls in Line Hollywood, Oct. 6. Paramount loaned Susan Hayward to Republic as the femme lead op- posite John Carroll, on loan from Metro, in 'Hit Parade of 1943.' Picture goes into production this week with Albert Rogell directing and Albert Cohen producing. 20th Hitches Hathaway changes in the sound head Aside from the high cost of a changeover the Industry's present large backlog of product also figures in the situation. In addition to the quantity ot features already com- pleted or nearing completion, It is estimated that possibly 100 are already started Tall Claims From Texas Hollywood, Oct. 6. Walter Wanger picked Jack Raw- others I I'ls to direct 'We've Never Been Licked,' based on the military ex- Producers would have to scrap Iplo'ts of graduates of Texas A. and these or re-shoot them to fit the M. College, which claims to have Hollywood, Oct. 6. Henry Hathaway signed a new director contract with 20th-Fox, starting his new pact with 'Tam- pico,' a tale of oil tankers in war- time. Filming starts Oct. 26, with Jean Gabin and Gene Tierney in the top roles. Grayson, Kelly in M-G Pic Hollywood, Oct. 6. Kathryn Grayson and Gene Kelly new projectors, and also reprint all [turned out more Army officers than I draw top spots in 'Private Miss those out on release or about to be West Point in the last 20 years. Jones' at Metro, with Jose Iturbi, distributed. Raw stock required for Rawlins, who recently wound up concert pianist, and Mary Astor this purpose Is viewed as likely to his director chore on 'Arabian prominent in the cast, defeat the main purpose for which Nights,' left for Texas to make back- Plctiure is slated for Technicolor the new gadget is being considered— ground shots. The picture will be filming, producing by Joe Pasternak conservation of raw stock. (released by Universal |and directed by George Sidney, adapted many of the old Fiencl) farces, even stuff from Balzac and de Maupassant.' The ideal. It seemed, was to com- bine sex with crime, as of when the wrong husband is caught in the right lady's boudoir, though Cline wat clear about that only on one polntt There was no relish in finding the right husband in the right boudoir. As for sex in Itself, Sennett was thought to have cornered the comedy market in that product, with hli bathing girl and the one-piece suit But according to Cline, both came mostly by accident. With the bathing girl, it was all due to the studlo'-e .w'.rh to populailzt fish-eating as a propaganda measure during the Government's 'meatless day' period ot the last war. Cline was told oft to make a comedy, point- ing up these ideas. So, thinking ot fish, he deeidetf^ chat the place to play his scenes was by the ocean. This, in turn, meant bathing suits. But the dames In women's suits ot the period (which hadn't followed the Kellerman model) looked like something that had been himg up In a wet wash laundry. The alternative was men's suits which snugly fitted but vary—the forms of Bebe Daniels, Gloria Swanson, Phyllis Haver, Louise Fazenda, Julia Fay and Marie Prevost. And we all lived happily ever after. Story Boys Hollywood, Oct 9. RKO purchased 'The Captain's Confusion,' by Joseph Marshall. ZOth-Fox botight MacKinlay Can- tor's novel, 'This Happy Land.'