Variety (May 1946)

HCFOT|KS Screen Writers Guild Condemns RunarounfJ' Given Returning Yets Hollywood, May 14. Reflecting the buyer's market in Hollywood scripting talent which followed the end of the war, Screen Writers' Guild membership lias .gone on record "condemning, the run-' around' being given writer-veterans" by producers. Action followed, an- nouncement by Arthur Strawli. chairman of Hie SWG veterans' com- mittee, and former Air Forces cap- 1ain, complaining that studios had re- fused 16 accept a plan he had de- vised to reabsorb vets into the in- dustry, Strawn's scheme called for studios, by agreement among, themselves, to reemploy, lor a 12-week period free- lance writers returning from the armed forces. "That means," he ex- plained, "that writers not covered by individual studio contracts . will be reabsorbed into the studios on an industry-wide basis. "The producers refuse to recognize such an industry responsibility.'' Slr.lwn continued, "although in at .Roach Extends 'Cnrley' Hollywood, May 14. Filming schedule on Hal Roach's llrst postwar production, "Gurley," has been increased from 29 to 50 days, after the producer's first glimpses of rushes on the picture. Film is directed by Bernard Carr, with Robert McGowin on the, p<e*-; ducer chore, : under Roach's super- vision. Hollywood Flyer On Air Gimmicks WB's Big Barn Hollywood, May 14. Aroma of hoss stables per- vades the Warners' lot these days, with "Stallion Road" in work on a sound stage right next to a short titled "So You Want to Play the Horses.", One way to beat the gallopers is to make pictures about them. Hollywood, May 14. Picture business, is literally going up in the air, for they're both pro- ducing thcin and selling t.hem by least one previous instance, thatvot i plane now. One of Hollywood's the Motion Picture Relief Fund, the ' 'principle has been established that freelance employees, such as actors. writers' and directors work for the industry as a whole arid not for one Individual company." Guild slated that the. producers. In rejecting the Strawn plan, gave assurances that all writer-vets would be reemployed and asked a month's trjal period. During that time, ac- cording to the Guild, only eight of 28' taen available were employed. In all; according to the SWG, of 119 returned members recognized by the producers as qualified for reemploy- ment. 41'have/not yet-beeri: hired. About 20'i of its membership was In service. Guild pointed but. SWG membership .also heard an "Open Letter to An Unnamed Pro- ducer" by Robert Harari and moved it be printed in the next issue of its official publication, The Screen Writer, due to appeal this week. Letter, in part, reads: "I have been informed thai you arc sorry you can't assign me to the screenplay which you pre to produce because -after all. Mr. Harari hasn't most flourishing new businesses is Andy Devine's location plane serv- ice. The actor, in association with others, recently organized an air transport outfit, working out of field at Van Nuys, and serving picture troupes on location whenever and wherever. Among other things company arranges for regular shut- tle plane schedule daily from loca- tion to studio, transporting Dim, technical, supplies, camera parts when' needed, etc. Planing cast and crew out to lo- cation is already an old story, with the most ambitious example so far being the air transportation .routine worked out by 20th-Fox for filming of -, 13 Rue Madeleine" it) various widely separated locations in the cast. • AJr selling was started by Skir- 1 ball-Manning, releasing "So Goes j My Love" through Universal. Pic- lure was even previewed on trans- oceanic plane between New York and London. Air campaign was carried' through into the selling of "So Goes My Love" with planes making regular Wednesday, May 15, 194$ New Color Pix Processes Keynote Growth of Feature Tinters Soon Company is also going in for ex- tensive sky-writing ad drive.' They are now dealing local outfit which, for the first time, uses two planes simultaneously in laying the smoke had a single credit in the last- three years • I exploitation tour of the country, dc- "You are in error, sir. In the last j livcring prints and spreading bally- thrce years, S/Sgt. Harari earned »o° in various distribution centers. two credits. They are entitled: I Anzio Beachhead and Cassino. - i "For these, I confess, I won no , golden statuette, but a mere 'Silver | Star.- And I confess, too, that they ; . . . IU . , were no solo jobs; I had several | ,ncssa 6e across the sky. 4housand collaborators. But the re- I And some of the hottest and most views were glowing, front-payed all controversial ^vertising . for How- over the world. And the returns- :,,d Hughes' "The Outlaw" lias been the returns were so rich that they I tUme 1,1 writing, winch is not contributed, among other thinirs. (o , object to the restrictions and tabus your holding your present position. I la " d™'* by magazines, newspapers to your company distributing sur-h ■ and radio hi the matter of copy bright dividends and to this industry ■ Also lo be , takcn ,nto account is not. falling, into-the hands 6t the • Mcl >'° s recently-announced plan for enemy "Parenthetically, Six Church Youths In Picket Line at St. Loo OK on'Outlaw'Showing St. Louis. May 14. Six youths from St, Leo's Catholic Church, carrying banners, protesting against the showing of "The Out- law' picketed Loew's State downr town for an hour Friday (10) until cops chased them away. The lads carried banners, on which were printed such slogans as "Help Us Outlaw The Outlaw.' and You Fight for .Living Wages—Let's Fight to Keep-Decency Living " • I This incident followed .the OK for the showing of the film by the Police Dept's. Morality Squad and the re- fusal of City Manager Martin C. Burnett to cancel ^he -showing at the request of two Catholic Monsignori, Alfred G. Thomson and John W. Marren. The members of the church clergy called on Burnett two days before the picture began its run,.said they had not seen it but were mak- ing their protests on the report of the Legion of Decency. -''Burnett told the visitors that the theatre was under contract to show the picture and failure, to do so would subject the theatre to a breach of contract suit. As the pror test was made only two days before the run began Burnett said it was loo late lo obtain a substitute. Msgr. Thomson said he did not think Burnett at fault. He blamed Howard Hughes, the producer who, he said, "apparently wants to pro-: duce sexy pictures to draw a big crowd. No decent person would go to it." Local crix blew hot and cold in their reviews and the. biz done open- ing day was just a bit above normal. 1 The cops of the Morality Squad told I Burnett they thought "The Outlaw" was just a mediocre picture arid found nothing objectionable in it. Par Pacts Toscha Seidel Hollywood, May 14. Toscha Seidel. last week was pact- ed by Paramount studios as concert- master. - Former concert fiddler and • con- ductor, Seidel recently concluded a hitch in the Navy. Clergy Urges Del Pix Censorship Wilmington, May 14. State film censorship in Delaware is urged by three clergymen—Pro- testant,- Catholic and Jew—who have asked Gov. Walter W. Bacon to recommend such action at next ses- sion of Legislature. Trio, Very Rev. Dr.' J. Francis Tucker, representing Catholic Legion of Decency;. Bishop Arthur R. McKinstry, Episcopal, and Rabbi Henry Tavel, led successful fight to have, Howard Hughes' "The Outlaw" banned here last week. LoeW's Theatre ran, preview of pic for clergymen and educators who thumbs downed film as indecent and glorifying crime. So theatre substi- tuted "Diary of a Chambermaid," those, sir, arc j' super-sky' advertising in the form of blimp, carrying; M-G advertising some of the reasons that make me j on its sides - Dirigible, largest ever value these two Tcdils a lot more \ lhan j used for sky ads, is slated to begin ; its daily cruises up and down the 'Daytime Wife.' 'Everything I . , ■. T 1 Happens at Nisht: 'Larceny With j c t cni ™\ -Atlantic seaboard about July ' ■%. with a running Music' 'Icccapades.' 'Music For Ma- dame,' "Sun Valley Serenade' and the rest of my previous credits. "That I received no credits of this' type during the last three years was the fault of the war. If I receive none in the next three the fault will be yours." with a running electrical sign visible to viewers within a five-mile radius. Gimmick is the brainchild of Howard Dictz, Metro veepec over c'.d-publicily. MP A A Wins Extension Motion Picture Association was granted an extension until May 23 to itle its answer in Federal Dis- trict court, N. Y.. to Howard Hughes' suit for $1,000,000 damages. Answer was slated to be, filed Mon- day (13), but MPA attorneys pleaded insufficient lime. Hughes' motion for a temporary injunction to restrain the MPA's Production Code Administration, from withdrawing its seal from "The' Outlaw" will be argued'Friday (17). Churchman's Switch Chicago, May 14. An unusual plea for the abolition of police censorship of dims in Chi was niadc, here last week by Dr. George M. Gibson, prez of the Church Federation of Greater Chi- cago and minister of the United Church of Hyde Park. Speaking at the annual observance of Religious Book Week of ..the wom- en's division of the Chi Round Tabic of Christians and. Jews, the minister pulled a complete switch on the stance. usually taken by pressure groups: i. 0., that censorship from outside the industry is necessary. Instead, he emphatically declared, :, Such censorship must be stopped, whether it be economic, political, or ecclesiastical." Dr. Gibson specifically cited ccn- isorship of films by the Chi police dept., as well as censorship of books in public libraries in many large cities. "We must avoid governmen- tal controls of the press, literature and the films," he said. "Censor- ship must' come from within, and it must be voluntary. Compulsory ccn sorship ultimately leads to serious infringement of civil liberty." . Despite the Increasing availability of color facilities—such as Consoll. dated Film Industries' announce, merit this week of a new process- color field is a long way from beliw overcrowded. Just about 30 picture? less than 10% of the 330 feature made during 1945, were tinters—ana they used up the industry's enfire color capacity for .full-length aims ■-'■ Prospect foreseen by most pro- ducers is that every picture evenlu. ally will be turned out vary-hued, unless the story or locale is par- ticularly unsuited for color. In olhcr words, there is room for almost 10 times the tinting capacity that ex- isted up to the end of lasl year. This line of reasoning, it is point- ed out, is back of a bullishness in color process shares on Wall street It capacity wore : increased three times this year, still only :)0% of all product could be taken cave of. That leaves 70% of the business si ill to be absorbed. '■■ Consolidated's new Trucolor is the second owned by that company. The other is Magnacolnr. According to CFI, its Fort Lee, N. J., lab is being enlarged to permit the handling of a potential 100,000,000 feel of color film per year, materially lifting the industry's present capacity. It is ex- pected the plant Changes will be . completed, by July 1. Cihecolor is also planning consid- erable enlargement, having recently put through a refinancing scheme via arrangements made by A. Para Blumenthal, who also was named to the board, New coin is to be used lo triple plant capacity. Cinecolor broke into (lie feature field last year with PRC's "The En- chanted Forest," the first full-length tinter ever processed by any com- pany but Technicolor. It's now doing its first for a major, a feature for Metro, and is slated to do Ihrce for Universal, Ansco and Dupoiit are also aiming to break into the color field on a large scale, while the new Agfa process imported from Germany and being made available to the Ameri- can . industry may have significant effect, Paramount Interested Jn Pre-Financing 'Park Ave.' Hollywood, May 14. Max Gordon, producer of "Born Yesterday" returned to New York, after huddling on casting problems of "Park" Avenue" with Nunrially Johnson, .co-writer of the legit musi- cal, Ira Gershwin, lyricist, and Ar- thur Schwartz, composer. No com- mitments had been arrived at. Gordon, while here, is reported lo have■_ been approached by several studios regarding film rights to his legit hit,. "Born." However, he's C ross-Motions Denied In Putter's 50G Par Suit Judge Erriest Hammer in' N. Y. supreme court on Monday '13) denied two motions in the action of Walter Putter against Paramount tor damages of $50,000 in connection with submission of an idea for a new shorts scries. Par sought to examine Futter be- fore trial while Futter's motion asked for modification of Par's de- mand for a bill of particulars which has to be served within 10 days from Monday's date. Suit, slated to come to trial next month, revolves around submission to Par by Futter of an idea for a shorts series called "Odd Jobs." Futter claims that subsequently Par OAHAS 20 FEATURES DUE FROM INDIE PRODS Hollywood, May 14. United Artists announced a total of 20 pictures due from various pro- ducers, including four from Charles R. Rogers, who recently completed "Angel on My Shoulder" and is readying "The Fabulous Dorscys." In addition the releasing company I expects six "Hopalong Cassidys" from William Boyd, six from Bene- dict Bogcaus, two from Sam Coslow and one apiece from Andrew Stone, Seymour Nebcnzal and Boris Mor- ros. wl d vvinlVi^ 0 "^ 111 i 1 - 0 '""-'icn-me out. with a similar idea under author of the Z • mc ot Unusual Occupations." Paramount is reported interested In pre-flnancing "Park Avenue." BARSHA STARTS AT U . Leon Barsha. who recently checked i _ oft the Columbia lot, checked in at ! a Filiji Rowcrowd here on the oa Universal to assume his new pro- : casion of installation of officers of BOOSEVELT'S IECTUBE T0UK Chicago, May 14. Lecture tour on the life of his laic father will be teed off here June 18, when. Elliott Roosevelt will address ducer post in the'Ben.Pivar unit. First production task under the new arrangement is "Challenge in the Night," slated to start in July. Cinema Lodge, B'nai B'rith. Roosevelt whs lined up by lodge chairman Jack Kirsch, Allied States prez. DOLL JOINS TODD AT U Hollywood, May 14, Mike Todd is moving into his new bungalow at Universal this week to start production preparations. His press agent, Bill Doll, has checked into Hollywood at the Todd headquarters. Studio Contracts $30,000 LAWYER FEES FINALES JACKSON PARK Chicago. May 14. Closing round in the suit against major lilm distribs by the Jackson Park theatre was enacted in Federal court, Friday (10) when Federal Judge Michael L. Igoc awarded $30,- 000 in attorneys fees to Thomas C. McCoiincll and Hubert Van Hook, representing the Jackson Park Corp, Coin, coming from the producers, was granted because. McConncll and Van Hook were forced to appeal to the U. S. Supreme Court when the Circuit Court of' Appeals upset a lower court decision in which a Federal jury in Chicago, awarded $360,000, 011 March, 1944, to the indie Jackson Park for anti-trust violation .by major studios.. ' Studios involved in the suit in elude Paramount, Warners, 20th, RKO, Loew's, and Balaban St Katz. Hollywood, May 14. Pinky Lee,.actor, Repub^c. Richard Conte, renewed, 20th. Ian MacDbnald, actor, H. Sherman. George Reeves, actor, H. Sherman. Charles Victor, actor. Par.' June Laurric, actress, J. Wralher. Sterling Holloway, actor, Col. Ann Baxter, renewed, 20th. Rex Harrison, actor, 20lh. Harold J. McCord, renewed, WB, Mary Scott, actress, 20lh-Fox. Fred Brannon, director, Republic. "Reed Hadlcy, renewed, 20th-Fox. Geraldinc Brooks, actress, WB. Gary Grant Returns To Eng. for Korda inSept Cary Grant, just arrived in this country after a trip to England with Alexander Korda, is returning there in September to work on a screen play with two British. scripters for film that he's skedded to do for Kor- da as pnrt of their production deal, Shooting on'.the British production will'start in March, 1947. Grant is planing out to the Coast Wednesday (15) to appear" in an RKO production, "The Bachelor and The Bobbysoxer." with Shirley Temple. Next winter, Grant has a commitment with Samuel Goldwyn to star in "The Bishop's Wife" with Teresa Wright ' DON L0PER TO SERVICE INDIES ON COSTUMES Hollywood, May 14. Don Lopcr, former dance director and dancer at Metro and interna- tional head of a group called De- signers Associated, Inc., is now sign- ing designers of scenery and cos- tumes and will service all independ- ent producers. Wall street coin b reported backing him. Loper has already bought the Wil- liam Haines building on the Sunset strip and expects to open offices there next month. John Howard Makes 3d Ex-Parite Joining DOS David O. Selznick, in preparation for release in the fall of "Duel in the Sun," his $0,000,000 super-spec, continued this week to expand his staff, both in the United States and abroad. - Latest appointee is Jo>n Howard as western division man* ager. Howard will headquarter in Los Angeles and supervise San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, Denver and Salt Lake City territories. He has been with Para- mount for 20 years, manager for the past 10 years of the Detroit office: Neil Agnew. v.p. and general sales manager for Sclznick. also made of- flcinl the appointment of Wilharn Erbb as British Empire manager. He will sail shortly for London, where he will establish headquarters for the company. Erbb is likewise a recruit from Paramount, "where. Agnrw was for many ycars sales chief. A thud for- mer Par employee, Manny Rcmc'V was named by Agncw last week to head Latin American operations. Beacon Subleases From Sturges at 20th Lot Hollywood. May 14-. Sam Coslow and his Beacon Pic- lures moved into office quarters sud- leascd from Preston Sturges on tnc old 20th-Fox lot on Western ave. ^ Coslow is readying "Copacabana, which he will co-produce with Davm Hersh. for release through Un«ea Artists. Deal with Slurgcs is owy for office space. Studio facilities will have to be arranged later-