Variety (Sep 1926)

VARIETY PICTURES 1. UN 1 2 IMPORTANT CHANGES MADE B W FIIJK BOARDS GOTDUX" Conference Between Hays Organization and Dept. Justice Resulted, in New Governing Rules— Complaints from Exhibitors Resulted in 'Trust*' InyefU^fttion—2fj^ Local. Film Boards of Trade I Washington, Aug. 31. te '^ffUm to have the Department of Justice gave .the Film Boards of Trade a clean "bill of health," it was necessary for the Will Hays •r«iiriiitk« to make the l^llQwIng changes In the governinff rules which now obligates: (a) £:ach distributor to fix the amount of security to be demanded from an exhibitor who has failed to comply with an award or has failed to submit to arbitration, at a iiuih' fifeC exeeedlBff the actual value of any print thereafter to be delivered to the exhibitor under the contract plus the rental contracted^ to M t»*id therefor and la no ease to exceed the maximum amount fixed by the Board of Arbitration; (b) Every distributor to whom a cash de^lt to paid to promptly re- sume service under such contract for the performance ot. which Uie deposit has been made. ^Ohantfss Pe m g m fsd These chances' were demcmded by the department in order to keep In line several, local boards which had beea orenitepping. The Hays ar g i nlMt to n attorneys were here in conference with Col. Wm. J. Ponovan, assistant to the Attorney Qeaeral, to devtse th« ahances. Working under pressture from ahlbitors, who had forwarded nu- complaints to the depart- investigators delved Into phasa €i tha Hays plan to determine Whether or not there was any irtali||toiis of the anti- trust law. Deseribtaiff tha werklnffi of the 12 boards scattered throughout the United States, the department, in a published report, stated: ^^That thto ipten as conceived and executed provides a fair. Just and economical method of dealing with disputes is evidenced by the fact that darlnv the past two yearrf 10.- S52 awards have been made by thcso boards and of these only 37 have required reference to a seventh arhltratai^ to roach a decision.** $25,000 BUNGALOW FOR MARION DAVIES PdUix Takes '4 Interest In Butter&eld Deal Portable Spanish Dressing Room and Offices on Iios Angeles, Aug. 81. W. R. Hearst has built Marlon Davies a new studio bungalow at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer lot In Culver City, costing around $2^,000. Tha place la Spanish archi- tecture, two stories in hoight and bcsi lea the Davies* dressing rooms will house the executive offices of ^a Cosmopolitan production staff. The new bungalow Is built in three sections so that in case the studio might require it to be placed else- where it could easily be done. Hearst built a bungalow at the United Studios for Miss Davies, with a sunken tile bathroom, at a cost of mora than 180,00^. When the Davies unit left tka 1M» fll# bungalow could not be moved and when Famous riayers bought the property from United Studios this bungalow wna a part of tha hftr- gain and a loss to thS aMnit or- ganisation. ^ ^-;- -'w'' V MAKING MORNING AND Jod Neior Atndaleil With SeUewgers A statement in Variety last week that Solly Joel, the South A/rican capitalist; bow in X<aa* don, had been associated with the Schlesingers in the South African Theatre Trust. Ltd., is claimed to have haan an error. It is alleged that Mr. Joel has never been connected with the Messrs. Schlesingers or the South African Theatre Trust in any way or form. Nor do the Schlesingers ad- mit that they are closing con- tracts for American film prod- uct on any drastically rSvamped terms. They say the present terms permit them the choice of selection and on rental basis without per6eiita«t, aot mart than the customary advanoa ^ the foreign priea. VALENHNO^ SERVICES CLARA BOr S STARRING CONTRACT WITH F. P.-L. Signs 5«Year Agreement for ^ng Scale of $1J50 to $4^000—Starts in Nov. WOMAN'S AUTO LEAP AFTER HUSBAND FAT AL Mrs. Wyelifre KHIed When Husband Abandons Mov- in^Car Tha MwaM t%» litttrtieid Circuit and PuMUi Mir< flMUly closed this week. Under the contract the Fublix or- ffaalsalleB c^btohis a 8f paroant In- terest In the entire circuit and will have b9o* \ control of the houses. ^ Q^ICAGO VALENTINO FUIB ■ Chleavo. Aug. 81. Five Italian corporations are ar- ranging a fund to construct a me- morial for Valentino in this <!ity. IMMM la ihe leaders of the move are Judges Francis l^orrelM and Barressia and Attorneys Eli- dora lilbonati and Mike Rosinl. Los Angeles, Aug. 31. Mrs. Margaret Morgan WycllfTe. whose husband, J. Alvin Wycliffe, is a scenario aditor and whoisa ahll- dren. Jackie Morgan and Dorothy Wycliffe, work in Alms, suffered fatal injuries when she attempted to jump {after her hitfhand, who loapad tnm their car in Olendale, Cal., Sunday, I following a quarrel. Wycliffe, also known as H. Bed [ford Jones, is nlsslns alace jump WaMaitom Aiw. 11. ['"9 trom tha car/ and CNendala po with but 1,500 seats it behooves M^c^ ^i*® now conducting a search, the Metropolitan (pictures) to make In addition to being known as Jones the naming and supper show hours ^t is said, he is also known as J. pay. Abbott JOae% W, N. Bdyley Smith Recently a 12-plece Jazs orchestra and Dan Whitehall. He will be was Instalh d to play these hours, charged, when caught, with man Saturday, with Waring's Pennayl- [slaughter and abandonment of an vanlans as tha ataga archestra, the automobile while In motion on a two comblnatlsMr wara aoaliiliied public highway. for a 12.50 noon concert. H The "Wycliffes were married early Rehearsing the combination prac- this summer, but soon after the tically all night the muslo clicked wedding Wycttlfe disappeared. He and, maill* IMl |IM .iwteflft^^^ home recently and the held near aaiiiikClty. > | breach was healed. After that he again disappeared and Mrs. Wycliffe attended a theatre with Dave W. Taggert, a mutual friend of the couple, and saw her husband's auto- mobile parked near the theatre. Mrs. . Wyciifte went to him, ami the pair Los Angeles, Aug. 3i. gtartad argain«. Aoeompaalad by Bernard P. Fincman has tendered" Tappert, the couple started for Hol- lios Angeles, Aug. 81. Clara Bow's contract with B. P. Schulberg, transferred to Sam JaJIe MM tlaia aM ohdad laat week and the screen actress immediately signed for five years with Famous Players-Lasky. Her salary starts at |l,TIO a watk and ruaa to HM« weekly at tha tarmlaatioa aC the contract. The new agreement provides that Miss Bow Is to be ataived fe all pictures, beginning with the Elinor Glyn production of "It." Miss Bowg will begin work by Sept. 1 as the featured feminine load la' 'Hl^ingB" and will start on tha mytt jtetore (n November. Miss Bow was taken under con- tract by Schvtberr at a very nomi- nal Agure and within a year, while getting |:J50 a week, Schulberg was renting her out to other producers for sums ranging from 81,500 to 88.tOd a wa^ GOWUND'S MANEUVERING Took Care of Former Wife and Her Second Husband Because of Son "Lorn Angeles, Aiif . 81. Oibson Oowland, film actor, ap- plied for a court order to place his 19-year-a(d bdy under the eare of someone other than his former wife. In making the application, Gowland revealed a queer situation in which he aided Mra. Bernard Meiikin, his former wife, and her hQihaai» Ber- nard Moakin. « In order to have the boy under tha eare of his mother, Gowland took his former wife and ber sec- ond husband into his homo and ob- tained picture work for both. He stated that instead of taking an in- terest in hor aMii» Uta Xeakin was devoted to her movie work. Mrs. Meakin denied Qowland's statement regarding her attitude toward the boy and alao denied that her former husband obtained work for ber through his in(luence. VALENTINO RE-ISSUES inANWITUF.P. tiaa Angeles, Anil; 11. AccordinpT to reports, Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer and Famous Play-' ersrLaaky are to reissue two Ru- dofpk Valetttiiio pMrtuvai. The M-Q-M organization is pre- paring a special campaign for the immediate release of "The Four HoraeaMnr" while P« likewise with "The Sheik." nOK 80HII0K TO 0QA8I Nick Schenck will leava lor ths aoast in about a week. J. Robert Rubin, a vice-president •f^ MatrorCtoldwyn - ICayar, will IfHyal with Mr. Schenck. his resignation as supervising pr9- ducer of ilfat KatlaaaV ta become effective Saturday^ Ha will Imme- diately become executive assistant to B. P. Schulberg at Famous Play- ers, which means he is getting the second biggeat position on the lot. Fineman, before Joining First Na- tional, was peneral manager for F. B. o. Three hours after she had been engaged by B. P. Schulberg. Evelyn Brent (Mrs. Fineman) was on her way to New York to play tha finnt- nine lead in "Liove 'Eni and Leave •Em." This Is a Famous Players- T.asky film to be made at Astoria. L.. 1., studioa Miss Brent, her eonnacikMi with F. n. O. having rerent!y been con- cluded, replaces Esther Ralston in the cast. lywood and the home of Mrs. Wv- cllffe. 3n the way out Wycliffe turned In "tiM^ dirsottun of dlandsla, saying he wanted to get some docu- ments. As they drove along the trio passed a police ofllcer. Mrs. WycHHt% appafaatly afraid of her husband. dOflUUldOd that the patrol- man accompany them. The huaband refused her request, and when Tag- gert demanded he stop, Wycliffe, then going at a fair rate of speed, pulled throttle and leaped Mrs. Wycliffe followad and went to her dsath. SCHILDKRAUT8 TOGETHEB I..OS Angeles. Aug. 31. Once again Joseph Schlldkraut and his wife. Sllse Bartlett, have become t econ ciled. Mlas P.artfctt, legitimate actress, arrived from New York last Sun- day and the formal finish to their differences, which have extended over a long period, was written. The couple will live in Venice, Cal.. and there is a possibility that Mrs. Schiidkraat Will woilt fOr CeeU B. DeMiHe, to whom her hasbaad Is under oo&traet. KSBfiDTTH^MAS BIYOKCE Los Angeles, Aus. 81. Bess Meredyth. scenario writer, has filed suit for divorce in Superior Court against Wilfred Lucas, film actor, on grounds of cruelty. She stated that I-uras waited un- til she went to Europe , in 1924 be- fore he let her know he was In love with another woman. When she returned In December of the same year he refused to live with her, the pettllon stated. their chH^ a daughter eevaii years old. Ulllaa HieH In Gaiaadiaa Los Angela Aug. 81. Lillian Rich has oeon placed un- der contract by Hal Roach to be feataretf la two Air-BUMr eamedy two reelers. She wiU begin work Sept. 14. Capitalisng Blondes PitUburgh, Aug. 31. The question as to the popular- ity of blondes and brunettes is be- ing settled this week at the Aldine Theatre under the direction of Walter 8. GaldweU. • Mr. Caldwell some weeks ago made a tie-up with the Pittsburgh Press for a blonde-brunette contest and as a resalt the Aldine received much front page publicity. UAL BFSCH BELEASED Los Angeles, Aug. 81. Maa Busch, after fotir years with Metro-Qoldwyn-Mayer and Gold wyn, was given a contract release from that organisation at her own request, provided that Miss Busch In oase M-G requested her services, appear in three plcturM to be made during the next year. Miss Busch is at the present time recovering from a serious Illness. paid Its last tribute to Rudolf Valentino Monday morning when 600 in- vited attendants were at the Solemn High Funeral Maaa at St Malaehy*a 1 Church on West 49th street. Valentino's remains were brought down from Campbell's Funeral Parlors, under polloe escort. The procession which was to have ac- companied the casket was dis- pensed with at the request of Father Leonard, pastor of St Malachy's, the priest objecting to anything in the nature of a "ballylioo" and also ' insisting upon the moss being an Invitation one, to guard against tha possibility of overcrowdiag, which would have inevitably happened had It been open to the general public. Police arrangemento were Ideal. The street was closed between Broadway and 8th avenue by police lines. Neither automobile or pedestrian traffic was allowed through the lines except upon dls« playing an Invitation. The nuiss was celebrated' by FMher I^eonafi^' aasMed hy attb* deacons Fir- William Donohue, chaplain of the Catholic Actors* Guild; Rev. Joseph McKenna, Rev. ' Jamea O'RaiUy^ gedo, a b«yhaed iHaM^ te^i^ actor. • : The ooIoisU were Guido Olealilil of the Chicago Opera and Demitrl Onotrl of the San Carlo Opera; organist was Joseph Davis, 'cellist, Sfario Calatl; violinist, Enzo Pas- carella. and tha aMr eektat* A Sagatto, Arthur Michaud. Charles Schuyler, Wendel Hart. Edward Wendelken and John Oakley. The mass bega* a faw nilaatea after 11 o'clock and lasted for one hour and a half. Marcus Loew, Adolf ZfSkor, Joe Schenck. Douglas Fairbanks and others aetad aa^tal«' orary pall bearers while the pews were crowded with well known the- atrical business and actfng cele- brities, among them Pola Negri and Jean Acker (first wife of Valentino). Richard Dlx, Johnny Hines, Ben L3rons, Constance and Norma Tal- madge. Mary Plckfordt .MpI of other atsge and oelreeii ages. ' " 'Merward . ' Follow^ tha eerearony, Pola Negri seemed on the verge of a collapse. She had received a per- sonal message from Valentino, re* daoad to %flitlBg by oiie of the at* tending physicians and delivered to her, from accounts by Norma Tal* madge. TlMi ms s sa ga vraat rreS Polayit she does not Hrrive In time tluftt Tm thinking of her." The publicity accruing to the CiMailibail% F un er a l- i^rlarn where the remains had lain sinOi temovai from Polyclinic hospital, was also subject for comment, augmented whisa it Wtta l^amed th^ vnder- takers had engaged a prlmte car for the press to accompany the casket to Hollywood, starting tomonow (Th^irsddy). The riots w|iich oe« rurred outside of the Campbell establishment when thousands of the morbidly curious tried to view the bOdy probably sponiserod tha Mdvortlsements which appeared in' the dailies announcing tliat "normal decorum and disnity now prevail at the Frank K. Campbell Funeral Church." ^ After the mass the casket was returned to Campbell's where it re- mains vnlll transported to Holly wood for burial. Valentino's brother, Alberto Gugliell, will ar- rive today (Wednesday), from Italy. /He la expected to obneur in the wish of the motion picture people that the actor be burled near the scenes of his screen wbrk. In tributo to ▼aieatino, every member of the motion picture In- dustry in southern California stopped work fur two minutes at 11 a.m. New Tork time, Mohday morning. ETHEL WALES' GRANT Los Angeles, Aug. 31. £thel Wales, picture actress, has been granted a dlvnt^A frnm Iit hu.sband by Jud^e Gates of the Su- perior Court Mrs. Wales sued on the ground her husband had a vio- lent temper and often abused her. The conple have been married for 11 years but separated In July. A nine-year-old son has been awarded to the mothei's enatady, aa well as real estate, the fkimily home' and 175 monthly alimoiiy.- Los Angeles, Aug. 31. Memorial services for Rudolph Valentino by the Breakfast Club, of which he was a momhor. Included the appearance of his riderless horse. The animal was led by two of his closest friends, Ncninan Kerry and George Fitzmaurice, with Val- e ntln o 's h oo f s e v e ss ed I n th e ■ t i f I ups. Green East in Sept. Lea Angeles, Aug. 81. Alfred B. Green gOt-s t<»*^^ow York \ early In September to begin his FoX contract. He will makl two pic- tares while there, "The Aactfton* ear." starring George Sfdniy, and *la Zat Sbr •