Clark Gable and Myrna Loy from Too Hot to Handle, plus Charles Sullivan
News Around Hollywood
During filming at MGM on their feature ‘Too Hot to Handle’ about the lives of newsreel cameramen, starring Clark Gable, the sequence in which cops and G-men take on a gunman held up in a ‘New York’ apartment, the firemen were real, but the cops were not. The firemen came with their fire engines, and would not allow the stuntmen near their vehicles. So, the studio had to ‘pay’ the firemen (monies to their relief society), while the stunt men, required to be on set, sat and smoked just out of camera range. The scene was a replaying of the two hour shoot out in 1931 which had been witnessed by 15,000 people and thereby had earned national attention. The vicious killer, Two-gun Crowley, was ultimately captured and executed at Sing Sing, age 19. The only thing visible of the man playing the gunman was his hand with the gun, emerging to return fire at his adversaries. Bit player Charles Sullivan played Crowley. He only had two days on the job, and collected $70 for his part. [Charles Sullivan had been around film since 1925, in bit parts and stunt work, such as playing stunt double for Robert Armstrong in 1933’s King Kong. He appeared in 31 films for 1938, and slowed down a bit for 1939, with just 28 titles].
In the Jackie Coogan trial, both sides are battling through motions. Coogan’s lawyer had obtained the appointment of a receiver to conserve the estate created through his work when a youngster. His mother and step-father had sought the removal of the receiver and a dismissal of the injunction. The Coogan side claims that $4,000,000 is at stake. While Jackie was growing up Mrs Coogan only allowed him a weekly allowance of $6.50. She also contended that whatever he had earned while a minor he was not entitled to it.
A luncheon meeting of the Motion Pictures Producers Association, a new production code was proposed to foster friendlier relations among the studios. Adolph Zukor (Paramount), Jack L Warner (WB) and Edward Mannix (MGM) were appointed as a committee to draft a working agreement. They will be considering the topics of lending contract players, directors and writers; exchange of physical equipment; and cooperative use of standing sets, wardrobes and properties.
Handing Out Parts
‘Brother Rat’ to roll at WB today. William Keighley will direct Wayne Morris and Ronald Reagan. Recently signed Eddie Albert, a New York actor, will take up the third leading man role.
John Payne is given one of the two male leads in ‘Wings of the Navy.’ Playing brother to George Brent, the two navy brats, compete with one another as navy pilots.
Republic has lined up two more projects for their studio – the next Gene Autry (‘Texas in the ’70s’) and one for Gloria Swanson (‘Ladies in the News’). [Looks like the Autry film came out as ‘Prairie Moon’ in Oct 1938; and it appears that the Swanson project fell apart. At this point she had not made a film since 1934, and besides a feature film in 1941 would not make a comeback until ‘Sunset Boulevard’ in 1950].
Universal was borrowing Virginia Grey from MGM for ‘Youth Takes a Fling.’ She would be in the cast supporting Joel McCrea and Andrea Leeds.
Nancy Carroll tries a come back at the Hal Roach studios with a film entitled ‘There Goes My Heart.’ In her Paramount heydey, she pulled in 100,000 per year. Per Ed Sullivan her career was in the dumps, chalked up to her temperment, and domestic unhappiness. [It was her last film. She reappeared in television in the 50s].
