What Katie Did or Didn’t
- Katharine Hepburn refuses to play in ’Mother Carey’s Chickens’ at RKO. She entered into negotiations to cancel out of her contract (she’d been with them since 1932); they dropped the balance of her commitment to them (six months) and the two films she owed them. The cost to her was the $200,000 in salary she would have gotten for those films (plus an additional $75,000 that she personally coughed up). [Fay Bainter, Anne Shirley and Ruby Keeler anchor the film instead – a family comedy based on a novel by Kate Douglas Wiggin, the writer of ‘Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm’].
- Columbia began a billboard campaign all around Los Angeles – “Is it true what they say about Katharine Hepburn?” This was in reference to the complaint theater owners were making to the film producers – that Hepburn was Box Office poison. And was a backhanded way to produce curiosity in their new release of ‘Holiday’ with Hepburn and Cary Grant. [‘Holiday’ was not a financial success, and Hepburn retreated to New York and the stage where she landed a success with ‘The Philadelphia Story,’ and later brought it to Hollywood].
- Darryl Zanuck came up with an original idea (perhaps in response to the above). For his forthcoming production of ‘The Rains Came’ (based on the novel by Louis Bromfield). Aside from his main choice for the lead (Ronald Colman), he offered the opportunity for the exhibitors to send in their choices of actors to play the other characters from the best-selling novel. [By the time it went into production Colman was out and George Brent was in for this 1939 film].
- United Artists has 24 features planned for the 1938-39 season. Hal Roach, currently producing for MGM, is looking to join the UA studio and contribute nine films in the next three years. [Actually his poor choice of partnering in a business with Mussolini in Italy, and Mussolini’s subsequent decision to join in with Hitler and his anti-semitism, led to the decision of those at the top in MGM to cancel Roach’s contract. Roach was just switching from short films, such as The Our Gang series (which he sold to MGM) to feature films and hit a gold mine with ‘Topper’ (1937). Roach had some big films coming in 1939 – ‘Captain Fury,’ ‘A Chump at Oxford,’ and the prestigious ‘Of Mice and Men’].
ITEMS THAT PIQUED MY INTEREST
- Story out of Hartford CT – where ‘Snow White’ had opened – patrons complained afterwards to be victims of pickpockets. The investigating detectives reported that grifters were now following hit shows from town to town, like they used to follow the carnival.
- Laurence Olivier now being talked about for the part of ‘Lawrence of Arabia,’ replacing Robert Donat who was originally to be the lead. [See May 6]
- Plagiarism damages for “Letty Lynton” may cost MGM one million dollars. [This was a film made by MGM in 1932, starring Joan Crawford and Robert Montgomery. It was pulled from release in 1936, when they lost a suit brought by the authors of the play ‘Dishonored Lady,’ who claimed that MGM had used it without their permission. Except for ‘bootleg’ copies the film is still not available].
ON THE MOVE
- Claudette Colbert sailing on the Normandie from London to New York. [‘Zaza,’ ‘Midnight,’ ‘Drums Along the Mohawk’ in her future for 1939].
- David Niven and Brian Aherne sailing on the Queen Mary from New York to London.
- Donald Crisp yacht vacationing.
- Walter Pidgeon on a motor trip to New Brunswick.
- Dalton Trumbo writing weekends on his new ranch at Lebec. [Six films will be made from his scripts in 1939].
- Cecil B DeMille back at Paramount after an operation. [And at work on his film for 1939 – ‘Union Pacific’].
- Clark Gable, John Boles and Lanny Ross on a 110-mile horseback ride. [A big year ahead for Gable; not so for Boles; and Ross’s voice was used for the lead in the Fleischer animated film ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ for 1939].
- Olivia DeHavilland vacationing in Europe. [She would return buoyed with the news of a major success in WB’s ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood.’ And she would be in good position to go after a major role in Selznick’s production of ‘Gone with the Wind’ – not the Scarlett part that every actress in Hollywood was vying for, but the Melanie Hamilton part].