Sam Briskin, producer, left RKO last November, being recalled to Columbia to an executive producer post. He had been there between 1926-1934. [Briskin was the real talent behind the successes at Columbia in that earlier period. Cohn lost him over a dispute about the stock options in the company. Briskin could have gone anywhere in 1935 – Fox – MGM – Universal – and wound up at RKO. Cohn got him back at Columbia with a seven year contract and stock options. He was immediately involved in the dispute between the directors and the producers].
As part of their economy, Paramount announces they are trimming film budgets and film schedules (cutting 8 weeks to 6). No bidding against rival studios for novels or plays. Tightening in all departments.
RKO now has a writing staff with 38 writers working on 22 scripts.
Tailors and seamstresses are busier than they have been for several years, because of a flock of historical films upcoming – for Paramount – 6 (includes “Zaza” for 1939); for WB – 6 (includes “Juarez” and “Dodge City” for 1939); 20th Century Fox – 1; Metro – 1 (“Northwest Passage” for 1939). [20th Century Fox actually had many more – “Jesse James,” “Young Mr. Lincoln,” “Drums Along the Mohawk”; and the MGM title did not make it into release until 1940. MGM did have “Gone with the Wind,” but not at this point in 1938].
Jerry Wald, writer at WB, is going to court to untangle the problem of three agencies claiming to represent him. They are – Zeppo Marx Inc, Myron Selznick & Co and Leland Hayward, Inc. [Wald had four screenplays made into films for 1939, including the gangster film “The Roaring Twenties”].
Deal in the making between David O Selznick and W C Fields. Selznick tried to borrow him from Paramount before, but was unsuccessful. Now that Fields left Paramount, it is possible that Fields will be in their film ‘Heartbreak Town,’ about the trials of Hollywood moppets. [Sounds like they were trying to capitalize on the Jackie Coogan situation. W C Fields ended up at Universal instead]. (See May 9th)
Cecil B DeMille settles with the IRS on a tax bill going back to his 1934 earnings.
Robert Pirosh and George Seaton called in to collaborate with Irving Brecher on the script for MGM’s “A Day at the Circus,” the next Marx Bros movie. Brecher started it last week. [Pirosh and Seaton had worked together on Marx Bros films before, and ended with no credit on this one, their only film for 1939 was “The Wizard of Oz,” and even that was uncredited; Brecher did get the credit for “A Day at the Circus,” but he also was uncredited for Oz].
Gene Autry to draw $10,000 per picture in his new pact. It had been $5000. When he was out due to his feud with Republic, his side kick Smiley Burnett was assigned to work as Roy Rogers’s sidekick. (Roy was filling in for the missing Autry). [Now what to do about Burnett].
Buck Jones sues Republic to restrain the release of their serial the Lone Ranger – for imitating those films in which he played a Texas Ranger. On top of that the name of horse was Silver also. [His only film for 1939 had him as a boxer, not a cowboy – ‘Unmarried,’ a remake of a 1932 film – both Paramount].
ON THE MOVE
Wesley Ruggles dueling with Paramount on a new contract (to produce and direct) before departing on a European vacation. [He got the contract and did ‘Invitation to Happiness’ for Paramount in 1939].
