I wonder how many American filmgoers in 1936 purchased the trade paper Variety, or did they stick to the various fan movie magazines they could purchase every week.
The front page of Variety on July 8th,1936 had lots of interesting news:
Bette Davis in London.
……….”BETTE DAVIS SALARY TIFF WITH WARNER BROTHERS”
She’s left town and Jack Warner is standing pat on his suspension edict. He said there’s a principle whether or not a player can snap her fingers at a moral and legal obligation to the studio which employs her.
Miss Davis walked out of the picture,’God’s Country and the Woman’, demanding her salary of $1250 be doubled, or else.
Warner said her demands were exorbitant and she would remain on suspension.
(Bette went to London but had to return eventually. Warner Brothers did give her a bigger salary and better contract.
The picture, “God’s Country and the Woman” (That’s a title and a half!) was made with Beverly Roberts and George Brent. Must admit I don’t know Ms. Roberts. She was at Warner Brothers from 1936 to 1939 and then returned to singing and acting on the stage.)
Beverly Roberts
Ann Dvorak
……..Ann Dvorak who tiffed in the courts with Warner Brothers was reinstated after an 8 month suspension and reported back for work.
(Sadly Ann, whom I think would have been one of Warners’ biggest stars, did not get the roles she deserved after her quarrel with the studio.)
Lily Pons
………Theme songs from pictures are much in demand when Grace Moore, Lily Pons and Lawrence Tibbett tour the country – ‘One Night of Love’ – ‘I Dream Too Much’ – and Tibbett is still singing ‘The Rogue Song’.
(Imagine going to a concert with any of these singers!)
Grace Moore, Lawrence Tibbett.NEW MOON.
……….Overcoming Breen objections To “Valiant is the Word for Carrie”, Paramount self-censored in a scene with Gladys George who raised her eyebrows and gave rise to a questionable implication in the line.
(Gosh, I wonder what the line was! Has anybody seen this film?
And what a thrill for Salt Lake City fans, to have Gladys George there in person.)
Adele Astaire
………Lady Charles Cavendish (Adele Astaire) is leaving for Hollywood in a one a year deal with David Selznick for four years.
(Well, that definitely didn’t happen. It would have been wonderful to have Adele Astaire recorded on film. )
………At the Pan-American Auditorium 14,000 spectators witnessed the spectacular Actors Fund Benefit On July 1st.
Gable, Colbert and Capra did the hitch hiking scene. Bette Davis, Robert Montgomery, Nelson Eddy, Eddie Cantor and others also performed.
Busby Berkeley and LeRoy Prinz contributed to the staging.
(Wow. What a concert that must have been. Wonder what Bette Davis did, and who were the ‘others’.)
Frank Capra,Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable.
Love these foreign posters for It Happened One Night.
……….Sigmund Romberg is composing new tunes for “Maytime”, with Gus Kahn doing lyrics.
Vienna's Classic Hollywood
Beverly Roberts gave up films very early in 1939. She appeared in the Broadway production ofTen Little Indians opposite former 20th player Michael Whalen, they then took the play on a lengthy road tour. Beverley’s life companion was actress Wynne Gibson. My late friend Doug Whitney was thrilled to meet Wynne at a party and spent some time talking to her, much to Beverley’s annoyance . Another guest said ‘you’ve been talking to her girlfriend’.
I always feel that Ann Dvorak should have waited till she was better established before fighting with Warners. Our mutual friend Ken met her in wartime Belfast when she was on a USO tour. He assumed her name was pronounced Vorshack like the composer. Wrong! Ann snapped back Dvorak.
Another lovely story from Ken!
Beverly was praised for her performance in God’s Country….
Just read she left Warner’s feeling that all the good roles went to Bette and Olivia. Have watched her on ok.ru Two against the World with a pre stardom Bogart. She comes over well in this B remake of Five Star Final.
Do you have to register to get on ok.ru?
Variety also published a daily edition from 1933-2013, “Daily Variety”.
Gladys George was Oscar nominated for “Valiant …”
Gable was clean shaven at that benefit.
https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3055800561116839&id=163664816997109&set=a.164038070293117&refid=13&__tn__=%2B%3E
Thanks, Bob, for info. I do like Gladys George so should maybe seek out Valiant…..
No register required. Just put a film title in to Google and add ok.ru and it should come up if it’s in their library. Most of the prints are from TCM.
Thanks, Jim.
Vienna, another good write-up with wonderful photographs. In wondering if many moviegoers bought The weekly or daily VARIETY, as opposed to the monthly fan movie magazines. Good question, but I have a feeling that if fans plucked down their nickels and dimes it was for the fan magazines, because how could one resist those magazine covers with Jean Harlow, Carole Lombard, Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Toby Wing, and so many others. Although, those nickels and dimes were hard to come by in 1936, so many probably just browsed through the magazine racks in stores.
I like the photographs of Bette Davis, Ann Dvorak, and Adele Astaire. They knew how to wear those wonderful hats.
As you say, Walter, the fans of 1936 would probably prefer their movie magazines. And Variety may have been more expensive and not available in all States.
Hats were very much part of any ensemble back then.
Bette standing up to Warners was of course followed years later by Olivia De Havilland‘s successful case against them.