The Film Daily (1935)

Have You Attended to Your Relief Fund Contribution? Intimate in Character International in Scope Independent in Thought 2 The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Now Seventeen Years Old -1? DAILY VOL. 68, NO. 141 NEW YORK, MONDAY, DECEMBER 16. 1935 TEN CENTS Taxes Causing Stars to Make Fewer Pix, Says Lasky REGISTRATION OF ALL PATENT POOLS ¥ SOUGHT Writers' Roster at Warner-First Natl Increased to 51 Contract List at Coast Studios Now at Total of 154 West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Indicative of intensified efforts on the part of the studios to sign up writing talent as a fortification against the dearth of story material, the Warner-First NationalCosmopolitan studios now have a total of 51 scenarists under contract. This compares with 33 on the roster five months ago. The company's current contract list also includes 22 stars, 54 featured players, 20 directors and seven associate producers, making a total of 154. Stars are: Marion Davies, Leslie Howard, {Continued on Page 7) THEATERS GET TIE-UPS IN PARA. AD CAMPAIGN Theaters throughout the country will have a chance to tie in directly with Paramount's big national ad I vertising campaign to be launched shortly, according to an elaboration of the plan given out by Neil Agnew, I sales chief. Beginning in January, through I the medium of 131 newspapers in 40 cities throughout the country, Para (Continued on Page 7) 140 Houses in N. Y. Area Now Using Bank Nights Total of 140 theaters in the New I Fork territory extending as far as Rochester are now using "Bank Night" regularly, states Edward 3oldstein, who has the franchise for (Continued on Page 7) Joan Bennett for GB Just before sailing back to England last week Michael Balcon, GB production chief, concluded a deal to borrow Joan Bennett from Walter Wanger to go to England and play the feminine lead in a story based on Edgar Wallace's novel, "The Northing Tramp." Title may be changed to "The Crooked Road." Radio Tryouts for Songs Radio tryouts to test popularity of new song numbers are being held by PickfordLasky, stated Jesse L. Lasky in New York Saturday. Members of the company's music department check audience reaction to determine if the songs are suitable for use in their productions. Seek Court Order to Protect Withheld Paramount Securities In an effort to adequately protect the securities, totaling more than $1,000,000, which are being withheld from defendants in the suits brought by the Paramount trustees pending judicial determination of the actions, an application has been made to Special Master John E. Joyce to permit Sidney R. Kent to sell the Paramount securities he would be entitled to receive at any time he deemed such sale advisable, but to hold proceeds of the sale in escrow until trial of the suits. Special Master Joyce has reserved decision on the application which was made by Hughes, Schurman & Dwight, counsel for Kent, with the consent of Root, Clark, Buckner & Ballantine, counsel for the Paramount trustees. The application is definitely understood to be in the nature of a test case affecting all other individuals similarly situated. Among those whose securities are being withheld are Adolph Zukor, Sam Katz, John D. Hertz, Jules Brulatour, Sir William Wiseman and a number of other former Paramount directors and officers. Another Week-Another Reminder -Relief Fund FLASH! — As we go to press, a nice big check comes in as a Special Donation to the Relief Fund from Mark Ostrer, Mickey Balcon and Arthur Lee of GB. It's just that British Sporting Spirit! Are we Americans going to let 'em show us up in our Own Charity? Our own private Bureau of Missing Persons is beginning to function. We're going to keep yelling for the whereabouts of you missing film gents till we locate YOU — on the Honor Roll of the Film Daily Relief Fund. You belong there. And we don't intend to leave you lost out in the cold when there's a nice warm (Continued on Page 8) Lasky Says High Income Taxes Will Cause Stars to Work Less Top salary players will work in fewer pictures in the future as the California state income tax, plus the Federal assessment, discourages them, said Jesse L. Lasky in a New York interview Saturday. Moving of studios East is handicapped by big investments at the Coast, Lasky declared, but said he favors a healthy development of production in the New York area. The East needs a modern, well-equipped plant, he stated. Development of television into general use is "close by," asserted the producer, who envisioned that such broadcasting will be carried on (Continued on Page 11) Sirovich Would Put Patent Pool Cases Under Federal Trade Comm. By EDWARD HARRISON After months of investigation of patent pooling and cross-licensing and abuses of these practices, the House Committee on Patents has decided that the way to remedy existing evils in this field is to sponsor a bill providing for registration with the Commissioner of Patents of all patent pooling and cross-licensing agreements and to further provide that any complaints of illegality or unfair practice shall be forwarded to the Federal Trade Commission which upon investigation may issue cease and desist orders, it was stated Saturday to The Film Daily by Dr. (Continued on Page 4) WARNER SALES MEET IN K. C. THIS WEEK A group of Warner-First National executives including Grad Sears, in charge of southern and western distribution; Charlie Einfeld, director of advertising and publicity; Norman H. Moray, in charge of Vitaphone shorts and trailers, and Carl Leserman, assistant to Sears, will (Continued on Page 8) Reliance May Align With 20th Cent.-Fox Expectations are that Reliance, which is now completing its last picture under its distribution contract with United Artists, will make (Continued on Page 8) 345 Ballots In A total of 345 ballots had been received up to Saturday morning in the 1936 "Ten Best Pictures" poll being conducted by The Film Daily among the nation's film critics. This is well ahead of the returns at this time last year and indicates a strong likelihood of reaching this year's objective of 500 participating critics.