Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1934)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Wednesday, January 3, 1934 Protection of Little Fellow Aim of NIRA {Continued from page 1) be felt in the film industry in company with all other industry. Investigation by the NRA and presentation of data before the President have brought to light hardships imposed on small enterprises through operation of the recovery administration. Officials are also aware of the impression in the minds of some industrialists that the anti-trust laws were wiped off the statute books when the NIRA became a law. This is not the fact, although it is a fact that laxity has been permitted to creep into that section of the Federal machinery. Complaints of small enterprises which feel they are being imposed upon or further hampered through expansion of big business may be cleared through creation of a board similar in setup to the National Labor Board of which Senator Wagner is chairman. Well informed opinion here maintains that, were such a plan adopted, there would not necessarily follow any amendment in codes already operative. A further amplification of what constitutes fair practices, however, might easily be in the offing. Consolidation and broadening of the benefits of codes in order that prevention of all forms of unfair competition may become a permanent part of American business practice was urged today by Henry I. Harriman, president of the U, S. Chamber of Commerce as part of the national recovery program for coming years. Other reforms which will be sought by the chamber include the adjustment of relief activities to prevent their having detrimental effects upon the normal activities of communities, stabilization of currency, amendment of the Securities Act, and revenue legislation which will treat all business enterprises equitably and avoid burdens on business that are not fully demonstrated to be necessary for the revenue requirements of the Government. Western Theatres Join To Prevent Competition KMT A Offers Change In Code Board List Kansas City, Jan. 2 — Nominations for zoning and clearance and grievance boards for the Kansas-Western Missouri territory have been submitted to Sol A. Rosenblatt, division administrator, by the Kansas-Missouri Theatre Ass'n. The list is the second from this territory, a previous slate having been sent in by the I. T. O. of Kansas City. With one exception, names on the territorial organization's list also were recommended by the Kansas City independents. The exception is Roy A. Roberts, managing editor of the Kansas City Star, nominated by the K. M. T. A. for membership on both boards as a representative of the public. For that post, the independents chose Judge Merrill E. Otis of the Federal District Court. 306 Wins Injunction Move Against ITOA A temporary injunction to restrain the I. T. O. A. and the Allied M. P. Operators Union, Inc., described as "a company union," from allegedly violating the industry code was granted yesterday to Harry Sherman, president of Operators' Local 306 by Supreme Court Justice William T. Collins under the new state law incorporating the hour and wage provisions of the NRA. Sherman and the local charge the defendants formed the so-called "company union" and started to get rid of members of the local, jacking working hours and reducing wages under the code scale. Argument on the order will be heard Jan. 29. A permanent injunction and $1,000,000 damages are being sought by the plaintiffs. The defendants contend the court has no jurisdiction in the matter because the film code is not covered by the state law because the document has not yet been filed with the Secretary of State in Albany. Europe on Upgrade, States Sam Briskin Chicago, Jan. 2. — Business conditions abroad are pretty good and in England people are particularly optimistic, Sam Briskin, general manager at Columbia studios, stated here enroute to the coast after a six weeks' vacation in foreign countries. While in Europe Briskin signed a player. He said his name was not important enough to mention. Columbia will produce a number of pictures abroad, he said, to meet quota requirements. Ampa to Fete Publishers Tomorrow's Ampa session will be Publishers' Day. Ogden and Mrs. Reid of the Herald-Tribune, Paul Block, John Finneran of ScrippsHoward, A. J. Kobler of the Mirror, Ben Butler of the Times and Walter Young of the Evening Post will be guests of Lou Goldberg, who will act as chairman. Delayed by Illness While the Biograph studio opened its doors yesterday, actual production failed to get under way because of the illness of Tallulah Bankhead who was slated for one of the leads in "Frankie and Johnnie" which Chester Erskine will make there. Lilyan Tashman may replace Miss Bankhead. (Continued from page 1) of 9,746 in eight .cities. The company will not enter any other cities except on an exclusive basis. Each group is organized in its own state, and Gilmour is vice-president and a director of each corporation. Officers are : Gilmour, president, former manager of Warners exchange here ; E. J. Schulte, vice-president, owner of Casper, Wyo., theatres ; Nathan Salmon, treasurer, owner of Santa Fe., N. M., theatres; Everett Cole, treasurer, owner in Alamosa and Del Norte, Col.; W. H. Ostenberg, chairman of the board, owner in Scotts Bluff, Neb., and Thomas F. Murphy and Edward W. Ward, owners in Raton, N. M., and Silver City, N. M., respectively. All are on the board of directors. Headquarters will be maintained in Denver, where all the booking and buying will be done. Fred L. Knill, former booker for Columbia, will be booker and office manager. N. J. Discusses Code Discussion of the code highlighted the regular meeting of Allied of New Jersey yesterday. Seeks Sales Levy Jefferson City. Mo.. Jan. 2. — Proposal for a one-fourth of one per cent general sales tax has been made by the Senate Ways and Means Com mittee. Theatre admissions would be included. Casey Busy on Code Hollywood. Jan. 2 — Pat Casey is now making his headquarters at the Producers' Association where he will remain for several weeks on code matters. New Deal Made for Publix in Atlanta Decentralization of former Publix Enterprises holdings was begun yesterday with completion of a partnership agreement by which Atlanta Enterprises, Inc., consisting of the Paramount and Keith Georgia, both in Atlanta, will be operated by William Jenkins and Arthur Lucas on a salary and percentage basis for eight months. The deal was the first to be made by Famous Theatres Corp., new Paramount Publix subsidiary, since it acquired assets of Publix Enterprises on Dec. 22 for $1,800,000. Jenkins and Lucas are also operating partners of Famous Theatres in other Georgia houses as a result of deals made with Publix Enterprises. Major Heads Silent About Salary Return (Continued from page 1) no discussion on elimination of cuts in his organization. A Warner official expressed the same opinion, as did a spokesman for Loew's, Inc., and M-G-M, two of the major companies where salary restorations are understood to have been discussed lately. Abe Montague of Columbia said it was news to him. No spokesman at Universal could be reached for comment. W. Ray Johnston of Monogram pointed out there never had been cuts in his organization. "We're pre-war around here," he remarked. The M. P. P. D. A. was another organization without any information on the matter, a spokesman said. Officially, therefore, United Artists to date stands alone in any move to bring salaries back to their pre-cut levels. Carnival Code Will Be Heard on Jan. 17 Washington, Jan. 2. — Public hearing of the code for the carnival industry today was set for Jan. 17. It will be held before Division Admininstrator Sol A. Rosenblatt at the Ambassador. The circus code hearing will be held at the same place on Jan. 19. Mrs. Bella Cohn Passes Mrs. Bella Cohn, 69, mother of Harry and Jack Cohn, died suddenly Saturday night at her home, 416 Fort Washington Ave. The funeral will be held Thursday at 1 o'clock at the West End Funeral Chapel, 115 West 79th St., and burial will be at the old Mt. Carmel Cemetery, Cypress Hills. Mrs. Cohn was the widow of Joseph H. Cohn. She is survived by four sons, Harry Cohn, president of Columbia ; Jack Cohn, vice-president and treasurer of Columbia ; Nat Cohn, district sales manager ; Maxwell Cohn, president of Weldon Pictures, and one daughter, Mrs. Anna Fraum. Jack Cohn, on a southern cruise, does not reach this city until late this afternoon. Harry Cohn is coming east for the funeral. Expect President's Message to Be Brief (Continued from page 1) President Roosevelt today denied himself to all visitors in order to work on his message which, it is believed, will be short, and devoted largely to summarizing the condition of the Government. Few recommendations are expected at this time. During the special session last spring the President sent his recommendations to Congress one at a time. The budget, expected to carry appropriations possibly as heavy as $8,000.000,000, will go to Congress Thursday. The first legislation to come up is expected to be the liquor tax bill and the proposal to give the President authority to alter tariffs in the making of reciprocal treaties with other governments. Authority Problems Before Committees (Continued from page 1) Union League Club to discuss plans for presentation at the second authority session tomorrow at the Bar Ass'n. Bldg. No definite action was taken at the meeting, which broke up at 11:40. John Flinn will call a press meeting today to discuss the preliminary plans proposed last night. S. R. Kent, H. M. Warner, Charles L. O'Reilly and Nathan Yamins are on the financing committee and Kent, O'Reilly. Yamins, George J. Schaefer and W. Ray Johnston are on the committee to appoint clearance and zoning and grievance boards. Rosenblatt Confers With Theatre League Division Administrator Sol A. Rosenblatt yesterday met with legitimate theatre men on the code at the office of the League of New York Theatres in the Paramount Bldg. To Vote on Bargaining Hollywood, Jan. 2. — Sound men vote Thursday and Friday _ on collective bargaining representation.