Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1934)

4 MOTION PICTURE DAILY Friday, January 5, 1934 Midnight of Jan. 31 Is Last Signing Date (.Continued from page 1) Kuykendall's knowledge of the exhibition field. The rest of the committee consists of S. R. Kent, Charles L. O'Reilly, George J. Schaefer, W. Ray Johnston and Nathan Yamins. Yesterday's session was adjourned until 7 P. M. next Wednesday, when the Authority will meet in the Warner Bldg. on West 44th St. The adjournment was taken because of the various committee matters which remained unsettled at the close of the session. Among those are the committee on rules, finances and headquarters. Kent, who presided at yesterday's session, will resume the chair on Jan. 10, when the next chairman in the rotating plan will be announced. M. H. Aylesworth did not show up and had no alternate present. He was detained at a directors' meeting at RKO. Eddie Cantor, who was rehearsing for his engagement at the Brooklyn Paramount, and Marie Dressier likewise did not attend. J. Robert Rubin substituted for Nicholas M. Schenck, who is ill. Harold S. Bareford attended in addition to H. M. Warner. Five permanent alternates were named : W. C. Michel will alternate for Kent, Austin Keough for George J. Schaefer, Bareford for Warner, Jack Cohn for R. H. Cochrane, and Rubin for Schenck. The other Authority members may name their substitutes at the next session. Forms of assent to the code were approved yesterday and the first batch of the 20,000 will go out today, 13,500 of which will go to theatres, exhibitor units, producers and distributors. Rosenblatt left for Washington after the meeting and said he plans to go to the coast at the end of the month to acquaint himself with certain production matters. Loew's 100 Per Cent Behind Code: Schiller Approximately 100 managers and asistant managers of Loew theatres in the metropolitan area were told the circuit was 100 per cent behind the code and that "no chiseling wil 1 be tolerated" by E. A. Schiller at a meeting which began at the Astor Theatre at midnight Wednesday and terminated early yesterday morning. Schiller spoke for about one hour and a half analyzing the code and laid stress on the clause which bars subsequent runs from advertising prior to seven days before expiration of a previous run. Discuss Code at MPPDA Attorneys for member M.P.P.D.A. companies met at the Hays office yesterday for discussion and interpretation of the code. Bank Shutdown Perturbs Failure of the Huguenot Trust Co. of New Rochelle to open its doors Wednesday is proving disturbing to a number of film men who bank there. NRA Pleased Commenting on the reaction of the industry on the code, Division Administrator Sol A. Rosenblatt yesterday stated he is "getting splendid cooperation from every branch of the industry." "I can't praise the results too highly," he said following a meeting of the Code Authority. Cole Holds NRA Is Exhibitor "Blessing" By H. A COLE President, Allied of Texas Dallas, Jan. 4. — NRA has brought us the blessing of a fair degree of prosperity during the last few months so that Christmas this year was something like a real Christmas for the exhibitors in this part of the country. Whether or not it is going to offset the good we have received so far through the general prosperity of the country, by making the lot of the independent exhibitor unbearable during the coming year, it is hard to say. While I realize the danger to independent exhibitors, I am still not at all discouraged, because I am old fashioned enough to believe in some of the old maxims like "Right will prevail" and "Honesty is the best policy" and maybe there is a Santa Claus after all ! Anyhow, here's hoping ! Prosperity Gaining A Foothold: Neilan (Continued from page \) events cast their shadews before them', which I think can be applied to the outlook of the industry for 1934. A diversity of opinion regarding the effects of the code authority has not dampened the general spirit of optimism which seems to prevail in all branches of the business and such confidence must be warranted. "From reports on all sides it would seem that prosperity has at last gained a foothold throughout the nation and with an added impetus as the weeks go on the motion picture the_atres should reap the benefits of increased attendance — provided of course that we in and of the industry do our utmost to provide the theatre loving public with a superior grade of entertainment. "It was this conviction that prompted my return to independent production activities and as the new year of 1934 starts I have a sincere feeling of confidence that the trend of motion picture prosperity is definitely upward." Stoll Profit $406.45 London, Jan. 4.— Profits of Stoll Theatres Corp. for the year ending Sept. 30 were $406.45. This compares with a net of $87,917 for 1932. The amusement tax, known in this country as the entertainment duty, is blamed in the company report. Stoll theatres point out that the tax hits stage shows much more heavily than films and say no profits can be expected until the tax is changed. Legitimate Theatre Code Change on Way Proposed changes in the legitimate theatre code will be heard at a special meeting in Washington shortly, Division Administrator Sol A. Rosenblatt stated yesterday. On Tuesday he attended a meeting of theatre men at the League of New York Theatres at which changes were proposed. The date for the hearing has not been set, Rosenblatt stated. The division administrator returns to New York next Wednesday for three meetings on amusement codes. In the morning he will attend the hearing on the burlesque code, in the afternoon he will be present at the legitimate theatre session and at 7 P. M. he will sit in on the adjourned session of the Code Authority of the film industry. Sirovich Uncertain He'll Push Quiz Now Washington, Jan. 4. — No decision has yet been reached by Representative Sirovich of New York as to whether he will prosecute his investigation of the film industry this session. A resolution providing for an investigation of financial, operative and business irregularities and illegal actions by interests inside and outside the industry was introduced by him last spring. Many of the actions which would be investigated under the Sirovich resolution were brought to light by the Senate committee which this fall investigated Wall Street activities, and some of the practices complained of are covered by the code. A study of these factors will be made by the Congressman before he determines what action shall be taken with respect to his proposed investigation. Show More Soviet Film Third of a series of showings on "The History of the Soviet Film" will be held tomorrow night at the NewSchool for Social Research, 66 West 12th St. under the auspices of the Film and Photo League. Court Allows Stock Sale New Orleans, Jan. 4. — Kennington-Saenger Theatres, Inc., at Jackson, Miss., in which Saenger owns 50 per cent, has been granted permission by U. S. Judge Wayne Borah to dispose of 150 shares to R. E. Kennington. Quota Law Skips Films Washington, Jan. 4. — Films are not affected by the forthcoming application of new French quota laws placing restrictions on 134 new products which never had been subject to import quotas before. Jewels to Reliable Reliable Film Export will distribute in all foreign markets entire output of Jewel Prod., first two of which are "Forgotten Men" and "The Jungle Killer." Warners Sign Gibson Hollywood, Jan. 4. — Hoot Gibson has been signed to star in "Cowboy in London" which Warners will make in the London studio. Decision Upon Code Expense Is Postponed (Continued from page 1) lion dollars, ranging from $400,000 to $650,000 per year. Chiefly responsible for the wide differences in the estimates are such major cost factors, as yet undetermined, as whether or not the members of local grievance and clearance and zoning boards who are not members of the industry will serve without remuneration or whether they will be paid ; also whether one secretary will serve for both grievance and clearance and zoning boards, or whether two will have to be employed in each key city, and, finally, whether the local boards will pay rent on offices of their own or utilize Film Board of Trade quarters in each key city. It was pointed out that the type of impartial member desired for the local code boards probably might require a sizeable remuneration. The code provides for one such member on each of the 32 grievance boards and each of the 32 clearance and zoning boards. Locally eminent attorneys and even jurists have been recommended for these posts in a number of situations, it was learned. If one secretary is found sufficient for both local boards in the 32 keys, their cost will be half what it would tally if a secretary is required for both of the local boards, it was pointed out. One observer also offered the opinion that if the local code boards were to use Film Board of Trade quarters they would probably be made available either without cost or at a charge much less than it would cost to maintain separate quarters which the local boards might utilize only three or four times a month. Until these undetermined cost factors have been settled upon, the complete cost of code administration cannot be gauged, and until it has been a method of taxing the industry to bear such cost is not likely to materialize, it was said. Los Angeles Passes Ban on Tango Games (Continued from page 1) menace, but the stoppage is expected to be a boon to all phases of the show business. This game had become so gripping that the parlors did a land office business. Chairs were filled from early hours of the afternoon until the wee small hours of the morning. Housewives spent their afternoons playing the cards and spending the family budget, while at night the masculine speculator with their wives and sweethearts filled the parlors until their last dime was spent. Reeves on Dubbing Job Reeves Sound Studios is dubbing the French "Three Lucky Fools," starring Tito Schipa, and will release it shortly. Signs Dorothy Wilson Hollywood, Jan. 4. — Dorothy Wilson has been signed to a seven-year contract by Charles R. Rogers.