Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1934)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY 14 ITOA-Union To Talk Wage Scales Today (Continued from page 1) kept both organizations at swords' points in recent weeks. Today's conference was fixed following a meeting yesterday at I.A.T. S.E. headquarters, where amity was pretty much the order of the day. Present were Division Administrator Sol A. Rosenblatt, representing the Recovery Administration ; William C. Elliott, president and Fred Dempsey, vice-president, of the I.A.T. S.E. ; Harry Brandt, president of the I.T. O.A. ; Milton Weisman, his attorney ; Harry Sherman, president of 306, and Samuel Birnbaum, his attorney. I.T.O.A. scales, fixed in the neighborhood of $75 and up, have aroused the opposition of Local 306, which insists on and has been getting, a scale several times higher in certain types of theatres. New Theatre Union To Draft Pay Rates New wage scales for ushers, doormen, janitors, cashiers and ticket takers will be drafted as a basis for collective bargaining with theatre operators at a meeting of the 1,000 members of Local 118, Building Service Employes' Union, to be held at Bryant Hall Jan. 10. Organization of the unskilled theatre employes and plans for next week's wage scale meeting were detailed in Motion Picture Daily on Dec. 11. IATSE Is Denied Writ Against IBEW Hollywood, Jan. 4.— The I.A.T. S.E. suit to get an injunction against the I.B.E.W. to spike an allegedly collusive agreement with major studios was decided today in favor of the latter by Superior Court Judge Leon R. Yankwich, who denounced the former for bringing the matter to court when, he said, labor unions have been fighting for years against injunctions. The court asserted I.B.E.W. contracts with studios were free of any collusion. Mrs. Bella Cohn Buried Funeral services for Mrs. Bella Cohn, mother of Harry and Jack Cohn, who died Saturday, were held yesterday at the West End Funeral Chapel, 115 West 79th st. Burial was at the old Mt. Carmel Cemetery, Cypress Hills. Hollywood, Jan. 4. — All activity ceased at Columbia studios today from 10 to 11 A. M. in tribute to Mrs. Bella Cohn, while her body was being laid to rest in New York. Would Ban Nudist Films Hollywood, Jan. 4.— With "Elysia" in its seventh week here, a resolution has been presented to the City Council demanding a ban on all nudist films through an amendment to the ordinances governing indecent shows. Amusing "The Rasslin' Match," first of the Amos 'n' Andy cartoon series, Van Beuren-produced, with black-and-white figures representing the comedians but given expression through the team's actual voices, opened at the Music Hall at the supper show last night. The cartoon work is well done, the entire conception nicely handled. The initial subject is amusing on all counts. K. "U" Moving Soon to Rockefeller Center (Continued from page 1) be redecorated and connected with stairways. The lease is for 10 years. Floor area will be somewhat larger than the present four floors in the Heckscher Building at Fifth Ave. and 57th St., which have been occupied since Oct., 1924. Provision will be made for about 300 employes in the executive, sales, export, accounting, advertising, publicity, exploitation, purchasing, accessory and eastern scenario offices; Universal Weekly, Universal Newsreel, and art and poster departments. The newsreel office is to be laid out like a city room with ticker service and U. P. and A. P. wires, as well as a machine for enlarging newsreel clips. Cameramen's headquarters will also be there, but the editorial department will remain in the laboratory on West 146th St. This is Universal's third move. It began at 1 Union Square and moved to 1,600 Broadway in May, 1912. "U" Sets Starting Dates on 11 Films Hollywood, Jan. 4. — Following a series of conferences between Carl Laemmle, Carl Laemmle, Jr., and James R. Grainger, Universal has set release dates and production starting dates on 11 features for 1934. First to get under way will be "Countess of Monte Cristo," now being adapted by Karen de Wolfe from the Walter Fleisch play. It starts Jan. 10 with Karl Freund directing. "If I Was Rich" goes into production Jan. 15, with Edward Ludwig directing. Earle Snell is doing the adaptation from the stage play by William Anthony McGuire. The B. F. Zeidman production, "Glamour," from the Edna Ferber novel, goes into work 10 or 15 days later. Doris Anderson is doing the script. These are for March release. For April release is an untitled Edmund Loew starring vehicle, "The Human Side," by Christine Ames, and "Bachelor Wife," by Harry Segall. Writing, directorial and cast assignments on these films will be announced by Carl Laemmle, Jr., prior to his departure for Europe Jan. 15. "Elizabeth and Mary," an original costume screen play; "Today We Live," the Frank Borzage production; "Little Man, What Now?", featuring Margaret Sullivan, and ;'The Practical Joker," with Chester Morris, have been spotted on the May release schedule. Director John M. Stahl is now working with George O'Neil on the adaptation of Fannie Hurst's "Imitation of Life," slated for cameras before March. An untitled story by James Whale is now being prepared in London, with R. C. Sheriff collaborating with Whale. Ken Maynard, with two more features to make before completing his universal contract, begins "Honor of the West" Jan. 15. James R. Grainger, "U's" general sales manager, arrives in New York from a cross-country sales trip Monday morning. Buck Reveals Joint Where Bear Got Him Frank Buck, the big "Bring 'Em Back Alive" and "Wild Cargo" man from Singapore, returned to New York yesterday after 10 months in wild animal territory, and displayed a heavily bandaged knee to a group of trade paper reporters gathered in the office of Amedee J. Van Beuren, for whose company Buck's latest picture was made. "A bear got me," Buck explained, rolling up his trouser leg to reveal the thickly swathed joint. "I didn't know there were bears in the Malay Peninsula," remarked an unsympathetic reporter. "Let's see the bite," he added, skeptically. "Well, anyway, it made a good story for the newspapers," sighed a Van Beuren publicity man as Buck rolled down his trouser leg without unraveling the bandage. Buck sent back over 100,000 feet of film which will be cut and edited to about 7,500 feet and released through RKO Radio about March 15 as "Wild Cargo." The adventure man thinks his new picture will have it "all over on 'Bring 'Em Back Alive,' " because it has "more action, more menace and faster story development," he said. Phil Reisman and Cress Smith were members of an RKO welcoming delegation which greeted Buck in Van Beuren's office. Buck and his wife were guests at noon at a Tavern luncheon. Present were George Bye, Conrad Berkovici, "Bugs" Baer, Joseph Connelly, Charles Colebaugh, Ned Depinet, Will Durant, Delight Dixon, Clayton Heermance, Harry Hansen, Sam Jacobson, Bradley Kelley, J. P. McEvoy, Fred McConnell, Rutgers Nielsen, Ursula Parrott, Richard L. Simon, M. L. Schuster, Frank Snell and Van Beuren. Paramount Heading For Rush at Studio Hollywood, Jan. 4. — With five features in work, Paramount is planning to start eight more this month and four more in February. Seven are in process of editing. Features in production are : "The Scarlet Empress," "Bolero," "No More Women," "Good Dame" and "Baby in the Icebox." Those scheduled to start this month are : "Melody in Spring," "We're Not Dressing," "The Trumpet Blows," "It Ain't_ No Sin," "Murder at the Vanities," "Honor Bright," "Come on Marines" and "The Man Who Broke His Heart." Those on the February starting list are: "Double Door," "Often a Bridegroom," "Thirty Day Princess" and "Little Miss Marker." In process of editing are : "Four Frightened People," "All of Me," "The Last Round-Up," "Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen," "Search for Beauty," "Six of a Kind" and "Death Takes a Holiday." Radio Gets Austen Novel Radio has acquired the rights to Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," and is planning to make it as a "companion picture" to "Little Women." Katharine Hepburn will probably be starred. Friday, January 5, 1934 Budget Total For U. S. Set At 6 Billion Washington, Jan. 4. — A national debt of nearly $32,000,000,000 by June 30, 1935, today was indicated by budget estimates of nearly $6,000,000,000 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, next, sent to Congress by President Roosevelt. The budget for the coming year will be approximately $3,000,000,000 less than is to be spent during the current year, proposing the gradual withdrawal of the Government from relief work. The President estimates that only $2,000,000,000 will be required during the next fiscal year, less than a third of the current appropriations, while expenditures for normal operation of the Federal establishment will show a slight increase, but, less public debt requirements, will be under $3,250,000,000. Estimates for the Navy carry $85,000 for purchase and rental of films, the same amount as for the current year. Actual expenditures for this service in 1933, before the present economy program was adopted, were $130,000. The usual sum of $165,000 is carried for film and other recreational and athletic equipment. A small increase, from $23,479 to $28,065, is proposed for the Specialties and Motion Pictures Division of the Department of Commerce. The appropriations for film work in the Department of Agriculture is to be increased from $59,115 to $61,806. Of interest to exhibitors, the budget contemplates the restoration of onethird of the 15 per cent pay cut now in force, beginning July 1, next. British Films Show Big Jump in Canada Washington, Jan. 4. — Canadian imports of British films have tripled during the past 12 months, according to reports to the Motion Picture Division of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce from Consul Damon C. Woods at Toronto. The figures are based on reports of the Ontario Board of Censors which show that for the fiscal year ending Oct. 31 76 of the 490 films offered for censorship were of British origin. All other films censored, except two. were American. Frisco Paramount Switches to Duals San Francisco, Jan. 4. — Still battling for grosses in the local price war, the Paramount, which only two weeks ago reduced its general admissions from 55 to 40 cents, has now gone double bill. The first bill under the policy is "Design for Living" and "Smoky." "Alice in Wonderland," which ran only five days, closed the house's single feature policy. Levine Heading East Hollywood, Jan. 4. — Nat Levine has left for the east. He will visit exchanges on the way to New York.