Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1934)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Tuesday, February 6, Believe More Loew's Stock Sold by Banks (.Continued from page 1) on the day's trading and three and one-half points since a week ago, when the closing price was 29^. The average selling price for the period indicates that the two financial houses realized in excess of $5,000,000 on their block of 165,000 shares. This compares with an estimated $4,500,000 realized by the Chase National Bank on the sale of a similar block two weeks earlier. The stock holdings represented the equities of the three concerns in a defaulted $20,000,000 note issue of Film Securities Corp., which was secured by 660,900 shares of Loew's. The three financial houses and A. T. & T., who were the holders of the notes, divided the Loew's stock among them in proportion to their holdings of the defaulted notes. A. T. & T.'s share was 330,000, which it is believed to be still holding, although spokesmen for the company have declared that it has no intention of maintaining a permanent financial interest in any amusement company. Warners Deny Story Of Germans' Protest Newspaper reports that the German charge d'affairs at Panama had requested the foreign secretary there to ban Warners' "Captured" as "offensive to the dignity of the German people" were denied here yesterday by foreign department representatives of Warners. The company also denied, as published, that the film has been banned in Mexico as the result of a similar protest there. Warners declared that it is without knowledge of any protest in Panama and that prints have been shipped there. They also declared that the picture is now playing in Mexico and has been approved by the German consulate at the capital. Capitol to Use Name Acts as New Policy (Continued from page 1) more will head the show beginning Friday. This will make necessary a rearrangement of the orchestra along different lines, explained Louis K. Sidney yesterday in outlining the reason for giving the current musicians two weeks' notice. May Do B. I. P. Script Hollywood, Feb. 5. — James McGuiness, whose M-G-M contract runs out next month, plans a trip to London to pick up a standing offer to write one script for British International. At the minute, McGuiness is writing the screen version and dialogue of "Tish" stories by Mary Roberts Rinehart. Joe May Is Assigned Hollywood, Feb. 5. — First Joe May assignment for Columbia is the tentatively titled "Fifi and Her Five Boys." The German director is awaiting arrival of Schultz and Wilder, writers, from Europe before going ahead. Zero Weather Hits Takes In East and Middle West (Continued from page 1) ing outstanding. "Eskimo" failed to reach par either at the Minnesota in Minneapolis or the Paramount in St. Paul. "By Candlelight" at the Minneapolis World and "Emperor Jones" at the small World in St. Paul were both strong. "The House on 56th Street" was $5,000 up with a $6,000 take at the Minneapolis State. "Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen" and "Smoky" did well, but "Advice to the Lovelorn" "Convention City" and "Fugitive Lovers" were only par draws. Business eased off a bit in Boston, but even so every house except two was above normal. "Search for Beauty" and a revue reached $33,000 at the Metropolitan. "King for a Night" and a musical show, "New Yorkers," had a strong $18,000 at the Boston. "Beloved" and "Eskimo" took $17,000 and $18,000, respectively, at Keith's and Loew's State. The only two other attractions to reach par were "Hi, Nellie" and "Orient Express" on dual bills at the Fenway and the Paramount. Chicago Snaps Out Of It Chicago had a zero spell that slowed up business early in the week, but it picked up later. "All of Me" and "The Student Prince" took a fine $42,000 at the Chicago, and "Advice to the Lovelorn" at the Palace and "Love, Honor and Oh Baby" at the State-Lake were normal. "Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen" had a weak $10,000 at McVickers. "Dinner at Eight" took $15,000 in its third week at the Oriental and "Gallant Lady" was good for $11,000 in its second wreek at the United Artists. "The Private Life of Henry VIII" was the only strong draw of the week in San Francisco. Its $10,500 gross at the United Artists was over normal by $2,500. "Rainbow Over Broadway" and "Woman's Man" reached $11,000, up by $2,000, at the Fox, but only one of the other first runs, the President with "Forgotten Man," reached average, $3,000. Oklahoma City had a bad week with "House on 56th Street" the only first run attraction to exceed normal. The take was $3,100 at the Capitol. "I Am Suzanne" at the Midwest was good for a par $4,000, but "Fugitive Lovers," "Lady Killer" and "Midnight" were weak. Cleveland Likes "Carolina" "Carolina" overcame the handicap of zero weather in Cleveland by piling up $15,000 at Warners' Hippodrome. The average take there is $5,000. "The Meanest Gal in Town," with Amos 'n' Andy on the RKO Palace stage, took the only other big gross of the week, $22,500. "Advice to the Lovelorn," at the Allen, and "Sons of the Desert" and "Lone Cowboy" at the Stillman were even. "Massacre" had a good $2,600 at Warners' Lake. "Eskimo" was weak with $8,000 at Loew's State. "Invisible Man" and "Master of Men" were the only two single bills in Portland to demonstrate any strength. The former took $3,800 at Hamrick's Music Box and the latter grossed $2,500 at Pantages. "From Headquarters" and "Goodbye Loye" made up the strongest dual bill at Hamrick's Oriental. The take was $3,000. "Convention City" and "Massacre," "I Am Suzanne" and "Hell and High Water," and "Moulin Rouge" were just average. "Gallant Lady" ran away with top honors in Seattle, getting $6,000 at the Music Box. The new policy at the Paramount, with "Sons of the Desert" on the screen and the four AlDee Sisters heading the stage show, took $7,500. "Lady Killer" made a par $4,000 at the Blue Mouse. "Dinner at Eight" fell off to $6,500 in its second week. Two duals, "Eight Girls in a Boat" and "Massacre" at the Orpheum and "Girl Without a Room" and "King for a Night" at the Roxy, were weak. $27,000 Despite Cold A combination of "Fugitive Lovers" on the stage and Earl Carroll's "Vanities" on the screen at the Pittsburgh Penn sent the gross up to $27,000 in spite of zero weather. "I Am Suzanne" led the straight films wrth $6,700 at the Fulton. "Jimmy and Sally," with a revue on the stage at the Pitt, took $6,500. Other first runs were hard hit by the cold weather. "Cross Country Cruise" had a weak $1,700 at the Davis, "Four Frightened People" was down to $5,700 at the Stanley, and "Let's Fall in Love" was away off with $3,300 at the Warner. "Sons of the Desert" on the screen and Ted Lewis on the stage at the Palace piled up a remarkable $12,500 last week, topping the regular take by $8,000. Business elsewhere was nothing to get excited about. "She Done Him Wrong" was just fair at the Apollo with $2,000, "Four Frightened People" was good for a par $3,500 at the Circle, and "Long Lost Father" took the same amount at the Indiana. "Beloved" was even at $6,000 in the Lyric. "Hollywood" Montreal Lead "Going Hollywood" was the big film noise of the week in Montreal. It ran up to $10,500 at the Capitol. "Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen," helped by a vaudeville bill, reached $12,000, up by $1,500, at Loew's. "Gallant Lady" and "Girl Without a Room" had a good $6,500 at the Princess, but the other dual, "The Conquering Sex" and "Day of Reckoning," wras weak at $10,000 in the Palace. In Kansas City "The Invisible Man" on the screen and "Fifty Million Frenchmen" on the stage of the Mainstreet were good for $15,000, over par by $2,000. "Eskimo" had a good $10,700 at the Midland. "I Was a Spy" at the Uptown and "Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen" at the Newman had a hard time meeting the competition. "Gallant Lady" held up to $23,901 in its second week on Broadway at the Rivoli. "Women In His Life" was weak at $22,941 in the Capitol. Other Broadway takes were : "Fashions of 1934," second week at the Hollywood, $7,240; "Beloved" at the Roxy, $25,000 ; "Massacre" at the Strand, second week, $12,570. Big Cheese Club List Al Jolson, Rudy Vallee, Jack Pearl, Walter Connolly, George Jessel, Commander Paul Moss, L. Adamic, and Buford Armitage will be guests of the Cheese Club, which meets at Leone's today. Para. Helped By Voiding oi Rental Claim (Continued from page 1) Paramount Publix and brings the cc pany a step nearer to its ultimate c charge from bankruptcy. Appro: mately $11,000,000 in future it claims are on file against Paramo Publix while an additional $3,500,0 are on file against Publix Enterprise Hearings on one test claim for $15 000, riled against Publix Enterpriby Sunrise Corp., a theatre less> have been delayed for months pendi the Supreme Court decision. It is e pected that the claim will be dismiss when it comes before Referee Hen K Davis at the next scheduled hea ing, Feb. 27. Subsequent disrnis: of all other future rent claims fil against the companies are believed be assured by the Supreme Cour ruling. Rent Claims Not Affected The approximately $20,000,000 future rent claims filed against RK are not affected by the decision, whi applies only to estates in bankrupt RKO is in equity receivership. The Supreme Court's ruling w handed down in connection with action brought against United Cig Stores, a bankrupt, by New York a Omaha landlords who leased prope ties to the chain store company. Ce tain leases involved were repudiat when the company went into ban ruptcy and as a consequence the lan lords filed claims against Irvi: Trust Co., trustee in bankruptcy f United Cigar Stores, for rent on t unfulfilled portions of the leases. T Supreme Court's ruling upheld c cisions of the lower Federal coui in New York which had held tr bankruptcy relieved lessors of liabili under broken leases and that truste in bankruptcy could not be held i sponsible for losses of rent caused repudiation of such leases. The landlords contended that ma concerns went into bankruptcy mere to break leases, and charged that was particularly true of chain orgai zations. Tenants countered with t assertion that landlords could n prove specific damages from leas broken in bankruptcy because t properties vacated could be rented many instances to new tenants at t same or higher rates. Cameramen Discuss Reorganizing Unio Hollywood, Feb. 5. — Members I. A. T. S. E. cameramen's union d cussed ways of recovering ground a meeting held tonight. Plans for reorganization were taken up. Action had been made necessa by the new agreement between t producers and the A. S. G, which t I. A. T. S. E. men call a "compa union." The union seeks a guarantee representation on code boards a committees for its five classificatioi revision of the bylaws to conform suggestions of the members, enforc ment of wages and conditions pr vided for in the code, and pushi: demands for speading employment.