Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1934)

Wednesday, February 14, 1934 MOTION PICTURE DAILY Mississippi Levies Tax on Erpi Sound {Continued from page 1) similar equipment in 37 towns in this state, valued at $3,000,000. It leases the equipment to the theatres for a 10vear period, but pays no taxes, Mayrant Adams, deputy state tax collector, says. The Saenger in Biloxi and the Paramount in Gulfport are the houses involved. Attorneys for the company claim that the property had been assessed with the theatres and they say appeals will be taken to the Circuit Court. Fox Units Enjoined By Wisconsin Court Milwaukee, Feb. 13. — A permanent injunction preventing Fox Wisconsin Co. and Wisconsin Amusement Enterprises, Inc., from disposing of any assets pending disposition of the Statewide Theatres bankruptcy case has been ordered by Federal Judge F. A. Geiger. Clarence H. Benton, trustee for Statewide, sought the injunction, which supplants a restraining order of like conditions issued several weeks ago. Conditions of the injunction are such that ordinary operating expenses of Fox Wisconsin and Wisconsin Amusement Enterprises will continue to be met. A motion to dismiss a suit for want of jurisdiction brought by C. H. Benton, Statewide trustee, against Fox Wisconsin and Wisconsin Amusement Enterprises is scheduled to be heard Feb. 17 in District Court. Chase-G.T.E. Case Delayed; Judge III (Continued from page 1) National Bank for settlement of conflicting claims. The agreement provides for scaling down of a $20,000,000 claim against G. T. E. to $15,310,832 and waiving of any claims which G. T. E. may have against Chase. It is preliminary to a reorganization of G. T. E. and scaling down of its capitalization. Chase will, if the agreement is approved, give the new G. T. E. setup an option on 325,000 shares of Fox Film Class A stock at $15 per share. Switches Under Way In Fox Sales Staff (.Continued from page 1) manager in that area, his for many years, having been dropped. The shift has taken Moe Levy, Chicago branch manager, to Minneapolis, ' where he succeeds Jack Lorentz. The latter goes to Milwaukee, until now handled by A. J. Davis, who is un I derstood slated for a switch to anoth * er city. Chicago, Feb. 13.— Moe Levy was tendered a dinner by local film men prior to his transfer to Minneapolis and carried awav with him a golf outfit. Charter Foxwis Realty . Madison, Feb. 13.— Foxwis Realty Corp., a_ Delaware corporation, has filed articles in Wisconsin with an authorized capital stock of $3,000, paid in. A Real Short In "The Grasshopper and the Ants," a Silly Symphony in Technicolor, Walt Disney re-tells Aesop's immortal fable of the shiftless grasshopper and the industrious ants. The character of the happy-go-lucky grasshopper is summed up in the title of his theme song, "The World Owes Me a Living," which is apt to rival "Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf" in popularity. The opening scenes are in the summertime, with the ants working hard to fill their larders with food for the winter months. But the grasshopper sings, dances and plays his fiddle all day long, with the result that when winter comes, he has no food and has to be taken in by the ants. He earns his keep by his music, but playing a different tune than the one he sang all summer. A real short, this one. "U" Definitely Set On 36 Next Season (Continued from page 1) with Carl Laemmle and Carl Laemmle, Jr. The new season production conferences are slated to continue today with a discussion of box office performances of Universal product duriug the current season and types of pictures to be scheduled for 193435. J. R. Grainger, general sales manager, presided at the meeting. Also attending, in addition to both Laemmles. were R. H. Cochrane, P. D. Cochrane, Charles Payne, Andrew Sherrick, Ben Grimm, Paul Gulick, E. T. Gomersall, Frank McCarthv. W. M. Richardson, James Dermodv, F. Wittman, Sidney Singerman, Eddie Bond. Leo Abrams and home office department heads. L niversal's plans for production in France, now up for discussion, remained undecided yesterday. Max Friedland, European manager, will remain in America in order to make a Hollywood visit with Laemmle when he returns to the coat, probably this week-end. Important changes in production are in store for the industry, Carl Laemmle predicted last night in a radio address over an NBC hook-up. commemorating the 50th anniversary of his arrival in America. Laemmle, declaring himself a pacifist, said that "All Quiet on the Western Front" had ?iven him more satisfaction than any other picture he had produced because of its influence against war. He said the nicture had cost $1,400,000 to produce and "The King of Tazz" had cost $1,700,000. Meet in Des Moines Des Moines, Feb. 13. — Ralph Kohn. Sam Dembow and Y. Frank Freeman, Paramount theatre executives all, are due in from New York Wednesday to confer with A. H. Blank who undoubtedly will be selected as the fourth member of the company's national theatre advisory board. i Purely Personal > HARRY THOMAS, president of First Division and the Federation of the M. P. Industry, returns Saturday from Miami, and will spend the week-end away from the office. Dr. George Geller, brother of J. Louis, has passed his p.g. exams at the Berne University in Switzerland and sails Feb. 21 on the Chaiiiplain for home. Ernest Truex, who went through all kinds of nervous comedy antics in "The Expectant Father," is now playing the same role in real life. Robert Gillham yesterday dropped all cares as Paramount's advertising and publicity head and shook New York's cold weather for Florida. Lew Pizor, president of the M. P. T. O. of Eastern Pennsylvania, was in New York yesterday from Philadelphia. Ramon Novarro arrived in town yesterday. He starts a week at the Capitol on Friday. Janet Beecher will be interviewed over Station WOR by Radie Harris tonight. Film Exploitation Vital — A ylesworth (Continued from page 1) to outstanding attractions at the boxoffice, said Merlin H. Aylesworth on arrival here for conferences at Radio. Especially vital in this respect is the extensive exploitation of personalities, he said. A secondary factor in the success of a production is the choice of theatre, its suitability for the type of product offered, Aylesworth believes. The RKO chief is still full of wonderment over the way London acclaimed "King Kong," released last season. The tremendous reception of that picture was a pleasant surprise to company executives, he said. Aylesworth indicated that as a result of the success of "Little Women," a cycle of that type of picture may be expected. Ark. ITO Won't Affiliate Little Rock, Ark., Feb. 13. — Independent Theatre Owners of Arkansas voted against affiliation with any national organization at the closing session today of its first convention at the Marion Hotel here. Resolutions pledging support of the Code Authority and cooperation with other exhibitor organizations were adopted. Tri-Ergon Hearing Mar. 6 Hearing on Tri-Ergon's appeal from a decision dismissing its suit against local distributors and exhibitors has been adjourned to March 6 in the Supreme Court, appellate division, first judicial department. Lour Nizer is attorney for the distributor and theatre owners. Change Invincible Title Invincible has picked "Twin Husbands" as the release title for "Birds of a Feather," directed by Frank Straver and released through Chesterfield. "Played by CLARK GABLE, CLAUDETTE COLBERT and I directed in Frank Capra's best i manner, 'It Happened One Night' is ace entertainment headed for J real box office returns." I —Daily Variety * A great cast, a grand story, a swell | picture! ELISSA LANDI and I JOSEPH SCHILDKRAUT in "Sisters Under The Skin," with j Frank Morgan. Directed by David jj Burton. j