Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1934)

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The Leading #ewspape^| Motiolj Picture Industry MOTION PICTURE DAILY Alert, Intelligent and Faithful Service; to the Industry in All Branches rOL. 35. NO. 38 NEW YORK, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1934 TEN CENTS VRA Seeking Code Change Suggestions toe of Subjects to Come Up at Capital Meet Washington, Feb. 14. — Suggestions r possible changes in codes are be5 sought by the NRA prior to the nference of code authorities to be Id here under Administrator Hugh Johnson's direction March 5-8. Additional provisions in codes and scific proposals for overlapping will ;o be discussed. Requests for sugstions are being addressed to code thorities and to trade association Je committees. Presumably this inides the Hays organization and Ali in the film industry. All sugBtions must be in by Feb. 20. No actual changes in codes will be ide at the conference, however, as meral Johnson made it clear several (Continued on page 8) 6-Hour Week Fails 0 Excite Industry Washington, Feb. 14. — Producers 7e read the code and have lost insst in the Recovery Administraa's plan for a general shortening of working week as a means of inasing employment, as they already operating on a 36-hour week, beed to be the figure aimed at by ministrator Hugh S. Johnson, it understood here. 1 survey of operative codes today w ed that most industries are work (Continued on page 8) o Action Expected 9n Roxy for a Week one of the four deals for the ty now before the first mortgage dholders will be accepted prior to shington's Birthday, it was officistated yesterday. All deals are tatus quo and it remains a toss-up o which of the four plans for remization will be accepted. istrian Theatres Halted by Uprising leatre business throughout Ausis virtually at a halt with all es closed in Vienna and other t cities throughout the country, ign representatives here were ad(Continued on page 9) Inclement Weather Keeps Gross Down in Key Cities This is the time of the year when theatres know bad weather is around. Their grosses keep reminding when memories slip. It's nothing in national circuit operation to note a drop of hundreds of thousands a week when the thermometer dips to zero and under. That's been happening. For the theatre week ending Feb. 2 and 3, key city grosses — 135 houses reporting — bulked $1,338,371 as compared with $1,348,517 for the same number of theatres the previous week. This index is based on box-office re (Continued on page 8) Korda Sees Biggest Film Year for Britain London, Feb. 14. — The prediction is made by Alexander Korda, producer for London Films, that "the year 1934 will be the most important in the history of film production in England," because the world lias at last discovered that the British are capable of turning out good pictures. Korda scoffs at the idea that the new prestige that has come to England as a producer of films is taking any glory away from Hollywood. (Continued on page 2) Birmingham Houses Battle a 10% Tax Birmingham, Feb. 14. — Threats of closing of half the theatres in this city are being made by opponents of a proposed 10 per cent admission tax. One theatre has advertised that it will close as soon as the tax is enacted. R. M. Kennedy, district manager for Valatenga Theatres, operating the Alabama, Ritz, Strand and Galax, and one of the owners of the Rialto, (Continued on page 2) Fox Met. Receivers To Seek Extension Extension of the receivership of Fox Metropolitan Playhouses for another six months will be asked today when Simon Fabian and Irving Trust Co., co-receivers, report on the last six months. The present term expires Feb. 18. Reorganization plans for the circuit are almost complete and may be submitted to Judge Julian Mack in the U. S. District Court this morning. At It Again The screen horizon would look bright Producers would get sleep at night If Webster only had been more prolific. There's just one thing halts filmdom's strides — The scarcity of words besides Stupendous and colossal and terrific. — By Jack Ellis Denies Code Forces Hays O.K. on Indies Washington, Feb. 14. — Denying any provisions of the code require independent producers to submit their scripts, stills or other material through the Hays California office for precensorship, Division Administrator Sol. A. Rosenblatt today declared no complaints of this nature have been received by him. Although reports have reached Washington that efforts have been made to initiate this practice, it is pointed out that the only provision of the code which could be used as a basis of such a demand is the industry's pledge to maintain right moral (Continued on page 8) ITOA Decides Upon 10-Point Program Setting up of a 10-point platform for the new fiscal year was decided upon by the I.T.O.A. at its regular meeting yesterday. The new stand followed a report of the past year by (Continued on page 9) No Decision Yet On Warner-Erpi Action No decision on further action in the Warner-Erpi litigation will be made before tomorrow at the earliest, George Quigley, Warner legal representative who has been active in con(Continued on page 9) Many Reject Places Upon Code Boards Reason Most Often Cited Is Press of Business Rejections of posts on clearance and zoning and grievance boards have been made by a number of nominees, who, when notified by telegram by Code Authority that they were being considered, have telegraphed back withdrawals. An average of about 75 telegrams has been sent out daily by the authority in the last few days to check up on men suggested for the boards. Reasons for refusing posts are varied. Chief among them is the complaint that pressure of business will not permit acceptance. In such cases the committee on selections sometimes picks men from the recommendations in hand and sometimes goes outside the lists. No more suggestions from the field have filtered in in the last few days. As soon as the committee on selec(Continued on page 8) Boards to Be Asked For Office Choices Reports that Code Authority was considering specific locations as quarters for local clearance and zoning and grievance boards are discounted in view of the fact that Executive Secretary John C. Flinn will get in touch with the various boards shortly after they are named and ask for suggestions for offices. The locations best suited for the personnel of the boards will be decided upon. Most of them are expected to be set up in film center buildings. Code Assents Reach New Total of 7,446 Returned unqualified assents to the Code Authority yesterday took a decided drop with only 33 received for the day. Over the week-end 255 came in. The new total is now at 7,446, and with two more weeks yet to go before the deadline is reached, it is anticipated the final figure will be well over 8,000. Authority Will Go Into Court Tuesday Members of the Code Authority on Tuesday notified Allied of acceptance of service to defend the suit of the (Continued on page 8)