Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1934)

id MOTION PICTURE DAILY Thursday, March 22, 1934 Tentative Program as Set for M.P.T.O.A. Convention (Continued from pane 8) "How Pictures Are Put Together," by a prominent production executive. "Self Regulation in Advertising Motion Pictures." Speaker not as yet designated. Open Forum on production, distribution and exhibition. 1:00 P.M. Adjourn until 10:30 Thursday. Luncheon. Afternoon 2 :30 P. M. Trips through the studios. Busses will leave on schedule. Evening Entertainment or studios parties as arranged by local committees. Thursday, April 12 Forenoon 10 :30 A. M. Session called to order by President Kuykendall. "What the Code Means to the Country Town Exhibitor," by a small town exhibitor. "What the Code Means to the Metropolitan Exhibitor," by a representative unaffiliated exhibitor from a large city. Open Forum on Code Matters Relating to Trade Practices — Ed Kuykendall presiding. Cut rate competition, zoning and clearance, premiums, overbuying, rejection privileges, double features, etc., will be discussed from the floor. Open Forum on Labor Matters — Jack Miller presiding. Two operators in the booth, minimum wage scales, maximum hours and conditions of employment, racketeering and intimidation by labor organizers, etc., will be discussed. Report of resolution committee. Report of resolutions committee. Installation of officers for the coming year. Business sessions adjourn sine die. Afternoon 2 :00 P. M. Final trips through the studios. Busses leave on schedule. Evening 7 :30 P. M. Convention banquet at the Ambassador. Distinguished speakers of national prominence. Unusual entertainment features. Motion picture stars and personalities as guests. Council Told 75% of Films Hit the Mark (Continued from page 1) "primitive, vulgar influences" on the nation's youth. Mrs. Belmont, perhaps sounding the keynote of a new reign of reason in council activities, was even moved to tender the industry her congraulations for turning out that 75 per cent of the product which "passes even our (the council's) scrutinizing eyes." "For those pictures we congratulate the industry," she said. "We appreciate the strides it is making in artistic progress, but it is that other 25 per cent that we are after." Mrs. Belmont assured those present that the council was not "out for censorship." "We do not believe," she said, "that censorship can bring any lasting improvement. We have the experiment of prohibition behind us to assure us that telling people what they can and cannot do is not the way to solve a social problem. Our objective will be the education of the individual to demand better things of the motion picture industry and to exercise self-control in giving patronage to present-day films." Block Booking Unmentioned No mention was made of block booking by any of the luncheon speakers. Mrs. Belmont, however, broached a plan of cooperation between Hollywood producers and producers of purely educational pictures, which, she said, are not successful now "because their producers lack much of the technique developed by Hollywood." With Hollywood's cooperation, she suggested, educational films could be presented in theatrical form, acceptable for child patronage but not to be shown in a theatre. School halls or civic auditoriums would be better, Mrs. Belmont believes. She estimated that more than 28,000,000 juniors, of whom about 11,000,000 are under 14 years of age, attend film theatres weekly. She declared that parents cannot investigate every picture made in order to guide their children's attendance at theatres, and as the film industry "has assured us many times that it is not a philanthropy and that its only guide is the box-office," the council's duty is to meet the situation thus created. It proposes to do this, she said, both by education of the individual and by formation of advisory committees on production, "to consist of people who are really trained in the arts connected with the movies," in order to obtain better film fare for children. Appeal for Funds A plea for contributions of from $1 to $1,000 to make up a $200,000 fund for the council's activities was made by Herbert S. Houston, former publisher of World's Work. Pamphlets advertising the sale of Payne Fund studies on film subjects, which have been published in book form, were in evidence on all sides. At the speakers' table, in addition to Mrs. Belmont and Houston, were Mrs. James Roosevelt, mother of the President ; Rev. William P. Short, business manager of the council ; Dr. Fred M. ' Trasher, of N. Y. U.; Dr. Cline M. Koon, of the division of radio and motion pictures, U. S Dept. of Education : Angelo Patri. educator : Dr. Frederick Peterson, neurologist : Mrs. F. Trubee Davison ; Mrs. Daniel Gugsrenheim : Mrs. Nicholas F. Brady ; Mrs. William Barclav Parsons and Tohn H. Finley, editor of the N. Y. Times. "The M. P. Research Council _ is neither for nor against the motion oicture industry." Finley said in a brief address. "It is independent and its interests are those of the public and the world." "Harum" Sweetens B.O. Cincinnati. March 21. — "David Harum" did an outstanding box-office job at the RKO Palace when it piled up an estimated gross of $13,200. This tops some of the vaudefilm weeks before the house switched policies recently. The picture moves to the RKO Capitol for the second stanza, where present indications point to a take of around $7,000. Local angle is being plaved up in the advertising on account of Evelyn Venable. a native daughter. St. Louis. March 21. — In the first three davs of "David Harum" at the Fox, F. & M. took in over $10,000 and expect to hold the picture for 16 days, the length of the run on "It Happened One Night." Spokane "Nana" Ban Stirs Hamrick* s Ire Seattle, March 21 — John Hamrick, owner of the Music Box here, has taken up the fight for "Nana," in its run-in with the Spokane censor board, which has barred the film on the ground it contains too much sex, the exhibitor reveals in a telegram to E. W. Jorgenson, editor of the Spokane Press. "I believe." declares Hamrick. "the public want 'Nana' and no censor board should deprive them of the privilege of seeing the picture." Banning of "Nana" in Spokane will be contested in city courts there by Washington representatives of the distributor. James Mulvey. sales representative for Samuel Goldwyn. said yesterday. No action on the ban will be taken by the New York office, he said. Pick Fazenda's First Hollywood. March 21. — Louise Fazenda's first assignment under her new M-G-M contract will be "Comin' Round the Mountain." in which she will be co-starred with May Robson. "Comin' Round the Mountain" was previously slated for Marie Dressier and Polly Moran and then for Miss Dressier and May Robson. but the present uncertain health of Miss Dressier necessitated the switch. Chicago Tips Good $18,00 To "Palooka" Chicago, March 21. — Probably the best indication of straight picturedrawing power was registered at the United Artists last week when "Palooka" tipped the gross at that house to $18,000. Held over for a second week, business on "Palooka" is building up rather than suffering the usual decline. Two other spots came through with heavy takes. B. & PC's Chicago with "The Cat and Fiddle" on the screen and Ramon Novarro in person on the stage hung up $41,000. "David Harum" was strong at McVickers at $14,000. The RKO Palace skidded with "Success At Any Price" on the screen and Edmund Lowe on the stage. The week's take was down to $17,000. The previous week's figure was $27,000. First run business totalled $129,500. Average is $137,000. Estimated takings : Week Ending March 13: "PALOOKA" (U. A) UNITED ARTISTS — (1,700), 30c-40c-60c, 7 days. Gross: $18,000. (Average, $17,000) Week Ending March 15: "THE CAT AND THE FIDDLE" (M-G-M) CHICAGO— (4.000), 35c-50c-68c. 7 days Stage: Ramon Novarro & Co. Gross: $41,000. (Average, $34,600) "BLOOD MONEY" (U. A) ORIENTAL— (3,940), 25c-40c, 7 days Stage: Zelda Santley, Joe Parsons. Wefal & Stanton Revue. Frank Conville. Baves & Speck, Ted Cook band. Gross: $18,000. ( Average, $23,000) "SUCCESS AT ANY PRICE" (Radio) PALACE— (2,509), 35c-50c-75c, 7 days. Stage: Edmund Lowe, Mildred Bailey. Cookie Bowers, Barto & Mann. Gross: $17,000. (Average. $22,000) "THE SONG YOU GAVE ME" (Col.) STATE-LAKE— (2,776). 20c-23c-35c. 7 days. Stage: Watson Sisters, Four O'Connors. Radio Haymakers and others. Gross: $14,000. (Average, $17,000) Week Ending March 16: "DAVID HARUM" (Fox) McYICKERS— (2.284), 30c-40c-60c. 7 day?. Gross: $14,000. (Average, $13,000) "MASSACRE" (F. N.) ROOSEVELT— (1.591), 25c-35c-50c. 7 days/ Gross: S7.50O. (Average. $11,000) "Carolina" at Top Of Herald's Champs "Carolina" heads the February list of Motion Picture Herald's box-office champions. Other leaders for th( month were "Queen Christina." "Mou lin Rouge." "It Happened One Xight.' "The Cat and the Fiddle" and "Fashions of 1934." Gluck Ad Sales Mgr. Morris Gluck, formerly handlin; non-theatrical accounts at the Xev York Paramount exchange, has bee placed in charge of the ad sales de partment. Morris Volk, who has beer in the booking department of the sam exchange, takes over Gluck's forme duties. U. A. to Build in Londoi London, March 21. — The Londo Pavilion, this city's famous music hal will be demolished in April and on il site will be built a huge theatre b United Artists.