Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1934)

Monday. March 26. 1934 MOTION PICTURE DAILY NIRA Labor Clause Faces Test in Court (Continued from [•ape 1) and NRA attorneys in Albany on April 2. "We are not opposed generally to the principles of the NRA," Weisman stated. "We believe that in various quarters the NRA is being given an interpretation that is directly contrary to the general spirit of the act and is monopolistic in favor of and for Local 306 and its foster child, now openly taken into it, Empire. The interpretation is oppressive to other labor associations and would give Local 306 a perpetual franchise and monopoly in furnishing operators. "We feel and know the Supreme Court of the United States in the Adair case has held that the right of ,an employer to employ whom he sees fit is not to be denied him. "For Benefit of Local 306" "Under the strained interpretation which is being promulgated this fundamental concept is denied. Furthermore the denial is for the benefit of Local 306 and not for the advancement •of recovery, or to further the intermits of working persons. This is evident in the fact that the Regional Labor Board has held the fact that itlie new and other employes are working under shorter hours and receive more pay makes no difference. The board has held that where a contract with an employe has expired, the employer may not even, for cause, change his employes and the fact that the contract has not been efficiently filled In the workers and that it was originally obtained through intimidation and coercion is not to be considered. "Such ruling and holding in effect Igives the inefficient, dishonest and unreliable employes a virtual life position and saddles the employer with a burden he cannot bear and which we feel the XRA never intended he should." All Boards Thus Far Set Meet This Week (Continued from page 1) tions to the independent first run exhibitor on clearance and zoning and the affiliated distributor on grievance boards to get together and hold joint sessions of both boards. Campi (Code Authority Motion Picture Industry) still hopes to have the boards in operation by April 1. All members of the boards do not have to be present for the informal meetings to be called, Code Authority has informed them. As long as there is a quorum present the meeting can be held. Special forms for filing complaints with grievance boards will be sent out this week in order to insure uniform procedure. Another purpose of the form is to avoid legal action on complaints. Who? What? When? Who are the latest appointees on code boards announced by Code Authority in New York? More thumbnail sketdies, gathered by Motion Picture Daily correspondents, furnish the answer: San Francisco Ricketson Confers Here Rick Ricketson, division manager for F. W. C. in Denver, is in town for conferences with the Skourases j and Chase National Bank officials on " reorganization of Fox Rocky Mountain Theatres. San Francisco, March 25. — Chaiu.es H. Muehlman, representing affiliated national distributors on the San Francisco grievance board, is a former legitimate stage press agent who once operated the Savoy, now the President Theatre, here. From 1915 to 1918, he was local exchange manager for Fox and later an assistant to Joseph M. Schenck in New York. From 1918 to 1929, Muehlman was manager for Associated Producers locally and then manager for First National. There naturally followed his affiliation with Warners, for whom he is now branch manager in San Francisco. He is a member of the Film Board of Trade and of the Olympic Club. Barney Rose, representing unaffiliated distributors on grievance, was born on July 18, 1899, at Denver and gathered his education in high schools. From 1918 to 1922, Rose was a salesman for Arrow Film, with which W. Ray Johnston, now president of Monogram, was associated for years. His first period of employment with Universal got under way on Nov. 24, 1923, as a salesman, later becoming manager in Indianapolis. Since that time, he has been attached to the "U" exchanges in a number of cities, including Milwaukee, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Salt Lake, Denver and now San Francisco where he is the current manager. He came on from Denver about a year ago where, in addition to his official post with Universal, Rose was president of the Film Board. Cliff Work, representing affiliated exhibitors on grievances, is at present in charge of RKO theatre activities here and manager of the Golden Gate Theatre (3,700 seats). Earlier, he was a Pacific Coast divisional manager for the same circuit and opened the Golden Gate 12 years ago. When Nat Holt, another Californian who is now in charge of RKO houses in Cleveland, was handling the former Libson string in Cincinnati, Work was on his staff. He is active in public relations work and a member of the California Theatre Ass'n. Aaron Goldberg, representing unaffiliated exhibitors on grievances, is the manager and sole owner of five and 15-cent houses in Market St. He is credited with having opened the first nickelodeon, the Peerless, on June 22, 1912. and is a member of the Independent Theatre Owners' Ass'n. Goldberg has no affiliation in the operation of his five houses. They are the Circle (400), Egyptian (390), Peerless (300), Silver Palace (300) and Unique (300). A. C. Scales, impartial member on grievances, is director of the membership department of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, with which he has been identified for the past three years. He is a former member of the firm of Brooks and Scales, tire distributors, former manager of the Moreland Motor Truck Co., president of the California Golf Club, and president of the Men's Cathedral Club of the Grace Cathedral Church. G. C. Parsons, representing affiliated national distributors on clearance and zoning, was a branch manager for Goldvvyn Pictures and subsequently for M-G-M here since May 9, 1920. He is a former exhibitor with Baltimore as his scene of operations and at one time managed the Triangle exchange here. Parsons also is a member of the Film Board. Floyd St. John, representing unaffiliated distributors on clearance and zoning, came here as a manager for World Film under Ricord Gradwell and later opened an independent exchange as Cooperative. He is one of the original founders of Monogram and today distributes that company's product in northern and southern California. St. John operates two offices, one here and the second in Los Angeles. He is a member of the Monogram board of directors. A. M. Bowles, representing affiliated first runs on clearance and zoning, is general division manager for Fox West Coast in Northern California. He launched his film career years ago as an exhibitor in Livermore, Calif., then worked for Pathe as a salesman. Later joining Turner and Dahnken, Bowles became manager of the Tivoli, and subsequently general manager of the T. & D. circuit after which he began his present association with FWC. Bowles is president of the California Theatre Ass'n, is active in public relations work and is regarded generally as one of the outstanding figures in exhibition in this neck of the woods. In Bowles' division are the California (1,000 seats), Campus (1,500), U. C. (1,000) and United Artists (1,646) in Berkeley; Peninsula (1,800) in Burlingame; Kinema (1,400), Fox State (1,200), White (1,000). and Fox Wilson (1,800) in Fresno; Fox Oakland (3,500), Fox Senator (1,642), Orpheum (3,700), Grand Lake (1,700), New State (1,536) and Paramount (3.400) in Oakland; Fox Stanford (1,440) and Fox Varsity (875) in Palo Alto Monache (816) in Porterville ; Sequoia (1,200) in Redwood City; Fox California (1,544) in Richmond; Alhambra (2,000), Capitol (1,100), Hippodrome (1,705) and Senator (1,703) in Sacramento; Fox California (1,210) in Salinas; California (2,348), El Capitan (3,500), New Rialto (1,500), Paramount (3,000); St. Francis (1,400), Embassy (1,200). and Warfield (2,670) in San Francisco; California (2,067) and Mission (1,200) in San Tose; California (2,359) and Fox State (1.200) in Stockton; Grand (700) in Tracy; Senator (1,000) and Fox Virginia (1,000) in Vallejo; Appleton (956) md Fox California (1,170) in Watsonville. (Continued on page 6) Review Board Finds Fight On Its Hands (Continued from page 1) answer the charges which will be heard Monday. Only those who have formally asked permission to appear will be permitted to testify at the hearings, it was said, a rule which, if enforced, will make it impossible for the Administration to present its side of the case. Advised through the trade press of the hearing upon his return from New York, Division Administrator Sol A. Rosenblatt has called off a proposed trip to New Orleans in order that he may attend. Officials of the Administration Saturday were represented as highly resentful over the procedure followed by the board and preparing to go to the White House to protest the making of any report by the board until the Administration's side had been presented. It was pointed out that under the policy of the board opponents of codes, who were given full opportunity to present their views during negotiation of the agreements, can now go to the board with the same arguments, without any one to confront them with alternative testimony or cross examination. Finnegan to Stay, Rosenblatt Rules (Continued from page 1) vote. When Motion Picture Daily recently informed Means of Finnegan's appointment, the I. T. O. head declared : "That will never do." Rosenblatt, in reply, is understood lo have informed Means that recommendations for the impartial posts in Kansas City were made from various sources, including the I. T. O., and since an insufficient number of names had been submitted, additional recommendations were asked for. Finnegan's name thereupon was submitted as a highly respected and competent citizen, which description was verified in a check with the Chamber of Commerce and leading citizens, and the appointment followed, Rosenblatt is said to have told Means. Another consideration that is reliably reported to have caused the protest is that Finnegan, who has been zone sales manager here for Collier's 30 years and for a long time active in politics, is not well known among the suburbans. Means has never met him. Several who know Finnegan approve his appointment and say they feel certain politics will have no bearing on his decisions. Means said no further protest on Finnegan's appointment will be filed either by him or his organization. He is trying to ferret out the source of the recommendation. "Villa" to Criterion Opening of "Viva Villa" at the Criterion April 6 inaugurates the first of a series of two-a-day roadshows planned by M-G-M. The deal for the Criterion was closed Saturday and marks the initial M-G-M release in that house since "Mare Nostrum" about eight years ago.