Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1934)

The Leading Daily Newspaper of the Motion; Picture Industry MOTION PICTURE DAILY Alert, Intelligent Faithful Service to the Industry in All Branches OL. 35. NO. 72 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 1934 TEN CENTS 3ara.-Publix \sks for End 3f Bankruptcy Four Circuits Here Seeking Board Places dove Is Court Formality Only Two Allotted Under With Action Later Provisions of Code Complying with a legal technicality > permit a reorganization of the comany some time this year. Paramount ublix yesterday filed a petition in U. . District Court here asking that the ompany be discharged from bankiptcy. The bankruptcy law requires that toch a petition be filed within one ear after a company has been adudicated a bankrupt in order to make eligible for reorganization during ie following year. Paramount filed s petition in bankruptcy March 14, but the petition remained under (Continued on pane 4) Jara.'s Entire 60 To Be Ready May 15 Paramount's entire 60 pictures on ie 1933-34 schedule will be cleared way by May 15, Emanuel Cohen, reduction head, who is here from the }ast for conferences on next season's :hedule, said yesterday. On that date 11 facilities of the studio will be ready 3r the new season's program, Cohen lid. Currently, there are eight pictures (Continued on page 4) nwo Loew Cleveland Houses Go to Duals Cleveland, March 27. — Effective ^pril 6, Loew's Granada, ace West ide house, and the Alhambra, subseuent run East Side house, go into a (Continued on pane 4) Toronto Needs Sleep Toronto, March 27.— A moral uplift wave has again struck Toronto with the result that the lid is being clamped down by the municipal authorities. Civic officials have now got it into their heads that midnight shows at theatres are immoral because they keep the natives up late nights. The city has applied to the Ontario Government for authority to prohibit the holding of late shows for any purpose so that the people will have to go to bed for the ' want of something else to do. Four local circuits are fighting for a place on the New York clearance and zoning board, with only two spots allotted them under code provisions. Circuit representatives seeking posts on the board are said to be Charles C. Moskowitz of Loew's, Leslie E. Thompson of RKO, Don Jacocks of Warners and George Skouras of Skouras theatres. According to the tentative lists originally set up, Moskowitz was down as first run affiliated exhibitor for the Xew York clearance and zoning board, while Skouras and Jacocks were men (Continued on page 4) MPTOA Picks Seven Convention Groups Seven standing committees were appointed yesterday for the M. P. T. O. A. annual convention on the Coast. April 9-12. They comprise grievances. NRA code-trade practices, XRA labor provisions, resolutions, legislation and taxes, public relations and community affairs and credentials and rules. Represented on these committees are the(Continucd on page 9) Censor Moves Worry Canada Distributors Toronto, March 27. — On top of the news that Canada's tiny Atlantic Seaboard Province of Prince Edward Island is considering a proposal for the creation of a film censor board because someone complained of the moral tone of "Henry VIII," comes the information that the Government of Saskatchewan wants to have its censor board at Regina, Sask. At present the Saskatchewan cen (Continued on page 9) New Theatre Union Talks Are Resumed Meetings with New York circuit representatives over recognition of Local 118, Theatre and Amusement Employes Union, were resumed yesterday before Mrs. Elinore M. Herrick at the NRA Regional Labor Board here. Representatives of Loew's attended yesterday's session. Other circuits will be summoned at meetings to be held later. The labor board declined to issue any statement yesterday. Darrow to Campi All members of Code Authority yesterday received the i olio wing wire from Clarence Darrow, chairman of the National Recovery Review Board, requesting their appearance in Washington tomorrow. "National Recovery Review Board requests your attendance at a hearing adjourned for the purpose of obtaining your presence Thursday, March 29 at 10, Willard Hotel, Washington. We desire your testimony with reference to practices of the motion picture industry." Board Quiz Hangs On "C. A." Presence Washington, March 27. — Further investigation of the code situation by the National Recovery Review Board tonight depended upon the appearance here Thursday of the members of the Code Authority, yesterday asked by Lowell Mason, counsel for the board, to come to Washington for questioning. Requests to appear at the Thursday hearing were today sent by the board to the sales managers of eight pro {Continued on pane 4) Delaware Censorship Opponents Lined Up Wilmington, March 27. — Representatives of the Hays office, Loew's, Inc., and the Independent M.P.T.O. of Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland will put up a united front against the proposed censorship bill at a hearing to be held this week at Dover. George A. Jones, manager of (Continued on page 9) Vitaphone vs. Erpi Suit in a New Move Wilmington, March 27. — Vitaphone filed a replication here today in its royalties action against Erpi, contending that allegations in its bill of complaint are true and that allegations in the defendant's plea that the state courts cannot assume jurisdiction (Continued on page 4) Actors' Federation To Receive Charter An American Federation of Labor charter will be presented tonight to the American Federation of Actors at 11 o'clock. The presentation will be made by Paul Dulzell, international secretary of the Associated Actors (Continued on page 4) Campi to Map Review Board Policy Today Government Body Lacks Power to Subpoena Members of Campi — Code Authority of the M. P. Industry — will determine today their course of procedure in reply to telegrams received from Clarence Darrow of the National Recovery Review Board asking their appearance in Washington tomorrow to discuss the code. The question was discussed informally but at length when it was determined to further air the matter with counsel of the various companies represented on Campi before adopting a course to be followed. It was pointed out that the broadness of the Darrow request constituted a situation (Continued on page 4) Sales Executives Not Notified Yet Sales executives of leading companies, with the exception of George J. Schaefer of Paramount, who, according to Washington advices, are also wanted to testify before the Review Board at tomorrow's hearing, had not received requests to appear up to late yesterday. Schaefer's summons was addressed to him as a mem (Continued on page 4) Labor Arbitration Up for Discussion Washington, D. C, March 27. — Proposals for the incorporation of clauses providing for the arbitration of all labor controversies, including those involving stage hands and musicians, are expected to be the subject of major importance tomorrow at (Continued on page 4) Biggest Tub Yet Hollywood, March 27.— Cecil B. DeMille's bathtub scenes are getting bigger and better. In "Cleopatra" the tub will be 100 ft. by 150 ft.— co-ed style, with Roman gentlemen and ladies. The scenes have just been filmed secretly, according to the publicity department, so the bathers wouldn't be "embarassed."