The Exhibitor (Nov 1938-May 1939)

8 THE NATIONAL MIRROR Republic Announces 50 Features, 4 Serials Eastern Men Meet in Neiv York City This morning (April 12) in the swank Park Central, New York City, New York foregathered home office officials, district franchise holders, branch managers, salesmen of the Republic Pictures Corporation to discuss the company’s 1939-1940 product. During the two-day session, president H. J. Yates, Consolidated Film Industries, Inc., will discuss the future of Republic; president M. J. Siegel, Republic Productions, Inc., the production angles; special representative William Saal, the 19391940 program in general; president James R. Grainger, Republic, the selling aspects involved; advertising-publicity Director Alvin A. Adams, the advertising, publicity on the set-up. At the April 12 sessions of the eastern regional sales meeting, Eastern District Sales Manager is to preside. Central district sales manager Harry A. LaVine wields the gavel April 13. Fifty feature productions, four serials will be on the 193 9-1940 Republic program to form the greatest schedule ever announced by the company. Summarily, the program will be composed of 26 "A” features, 24 westerns, four serials. While the western and serial plans parallel those of the 1938-1939 season, the elimination of "B” pictures make the new line-up noteworthy. Three series of feature productions and three series of westerns will be made. Following gives in greater detail, Republic’s ambitious schedule. DELUXE PRODUCTIONS (4).— "Seven Million Dollars,” by Sinclair Lewis; "The Dark Command,” by W. R. Burnett; "Two Orphans,” by R. D’Ennery; "Wagons Westward,” by Armstrong Sperry. ANNIVERSARY SPECIALS (6). — "Lady from New Orleans,” by Beth Brown; "Tillie the Toiler,” by Russ Westover, based on the newspaper cartoon strip; "Storm Over India,” by Achmed Abdullah; "Guilty of Treason,” by Peter B. Kyne; "Gangs of Chicago,” a sort of "sequel” to "Gangs of New York”; "The Crooked Road,” based on Nat Ferber’s soon-to-appear "I Found Out.” JUBILEE PRODUCTIONS ( 1 6) . — "Escape from Sing Sing,” by Louis Berg; "Call of the North,” by Jack London; "The Champ Maker,” by Kendal Evans, based on the life of Tex Rickard; "Bengal Border Patrol,” by Adrian Johnson; "Forgotten Girls,” by Earl Fenton; "Tom Sawyer Abroad,” by Mark Twain; "Wolf of New York,” by Nat Ferber; "Girl from God’s Country,” by Nell Shipman; "Bowery Boy,” by Sam Fuller; "A Sporting Chance,” by Richard Wormser; "Man of the Flour,” by George Broadhurst; "Here Come the Marines,” by Mildred Cram; and four Higgins Family pictures, namely "The Fighting Irish,” "A Day at the World’s Fair,” "We’re in the Money,” "Everybody’s Happy.” GENE AUTRY WESTERNS (8). — "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain,” "Village Barn Dance,” "Just a Song at Twilight,” "Old Faithful,” "Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride,” "RoundUp Time in Reno,” "Down by the Old Mill Stream,” "Carolina Moon.” ROY ROGERS WESTERNS (8). — "The Arizona Kid,” "Death Valley Days,” "In Old Cheyenne,” "Robinhood of the Pecos,” "Man from Rio,” "Washington Cowboy,” "Days of ’49,” "Wyoming Wildcat.” THREE MESQUITEERS ( 8) . — "Cowboys from Texas,” "Sons of the Saddle,” "West of Sante Fe,” "Oklahoma Outlaws,” "Rocky Mountain Rangers,” "Pioneers of the West,” "Covered Wagon Days,” "Arizona Skies.” SUPER-SERIALS (2). — "The Lone Texas Ranger,” in IS chapters; "Drums of Fu Manchu,” in IS chapters. STREAMLINE SERIALS (2). — "King of the Royal Mounted,” in 12 chapters; "Jimmy Valentine Strikes Again,” in 12 chapters. Among those attending the two-day session were: HOME OFFICE — H. J. Yates, James R. Grainger, Grover C. Schaefer, Alvin A. Adams, Harry LaVine, Jack Bellman, William Saal, John J. O’Connell, A. L. Pindat, C. Jones, D. Whalen, H. Marcus. BOSTON — Herman Rifkin, M. Edward Morey, Samuel Seletsky, Jack Davis, Al Fecke, Jack Jennings, Charles Wilson. NEW HAVEN — George Rabinowitz. NEW YORK — Herman Gluckman, Morris Epstein, Sidney Picker, David Sohmer, David Black, Anthony Ricci, Robert J. Fannon. PHILADELPHIA — Maxwell Gillis, Frank Hammerman, George Fishman, William C. Karrer, Norman Silverman, Jerry Lewis. WASHINGTON — Samuel M. Flax, Jacob E. Flax, Morris Oletsky, Edward Martin. Warners Banned in France A two months’ ban on Warner Brothers’ films in France was announced by the French Government last week. The penalty has been applied by cancellation of the American company’s film visas for the period. Even though "Devil’s Island,” believed responsible for the ban, has been withdrawn and has not been exported, France is maintaining the visa cancellation until April 21. This is the first example of this kind of reprisal, although France previously had occasion to protest the showing of films made in other countries than the United States. DA Meets May 8 United Artists will hold its 20th annual convention in Hollywood beginning May 8, Murray Silverstone announced last week. The entire field staff, together with the home office executive personnel, will be in attendance. At the convention, Silverstone will present to the organization the details of the company’s 1939-1940 product. Eleven producers will be represented on the release schedule of United Artists’ forthcoming season. RKO Plan Confirmed Federal Judge Bondy last week filed his decision confirming the RKO reorganization plan, thus ending six years of receivership and equity proceedings in 77B. RCA Adds Television Clause A supplement to the standard motion picture producers agreements covering the use of RCA Photophone sound-film recordings for television broadcasting purposes was mailed to all of the company’s recording licensees last week by Harry L. Sommerer, RCA Photophone Division head. The television amendment clears the way for RCA’s recording licensees not only to utilize existing motion picture sound recordings for television at no extra charge, but also for them to make motion picture sound records especially for television broadcasting purposes. The same royalty distribution rates applying to sound records for motion picture audience purposes will be applied to RCA recorded films for television broadcasting. Monogram Meets May 4 Monogram’s seventh international sales convention will be held at the Drake Hotel, Chicago, May 4, 5, 6, it was announced last week from Hollywood by W. Ray Johnston, president. The 200 salesmen and executives will hear the outline of the company’s plans for 32 features, 24 westerns. Arrangements are now being completed whereby the Monogram special train will leave from New York for Chicago taking on board representatives from the eastern branches at stated points. The southern and western personnel will likewise converge on Chicago in special trains. Paramount Confers on Coast Paramount home office executives who will confer with Y. Frank Freeman and studio officials on the 1939-1940 product left New York last week. It is expected that the home office group will remain in California approximately three weeks. At the conclusion of the product discussions of the studio, Agnew plans to visit the exchanges in San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Salt Lake before returning to his New York office. “Auld Lang Syne” Ready Major L. E. Thompson, RKO executive, and chairman Will Rogers National Theatre Week, announced last week the completion of "For Auld Lang Syne,” short subject for this year’s campaign. Stars include Spencer Tracy, Deanna Durbin, Lowell Thomas, Robert E. Sherwood, Raymond Massey. Picture was produced with the cooperation of Metro, 20th Century-Fox, RKO, Universal, Warners. Will Rogers National Theatre Week will be observed for seven days beginning April 20. April 12, 19)9