The Film Daily (1934)

AKK lJ '■ Intimate in Character Internationa! in Scope Independent in Thought The Dai ly N ewspe iper Of M t i o n Pict ures Now Six teen Years Old VOL. LXV. NO. 8© NEW yOCK, fCIDAY, 4DRIL 6, 1934 3 CENT/ 1 8 Houses Added to Active List in Pittsburgh Area ALLIED STATES ASS'N FNEW PRODUCTION DEAL Remaking of Foreign Films by Hollywood on Increase Radio Village ... we calls it =-^5y JACK ALICOATE^= THE great theaters of Radio City are * landmarks of National importance. Their product, for the most part, comes from the RKO workshop in Hollywood. "Radio Village" we calls it. Here is a studio that is probably as fine, technically, ta any in the world. Under the able management of Ben Kahane, it is smooth running, efficient and thoroughly businesslike. Plans for 1934-35 are practically set. A string of 40 features and such stars as Ann Harding, Katharine Hepburn, Irene Dunne, Richard Dix, Francis Lederer and Fred Astaire will form RKO's platform for the coming campaign. We took lunch with head-man Kahane and his young, determined and competent studio maestro, Pandro Berman. Later a trip through the lot and for a few moments we were back in Longacre Square. In less than a mashie shot we renewed acquaintances with Lee Marcus, Lou Brock, Kenneth Macgowan, Glenn Allvine and Eddy Eckels. All product of the big town that went West and made good. THIS RKO lot is commencing to have tradition, too. We remember it as just another factory back in the good old days of FBO. Now, or at least for the past two years, it has carved its name deeply into the marble walls of industry achievement. Pandro Berman, producing executive, is a native of the lot. He was born and bred there, so to speak. He now tactfully rules the village in which he started, straight from scratch. Hollywood still present; golden opportunities for those big enough to meet its exacting requirements. Hark to the story of the well-liked Lee Marcus. He is now director of the RKO short subject department. Lee was at one time president of Pathe, a then major outfit. When Pathe stopped producing, Marcus was out. Surveying the field he deliberately turned his back on distribution and Started out to learn production. Up from the bottom, once again, he came, always glad to listen to those who have been through the production mill. Bulldog de (Continued on Page 2) Universal Leads in Number of Adaptations from Abroad Adaptation of foreign pictures using the original story and with the screen treatment as a guide is developing considerable proportions here. Fox is now remaking tht French film "Wooden Crosses," under the title "The World Moves On," and Universal is considering remaking "Czibi," a Hungarian production. Universal leads in the number of (Continued on Page 6) ACTIVITY AT BI06RAPH ABOVE EXPECTATIONS Production at the Biograph studios is at a higher peak today than was contemplated for the studio's first six months of existence, H. J. Yates stated to Film Daily yesterday. "Producers have been quick to see the value of Eastern produc (Continued on Page 6) 6 Per Cent Dividend Declared by Monogram Atlantic City — Monogram has declared a 6 per cent cash dividend, payable May 1, President W. Ray Johnston stated yesterday at the company's annual sales convention in the Hotel Ambassador. John F. Dillon Dies West Coast Bur., THE FILM DAVA' Hollywood — John Francis Dillon, director, died yesterday of heart trouble. He began his film career as an actor back in the Lubin, Kalem and Keystone days, later turning into a director, and for a time was one of the principal directors at First National. He was 47 years old. BUSINESS REPORTED UP IN LOW SCALE HOUSES Atlantic City — With opinion virtually unanimous that box-office business has increased between 10 and 15 per cent in every territory, Monogram exchangemen yesterday reported that the pickup is particu (Continued on Page 6i Ohio I. T. O. Fights Footage Tax Measure Columbus — At a meeting of the legislative committee of the Independent Theater Owners of Ohio, unanimous opposition was voted against Senate Bill 56 seeking to repeal the present state admission tax and place the burden upon distributors in the way of a 5-cent footage tax on all film submitted for censorship. Increased Theater Activity Reported in Many Sections New 600-Seat Theater For Brandts on B'way A 600-seat theater is to be built at 1985 Broadway, in the West 67th St. block, for lease to Brandt Theaters Corp. for a period of 15 years. Rental will be based on a percentage of the receipts. O'Gara & Co. negotiated the deal. Improvement in general industrial conditions, particularly in the Pittsburgh steel mill area and the Oklahoma oil fields, gave impetus to theater activity in several sections of the country last month, it is revealed by the reports of the Film Boards of Trade. In the Pittsburgh territory, 18 (.Continued on Page 8) Plunkett and Weisfeldt to Supply 26 Features for Exhib Organizations Allied will receive financial aid under a production deal now being worked out with Joe Plunkett and Max Weisfeldt who will produce 26 features as their part in the plan. President Sidney E. Samuelson of the exhibitor organization has held a series of conferences to line up independent exchanges to handle the (Continued on Page 6) FITZPATRICK SHORTS GOING IN FOR COLOR FitzPatrick travelogues for 193435 will be in Technicolor, James A. FitzPatrick stated to Film Daily yesterday on his return from a sixmonth tour of Northern Africa, Spain and the Holy Land. He will make eight subjects for the new M-G-M shorts line-up. During his recent tour he made film sufficient for four releases which will cover The Garden of Allah, the Sahara Desert, Algeria and Athens. "With the culmination of this trip (Continued on Page 8) 30 Shorts Planned By United Newsreel Atlantic City — Now season program of United Newsreel, with which Frank Selzer and Pat Garyn are identified, will offer 30 short (Continued on Page 8) Full Blast Again Cleveland — All downtown theaters, movie and legitimate, are open this week for the first time in over two years. During this period, either the Ohio or Hanna had occasional shows, but never both at the same time. The Hanna opened with a dramatic stock company, "Men in Whits" being the first offering. "House of Rothschild" is playing at the Ohio as a roadshow. And all downtown movie houses are running full time.