The Film Daily (1937)

OfTONC^s International in Scope Independent in Thought The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Now Eighteen Years Old VOL. 71. NO. 66 NEW YORK. SATURDAY. MARCH 20, 1937 TEN CENTS Selznick Wi[l Spend $12,500,000 on 12 Productions SEE BOOMJflARKET ON PICTURES AS INVESTMENT Majors' Counsel to Meet Monday on 2% Tax Decision That N. D. Law . . . questions and answers = By CHESTER B. BAHN = IN his annual report to the M. P. T. 0. A. convention, President Ed Kuykendall cast a critical eye upon the North Dakota theater divorce law, first state statute of its kind to be enacted, and asked two questions, "Is it going to stand the constitutional test? Is is fair?" The first answer to both interrogations conies from Attorney General C. E. Brase of North Dakota in an opinion sent to Gov. .William Langer. Says the Brase opinion: "There are grave doubts as to the constitutionality of this law. It seems to me that, among others, it violates the constitutionally guaranteed right of equal protection of the iaw, of being deprived of property without due process of law, of taking property for a public use without a just compensation, as well as the right to acquire and use property for a lawful use." Arguments Against Move for High Court Review Raised Major company attorneys met yesterday at the Hays office to discuss possible further legal action in view of the Court of Appeals ruling upholding the city's 2 per cent sales tax on film rentals but adjourned without reaching any decision until Monday morning. At that time they will meet with Frederick W. Wood, of Cravath, de Gersdorff, (Continued on Page 3) — • — :/~\F course, that opinion does not detery** mine the issue, but it does bring into sharp relief the complex constitutional aspect with which the courts eventually will be concerned. Meanwhile, will some proponent of the theater divorce movement olease answer these other highly pertinent questions voiced before the M. P. T. 0. A. cnvention by Prexy Kuykendall: "What will happen to those Dakota theaters which are owned by a producer? Will Ian Independent take them over and will hey then become an Independently owned :hain? If so, where will the relief be? iDo the records show that chains owned Joy independents are more considerate of | he smaller little independents who own |)ne theater than the producer-controlled |:hains?" Like Mr. Kuykendall, we're just asking. \A/HILE the North Dakota law, enforce* » ment of which is a year away, ffects only theaters, its effect upon the American economic scheme of things is irtuaiiy limitless — this, of course, on the issumption that it is upheld by the courts. For if the producer and distributor is o be barred legally from exhibition, what s there to prevent the enactment of simlar laws forbidding, say, the clothing manufacturer to sell at retail? WIS. DIVORCE BILL CHANGES HELD SUM Madison, Wis. — Chances for the passage of Allied's theater divorce bill by the Wisconsin Senate are believed slight, with the proposed measure likely to die in the Committee on State and Local government. Coldness of the legislators is in (Continued on Page 4) Theater Devoted to Bingo Providence, R. I. — Rhode Island exhibitors are watching, with apprehension, the newest bingo manifestation in Pawtucket where the Imperial Theater, long dark, has been opened for bingo under F. 0. E. sponsorship. MONOGRAM OFFICERS, EXCHANGES LISTED Studio Contract List of 849 Players Sets Record West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Eight hundred and forty-nine players — the largest in film history — today are under contract to first-line Hollywood studios. Eighty motion picture players (Continued on Page 3) Full roster of officers of Monogram Pictures, it became known yesterday, embraces W. Ray Johnston, president; Scott R. Dunlap, vice president in charge of production, under contract for five yeais; Edward A. Golden, sales manager; Norton V. Ritchey, genera, manager of export department; Herschel Stuart, tresaurer; M. S. White, secretary; J. P. FriedhofT, comptroller; J. S. Harrington, transportation manager; Louis S. Lifton, director of advertising and publicity, and (Continued on Page 4) Move to Extend Censorship to Radio Ads. Non-Partisan Albany — Attempt to extend the censorship authority of the present Motion Picture Division of the New York State Education Department to radio advertising took on a non-partisan aspect yesterday when Assemblyman William H. Macken (Continued on Page 3) Selznick International's 12 Pix for %37-38 Season Will Cost $12,500,000 "Show Boat" Goes 40 Wks. in Sydney for World Mark "Show Boat" shattered a world record for a single feature playing any one house by entering its 40th week at the Liberty Theater, Sydney, Aus (Continued on Page 3) Selznick International Pictures plan expenditure of $12,500,000 on the 12 productions, half in color, which the company has scheduled for United Artists release next season, The Film Daily was advised yesterday. Lloyd Sheldon will make some of the pictures for Selznick. Considerable More Money is Available for Financing There is a boom market on motion pictures as an investment with three companies recently successful in completing arrangements for public financing and considerably more money available for suitable movie propositions, The Film Daily is reliably informed. The companies which have obtained financing, and in each case by different underwriting groups, are Condor Pictures, Monogram Pictures and Imperial Pictures. In financial circles yesterday, it was said that there are funds which (Continued on Page 3) TT0HAVET2PIX IN HIGH COST CLASS Universal will double its productions in the big picture class as a result of authorization given Charles R. Rogers, production head, by the board of directors. Decision, it is understood, means that at least 12 "U" pix will be in the high cost category. Enumerating pictures completed (Continued on Page 3) Kuykendall to Plan Next 10-Point Move in New York Coral Gables, Fla. — Plans for continuing the drive in behalf of the M. P. T. O. A. 10-point program will be made by President Ed Kuykendall when he arrives in New York in ten days. The Miami convention which (Continued on Page 3) SitDowners Win Day Off Houston — Fifty girl employees of the four Will Horwitz theaters here, went on a sit-down strike for Saturdays off. Management granted one day a week off, but not Saturday.