The Film Daily (1937)

THE 3^2 0AILV Wednesday, Mar. 24, 1937 MAXWELL GETS WRIT ON GB STOCK DEAL (Continued from Page 1) a deal for the Ostrer controlling shares. 20th Century-Fox, which at that time owned a 49 per cent interest in the firm, had objected to the move, insisting that its own deal, made in association with Loew's, to acquire the Ostrer stock, be consummated. In another rapid-fire move, the Ostrers then turned to C. M. Woolf and his General Film Distributors for aid and worked out a tieup which awoke the opposition of both the American companies, which have split the stock originally owned by 20th Century-Fox, and the Maxwell interests. New Jersey Moves to Legalize Pari-Mutuels Pari-mutuel betting at race tracks would be legalized in New Jersey under an amendment to its constitution as proposed in a resolution which has been adopted by the Senate in concurrence with the Assembly. The resolution must be passed by the Legislature next year and then approved by the voters at a referendum before becoming operative. Denver — Legalizing of horse and dog racing along with pari-mutuel betting, would be the effect of the passage of a bill now in the legislature. Measures would tax meets $100, and the state would also get a five per cent cut of the pools and a 10 per cent tax on admissions to race tracks. Meets would be limited to 60 days with not more than 120 at any one track in a year, with 250 days of racing allotted for the state. A commission of five would govern. Prix du Cinema Medal Goes to "Lost Patrol" RKO Radio's "Lost Patrol" has won Belgium's highest motion picture award, the Prix du Cinema medal for 1936-37, according to cable advices received from Bosnian and Bourland, the company's Belgian distributors. The award was made at the annual Motion Picture Festival held in Brussels. This was the same top honor won last year by "The Informer." Three New Film Theaters Will Be Built in Canada Montreal — Plans for three new Canadian theaters are announced D. Korman of Englehart, Ont., will build a $55,000 house at Rouyn, Que., A. Shewchuk of Sudbury, Ont., will erect a $25,000 theater and apartment there, and Albert Bey, of Thetford Mines, Que., will construct a $35,000 theater there. A "JUttU" (u»» "£ots // By RALPH WILK HOLLYWOOD PRANCES FARMER and Bob Burns have been selected for leads in Frank Lloyd's next production for Paramount, a dramatic historical panorama of America tentatively titled, "Wells Fargo." Lloyd and Howard Estabrook are planning to leave Hollywood in a few days for San Francisco to begin researches into the history of Wells Fargo. t ▼ ▼ Casting assignments: B. P. Schulberg — Judith Ford, "The Ascending Dragon"; Warners — Anita Louise, "First Lady"; Donald Crisp, "That Certain Woman"; Sam Goldwyn — Joel McCrea, "Dead End"; RKO— Charles Middleton, "Looking for Trouble"; Florence Rice, "All is Confusion"; John Beal, "Mexican Quarter"; Columbia — Harry Harvey, Ed Lawton, Bob Evans and Paul Koch, "Speed to Spare." ▼ ▼ T Advance Pictures, Inc. (Mitchell Leichter) has signed Eddie Nugent for its series of 1937-38 action features. ▼ T T Signing of Cary Grant to co-star with Constance Bennett completes the cast of the principals with Ro land Young as "Mr. Topper" for the Hal Roach-M-G-M "Topper." Norman Z. McLeod directs. T T » Claude Binyon has started work on the script for Gary Cooper's next Paramount film, "What Ho," which Emanuel Cohen is to produce, and Eve Greene has been assigned by Paramount to write the screen play for the tentatively titled "Gentlemen For Hire." T T ▼ Howard Lang, stage and screen actor, has been signed for the David O. Selznick production, "The Prisoner of Zenda." Lang will play the role of "Joseph." T T T Condor Pictures will shoot its entire series of six westerns, starring Ken Maynard on the Conn Studio's stages. The first, "Alias Blackie Burke," is now in work, for Grand National release. ▼ T T Akim Tamiroff today is working at Paramount's studio in "King of Gamblers" in which he delivers 1,000 lines of dialogue. Four years ago in his first Hollywood-produced film, "O.K. America" he had one line of three words. Louis Nizer Addresses Hunter College Audience Louis Nizer, film attorney, and counsel for the New York Film Board of Trade, delivered a lecture before students and faculty members of Hunter College last evening at 6:45 on the subject "The Film Exchange." The lecture, given as part of the college's current course on motion pictures, traced the various steps instituted by the industry from the time product is made in the studios until it is actually projected on screens for public consumption. Nizer stressed particularly exchange procedure, including film inspection, booking, transportation and the keeping of play dates. Buffalo Film Board Names Samson Prexy for 9th Term Buffalo — Sydney Samson, 20th Century-Fox distribution manager here, has been elected president of the Film Board of Trade for the ninth term in twelve years. Jack Berkowitz of Republic Pictures is the new vice-president. Marjorie McBride of the TCF staff is secretary. Joseph Hockstein Dead Bayonne, N. J. — Joseph Hockstein, 67, pioneer theater builder, died at his home here. Mr. Hockstein built the Bijou more than 30 years ago. He later built the Strand, and about 14 years ago, the DeWitt. DeBra Addresses Women on Films in World Thought Arthur DeBra, assistant secretary of M.P.P.D.A, in an address delivered Monday night at the conference on "Motion Pictures in World Thought," sponsored by the New York Herald-Tribune Bureau of Club Women, at the newspaper's auditorium, told the gathering that the cause of peace is the only factor that could possibly warrant an exception to the industry's ironclad policy of keeping the screen "untrammeled by any interest or necessity for propaganda." He pointed out that public opinion in the United States is manifesting an active antagonism toward war, and that peace films that would reflect sentiment against armed force might have a beneficial effect upon all peoples of the world, as and when opinion showed that it was sufficiently crystallized in all countries to give the theme of peace a truly sympathetic and effective hearing. Representatives of several civic, educational and cultural groups also spoke. The speeches were followed by the showing of three motion pictures, "The Patriots"; a French production, "Mirage de Paris," and a German film. "Kuhle Wampe." Bonecher Builds in McCall McCall, Ida.— M. E. Bonecher of McCall is erecting a 500-seat theater, to be known as the Stadium. TRY TO PROVE ROXY THEATER INS0LVEN1 (Continued from Page 1) the Roxy reorganization plan in th< Federal Court yesterday. Under questioning by Carlos Israels, counsel for the proponents of the plan, which excludes stock holders from participation, CharleiBennett, accountant, said that earn-, ings of the Roxy did not compare with previous years when it had no competition from the Music Hall. The chances of obtaining th< grosses of previous years are slim without the aid of a magician, Bennett testified. The only hope of increased revenue was through better pictures which would permit increased admissions, he said. He stated that the Roxy had a top gross of $165,000 during a single week and a low of $13,000. The theater earned a profit of $1,862,598 from its opening in 1927 to April 1932, this figure including a loss of $469,500 in 1931-32. Repairs aggregating $150,000 must be made to the theater, Bennett testified. Russell Cruikshank, the only other witness of the day, was questioned by Edward Hanlon, counsel for the noteholders' committee, on how he had fixed the $3,500,000 appraisal which his firm had made on the Roxy on March 3 last. Hanlon sought to prove that Cruikshank knew nothing about making a theater appraisal. Abramson Again Sec'y Of III. Allied Theaters Chicago — For a seventh consecutive term, Louis L. Abramson has been reappointed recording secretary of the Allied Theaters of Illindis. Officers and directors elected at the recent anual meeting were: president, Aaron A. Saperstein; J vice-president, Van Nomikos; treasurer, Joseph Stern ; secretary, Har ( ry II. Lasker; sergeant-at-arms, Harry Nepo; Ludwig Sussman, Tippy Harrison, Sinuel Roberts, Verne Langdon, Benjamin Lasker, Jack Rose, Richard Salkin, Benjamin Bartelstein, Charles Nelson, Aaron Courshon and Abe Gumbincr. 48,200 Delewareans Sign Sunday Movies Petitions Wilmington, Del. — Signed by 48,200 Delawareans' petitions advocating enactment of Delaware's Sunday movie bill was presented before the Senate and House of the General Assembly in session at Dover yesterday. Signers from Wilmington alone numbered 38,522. The bill introduced by Rep. John Hamill, would legalize Sunday movies after 2 p. in. throughout the state.