The Film Daily (1938)

Tuesday, May 31, 1938 0 *\ DAILY BRITISH INTERESTS SEEK U.S. THEATERS (Continued from Page 1) owners of several circuits and that progress is being made. The campaign for theaters will be centered in tJi"rvEast at present, it was said, and^T*rther details regarding the setup are expected to be announced shortly. Neb. AntiMay Ascap Trial Start Late i June Lincoln — With return from New York late last week of Attorney General Barlow Nye, accompanied by William Hotz, specially appointed Deputy Attorney General, possibilities loom that the Nebraska Ascap case may go to trial here the last week in June, or shortly thereafter. Nye and Hotz journeyed Eastward for the taking of depositions in the case from Ascap members who will not be present here for the pending proceedings before the Statutory Court, and this recording of oral testimony was accomplished on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, last. Depositions, it is stated, must be filed with the court by June 25. Andrew Bennett, attorney of Washington, D. C, participated in the deposition hearings in New York, which were held in the offices of Schwartz & Frohlich, counsels for Ascap. Sources close to Ascap told The Film Daily that the Society is prepared to press for its contended rights in the Nebraska action. No 1 comment was forthcoming as to what officials will journey to Lincoln for the trial, but it is believed that "high officers" will take the stand. Informal plans, it is said, provided for the appearance of Gene Buck, Ascap president; E. C. Mills, chairman of the administrative committee; and probably John G. Paine, general manager. Labor Dispute Ties Up Herrin Theater Project Herrin, 111.— CIO-A F of L jurisdictional dispute is reported tying up the work on John Marlowe's new theater here. WEDDING BELLS New Haven — Elizabeth Boscardini, booker and accountant at the Colonial Theater, Canaan, and daughter of the owner, was married to Richard F. Knickerbocker, Jr., yesterday. The pair will honeymoon on the Coast. St. Louis — Joe E. Garrison, manager of UniversaPs branch here, was married May 25 to Helen Zack Robins at the Coronado Hotel. A reception followed. THE WEEK IN REVIEW $2,824,618 Warner Net— Complete U. S.-Czech Pact DOMESTIC {Continued from Page 1) amortization, depreciation and normal Federal income taxes, but without provision for Federal surtaxes on undistributed profits. This compares with a net operating profit of $4,040,388.94, after similar charges, for the corresponding period of the previous year. * * * On Monday, too, Sidney R. Kent, 20th-Fox prexy, returned to the U. S. from England aboard the Queen Mary, and stated that he has formulated certain "definite ideas" on the subject of arbitration and conciliation and is prepared to project them "at the proper time." On the same ship, John W. Hicks, Jr., Paramount's vice-president in charge of foreign department, came back from European countries, via a swing through Latin-American exchanges, and disclosed that the company's British production plans will be divulged shortly. * ^ * Republic's board of directors formally met and named James R. Grainger president and general manager of the company in charge of distribution, as well as a member of the directorate. Concurrently, sources close to the company revealed that franchise holders will meet soon in New York and that pacts between them and Republic will be "tightened," thus assuring exclusive distribution of latter's 1938-39 line-up. * * * Wednesday brought word from Washington that if and when the wage-hour bill, passed by the House, 314-79, goes to conference for ironing out the differences between it and the measure passed by the Senate last session, little difficulty is anticipated in assuring retention of the child actor exemption provision which will enable Shirley Temple, Deanna Durbin and other juvenile players to continue their entertainment of audiences. * # # Other news headlines told of the probability that a movement toward the setting up of conciliation boards would get under way within the next two or three weeks ... of the order issued by Special Master Alger to all complainants re the newly amended RKO reorganization plan's fairness and feasibility that they must file "squawks" prior to June 3 . . . and of the move by the County Equalization Board at Oklahoma City to collect larger tax payments from movie companies with distribution branches there. Board is seeking to assess each film at least $100 for the ad valorem tax of $42.55 on every $1,000 of property. * # * Out of Detroit came word that only about $100,000 was spent on film theater improvements there in 1937, with reason for this low figure being given as arising from fact that such large amount had been expended previously that necessity for spending of late was obviated. FOREIGN (Continued from Page 1) Text was reported en route to Washington for examination and approval of the State Department and the Czech Legation. Observers close to the agreement's framing indicated that details are favorable to American motion picture interests, but specific comment was lacking, on the matter of provisions, pending examination of text. * * * Copenhagen flashed word that Denmark's Rigstag had passed a new, and, in its content, a farreaching film law affecting both the domestic regulation of film trade there, and product shipped into that country. Blind-booking is eliminated by the measure; a government agency for distribution is established; and a Film Board of seven members created for the protection of motion picture artisans and the trade in general. Law also changes many other former phases of Denmark's film activities. * * * Alexander Korda and Columbia Pictures were reported to have reached a definite agreement whereby former will make three features, costing close to $500,000 each, for world release by the latter. * * * Japan, a Tokyo dispatch declared, is taking steps to forward both its domestic and foreign film business via widespread use of color. Move was described as prompted by the fact that this medium afforded to Japan the only logical solution on the horizon for rapid development of its largely curtailed markets abroad. Indian Projector Equipment Bombay (By Cable) — Reliable statistics on the present installation of projectors in India give the following: RCA projectors, 299; Philisonor, 189; Western Electric, 93; Bauer, 57; BTH, 56; Zeiss Ikon, 51; Motiograph, seven; the other 77 equipped theaters have projectors supplied by 17 other manufacturers. Projectors most in demand in the larger cities are stated to be RCA, Philisonor, Simplex and Kallee. Harris-Denis to Open Pittsburgh— The Harris Amusement Co. will open its new HarrisDenis Theater in Mt. Lebanon June 1. Theater was named on honor of the late Denis Harris, former president of the company. It is the latest link in the Harris circuit, and seats 1,250. Sam DeFazio, veteran theater man, has been appointed house manager. WARNERS CLOSE 3500 DEALS IN TWO WEEKS ( Continued from Page 1 ) independently operating exhibition outlets, with the former group including leading producer-distributor theater interests. Virtually 100 per cent of these 3,500 contracts call for the entire line-up of Warners' 52 announced features, and Norman H. Moray, Vitaphone sales manager has reported that the same collective outlets have signed for the short subjects program of 134 pictures en bloc, Sears stated. In light of the record response during the past fortnight, Sears expressed the view that "there is hardly a screen in the entire country, as well as in Canada, that will not have upon it during the 1938-39 season the Warner trade mark." "Company's sales force," he said, "has translated the recent regional conventions' keynote of 'Action' into actual practice, and exhibitors seem to have contracted the same spirit as is indicated by their promptness in contracting Warner product for the new season." Contracts received to date are, he declared, about evenly divided numerically between Roy T. Haines' Eastern and Canadian divisions and those of Ben Kalmenson's Southern and Western territories. MTO Picnic In June Des Moines — Leo F. Wolcott, president of the Iowa Independent Theater Owners, announces the annual picnic of the association is scheduled for the first week in June at Pine Lake, Eldora, his home town. Wolcott is also president of the Eldora Commercial club. W. B. Franks of Humboldt is chairman of the picnic committee, which includes E. O. Ellsworth of Iowa Falls, M. R. Blair of Cedar Falls and Wesley Mansfield of Tama. Report U Adopting Unit Producer Plan (Continued from Page 1) will be in charge of Edmund Grainger, with Ken Goldsmith producing the B product. Buddy De Sylva will make the musicals while Trem Carr will continue the production of westerns. George Bilson is reported scheduled to make a series of college features and Irving Starr will head the Crime Club series unit. Two serials each will be made by Barney Sarecky and Henry Macrae. To Film Goya's Life Paris (By Cable)— The life of the great Spanish painter, Coya, is to be filmed by Jeff Misso who produced the French version of Liam O'Flaherty's novel, "The Puritan." Pierre Fresney will ac t the part of Goya in the French version and likely also in the contem plated English version.