The Film Daily (1938)

ISgFriday, November 11, 1938 =T = &l DAILY '•WILCOX, HOWARD HERE 1 FOR DISTRIB. SETUPS (Continued from Page 1) Cs >pens at the Radio City Music Hall STov. 17. Feature was produced for RKQ^release under a one-picture ■ci :onJ; ~^t. aci, xl'hr recently formed Leslie Howam ard-Walter Futter producing combination plans to make three triple quota pictures yearly in England ™!for release through a major American company, Howard and Fut'!l1ter said yesterday upon their arjrival here from London also on the ^Normandie. While not confirming ithe report that a deal already had tel:been signed with RKO, Futter ad'^mitted that he would discuss the issue with that company as well as H others. , i Under the name of Major Pictures, Ltd., Howard and Futter propose to budget each production at 'tia minimum of $350,000 and will use the Pinewood studios. Some Amer■niican talent is contemplated and services of a "name" actress will be -|sought. Howard will star in the Wpictures as well as have a hand in producing and directing. Production starts in January. $35,000 is Pledged in Dominion Business Drive (Continued from Page 1) 'the Dominion, representing 350,000 S, seats or more than 60 per cent of I the total accommodation across the country. Theaters of Famous Players Canadian Corp. accounted for 166,000 seats, the indies having slightly better than half of the total. The Canadian Committee has already forwarded $11,000 in cash to i the New York drive GHQ while $17,000 was paid direct by Famous Players and Loew's Theater, Toronto. A balance of $7,000 remains with the Canadian organization or is yet to be transferred to the committee by the film exchanges which included the amounts of individual pledges in their accounts to ex< hibitors. The committee has announced the receipt of two special donations. One was all necessary prints of a campaign trailer, valued at $1,500, contributed by Associated Screen News Ltd. and the other was the gift of raw film from the Canadian Kodak Co. to the value of $900. The statement of the committee does not include the cost of the movie quiz booklets in English and French which were printed in Canada because this amount was covered in the sale of the books to exhibitors by Paramount Film Service at the rate of $7 per 1,000. Brackett Heads SWG West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Screen Writers Guild yesterday elected Charles Brackett, president; Philip Dunne, vice-president; Maurice Rapf, secretary, and Ring Lardner, Jr., treasurer. ALCNG THE with PHIL M. DALY T ▼ T • • • A PICTURE created by George J. Schaefer at the AMP A luncheon at the Astor grill in which the head of the Industry Drive gave a graphic resume of the accomplishments of Motion Pictures' Greatest Year and recommended strongly that a permanent organization be formed to maintain the goodwill that had been created with the nation's press and the better understanding between the home offices and the theater operators T T T • • • THE CRUX of his remarks concerning a -permanent organization were the industry has been sold to the newspapers and the public there is a normal letdown in the Spring that means that there is a great deal for the ad and pub men to do to successfully bridge the production lag inevitable at that time and that we must begin NOW to maintain that goodwill created with the newspapers and the public he suggested that the industry as a whole start right after the first of the year in a concerted effort to keep Motion Pictures sold he concluded his talk with this statement: "We must plan now for the job which must be done so it will not be hurried. Let us ever be mindful of our responsibility not only to our individual company but to the entire industry." T ▼ ▼ • • • IN RETROSPECT Mr. Schaefer surveyed the accomplishments of the Drive he noted that in the very beginning the Committee had sent men into the field to contact newspaper editors and publishers throughout the nation these representatives had specific instructions to avoid selling industry publicity to steer clear of the ballyhoo and to concentrate on a frank expression of opinion from the newspaper people these ambassadors of goodwill sent out to the nation's editors asked frankly for criticism of the Plan in its entirety and for suggestions and advice this NEW APPROACH to the newspapers placed the industry in a different light in the eyes of journalists and one result was more than 600 commendatory editorials appearing in the press everywhere T ▼ T • • • TRIBUTE was paid by the speaker to the untiring efforts and sacrifice of the key executives who gave unsparingly of their time and energy to make the Drive a success more particularly he dwelt on the work of the Advertising Committee composed of Howard Dietz, Charles McCarthy and Robert Gillham how they had sold the company heads on the One Million Dollar Plan which was eventually adopted the splendid work done on short notice by Barret McCormick in getting out the advertising campaign book and Monroe Greenthal in handling the exploitation book all on their own time after office hours ▼ ▼ T • • • THE VAST effort in turning out thirty million Quiz Books on Faith there was not a dollar in the treasury to take care of this yet the printer's money was ready for him before they got his bill a grand job by Jimmie Clark also swell accomplishment of Agnes Mengel of Paramount in acting as purchasing agent for all the supplies for the Drive on the dais with the honor guest were W. G. Van Schmus, John J. O'Connor, Harold Franklin, Sam Jaffe, Luis Zingone (who did his Wizard card act), Ned Depinet, Ralph Rolan, Barret McCormick, Herbert Wilcox, Anna Neagle, Ann Miller. Eva Ortega (who did two vivacious songs in her sparkling style) « « « » » » DflTC BOOK Nov. 14-16: ITO of Ohio convention and Central Regional Conference, Deshler-Wallick Hotel, Columbus. Nov. 16: Chicago Warner Club Cabaret Party, College Inn, Hotel Sherman. Nov. 18: MPTO of the Northwest convention, Washington Hotel, Seattle. Nov. 28: H. M. Richey testimonial dinner, Detroit. Nov. 20-21: Arkansas ITO, Little Rock. Nov. 26: New York Motion Picture Associates dinner-dance, Hotel Astor. Dec. 2: Jack Kirsch testimonial dinner, Cold Room, Congress Hotel, Chicago. Dec. 4-5: Theater Owners of North and South Carolina, Inc., convention, Charlotte, NX. Dec. 11: Philadelphia Variety Club dinner, Bellevue-Stratford ballroom. April 17-21: SMPE Spring convention, Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood. BALABAN SUBPOENAED IN GOVT CHI. SUIT (Continued from Page 1) fis and Russell Holman; Griffis, however, will break the trip by a stopover at Ithaca for a Cornell board meeting. Companies named in the criminal contempt proceedings must appear before Federal Judge Charles Woodward on Nov. 28 to show cause. The Government charges violation of the L932 anti-trust consent decree. Neither Balaban nor any other representative of the companies under fire would comment on the new move. In industry circles, however, there was a tendency to link the crackdown with the pending antitrust suit recently instituted by members of Illinois Allied and other indie exhibs. Shortly after the latter was filed, Justice Department operatives made their appearance here. It was also recalled that counsel for Illinois Allied conferred with Thurman W. Arnold, Assistant U. S. Attorney General in Washington, some time ago. Defer Taking Depositions in Indies Chi. Trust Suit Chicago — Taking of depositions in the indies' anti-trust suit brought against B & K and the majors was postponed yesterday until next Wednesday when the defendants are ordered to produce film and clearance contracts before Master in Chancery Jacob Grossman. Louis Phillips of Para.'s counsel and Fred Pride, representing 20thFox, are here from New York to assist local defense counsel. Republic Sets FWC Deal Republic has closed a product deal with Fox West Coast theaters for the company's 1938-39 lineup, it was announced yesterday by James R. Grainger who left last night for a tour of Republic's southern offices.