The Film Daily (1939)

u .' i' NMD s irrn N 1 t MLfc. OUKY DO NOT REMOVE Intimate in Character International in Scope independent in Thought _a The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Now Twenty Years Old /OL. 75, NO. 80 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 1939 TEN CENTS N. Y. Circuit Heads Agree to Tone Down Games Operation CODE ARBITRATION SETUP MAY BE READY IN WEEK Metro to Talk New Pix Deals With FWCWB Houses vV. F. Rodgers to Also Inaugau urate Negotiations With Publix Groups Discussion of new product deals .vith Fox West Coast, Warner Bros. . Theaters and certain Publix circuits i [Mil be started shortly by William ft". Rodgers, M-G-M general sales . 'nanager. Not all commitments where renewals will be negotiated are expir. ing this year, it is understood. While duration of the new contracts will be the subject of individual negotiation, it is understood that short rather than long term f;- deals will be the rule. 1,500 ATTEND RITES FOR S0TER0S GOGALIS At funeral services yesterday, ■ conducted in the impressive ritual of the Greek Orthodox faith, filmland paid a notable tribute of re• i spect to Soteros D. Cocalis, 61, one •:'of the metropolitan area's most prominent exhibitors. Rites were held in the Greek . Cathedral, 319 East 74th St., commencing at 2 p.m., and were attendOyied by more than 1,500 persons, the (Continued on Page 6) I 20thFox to Spend $400,000 Advertising May-July Films W With product being released by 20th-Fox during May, June and July ^» representing an increase in investment of approximately 55 per cent over productions released during (.Continued on Page 4) "l Expect N. Y. Assembly Will Pass Booth Measure Today : Albany — Chances for Assembly *i passage of the two-men-in-a-booth legislation today boomed with receipt of additional support by As (Continued on Page 6) lt9s "Viva! Viva! !" as "Juarez99 Opens to Swanh Audience at IV. Y. Hollywood With formal dress prescribed and the rule, Warners gave "Juarez" the swankiest world premiere the Main Stem has seen in many an eve at the Hollywood Theater last night. Pix, a brilliant prestige builder, rich in b.o. qualities, is in for World's Fair $2 roadshow run. Premiere attracted enough Latin-American diplomats to hold a Pan-American Congress, enough of the "400" to fill a Cholly Knickerbocker column, and a formidable array of pix industry tops. For color story of opening, which was broadcast by WMCA and national hookup in the U. S. and by CBS by short wave to Mexico and South America, see Along the Rialto, page 4. For review of "Juarez," turn to page 7. — BAHN. KAO NET, $987,587; KEITH'S, $773,729 B. F. Keith Corp. and K-A-O yesterday each reported net profits of $773,729.82 and $987,587.46, respectively for the 52 weeks ended April 1. The latter company's figure is equal to $15.36 per share on the 64,304 shares of 7 per cent cumulative convertible preferred stock. It was explained that these fig (Continued on Page 6) Disney and NBC Talking Donald Duck Tele Deal Donald Duck may shortly commence a television career if a deal, understood to be currently under discussion between Disney interests (Continued on Page 8) PATHE LABS. PROFIT; RE-ELECT DIRECTORS Presiding at the annual Pathe Film Corp. stockholders' meeting yesterday, O. Henry Briggs, president, reported that Pathe Laboratories, new operating company set up under the recently enacted reorganization plan, had made a definite profit in its first month of operations and that a dividend on the (Continued on Page 8) Para, to Change Sales Meet Dates "If at All Possible" Paramount will change the dates of its annual convention in Hollywood "if at all possible," in order to comply with Allied's request, Neil (Continued on Page 8) (Continued on Page 8) (.Continued on fage 8) New York Circuits Agree to Halt "Excessive" Cash Giveaway Ph till ^ 'f* 1 11 TIij-* rvovMoc; onrl (TIVOQWQIT Expect "Union Pacific's" Debut to Attract 150,000 Omaha — Ballyhoo attendant upon the world premiere here Friday of Cecil B. DeMille's "Union Pacific" starts today, with the observance of the first of four "Golden Spike Days." Omaha and Paramount ex (Continued on Page 8) The games and giveaway situation among New York City neighborhood theaters has flared up again as a topic of discussion among the affiliated and independent circuits. It is understood that a meeting of circuit heads was held Monday in the PvKO offices to discuss "excesses" practiced by certain theaters in giving away premiums and in (Continued on Page 7) Distributors Committee Will Meet to Consider Suggestions Trade practice code draft submitted to exhib. organizations by the seven majors may be finalized insofar as arbitration setup and withdrawal clause, left incomplete when the draft was forwarded March 30, within the next week, it was learned yesterday. Meeting of the distrib. committee at the call of William F. Rodgers, Metro sales chief and pivotal figure in the code negotiations, waits on the availability of its personnel. Suggestions made by committee members already have been turned (Continued on Page 4) STUDIO UNIONS PLAN M. P. TRADE COUNCIL West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Los Angeles — Motion Picture Trade Council will be set up by seven studio unions which have drafted a "steady work-steady pay program" for producer presentation. Unions affiliated in the move will (Continued on Page 4) Whitney Enters Tele Thru Pioneer's DuMont Note Buy Entrance of John Hay Whitney into the television field was learned yesterday when it was disclosed that Pioneer Pictures, Inc., controlled by the Whitney family, has acquired $50,000 worth of 10-year convertible notes of the Allen B. DuMont Laboratories. New offering of DuMont notes (Continued on Page 8) Baird Television May Be Installed in the Roxy Possibility that Baird Television might be installed in the Roxy loomed yesterday when it became known that the theater management (Continued on Page 8)