The Film Daily (1939)

Thursday, December 21, 1939 TW DAILY NOV. ADMISSION TAX COLLECTIONS ARE UP i (Continued from Page 1) 516.64. The October, 1939, figure jf $1,727,931.46 was surpassed by ?389,712.96. Etr^ more encouraging increases ivert" '^corded in the Broadway figures, which was reported at $689,1425.28 for November, 1939. This is ',"! $96,864.99 more than the $592,560.'83 for November, 1938. The increase over the Broadway collection for Oc' "tober, 1939, was $412,169.84 more .1 than last month's Broadway figure of '$277,255.98. Mexican Indie Distribs. Organize New Association (Continued from Page 1) itributing concerns in the country, as president; Werner Bindel, manager (■of Cia. Importadora de Peliculas, distributors of UFA and other German films, as secretary; and Jorge M. Dada, of Jorge M. Dada y Cia., handling French and Italian product, as treasurer. 20,000 at Chicago's Christmas Fund Show Chicago — More than 20,000 attended the Mayor's Christmas Fund show at the Stadium theater last night. Frank Smith, RKO Palace manager, directed the program which embraced 46 acts and several "name" bands. Turrell's District Wins Chicago — Harry Turrell's district finished first in the quarterly Warmer theater drive. [ Al. Blasko, manager of the Paramount theater was the winner of the [first prize, Steve Fitzgerald, of the ■Stratford theater, was second prize winner and Milton Brazee of the Partheon theater came in third. Seven other managers won cash prizes in the same contest. Fifteen theaters in the drive exceeded quotas. Clara Bow at Clinic Rochester, Minn. — Clara Bow is at the Mayo Clinic for a checkup. Best wishes from THE FILM DAILY to the following on their birthdays: DECEMBER 21 Lucien Hubbard Pat Hartigan William J. Cowen Blanche Schneider ALCN6 THE with PHIL M. DALT; • • • YOU'VE heard of three sheets to the wind in a figurative sense but yesterday in New York it was literally eight sheets to "The Wind" as the big metropolitan dailies exhibited a happy "hangover" in the wake of Tuesday night's exhibition of Mr. Selznick's pix at the Capitol and Astor The eight sheets were the Times, Herald Tribune, Journal American, News, Mirror, Sun, World Telegram and Post T T ▼ « * # IF ever the local Fourth Estate's gents and ladies respectively rolled up their sleeves and took down their hair and profligately burned the after -midnight oil typing burning phrases of praise about a motion picture it was for "The Wind" We can't tell you in the confines of our colyura of all the colyums the "big eight" dailies devoted to the Selznick saga We've never seen anything like the coverage in fact our Civil War of long ago damn near scuttled the Second World War of today T T ▼ • • • THE Times went to town with a four-colyum review with a two-colyum picture, plus almost a full one of the premiere's sidelights The Herald Trib whooped it up on three colyums, with a two colyum illustration The News ran understandably wild with double-barrel reviews by Kate Cameron and Wanda Hale while two twocolyum pictures graced the layout and a carry-over yarn 'bout the Astor and Capitol doin's was likewise on tap The Mirror carried a whale of a reportorial account by Lee Mortimer, and Bland Johaneson wrote the rollicking review But wait! ▼ T T • • • THE Journal American started "The Wind" blowing on Page One, ran amuck o'er on Page Eight which carried premiere nooze hitched to two-thirds of a page of ten pictures of attending celebrities Then over on Page 12 was Rose Pelswick's review (sans the customary li'l picture of Rose, as she graciously withdrew in favor of a photo of Vivien Leigh) Since The Sun and "The Wind" are by nature palzy-walzy that institutional newspaper began hurling its shining "Ray, Rays!" on Page One ran over to what would have been a full page of Eileen Creelman's review and continued news story had it not been for a nine-line stick called "Chaos in Pottstown" (when everyone was much more interested in the chaos of Tara) T T T • • • ARCHER Winsten "Post-ed" the review in that sheet Now we come to the World Telegram and to use an ejaculation in "Gone With the Wind" Great Balls of Fire! — wotta hunk of coverage! Emily Genauer's by-lined feature, "Sets of 'Gone With the Wind' Enhance Portrayal," with two or three-colyum cuts Patricia Coffin's society story, "Society Is Televised At Movie Premiere" George Ross's "So This Is Broadway" colyum Sutherland Denlinger's sig story, "Autograph Hunters Didn't Stand a Chance" and Bill Boehnel's review on six colyums, with streamer head Dear Reader: Have you had enough? We know "The Wind" has AND HOW! ▼ T T • • • GOOD was the Xmas cheer in the Radio City Music Hall's Studio Apartment y ester evening as local pix circle's recognized social leader, W. G. Van Schmus hosted a neat "pardy" at which the trade press legions, jan mag elite, and "Met." newspaper representatives met Charles Laughton star of RKO Radio's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" Among those on deck were: Charles and Elsie Laughton, George J. Schaefer, Ned E. Depinet, W. G. Van Schmus, S. Barret McCor mick, Eileen Creelman, Walter Hampden, Jack Hively Cresson Smith, Phil Reisman, Gus Eyssell, H. M. Richey, Harry Michalson. COURT OKAYS RKO UNDERWRITING PACT (Continued from Page 1) fair in any respect, the Atlas Corp. has voluntarily agreed to a modification thereof whereby it agrees to pay $3 for each share of the new common stock to which it is entitled to subscribe, without any deduction for the compensation with respect to such shares provided for by Subdivision B, Paragraph 5 of the underwriting proposal. After a careful consideration of the evidence, including the very thorough and helpful report submitted by the SEC, the Court approves the underwriting proposal, as modified." An accompanying order of Judge Bondy authorizes RKO and the Irving Trust Co. to proceed with consummation of the plan of reorganization. Proceedings on the underwriting agreement which provide for issuance of 500,000 shares had temporarily delayed final consummation. MPPDA Directors' Meeting Is Put Over Until Today Lacking a quorum, meeting of the MPPDA board of directors, scheduled for yesterday, was postponed until today. Discussions on the foreign situation and current domestic problems are slated to highlight the session. Lichtman-Altec Pact Lichtman Theaters Inc., has concluded an agreement with Altec whereby Altec will service the motion picture equipment, as well as the sound reproduction equipment, in the twenty-two Lichtman theaters in Washington, D. C, Virginia, and North Carolina. E. O. Wilschke and Warren Conner negotiated for Altec. Pete Christman Re-elected Omaha— Pete Christman has been elected president of Local No. 70, AFM, to start his second "term. Harold Pace was named secretary. Other officers are Ernest Nordin Sr., vice-president; and Mike Chaloupka, treasurer; Art Randall, Frank Elias, Dan Wheeler, Harold Black and Marvin George, directors. To Handle Cyclex Lamps Omaha— Western Theater Supply Co. of Omaha has been named exclusive distributor of Cyclex lamps in the Omaha area, according to Frank Van Husan, manager. Mrs. Mary Ashcraft of the Ashcraft Manufacturing Co. of New York was here to complete arrangements. Brit. Family Series London (By Cable) — First attempt to adapt the Hollywood "family" series on this side is being made by Warners which plans "The Briggs Family," now under way at Teddington, as the first