The Film Daily (1940)

Friday, June 14, 194 Vol. 77, No. 117 Fri,, June 14, 1940 10 Cents JOHN W. ALICOATE Publisher DONALD M. MERSEREAU : General Manager CHESTER B. BAHN :::::: Editor Published daily except Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays at 1501 Broadway, New York, N. Y., by Wid's Films and Film Folk, Inc. J. W. Alicoate, President and Publisher; Donald M. Mersereau, Secretary-Treasurer. Entered as second class matter, Sept. 8, 1938, at the post-office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. Terms (Postage free) United States outside of Greater New York $10.00 one year; 6 months, $5.00; 3 months, $3.00. Foreign, $15.00. Subscriber should remit with order. Address all communications to THE FILM DAILY, 1501 Broadway, New York. N. Y. Phone BRyant 9-7117, 9-7118, 9-7119, 9-7120, 9-7121. Cable address: Filmday, New York. Representatives: HOLLYWOOD, Calif.— Ralph Wilk, 6425 Hollywood Blvd., Phone Granite 6607. LONDON— Ernest W. Fredman, The Film Renter, 127-133 Wardour St., W. I. PARIS— P. A. Harle, La Cinematographie Francaise, 29 Rue Marsoulan (12). MEXICO CITY — Marco-Aurelio Galindo, Av, Coyoacan No. lOOB, Mexico, D. F. BUENOS AIRES— Chas. de Cruz, Heraldo Del Cinematografista, Corrientes 1309. Mrs. Catherine Blatt, Circuit Founder, Dead riNANCIAL (Thursday, June 13) NEW YORK STOCK MARKET Net High Low Close Chg. Am. Seat 73/8 7'/4 71/4 Col. Picts. vtc. (2V2%) 4 4 4 + '/8 Columbia Picts. pfd Con. Fm. Ind Con. Fm. Ind. pfd... % % % East. Kodak 128 IZSVi IZSVi — Vs do pfd 160 158'/2 160 Cen. Th. Eq 9V& 9 SVs Loew's, Inc 247/8 24 241^ — Vi do pfd 973/8 973/8 973/8 -f 3/8 Paramount 434 41/2 45/8 — Va Paramount 1 st pfd Paramount 2nd pfd.. 7 7 7 + V4 Pathe Film eVs 6% 6% + Vs RKO s/8 5/8 S/g _1.16 20th Century-Fox . . 6 55/8 5% — % 20th Century-Fox pfd Univ. Pict. pfd 70 70 70—2 Warner Bros 21/8 2Vs ZVa do pfd NEW YORK BOND MARKET Keith B. F. ref. 6s46. 1003/8 100 100 — l/s Loew's deb. 3V2S46. 101 'A 101 Vi 101'/2 + 'A Para. B'way 3s55.. 42 42 42 -f 2 Para. Picts. 6555 Para. Picts. cv. 3 'As47 RKO 6s41 Warner Bros." dbs. 6s48 79 79 79 -f 1 NEW YORK CURB MARKET Monogram Picts Sonotone Corp Technicolor lO'/s 93/8 9y8 — % Trans-Lux Universal Corp. vtc. 33/8 33/8 33/8 + 14 Universal Picts East Brady, Pa. — Mrs. Catherine Blatt, founder of the Blatt Theater Circuit, died from a heart ailment at St. Francis Hospital, Lincoln, Nebr., on Wednesday, at the age of 76, while returning from an automobile trip to Wyoming with her daughter, Peggy Blatt. The body is being brought back to East Brady for burial, where funeral services will be held at 9 o'clock tomorrow morning. Besides her daughter Peggy, Mrs. Blatt is survived by a married daughter living in New York, and three sons; Charles, J. A., and William, all of whom are associated in the operation of the 18 theaters in the Blatt Circuit. Known to her family and friends as "The Governor," Mrs. Blatt was one of the pioneers in the motion picture exhibition business. Having been left a widow with five children rather early in life, she opened the State Theater here, which she managed until her death, assisted by her daughter Peggy, in addition to taking an active part in the operation of the other houses in the chain of theaters which were acquired. Justice Schmuck Dismisses "Snow White" Voice Suit New York Supreme Court Justice Peter Schmuck yesterday dismissed the $200,000 damage suit of Adriana Caselotti against Walt Disney Productions, Ltd., and RCA Manufacturing Co., Inc. Suit had claimed that the defendants had unauthorizedly used a recording of the plaintiff's voice which was dubbed-in to the part of Snow White in "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." The Court ruled that the plaintiff had signed a number of talent vouchers which acknowledged salary payments and gave Disney the right to reproduce her voice in any manner. RKO Golf Tournament Is Set for June 27 N. Y. OVER-THE-COUNTER SECURITIES Bid Asked Met. Playhouse, Inc. 2nd deb. '45. 63 65 Roxy Thea. BIdg. 4s 1st '57 60 63 Protest Chicago's Ban On "The Fight for Life' Chicago — Action of the police censor in banning the U. S. Film Sei-vice's "The Fight for Life" here has been protested to Police Commissioner James P. Allman by the Chicago Civil Liberties Committee. RKO's annual golf tournament has been set for June 27 at the W^estchester Country Club, Rye, N. Y. One of the largest turnouts in history is expected. Nine holes will be played in the morning as a qualifying round to determine handicaps. General tournament committee is headed by President George Schaefer and includes Ned Depinet, Phil Reisman, L. E. Thompson, J. J. O'Connor, R. C. Patterson, W. J. Merrill, Malcolm Kingsberg and J. Henry Walters. Other committees include S. Barret McCormick, Rutgers Neilson, Jack Level, Harry Mandel, Maurice Harris and Ben Grimm, publicity; Cresson Smith, Harry Michalson, R. S. Gavin, David Canavan, A. Kirwan and L. E. Gaudreau, prizes; J. Henry Walters, J. A. Farmer, R. S. Gavin, W. Dahler. Charles McDonald, Lou Miller, Tom O'Connor and L. E. Gaudreau, prize award. Court Grants Schenck Departure Privileges Federal Judge William Bondy yesterday signed an order granting the privilege to Joseph M. Schenck and Joseph H. Moskowitz of absenting themselves "from time to time as their respective businesses require." The order was granted with the consent of U. S. Attorney John T. Cahill. Sole obligation under the order is for Schenck and Moskowitz to report when they leave the local jurisdiction and to return within a reasonable time after Cahill addresses a request to defense counsel for their presence. DeSylva Off for Coast To Talk "DuBarry" Deal B. G. DeSylva, who left for Hollywood yesterday, will talk a deal there for the film rights to "DuBarry Was a Lady." Deal may provide for his services as producer. Also while on the Coast DeSylva will discuss a contract with Mae West, who may join "DuBarry" for its road tour, and will meet with Cole Porter and Herbert Fields in Santa Barbara to plot a new musical. COminG and GOIRG "Wife" Gets Full Week Over RKO's Mel. Circuit Geo. Fitzmaurice, Veteran Film Director, is Dead West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — George Fitzmaurice, veteran film director who first gained prominence in the early days of silent films, is dead here following a long illness. His last assignment was on "Adventure in Diamonds" for Paramount. Donohue Back in Chicago Chicago — James Donohue, Paramount Exchange manager, has returned from the West Coast where he was called by the serious illness of his mother in San Francisco. "My Favorite Wife" has been booked over the RKO metropolitan theater circuit for a full week. Only in rare instances in the history of the RKO circuit has a full week been allotted to a feature in midsummer. "My Favorite Wife" opens in the RKO New York City theaters on July 4 and follows in the Brooklyn territory a week later. Shriners Start Lloyd Towards Highest Office Memphis — Harold Lloyd is headed for the Shrine's highest office. Producer-comedian at the Shrine convention here was elected Imperial Outer Guard, lowest Imperial Council post, and the first round of the Shrine ladder leading to election as Imperial Potentate. Shrine elections by tradition are via the progression route. NED E. DEPINET and ANDY SMITH return to the home office yesterday from Boston wht they were conferring with RKO field men. Smi left last night for Chicago. JACK BERKSON has returned to New Yo after a trip to the Midwest in behalf of M. hawk Pictures. HENRY KING left Hollywood yesterday his own plane for a 10,000 mile trip a'T the country in connection with the rele "Maryland/' which he directed for 20ti DONALD MEEK and his wife leave Hollywoi next month for a vacation in the South Si Islands. CEDRIC GIBBONS has refurned to Hollywoc after a month's stay in Honolulu. JOHN O'CONNOR, RKO theater chieftain, on the Coast for a two-week stay. REGINALD ARMOUR, RKO's general Europes manager, is scheduled to take the Clipper ti morrow for Lisbon. BEN GOETZ has arrived on the Coast. MIRIAM HOPKINS arrived here yesterd; from the Coast. KATHARINE CORNELL leaves today for h< Martha's Vineyard summer home, returning 1 New York in September. B. G. DeSYLVA left for the Coast yesterda HERBERT FIELDS entrains for Santa Barbai today. BILL BISHOP, M-G-M exploiteer, and MR BISHOP have returned to Chicago from a 10-d; motor trip to Oklahoma City. Board of Tax Appeals Rules Against D. L. Loew Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAIL. Washington— The U. S. Board o Tax Appeals has ruled that the Com missioner of Internal Revenue wa. correct in finding a deficiency o $7,200 for 1936 income of Davif L. Loew. Loew contended the In ternal Revenue Bureau was in er ror in not allowing six exclusion! of $5,000 each in addition to the three exclusions of $5,000 each whicl were allowed. The dispute arose over Loew's transfer of property ir 1936 to nine separate trusts which were ruled to be subject to gifl taxes. Immerman on Jury Duty Chicago — Walter Immerman, gen-i eral manager of the Balaban & Kafal circuit, is spending a couple of weeks on grand jury duty. W, . From THE FILM DAILY to Maj. Edward Bowes Luther Reed Cliff Edward Gertrude Turtchen JUNE 15 George Barnett JUNE 16 William K. Howard Philo McCullough Ona Munson Lupino Lane Stan Laurel Barry Norton Norman Kerry William B. Davidson n