The Film Daily (1940)

M I 'U 1 ) I J IJ I b T 2H W 44TH ST Intimate in Character International in Scope Independent in Thought The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Twenty-Two Years Old yOL 77. NO. 127 NEW YORK. FRIDAY, JUNE 28. 1940 TEN CENTS IvtB. TAKES ASCAP^SE TO HIGHJOURT Sees Foreign Competition With U. S. Pix Failing "Continued Substantial Sales Abroad Indicated/' Standard Statistics View I ' "Continued substantial sales of American films abroad are indicated :or the future" despite the war-time 'curtailment of foreign distribution, 'According to Standard Trade & Sejfeurities' Motion Pictures Basic Surrey just completed. The Survey makes that long-term 'forecast "because of the demonstrated superiority of American c'eature films and the clear evidence that foreign audiences agree on this, ^xcept in those countries where both J {Continued on Page 8) Majestic Slock jDptions to DuMont To obtain the participation of Al en B. DuMont Laboratories, Inc. in Ihe direction of its affairs, Majestic Radio & Television Corp. "will grant ^o Allen B. DuMont Laboratories, nc, an option to purchase 100,000 ihares of new common stock at $1 share, exercisable in whole or in art, at any time or from time to dme on or before four years from J (Continued on Page 7) tirst New York Deliveries Pf DuMont Big-Screen Tele First deliveries of DuMont's flex ble 20-inch tube big-screen tele fcvision receivers are being made in ;he metropolitan area this week. Said to provide the largest images , Dn home receivers now available in !';;he U. S., the tele-screens offer black : (Continued on Page 8) Newsreels Plugging National Defense Survey of the five new newsreel issues yesterday showed that nine separate clips on national defense were contained in four of the reels, following the recently announced policy of co-operation with the Government's defense program and a reduction in war footage. War news was largely confined to routine shots of defense and visits of the English rulers. NO CANADIAN PRODUCTIONMAXWELL Associated British Pictures Head Dismisses Hollywood Stories as "Utter Nonsense" London (By Cable) —Associated British Picture Corp. has no intention of transferring production activities from Boreham Wood, Elstree, to Canada. John Maxwell, chairman of the corporation, so declared here when advised of Hollywood stories to the effect that he had authorized a Do minion survey on production possibilities and a Hollywood checkup on available talent. "Utter nonsense" was the way Maxwell characterized the reports which occasioned considerable stir in the U. S. and something of a sensation when reaching trade circles on this side. All Loew Theaters To Add New Levies Loew's out-of-town theaters will follow the tax policy adopted for the circuit's houses in Greater New York, adding the new Federal levies to the existing admission prices, it was learned yesterday. While in certain situations, it is anticipated that some affiliated circuit theaters will depart from gen (Continued on Page 4) Korda to Produce Story Of Conquest of Mexico West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Alexander Korda's first American production for United Artists will be "The Conqueror," starring Merle Oberon, with shooting scheduled to start in the Fall. (Continued on Page 8) Will Pass Along Tax In Cleveland Cleveland— The Cleveland Motion Picture Exhibitors Association at a meeting yesterday involving the policy of subsequent-runs on the new Federal admissions tax determined to pass the levy on to the public. Inasmuch as these houses for years have absorbed the Ohio 3 per cent excise tax on gross receipts, there is a bare possibility that this, (Continued on Page 7) New Haven Exhibs. Reject Price Boost in Adding Tax New Haven — ^Calling a special luncheon-meeting at the Hofbrau Haus Restaurant, exhibitors in the New Haven district, including East Haven, Hamden, and West Haven, decided that the new admission tax (Continued on Page 5) Nazis Pix in S, A m m Buenos Aires Paper Also Charges 'Dumping' Metro's Biggest 1940 Ad Campaign Backing "Moon" Metro is putting its biggest ad campaign of the year behind "New Moon," Nelson Eddy-Jeanette MacDonald co-starrer, set for national release today. In the super-size nine feature ads (Continued on Page 8) Buenos Aires (By Air Mail)— Argentinisches Tageblatt, 51-year-old Argentine paper owned by the descendants of Swiss-born Juan Alemann, has opened fire on the Instituto Cinematografico Argentine, charging the latter with ignoring the harm the "dumping" of Nazi pix does to the native film industry. (Continued on Page 8) Radio Coin Backs Appeal From Decision Holding State Act Unconstitutional Lincoln — Appeal notice was made yesterday by Attorney General Walter Johnson, taking Nebraska's anti-Ascap case up to the U. S. Supreme Court. Order granting the right was signed, and 40 days was period given Ascap to show cause why the lower court action should not be reversed. After a four-day hearing in November, in which Gene Buck, E. C. Mills, and J. G. Paine, Ascap officials, testified, Nebraska's three judges — Gardiner, Donohue, and Munger — called the Nebraska law, (Continued on Page 7) ATAHT Road Shows End in Mid-July Warners' ATAHT goes into regular release on July 13, it was learned yesterday. This will terminate the roadshow presentation of the picture which has been successfully in progress during the last weeks. That policy, which paralleled Metro's current (Continued from Page 1) More Than 200 Attended RKO's Golf Tournament Rye, N. Y.— RKO Radio's annual golf tournament at two Westchester Country Club courses, here yesterday drew an attendance of more than 200 company execs., employes and their friends. This was the big (Continued on Page 6) ^Veti? ting. Allied To Pass Along Tax Boston — New England Allied (Independent Exhibitors, Inc.) yesterday voted to pass the admission tax on to the public. Members, representing approximately 150 theaters, decided at a luncheon meeting not to raise their admission prices so as to absorb the tax. Special trailers are being prepared to inform the public as to the reason for the tax levy.