The Film Daily (1940)

mm n i b t Intimate in Character International in Scope Independent in Thought DONOTRE^" FDAILY The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Twenty-Two Years Old 'OL. 78, NO. 85 NEW YORK, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1940 TEN CENTS EXHIBSJtEADY FORPROTEST ONDECREE Hays, Kennedy Will Meet on U.K. Remittances New British Proposals on Quota and Money Expect To be Outlined at Parley Will H. Hays, MPPDA prexy, and Joseph P. Kennedy, Ambassador to the Court of St. James, who arrived in the U. S. by Clipper Sunday to report to the President, are expected to confer later in the week on the new British remittance and quota proposals. Hays was at the airport Sunday to greet Kennedy on his arrival, but their conversation was brief. Said the General, with a smile, "I'm going to give you a chance to get ac {Continued on Page 8) Cuba Modifying Proposed Contract Havana (By Air Mail) — Following a meeting of representatives of the distributors and theater interests to discuss the proposed uniform contract, it was learned that it had been agreed to drop Clause Eight from the contract and to petition the Secretary of Commerce as well for a suspension of the anti-block-booking bill recently enacted. Clause Eight in the proposed con {Continued on Page 9) Metro Signing Composers For Original Pix Scores West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Metro is forming a group of leading composers who will compose original themes for film scores. Group thus far includes Eugen Zador, symphony composer; Daniele Amfiteatrof, Russian composer, and Mario CastelnuovoTedesco, who collaborated with {Continued on Page 4) Litvak Gets 2-Year Warners Contract Anatol Litvak has signed a new twoyear directorial contract with Warners during his present trip to New York, it was learned yesterday. First picture under it will be "King's Row." Litvak leaves for Hollywood today. Color 10 Times More Important to Tele Than to Motion Pictures, Chaplin's View Color is 10 times as important to television as it is to motion pictures, in the opinion of Charles Chaplin, following a demonstration of CBS's color tele by Dr. Peter C. Coldmark. Observed Chaplin: "In black and white television, you can't recognize the details of the picture clearly — and with color you can. With color, your eye gets more for its money. I think that now that you've got color, you can start television with on its right foot." Chaplin starts back for the Coast tonight on the Century. UA to Speed Release Oi "Great Dictator" Charles Chaplin's "The Great Dictator" will be put into general release at advanced admission prices immediately, it was announced yesterday by UA which explained that the move will be launched in order to capitalize on present public interest in the picture. All time records have been claimed for the New York and Philadelphia engagements. Immediate bookings on the pic: {Continued on Page 4) Coast Studios Starting Eight Features This Week West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Eight pictures are scheduled to go into production this week. At Columbia: "Blondie Goes Latin" with Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, Larry Simms and Daisy. At Republic: "Bowery Boy" with Jimmy Lyndon. At Universal: "Back Street" co (Continued on Page 9) HWMPPara.'s Biggest In 12 Years-Agnew NWMP sizes up as "by far the biggest Paramount money picture in the past 12 years," Neil Agnew, company's sales chief, said yesterday. Figures compiled from the reports to Para.'s home office from Providence, Kansas City, Portland, Ore., Denver, Houston, Youngstown, Chicago, Memphis, Portland, Me., and Milwaukee show the DeMille Technicolor production playing at advanced prices, is running 192 per {Continued on Page 4) Six Companies to Discuss NBC L.A. Short Wave Plan Despite reported East-West differences, heads of foreign departments of six film companies will meet at NBC today to discuss a short wave series to be sponsored jointly by the sextet over the facilities of the NBC International short wave stations. Dispute arose when Eastern execs, disagreed with those on {Continued on Page 8) Greek Prints' Fate Unknown U. S. May Lose Half Million Yearly Revenue Towne-Baker Deal With UA For 5 Years Practically Set West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — A deal is practically set whereby Towne & Baker will produce two pictures annually for five years for release through United Artists. Towne & Baker will have complete outside financing. Fate of a large number of American prints which were sent to Greece last week was undetermined last night, as Italy continued its invasion of the country. The prints were consigned to Greece, itself, as well as to several Balkan countries. Fifty-seven per cent of the motion pictures shown in Greece are American, according to last Department of Commerce figures; 10 {Continued on Page 8) Attorney General Jackson And Thurman W. Arnold Have Okayed the Decree Independent exhibitor groups are expected to ask Federal Judge Henry W. Goddard to throw out the proposed consent decree today when the document designed to terminate the New York equity suit against the "Big Five" is to be presented to him formally. Milton C. Weisman, attorney, will make the plea in behalf of the ITOA and possibly other organizations. A similar plea is expected to be made by Max Cohen's New York Allied, Pacific Coast Conference of Independent Exhibitors, and Fred Kent, {Continued on Page 10) No Studio Personnel Changes, Stales Kent Returning yesterday morning from a business trip to the 20th-Fox studios, Sidney R. Kent, prexy, stated that there were no changes contemplated in the production personnel of the company. Kent, when asked about the effect {Continued on Page 10) Warner May Do Spence Book as Legit, and Pix Jack L. Warner, who leaves for the Coast today after two weeks here, is negotiating with George S. {Continued on Page 8) Research Council Will Make 100 Army Reels West Coast Bur., THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Research Council of M. P. Academy expects to produce at least 100 reels of training pictures for army draftees during the current fiscal year ending June 31, 1941. The Council has been assured of initial Government appropriations of $250,000 to launch the program. Scripts for the pictures, which will be exhibited solely to draftees and other soldiers for training purposes, will be furnished by members of the Army's Signal Corps. Subjects are to range in length from one to five reels.