The Film Daily (1940)

Text on Intimate in Charactei International in Scope Independent in Thought 0 NOt«*r" 6/ Arbitration, Page MO The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Twenty-Two Years Old ?DAIIY NEW YORK. WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 30, 1940 TEN CENTS DECREE HEARING ON NOV. 14 Wide Range of Arbitration Under Proposed Rules Controversies Other Than Those Cited in Decree Can Be Submitted for Action Settlement by arbitration of controversies other than those provided in the consent decree ■will be permitted, according to the Rules of Arbitration and Appeals made public yesterday. Rules point out that such disputes may be submitted to the arbitration system provided at least one of the parties is a distributor defendant as defined in the decree and a submis (Continued on Page 12) Warners Set Basic Plans for 1941-42 Basic plans for the 1941-42 Warner production program were completed in New York yesterday, it was learned as Jack L. Warner, company's studio chief, terminated a New York visit and departed for the West Coast. Warner, during his fortnight stay (Continued on Page 5) NBC, Pix Execs. Confer on Short-Wave Activities NBC officials met yesterday with representatives of four majors and the MPPDA to determine international short wave activities by the {Continued on Page 12) Banbury's Air Raid Shelter Undamaged Ironic sidelight on the death of Ralph Hanbury, RKO's late managing director in Great Britain, was revealed yesterday when word reached here that the air raid shelter in the garden of his home v/as undamaged by the bomb which hit the house and took his life as well as those of several members of his family. It was also learned that Earle St. John, former Paramount theater head in England who went over to Odeon when Para, made its deal with English theater circuit, had moved out of the house one week to the day before the bomb struck, Hanbury had moved in Monday of that EQUITY DECREE MAJOR POINTS "Blind-Selling" Ended; "BlockBooking" is Modified What the consent decree does: Terminates "blind-selling." Drastically modifies "block-booking." Establishes a complete system for the arbitration by non-industry arbitrators of exhibitor-distributor disputes. (In this respect, the decree is without precedent). Makes trade showings in respective exchange districts obligator. Prohibits the licensing of more than five pictures in a single group. Permits the selling by distributor of more than one block of pictures at a time at the distributor's option. (The blocks of five and trade showing provisions become effective Sept. 1, 1941). Leaves the matter of cancellation rights to be determined by exhibitors and distributors. Extends to exhibitors the right to cancel offensive pictures. Binds the Government not to seek divorce(Continued on Page 5) 20th-Fox Draftees to Get Up to 4 Weeks' Salary Policy for employes of 20th-Fox called into the U. S. armed services was announced yesterday by Prexy Sidney R. Kent. All employes with a year or more of service will be granted a year's leave of absence without pay, provided, however, that upon the expiration of service, such (Continued on Page 4) 51 -Page Document and 14-Page Rules of Arbitration Formally Presented to Court; Trial of Suit Against "Little Three" Expected to be Deferred Until April The Government's anti-trust suit against the Big Five — Metro, Warners, Twentieth Century-Fox, Paramount and RKO — finally turned the legal corner and moved rapidly towards the Exit sign yesterday. James Hayes, Special Assistant Attorney General, on behalf of the D of J formally announced at a hearing before Federal Judge Henry W. Goddard that the Government had reached an agreement with the five negotiating companies on a proposed consent decree. With the announcement, a copy of the document, covering 51 pages, was handed up to Judge Goddard, (Continued on Page 4) RKO English Biz Up 10% Despite Bombing terriffic bombardments air, RKO's billings in Despite from the England last week were 10 per cent ahead of normal, according to cabled reports received by Phil Reisman, vice-president in charge of foreign distribution. In fact, Reisman declared, figures during recent weeks show that billings haven't been off more than 5 per cent from normal. Reisman said that no successor to Ralph Hanbury, U. K. manager, (Continued on Page 4) Show Box, Inc., New Coin Picture Company, Formed A new automatic slot movie company, Show Box, Inc., has been formed by Mitchell Hamilburg, advertising and artists' representative in Hollywood; Irving Starr, an independent producer, and Murray Briskin, a theater operator. Bell & Howell are manufacturing the projection sound equipment. Show Box, Inc., has opened tem (Continued on Page 4) Industry Will Ask U. S. Unity Post Election Trailer in 7,000 Theaters Para/s Astoria, London Suburban, Hit by Bomb Word was received yesterday by the Paramount foreign department that the Astoria Theater, one of the houses taken over by Odeon in the Para.-Odeon theater deal, had been badly damaged by a bomb. House, (Continued on Page 5) Seven thousand American theaters will join in presenting a plea for national unity on their screens immediately following the announcement of the victorious Presidential candidate late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. Within the succeeding eight-day period, it is expected that the remainder of the American film houses (Continued on Page 12) D of J Will Check Decree's Operation The Department of Justice will "keep a constant check on the operation of the decree," and to that end, will establish a special unit in the Anti-trust Division, headed by Assistant Attorney General Thurman W. Arnold, "to keep in touch with (Continued on Page 5) Loew Theaters in Drive For Big Biz on Para. Pix Paramount product to play the Loew theaters in the metropolitan area will be pushed by a concerted drive for maximum grosses. Plans for the launching of the campaign (Continued on Page 4) Metropolitan Tele Asks N. Y. Station Washington Bur., THE FILM DAILY Washington — Metropolitan Television, Inc., New York City, yesterday filed an application with the FCC for a construction permit for a new television broadcast station. The proposed tele station will be on channel No. 8 162,000-168,000 kilocycles, power to 250 watts both visual and aural.