The Film Daily (1940)

i*U 13 13 l b T ST F L Intimate in Character International in Scope Independent in Thought The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Twenty-Two Years Old FDAILY' VOL. 78, NO. 97 NEW YORK, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1940 TEN CENTS DECREE DECISION IS RESERVED Decree Holds Financial Peril, Columbia Charges Court's Right and Power To Sign Challenged; "U/ UA Take Same Position Columbia lodged its objections to the proposed consent decree in the New York equity suit yesterday on the grounds that the company was financially unable to cope with the requirements of the decree and at the same time questioned the right and power of the court to sign the decree. The protest was made by Louis D. Frohlich, of counsel for Columbia defendants, who told Federal Judge Henry W. Goddard that insofar as {Continued on Page 6) Urges Films Use Own Radio Commentators Suggestion that film companies engage their own radio commentators rather than relying on commentators who pick up their own bits of information, good or bad, was made by Edgar Kobak, NBC vice-president, addressing Ampa's luncheon meeting yesterday on the theme, "Selling Motion Picture Stars by Means of Radio." Kobak urged the systematic use of radio in advertising films in the {Continued on Page 6) Para. Execs., Partners Discuss Decree's Effects West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Problems arising from the consent decree constituted a leading topic in the round table discussions which gave Paramount Theater, production and distribution represen {Continued on Page 6) Says Decree Means More Trade Critics Edward Raftery, attorney representing United Artists and Universal, told the Court at yesterday's hearings on the consent decree that one effect of the document would be more critics on the trade papers and fewer on the daily newspapers. LOCAL 802 IN DECREE ATTACK Claims A F of M Suffers at Distribs. Hands Court Not Expected to Act for Several Days; ITOA Granted Right to File Answering Brief; Goddard Thinks Decree Drawn to Aid Small Theater Owners Federal Judge Henry W. Goddard reserved decision yesterday on the confirmation of the proposed consent decree after hearing strong arguments both pro and con on its acceptability. The court in an interjected remark May Up Arbitration Budget by $50,000 A surprise twist to the hearing before Federal Judge Henry W. Goddard yesterday on the proposed New York equity suit consent decree was provided by Joseph R. Brodsky who arose to speak in opposition to the decree as representative of Local 802 i of the American Federation of Mu The annual arbitration budget for sicians I any year may be tilted a maximum Brodsky declared that his union ! of $50,000 by the Federal Court consisting of 21,000 members had ; sAhouldc *« American Arbitration been one of the chief sufferers of Ass n find J* necessary for the effec the "monopolistic practices" of the film companies. He asserted that the distributors had so loaded the theaters with shorts, newsreels and {Continued on Page 7) Federal Gov't Will Extend Use of Films "Use of the motion picture as an important part of the Federal Government's informational activities is not only here to stay, but during the forthcoming year, it is due for considerable expansion," according to Oliver T. Griswold of the Rural Elec trification Administration, here t( {Continued on Page 4) tive operation of the arbitration sys tern, final draft of the consent decree, released at yesterday's hearing, disclosed. The final draft, in addition to setting forth the $490,000 budget for the first year and fixing the maximum for succeeding years at $465,000, except with the consent of a {Continued on Page 4) Col. Takes Over Tucson For "Arizona" Premiere Tucson, Ariz. — To the accompani ment of rip-roaring Western festivi ties, Columbia tonight launches Wes ley Ruggles' "Arizona" at a quin tuple premiere, the picture bowing simultaneously {Continued o at the Page 5) State, Myers Calls Decree "Unjust" Legalizes and Protects Monopoly, He Claims Score Slightly Hurt as Pitts. Alvin Roof Falls Allied bases its objections to the consent decree on two fundamental points, Abram F. Myers, general . counsel, told Federal Judge Henry Pittsburgh — A score of persons w Goddard at the open hearings were injured, none seriously and no yesterday They are: (1) "The proone killed, when the entire roof of | d decree is 'beyond the power of | towards the close of the all-day hearing stated: "It seems to me that the decree was drawn for the benefit of the small theater owners." Decision is not expected for at least several days since the Court granted permission to Milton C. Weisman, attorney for the ITOA, to file an answering brief. Weisman, in attacking the decree at the afternoon session asked Judge Goddard to direct a reference on the question to allow exhibitors to pre {Continued on Page 5) Hayes Defends Idea Back of Blocks of 5 The idea back of the blocks-offive provision of the consent decree was to reduce the number of pictures sold in a group to the smaller number, which at the same time would not increase the expense of distribution beyond bounds, James {Continued on Page 6) David Rose Awaits Clipper At Lisbon for N. Y. Flight David Rose, Paramount's British managing director, is coming to New York for home office conferences, it was learned yesterday. It will be {Continued on Page 6) the Alvin-Harris first theater here, caved in early last evening causing great panic throughout the city. The theater was entirely demol1 {Continued on Page 7) the court to enter" and (2) "the proposed decree is inherently unjust j and inequitable." In opening his remarks, Myers {Continued on Page 7) No "Union Hours" At Decree Hearing? When Federal Judge Henry W. Goddard, at yesterday's hearings on the consent decree, was told that there were 14 attorneys who wanted to speak in protest ot the decree and that each was likely to talk 30 minutes, the Judge said. "We can't allow that and still keep union hours."