The Film Daily (1940)

V%t Wednesday, December 11, 1940 Exhibs. Don't Like "Grand Rights" Idea (Continued from Page 1) rights" device be employed to permit the use of Ascap's catalogue without copyright violation after Jan. 1 recently was advanced on the Coast. Ascap members in their contracts with the Society reserve the "grand rights." Conceivably, nublishing houses linked with the film industry could make available musicals, songs of which is catalogued with Ascap, to radio sponsors through the sale of "grand rights." But, while this practice might be much to the liking of studios desiring to exploit screen operettas and film musicals, exhibitor objections are certain. This results from the provisions of "grand rights" sales. These provide that not only must the score be played in full but that the story, too, must be told in its entirety. In the past, exhibitor criticism of radio competition has emphasized that where the story is given away on the air, there is nothing left for the theater to sell. So as exhibition interests see it, the "grand rights" plan, applied to current screen musicals, means the box-office will be hurt rather than helped. Exhibitor opposition, too, stems from the fact that necessarily radio programs thus framed will mean more so-called hour shows on the air. With several major studios planning to increase the number of musical features next season, exhib. interests see a further menace from 60 minute musicals over the ether. Warner Employes Give $5700 for War Relief Funds totalling $5,200, contributed by Warner Bros, employes, were presented to the British War Relief Society yesterday to finance the purchase of two motor kitchen units and 30 hospital bed outfits. An addtional sum of $500, similarly raised, will be given to the Greek War Relief Fund. In addition to the money collected, the women employes of the Warner organization have given their services in making some 500 knitted garments. • • • AT the risk of puncturing the pride of old Santa Claus it must be recorded that he's playing second fiddle currently in the hearts and minds of Universal's toilers The man of the hour is one. Bill Scully in whose behalf the rank and file of Universalites launched on Monday an encore to last season's highly successful Anniversary Testimonial Campaign which will continue through May 10 and eloquently convey to the esteemed General Sales Manager Scully the enthusiastic regard in which he is held by U's field forces, et al The latter will say it with sales and charges Actually, the idea of the big encore originated with the Studio wing and spread like the proverbial prairie fire through the various exchange sectors until unofficial partnership is now the status, with the Coast crowd as sponsors The company itself, we understand, is posting the largest amount of bonus coin and prizes in the org.'s entire history and everyone on the sales firing line except the h.o. bloc is eligible to win the awards ▼ ▼ ▼ • • m IN a friendly, competitive fashion the nation is divided for the Bill Scully Anniversary Testimonial inasmuch as the eight Eastern branches will vie with the eight Western ones Matty Fox is serving as the Honorary Captain of W. J. Heineman's Western Division and Milton Feld as Honorary Captain of F. J. A. McCarthy's Eastern Division Their respective groups are seeing to it that the encore will be the biggest sustained . effort in getting results Many special prizes augment the general list For example, Jules Levey has posted cash awards for special sales and liquidation efforts on "Boys From Syracuse" There's one thing Mister Scully can never say and that is "Nobody loves me!" With good reason the exhibs. do and ditto his U associates — and hanged if we ain't stringin' along (Maybe it's the torrid enthusiasm for the Scully Anniversary Testimonial which sent Universal preferred stock soaring four whole points to 108 on Wall St.'s Big Board yes'day) T T T • • • STUFF: How about a minor change in title for the Xmas bookings of Kay Kyser's new pic: "Yule Find Out" RKO Radio is hosting a reception this afternoon in the Honeymoon Cottage Suite of the Hampshire House for Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz whose marriage has just culminated their Hollywood romance Tomorrow noontide in the Sun Room of the Edison Hotel, Ampa's luncheon meeting will be addressed by Jack Cohn, Columbia's vice-prexy, whose subject will be "Let's Get Back To Showmanship" (Maurice Bergman, recently resigned publicity director o' Columbia, now associated with 20th-Fox, will introduce his former boss) Richmond, Va., wires that Edwin S. Reid, former chairman of the State Board of Censorship, has been appointed a member of the Virginia Unemployment Commission and designated chairman for the year commencing Dec. 28 by Governor James T. Price And from Worcester, Mass.: When Monk Moloney was asked by Northeastern University students where, they could obtain a practical course in theater advertising, he invited 44 in the ad classes to attend his weekly publicity meetings with the local Poli staff and to submit a campaign on each forthcoming picture Ronald Reagan plays the role of a cavalry lieutenant in Warners' "Santa Fe Trail," and the role is a "natural" (He's a cavalry lieutenant in the Army Reserve) File under "Clean Achievements": Joe Jareck of RKO Radio's still department has finished 351 in standing on the Sanitation Dept. test (There were 96,000 applications) When Ernst Lubitsch completes "That Uncertain Feeling," which he and Sol Lesser are making on the Coast, it will be the first Lubitsch effort in 17 years to have an American background (Last was "Rosita" starring Mary Pickford) DATE BOOK Dec. 13: B & K Employes' Association dinner. dance, Stevens Hotel. Dec. 14: Cleveland Variety Club dinner dance Hollenden Hotel. Dec. 16: Theater Owners of Oklahoma com vention, Skirvin Hotel, Oklahoma City. Jan. 16: Staten Island Fabian employes' dance Meurot Club. managers convention Dec. 17: Arthur Schwartz testimonial luncheon Hotel Astor. Dec. 17: Kansas-Missouri Theaters Associatior convention, Kansas City. Dec. 18: MPPDA quarterly meeting. Dec. 19: "Ted" 0 Shea-Jack Bowen testimonia luncheon. Hotel Astor. Dec. 20: Actors' Equity quarterly meeting. Dec. 20: Cincinnati Metro Pep Club Christmas parry. Dec. 31: The Lambs Gambol, Waldorf-Astoria Jan. 14: ATO of Eastern Pennsylvania annua meeting, Philadelphia. Jan. 26: Actors' Fund of America annua benefit, Winter Garden. Feb. 2-3: Virginia MPTO Winter convention Shoreham Hotel, Washington. May 5-8: SMPE Spring convention, Sagamore Hotel, Rochester. Consent Decree! No, Asserts Ascap (Continued from Page 1) matter, as consideration of the old Ascap suit is still pending. It is reported that the Government may try to settle the old suit by consent decree, which would include objections raised by the broadcast ers. Ascap offices here yesterday dismissed Washington reports of an impending consent decree with, "No foundation." Meanwhile, it was announced by the FCC that it had not been asked to mediate in the Ascap-Radio controversy. Ascap claimed yesterday that 135 music publishers, controlling more than 200,000 songs, have signed new pacts with it. Norma Talmadge Recovering West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Norma Talmadge is recovering from a goiter operation. Howard Broadcast As "Witid" Feature Atlanta — From the Ritz Theater, London, where GWTW is now playing, Leslie Howard will make a transatlantic broadcast over NBC at 8 a.m. tomorrow to open a day's celebration here exactly one year after "Wind's" original roadshow premiere. Broadcast will set the stage for tomorrow night's anniversary premiere at Loew's Grand, which launches the pop-priced general release of the pix.