The Film Daily (1940)

10 Thursday, December 19, 1940 Decree May Mean More Financing— Schaefer No Substitutions in FiveBlocks After Designation, Declares RKO Radio Prexy (Continued from Page 1) merits, the rental prices will have to be set accordingly. Schaefer, who returned this week from Coast conferences, said he expected RKO's 1941-42 program would include 40 pictures, a smaller number than was announced for the current season. He said the less important pictures would be eliminated and that there would be more concentration on bigger pictures. Five or six of the 40 will be made by outside producers, several to be added to the roster. So far only Herbert Wilcox is on the independent list but negotiations with others, not disclosed, are in work, Schaefer said. First Block in July RKO expects to have between five and eight pictures ready for trade showing some time in July, Schaefer said, adding that the second block of five would be ready by Sept. 1 when the decree becomes effective. Extent of increased distribution costs under the decree rulings has not been determined but Schaefer said expenses would be higher as more salesmen probably would be added and that the territories would have to be covered at more frequent intervals. Some confusion is anticipated in the selling of the first two blocks of five, Schaefer indicated, but he believed that by the time the third blocks are offered, the situation would adjust itself. Additional Financing Additional financing probably will be necessary by RKO and other companies as a great deal of money will be tied up in completed and unplayed product until it is trade shown and moved. Actual placing of pictures into particular blocks can not be effected until the pictures are completed, according to Schaefer, who further confirmed that there will be no substitutions of pictures within the blocks after they have been designated. Schaefer said that Max Gordon and Harry Goetz would not produce any pictures for RKO unless they decide to make "The American Way." "Mannerheim Line" Opens Big Artkino's Soviet pix, "Mannerheim Line," Finnish war documentary, opened at the Miami Playhouse yesterday, with attendance of 4,000 claimed for the day. House seats 500. Film also started in Chicago yesterday. In New York, police were summoned to handle the crowd. Hawk Acquires the Draper Draper, Utah — Claud Hawk has acquired the Draper here from J. A. Howell. Radio to Appoint Committee to Act With Industry's Charities Committee West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — At a luncheon attended by members of the motion picture industry's permanent charities committee, President Harry M. Witt of Southern California Broadcasting Ass'n assured Chairman Samuel Goldwyn that radio would see to the immediate appointment of its own committee to join the general committee. Goldwyn, Harry M. Warner, Walter Wanger, Y. Frank Freeman, Edward Arnold, Kenneth Thomson, Sidney Buchman, Attorney Kornblum, Don Gilman, Donald W. Thornburg and Harrison Holliway were among the speakers. MLT Will Continue Payments on Arrears Charitable Productions To Film "Rafters Ring" Toronto — Business conditions to ! date are approximately as good as last year, Leopold Friedman, a director, told shareholders of Marcus Loew's Theaters, Ltd., at the annual meeting. If earnings do not drop, the com J pany will continue to pay with each regular preferred dividend some. thing on arrears. The company is in arrears $7 as of Dec. 31, 1940. 1 This assurance was made, subject to \ continued approval of the Federal Exchange Control Board. About 18 per cent of the preferred stock is held outside of Canada. The Uptown Theater lease does not expire until August, 1941, and > while officials have not yet negotiated for a renewal they do not anticipate any difficulty, it was stated. Katzman Heads Local 488 For 12th Consecutive Year West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Norman Corwin is acting as co-ordinating writer on "Let the Rafters Ring" which will be made by Charitable Productions, Inc. The board of directors is headed by Sir Cedric Hardwicke, with Alfred Hitchcock, Frank Lloyd, Vic tor Saville and Herbert Wilcox among the members of the board. Production will be handled by Hardwicke as producer and an advisory committee including Edmund Goulding, Hitchcock, Lloyd, Saville and Robert Stevenson who will also share in the direction. RKO has advanced the costs of the production and will distribute the film at cost. All profits will go to American and British charities. Noel Coward has contributed a special composition "The Changing World," which is to form a theme tune in a musical score written by Anthony Collins. Harrisburg, Pa. — Lawrence J. Katzman was elected president of Local 488, IATSE, for his twelfth consecutive term. Other officers elected include: Horace A. Gladfelter, vice-president; M. C. Miller, secretarp; P. F. Patterson, treasurer; Lester Firing, sergeant-at-arms, and Samuel Rubin, business agent. Charles Reed and Clarence Rudy were elected to the executive board, and Harry Michaels, A. V. Morgan and James Leone were elected trustees. Officers for 1941 will be installed on Jan. 19. Capitol to Edit 5 Reels Into 30 Minutes of News New newsreel policy will be inj augurated shortly by the Capitol theater with house using all five reels in an edited program that will i run around 30 minutes. Capitol forI merly used News Of The Day, Movietone and Paramount, and is adding1 Pathe and Universal. House is said to be the only first-run theater to Use such an extensive coverage. "Foyle" Serial in 200 Papers Publication rights for the newscaper serialization of "Kitty Foyle" have been requested by more than 200 daliy newspapers, according to Barret McCormick, director of advertising and publicity for RKO which will release the screen version on Dec. 27. Markey's First for Col. West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Gene Markey's first of three pictures for Columbia will be "The Great Lady," co-starring Jean Arthur and Melvyn Douglas. Film will be adapted from one of Markey's own stories. May Film "Cabin in the Sky" Reports were current yesterday that "Cabin In The Sky" current Broadway musical with an all-colored cast, would be filmed here by an indie company. It was said that Ethel Waters would do her original role in the film version and that Eddie "Rochester" Anderson was being sought for a role. Howard Planning U. S. Trip London (By Air Mail) — Leslie Howard is planning a trip to the U. S. on the completion of his new feature, "Prof. Pimpernel Smith," being produced by his own unit. Trip would have the dual purpose of taking over the film and to make a brief lecture tour. Ascap Consent Decree Not Related to Radio (Continued from Page 1) Ascap counsel and the Government have taken place, and are still continuing, the statement adds, as an outgrowth of the suit brought in 1934 by the D of J against Ascap. That suit went to trial in June 1935 but after nine days was adjourned on motion of the Government "to permit the parties to confer with a view to stipulating certain facts and thus save the time of the court." If a consent decree should be agreed upon, the terms would be presented to the Ascap board, Buck states. Then, after approval by the court, would be signed by Ascap and the Government and Ascap would "meticulously and honorably observe the terms thereof regardless of organizational problems." Contempt Citation Growing Out of Pix Seizure Stands Montgomery, Ala. — The State Supreme Court has declined to dismiss the contempt-of-court citation against Birmingham officials who confiscated the film, "French Girls' Club," in defiance of a Circuit Court action. The film was being shown at the Galax Theater in Birmingham when confiscated by the city officials. It was purported to reveal "the secrets of 200 love-starved girls." : "Backward, Oh, Backward — " West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Republic plans a new version of "Ten Nights in a Barroom" and of "Black Beauty." It also will make "The Great Train Robbery," but latter will have in common with the 1903 "epic" of that title. First Madcap Models Short First of the Madcap Models short subjects will be released by Paramount in mid-January. Titled "Western Daze," the characters are performed by dolls. Paramount will release six in the series. Metro Borrows George Sanders West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — George Sanders has been borrowed from 20th-Fox by Metro for the second male lead in "Rage in Heaven," with Ingrid Bergman and Robert Montgomery. Production starts tomorrow. Kuhn Succeeds Katz Pittsburgh— Alfred Kuhn, shipper for the local Vitagraph exchange, was elected business agent for the Film Exchange Employes Union here, succeeding Lawrence J. Katz, international rep. of the IATSE, %