The Film Daily (1941)

tursday, November 6, 1941 W^V 0411Y iriffin Heads New la. Exhibitor Unit (Continued from Page 1) Sent; Col. Thomas E. Orr, indepentnt theater chain owner of Albertllle, secretary-treasurer. The meeting was called by Griffin, n^e-president of the Southeastern fcater Owners Association, in com^nce with a decision by that rganization at a recent meeting at acksonville, Fla., to organize state nits in all states represented in the Southeastern Association. To Meet Semi-Annually Meetings of the new organization I ill be held semi-annually, alternatng between Birmingham and Mont,-omery. It is expected that the text meeting will be called in the Spring, and will be in Birmingham. Constitution and by-laws were ulopted following a talk on "Value if Organization" by 0. C. Lam of ■tome, Ga., and national representative from the Southeastern MPTO .0 the MPTOA, who served as chairnan of the constitution and by-laws sommittee. Other members of this rommittee were H. H. Waters of Birmingham and H. L. Humphries of Sylacauga. Other committees serving at the neeting were: Membership — Louis Rosenbaum, Florence; Mrs. E. C. Fain, Wetumpka; Milt Kress, Opelika; E. F. Ingram, Ashland. Resolutions— Richard M. Kennedy, Birmingham; Rufus Davis, Dothan; M. G. Lee, Opelika. Legislative — William N. Wolf son, Montgomery; Col. T. E. Orr, Albertville; W. D. Pate, Samson. 15 Directors Appointed Fifteen directors were appointed ■&s follows: R. M. Kennedy, Birmingham; Roy E. Martin, Sr., Phenix City; Louis Rosenbaum, Florence; Charles T. Rook, Montgomery; Mrs. E. C. Fain, Wetumpka; Mrs. L. C. Moore, Enterprise; Fred McLendon, Union Springs; T. E. Watson, Montevallo; H. H. Waters, Birmingham; W. D. Pate, Samson; Rufus A. Davis, Dothan; L. J. Duncan, Lanett; and Paul Engler, Birmingham. In addition to those already mentioned, the following other theater owners and managers attended the meeting: Haywood Hanna, Evergreen; W. J. Ray, Greenville; Frank J. Delk, Opelika; T. A. McDougal, Roanoke; T. B. S. Thomason, Enterprise; Eddie B. Tomberlin, Brundidge; Aubrey Gay, Lanett; R. P. Higginbotham, Pell City; John E. Gaither, Heflin; T. K. Jones, Dadeville; J. M. Miller, Cordova; E. D. Martin, Opelika; Hugh G. Martin, Sr., Opelika; Hugh G. Martin, Jr., Talladega; Cecil Hudson, Childersburg; and J. B. Harris, Birmingham. Bank Night Lottery Ruling Bars Collection of Fees Browne-Bioff Fate Nears Jury "Truth Has Not Been Told", Defense Claims (Continued will be followed this morning by a plea for acquittal by Martin Conboy, Browne's attorney, and summation by U. S. Attorney Mathias F. Correa. With both Correa and Conboy expecting to take no more than two hours apiece, the case will probably go to the jury sometime this afternoon. Joseph M. Moskowitz of Twentieth Century-Fox was the last witness to testify in the four-week trial. He was called by the defense. The jury was told by Breslin that there was material testimony by many of the Government witnesses which was inconsistent with the charge of extortion. Breslin made no effort to convince the court that the alternative story told by Bioff was true. Charges Witnesses Coached The defense attorney constantly punctuated his fiery summation with the recurrent theme that the true version of what had happened was being withheld from the jury. He absolved the U. S. prosecutor from blame, stating that the witnesses had not told him the truth. In line with this argument, Breslin charged attorneys in the film industry with coaching the witnesses. Why, Breslin demanded, had the witnesses claimed that directors and officers had not been told of Bioff's demands when it was "inconceivable" that they should not have been informed. In this category he placed Joseph M. Schenck and maintained that Nicholas M. Schenck had testified that his brother did not know "to shield him." Breslin also claimed that Joseph Schenck had been the one from Page 1 ) to bring the case to the attention of the U. S. prosecutor. Breslin asserted that "the strangest thing in this case" was testimony to the effect that Pat Casey had not been informed. "They would have told him if only to say, 'Look here, see if you can get a better deal for us. We have been paying these fellows,' " he declared. Film Executives Assailed Film executives were also attacked for failing to inform the police of the extortion demands. Breslin ridiculed the expressed fear on the part of executives, stating that "hard boiled" men do not surrender so easily. If the industry was afraid ot a disastrous strike in 1936 and 1937 why have they not suffered now, Breslin oratorically demanded. Joseph M. Moskowitz, only witness of the day, testified that he had kept Joseph Schenck's personal books. He identified an entry made in 1937 as a loan to Murray Garsson, alleged investigator for the Sabath Committee. On cross-examination, Moskowitz said that Garsson was a close friend of Schenck and that stock originally transferred to Garsson by Schenck was returned to the latter. S. D. Theater Owners To Convene on Monday (Continued from Page 1) was upheld by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Having previously held Bank Night a lottery, the high court refused to permit use of judicial process to collect such fees. Sioux Falls, S. D. — Annual convention of the South Dakota Theater Owners Association will be held at Carpenter Hotel here Monday. Subjects to be discussed as announced by A. P. Sorenson, secretary-treasurer include traveling circuits, Federal defense tax, Ascap legislation, and the New York consent decree. Dean Nash of Canton is president of the organization. Ia.-Neb. Theater Owners May Widen Membership Des Moines — Allied-Independent Theater Owners of Iowa and Nebraska, meeting here Nov. 24-25, will discuss the possible widening of the membership to include affiliated circuits. Other subjects on the convention program being formulated, according to President Leo F. Wolcott, include film rental terms, portable circuit, 16 mm. free shows, and adoption of a legislative agenda. New officers also will be elected. ITPA of Wis. Offers Anli-5 Aid to Minn. (Continued from Page 1 ) exhibitors of Minnesota" and directed its new board to get in touch with the officers and directors of the Minnesota unit and ask what steps it would like Wisconsin to take to help that state in connection with its anticonsent decree law. Re-elected officers were: William L. Ainsworth of Fon du Lac, president; A. C. Gutenberg of Milwaukee, vice-president; A. C. Berkholtz of West Bend, treasurer; Harry Perlewitz of Milwaukee, business manager, and named Mark Morgan of Cedarburg, secretary. Directors named besides Ainsworth, Gutenberg, Berkholtz and Morgan are Charles W. Trampe and George Fischer, both of Milwaukee; F. J. Mc Williams of Portage; Miss Lucille Forbes of Merrill; Ben Marcus of Ripon; John Adler of Marshfield; William Smith of Menomonie, and Max Krofta of Racine. Sidney Samuelson, business manager of Allied Theaters of Eastern Pennsylvania, and Jack Kirsch, president of Allied Theaters of Illinois, addressed the closing session which was open to members only.