The Film Daily (1928)

NEWSPAPER rFILMDOM ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME XLIII No. 41 Friday, February 17, 1928 Price 5 Cents Pathe /"^L ;an now put the skids Imder the rumor market as t cerns Pathe Those hav^ the welfare of this ■r company closest at heart ! iprooted the tree, taken an 1 ical squint at the roots re now replanting in more ground. reorganization at Pathe is completed. The famous r, familia right around irld, w' ' ntinue to crow IS loudly i^ ever before. Id bird will keep right on ng — innuei -s, whispernd guarded ciMnment notanding. Happy Day stments? Certaini_ . Change cy? If necessary, why not? \' can afford to stop for any of time in this business. Conchange almost over night, ogressive company is the one :cognizes facts and revamps nization to meet them. Pathe's of strategy, seeing the wisdom nil a course, is putting the plan actice. company's friends everywhere 1 glad to learn, as we are, that the banner will carry on. The ion rests on a substantial ion of real accomplishment, need be no misgivings over ure. [8% in Three Years |e years ago foreign revenue per cent of the world's gross. it is 40 per cent. Figures by Fl^ M. Loew, who handles MW overseas business and handles ai; ty well. ^y nlalbering steacmy upward, no 'roof is necessary that America ler foreign markets in order duct a successful business, e, should the need for mainfriendly foreign relations be LEGALITY OF BROOKHART BILL IS AHACKED BY C.C.PETTIJOHN nn wn itiffi is EffiOEII NEXI WEEK Paris (By Cable)— Quota of 9 to 1 is to be established by government decree next week, with the council of ministers meeting tomorrow to act on the proposal which was voted 48 to 1 by the Herriot Cinema Commission. The quota is to become effective some time within the next six months. A commission of 25 mem bers is to be established. Favored treatment is to be given nations showing the most French films, in what is declared a thinlv veiled coercion attempt. The quota is expected to reduce American importations from 25 to 30 per cent. iSP t. If the industry recognizes >d it is unbelievable to think se — its policies are strange in KAN>( WORLD HLM "ANGLE" IS STRESSED ATM-CM MEET Internationalization of pictures, comedy production, theater operation and exploitation were leading subjects discussed yesterday at second day sessions of M-G-M in international convention, being presided over by Arthur Loew. J. Robert Rubin, vice president and counsel, stressed the work being done to make pictures appeal to all nationalities, without giving offense to any, while Fred Quimby outlined comedy (.Continued on Page 2) REAUGNMENT OF PATHE SALES FORCE CONPLETID Realignment of the Pathe sales force, effective Feb. 20, has been completed by Phil Reisman, general sales manager. Under the realignment, Harry Scott continues as short subject sales manager, with Les Weir, Stanley Jacques and Dan Michalove. as Western, Middle West and Southern division managers respectively. Branches affected by changes and their new managers are: Albany, C. J. Stombaiigh; Boston, R. C. Cropper; New Haven, L. J. Hacking; New York, W. E. Raynor, with Robert Wolff as sales manager; Philadelphia, W. G. Humphries; Washington, R. C. Robin; Atlanta, W. W. Anderson; Charlotte, E. L. McShane; Dallas, E. C. Leeves; New Orleans, Guy C. Brown. Buffalo, Oscar Hanson; Cincinnati, J. A. (.Continued on Page 2) T-S TEST ON ADVERTISING Tiffany-Stahl branches throughout the nation now are testing the value of various advertising media, in the organization's expansion program. Newspaper, magazine, billboards, direct mail and car cards are being tried in the campaign. The medium proving most effective will be used generally, but the others will not be discarded for M. H. Hoffman, vice president, is convinced that different forms of advertising prove most effective in different situations. Sapiro to Outline Co-op Plan at Meeting Scheduled To-morrow World's Radio Audience Estimated at 90,000,000 , Milwaukee — Ninety million persons t ,e. in on radio programs broadcast 57 countries, it is estimated by ^ >nd P. Geddes, executive vice presi c' ' of the Radio Manufacturers' ^n, in a statement to the National ^rated Radio Trade Ass'n in con n here. More than $20,000,000 ^sted in broadcasting stations iis country, with gross business t'iC " industry last year totaling 'y ''"J-K r\i\r\ ,000. Unaffiliated theater owners of New York tomorrow will attend a meeting at the Plaza to hear outlined the plan for the exhibitor co-operative, which is beng formed, with Aaron Sapiro as its head. Every unaffiliated exhibitor of the zone has been invited to attend. Meeting yesterday, 11 circuits put over until tomorrow the signing of papers, which will start the organization functioning as M. P. Exhibitors' Ass'n., Inc. This was due to the fact that the circuits which aliContinued on Page 2) Measure Denies 'Absolute' Right to Pick Customers, He Contends Complete text of Charles C. Pettijohn's memorandum attacking the Brookhart bill will be published in the Sunday issue of THE FILM DAILY. Space restrictions crowd the text out of today's edition. Chief legal objection to the Brookhart bill is that its effect would be to deprive producers and distributors "of their absolute right to choose their own customers," states a memorandum attacking the measure prepared by C. C. Pettijohn, counsel of the Hays organization. This right, Pettijohn contends, has been upheld by the courts, and he cites a number of decisions to back his contention. He also calls attention to the practice of choosing a "show window" for playing of product in a particular zone, stating that location, price of admission, manner of presentation, general reputation, etc. are important factors to be considered, equally, if not more important than the rental paid by the theater. The effect of the Brookhart bill, he claims, would be to ignore these considerations and make the rental price the one controlling feature. Pettijohn attacks use of the term copyright, as designed to overcome the court decisions on right of choicw; of a customer, as in other industries. ,U. S. Control Not Needed In Industry, Hearst Says Federal regulation of the film industry is not needed, states an editorial being published in the Hearst newspapers, attacking the Brookhart bill. 3 Stanley Houses Seating 5,000 to be Opened Soon Within two weeks the Stanley Co. | of America will open three 5,000 \ seat houses. Thursday the Stanley ' at Jersey City will begin operations, j Mar. 17 a theater at Newark will be j opened and on Mar. 27, a house at ! Pittsburgh, incorporated in a $7,000, ; 000 office building, will be opened. I All three houses will play pictures I and presentations. Stanlev has acquired the Roxy at Maple Shade, N. J., seating 800.