The Film Daily (1929)

iTHE ^NEWSPAPER 0/ FILM DOM AHDWEEKLY FILM DIGEST VOL. XLIX No. 70 Sunday, September 22, 1929 Price 25 Cents Wild Reports Follow Nathanson Resignation tariffIncrease toIjolve frenchtangle RC APhotophone to Fulfill All $2,995 Contracts "Blackmail" ^—By JACK ALICOATE^^ IF you think from the ahove heading that this column is devoted to scandal, muckraking or a sensational expose you are doomed to disappointment for what follows is merely our modest opinion of the British-made "Blackmail" that seems to have the London press all hot and hothered and is the gentle zephyr around which a propagandized and political tornado has been brewing for some time. "Blackmail" is press agented as the first talking picture to be made in England and hailed by the London press, collectively and respectively, as a rave, smash, world beater and what not, destined by England's foremost critics to set an entirely new standard for American production. We don't believe it is the first talker to have been made in London. It is much too good for that. We are equally as positive that it does not approximate anything extraordinary. It is much too bad for that. YES and NO In dissecting "Blackmail" we are rather in a quandary. Conflicting thoughts lead us to different conclu{Continued on Page 2) Back Plan Salt Lake City— Eighty per cent of the 125 exhibitors who attended the meeting here highlighted by address of W. A. Steffes, Northwest unit leader, have signed for franchises, it is stated. The momentum is gaining from day to day, it is declared. Oscar Hanson, Tiffany-Stahl sales head, addressed the meeting presided over by John J. Gillette of Tooele, Utah. Nathanson Denies He Will Develop New Chain, Says He's Out of Industry Toronto — Many wild reports have followed resignation of N. L. Nathanson as managing director of Famous Players-Canadian, in a dispute over proposed sale of the circuit to Gaumont British. A drop of six points in the stock followed his withdrawal, when Adolph Zukor and I \Y. Killani opposed his proposal to dace Gaumont's offer of $75 a share before shareholders. One report was that Nathanson would ally himself with Fox for es(Continued on Page 16) M. P. Club Names Team For Fall Golf Tourney Insurance against postponement of the Film Daily Fall Golf Tournament, again has been written by Arthur W. Stebbins, insurance broker. Confident of victory in the forth.oming match with the Friars, which is to be a feature of the Film Daily Fall Golf Tournament Oct. 1, at Gedney Farms Country Club, White {Continued on Page 16) Paves Way? Increase of Class A shares of Fox Film from 900,000 to 4,000,000 is regarded as a preliminary step in consolidation into one company of all Foxcontrolled companies including Loew's and M-G-M. Accord in France at Last! A REAL JOB CREDITABLY DONE— THAT ROW OVER SALE OF FAMOUS PLAYERS-CANADIAN— THE EUROPEAN PATENT WAR— THE NEW GRANDEUR PICTURES— FOX'S ROCKY MOUNTAIN EXPANSION— THE WEEK'S REVIEW -By CHARLES F. HYNES COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS TO DECIDE ON NEW DUTY— U. S. FIRMS RESUME TUESDAY Paris (By Wireless) — Increased duty on American films will be the proposal made for solving the problem of control of American films in France, for that is the only solution American distributors will accept, it is indicated following the truce on the 3 to 1 quota. A special committee of tariff experts, working under the Minister of Commerce will be named for the purpose. Paris (By Wireless) — Resumption of activity in France by American distributors awaits the meeting Tuesday of the Cinema Control Commission, where the two year truce on the quota controversy, is slated to be formally ratified. Unofficially, it is learned that the government is satisfied with the settlement, and that the ratification Tuesday may be taken almost as u matter of course. However, the American interests intend to await the final signing of the agreement. Preparations today are under way for reinstatement of about 1,000 employes of distributors, who have been thrown out of work by the 11 months' dispute. Under terms of the truce, the 3 to 1 quota plan has been abolished and the 7 to 1 basis re. stored until Oct. I, 1930. The press and theaters, which were hard-pressed by the shortage of American films, are hailing the settlement as a victory for American distributors. M-G-M "Trackless Train" Closes World Tour M-G-M "trackless train" has ended its four-year tour of the world during which it covered more than 150,000 miles. Arriving in New York Friday aboard the Crown City, it {Continued on Page 16) RCA TO DELIVER DESPITE PRICE CHANGE, ABEL SAYS All contracts made with exhibitors for the new Type G equipment on the basis of the $2,995 price first announced, will be fulfilled by RCAI'hotophone, according to Sydney E. Abel, general sales manager. The new form of contract, covering the {Continued on Page 16) SETTLING the "jam" caused by the French producers' insistence upon a 3 to 1 quota demand was a real job, but was done this week The accord reached highlighted the news which included the startling withdrawal of N. L. Nathanson as managing director of Famous Players-Canadian, in a squabble over sale of the circuit ; the introduction of Grandeur large size pictures ; acquisition by Fox of 27 more theaters in Rocky Mountain states; launching of a general European patent war by Klangfilm-Tobis ; plan to give "the little fellow" the break at the -forthcoming Memphis session, and the rounding out of the neVnaWhaT Federation of. independent exchanges. But to con {Continued on Page 13) Trial October 1st West Coast Bur. THE FILM DAILY Los Angeles — Trial of the government's conspiracy action against West Coast Theaters and a dozen distributors, alleging violation of the antitrust laws in an alleged freezeout against independent exhibitors, is slated to get under way here in Federal Court Oct. 1.