The Film Daily (1929)

iTHE ^NEWSPAPER o/'FILMDOM ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME VOL. L No. 66 Tuesday, December 17, 1929 Price 5 Cents Burkey Files $95,000 Suit Against 12 Distributors SEEK LAW TO PREVENT SOUND HOUSE FIRES Financial Expert Made Treasurer of Both Fox Firms Niver Succeeds Aaron Fox at Fox Films and Jack Leo at Fox Theaters Naming of K. \Y. Niver, vice-president of Halsey, Stuart & Co. as i treasurer of both Fox Film and Fox I Theaters was learned by THE FILM i DAILY yesterday. He succeeds , Aaron Fox at Fox Film and Jack Leo, as exclusively reported in THE FILM DAILY of Dec. 9, at Fox Theaters. Niver is the financial expert of | Halsey, Stuart & Co. and has been I identified with various deals handled ■ by this firm in connection with Fox. i He is also a member of the board of <\ directors of the Roxy Theater Corp. fARNERSWPLETE PLANS i FOR 6 HOUSES AT COAST Mw est Coast Bureau, THE FILM DAILY Los Angeles — Warner Bros, have ■completed plans for the erection of flsix nouses to be located in Los AnHgeles, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, San ■Pedro, Huntington Park and Santa ■Monica. CHURCH-DRAMA BODY Following a story published in the lewspapers to the effect that Will Irl. Hays and Carl E. Milliken have |>een dropped from the board of directors of the Church and Drama {Continued on Page 3) ' liechele Sees Sound Aiding City Theaters Sound pictures are pulling big grosses for city theaters in Kansas |>ut the smaller towns, where houses {Continued on Page 3) Tohnson Jungle Film in Color, Sound on 70MM ■ Paris — Mr. and Mrs. Martin Johnson, American explorers, upon leavng here for their two year trip into (.Continued on Pag* i) SETTLING OUT OF COURT St. Louis — Suit of five Class A stockholders for mandamus to compel Skouras Bros. Enterprises to permit examination of records to determine the value of the company's stock will be settled out of court. This was indicated when Circuit Judge Fitzsimmons continued hear(Continued on Page 2) URGES EXHIBS TO SETTLE DISPUTES WITH MANAGERS Pittsburgh — Amicable settlement of disputed contracts with exchange managers is urged by Anthony P. Jim, president of the M. P. T. O. of Western Pa. and West Va., to help alleviate the situation caused by the suspension of arbitration. Jim, in a statement to exhibitor {Continued on Page 2) Kansas City Exhib Charges He Was Forced to Quit Business Receiver is Asked for Sonora Products A petition has been filed with Federal Judge Coxe in the District Court for the appointment of an equity receiver for Sonora Products Co. The petitioning creditor is the Arrow Hart and Hegeman Electric Corp., of Hartford, whose attorneys set forth that $3,698 is due and un{Continued on Page 16) Kansas City — Charging restraint of trade and claiming that he was forced out of business, Walter O. Burkey, former owner of the Admiral, suburban house, has filed suit asking for $95,000 against 12 distributor's including Educational, Pathe, U. A., Tiffany, Fox, Warners, Universal, Metro, First National, RKO, Paramount and Midwest Film Distributors. In his action, launched in {Continued on Page 16) Film Daily Fund Hits Slump ! Quick and Heavy Action Needed F Wynne-Jones, head of Ufa in this country, lauds THE FILM DAILY RELIEF FUND in the following words: "A fund for the relief of those in distress is a necessary part of our work. The humane aspect of aiding the needy reminds us that we are obligated because it is with the help of those unfortunates that we have attained our positions. The worthy work of THE FILM DAILY RELIEF FUND cannot but reflect credit on those who have contributed to make it possible. If it had not been for a $100 check from Arthur W. Stebbins, yesterday would have been a mighty lean day in THE FILM DAILY RELIEF FUND drive. After the promising pace set during the latter part of last week, the committee expected a shower of checks on Monday and therefore was frankly disappointed at the slim showing. Some quick and heavy response will be necessary to overcome this setback. Only eight days to go — and considerably less than half of the $10,000 goal has been realized. Yesterday's list of contributors also included S. N. Burger, Irene F. Scott F. C. Quimby, Sam Stern, Harry L. Gold, Henry Ginsberg, {Continutd on Pag* 16) Ask Chicago Ordinance to Compel Fireproof Materials Chicago — In an effort to prevent fires in sound theaters, the Chicagc fire department, through its fire pre vention committee, has recommend ed that the city include in its ordinances a law requiring acoustical and other sound-deadening materials to be fireproof. Fire department inspectors, working under supervision of Patrick J. Egan, division marshal in charge of fire prevention, have notified theaters to immediately re {Continued on Page 3) THEATER WIlES are BEING URGEDFOR STUDIOS Amendment of the Building Code to bring film studios in the same class with theaters in the matter of fire prevention requirements is being urged by Chief Peter C. Spence of {Continued on Page 3) proposeFpadlock law arouses kansas city Kansas City — Considerable opposi* ion, mostly from women, has been aroused by the proposed "padlock" ordinance which would require all cheaters to have a license and would {Continued on Page 18) It Talmadge in "DuBarry" Taylor's First for U. A. West Coast Bureau, THE FILM DAILY Los Angeles — Sam Taylor's first iroduction as an independent prolucer-director for United Artists will '< n talker of "DuBarry," the David Belasco play, with Norma Talmadge starred. Standard Talker Contract Being Considered Abroad London (By Cable)— A report on the standard contract for talking films, a draft of which had been pre{Continued on Page 3)