The Film Daily (1935)

CODE IS BIG SUBJECT OF M.P.T.O.A. MEETING (Continued from Page 1) is officially devoted to rehabilitation and modernization of theaters. But chances are that this will prove secondary from the standpoint of importance, regardless of the intentions of the convention-steerers. Code is in the air! Many of the industry leaders who devoted days of exhausting work on the code are due here for the convention, in which they will take part. Sol A. Rosenblatt division administrator, who presided at the code meetings in Washington in the Fall of 1933; Ed Kuykendall, who carried the M. P. T. 0. A. banner; Jack Miller of Chicago, Ben Berinstein of Los Angeles, Fred Wehrenberg of St. Louis, Morgan Walsh of San Francisco, Harry Ballance, Claude Ezell, John Ezell, Lionel Keene, William Johnson and various others. A new first-day record for registrations was established, 300 deler gates having registered early in the day. John C. Flinn, executive secretary of the Code Authority, like Rosenblatt, is on the program for an address on the much-discussed and sometimes-cussed code. Sidney R. Kent, who is in Florida, will be unable to get here. M. E. Comerford and Walter Vincent also are being kept away, both due to minor illnesses. Veidt in New Korda Film London — Alexander Korda of London Films, producing for United Artists, has placed Conrad Veidt under a long-term contract and will present him next as Franz Liszt, tne composer, in a story now being written. Resuming French Previews John S. Tapernoux will resume preview showings of important French pictures on Thursday evening, when "Itto," which was produced entirely in Morocco, will be exhibited before an invited audience aboard the He de France. Lease New Theater A client of Philip Jacobs has leased for 21 years the theater now being erected on 82nd St. between Roosevelt and Polk Avenues, Jackson Heights. Deal was handled through O'Gara & Co., Inc. and Myles Rieser for Klein & Jackson. "Diggers" Premiere in N. 0. New Orleans — World premiere of "Gold Diggers of 1935" has been set by Warners for the Saenger Theater here starting Friday night, coincident with the Mardi Gras festivities. Original release date on the musical has been withdrawn and pre-release bookings will be granted to houses that will definitely set up the picture with fitting exploitation campaigns. A regular Hollywood premiere will be staged for the local debut. Making Talkies of Conventioneers New Orleans — National Screen Service has established a motion picture studio on the mezzanine floor of the Hotel Roosevelt and will make talking picture shots of all conventioneers. John Holbrook, NBC announcer, will function on the ceremonies, while Frank Zucker will do the camera work. Set Hearing on New Setup For Para. Coast Property (Continued from Page 1) such modifications as may be recommended by the court in California. The Paramount Properties reorganization plan provides for issuance of new 6 per cent bonds maturing in 1942 with sinking fund requirements instead of serial maturities for the $2,750,000 of Properties bonds outstanding and makes provision also for new leases on the Paramount coast studio and the Paramount building and theater in Los Angeles. The new lease on the Paramount building and theater provides for a sliding scale of rentals from $66,000 for the year expiring Sept. 1, 1936 to $106,000 for the year ending Sept. 1, 1942, when the lease expires. This compares with annual rental of $200,000 under the old lease subject to reductions as the bonds are paid off. New studio lease runs from $99,000 for 1935-36 to $160,200 in 1941-42. Under the old lease current rental is $160,000. Booths at Convention New Orleans — Companies having booths at the M.P.T.O.A. convention and those in charge of the booths include the following: National Carbon Co., P. A. King, B. J. Nolan; General Register Corp., Ed. A. Powers, Ray DuPort; National Theater Supply Co., W. A. Hodges; Radio Corp. of America, J. E. Francis; ERPI, S. H. Morris; Motion Picture Advertising Service Co., Inc., A. E. Chadwick; Motion Picture Screen Resurfacing Co.; Railway Express Agency, V. M. Grimsley; American Seating Co., H. W. Leuthstrom; American Display Corp.; H. A. Sarnwick; Alexander Film Co., Ruth St. Cyr. Zanuck to Make "Shark Island" West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Darryl Zanuck of 20th Century has selected "Shark Island" as the title of the production based on the life of Dr. Mudd. Nunnally Johnson is adapting the book, titled "The Life of Dr. Samuel Alexander Mudd," by Netti Mudd, his daughter. U. A. will distribute the picture. Armida for Fox Film West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Armida, Gus Edwards protege who recently scored in Mascot's "The Marines Are Coming," now playing at the Mayfair in New York, has been signed by Buddy DeSylva for a feature role in "Under the Pampa Moon," Fox production starring Warner Baxter and Ketti Gallian. J. Carroll Naish also has been added to the cast. Progress Is Reported By Booth Committee Progress is being made toward a solution of the booth scale controversy in New iTork (Jity, The biLM Daily was informed yesterday following a meeting of tne legal advisers of tne fact-finding committee on the booth situation. Likelihood is that the solution evolved will embody features of each of the three separate plans now being considered. The booth committee is slated lo meet later this week. Code for Hawaii is Set ti'ashington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — b . O. vViniams, vicepresident of Consolidated Amusement Co. and president of the Motion Picture Ass'n oi Hawaii arrived here yesterday to confer on the proposed code lor tne territory with Deputy Administrator William i?arnsworth. The code has already been drafted and will go through with the exception oi a iew changes which Farnsworth has made. Protest Refusal to Cancel Shorts New Orleans — Coast exhibitors interested in amending the code will protest against the practice of one major distributor in not allowing them to cancel two-reel shorts under the cancellation provisions. They claim that when cancellations are allowed the company forces them to drop one-reelers. Edward Esmonde Dead Edward Esmonde, former actor and discoverer of Barry Conners, whom he supported while the writer was turning out his first plays, died late Saturday night at the Hotel Flanders. He was 72 years old and is survived by his wife, Mrs. Mary Louise Esmonde. Esmonde owned all rights to the Conners plays, many of which have already been made into films. "Sweet Music" Holding Over "Sweet Music," Rudy Vallee picture for Warners, is being held for a second week at the New York Strand as a result of big business over the week-end. Next attraction at the house will be "Living on Velvet," with Kay Francis. Elisabeth Bergner for Benefit Elisabeth Bergner is to appear in the benefit performance and fashion revue for the Israel Orphan Asylum at Madison Square Garden on March 23. "Barretts" in Stage Revival The stage production of "The Barretts of Wimpole Street," released as a film last year, has been revived at the Martin Beck theater. SEEKS QUICKER ACTIF ON BANNED PRACTICES New Orleans — Revision of the code to prevent continuance of a banned practice pending determination of an appeal will be asked by Ben Berinstein, Los Angeles exhib ltor, at the M. P. T. O. A. convention. A similar request is included in the list of changes submitted by the M. P. T. O. of St. Louis. In some instances where the Los Angeles board has decided a practice is unfair or illegal the respondent has been able to continue as long as five months before the Code Authority ruled on the appeal, Berinstein points out. According to his proposal, a decision would become effective immediately in the event that it is unanimous. When members differ on a decision, however, the respondent could continue pending determination of his appeal. Berinstein also will seek a gen eral remodeling of the code to weed out inequitable and impractical sections and a 15 per cent cancellation clause "without any strings." B'klyn Para. Deal Removes Allied Owners' Objections (Continued from Page 1) to be submitted in Brooklyn Federal Court for approval, will make unnecessary the payment of a $500,000 federal tax by the Allied Own. ers trustees as would have been required if there had been no sale Fabian is at present operating the theater under an assignment of lease from Paramount expiring in September, when Paramount's new 20-year lease begins. Fabian said yesterday he was acquiring the the ater in his own name, but woulc assign it to a corporation later. The price is reported to be $1,500,000. Henry Hull in Coast Play West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY San Francisco — Henry Hull ha? been given leave by Universal tc appear in a coast version of hit Broadway vehicle of last season "Tobacco Road." From here the production will move to Los Angeles Hull is due back at the Universal studios on June 1. Wiley Post in Columbia Film West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAIL) Hollywood — Wiley Post, aviator has been signed by Columbia to appear in "Air Fury." Lyrical Denial Universal went lyrical yesterday in, ,. statement in which Carl Lacmmle, r^ UniversV^ denied the latest report about . being sold. Quoting from the statement: "Count that day lost whose low descending sun Has not seen Universal 'sold' To some wise son-of-a-gun!"