The Film Daily (1938)

DAILY Monday, -August 1, ISi REGIONAL MEETS SPUR INDUSTRY BIZ DRIVE (Continued from Page 1) tending. Rick Ricketson and A. P. Archer will conduct a similar session in Denver. Other meetings and those in charge are as follows: Washington, D. C, John Payette, Carter Baron and Robert Smeltzer; Atlanta, William J. Jenkins and Robert Mochrie; Toronto, J. J. Fitzgibbons and Haskell Masters; Philadelphia, Joe Bernhard, Warner Bros, circuit chief, Lewen Pizor and Ben Amsterdam; Detroit, H. M. Richey and Dave Palfrey man: Cleveland, M. B. Horowitz and Gradwell Sears; Dallas and Oklahoma City, R. E. Griffith and R. J. O'Donnell; Seattle, John Danz and Frank Newman; Chicago and Milwaukee, Gradwell Sears and Ed Silverman; Vancouver, John Danz; Minneapolis, Al Steffes and Andy W. Smith; Los Angeles and San Francisco, Spyros Skouras and Herman Wobber; Kansas City, Clarence Schultz, Glen W. Dickinson, Elmer Rhoden and Ed Dubinsky; Memphis, M. A. Lightman and F. J. Willingham. Lord Stonehaven to Head British Film Act Panel London (By Cable) — Sir Samuel Hoare, Home Secretary, stated in the House of Commons that Lord Stonehaven had accepted the invitation to become chairman of the new advisory committee to be appointed under the Cinematograph Act. Appointment of a chairman had been delayed for two years. Lord Stonehaven was formerly Governor-General of Australia and was created a Viscount this year. THE WEEK IN REVIEW Industry Biz Drive— $6,500,000 ABP Profit Byrd Theater Sold Philadelphia — Byrd Theater on Baltimore Ave. has been sold to Byrd Theater Co. by Northern Trust Co., trustee for Bondholders. The property was bought in the Bondholders General Protective Committee on the former first mortgage bond issue of $150,000 and re-sold through Albert M. Greenfield & Co. for the Committee and the Trustees. House, a 1,800 seater, is to be improved and reopened shortly after Labor Day. And Why Not? Washington Bur., THE FILM DAILY Washington — Congresswoman Virginia Jenckes of Indiana is expected to introduce a bill at the next session of Congress calling upon the Government to award special medals to Norman Alley and Eric Mayell, newsreel cameramen for Universal and 20th-Fox, respectively, for their services and bravery in making pix of the bombing of the U.S.S. Panay. Idea to reward Alley and Mayell was hatched by John Chapman of the New York Daily News a week ago. DOMESTIC (Continued from Page I) headquarters in New York in Loew's State Building and summoned to a meeting on Wednesday at the Hotel Astor some 300 representatives of unaffiliated theater circuits to cooperate in the drive. ^ s|s ♦ The drive's slogan evolved is "Movies Are Your Best Entertainment," and the period for the campaign was selected as from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31. A budget of approximately $1,000,000 was set, $500,000 of which was pledged by distribs. and $250,000 by affiliated circuits. Unaffiliated theaters are to contribute the $250,000 difference. Funds are to be expended in a newspaper campaign, involving from $575,000 to $600,000; in a "Picture Parade" contest, $250,000, representing an aggregate of 5,000 prizes; and from $150,000 to $175,000 for literature, lobby displays, contest booklets, promotional film and prints. The estimated b.o. benefit is from 10 to 20 per cent increase in patronage, representing a possible advance of $1,600,000 to $3,200,000 weekly. Immediately in the wake of the Hotel Astor meeting at which Frank C. Walker's designation as treasurer was announced, studio and theater ad and publicity moguls in Hollywood met there and designated Frank Whitbeck to produce a film for the biz drive, and appointed Fred W. Beetson to contact the Guilds for their co-operation. $P ♦ # On Thursday, coincident with the filing of Special Master George W. Alger's supplemental report upon the RKO reorganization plan, Federal Judge Goddard signed an order setting: Sept. 8 for hearing before Federal Judge Bondy. Alger characterized the amended plan as "feasible" and "substantially fair," and industry observers saw in his views the impending end to the now nearly 50 months of reorganization processes. * * * Sidney R. Kent, chairman of the committee devoted to the framing of trade practice corrections, stated in Rangely, Me., that the filing of the Government's suit against major companies may delay completion of the distributors' fair trade practices plan. Nicholas M. Schenck, prexy of Loew's, Inc., declared in New York that the Government's suit was not discussed at the recent White House conference of top execs, with President Roosevelt. * * * David Rose, Paramount's foreign production head, announced upon sailing from New York to England that his company expects to launch British production in April. . . . Monogram, under a plan being currently considered by its directorate, may produce four pix in England for next season's line up. . . . Hollywood reported that Myron Selznick and Ernst Lubitsch have organized Ernst Lubitsch Productions, Inc., and may seek a releasing deal with UA. . . .Descent of A F of M's prexy, Joseph M. Weber, on Hollywood's studios in a move looking to the return of orks to pix theaters won't materialize until late October or about Nov. 1, it was learned. . . . Return of U's Board Chairman J. Cheever Cowdin from Europe brought word that General Film Distributors, U's releasing outlet in the UK has negotiated a financing deal which will strengthen his company's new season program. . . . and WB Pictures, Inc., was said to be asking holders of its Optional 6 per cent Convertible Debentures, due Sept. 1, 1939, to deposit these in accordance with a plan of exchange under which the debentures will be exchanged for an equal principal amount of new 6 per cent debentures maturing in 1948. FOREIGN (Continued from Page 1) television sets will be capable of receiving the Paris telecasts. . . Associated British Pictures reported a net profit for the year of $6,500,000 and a 20 per cent dividend. . . and that "Victoria the Great," Herbert Wilcox's pix, grabbed the Film Weekly's award as the best British film of the year. * * * Paris reported that two of its big pix companies are progressing in their reorganizations, — Pathe Cinema and Gaumont-Franco-FilmAubert group, and that Ludwig Berger, German producer, has formed a producing company there to be known as Sofror, and will make two features immediately. * * * From Sydney issued word that Greater Union Theaters reports a loss of $72,245 for the six months ended Dec. 31, 1937. . . .Mexico City checked in with dispatches declaring that Mexico will be represented at the Venice Film Festival, and also that stricter censorship is looming in Mexico. HEARS EDUG.-GN DEAL NEAR GLOf (Continued from Page 1) approval, which appears cerMii necessary before an official anl __*!* ment can be made. E. W. Hammons, president of E cational, could not be reached Sat' day for a statement on the Ho', wood report that the Grand Natio deal would be set this week. Kassler Has "Rapture" Frank Kassler, currently distributing "Dark Eyes," starring Simone Simon and Harry Baur, will shortly release "Rapture," formerly titled "Delusion," with Annabella, Charles Vanel and Jean Murat in the cast. Anatol Litvak directed the latter. Two III in Detroit Detroit — Grace Hoffman, Grand National cashier, is a victim of strep throat. Jack Moss, Grand National salesman, is under the care of four doctors, requiring two series of shots for a disease that has so far defied diagnosis. Educational Film Library To Be Set Up in New Yc| (Continued from Page 1) at 9 Rockefeller Plaza, New Yc] The new organization is headed Fanning Hearon, former newspap' man, producer and distributor, \ I resigned his position as director the Division of Motion Pictun U. S. Dept. of the Interior, to ace | the new post. In a statement issued yesterd -j Hearon said that the corporatior J a "direct result of the often-expres i desire of American schools and t leges for one central source to wh li they may turn for help and ad\ i in securing the films they need determining the value of motion \ i tures in education." It was explained that members will be limited to institutions ;l non-commercial distributors servl the educational field. For th] members the association will obt i appraisals of films which are av.j able and those which could be av;' able. It will not rent or prodi I pictures, but will serve as an i partial unit between the pict makers and the picture users. Prominent visual educators fr several parts of the country mi up the Association's board of dir tors. They are: J. C. Wardlaw, rector, Division of General Ext sion, University System of Georj Atlanta, who is the Associatic president; Boyd B. Rakestraw sistant director, Extension Divisi University of California, Berkel who is the vice-president; Char F. Hoban, Jr. director, Motion I ture Project, American Council Education, Washington, D. C; H old C. Bauer, superintendent, N Ulm, Minnesota Public Schools; P, C. Reed, supervisor, Visual Radio Education, Rochester, N York, Public Schools; Thomas Fa ler, director, Research Departme Division of General Education, N York University; John A. Holling director, Department of Scier Nature Study, School Gardens i Visualization, Pittsburgh, Pa., Pul Schools. Waldo Ball, Artist Chicago — Waldo Ball, manager of the B & K LaGrange theater does some nifty pencil sketches in his spare time. Balaban & Katz has purchased several' for permanent exhibition in theaters.