The Film Daily (1938)

TOE Thursday, September 1, 1938 DAILY INDUSTRY LAUNCHES BUSINESS CAMPAIGN (Continued from Page 1) si, who was presented with the first booklet of the Movie Quiz contest at a City Hall ceremony. And, on the other end of the continent, in New York City, Broadway theater managers and publicity men have formed a committee to celebrate the link between the famous thoroughfare and Hollywood Boulevard. They plan to decorate the street in honor of the drive, and enlist the aid of city officials and civic organizations in making the occasion a notable one. A Greater New York committee will extend the celebration throughout the metropolitan area, including Long Island, Westchester, and Northern New Jersey. A banquet at the Hotel Towers opened the drive in Brooklyn. In Hollywood, where Gabe Yorke represents the national committee, the local campaign has gotten off on a fast start, with splendid co-operation from the local press. The Hollywood Sentinel yesterday ran a full-page advertisement, contributed gratis in addition to the regular campaign ad that will run today. The Times and Express today carry editorials boosting the drive, and all papers are giving generous space to campaign news, pictures, and details of the Movie Quiz contest. The MGM Good News radio program, when it resumes shortly, will sign off with the campaign slogan: "Motion Pictures Are Your Best Entertainment." Screen Actors' Guild unit will carry banners with the campaign slogan in the Labor Day parade. From all points between New York and Hollywood, wires are pouring in to report on local activities. Highlights of these reports include a huge mass meeting at Reading, Pa., where 15,000 are expected to gather to hear the mayor's address of greeting to the industry, and a program of speeches and entertainment in connection with the drive. Also, at Columbus, Ohio, Governor Martin L. Davey, and Mayor Myron B. Gessaman will issue proclamations. At the official gala opening at the Palace Theater, J. Real Neth, district chairman, will present an inaugural address, and Mayor Gessaman will be presented with the first copy of the contest booklet. Ohio State University will be represented as campus queens will receive booklets opening campus participation in the contest, and the college football captain will be interviewed. Boston plans to go overboard on the contest, reports indicate, with newspapers, women's clubs, film organizations, and civic bodies solidly behind the drive. Syracuse will feature a huge automobile parade, opening the drive, with floats and banners. The mayor of Portland, and the governor of Oregon will present proclamations to theater men The Foreign Field News Flashes from All Parts of the Globe ♦ ♦ Dufay World Chain London — Dufaycolor has announced the formation of a world chain of companies, agents and processing plants, following introduction of its new fast stock. Majority of the new companies and plants are either now being established or plans are being prepared for them. The company expects soon to be established throughout the world. Pierpont Morgan Hamilton is handling the process in the U. S., I. Sclesinger for South Africa, Messrs. Technostampa of Rome are about to start filming in Italy. Messrs. Fazalbhoy, Ltd., of Bombay have signed a contract for Italy. Central Film S. A. has established Dufaycolor in Switzerland; Ateliers Fantasia of Paris has the French territory, while contracts for Australia, Canada, Holland, Poland, Czechoslovakia and other territories are reported to be in the final stages. Starting Oct. 1, the company will introduce color stills on paper in addition to the current transparencies. ideals of a film star than Jean Harlow." Brit. Labor for Higher Admish London — Robert Finnigan, president of the NATKE, at the opening of the labor body's London conference, made the suggestion that labor would favor an increase in cinema admission prices if the increase is devoted to higher wages. He declared that the government should abolish the entertainment tax on the condition that the remission went into a wages fund. He stated that, generally speaking, the price of admissions had not kept pace with the rise in other prices since the war. INDIES HAD TO GO ' TO COURT-STEFFES Jean Harlow Memorial Budapest — Alexis Lux, sculptor; Erwin Von Quittner, architect, and Nicholas de Radnay, painter, have designed a memorial to Jean Harlow which they expect to exhibit in its finished form at the New York World's Fair in 1939. Memorial is designed to show Hungary's appreciation of American cinematographic art. "We felt," say the artists, "that it would have been impossible to find a more beautiful and perfect incarnation of the Sound for Amateur Pix London — The recording of sound, both dialogue and sound effects, on 16mm. silent film submitted by amateurs, is now in full swing by GBE at the British Acoustic Laboratories at Shepherd's Bush, London. I. C. Javal of BAL, states that the laboratories can handle 100 films per week, supplying the dialogue, if the amateur photographer does not wish to supply it himself, and the necessary sound effects. He also states that there are 50,000 owners of silent 16mm. cameras in Great Britain. Mirrophonic for Previews London — M-G-M has installed Mirrophonic equipment in its London preview theater and has ordered similar equipment for its Paris preview theater. in that city tomorrow. Parades are scheduled in Dallas, today; in San Antonio, tomorrow, and in Houston on Labor Day. RKO, Paramount, Loew's and Warner circuits are lining up with independents to present a solid front in all cities where these circuits are represented, and model campaigns have been drawn by these circuits to be supplemented by individual showmanship in the various towns. Circuit representatives are enthusiastic in their reports from the field, and report activities from hundreds of centers. Initial shipments of accessories, and campaign booklets have reached all exchanges, and additional shipments are proceeding rapidly, James Clark, in charge of physical distribution, announced today. More than 20,000,000 booklets have already been sold and delivered, and he estimates that 6,000,000 additional will be sold by next Tuesday, September 6. From George J. Schaefer, executive chairman of the campaign committee, comes an expression of satisfaction with the results of the drive, and the opinion that it has already demonstrated its value to the industry. "It has restored the spirit of showmanship to the industry," Mr. Schaefer declared. "It has aroused a too-long latent enthusiasm, and a spirit of co-operation that fully justifies the labor and energy and untiring devotion of the hundreds of my co-workers whose devotion to their duties I deeply appreciate. "For my own part, witnessing the tremendous enthusiasm behind the drive, and feeling deeply convinced of its success, I am amply repaid for such time and labor as I have given to the common cause. "The campaign has just begun. Between now and December 31, we will continue to drive ahead, and to reap all possible fruits from this all-industry effort." Strand Show Stays Warners' "Boy Meets Girl" and Ben Bernie's band are being held over for a second week at the Strand, Broadway. (Continued from Page 1) Pettijohn's address before the Wis 3 consin industry reunion. Steffes said he agreed wit^^vha j Pettijohn had to say about iSKstr;. conditions, but that didn't help tht a situation. "We didn't want to go to the] courts," Steffes said, "we wer^ij driven there. If the business in going to hell, the fault can be laic-j directly on the heads of the majoi companies." Edward Golden, vice-president o.Jj Republic, in a follow-up address said the situation was one of supply and demand and urged greater sup port to companies such as his. Max Roth, division manager foil Republic, labeled columnists whe give inside details concerning pro duction as the worst influence ii' the business. Pinewood's Producing Pacts Total $2,500,000 (Continued from Page 1) nies have been contracted for. Mos of their productions will be fo world-wide distribution and will cos from $125,000 to $250,000. Floo: space, says Capt. Richard Norton Pinewood's chief, is booked soli< for months ahead. Leslie Howard will make the firs, four films of his new independen company at Pinewood. Gabriel Pas cal will produce there "The Las Laugh" with Wilfred Walter as thi star. It is believed likely that G W. Pabst will direct it. Pascal ha: other productions in view for Pine wood. 20th Century-Fox will pro duce there a picture starring Georgi Sanders with Eugene Ford direct ing; also the new Grade Fields pic ture which Monty Banks will direct Elisabeth Bergner and Jessie Mat thews' new films are expected to b made there. Victor Schertzingeri who is directing "The Mikado" a Pinewood, will make his next proi duction, a musical, there. N. D. Divorcement Appeal Papers Ready by Sept. IS (Continued from Page 1) ready by Sept. 19. Paramount at torneys are completing the paper: so as to file the appeal at the earl iest possible time. Warner Oland Buried Stockholm (By Cable) — Warne: Oland, the Charlie Chan of films who died here on Aug. 6, was burie< here on Tuesday in a coffin drapet with red, white and blue flowers fo: the U. S. and blue and yellow blooms symbolizing his Swedish homeland Some 20 wreaths were sent by Hoi lywood and Swedish film friends.