The Film Daily (1938)

Monday, September 19, 1938 ■na 11 MPPDATOMEETTHURS. ON ITALIAN PROBLEM !!! .! jiom Page 1 ) kick of essential details plus the vague wording of the several articles of the decree. Reliable sources also declare that the Thursday meeting was set in the ho* > that reports from the huddles ./ I S. film representatives in Paris .'.ill be ready for examination, and, farther, that developments may be lorthcoming also with respect to State Department action on behalf of the industry. The general foreign situation and the position of the industry should a general European war materialize »as also considered at Friday's lengthy session, it was understood. At the meeting on Friday, Maurice Silverstone was elected to the board to succeed Harry D. Buckley, :.nd a resolution was unanimously adopted by the directorate mourning the loss of the late Whitford Drake, Erpi president, and citing his outstanding services to the industry. Will H. Hays, film industry administrator, reported to the directors his observations and conclusions attending his protracted visit to the Coast, from which he returned early last week. He is understood to have stressed the highly favorable results which will accrue to producers, distributors, exhibitors and public from the high quality features emanating from Hollywood's studios. Progress of Motion Pictures' Greatest Year campaign was also discussed by the board, and held to be satisfactory. Directors attending the meeting were: Barney Balaban, Nate Blumberg, Harry D. Buckley, Jack Cohn, E. W. Hammons, Ed Hatrick, Will H. Hays, Major Frederick L. Herron, Sidney R. Kent, Nicholas M. Schenck and Leo Spitz. United Industry Front May Ease Italy's Ruling — Cohn U. S. producer-distributor interests are facing a genuine crisis as far as the Italian market is concerned, it was said over the week-end by Jack Cohn, vice-president of Columbia, whose organization, it is understood, is represented in that field by Consorzio Cinematografico, headquartering in Rome and with several branches in principal Italian cities. Cohn declared that the new film THE WEEE IN REVIEW European Situation Causes Concern — Paris Confab on Italy DOMESTIC Slap At Mars While dispatches from Europe on the week-end continued to keep tear alive of a possible World War, it was complacently declared in Prague that Czechoslovakia is all set to erect its building at the New York World's Fair. An elaborate roof garden will feature an old Bohemian cafe, with Czech food prepared by native chefs. . .and projected on the wall for diners will be motion pictures of Central European life. Pilsner beer, brewed by the Citizens Brewing Co. of Czechoslovakia, will be served. Peace. . .It's wonderful! (Continued from Page 1) decree to establish an agency to handle all foreign films added to industry worries. It was reported thai; the State Department would cooperate with distributors in negotiations with Italian government. Industry drive has sent business in New York up 20-45 per cent, it was learned. Movie quizz contest expected to pull 8,000,000 answers. Radio and Publications Contest Co. signed to handle mechanics of quizz. Showmanship said to be key to success of campaign by Harold B. Franklin, biz manager for drive. Earle W. Hammons is expected to start shooting within the next two weeks. Exec, left for Coast over week-end to talk deals with top-line producers. Alexander Korda arrived here and made hurried trip to Coast upon arrival after saying trip was merely visit. Reports say he is interested in producing pictures for distribution outside the United Artists fold. Other items of general industry interest included charge of George E. Browne, IATSE prexy, that the CIO is seeking control of IA's Coast unions. Death of A. H. Schwartz saddened film row, and impressive industry turnout attended funeral of the prominent exhib. MPTOA set convention in Oklahoma City for "Demonstration Campaigns" Inaugurated for Para. Pix Paramount has inaugurated a series of "demonstration campaigns" on certain of its pictures to prove conclusively the practical value of its press books and convince exhibitors throughout the country that extra dollars can be attracted to the box-office by intelligent use of the merchandising suggestions outlined for each picture, R. B. Gillham, director of publicity and advertising, disclosed over the week-end. For the first test campaign, at Phoenix, Ariz., Para, used "Sons of the Legion." Other pix lined up for campaigns include "Campus Confessions" and "Touchdown Army." Special exploiteers will be sent into the field. Oct. 30-Nov. 1. Metro was reported in deal with Winfield R. Sheehan. Gaumont British announced plans for a large advertising drive. Paramount appealed the North Dakota theater divorcement case to the Supreme Court. National Theaters announced giveaways may be eliminated from its entire chain. FOREIGN (Continued from Page lj agers to discuss plans for meeting any eventuality. American newsreel companies throughout Europe started to make final preparations to cover all fronts in the event of war. Number of home office execs, are said to be quietly entering foreign countries to consolidate newsreel out-field units. A charge was made in a Mexican newspaper that the United States was behind a plot to cause interunion conflict there. Story was discounted here by all reliable sources. An admission tax has been requested for houses in Ontario., Formation of a new British producing and distributing company was revealed during the week in New York by an executive of the organization. Joe Seidelman, foreign manager for Universal, returned with a report that his company's business was 30 per cent higher abroad than it was last year. MOVE FOR ANNUAL BIZ DRIVE GETS SUPPORT (Continued from Page 1) and RKO, and the vice-prexy of Columbia, were enthusiastic over the early results of the "Motion Pictures Are Your Best Entertainment" campaign and characterized it as "a boon to business." Kent expressed the opinion that there was no reason why such a campaign should not be put on again, providing that costs could be kept down to a certain extent. Schenck and Spitz said that there had been definite signs of business improvement to date, and predicted that by the end of the campaign everybody connected with the industry will have benefited. Jack Cohn said, "Exhibitors, on the basis of reports to date, are profiting by the Motion Pictures Greatest Year campaign and superior film product." The execs, commended the fine work that has been done by the organization handling the drive under the leadership of George J. Schaefer, UA sales chief. Sheldon Joining Metro West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — E. Lloyd Sheldon, recently with Columbia, is joining M-G-M as a producer. He may handle story based on achievement of American Red Cross. regulations announced last week in Rome, the text of which is currently being studied by picture executives, appear of such a stringent nature that, should there be no modification forthcoming, companies generally may discover further participation in the Italian market "futile." The seriousness of the situation at this time does not, he implied, indicate that a satisfactory solution is impossible, since considerable hope is held out that modification will follow a united industry front which is abetted by official representations. Columbia, he said, is in for a highly satisfactory year if no international impediments arise. who. has the s(%&it subjects and how aood they, uaUty a\& the** be sum y&u lead eveity W<^0$th&(o\thc6*HiHty Shod Subjects (tuaiie-Uy* THE FILM DAILY