The Film Daily (1939)

99 Monday, March 13, 1939 DAILY Republic Drops LowCost Pix; Tilts Budget a Million Four $750,000 Features to Be Included Among 50 for 1939-40 (Continued from Page 1) pany and that next season's budget will be boosted by more than a million dollars. Fifty pictures are planned. Yates is here for program conferences with M. J. Siegel, head of the studio, and James R. Grainger. In keeping with the revised program, Yates has designated groups of pictures to be made as follows: Four Anniversary Specials, each of which to cost a minimum of $750,000; six De Luxe Jubilee Specials, 16 Jubilee Productions, eight Roy Rogers westerns, eight Gene Autry Musical Westerns, eight Mesquiteer westerns and four special serials. The low priced pictures known last year as the Showman's Group, have been entirely eliminated. UA's "Fifth of Century" Fete Will Start Apr. 17 (Continued from Page 1 ) founder-members, Mary Pickford, Charles Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks, will participate in the celebration, plans for which are being completed by Maurice Silverstone, general manager. United Artists was formed in the office of William G. McAdoo on April 17, 1919, when Miss Pickford, Chaplin, Fairbanks and D. W. Griffith joined forces to create their own company. Will Hold Hearing Today on N. D. Anti-Ascap Bill Bismarck, N. D. — Hearing on the anti-Ascap measure (Senate Bill 284), which has passed both houses here, will be held today before Governor John Moses. Latter, in view of an opinion issued by Attorney General Alvin C. Strutz that the bill is unconstitutional, is not expected to sign the measure. The Attorney General stated that "the proposed legislation embodied in Senate Bill 284 clearly attempts to impose conditions and limit the privileges granted by the Federal copvright law, and, in so far as it attempts to do so, is void." Edwin Mills, chairman of Ascap's administrative committee, is expected to attend the hearing today in opposition to signature. Conn. Amuse. Tax Hartford — An act concerning taxation of amusements, H. B. 1252, has been filed by title alone, text to follow at a later date. The Finance Committee will hear the act, but no date has yet been set. Nazis to Fight U. S. With Pix in L-A Berlin (By Cable) — With American films to be used to further democratic ideology in Latin-America, the Nazi government proposes to counter with pix assailing PanAmericanism and stressing instead Latin-Americanism. Keynote was sounded by Cen. Wlhelm Faubel, addressing the German Academy. "U" Weighing 43 Features, 14 Western and 81 Shorts (Continued from Page 1 ) general sales manager, following his return from Honolulu and Hollywood. Feature lineup for 1939-40 represents an increase of three, to be made by Harry Edington under the deal recently closed. Edington's first will be "Atlantic Cable," going into production shortly. Universal contemplates 81 shorts, or approximately the same number for the present season. Westerns will include seven with Johnny Mack Brown and as many with Richard Arlen, it is said. Scully will huddle this week with Prexy Nate Blumberg on plans for the "U" sales convention. It's expected to take the guise of regionals next month. Three branch managerial appointments for "U" were disclosed by Scully. G. C. Craddock is transferred from Portland, Ore., to replace Floyd Brown, resigned, at Indianapolis. R. O. Wilson, salesman, is promoted to the Portland berth. W. M. Richardson becomes branch manager in New Orleans; he has been on special assignment in Atlanta. Maine Clergy and WCTU Oppose Sunday Pix Move Augusta, Me. — Ministers, church laymen and WCTU representatives opposed a local option bill legalizing Sunday pix and a measure proposing repeal of Maine's Sunday laws at a hearing here: Simultaneously, the same group urged the legislative legal affairs committee to report favorably on another bill which the proponents contended would put "teeth" in the state's Sunday law and increase from $10 to $100 the penalty for its violation. Phil. Allied Committee To Make Survey on Duals Philadelphia — Allied unit here has appointed a committee to sound out members on the question of duals in an effort to effect some arrangement so that double billing of A or B pictures will not become a practice. It is said that the organization is leaning towards the regulation of double features, and the appointment of the committee followed reports that Stanley-Warner might turn to duals. There has been confirmation, however, of such a rumor. Trop Leaving Sherman; Two Majors Offer Deals (Continued from Page 1) of his interest to Harry Sherman Productions. For many years Trop has been vice-president of the Sherman organization and has been acting as associate producer on the "Hop Along Cassidy" series and the recent Zane Grey specials, latest of which is "Heritage of the Desert." Trop, who has been approached by two major companies, has felt that he should sever his ties of long standing with Sherman before entering into negotiation for the future. He has acquired for his personal account Octavus Roy Cohen's first original for the screen "Lostling," which Cohen plans to novelize for Collier's. SDG and Producers Reach Full Agreement on Terms (Continued from Page 1) Joseph M. Schenck, chairman of the producers' committee, announced that all details for the agreement between Guild and Producers had been ironed out and amicably agreed upon, and that ratification by both organizations will be a mere formality. Local 1 and Major Circuits Sign Agreement to Jan. 31 Contract between Local 1, stagehands, and the major New York circuits has been signed and wage scales have been put into effect as of Feb. 1, with pact running to Jan. 31, 1940. It covers members of the union employed in first class and second class picture houses. For first class houses scales are as follows: Head carpenter, head property man and head electrician, receive $85.49 per week for a week of six days, covering a work day of any eight hours between the hours of 12 noon and midnight. Head equipment man, $80.34 per week and assistants in all departments get $76.22 per week. Soundman, $82.60 and portable board man not less than $82.60 per week. Swingmen receive a salary of one-sixth of the wage paid the man they replace. Overtime scales have been set at $2.57 per hour for broken time and overtime. In second class houses the electricians receive $66.60 per week. Certain further conditions have been written into the contract, but wage scales are based on work week of six days, with law providing for one day off. HEAR W.B. SHIFTING EASTERN PRODUCTION O (Continued from Page 1) other to the effect that Sam Sax, Eastern Vitaphone production head, would be assigned to Teddington as top exec, there. Efforts to confirm the reports at the Warner home office were unavailing. Sam E. Morris, company's foreign sales head, said that he had no information bearing upon the selection of Sax to assume the Teddington post. Morris said that the arrangement just made with Jack L. Warner the Hollywood production forces in the future would assume responsibility for the English program. According to report, tentative date for the termination of activity at the Vitaphone studios in the East is April 26. Sax presumably would leave for London in early May. It is understood that Wajrners might do some production at the Brooklyn plant from time to time, but it is reported that it undoubtedly will be offered for lease. During 1938, some 90 shorts were made there by Sax for Vitaphone. Teddington activities at present are headed by Jerome Jackson, who arrived on this side in late February for conferences at the home office. Jackson forecast a $5,000,000 Warner production budget in England for 1939-40, with from 13 to 15 pictures comprising the program. Theater Divorcement Bill Appears Doomed in Kansas (Continued from Page 1) ferred to the committee on judiciary. Since the Kansas legislature expects to adjourn within two weeks, sending the bill back to committee is the equivalent of killing the measure, according to administration leaders. Billie Burke Hurt West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Billie Burke, widow of Florenz Ziegfeld, is expected to remain in the hospital for several weeks as a result of a fractured ankle sustained last week-end while working on the final scene of a fea j ture on the M-G-M lot. "AH Aboard! ! !" West Coast Bur., THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Replica of the six-car special train over the Sante Fe which will carry Warner studio delegation to the "Dodge City" world premiere at Dodge City, Kans., has been painted one one side of a Burbank sound stage. As players signify they'll make the trip, their names are painted on the car windows. Hollywood is plastered with signs reading, "1,096 Miles to Dodge City — Are You Going?"