The Film Daily (1939)

2 11 W A N ttl; DO NOT R Ivl (^ Intimate in Character International in Scope Independent in Thought The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Now Twenty-One Years Old VOL. "?* NO. 5 V NEW YORK, MONDAY, JULY 10, 1939 TEN CENTS Conn. Indies in Drive to Force Lower Film Rentals N.Y. ALLIED TO ASK DJSTRIBS. FOR STATE CODE Senate Finally Due to Tackle Neely's Measure Today Death of Secretary of Navy Swanson Deferred Action Friday Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Senate action on the controversial Neely anti-compulsory block booking and blind selling measure is in prospect this afternoon. Consideration of the bill was deferred Friday as a result of the death of Secretary of the Navy Claude Swanson, former Senator from Virginia, the Senate adjourning immediately after convening at (Continued en Page 4) GEO. TRENDLE QUITS EXHIBITION FIELD Detroit — George W. Trendle has resigned as president of United Detroit Theaters Corp., Paramount affiliate operating 16 local houses, and the resignation, which will be effective Aug. 1, has been accepted by Paramount. Increasing responsibilities of his radio interests is Trench CtfHfniwed on Page 4) Brooklyn Para, in Deal With WOR for Air Show In what was described as "an attempt to beat the Monday night lull in motion picture theater attendance," Simon Fabian, Inc., operator of the Paramount and Fox theaters, Brooklyn, has made a deal with WOR, Newark, whereby Benay Venuta's "Monday at 8:30" commercial (Continued on Page 8) Estimate 1939-40 Production Will Cost 11 Companies S176. OOO. 000-S183. 000. 000 Leading 11 producing companies will invest from 5176.000.000 to $183,000,000 in 1939-40 production, it is estimated by Fenner & Beane Industries Service, which places the investment for the present season at S153. 000,000. Service says, "Compared with results a year ago, interim earnings reports for the first half of 1939 have been showing mixed tendencies." CHI. CONTEMPT SUIT CLEARANCE CHANGES TRIAL OFF TO SEPT, 5 IN CODE UP TODAY Chicago — With the Government concluding the presentation of its case on Friday, defense in the Department of Justice's criminal contempt action against B & K and the majors will not start before Special Master Edgar Eldredge here until Sept. 5. As the Government went to bat legally for the last time Friday, its (Continued on Page 8) NBC Gets More Pix for Tele Despite Ban by the Majors Further acquisitions of feature film properties for television presentation purposes have been made by RCA-NBC for their programs in the local area, it was admitted at the week-end by NBC officials. Because of the ban placed by the majors and leading indie companies (Continued on Page 6) Sales managers of the seven majors which are parties to the Trade Practice Code will meet today at the call of W. F. Rodgers. Metro sales chief and distributors' key man in the Code deliberations, to consider changes in the machinery for settling clearance disputes. Changes largely stem from criticism of certain Code provisions voiced by the ITOA and will be made in fulfillment of the distributor pledge to modify the machinery. Survey Shows Pix Major Target for Censorship Censorship of movies, radio, the theater and literature declined during the past year, the American Civil Liberties Union reports in its annual survey of civil liberties in the (Continued on Page 8) Cohen Heads Committee to Seek Reopening of Negotiations New York Allied, moving to smash the impasse resulting from national Allied's action in spurning the Trade Practice Code, will attempt to reopen negotiations with the D i s t r i b u t ors' Committee headed by Sidney R. Kent for the purpose of evolving a New York State code. A n nouncement to this effect was ...v _„..„. j tr< -j MAX A COHEN made on Friday via a formal statement released by (Continued on Page 8) M-G-M CIRCUIT DEALS NEAR CLOSING STAGE 6 B-icay Holdovers Six pictures are being held over this week in Broadway theaters — "Goodbye, Mr Chips" is in its ninth week at the Astor; "Daughters Courageous" in its third at the Strand; "Man About Town" in its second at the Paramount, while the Music Hall is holding "Bachelor Mother," the Roxy "Second Fiddle" and the Globe "Hell's Kitchen" for second weeks. Conn. Indies Fight for Lower Rentals,Charge Forced Buying of Shorts Hollywood Studios Will Start 12 Pix This Week West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Twelve new produc! tions are slated to go before the cameras this week: At RKO: "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," starring Charles Laughton, (Continued on Page 6) New Haven — With exhibitor organization lines swept aside, Connecticut indies today inaugurate a determined drive to force lower film rentals in the territory. Opening gun is the placement of display copy in the trade press which, in addition to citing declining theater grosses and increasing rent (Continued on Page 7) Metro negotiating new product deals with leading circuits, has reached an agreement in principle in a "good percentage" of cases, and closing is a matter of days, it was said at the week-end by Wil (Continued on Page 6) Georgia Trust Co. Asks New Receiver for Fox Theaters Application was filed on Friday by Robert Aronstein as attorney for the Trust Company of Georgia for an order appointing a temporary receiver for the assets of Fox Theaters Corp. in place of Milton C. Weisman (Continued on Page 7) Duals at 5 Cents New Orleans — Duals at five cents admission came to town here last week as Alex Schulmann's Casino, a subsequent-run nabe on the fringe of the commercial area, adopted them.