The Film Daily (1939)

Monday, July 10, 1939 &% DAILY GA. TRUST ASKS NEW FOX THEA, RECEIVER {Continued from Page 1) and Kenneth Stenreich, trustees, and restraining the trustees from carrying out the plan of liquidation of Fox Theate^. Tht .replication seeks the restrains o order and the appointment of a temporary receiver pending hearings which Federal Judge John C. Knox has ordered on objections by creditors and stockholders to Weisman's accounting as receiver. Weisman and Stenreich were appointed trustees by former Judge Martin T. Manton to consummate the liquidation plan which Weisman had proposed. The Trust Company of Georgia contended in its application that there was a possibility that the trustees "may so deal with the property as to jeopardize and affect the rights of creditors of the Fox Theaters Corp. during the time in which hearing on the objections to the receiver's account is had." Petition asked Judge Knox to set a day for a hearing on the application before him. THE WEEK IN REVIEW B. 0. Drought Broken — French Decree Favors U. S. =^= By GEORGE H. MORRIS ==^^=^= Hear Nick-Weston Cases On Appeal In September Jefferson City, Mo. — Two cases connected with the ouster of John P. Nick, International vice-president of the IATSE, and Clyde A. Weston, former business manager of Local 143, operators' union, from control of the latter by Circuit Judge Ernest F. Oakley of St. Louis, will be heard by the Missouri Supreme Court at its September term. One of the cases is the appeal of Nick and Weston from the order of Judge Oakley appointing a temporary receiver for Local 143, while the second case is based on the unsuccessful attempt of William F. Canavan and other defense interveners to compel Judge Oakley to accept an appeal bond, which would have automatically superseded the receivership and returned control of Local 143 to Nick and Weston until such time as the high courts could pass on the receivership suit. DOMESTIC EXHIBITION: Broadway's pix palaces enjoyed a literal deluge of patronage which spectacularly ended the b.o. drought, and reports to home offices from other sections of the nation disclosed unmistakably a general upswing. In the Great White Way sector, SRO signs were the rule, and, in some instances, records of long standing for both grosses and attendance were shattered . . . Anent the exhibition realm, a Toronto dispatch declared that Dominion-wide indie exhib. convention under auspices of the Anti-Protection League will probably be held some time in August. $ sjs % ON LEGAL FRONT: After obtaining Senate consideration for his block-booking measure late Thursday afternoon, Senator M. M. Neely yielded floor for other matters and bill went over to Friday when it was due for debate and vote but the death of Secretary of the Navy Swanson | caused further postponement till toj day. As vote neared, three amendments to the measure were made . . . In New York, Senior District Judge John C. Knox nixed the the setting of , trial date in Government equity acI tion against the majors because 20 days are required from time all answers are in, and UA and Columbia had not received D of J responses to requests for additional particuj lars ... At week's outset, Federal ' Judge William Bondy approved R. C. | Patterson, Jr., as chairman of the board of new RKO Corp. ADMINISTRA TIVE : MPPD A's board considered foreign situation, tele, relief, and other matters, following which huddle Will H. Hays journeyed to Frisco where he told National Education Assn. convention that the pix industry in three-year experiment will make 590 shorts, valued at some $10,000,000, available to U. S. schools. shows and numerous properties they own at the Eastern Service Studios during next few years . . . Herman Wobber, 20th-Fox distribution chief, disclosed an additional 10 per cent boost in company's 1939-40 production budget . . . Encouraged that revisions can be effectuated in Dramatists' Guild basic agreement, major producers interested in presenting plays on Broadway looked for resumption of such stage productions. * * * TRADE PRACTICES: William F. Rodgers, as distrib. spokesman, answered Allied's charges that submitted code was not the same as the one agreed upon in previous negotiations by declaring that proposed code "covers, not substantially, but wholly, every single item discussed and agreed upon with the Allied committee." FOREIGN FRENCH DECREE : Minimum of 150 U. S. features will gain entry into France, and be given dubbing permits during next 12 months, details of Government decree there revealed. Base total of all foreign features will be 188, plus a contingency block of 12. Hence Hollywood is assured of dominant position in France, as heretofore, with position even strengthened. :{: * * 20th-FOX GAINS: Return of Walter J. Hutchinson, 20th-Fox foreign distribution director, brought news, following a three-month trip to Europe, Brazil and Trinidad, that company's foreign biz is at new top . . . Australian convention of 20th-Fox in the Antipodes will be held Aug. 24-26 in Sydney. * =fc * BRITISH COME-BACK: London cables told of checkup which showed 50 or more pix either in production or active preparation in England's studios, thus demonstrating that a real come-back is on the way there. Quebec Theaters Win Strike Against Tax; Reopen Today N.S.W. QUOTA: The quota provi PRODUCTION: In an exclusive sion in the New South Wales films • story, The Film Daily told the trade bill calling for 15 per cent British of plan of six New York stage pro representation by all exhibs. in State ducers to produce current Broadway is effective as of July 1. Quebec — Local newspapers Saturday carried advertisements stating that the 11 theaters closed since June 2 will reopen today. It is understood that films will be flown from Montreal and speedily reviewed by the censors in special session. Premier Duplessis has notified Mayor Lucien Borne that the Quebec Legislature will pass at once any measure necessary to legalize the city's failure to collect the 10 per cent admission tax, opposition to which was the cause of the theaters closing. Interstate House Opens San Antonio — Interstate's new Broadway, erected at a cost of $100,000 and seating 1,000, opened Friday. Pettigrew & Worley, Dallas, were the architects. Interstate also is erecting a $125,000 house in Houston. Second house to cost same sum is under way there for the River Oaks Corp. TMAT-5 Boro Talks Continue Negotiations between the Theatrical Managers, Agents and Treasurers union on terms of a contract with the Five Boro circuit will be continued tomorrow. Friday's meeting was adjourned, with union executives reporting that they expected to reach an agreement shortly. Eckhardt Wins Tourney Chicago — Jack Eckhardt won the 20th Century-Fox golf tournament at Big Oaks Golf Club. Carl and Vic Carlson were runners-up. Rep. Branch Expanding Detroit — Republic Pictures is nearly doubling size of the present offices by taking over the adjoining suite of offices formerly used by Monarch Pictures (now Excellent). CONN. INDIES SEEK LOWER PIX RENTALS (Continued from Page 1) al prices, charges unnamed distribs. with "forcing the sale of shorts and newsreels, contrary to the spirit of the code they offer to the trade." Campaign stems from the statewide closed meeting of indie theater owners and operators here on June 27. The largest attended exhib. rally in several years here, the meeting "/ know of no instances where coercion allegedly has been employed in the selling of shorts and newsreels, nor have any cases involving such allegations been brought to my attention. My thought is that the matter of rental reduction is one for individual negotiation between exhibitor and distributor."— W. F. Rodgers, spokesman for the Distributors Negotiating Committee. adopted a "demand" resolution, copies of which are to be sent to distributor home offices as well as to the Department of Justice at Washington. Significantly, the resolutions bear the signatures of both Irving C. Jackoks, Jr., as president of the Connecticut MPTO, and Maurice Shulman as president of Connecticut Allied. It is local exhibitor opinion that the D of J will be especially interested in the charges that, despite distrib. pledges, forced selling of shorts and newsreels is being attempted. Resolution asserts "we will not be coerced, directly or indirectly, into the buying of shorts and newsreels." Indies who attended the meeting report that everywhere in Connecticut exhibitors are alarmed at the definitely poorer grosses as compared to previous Summers, and "the grave problem produced by higher rentals in the face of business conditions." Determined to act for reduction in rentals, exhibitors state their stand is dictated only by their desire "to stay in business." Hartford, Conn. — Harris Brothers have reduced operation of the 4,000seat State Theater to Saturday and Sunday only through the remainder of the Summer. The house ran full time last year. Producers-52 Agree on Pact Meeting of Local 52, studio mechanics, and producers Friday in Pat Casey's New York office wround up with agreement reached on all principal points of a new contract, with final step to be taken tomorrow night when the unions membership votes on ratification of the pact. Cotton Worries Gulf Area New Orleans — The Gulf States film industry is getting the jitters over the cotton situation in both Mississippi and Louisiana as the result of reports indicating too much rainfall in the cotton areas.