The Film Daily (1939)

■•' Tuesday, July 25, 1939 W DAILY REPORTS FRANCE MAY ABOLISH FILM VISAS (Continued from Pane 1) jortunities in the market, American iroducers would benefit to the great;st£^tent, due to the quantity and ju&ftfy of American product. Wide political significance is at:ached to the move, with the general interpretation here being that it is a good will gesture toward ;he U. S. However, it is also believed that this is part of a campaign already under way to impress the U. S. with the importance of the Democratic powers as markets 'by increasing the opportunities for feale of American products in the hope that it will tip the scales in favor of the democratic powers if much needed materials are sought in America in the event of war. Major foreign departments last night reported that they had re. reived information that abolition of [the French visa system was being contemplated bv the government, [but no further clarification could be had. Celebrate Eckhardt Jubilee; 20th-Fox Exchange Opened (Continued from Page 1) manager at the Congress Hotel last night, was pronounced a complete success. Eckhardt received a chest of monogrammed silver from the 20th-Fox execs, and numerous other gifts. Affair was in the nature of a dual celebration as the new 20th-Fox exchange was opened yesterday afternoon. Surprise of the evening was the showing of shots taken at the exchange opening earlier in the day. Felix Mendelssohn was toastmaster with Lew Lehr acting as guest toastmaster. Speakers included Herman Wobber, W. C. Gehring, Jack Kirsch, Jack Osserman, E. T. Gommersall, James Coston, John Balaban. Jack Miller, Henry Herbel, W. E. Banford, Walter Branson, Allen Usher, Truman Talley, E. H. McFarland and Eckhardt, who ex pr essed his appreciation. 1 I 2iT¥ ^s> i '-//2 j ■fa PP3r/,A.$2* t^9^^^ ffiwiTf^ F\^m* k\^f Best wishes from THE FILM DAILY 1 to th e following on their bi JULY 25 William de Mille Lila Lee Al Pearce Bob Wolff Harry H. Zehn Arthur Lubin Johnny Hines Philiippe De Lacey Mortimer D. Sikawitt fhdays: • • • MEMORIES evoked by the little party held yesterday aitemoon at the RKO Palace Theater when a gathering of the vaudeville clans was held in the lobby by way of celebrating the 26th birthday and to give the oldtimers a last glimpse of the old lobby landmark for they are going to streamline it to compete with the modern trend in picture theaters T T T • • « AND so the oldtimers and the newtimers foregathered there and had opportunity to reminisce a little as announcer Martin Starr of WMCA interviewed them over the radio after the broadcast, all hands adjourned downstairs for refreshments and a lot more reminiscing among the old vaude favorites who met together in their beloved Palace for probably the last time T ▼ T • • • AMONG them was Ed West the only survivor of the original B. F. Keith bill which was given at Keith's Family Theater in Boston in 1883 56 years ago at that time the firm was Keith & Bachelor the bill started with Ed West opening the olio then Perry & Herron Charles Barrett the Whipler Twins in their dancing act then Fox & West in a comedy act T ▼ T • • • TO appear at the Palace in the old days was a guarantee of professional recognition the theater was built in 1913 by Martin Beck, who was then prexy of the Orpheum circuit it was taken over the same year it was built by B. F. Albee to become the key theater of the B. F. Keith circuit, which booked about 1500 theaters and controlled some 20,000 performers throughout the country that was in the days before films loomed large on the horizon T T T • • • IT was in the '80's that B. F. Keith and Albee became partners they were responsible for introducing "refined" vaude to a public fed up with poor entertainment they eventually attracted most of the noted actors and actresses of the world Keith died in 1914, his son Paul taking his place until his death in 1918 Albee retired in 1928 when RCA bought an interest in the company, changing the: firm's name to Radio-Keith-Orpheum in 1938 George Schaefer was elected president, and John J. O'Connor general manager of RKO which controls the Palace Charles B. McDonald is the division manager, and Ray Conner the resident manager T T T • • • ATTENDING the ceremonies yesterday were the following Oldtimers and Newtimers Jay C. Flippen, Dave Apol lon, Ben Blue, Radio Rogues, Milton Berle, Garner, Wolfe & Hakins, Sid Marion, Sid Gary, Bob Olin, Judy Canova. & Canova Family Billy Gould & Jay Brennan, Olie Olsen, Phil Silvers, Lew Hearn, Jackie Heller, Ward & Van, Al Raymond of Raymond & Calvery, Margot Crangle, Harry Richman T T T • • • WHEN Skouras Brothers proposed to switch Manager Adolpho Caruso of the Forest Hills theater to another house, a storm broke, with 1500 signatures on a petition demanding he remain Our old pal, Norman Corwin, late of the 20th Century-Fox publicity, is getting all sorts of honors for his CBS drama, "They Fly Through the Air With the Greatest of Ease" an answer to Benito Mussolini's famous, or rather infamous, remarks on Ethiopia bombings ALABAMA EXHIBITOR'S TRUST SUIT NAMES 11 (Continued from Page 1) Radio; Warners; Vitagraph; Twentieth Century-Fox; Fox Films; Loew's, Metro Goldwyn Mayer; United Artists and Louis Rosenbaum. Rosenbaum is the operator of a string of theaters in northern Alabama, with headquarters at Florence. Buchanan, operating as the Buchanan Amusement Co., alleges the defendants conspired to keep him from securing films. He said he had been offered second-run pictures or first-runs on those rejected by the Crescent Company. Buchanan asks damages of $100,000. Asks Security Wages For Studio Craftsmen (Continued from Page 1) man. Tentative demands will also ask for minimum six hour call, seniority system pay for cancelled calls, time and half for night shift and double time for grave yard shifts. It is believed demands of Soundmen's Local 695 of IATSE that only members of that local be employed to do sound work of any nature for studios and that current negotiations for wages and conditions be retroactive to March 15, will be held over until the new basis agreement between studio locals and producers is negotiated. "Carnival In Flanders," Darrieux Pix for Tele Fine-combing of the smaller indie pix companies by RCA-NBC for feature and shorts to serve on local television programs continues, in face of the ban which is being rigidly exercised by both the majors and top-bracket indies. Despite difficulties being placed in the path of the tele interests locally anent supply of films, RCA-NBC has succeeded in grabbing from American Tobis the feature "Carnival in Flanders," which will be shown to metropolitan tele set owners Saturday night from 8:30 to 10 o'clock It was said a deal has also been closed with French M. P. Corp. for televising "Mile. Mozart," one of the early screen efforts of Danielle Darrieux. « « « » » » Duals to Exit? Detroit — General shift away from duals is "likely," according to Carl Buermele, general manager of Co-operative Theaters of Michigan. Move has been discussed at several meetings" of Co-op directors, it was stated, and sentiment for single features is described as strongest in some time.