The Film Daily (1939)

£&i DAILY Wednesday, August 16, I93$f N. Y. LABOR CONFAB TO BACK EAST. PROD'N {Continued from Page 1) picture production it is only fair that production should be increased here to increase employment. He estimates that approximately 50,000 people would benefit directly and indirectly by employment, if such action is brought about. The Federation is reported to be solidly behind Scoppa's drive to increase production here, and in all probability he will be appointed chairman of a committee to speed up action on the question. In his resolution, he also points out that the film industry was founded here, and that this territory and city are not only the largest market for pictures, but also serve as background for a large number of them. Earlier this week, at a meeting of the IATSE Locals before the Federation session opened, a pledge of confidence was voted unanimously for George E. Browne, IA prexy, and charges of CIO tendencies were leveled at certain actors. The AAAA was also lashed by IA execs, for their personal attacks on IA leaders. Nathanson Exercises Option on 6,000 Shares of FPC Stock Montreal — Famous Players Canadian Corp., Ltd., has advised Montreal Stock Exchange that N. L. Nathanson and his nominees have now exercised their options to the extent of 6,000 shares, reserving the right in each case to exercise their options in respect of the balance, namely, 5,000 shares, at any time between now and Jan. 15, 1940. The 6,000 shares that were taken up form part of an option on a blcck of 11,000 shares which had been extended from July 31, 1939, up to and including Jan. 15, 1940. Frohlich to Press Ascap's Action Against Neb. Law Ascap's suit, initiated to test the constitutionality of the new Nebraska statute which would ban the society's operations in that state, will be pressed personally by Louis D. Frohlich, Ascap counsel, who, it was learned yesterday, will leave New York shortly before Sept. 18 for Lincoln, where case will be heard before a Federal statutory court, comprising' three judges. WEDDING BELLS Mexico City — Following their marriage in Yuma, Ariz., on Monday, Janet Gaynor, film actress, and Gilbert Adrian, fashion designer for M-G-M, are scheduled to arrive here today on their honeymoon and remain for several weeks. Springfield, Mass. — Miss Margaret M. Mahoney, cashier at the Jefferson Theater here, was married to Daniel O'Brien in Sacred Heart Church. ALCNG THE with PHIL M. DALT; • • • WITH the Department of Justice launched upon a "form letter" anti-trust suit crusade against leading theater circuits with the avowed objective oi making little ones out of big ones if strikes us that unusual significance attaches to the rebuke just handed the FCC by the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in dismissing an appeal brought by the Yankee Network from an FCC ruling the Court took the Commission to task for advocating "uncontrolled competition in radio broadcasting" said the learned Justice Justin Miller in the opinion "One of the chief concerns of Congress was to guard against monopolies and to preserve competition it is difficult to understand how this result could be achieved by deliberately or carelessly licensing so many new competing stations as to destroy already existing ones and possibly the newly created ones as well" and the Court added "The method of uncontrolled competition argued for by the FCC in the present case is in fact one way of creating monopolies" maybe we're wrong but isn't it something very close to uncontrolled competition via making little ones out of big ones to which the D of J aspires? ▼ ▼ T • • • VARIETY Is the Spice of Life Dep't Film Audiences for Democracy writes Para. Prexy Barney Balaban that it considers "Our Leading Citizen" to be anti-labor whereas the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen in Arkansas, hails the pix as the "most convincing presentation of the wrong and right ways of dealing with capital and labor problems" and urges that the international bring it to the attention of its entire membership T T ▼ • • • AS FAR as this colyum is concerned the cartoon of the week is Roland Coe's Crosstown which appeared in the New York Post on Monday eve Mister Coe presents a tourist's auto parked alongside Loew's Times Square replica of the Trylon and Perisphere while the Backseat Driver remarks "We were under the impression that the fair was LARGER than this!" Very, very funny ▼ V V • • 9 OSCAR DOOB ad and publicity chief for Loew's Theaters has caught the full spirit of "The Wizard of Oz" On the invitations to the Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland luncheon today Oscar signed his name OZcar Doob Bern clever, these Loew boys. T ▼ T • • • ODDS and Ends Dep't. . . • Leon Leonidoff. Radio City Music Hall producer saw 21 shows in 12 days in a 30,000mile plane trip through Europe he visited Rome where he had a private audience with the Pope as well as London, Paris, Holland and Belgium. . . • If young Mike O'Daniel son of Texas' Governor elects to try a film career we hear he will debut in Para.'s "The Texas Rangers Ride Again". . . • Yes, sir, RKO Radio is hitting on all cylinders witness the fact that its "In Name Only" is the only pix in the last six months to stay three weeks at Radio City Music Hall. . . • NBC will televise the DodgersCincy Reds double-header from Ebbetts Field a week from Saturday and thus hang up another "first" for tele on this side. . . • While the President is about it why doesn't he set Thanksgiving Day for a Monday and avoid the k.o to business routine that results from a mid-week holiday. . . • Tex Ritter should stick to his hoss auto in which Mono.'s Western star was riding turned over Monday near Lookout, W. Va while Tex escaped with bruises Curley Hogg sustained a fractured rib K-A-0, B. F. KEITH SHOW MARKED GAIN!; Ic A' (Continued from Page 1) their financial statements issue) yesterday. The 26-week net profit for the I F. Keith Corp., was $332,887.09, a increase of $68,349 over the coi responding period of 1938. jft, I Keith Corp.'s 26-week net wasVpf25, 909.13, compared with $388,194.4 for the first 26 weeks of last yeai The latter company's net represent $8.18 per share on the 64,304 share: of seven per cent cumulative con vertible preferred stock, compare*! with $6.04 in 1938. For the 52 weeks ended July 1 B. F. Keith Corp. showed a neij profit, after all charges, of $830, 360.13, partly estimated and subjecr to audit and adjustment at the enc of the calendar year. The 52-week net of K-A-0 was $1,134,710.62 after all charges. This is equal to $17.65 per share. This figure also is in part estimated and subject to audit. Famous Players Canadian May Increase Dividends Toronto — Increased dividends by Famous Players Candaian are regarded here as likely. It is pointed out that apart from the possibilities of further growth, the company has worked into a position where it should benefit from careful financial management in the past. Be tween the years 1932 and 1938 the company's funded debt and mort gages were reduced over 30 per cent with interest payments more than cut in half, while minority interests were reduced 25 per cent, and net working capital improved by $400,000. Last year's earnings of $2.32 were about 2 1-3 times the present annual dividend rate of $1 a share. 52-M of T In Agreement Contract between Local 52, studio mechanics, and the March of Time has been agreed on in all points, it was stated yesterday by a union executive. Pact will be drawn up and inked in the near future. Robert Schenck Killed Chicago — Robert Schenck, son of the amusement advertising director of Hearst's American, was killed in a South Dakota auto accident. "Mes Reqrets" Washington Bur., THE FILM DAILY Washington — Count De Saint-Quentin, French Ambassador to the United States, apologized today to Acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles for use of the diplomatic pouch to bring French films into this country without paying the duty. The French envoy expressed his regret and gave assurances that there would be no recurrence of such incidents. Welles said acceptance of the assurances closed the diplomatic incident precipitated by a New York Grand Jury investigation. ;.*>, ■be 'M