The Film Daily (1939)

LI STj I? THOMPSON Ml3 Pi* ID n w a l. t m <=; t 5fl '!> Intimate in Character International in Scope Independent in Thought PO NOT REMOVE The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Now Twenty-One Years Old YM 76, NO. 50 NEW YORK, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1939 TEN CENTS :.: 65 Per Cent of Paris Film Theaters Reported Operating NO WARJURTAILMENT ISPLEDGED BY MOREMAJORS Broadway's Picture Grosses Continuing at High Level "The Rains Came" Gives Roxy New Sunday House Record Paced by record breaking business at the Roxy where the 20th-Fox picture "The Rains Came" established an all-time house record for Sunday attendance, Broadway houses over the week-end continued their upsurge in business over recent week-ends with a number of holdovers resulting from the improved attendance figures. "The Rains Came" at the Roxy was reported to be parallelling the all-time house records set by "Alexander" and a new record for Sunday business was established. Ex (Continued on Page 3) 100%CHPfLEDGED BY PARA. PARTNERS Chicago — Paramount, prepared to proceed with its seasonal production schedule without deviation as a result of the European war, has been pledged 100 per cent co-operation by its theater partners, the assembled sales execs, were told here at a meeting called by Neil Agnew, distribution chief. Agnew said that the company {Continued on Pane 11) WCAU Applies for Television Transmitter in Philadelphia Philadelphia — Application for permission to construct a television transmitter in this city was filed yesterday with the FCC by station WCAU, which states in its application that it wishes to study studio (Continued on Page 6) NLRB Sets Sept. 20 for Vote on Studio Workers' Bargainer West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — NLRB has set Sept. 20 for the election at which time studio workers are to decide whether (Continued on Page 6) Spaniards Spurn Nazi Pix Gala Program Burgos (By Cable) — Gala performance of Nazi films, under sponsorship of the Falangist party and with German and Italian ambassadors attending, was floppo. German pix debacle was in marked contrast to the SRO biz scored by a nearby house which, in opposition, played a revival of the Spanish version of "All Quiet on the Western Front." MPTO A Board of Directors to Tackle 17 Unsolved Problems at Va. Parley With the MPTOA board of directors scheduled to convene in White Sulphur Springs, Va., Oct. 23-24 "for a point by point, forthright discussion and consideration of industry problems," Prexy Ed Kuykendall yesterday released a general bulletin which cited 17 important problems as demanding "serious consideration by responsible exhibitors." To be tackled are these questions: (1) Can the industry work out a practical trade practice program under present conditions ? (2) Will the Dept. of Justice really try to block a practical, effective solution of trade practice problems? (3) Would a Code (any Code) solve the existing situations ? (4) Do exhibitors (and distributors) prefer to settle disputes and grievances on unreasonable clear (Continued on Page 3) New Momand Suit Hearing Scheduled for Thursday Oklahoma City — Hearing on A. B. Momand's request for a court order forcing distributors to sell him second and subsequent-run product for his house at Shawnee, has been set before Federal Judge A. P. Murrah for Thursday. Suit was filed here last week in the name of Oklahoma Theaters, Inc., operator of the Odeon theater at Shawnee against Vitagraph, Inc., 20th-Fox, Metro (through Loew's), RKO, Paramount, Universal and Columbia as well as the Griffith Amusement Co., opposition to the Odeon in Shawnee. French Provincial Theaters, Except Those Near German Frontier, Running Calgary Branch Finishes First in Schaefer Drive Calgary, Detroit and Buffalo finished in that order in the George Schaefer Drive, according to final audited figures. Announcement of the winners has been made by General Sales Manager Jules Levy. H. F. Taylor is branch manager at {Continued on Page 6) Paris (By Cable) — Approximately 65 per cent of the theaters in the Paris area were operating last week, with attendance figures reported returning to a nearly normal basis. Provincial theaters, with exception of those in areas near French-German frontier, are said to be open. Mobilization has affected about 90 per cent of all employes in film companies here, but replacements have been secured in most instances, {Continued on Page 6) Production Plans of 20th-Fox, Universal and Columbia to Stand American production prospects continued to brighten yesterday as top execs., here and on the Coast, emphatically announced that seasonal programs would proceed, unaffected by hostilities abroad. In Hollywood, Joseph M. Schenck, 20th-Fox board chairman, asserted that the company will not curtail production nor lower quality or cut salaries, limiting its retrenchment to the elimination of waste and the exercise of strict economy. Herman Wobber, general manager of distribution, returning to New7 York from Coast conferences, said any economies would not detract from picture quality, predicted an increasing upswing in business and said that reports indicated a nationwide general improvement. Also in Hollywood, Harry Cohn, (Continued on Page 6) "II" REP0RTS39-WEEK NET OF $989,995,21 Consolidated net operating profit of $989,995.21 for the 39 weeks ending July 29, after all charges but before provision for Federal income taxes, was reported yesterday for Universal by J. Cheever Cowdin, board chairman. This figure repre (Continued on Page 11) UA English Sales Force on Job, Carr Cables Kelly United Artists' sales force in England is again on the job, Teddy Carr, joint managing director in England, advised Arthur W. Kelly, vice-prexy (.Continued on Page 11) Wis. Assembly Turns Down Exhib. Revenue Suggestion Madison, Wis. — The State Assembly last week failed to reach an agreement on the Senate tax bill, the (.Continued on Page 11)