The Film Daily (1940)

1W DAILY Tuesday, July 30, B. F. Keith, K-A-0 Nets Show Drop (Continued from Page 1) was $504,140.64 after all charges including a settlement of lease obligations in the amount of $400,000. Net for the same period last year was $830,360.13. The 26-week net ended June 29, 1940, was $261,755.85, compared with $332,887.09 for the same period in 1939. A net profit of $877,780.65 was reported by K-A-0 for the 52 weeks ended June 29, 1940, compared with $1,134,710 last year. The 1940 net includes settlement of a lease obligation in the amount of $400,000 and is equal to $13.80 per share on 63,586 shares of 7 per cent cumulative convertible preferred stock. K-A-O's 26-week net was $427,062.65, or $6.71 per share. Last year's 26-week net was $525,909.13, or $8.18 per share on 64,304 shares of 7 per cent cumulative convertible preferred stock. All 1940 figures are partially estimated and subject to audit at the end of the calendar year. Walker Rites in Buffalo Buffalo — Eites for George A. Walker, 60, long identified with the Shea circuit, were held on Saturday. Champaign Council Repeals Slot Machine Pix Licenses After 2,300 Sign Petitions Champaign, III. — The City Council has repealed two ordinances requiring licenses for coin vending machines, musical devices and film amusement machines. Approximately 2300 citizens signed petitions protesting the ordinances, claiming they were unreasonable and would tax the operators out of business. It's the first instance on record where slot machine movie interests have struck back at regulation, and is accepted as a tip-off as to strategy to be employed. Film theater owners will present a vigorous protest at the next Council meeting. The newly organized United Theater Owners, may take action in the matter. RKO Closes for U. S„ S. A. Release of Italian Film (Continued from Page 1) tives of Romano Editrice Filmi, producers of the picture, with Emerson Yorke acting for the latter. Money from Italian film interests and the Catholic Church is said to be back of the picture. "Abuna Messias" is reported to be one of the most elaborate productions ever made by European interests and deals essentially with the history of Ethiopia during the middle of the 19th Century, when Count do Cavor was Italy's leading statesman. Rooney Rites TomorrowFuneral services for Mrs. Marion Bent Rooney, 60, wife of Pat Rooney, who died Sunday following a long illness, will be held tomorrow at the Walter Cooke, Inc., Funeral Home, 117 W. 72nd St. M r s TV r a n k I in D. R o o s e v e It appeared before the cameras during the filming of the prologue to "PASTOR HALL", it became headline news to 75,000,000 Americans thru \ " '■ V : the greatest wire service and syndicate coverage ever accorded a motion picture. Unions, Guilds to Fight Hour Exemptions Plan (Continued from Page 1) lywood Guild Council, Screen Publicists Guild, Screen Set Designers, Screen Readers' Guild, Society of Motion Picture Interior Decorators, Screen Writers Guild, Screen Office Employes Guild, Screen Cartoon Local No. 852, and others. "The producers seek the exemption of these employes not because they have any of the usual attributes of 'administrative' employes," say the representatives of the unions and guilds, but because they happen to be highly skilled and essential to the successful completion of an industrial process. Put bluntly, the producers are actually saying that, because they would make greater profits if they worked certain employes 60 or 70 hours a week, those employes are not within the provision of the act. "This type of reasoning would obviously render the act valueless. Any restriction of the hours of skilled or essential workers in any industry subject to the act would, of course, hinder, reduce or delay production." Smith stated that practically 100 per cent of the 116 second assistant directors are Guild members and have voted to stay under the Wage and Hour Act. Pointing out that the proposal under discussion would exempt approximately 6,000 persons, Bodle said: "This would seriously aggravate the present unemployment problem in the industry. Unemployment is running as high as 33 1-3 per cent in most of the guilds. Our industry should not ask for exemptions until it has made an attempt to handle our unemployment problem." Homer I. Mitchell, representing MPPDA, pointed to the industry's huge foreign losses, adding: "The companies have either got to retrench or they won't be able to employ anybody." Weisner, Brighton Dead Milwaukee — Death claimed two theater men here in Edgar L. Weisner, 43, part owner of 15 houses affiliated with the Fox Wisconsin Amusement Corp. and A. F. Brighton,, 40, salesman for the National Theater Supply Co. here for seven years. Cash Giveaway at Park-In Manchester, N. H. — The new Park-In Theater at Pine Island Park has started "Lucky Nite" for each Saturday, when $50 is split up. Speaking By RALPH WILE -HOLLYV LJENRY HERZBRUN, Gracie Allen, N Mankiewicz, George Burnsj Sf rick ling, Robert Lord, George Benjamin Leven, James Stewart, Of Havilland, Eddie Moran and Sidney were among the members of the au enjoying Gertrude Lawrence in "Sky HOLLOWING in the footsteps ofj ' L. Lasky, who started Paramoi a barn near Vine Street, another pioneer. Neil McGuire, in a converted is engaged in making pictures for] matic projectors. The former stud director and producer-director of shorts for Warner Bros., and comn films for Chevrolet and General has completed more than 20 of these With the aid of his wife, Lucille, actress, writer and designer, McGui most all of his own work. • • "THE SPORTSMEN," the singing ' nation, have a top spot in Univ featurette, "Variety Bazaar," which Ceballos is directing. • • /"NUR Passing Show:— Walter W ^■^ Gene Towne, Graham Baker, Dr, bert T. Kalmus, S. Barret McCormick Pegler, Stanley Shuford, John LeRoy ston, Helen Vinson, Sheridan Gibney, ard Traube, Charles Koerner at of "The Ramparts We Watch." • • /^ENIAL Pat West, veteran cha ^"■^ actor and a former master of monies, is ill in the War Veterans h< at Sawtelle. • • DASIL RATHBONE takes a two i" fencing lesson daily since the co tion of his latest Paramount "Rhythm On The River." He prefer method of keeping fit. • • JOHN HOWARD, who is an alia *^ athlete, made a four par hole if at the Bel-Air club. Last week he stroked the five par Brentwood gully which has never been done before. rLAVKO VORKAPICH has been en ** by Frank CaDra to supervise the tas*e scenes for "Meet John Doe." V oich did the highly Draised montag fects for "Mr. Smith Goes to Washinj T\ I RECTOR John Cromwell taking] '-' off from his "Flotsam" stint, si vised the first western motion DictureJ made bv university students, in thel near Griffith Park, Los Angeles. The! ture was written, acted, produced andl tographed by U.S.C. cinema and draj students. $ 9 WARNER Studio drive to raise for the American Red Cross wil close to $70000, according to Ea Se'zer, handling the camoaign for Hart Warner and Jack L. Warner. Thieludes pledged amounts and money: ready turned in. Warner studio was $37,500.