The Film Daily (1940)

Davis British Circuit to Establish V.$. String THE <!lntimate in Character ^International in Scope Independent in Thought (See Columns 2-3 Below) The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Twenty-Two Years Old tOL. 78. NO. 48 NEW YORK, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1940 TEN CENTS ALLIED PLANS DECREE INTERVENTION Cowdin Sees /U/ Menaced by Excess Profits Bill K'owdin Asks Senate Com. ', low Company Could Meet A ax of 47% on Net Income ashington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Opening the film inI is try's attack on the proposed ex3 profits tax before the Senate Finance Committee here yesterday, J. C h e e v e r Cowdin, Universal^ boai'd chairman, asserted that the measure as now framed would i n c r e a s e taxes on "U" to more than 47 per cent of estimated net income, spite of the fact that the company (Continued on Page 7) pecf Senate Will uickly Okay Walker hington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Frank Comerford ialker, president of both Comerford eaters, Inc., and Comerford-Pub Corp., as well as general counsel (Continued on Page 7) r.riiel Frankel Leaves tthe Lab. Sales Post (Daniel Frankel, sales manager of ithe Laboratories, is no longer with fit company as of Sept. 1, thus end an association dating back to (Continued on Page 7) Argentine Censors Okay "Four Sons" Buenos Aires, (By Air Mail) — The Municipal Board of Censors which had barred exhibition of "Confessions of a Nazi Spy" has approved showing of 20th-Fox's "Four Sons," which goes into a de luxe first-run house. U. K. CIRCUIT INVADING U. S. FIELD Davis of Monsignor Theaters Leases First House for Chain at Metuchen, N. J. Expansion of Monsignor Theaters, Ltd., of London to include a circuit of houses in the Eastern part of the United States is under way. Jack Davis, managing director of the British organization, is in New York and has closed a deal for the first theater in the new circuit. A 21-year lease has been taken on the Forum Theater, Metuchen, N. J. House was acquired from James Forgione who operated it for the last 18 years. Deal was set by Berk & Krumgold, theater real estate brokers, 1501 Broadway. Davis is now negotiating for other theaters to be added to the American group. His English circuit includes 12 theaters in London, one in Hayes, one in Leeds and one in Sheffield. Will Canvass Indies On Canadian Reforms Toronto, Ont. — Following a meeting of the special committee on the clearance reform plan for the Canadian film industry held Wednesday, it was announced yesterday no report on its findings would be issued until after the committee had conferred with all the independent theater associations across Canada regarding the settling up of a plan that (Continued on Page 10) 25,000 See "Boom Town' In First Day at Capitol "Boom Town," Metro's multiplestarrer, bowed in at the Capitol on Broadway yesterday to the house's biggest opening in nearly two years, (Continued on Page 4) Fight on Sunday Pix In Philly Fades Out Philadelphia— The Lord's Day Alliance here has abandoned its plans for an attempt to vote out Sunday movies in Philadelphia. Dr. William B. Forney, general secretary, announced that the organization did not feel this was an opportune time for the referendum, in view of the political situation and other important issues. The last referendum was held in 1935. Mono. Leases Greater Part Of International Studios West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Monogram has leased the greater part of International Studios to house smaller production (.Continued on Page 14) Huse Slated as SMPE*s Prexy Eastman Exec, to Succeed E.A. Williford Atlas Acquires 26,901 Shares of RKO Common Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Atlas Corp. has acquired 26,901 shares of RKO $1 par common, the SEC reported yesterday in the latest summary of security transactions and holdings. This ad XContinued on Page 7) Emery A. Huse, West Coast manager of the motion picture department of Eastman Kodak, is slated to succeed E. A. Williford of the National Carbon Co. as president of the SMPE at the Fall convention which opens in Hollywood on Oct. 21. Other nominees by the Board of Governors follow: Executive vice-president, Herbert (Continued on Page 4) Max A. Cohen Preparing Steps to Check Approval Of Settlement Plan Intervention to prevent the operation .of the consent decree in the event it is approved by the Government and an immediate poll of every exhibitor in the United States on the blocks-offive issue were proposed yesterday by Max A. Cohen, president of New York Allied, a unit of MPTOA. At the same time, Cohen revealed that he had asksd the cooperation of Paramount, 20th Century-Fox, RKO, (Continued on Page 14) MAX A. COHEN Allied Support May Save "Blocks of 5" Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — In view of the .report that Allied will support the fivepicture clause of the consent decree, (Continued on Page 14) ITOA Calls Exhib. Meet To Voice Decree Squawks The ITOA has called a meeting of independent exhibitors for next (Continued on Page 14) $400,000 for "Pride" in 4 Weeks at M. H. With the exit of Metro's "Pride and Prejudice" from the Radio City Music Hall after a four weeks' run, W. G. Van Schmus, managing director, disclosed that the more than $400,000 "take," representing a 600,000 attendance, placed the pix among the Hall's top grossers of its eight-year history. Van Schmus said the film could have easily stayed a fifth, possibly a sixth, but was withdrawn through Metro's co-op to make way for RKO's "Lucky Partners" and to get on with other set bookings.