The Film Daily (1941)

M I > \U) IJ 13 I b T ST F L Intimate in Character International in Scope Independent in Thought >s-y } ? y "> ^ rlLE COPY 1 The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Twenty-Two Years Old ) VOL. 79, NO. 1 NEW YORK, THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 1941 TEN CENTS D OF I TO FILE ASCAP SUIT ON JHONDAY $8,000,000 Budgeted for Television Experiments "Substantial Progress" in Tele Development Reported To the Congress by FCC WovVnp'on Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Television is now making substantial progress with the co-operative assistance of that industry and the FCC, it was reported Tuesday by the commission in its sixth annual report to Congress. The report covers the fiscal year ended June 30 last, but contains notations cf subsequent important developments. More than a score of stations geographically distributed throughout the nation have been licensed to ex (Continued on Page 8) Expect Decree Will Bring Exec. Changes West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — In the process of adjusting production to the situation arising from the consent decree, which will rule the "Big Five" for at least three years, important shifts in executive personnel are forecast for 1941, with the probability that the sum total will exceed those made during the year just closed. Nineteen-forty was marked by a (Continued on Page 8) Nomikos Asks Fair Trial For Arbitration System Chicago — Plea for a fair trial for the arbitration system set up by the consent decree in the New York equity suit is made as 1941 bows in by Van Nomikos, prexy of the circuit bearing his name and vicepresident of Illinois Allied. Nomikos pledged his best efforts (Continued on Page 8) Midwest Indies Hail improving Business Chicago — Mid-west indie circuit operators greet 1941 with reports of rising business. Grosses in both Indiana and Illinois spots are improving, according to Alliance circuit, while the Nomikos circuit sees the 1941 outlook as the brightest in years. Mass. Governor in Inaugural Message Will Urge Support for Films, Oppose Sales Tax Boston — In his inaugural message Saturday to the Massachusetts Legislature, Gov. Leverett Saltonstall, long friendly to amusement interests, will oppose a sales tax. The Governor, it is reported, further will counsel that all support possible be given such enterprises as film theaters which, so he will say, tend to build up the community and to lighten the burdens of a people depressed by world conditions. Braden to Disclose Cuban Exhibs. Call Arbitration Clerks Film Decree Illegal Most of the arbitration clerks in the first 21 cities visited by J. Noble Braden, executive secretary of the American Arbitration Association, have been selected and their names will be announced next week. Personnel of the regional panels will not be revealed until late this month. Braden leaves Sunday on the last leg of his nation-wide tour and will visit Atlanta, New Orleans, Charlotte, Kansas City, St. Louis, Cincin (Continued on Page 8) Depinet Drive Meetings Open in Chi. Tomorrow Chicago — First meeting of RKO sales executives in connection with the 15-week Ned Depinet Drive gets under way here tomorrow. The Chicago sales staff will discuss drive details with Andy Smith, sales manager; Walter Branson, midwestern district manager; Jack Osserman, branch manager, and Leo Devaney, captain of the drive. Harry Gittle (Continued on Page 8) Havana (By Air Mail) — In addition to broad complaints already registered with the Government by exhibitors and distributors over the anti-block-booking decree, a charge that the decree itself and the rider stipulating use of vaudeville acts is unconstitutional is made in a memrandum submitted to the Minister of Commerce, Dr. Jose T. Onate, by an exhib. delegation. Claim of the unconstitutionality (Continued on Page 8) Daylight Saving Fight Impending in Wisconsin Madison, Wis. — That an attempt will be made to repeal the statute which requires observance of central standard time the year around in Wisconsin at the session of the State Legislature opening here Jan. 11 is a foregone conclusion, since the leading proponent of daylight savings time — the State Medical Society — is on the air with weekly radio pro (Continued on Page 8) Would Probe Games in Mass. Chase Will Demand Legislative Action Massachusetts Finally May Abolish Those Blue Laws Boston— "You Can't Do That in Boston" may soon become "Anything Goes in the Hub." Projected legislation in the General Court of the Commonwealth, which convenes Saturday, will abolish the three centuries-old Blue Laws regarding (Continued on Page 8) Boston — A state-wide probe of games, characterized as "a $10,000,000 racket in Massachusetts" looms as a result of a crusading stand taken by City Councillor and Rep. -elect Perlie Dyar Chase of Boston's Back Bay. Chase said that his very first act in the General Court would be to insist upon legislative investigation of all games of chance. Chase (Continued on Page 8) Drafting of the Complaint Rushed; Papers Expected To be Ready by Week-end By MILTON F. LUNCH Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — The D of J expects to file its criminal action under the Sherman Act against Ascap, BMI, CBS and NBC in Federal Court in Milwaukee next Monday, it was learned authoritatively at the Department over the holiday. Preparation of the papers is going forward, and unless hitches develop, they will be completed at the week-end. This will permit Monday filing. Should drafting of the complaint be prolonged, however, insti (Continued on Page 8) Kuykendall Talks Decree at Miami Miami Beach, Fla. — Ed Kuykendall, MPTOA prexy, told 50 exhibitors and theatermen who attended the exhib. meeting called by Mitchell Wolfson, president of Wometco Theaters, Tuesday night that he still doesn't know what the consent decree in the New York equity suit means. He called the decree a bugaboo and said that he could not see (Continued on Page 8) Warner Pix to Six Indies As Opposition to Sparks Jacksonville, Fla. — Warners, for two years virtually without representation in Sparks circuit towns as a result of inability to get together on product deals, is now set with (Continued on Page 8) Warners to Build Youngstown Nabe Youngstown, O.— Plans for a 1,000seat theater, the first neighborhood movie house for Youngstown's northside has been announced by Warner Bros, officials here. The building will cost approximately $100,000 and probably will be ready next Summer, they said.