The Film Daily (1941)

Monday, February 17, 1941 DAILY Camels Interested In Sponsored Game! (Continued from Page 1) used in the lobby display, on the stage and on the screen, and with top-ranking executives of the Esty Agency, ad outfit handling Camels, present looking over audience reac ^Jime, Minute Mysteries, a memry test with answers punched on „ards after a short has been shown .and series of questions asked the l audience, is copyrighted by Roy [Post and Austin Ripley. Jam Handy : Co., is reported producing the screen I material. Camels previously have been plugged by the R. J. Reynolds Co. * through the medium of four technii color short ad reels in theaters. Last year, Chesterfield sponsored free film shows in a promotional camjjpaign, but this will be the first atItempt to put on a sponsored show flof this type, if any deal is coni eluded. However, attempts Friday j night to secure confirmation from !;any of the parties concerned were | unavailing. Game would probably average around 15 to 20 minutes of time in a theater. Introductory trailer and , short runs about eight minutes, with ' remainder of time taken up with stage questioning, checking of cards and awarding of prizes. It is understood that all material would be 'provided free to theaters for distribution and use. RKO Thru Severe Pix Crisis, No Borrowing — Schaefer (Continued from Page 1) not indebted to its parent company for current productions. This is true despite the reduction in foreign currencies and serious restrictions on the flow of foreign funds to New York. Schaefer stated that "Kitty Foyle" and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" are currently among the biggest money makers in RKO's history. Purpose of his Coast visit is to perfect plans and estimates for the studio's 1941-42 production program. TO THE COLORS! Chicago — Charles Dixon, Warner Theaters, Joseph Real, Highland Theater and Edward Friedwald of the Jeffrey Theater are in the Army. Akron, O. — First of Akron's theater managers to join the Army is Tom Long, of the Palace Theater. Lew Mentlik, until recently New York staff correspondent for Jay Emanuel Publications, is now in Company D, 106th Infantry, 27th Division, at Fort McClelland, Anniston, Ala. Norwegian Boycott of Nazi Films Brings German Threats of Increase In Taxes Washington Bureau of THE FILM 'DAILY Washington — Boycott by Norwegians of German propaganda films in the Nazi-occupied country has been so successful that the Nazis warn that other taxes will have to be increased if the revenue of the theaters continues to be cut by the boycott, Norwegian Government's press representative in Washington asserts. It is reported that Norwegians attending the German-controlled film houses gave such violent disapproval of propaganda films that the authorities ordered bans on any of the following actions by patrons: laughter, meaningless applause, stamping with the feet, whistling, coughing, and clearing one's throat. 5MI Bids for Indie Exhib. Aid in "War" With Ascap (Continued from Page 1) letter received by the LTO of Ohio from Russell Clevenger, BMI's public relations director. Letter in part says: "We have long been amazed that motion picture exhibitors have accepted the conditions under which they receive Ascap music. It is, of course, understandable that the houses controlled by the producers who have Ascap connections must accept them, but it is difficult to understand why the independent exhibitor must conform. Under present conditions, motion picture producers, through their tie-in with Ascap, collect more from Ascap chan they pay. The overage comes from the producer collecting a substantial part of the fee that the exhibitors pay." Thus far, the Allied affiliate has taken no action, but that is promised by Pete J. Wood, unit's secretary, "when the proper time comes." Erpi Sales Provision Is Bonanza To Exhibs. As a result of arrangements made by Erpi, whereby film theaters are enabled to acquire, for $100, outright title to company's equipments in their houses, encouragement is being given to outlets to replace the equipments with those embodying the latest advances, exhibitor sources asserted yesterday. While the arrangement is not new, nevertheless many theatermen have not realized until recently that they could purchase the equipment, instead of going along with it on a license fee basis. Channels close to the situation declared on Friday that as long as 18 months ago a group of manufacturers obtained from Erpi its consent to an arrangement whereby houses could buy the equipments and set the stage, figuratively speaking, for trade-ins. Several thousand Erpi equipments can be closed out on the $100 per unit basis, it is estimated. A number of exhibitors, it is reported, have effected deals involving better than $100 allowances when trading the purchased equipment for new units. Advisory Arbitration Unit For New lersey Allied (Continued from Page 1) members who have complaints to make under the consent decree in the New York equity suit or before the arbitration board. Maury Miller of Passaic is chairman of the committee which includes Harry Lowenstein, Newark; Irving Dollinger, Linden; George Gold, Newark, and Sam Frank, Hammenton. At a meeting of the organization neia last week a resolution was passed condemning the practice of distributors in supplying features ana short subjects for non-theatrical exhibition, which New Jersey Allied contends is unfair competition to theaters. The organization askea tnai the practice be discontinued. The resolution named all major companies except M-G-M. Compulsory Arbitration Assailed by AAA Exec. A warning of a serious lag in the nation's defense program if Congress passed any laws compelling industry and labor to arbitrate their disputes was given Friday night by .Paul Felix Warburg, speaking as a director of the American Arbitration Association. He declared that "a worker forced to stay on an assembly line by governmental edict becomes an inefficient worker, and such inefficiency can create a devastating bottleneck." Warburg spoke before a hundred representatives of industry, labor and the national defense agencies as part of a debate between himself and .hep. E. E. Cox of Georgia on the subject of "Should Compulsory Arbitration Be Instituted In Labor disputes Involving National Defense Industries." The debate was broadcast nationally from the WaldorfAstoria Hotel over NBC's Blue Network. V. C.'s $1,000 for Toy Project Baltimore — The Variety Club of Baltimore has presented a check of $1,000 to the sponsors of a toy-lending project in this city, through wnich children may borrow toys for a week, on the same basis of lending library books. C. William Hicks is chief barker. Ky. Official Holds Bank Nights Illegal Frankfort, Ky. — Declaring that "Bank Night, Bingo and similar schemes are violative of the law of Kentucky," Assistant Attorney General Jesse K. Lewis said it was the 'statutory duty of local law enforcement officers to cause the proper criminal proceedings to be made against persons operating Bank iMight or Bingo." A bill legalizing Bank Nights was passed by a special session of the General Assembly in April, 1938, after Gov. A. B. Chandler had vetoed a similar bill passed by the regular 1938 session. In October that same year, Lewis, in replying to a request for an opinion on the legality of Bingo, declared "Bingo is illegal under Kentucky laws for the same reason Bank Nights are illegal." He previously had held Bank Nights illegal under the lottery ban. Both Lewis and Attorney General Hubert Meredith have given opinions that no law ever got around the "constitutional provision against lotteries." They stated it applied to gifts awarded by lot by theaters. The 1940 General Assembly placed a 15 per cent tax on such Bank Night prizes, but took the stand that such action did not legalize them. "Movie houses are daily violating the law in conducting Bank Nights; and churches openly participate in and reap the profits derived from Bingo, which unquestionably is a gambling scheme," Lewis said. Wis. Bids Fred MacMurray To "Virginia's" State Bow Madison, Wis. — Wisconsin State Assembly and Senate, in special joint resolution, Friday invited Fred MacMurray to visit Madison Mar. 15 for the Wisconsin premiere here of "Virginia." A one-time Madison high school student, MacMurray spent most of his youth in Beaver Dam, and attended colleges at Waukesha. Invitation also issued to Madeleine Carroll. Edward J. Benjii, Capitol Theater manager, where "Virginia" will play, engineered the joint resolution. Eller, Frankenberg on Coast Chicago — Harry E. Eller and Julius Frankenberg of the Radiant Screen Mfg. Co. have gone to the West Coast, with a model of their automatic film projector machine, to make several demonstrations. STORKS! Canton, O. — A daughter was born in a local hospital to Mr. and Mrs. Frank Matthews. Father is house manager of the Morrison Theater at nearby Alliance, operated by TriTheaters, Inc.