The Film Daily (1941)

Friday, March 14, 1941 W DAILY 15 Ga. Pix Sales Bill Reported Unfavorably (Continued from Page I) a vote on the floor if sufficient House members wish to disagree with the committee action. Speaking against the bill were "Y>hn I. Kelly, former candidate for Governor and Guy Sams, lawyer ' representing producers, and Mr. Pepper. Arguments for the bill were summed up by Nat Williams, Thomasville, Ga., chain operator, and Senator Alpha Fowler, of Douglasville, one of the bill's sponsors in the Senate and a chain theater operator. Ga. House Passes Bill To License Projectionists Atlanta — The Georgia Lower House yesterday passed the bill to license all projector operators and require them to pass an examination given by the State Fire Inspector. $35,250 in Fines End U. S. Ascap Crackdown (Continued from Page 1) $5,000, and against the 19 corporate members, $14,250. The action marked the final step in the Government's anti-trust action against Ascap. Gene Buck, president, E. C. Mills, chairman of the administrative committee, and John G. Paine, general manager, were fined $1,500 each. Judge Duffy said he wanted to make it clear that he was finding the defendants guilty and assessing penalties "for the purpose of this case only." This was interpreted as meaning that the pleas and fines could not be made against the defendants in any civil actions. Ascap Executives Take Salary Cuts as Air 'War' Cuts Income Voluntary pay reductions have been taken by Gene Buck and other Ascap officers due to the organization's income loss through its dispute with the networks. Buck, prexy, took a $15,000 cut in his $50,000 per year salary. John G. Paine, general manager, reduced his salary from $27,500 to $24,750, and E. C. Mills, chairman of the administrative committee took the same cut that Buck did. Stuart Walker, 53, Dies From a Heart Attack (Continued from Page 1) as founder of the Portmanteau theater for which he wrote and directed the plays. He was play reader and director for David Belasco. He produced the dramatization of Booth Tarkington's "Seventeen," dramatized and produced "The Book of Job." First engaged as film writer in Hollywood, he subsequently became a director for Paramount. "Bulldog Drummond's Peril," "The Eagle and the Hawk" and "Tonight Is Ours" are among his best known directorial efforts. Riding Herd on the Hollywood News Range West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Studio news round-up: Tay Garnett will direct the Erich Pommer production, "Unexpected Uncle" for RKO . . . Frank S. Nugent, who used to be a newspaperman himself, has a new 20th-Fox writing contract at more coin . . . Betty Field and Frances Farmer are due at Paramount from old Broadway on May 1 . . . Jean Parker and Wally Ford will have the leads in Monogram's "Widows of the Press" . . . Metro has purchased C. Gardner Sullivan's "Jackass Mail" for Wally "20 Mule Team" Beery . . . Charles F. Riesner will direct the next Marx Bros, comedy for Metro . . . And Allan Dwan will producedirect RKO's untitled pix with Edgar Bergen, Charlie McCarthy, Fibber McGee and Molly . . . Warners has acquired Earl Derr Biggers' original, "Passage from Hong Kong." Ascap Maintains 'Gestapo,' Ticket Prices Introduced Conn. Judiciary Com. Told In Cassil-Dubinsky Case {Continued from Page \) Piainville exhibitor, at the State Legislature's Judiciary Committee nearing on pending anti-Ascap legislation. The measure concerning copyrights and public performing rights would require the registration of songs with the Secretary of State, naming the price at which they may be used, and the licensing of copyright societies, with the imposition of a 25 per cent gross tax. Secretaries of both Conn. MPTO and Allied appeared in favor of the bill. Louis Feinmark, counsel, urged the state exercise police power and cited exhibitors' double payment of song fees. Morris Rome and Attornev Arthur Klein appeared for Ascap. They cited that similar measures had been ruled unconstitutional in several states and attacked the pending bill as an unreasonable exercise of state police power and class legislation. The Committee refused Ascap's request for time to file a brief, and it was indicated a committee report on the bill would be forthcoming before the end of the week. Seven More Managers Sign Dramatists Pact Seven additional Broadway managers have signed the new Dramatists Guild pact, which currently is in dispute via an attack by the League of New York Theaters charging that it violates the N. Y. State anti-trust laws. The managers are Gilbert Miller, Louis Schaffer, representing Labor Stage; Edward Choate, Joe Losey, Walter Brooks, Ned Wayburn and Sam Byrd. Also signing the contract were George S. Kaufman, Richard Rodgers and William Liebling, an author's agent, who have not been formally identified as producers but have purchased scripts in behalf of other managements. Upon his return from Washington, D. C, today, Robert E. Sherwood will confer with Elmer Rice and the other playwrights of The Playwrights, producing firm, over the suit filed by the League against the Dramatists' Guild, of which Rice is president. St. Joseph, Mo. — Theater tickets in St. Joseph and Kansas City cost less than in cities of corresponding size, W. E. Truog, Kansas City branch manager for United Artists Distributing Co., testified in a deposition read in Federal Court yesterday in Frank and Eugenia Cassil's suit for $452,775 damages against Durwood-Dubinsky Bros, and certain distributors. Truog described the general situation in both cities as "murderous" not only for operators but for others in the trade. Truog said he had not heard of any theaters closing because of the situation, however. Mass. Bill Provides 16 MM. Regulation (Continued from Page 1) would be restrictions placed upon the showing of 16 mm. films for public view in churches, by fraternal organizations, etc. Latter would be held to members, with exhibition at no profit to the operators. A license of $50 per machine would be required, plus an inspection charge of $10 per subject. "Caribbean Cruise" in Tech. West Coast Bii-eau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Twentieth CenturyFox will dip "Caribbean Cruise" in the dye vat. It will be one of the studio's top productions and will costar Carmen Miranda and Betty Grable. William LeBaron will produce. Story is by Karl Tunberg and Don Ettlinger, with songs and music by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren. Production will start soon after Miss Grable finishes with "Miami." Fred Kohlmar Joining Para. West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Fred Kohlmar has resigned as associate producer at 20th Century-Fox and on Monday joins Paramount in the same capacity. LADY«NEW ORLEANS A REPUBLIC PICTURE JOHN WAYNE • ONA MUNSON RAY MIDDLETON • HENRY STEPHENSON HELEN WESTLEY Bernard Vorhaus— Director -_' = -3^