The Film Daily (1941)

$5,OOOrOOO tor Defense Features and Shorts Intimate in Character International In Scope Independent in Thought (See Column 3 Below) The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Twenty-Two Years Old FDAILY E £ L. 79, NO. 52 NEW YORK, MONDAY, MARCH 17, 1941 TEN CENTS DISTRIBS.' CONSENT^ ENDS GOLD CASE See Commercial Tele With Technical Change Bar THE WEEK IN REVIEW Fight on BIocks-of-5 By L. H. MITCHELL ANTI-BLOCKS-OF-5: UA and 20th-Fox joined the fight against N. W. Allied's anti-blocks-of-five pix bill fight in Minnesota. UA claimed it would be driven out of the state while 20th-Fox asserted it was "quite possible" it could not sell in Minn, if bill becomes law. House Committee reported the bill favorably, while Senate Committee adjourned hearings for a week . . . Meanwhile House Committee in Georgia reported a similar bill unfavorably, but minority report leaves way open for vote on House flavor. * * * FINANCIAL: Census Bureau reported pix sales for 1939 at $243,482,000 . . . Eastman Kodak's 1940 net was $20,076,739 . . . Western Electric reported 1940 net at $32,787,030 . . . Bausch & Lomb net was $1,675,733 . . . Universale first quarter net for 1941 was up to $703,795 . . . Trans-Lux's net, $76,083. * * * ARBITRATION: First arbitration hearing was that of Park Theater, Nashua, N. H. in Boston on Friday, with the State, Morris, 111. set for Saturday in Chicago . . . Louis Sosna of Sosna Theater, Mexico, Mo., filed in St. Louis against UA, "U," Col. and Rep., with refiling required . . . Lee Macklin, Grand, New London, Wis., filed in Milwaukee on clearance. * * * MISCELLANY: Rep. Lyle H. Boren requested hearing on his resolution for a probe of the industry . . . UA and "U" asked for dismissal of Gov't's equity suit against them . . . Ed Peskay will press his Greenwich Theater anti-trust case . . . Orson Welles demanded showdown from RKO on release of "Citizen Kane" . . . League of N. Y. Theaters assailed Dramatists Guild on film rights basic agreement . . . Samuel Goldwyn will hurry three features into production —first, "The Little Foxes," to start April 15 . . . Jos. M. Schenck asserted industry's salvation lies in extended runs . . . Ohio will continue censorship of newsreels. TwoYear Protection for Set Owners in Prospect; Capitol Hearing Tomorrow By MILTON F. LUNCH Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Although members of the FCC are reluctant to commit themselves on the question of commercialization of television, opinion of sources close to the Commission is that the odds are in favor of commercialization in a limited form. The hearings on this subject beginning tomorrow will probably provide (Continued on Page 8) COHEN HEARS HILARY CASE "Father of N. Y. Arbitration" Sits on Brooklyn Complaint MPTOA Convention In Mo. Resort! Kansas City — Annual MPTOA convention may be held in Excelsior Springs, Mo., a resort about 20 miles from here, it was revealed at the week-end by Ed Kuykendall, MPTOA president. Kuykendall was here studying the possibilities of (Continued on Page 5) Theaters May Be Hit by City Gross Income Tax Albany — Assemblyman Abbott Moffat Friday hoppered a bill authorizing cities to impose a tax of one-tenth of one per cent on gross incomes. Theaters apparently are (Continued on Page 8) Julius Henry Cohen, "father of arbitration in New York State," will serve as arbitrator of the first arbitration complaint filed in New York City as a result of the New York consent decree, it was announced Friday. Case is that of the Hilary Theater Corp., operating the Regent, Brooklyn, and involves clearance. Filed on Feb. 18, the complaint named Paramount, Loew's, RKO, 20th-Fox and Vitagraph, with Argosy Amusement Corp. operating the Apollo as an interested party. Date for the hearing before Arbitrator Cohen, widely known attor (Continued on Page 5) 10 Companies Join For Defense Films U. S. film companies will spend a sum far exceeding $5,000,000 in producing features and shorts devoted to some phase of the U. S. Defense Program and this country's war stand this year, Joseph M. Schenck, 20th-Fox board chairman, stated Friday. The program calls for pro (Continued on Page 8) Lucas Asks Film Regulation Would Establish National Authority Hold Hearing Tomorrow On New Conn. Tax Bill New Haven— H. B. 2353, a blank bill, filed simply as "taxation of moving picture industry" and understood to require a new tax levy on theaters grossing over $500 weekly, is scheduled to be heard by the Finance Committee at Hartford to (Continued on Page 6) Atlanta — Arthur Lucas, of the Lucas & Jenkins circuit, is reported to have advocated last week in Washington the establishment of a national authority for the regulation of the film industry through Congressional legislation. Lucas & Jenkins circuit is the largest in Georgia. Lucas, it was learned here, conferred with Will Hays, MPPDA president, over current problems (Continued on Page 5) Four Majors Directed to Sell to Nashua, N. H., Theater Till July 31, '42 By FLOYD L. BELL FILM DAILY Staff Correspondent Boston — The nation's first arbitration case was settled almost before the opposing attorneys could throw their coats over their chairs and turn to address Prof. Arthur L. Brown who sat as arbitrator in the hearing conducted here Friday in the offices of the American Arbitration Association. Settled by consent of all parties, the distributing companies, defen (Continued on Page f>) Working Conditions At Studios Restored West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — George E. Browne, international head of IATSE, has notified producers that as of today they should restore union members to working conditions and hours as provided for in the basic agreement. Producers' Labor Relations Com (Continued on Page 6) Consolidated Deal Closed; Joelson Operating Circuit Julius Joelson yesterday formally took over the Consolidated circuit which will be known hereafter as J. J. Theaters, Inc. Deal involves (Continued on Page 6) Pix Jurisdiction to Army Morale Branch Washington Bur., THE FILM DAILY Washington — The War Department Friday announced the formation of the Morale branch of the Army, which will have the Army Motion Picture Service under its jurisdiction. Heretofore, the morale activities of the Army have been handled by the Morale Division of the office of the Adjutant General. Brig. Gen. James A. Ulio heads the new branch. 3 A N 1 S H L +7+7 "I J 1 S I f I (lllHc m — rrr iS I z