The Film Daily (1941)

Monday, March 17, 1941 DAILY Federal Regulation Advocated by Lucas (Continued from Page 1) affecting the industry. Results of the confabs is not known officially but it is understood that Lucas proposed to give the Department of Commerce authority to regulate and control the mption picture industry and that he /'r ";d such action on Congressional V^ iers. Lucas returned to Atlanta in time to attend the public hearing on his bill to grant 20 per cent cancellation on film contracts which is being sponsored in the Senate by Senator Homer Edenfield of Lucas' district. J. H. Cohen Will Hear Hilary Arbitration Case (Continued from Page 1) ney who sponsored the New York arbitration law, enacted in 1920, will be set later. Cohen has served as arbitrator for a number of important AAA cases. Taylor Complaint Withdrawn; Settlement Reported Effected Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — The arbitration case filed by John Taylor, owner of the Charles Theater, La Plata, Md., against Sidney Lust's Marlboro Theater and all of the consenting defendants except Warner Brothers, but including Columbia, was withdrawn Friday. This is the first case in the Washington area to be withdrawn. Lust's Marlboro theater had a 14-day clearance over the Charles theater, which was protested. The parties presumably settled the case between themselves. Col. Division Managers To Compete for Awards Columbia has set aside special awards for division managers to further heighten interest in the Columbia Exhibitors Good Will Campaign. Two prizes will be awarded to the division managers whose districts accomplish the greatest percentage of improvement in billings at the conclusion of the thirteenweek drive period, March 1-May 30, as compared with their campaign quota. Del. Governor Signs Blue Laws Repealer Dover, Del. — Bill repealing Delaware's ancient Sunday blue laws was signed Friday by Governor Bacon. The new statute prohibits horse racing, public auctions, public dances, public theatrical performances and movies outside of the cities and towns. Incorporated communities are permitted to prohibit or regulate any "worldly activity" on Sunday. • • • ERIN Go Bragh! Rumor has it that Paramount's Bob Gillham has sent Emma — the company's sleek and temperamental king snake — up to Dr. Ditmars' sanitarium (Bronx Park Zoo) until tomorrow Poor gal was on the verge of a nervous breakdown lest Manager Bob Weitman of the local Paramount Theater. ..... who dotes on the personal appearance angle might call her in to appear as a special attraction with St. Patrick. . . • It's no blarney either that Pathe News started production of the new "Information Please" short on last Thursday instead of today as originally scheduled Step was taken to permit Producer Frank Donovan along with Cameraman Larry O'Reilly, Publicity Writer Mary Shannon, Jack Sweeney, George Ronan and some of the other real Auld Sodders to march in today's parade on Fifth Avenue • • • OUT on the Coast — along with the usual St. Patrick's Day celebration — a scroll authorized by the unanimous vote of the Screen Actors Guild's directorate will be formally presented to Miss Maude Adams one of the great names of the American theater'. who was a Broadway star from 1897 to 1918 and is now a teacher of dramatic art at Stephens College The scroll symbolizes SAG's recognition of her outstanding services to drama and education Presentation wil be made by Guild President Edward Arnold • • • ANOTHER St. Patrick's Day doin' will be the Benefit Ball tonight in Hollywood's Ambassador Hotel for the Screen Actors' Fund Thereat, Prexy Jean Hersholt, star of RKO Radio's "Dr. Christian" series will raffle off President Roosevelt's campaign hat Our Chief Executive gave Our Jean the skypiece for this charitable purpose when the latter visited the White House for the recent Birthday Ball Still another St. Patrick's Day note is the fact that the President and Mrs. Roosevelt today celebrate their wedding anniversary T T V • • • CURRENTLY, "Cheers For Miss Bishop" is not only packing 'em in at Radio City Music Hall by virtue of the fact that it is superb entertainment but is so doing also because of the intense interest UA has excited 'mong a special stratum of local filmgoers in the picture's theme and merit Those particular filmgoers comprise teachers' organizations, parents' associations, and groups linked to the recreational activities of big1 business enterprises Several hundred thousand persons are being reached or have already been via this campaign. • • • FIRST official act of the Association of Film Commentators of Mexico was an awards dinner attended in Mexico City by many Government officials, diplomats and stars of the native screen Gabriel Soria got first prize for production of "Mala Yerba" (which he also directed) as outstanding native pic of '40 Salvador Osio, sales manager of the Mexican exchange of 20th-Fox received trophy awarded to that company's "Grapes of Wrath" as best U. S. opus of the year Other awards went to "Le Jour S'Eleve" as outstanding European film and to "Prisioneros De La Tierra" as best Argentine offering « « « » » » MPTOA Convention In Mo. Resort! (Continued from Page 1) having the Kansas-Missouri unit piay host to the national organization during the first week in June. Kuykendall said there was an "even chance" that Excelsior Springs would get the convention, although several other localities were being considered. Los Angeles, which previously had been rejected, again looms as a possibility. Excelsior Springs, which is a noted health resort, affords ample hotel accommodations, golf courses and other amusements. Universal Stockholders Ratify Executives' Pacts Wilmington, Del. — Stockholders of Universal Pictures Co., Inc., on Saturday ratified new seven-year contracts for seven top executives and re-elected 11 members of the board of directors, with Peyton Gibson filling the vacancy left by William Freiday, dropped last November. Executives who received new contracts, dating from Jan. 1 last, were: J. Cheever Cowdin, chairman of the board; Nate J. Blumberg, president; Charles D. Prutzman, vice-president and general counsel; Cliff Work, vicepresident in charge of studio operations; William A. Scully, vice-president in charge of domestic sales; Joseph H. Seidelman, vice-president in charge of foreign sales; and Matthew Fox, vice-president and executive assistant to the president. Re-elected directors were Blumberg, Cowdin, Prutzman, Paul G. Brown, D. C. Collins, Jr., Preston Davis, Ottavio Prochet, J. Arthur Rank, Budd Rogers, Daniel Schaeffer and W. H. Taylor, Jr. Preview "Thumbs Up" Today "Thumbs Up," British War Relief Society featurette, will be previewed at the Ritz-Carlton at 4 p.m. today. Pix, which runs about 30 minutes, has a commentary by Lowell Thomas. It will be given nation-wide circulation under the Society's own auspices. 85 Theater Fronts Changed by Censor Detroit — Theater fronts ordered changed by the Detroit censor, Sergt. Joseph Kellar, totalled 85 during 1940 — an increase of more than 100 per cent over 1939, when the total was 38. Increase was caused by downtown houses primarily, Kellar said. "Certain exhibitors are using a lot of old pictures with sex themes," he enlarged. "They tend to go beyond the pale in advertising the sex theme in the fronts used. This practice is confined to the lower-priced downtown houses, mostly on Monroe Avenue."