The Film Daily (1941)

Tuesday, August 5, 1941 Court Asks 24 Hours For Crescent Ruling (Continued from Page 1) Stengel, R. E. Baulch, principals, and of the corporations involved, ,T ;^e Elmer D. Davies asked anC' *£r 24 hours before finally ruling on defense objection Friday to the introduction of such matter, but during a day of almost constant legal arguments between Eobert L. Wright and D of J associate counsel and the several defense counsel groups, Judge Davies intimated that he 1 1 would probably admit no more of the income tax reports than a general I balance sheet, not including the high| ly confidential and informing def tailed reports which Wright sought I to introduce. Defense Attorney George H. ArmiL stead contends that any such statements of profits or assets are unrei liable as indicating "size and scope" j of the Crescent Circuit and affiliates | or to "show the profit possibilities | of the combine" as suggested by Wright. Armistead's contention was based on the obvious facts that these theaters and combinations are making money from other than box office receipts which alone relate to film ■ rentals and exhibition of pictures. | There are incomes from popcorn and ' candy concession, sales of screen advertising and promotional tie-ups, rental of store spaces in theater buildings and other sources. Defense counsel insists that any reduction in rental of films, brought about by combined buying, as a result of favorable franchises, would represent only a trifling part of the earnings of the theater. Defense attorneys say that Crescent Amusement and affiliated exhibitor corporations and the distributor groups involved will offer their defense testimony jointly and not separately for the sake of saving time and that a week will be necessary for presentation of the case for the defense. Argument of attorneys must follow that and Judge Davies asks 24 hours in which to render his decision. Virginia MPTO Names Legislative Committee Richmond, Va. — At a board meeting of the MPTO of Virginia held here last week, William F. Crockett, president, announced that the following members of the association had been appointed to serve on the legislative committee for the coming year: Charles A. Somma, chairman; Morton G. Thalhimer, vicechairman! Nat Glasser, Herman Rubin, Hunter Perry, Benjamin T. Pitts, Charles Roth, Ellison Loth, Sydney Gates, Julian Brylawski, C. L. Abercrombie, C. C. Lincoln, Sam Bendheim Jr., Harold Wood, A. Frank O'Brien, Rives S. Brown, Allen Sparrow, R. C. Overbey and Elmore Heins. Nicholas Schenck Says M-GM Would Aid In Any Move to Eliminate Twin Features Approval of any movement toward re-establishing single features was expressed by Nicholas M. Schenck, on his arrival from the Coast. "Naturally we would like to see them," the M-G-M president declared as he arrived from the Coast aboard the Twentieth Century. "We would be glad to co-operate with any exhibitors or exhibitors' groups in action for that purpose." Fewer Closings Noted In Milwaukee Territory (Continued from Page 1) years past. Reason exhibitors have hung on, despite a reported rejection of their plea for relief from the projectionists' union, has been the hope that defense spending would find its way to the box-office. Although industrial activity in the local area showed an increase in June for the twelfth consecutive month, business at the theaters continues spotty. According to the Wisconsin Industrial Commission, factory jobs here totaled 110,000 in June, a gain of 2,600 over May and an increase of 26,300 over June in 1940. Payrolls in June ran to $3,708,000 weekly this year, $139,000 more than in May and $1,310,000 above June of last year. This has meant an average weekly pay check of $33.96 against an average of $29.03 per week for the man in the shop in 1929. Industrialists declare that the end is not yet in sight and that with defense contracts continuing to roll in, record payrolls will continue to be earned by factory workers. Daylight Saving Time Proclaimed for Virginia Richmond, Va. — Governor James T. Price has formally proclaimed daylight saving time for Virginia from midnight Aug. 10 to midnight Sept. 28, and has called on the mayors of Virginia's 24 cities for co-operation. The Governor said he had put in the termination date to coincide with the date already set by North Carolina, but said that could be changed in light of developments. At first he had planned to set no limit. The proclamation is persuasive as far as cities, counties and towns are concerned, but is binding on all agencies and institutions of the state government. Only Tax Tokens Barred As Aluminum Admission Montgomery, Ala. — "Everything accepted except State luxury tax tokens" is the slogan for admish to aluminum matinees, sweeping the state in the national defense effort under sponsorship of Alabama Theaters, Inc., and civic organizations in towns where theaters are located. Canadian Odeon Circuit Adding More Theaters (Continued from Page 1J of the Grand Theater, Sudbury, Ont., has been appointed manager of the theater at Rouyn. Toronto theaters which have officially joined the Odeon circuit during the past few days include the Grant and King's Playhouse, operated by Hyman King; and the Esquire, Mayfair and Aster, owned by Sam Firestone, who was formerly prominent as an officer of the Independent Theaters Association of Ontario. Fix Clearance Based On Admission Prices (Continued from Page 1) ance of 14 days granted the Jeffris over the Rex by Paramount to be "in certain respects unreasonable," Whelan ruled that in future contracts Paramount could give a maximum clearance of only seven days to the Jeffris where both houses played to the same adult admission price after 6 p.m.; 10 days where Jeffris admission was 5 cents higher than the Rex, and 14 days if the Jeffris charged 10 cents or more than the Rex admission That part of the complaint against Paramount, which read "and is improperly refusing to deliver prints of motion pictures contracted for said Rex until said pictuees have been exhibited at the Jeffris" was dismissed by Whelan. This was the local board's first case and since recent settlement of its second case, leaves the board without any cases on the calendar. "Toots" Chapman Retiring Detroit— J. L. (Toots) Chapman, who has been in poor health, is selling the Lincoln Theater at Sebewaing to the Adham Brothers, operators of a circuit in the Thumb District, and retiring from active management for the time being, effective Aug, Mrs. Copra's Mother Dead West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Mrs. Florence Warner, Mrs. Frank Capra's mother, died last week following an operation at the Oceanside Hospital, Oceanside, Calif. were going ^ ^him CITADEL OF CRIME ROBERT ARMSTRONG • FRANK ALBERTSON LINDA HAYES RUSSELL SIMPSON SKEETS GALLAGHER Original screen play by Don Ryan GEORGE SHERMAN Director T ^