The Film Daily (1930)

iTHE o/'FILMDOM ANDWEEKLY FILH DIGEST VOL. LI No. 51 Sunday, March 2, 1930 Price 25 Cents $10,000,000 Building Budget for Chi Territory HALSEY^UART & COHAVE NEW TOX PLAN Columbia Cutting Feature Releases to 20 Total "Roadshow Attractions" 1930-31 Policy, Says Cohn Coluinljia intends to reduce its 1930-31 releasing schedule from 26 to 20 features, it was stated by Jack Cohn Friday. The object, he said, was to turn out "roadshow attractions" instead of program pictures, and all productions will be based on plays. Eleven stage successes have ocen purchased for the new program. The first picture will be "Rain or -Shine," starring Joe Cook, said Cohn. Other plays acquired include "The Criminal Code" and 'Soldiers and Women." 3,502 PICTURE HOUSES IN FRANCE, SURVEY SHOWS Paris — Total number of picture theaters in France has reached the 3,502 mark, according to figures just ;3ublished by the Minister of Finance. Paris has 191 cinemas while the Dept. of the Seine has 136. In the srovinces there are 3,175. Aarons Signed by Fox as Associate Producei Vest Coast Bureau, THE FILM PAIL' Los Angeles — Alex A. Aarons, jnusical comedy producer, has joined *ox as an associate producer. Benamin StolofF will direct his first vhich will be an original musical by yilliam K. Wells, as yet untitled, "on Conrad will compose the music nd Danny Dare stage the dance lumbers. •ollak to Distribute "White Cargo" in N. Y. .^do!ph Pollak of Hollywood Picures has closed with Capt. Harold Vuten, who represents the W. P. 11m Co. Ltd. of London, for distribtion rights on "White Cargo" in the .'ew York and Northern New Jerey territories. The picture now is ..rent at the Geo. M. Cohan. ALL 20 UFA PICTURES TO HAVE ENGLISH VERSIONS All of the 20 pictures scheduleu to be brought here will have English versions, F. Wynne-Jones, president of Ufa, stated Friday. Six of this number have already arrived here. They are: "Heart's Melody," "Love Waltz," "Immortal Vagabond,' "The Last Companj'," "The Blue Angel" and "The White Devil," which are all-talking productions. Emil Jannings speaks English in "The Blue Angel," in which he is the star. La Plante Released From "U" Contract; Resting »V.>7 Coajt Buiean. THE FILM PAIL) Hollywood — Laura La Plante, who las been with Universal for the past :ight years, at her own request has been released from her contract with that company, states Universal. Il is probable that Miss La Plante will go to Europe for an extended trip. Colorcraft is Planning a Laboratory at Coast \\\X\\ a large studio and laboratorj rapidly ■ nearing completion in Lone; Island" City. William Hoyt Peck, vice-pres. of the Colorcraft Corp., is preparing to leave for Hollywood to choose a building site for its Coast plant. In speaking of the Coast activities of Colorcraft, Peck estimates that the first unit of their Hollywood unA (Continued on Page 2) EDWIN P. GROSVENOR, dAYS mSEL, DIES Funeral services for Edwin P. Grosvenor of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, counsel for the Hays organization in connection with tlie Federal Government's suits aimed at arbitration and the credit committee systems, will be held Saturday at 1 o'clock at his residence, 455 E. 57th St. Burial will he at Washington, Conn. Grosvenor, who was 54 years old, died at 1:15 Friday morning, from pneumonia, following a week's illness. Hiram Brown Denies RKO Interested in Boyd Chain Commenting on tiie report that RKO is interested m the Boyd chain bein.g formed at Philadelphia and vicinity, Hiram Brown, PJvO president, on Friday made a denial, saying that his company is not concerned financially. "RKO is always likely to expand," said Brown. "Any proposition involvine an attractive group of theaters would be considered." Fox West Coast Acquires Marlow's Illinois Circuit H'cst Coast Bureau, THE FILM PAIL) Los .A.ngeles — Fox West Coast Theaters has taken over the Marlow's Circuit in Illinois of four houses. Plans are also in work to build a 3,000 seat house at East St. Louis, 111. and another at Columbia, Mo. Three Major Theater Projects on Chicago Building Schedule Chicago— At least $10,000,000 will be represented in theater property to be erected in the Chicago territor\during the current year. Three major projects will account for approximately $9,000,000 of the total and add more than 9,000 seats. Seating 3,000, a new Fox house is scheduled for 92nd and Commercial Sts. in South Chicago and will cost about $3,000,000. The proposed RKO house, for which preliminary plans have been made, is expected to cost approximately $4,000,000 and have a capacity of 4,000. Completion of the Publix-Great .States Paramount house at Hanmiond is scheduled for May. It seats 2,100 and costs $2,000,000. Other theaters projected add another million to the territory's construction budget. Stockholders to Vote on Alternative Proposal Next Wednesday .\nother new Fox refinancing plan has been prepared by Halsey, Stuart & Co. to be submitted to stockholders at the meeting Wednesday as an alternative to the plan sponsored by the Lehman group of bankers, it was learned Friday night. At the same time it was announced by Fox that Monday has been set as the new date for the hearing on the temporary order granted last Wednesday by Supreme Court Justice Nathan Bijur against the Bankers Trust Co., Harry L. Stuart and John E. Otterson to prevent the Stuart and Otterson interests from voting the Class B stock owned by William Fox at the 'Wednesday meeting. With Halsey, Stuart & Co. determined to submit an opposition refinancing program, following denials (Continued on Page 2) Luxemburg House Bombed Second Time in 4 Months Luxemburg, Mo. — The Lemay, operated by Lee Lau, has been bombed for the second time. Two bombs damaged the generator. House was first bombed when Lau installed sound equipment and discharged two musicians and union projectionists several months ago. Mekelburg to Distrbute Big 4 Films in Boston C. .\. Stinison. vice president of the Big 4 Film Corp., has contracted with Marcel Mekelburg of Boston for the distribution of his company's TToduct in New England during 1930. ^ 1 ll.sJ 1 ■Xi--l__ll . Sole Survivor Philadelphia — The waning "arty theater" movement now has a single representative in this city. The Little Theater is the sole survivor as the Film Guild Cinema has folded up.