The Film Daily (1931)

THE mE NEWSPAPER OF FILM DOM AND WEEKLY FILM DIGEST VOL. LV NO. 2 NEW yCRK, SUNDAY, JANUARY 4. 1931 25 CENTS No Pathe Transfer to RKO Till After Court Hearing ANTI-UTS. LEGISLATION LOOMS IN "CANADA All Warner De Luxe Houses Now Have Wide Screen 20 of Circuit's Theaters Already Equipped for Larger Pictures Twenty Warner Bros, theaters, representing all of the circuit's de luxe houses, are now equipped with wide screens. Installations are being made as fast as theaters of this class are acquired. SUES FOR $44,250 FEE IN WARNER THEATER DEAL Pittsburgh — Mark and Marine Browar, former owners of the New Kenyon, are named defendants in a suit for $44,250 and interest from June 19, filed in U. S. Court by Harry Gold of New York. The money is claimed as commission for sale of the theater to Warner Bros. Gold avers he was engaged by the defendants early in June to get a purchaser for the theater, on a verbal agreement to receive a 10 per cent commission. 110 Chicago Schools Using Films Chicago — During the past two years 60 public schools have been equipped with 15mm. motion picture projectors and in 50 ethers projectors using standard size film are installed. Nearly every school is equipped with lantern projectors and in one year not less than half a million slides were used. Screen Advertisers Plan Code of Business Ethics Palace, M'Alester, Burns Loss is Set at $100,000 M'Alester, Okla. — Fire of undetermined origin on Dec. 28 destroyed the Palace. Loss is approximately $100,000, partly covered by insurance. Orchestra of 125 As a first step in bringing back better times, Roxy has added 31 musicians to the Roxy Symphony orchestra, bring'ng the total up to 125, thereby making it the largest permanent theater symphony orchestra in the world. The augmented musical organization gave its first performance Friday under the direction of Errio Rapee. Adoption of a code of business ethics governing the production, distribution and exhibition of advertising pictures is planned at the nonheatrical films conference to be held Jan. 28 to 30 at the Hotel Roosevelt under the auspices of the Screen Advertisers' Ass'n. General topics to be discussed are: "Why the Advertiser Should Be {Continued on Page 2) Glen Dickinson Circuit Invading Illinois Field Beardstown, 111. — Glen W. Dickinson Theaters, at present operating some two-score houses in Kansas, will invade the Illinois territory with the construction of a 1,000-seat theater here. Construction is to start early in the spring. 650 Canadian Theaters Equipped; 31 Circuits Control Nearly Half One Week Off with Pay For Columbia Salesmen Columbia salesmen have been awarded a week's vacation with pay as a Christmas present. All employes who have been with the company a year were given a half week's pay as bonus. Toronto — Total of 650 of Canada's 1108 licensed theaters are now wired. Nearl;< half of the sound houses are controlled by 31 circuits of three or more theaters. These circuits are 'ocated in the following six territories, in which Canada is divided for distribution purposes; Ontario, 11; Quebec, 5; Maritimes, 4; Winnipeg, 5; Calgary, 5; British Columbia, 1. Pathe Court Hearing Put Off; Deal Consummation Held Up Measures Affecting U. S. Films Expected in Ottawa Ottawa — Passage of legislation adverse to American pictures is likely to occur as a crystallization of the anti-U. S. films sentiment which is fast fermenting in Canada. American domination of the Canadian industry is now being examined by a commission under the Combines Investigation Act. A definite decision as to steps to be taken will be made upon completion of its report. CEN. ELECTRIC USES COLOR IN FIRST OF 12 SUBJECTS West Coast Bureau. THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — "Stepping Ahead," the first of a series of 12 industrial subjects to be put out by General Electric, has been completed here. the production was made in Multicolor. Although practically the full requirement of 633,000 proxies needed to assure ratification of the PatheRKO merger had been received up to Saturday morning, and an o.k. on the deal is expected by both Pathe arid RKO officials, actual consum (Continued on Page 9) Opening of Elkhart House Gives Warner Circuit 812 Elkhart, Ind. — Opening of the new Warner house here, on the site of the former Lerner, brings the total number of theaters in the Warner Bros, circuit up to 812. Thomas H. Brown Named N. C. District Manager Bristol, Conn.— Thomas H. Brown, formerly connected with various theaters in New England, most recently at the Cameo, here, has been appointed district manager for Warner Bros, in North Carolina with headquarters at the Broadway in Charlotte. 800 Camera Angles Berlin — In "Her Majesty. Love," which Joe May is now cutting, more than 800 camera angles were used. The principle of a fully expanded camera was employed for the first time by May in this production.