The Film Daily (1931)

DAILY Wednesday, January 14, 1931 BOTH EAST AND WEST Although Warner Bros, will make a few of its 1931-32 shorts at the Coast, the company will definitely continue to operate its Flatbush Vitaphone studio, where a great majority of its shorts are turned out. The Coast schedule is understood to include the S. S. Van Dine detective stories. Accessibility of trained stage talent is a. principal reason for continuance of work in the East. 60 Firms, 121 Theaters Already Probed in Canada (Continued from Page 1) pointed by the Canadian Government to inquire into the motion picture business in Canada to see whether it violates the Combines Act. All persons familiar with the business in Canada will be invited to participate in submitting evidence in the probe. Business in the South Improving, Says Moray Norman H. Moray, general sales manager of Vitaphone, just back from a trip through the southeastern territory, reports that business in that section is on the upgrade. Exhibitors for the most part are becoming increasingly optimistic, Moray says. R. A. Griffith of the Griffith circuit in Oklahoma, in a visit to the Warner offices yesterday, declared that improvement is also being shown in the southwest. 89 Features Produced In England Last Year London — Domestic features produced in Great Britain during the year 1930 reached a total of 8°, according to a recent trade report. In addition, 27 feature films are now in work. Swedish Wirings 600 By Spring Stockholm — Wired houses in Sweden now number 400, with the 600 mark expected to be rea'ched in the Spring. Of the present total, 60 are equipped with Tobis Klangfilm sets, 14 with U. S. apparatus, and a large number are wired with native-made smaller devices. Belgian War Film To Be Shown Official motion' pictures of Belgium's war activities will be shown Friday evening by the Second Division, Post 860, American Legion, at the Level Club on West 73rd St. $10 Chaplin Opening Opening of Charlie Chaplin's "City Lights" at the George M. Cohan on Feb. 6 will be at $10 top. Mezzanine seats will be $5 and the balcony $2. Chaplin will be present at the premiere. Big Event On April 17, 1919, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and D. W. Griffith organized United Artists, and on April 17 of this year each of these celebrities will have a production on Broadway. Miss Pickford will be playing in "Kiki," Chaplin in "City Lights," and Fairbanks in "Reaching for the Moon," while Griffith's "Abraham Lincoln" is scheduled for its popular-priced showing. LEGAL BUREAU ON CONTRACTS {Continued from Page 1) the Film Boards of Trade, whose functions have been reduced by the Supreme Court decisions on arbitration and the old credit system. Method of operation is likely to be modeled after that of the system successfully being conducted in the New York territory. London Critic's 14 Best' Includes 4 U. S. Pictures London — Four American pictures are included in "14 best" pictures of the past year as selected by C. A. Lejeune, critic of the "Sunday Observer." They are "All Quiet on the Western Front," "The Love Parade," "Hallelujah" and "The King of Jazz." The two best, according to Lejeune, are "Sous les Toits de Paris" and "Earth." Others on his list include: "Turksib," "The End of St. Petersburg," "The Passion of Jeanne d'Arc," "The Italian Straw Hat," "The White Hell of Pitz Palu," "The Blue Angel," "Murder" and "The Dawn Patrol " Shift R-K-O House Managers Al Arnstein has been assigned the management of the FKO Regent replacing Lawrence Greib who is now managing the Globe. Charles K. Eagle, formerly at the Dycker, Brooklyn, has replaced Raymond Elder as manager of the Royal. T J. Freitag is now at the Dycker. Harvey Watkins is now managing the Hippodrome and the Jefferson. Jewish Talker Released "Shulamith," Jewish talker by Abraham Goldfaden, has been released by Judea Films Inc. The silent film was produced in Palestine and music and singing added here. Annual Eastman Dinner Feb. 9 The Society of the Genesee will <Tive its 32nd annual dinner in honor of George Eastman at the Hotel Commodore on Feb. 9. RCA's Latin Installations RCA Photophone installations throughout Latin America now total nearly 200, with 38 of this number in Central America. Bronx House Sold at Auction Thomas A. Poole has bought the theater and store building at 269 Burnside Ave., Bronx, from Joseph P. Day at auction for $149,250. VESTAL COPYRIGHT BILL NOW UP TOTHE SENATE (.Continued from Page 1) It will limit the use of copyright injunctions in cases where the use of uch injunction interferes with the jublic's right, as, for example, in he publication of news. It will release from responsibility or infringement those who could not -ossibly have knowledge of the in.ringement, as, for example, job winters, engravers and newspapers n the case of advertising material. ihe Hays Office represented the film industry in urging the passage .i the measure. Practically all pub ishers, theatrical managers, authors and other organizations have been working for the bill. Bert Muller to Handle Famous Artists' Sales Bert Aiuller has been appointed director of sales for Famous Artists of the Air, makers of electrical transscriptions tor use as radio trailers. Radio trailers on "Dracula'' and "Resurrection" have been completed for Universal by Famous Artists under the supervision of Eddit Dowling and Monte Brice. A. H. Woods to Show Movie-of-U A. H. Woods, the theatrical producer, will hold a private showing this afternoon, at 1663 Broadway, ol his Movie-of-U, automatic motion picture novelty wherein a person is enabled to see himself as he would appear on the screen. Fox-Hearst Fashion Show Fox-Hearst will hold a Spring fashion show for fashion writers on the afternoon of Jan. 15, at the 54th St. studio. Sound film for Movietone News will be made during the show, which is being arranged in co-operation with Airs. June Hamilton Rhodes and Vyvyan Donner, fashion editor. 178 Italian Houses Wired Rome — One hundred and seventyeight Italian houses were equipped with sound-film reproduction apparatus up to November. 19 of the equipments are of American manufacturer. Daughter Born to Blumenthals A daughter, christened Barbara Ann, was born at the Lenox Hill Hospital on Monday to Mr. and Mrs. A. Pam Blumenthal. The father is connected with Warner Bros, in charge of commercial films. FOX PLANS TO CONTINUE FOREIGN PRODUCTION HERE (Continued from Page 1) Fox foreign manager. The policy of producing in Hollywood with foreign talent imported for French, German, Spanish and Italian versions, will be continued, according to Sheehan. Union Theaters Closes N. Y., London Offices (Continued from Page 1) ordered back to Australia. He leaves next month by way of Vancouver. The New York office had been open for 18 years, with Johnson doing the buying of films, equipment, stage talent, etc. Gov. Roosevelt Urges Let-up on Legislation Albany — In connection with annual message of Gov. Roosevelt to the Legislature, which has just convened, a newsreel sequence has been made in which His Excellency, in conversation with John Lynch, chairman of the state tax commission, urges that no more taxation bills be enacted against the various industries. Newsreels, it is understood, will carry the sequence. Talker Service in Texas Church Houston — Woodland Heights ^resbyterian Church, first of the local churches to use talking pictures or the presentation of services, has nade a successful test of this policy. The plan, if popular, will be adopted >y other churches here and throughut the country. Paris Cinema Receipts Up Paris — Receipts of local houses, which have consistently increased from year to year, are expected this year to exceed all previous records. Popularity that talker productions have enjoyed and expansion in the theater field are given as reason? for this optimistic condition. Frenchman Invents Metal Film Paris — Metal film, claimed to be more durable and resistant than the present celluloid preparation, and to be of equal lightness and efficiency, is reported to have been invented by Louis Lumiere, French scientist. Connie's Status Officially clearing up. the question of where Constance Bennett stands in the matter of contract, Vice-President Lewis Innerarity of Pathe yesterday issued a statement to the effect that she is under exclusive contract to this company until 1934, and the borrowing of Miss Bennett by Warner Bros, or other companies will not affect that contract.