The Film Daily (1931)

THE THE NEWSPAPER OF FILM DOM ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME VCL. LV NC. 33 NEH YORK, MONDAY, fCCCLACy 9, 1931 5 CENT) 532 Feature Productions Released in U. S. Last Year INDIVIDUAL SELLINGJO PUBLIC ^STUDIED Exhibs To Register Protest Against Sound Charges Cost of Reproducer Parts and Service Being Cited to MPTOA Exhibitor protests against the present cost of sound reproducer parts and servicing of equipment will be registered at the Spring meeting of the M.P.T.O.A. directors, scheduled for New York City early in March, when a report on the subject will be submitted. Another report to be presented concerns the switching of stars in productions. Matters will be dis (Continued on Page 2) NEW TEXAS EXHIB ASSN NOW HAS 350 MEMBERS Dallas — More than 350 members, representing about half of the operating theaters in the state of Texas, are claimed so far by the Motion Picture Theater Owners' Protective Ass'n, recently formed as an "antiHorwitz" unit to oppose injurious legislation and other burdens. 5 Theater Publicity Men Out In R-K-0 Shakeup The long expected shakeup of the R-K-O Theater publicity department took place Saturday with five people being given two weeks' notice and at least two salary cuts. Don Prince, pre->« a^ent for the Palace, and John Raftery, editorial writer, were let out. The Palace publicity will be handled (Continued on Page 2) Defying Precedent Adolphe Menjou having been borrowed from M-G-M by Howard Hughes to play the role of the managing editor in "The Front Page," the question arises as to whether the suave, polished and genteel Adolphe will set a new style in managing editor characters, heretofore always pictured as the toughest sort of hombres. Defer Plans for World* s Fair Exhibit Chicago — Plans for representation of the film industry at the 1933 World's Fair here are being deferred in order to allow for the very latest developments being included in the exhibit. Present facilities will be considerably out of date in two years, it is stated, due to expected advances in color, wide film, television, third dimension, etc. The film industry may be part of the exhibition of the state of California. JENKINS CO. STARTING TELEVISION BROADCASTS Wm. Warner Joins 'U' As St. Louis Manager St. Louis — William Warner, formerly manager of the Warner Bros, theater division in Kansas City and previously connected with First National and Paramount as salesman, has joined Universal as branch manager here, replacing L. T. Fidler, transferred. Broadcasting of television entertainment will be started at 9 o'clock tonight by the Jenkins Television Corp. over W2XCD. The synchronized voice and picture program will include a motion picture, entitled "The Great Trunk Mystery/' one reel of which will be given each night. Vaudeville sketches, singing and instrumental numbers also will be offered. Frank O'Heron, Charles Rosenzweig Elected Vice-Presidents of RKO Frank O'Heron has been elected vice-president in charge of operations, and Charles Rosenzweig. vice-president in charge of distribution, by the Board of Radio Pictures, according to an official announcement by Presi(Continued on Page 2) Oscar Morgan Elected Head of K.C. Film Board Kansas City — Oscar A. Morgan, Paramount branch manager, has been elected president of the local Film (Continued on Page 2) Feature Releases in U. S. Totalled 532 During 1930 Dickinson Circuit Buys Two Theaters In Abilene Abilene, Kan.— Glen W. Dickinson Theaters, Inc., has acquired the Lyric and Seelye, with Roy Campbell placed temporarily in charge. With these houses the Dickinson circuit now has a total of 67 theaters. Feature productions released in the U. S. in 1930 by 58 companies totalled 532, it is shown in a compilation made in connection with The Film Daily Year Book, which will give full data on all of the pictures. The companies and number of releases wire as follows: All Art Picture Corp. 1, Allied (Continued on Page 7) Shopping Sense Developed by Patrons Calls for New Policy To meet new conditions arising from the keen "shopping sense" developed by theater patrons, the policy of individual selling of pictures and shows to the public, as launched on an intensive scale by Sam Katz over the Publix circuit last month, is nowbeing closely studied by other circuit heads. Since Publix started its new regime of selling specific shows, aloiih with its decentralization of theater (Continued on Page 2) NO RUSH BY INDEPENDENTS TO BUY BACKFOX HOUSES Although various Fox houses in the New York metronolitan district have been on the market for some months, it is understood that but little selling is being done. Independent exhibitors who sold to Fox a couple of years ago are not rushingin to buy back their houses at the prices tagged on them. Hughes-Franklin After 3 More In Kansas City Kansas City — Negotiations by Hughes-Franklin Theaters for the Pantages, Aladdin and Ritz here are understood to be in progress. The circuit recently took over seven local de luxe theaters, the Lindbergh, Madrid, Tivoli, South Troost and Jay Means' Oak Park, Bagdad and Murray. It is understood that the personnel of the theaters will remain the same. Revival Policy Starting Feb. 20 the Little Picture House, neighborhood arty on East 50th St., will try out a new policy of presentin1two programs of three days* run each and a revival for one day each week. Monday will be revival day.