The Film Daily (1931)

Intimate in Character International in Scope Independent in Thought The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Now Fourteen Years Old VOL. LV NC. 4C NEW TCPK, TUESDAY, fEBCtACY 17, 1931 <S CENTS M.P. Academy Drafting Film Processing Standard NEWSPAPERS WILLlJATTLE SCREEN ADS 13 State Bills Filed To Stop Sale of Standing Room Mr. Chaplin — the star extraordinary =^By JACK ALICOATE-= PntuTinht*" Regardless of City Lights a minute critical Is a Panic opinion to the contrary, one fact stands out as prominent as Charlie Petti John at an Allied convention. Signor Chaplin and his latest cinema opera are knocking the home folks for a row of sprocket holes and thereby and to wit breaking all established, known, and authenticated records in relation to his infrequent visits to the big stem. Any time the paying customers wait in line, in the rain, from nine in the morning, to see any man's picture, it must be pretty much all to the merry. And that, as Grover Cleveland would have said, is fact and not theory. * * * It may be beOn Top and cause Mr. Chaplin Staying There >s a genius. Perhaps it is the fact that his pictures come so far apart. At any rate he has been on the top from the start and has stayed there. How many others have done the same? It is rather elemental logic that the longer one stays on top the better one has to be. To stand that test in this business you've got to be a champ. What is the answer, then, for the stars of today? Save their money to be prepared for another day. Tomorrow 90 per cent of the big names of today will be on the sidelines. It has ever been such in the show business. * * * Trying to savvy 7 he Complex all of the ramifiVestal Bill cations of the Vestal Bill is about as easy as explaining thoroughly and completely Mr. Einstein's simple theory of relativity. If this Vestal package does get by Congress, it's six, two, and even that it will lead {Continued on Pane 2) Admission Tax Proposals Also Entered in Three More States Bills prohibiting sale of tickets when all theater seats are occupied are now under consideration in 13 State Legislatures. These measures are pending in Arizona, Indiana, California, Idaho, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maine, Rhode (Continued on Page 8) Tough Yeggs Portland, Ore. — Foiled in their attempt to rob Geller's suburban theater here, burglars started a fire which spread from the sign room to the lobby and caused $1,000 damage. 3 PATENTS ELIMINATED INW.E.-PACENTSUIT Buffalo — Three ot the eight patents involved in the Western Electnc-Pacent suit, which got under way here yesterday, have been eliminated. Judge Hazel, keen patent expert, is presiding, at the hearing. Herbert N. Wilcox testified yesterday morning, and Frank N. Water (Continued on Page 8) Detroit Negroes Stop Showing of "Nation" Detroit — Showing of "The Birth of A Nation" at the State was withdrawn yesterday at the request of Mayor Frank Murphy on the protests of prominent Negroes who complained that their race was portrayed in a disreputable light. CONN. EXHIBS DEFEAT TWO-OPERATOR MEASURE Hartford, Conn. — Following concerted action on the part of the M. P.T.O. of Conn., with a body of 50 individual exhibitors headed by Ed(Continued on Pane 8) Plan Retaliation If Films Cut Into Papers' Revenue, Says Hammons A fight against screen advertising will be waged by the daily newspaper field as soon as it is found that the theater ad shorts are cutting into the papers' revenue, Earle W. Hammons, president of Educational, told a Film Daily representative yesterday following a recent discussion with a "big man representing a big newspaper." The plan to be adopted by the newspapers will be to agitate for a reduction in admission prices at theaters showing ad films, Hammons says. The papers will contend that three cents admis(Continued on Page 8) 168 Circuits in England Theater circuits in England at the beginning of this year totalled 168, arid they controlled 1,366 houses, approximately one-fourth of the theaters in that country, according to the 1931 Kinematograph Year Book, just received. Gaumont-British Pictures Corp. is the largest outfit, having 200 houses, followed by Associated British Cinemas with 118, Provincial Cinematograph Theaters, 96, and H. D. Moorehouse Circuit, 38. Film Processing Standard Being Drafted by Academy Al Gottesman to Build 1,600-Seater in Newark Newark, N. J. — Al Gottesman has purchased a plot, 90 x 200 ft., at 987 Bergen Ave., where he plans to erect a 1,600-seat theater. This new house, with the Cameo and American now being operated by Gottesman and Stern, will give him three theaters in this city. West Coast Bureau, THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Fixing of a standard for laboratory processing of sound film and drafting of a language governing this work is receiving attention from the film processing subcommittee of the Academy of M. P. Arts and Sciences. One effect will be the elimination of "buck passing" (Continued on Page 8) SETBACK IN SUNDAY TIGHT Milwaukee — Indefinite postponement of the Grobschmidt bill to repeal the 75-year-old Sunday blue law in Wisconsin has been recommended by the assembly committee on public welfare. It is charged that a "gigantic conspiracy" has been under way by the motion picture interests to wipe the blue law off the statute. Hughes-Franklin Acquire Three Billings Theaters Billings, Mont. — Hughes-Franklin Theaters have acquired the Babcock, Regent and Lyric here from Eugene C. O'Keefe and Max Fregger, who have operated the theaters for the last several years. The consideration is reported in excess of $200,000. O'Keefe remains as manager for the new owners. Fregger is going East for a few months.