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 NO. 99 NEW yCCr, TLESDAy, APRIL 28, 1931 5 CENTS N. J. Governor Joins Clubs in Anti Gang Film Drive RKO-FOX W. C. 100%]>RODUCT DEALLOOMS Patchwork7 Films Not Wanted Abroad, Says Lubitsch Double-Feature? — depression dynamite =By JACK ALICOATE-^= "All You Can Drink For a Nickel' double-feature business, bad A short while ago this column opined in no unmistakable terms that the plan was bad economics and otherwise generally all wet. Depression insanity, we called it. As a direct result, amid the controversial correspondence ot our morning mail, we find, from Ian apparently het-up exhibitor the following mental outburst: "What do you wise-cracking New York writers know about double-features or even running a theater, anyhow? You say don't run double-features, and when I tried it for the I [first time this week, already (Wednesday) my receipts are 20 per cent [ahead of last week. Hooray for not taking your advice." This column asks you with tears in its eyes, how are you going to answer a mug exhibitor like uat? However, now that we are in geometrical center of this thing, let's carry on. * * * Economic icture Let us give a glance at the general economic picture as reflected from the double-feature mirror. It gives the producer-distributor wider distribution, but at considerably lower rental. With the problem now I confronting producers of making a satisfactory profit, or even getting back negative cost on the average picture, there can be but one obvious result under any plan resulting in lower gross rentals. Lower negative pr production costs. What then? Poorer pictures. You cannot lay a floor of pine and wish into it the quality of oak. Our observation leads is to the conclusion that the average >icture today is poor enough. Give (.Continued on Page Z) Shoddy Foreign Versions Hurt U. S. Reputation, States Director Unless American producers make first-class product for the foreign market they had better abandon this field, said Ernst Lubitsch in an exclusive interview with The Film Daily yesterday. Foreign audiences prefer their home-made talkers to "patchwork" American productions, he declared, and said that shoddy pictures jeopardize Hollywood's world-wide fame. Lubitsch sees but little promise in (Continued on Page 6) NEW OKLAHOMA CIRCUIT EXPANDING INTO TEXAS Oklahoma City — Formation of a new circuit in Oklahoma and the panhandle of Texas, to be operated independently at first, but later to have a parent company, has been started with the chartering here of four individual theater companies. Deals are pending for acquisition of six or seven other theaters, according to officials of the new group. Principal stockholders are P. R. Isley, F. M. Isley, W. P. Moran and F. B. King of Oklahoma City. D. G. Johnson is attorney for the new group. The four theaters chartered are the Lyric, Circle, Main Street and Plaza, all Tulsa showhouses taken over (Continued on Page 8) New Wrinkle Ahead Forthcoming changes in the presentation of pictures, affecting independents as well as Fox houses, was predicted by Harley L. Clarke at the Fox sales convention yesterday. General Theaters Equipment will play a big part in perfecting the changes, he said, but details will not be revealed for the present. West Coast Circuit After Entire New Radio Program West Coast Bureau, THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — A deal for the playing of the new Radio Pictures program 100 per cent by Fox West Coast Theaters is expected to be closed soon, The Film Daily learns. Charles Rosenzweig, RKO general sales man (Continued on Page 8) 15 Stars Will Headline Half of New M-G-M Lineup Chicago — More than half of the feature releases on M-G-M's 1931-32 program of 48 pictures will be vehicles for the 15 leading stars under contract, it was announced by Felix F. Feist at the windup of the annual sales convention here yesterday. The company's forthcoming short subject (Continued on Page 8) PRODUCTlWS START BEING ADVANCED BY FOX Half of Fox's 1931-32 program of 48 features will be completed by Oct. 1, Winfield R. Sheehan told those present at the sales convention yesterday. Twelve productions will be (Continued on Page 8) Governor of N. J. Joins Clubs In Drive Against Gang Films Wisconsin 4% Tax Bill Indefinitely Postponed Madison, Wis. — With no one appearing to argue for the bill imposing a 4 per cent tax on theater grosses, the assembly committee, following a hearing, has voted unani (Continued on Page 8) In an effort to prohibit children under 16 from attending "gangster" movies, or if that is not possible, to forbid the showing of underworld films in Northern New Jersey, the Lions Club of Hoboken has joined the Kiwanis of several New Jersey cities in a campaign against under (Continutd on Page 8) RADIO NAY INCREASE MILLION-DOLLAR FILMS West Coast Bureau, THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — In addition to the four million-dollar productions definitely planned by Radio Pictures, as exclusively announced in The Film Daily yesterday, other features of similar proportions may be decided upon later in the season, it was intimated by Joseph I. Schnitzer, president of Radio Pictures, at the opening of the annual sales convention here yesterday. The new program, (Continued on Page 6) Gov't Ruling on Contract Expected Within Week Hope that John Lord O'Brien, assistant to the Attorney-General in charge of film industry affairs, will provide a Department of Justice expression on the legality of the new standard exhibition contract within a week was voiced by President M. A. I.ightman of the M. P. T. O. A. in New York yesterday. In an effort to clear the way for placing of the contract into operation, Lightman has been in communication with O'Brien. In a letter to the government offi (Continued on rage 8)