The Film Daily (1931)

Intimate in Character International in Scope Independent in Thought The Dail y N e wspa per Of Mot i on Pict ures Now Fourteen Years Old VOL. LV NC. 124 NEW yCCI\, WECNKDAy, MAY 27, 1931 .5 CENTS Trade Commission Acts Against False Advertising HIRAMBROWN SCORES"PESSIMISM iNEAST" Only 13 Remakes Scheduled by Major Companies Fox Leads List With Six Make-over Pictures Planned Production programs covering the lew season indicate that the number if remakes will be substantially relucerl, as compared with the previous i'ear. Only 13 remakes are schediled by major producing organizaBns for 1931-32 while, 43 were on he 1930-31 lists Fux ieads ott witn the largest num(Continued on Page 4) i8 FEATURES FOR 1931-32 :R0M EDUCATIONAL GROUP .Release of 58 features during 1931-32 s planned by the Educational, Sono \rt-World Wide, Tiffany combine, aid Earle W. Hammons yesterday, eighteen of the pictures will be Westerns produced by Trem Carr. Phey will comprise eight Ken May(Continucd on Page 2) Leto J. Hill in St. Louis As Warner Dist. Manager Leto J. Hill, former district maniger of Warner Bros, theaters in Oklahoma City, has ijeen transferred o the post of district manager of the Bmpany's midwest theaters with ■adquarto. ■. in »t. Louis, it is anlounced by Dan Michalove, head of the circuit. Bob Hutchison suc:eeds Hill in Oklahoma City. Pelham Repeals Sunday Show Ban Pelham, N. Y. — Sunday shows will je permitted here starting June 14 is a result of the repeal of the 10rear-old blue laws by the village aoard. The fight for open Sunday was led by Mayor William J. McBride, who in private life is head of he New York ticket agency bearing lis name. Looking Up at Pictures West Coast Bureau, THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — A new style of theater with the floor sloping upward, so that the audience will look up at the screen and thus obviate the annoyance now caused by short persons being required to sit behind tall ones, was outlined by Ben Schlander, New York theater architect, at the S.M.P.E. convention here. Fair Protection for Independents Demanded at Kan.-Mo. Convention St. Joseph, Mo. — Fair protection and equitable zoning for the independent exhibitor was demanded by M. A. Lightman, president of the M.P.T.O. of America, at the opening session of the annual convention of the M.P.T.O. of Kansas and Western Missouri at the Hotel Robidoux here yesterday. Lightman is the principal speaker at the confab, which closes with a banquet tonight. President Earl Van Hyning presided, and another speaker on the program was R. R. Biechele, national vice-president. Lightman cited the (Continued oh Page 6) Music Used in Motion Pictures Inferior To Radio, S. M. P. E. Told W est Coast Bureau, THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Quality of music in motion pictures is inferior to that emanating from radios in the home, while reproduction of music in most theaters leaves much to be desired, said J. I. Crabtree, president of the S.M.P.E., in addressing the spring meeting, which goes into its third day today. These factors have had a lot to do with the unsuccessful experience of music on the screen, he said. Crabtree also urged producers to pay more attention to projection. Frequency and volume range of reproduced sound must be extended (Continued on Page 0 Federal Trade Commission Files Complaint on "Ingagi" Washington Bureau of Washington — A complaint charging "false, fraudulent, deceptive and misleading" advertising has been filed by the Federal Trade Commission against Congo Pictures, Ltd., producers and distributors of "Ingagi." Also named in the action are Nathaniel H. Spitzer, individually and as president; William Alexander, individually and as vice-president; William Sydney Campbell, individually and as THE FILM DAILY secretary, and Harold D. Smith, individually. The complaint alleges misrepresentation in advertising of African scenes and jungle animals. Respondents will be given an opportunity to appear before the commission at a public hearing to fight the accusations. If found guilty, the commission will compel Congo to discontinue its present type of advertising. No Reductions in Salary Made by RKO, Says President Scoring "pessimism in the east" as derogatory to good business, Hiram S. Brown told a Film Daily representative yesterday, in his first interview since returning from the coast, that although 'Conditions in the industry at the present time may not look encouraging, motion picture companies ar^ passing tnrougn a period which, although "irritating," (Continued on Page 6) EDW. DOLAN TAKING OVER 10 FOX HOUSES IN N.W. Aberdeen, Wash. — Control of 10 houses in this territory is passing from Fox West Coast back to the Edward Dolan interests. Theaters involved in the deal are understood to be as follows: Bijou, D. & R., Dream and Weir here, Grand and Liberty at Centralia, Liberty and St. Helens at Chehalis, Liberty and 7th St. at Hoquiam. Formal transfer is scheduled for June 21. Sales Policies First On Columbia Schedule Discussion of sales policies will be the initial business of Columbia's New York sales convention, which opens this morning at the Park Central Hotel with more than 70 dele i Continued on Page 6) Double Features Pulled By Publix in Birmingham Birmingham — Although the policy has been very successful for three months, double features at the Alabama have been dropped by Publix. RKO vaudeville goes into the house June 6. Vernon Reaver, manager, explained that the two-feature plan is considered detrimental to show business in the long run.