The Film Daily (1932)

Intimate in Character International in Scope Independent in Thought The Daily N Of Motion Now Fifteen ewsp< Pict Years J per u res Old VCL. LIX NC. 12 NEH' rCCr, TULPSDAT, APRIL 14, 1932 a CENTS Kahane,Franklm,Plunkett,Reisman MoveUpat RKO AYLESWlJH TO COORDINATE RADIO-STAGE-SCREEN Pettijohn Makes Senate Plea for Exemption to 50 Cents ... a mistake = By Jack Alicoate^^ I We have just returned from a private showing of "Scarface." We were extremely anxious to see this picture, primarily because of the controversy surrounding it. What we saw chilled us. We left, after ?v. hour-and-a-half, with the distinct feeling of nausea. It is at once terrifically forceful and the most unpleasant picture we have ever sat through. And we have seen quite some pictures in the past fifteen years. Regardless of its questionable value as anti-gang-ster propaganda, it has no place in this industry. It should never have been made. Before going further let us make clear this is purely our personal opinion. This criticism is directed solely and directly toward the subject matter of the picture. One will seldom find a better combination of production value, acting and direction. The action is so compell'ngly forceful as to leave one limp. However, there are certain things that simply do not belong on the sc -een. and the subject matter of "Scarface" is one of them. • We do not, through any stretch of imagination, believe it necessary to devote practically the entire footage of a picture to wholesale slaughter of human beings. Suspense, in this picture, lies only in the additional brutal methods employed in each new massacre. We are not concerned here with its boxoffice value. Grant it No. 1 rating as a box-office smash. To show it indiscriminately on the screens of America will do more harm to the motion picture industry, and every one connected with it, than any picture ever shown. Says Gov't Would Lose Only $3,000,000 and Save Many Houses li'ashinriton Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Appearing before the Senate Finance Committee at its hearing on the amusement tax bill yesterday, C. C. Pettijohn, general counsel of the Hays organization, made a strong plea for exemption on all tickets up to and including 50 cents. Under its present {Continued on Page 7) CHRISTIES TO INCREASE PRODUCTION ACTIVITIES Al and Charles Christie plan to increase their shorts production schedule for next season, raising their total from eight subjects released through Educational. Al Christie has arrived in New York to discuss the new program with E. W. Hammons. Five El Paso Theaters Acquired from Calderon El Paso, Tex. — Five theaters formerly operated by International Amusement Co., of which R. Calderon is general manager, have pa ed to the Mexican Amusement Co., with Ramon E. Lafon signing contracts. The houses are the Colon Alameda, Alcazar, Paris and Iris. 'Blues' Lose Point Baltimore — Court of Appeals by a unanimous vote has approved the ordinance proposing modification of the blue laws, and declares valid the special election to be held May 2 at which the measure will be submitted to voters. ALLIED BOARD MEETING IN CHICAGO APRIL 28 Chicago — Allied States Ass'n board of directors will hold a meeting at the Congress Hotel here the morning of April 28, at which time a conference of the Convention "Follow-Up" Committee also will be held. Notice has been sent out to Allied leaders urging them to make every eff"ort to attend. $181,557 Net Reported By "U" for First Quarter Universal Pictures and subsidiaries report a net profit, after all charges, of $181,557.11 for the three months ended Jan. 30, the first quarter of the present fiscal year. For the same quarter of 1931 the profit was $1,045,326.70, which was abnormal due to the change in the method of amortizing positive and negative costs to conform to the genera] practice in the industry of writing off these costs over the income producing life of pictures. Had the inventories of the released film (Continued on Page 7) Kahane Heads Radio Pictures; Franklin in Charge of Theaters Sol Wurtzel Dickering For M-C-M Connection Sol Wurtzel, who is understood to have settled his contract with Fox after being identified with the company for a number of years as an important Coast studio executive, is reported dickering with M-C-M regarding a Coast connection. Wurtzel is in New York. Coincident with the election of M. H. Aylesworth as president of RKO yesterday, B. B. Kahane was made president of Radio Pictures, in addition to being elected as vice-president of RKO, while Harold B. Franklin was named president of KeithAlbee-Orpheum and Orpheum Clr (.Continued on Page 3) Reorganization of RKO Personnel is Now Completed Coordination of radio broadcasting, stage and screen entertainment will be undertaken on a more intensive scale with the election yesterday of Merlin H. Aylesworth, president of National Broadcasting Co., to the additional presidency of RKO. Following the meeting of the directors of RKO, David SarnoflF, president of RCA and chairman of the board of RKO, issued the fol(Continued on Page 6) 5 MORE LOCAL UNIONS AGREE TO SCALE CUTS stage hands and operators' locals in five more situations have agreed to accept wage reductions approximating 10 per cent. In Chicago stage hands are accepting a 20 per cent cut. Lynn, Mass., projectionists and stage hands have effected a 10 per cent reduction, and a sim(Continued on Page 3) J. J. Friedl Becomes Publix Northwest Head Dallas — J. J. Friedl, who has handled the Publix division here for several different terms dating back to 1923. has gone to Minneapolis to become general manager of the circuit's Northwest houses. Maurice '^. Barr is the new Publix southwest chief. 50 P. C. Service Cut Asked by Conn. MPTO A 50 per cent reduction in service charges is asked by the Connecticut M. P. T. O. in a petition presented to Electrical Research Products. A dele-^ition recently interviewed C. W. Bunn, general sales manager, on the matter. Comprising the committee which contacted Erpi were: Dr. ). B. Fishman, Edward C. Levy, W. W. Gale, Adolph Johnson and Albert E. Robbins, |r.