The Film Daily (1932)

Intimate in Character International in Scope Independent in Thought The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Now Fifteen Years Old VOL. LX, NO. 1C8 NEW yCCI\, SATLCDAy, NOVEMBER <5, 1932 <5 CENTS Confab Today May Develop Plan on Exhib Problems SMALLER PROGRAM, UNIT PLAN FOR RKO IN 1933 Set Scale for Each Night Urged Under Flexible Plan Sales Chiefs Point Out Danger of Confusing Public on Prices Although reluctant to comment on the "workability" of the proposed flexible admission plan, designed to grade prices according to the estimated entertainment value of each picture, several major company distribution, managers in New York yesterday stressed the necessity of establishing certain price scales for certain nights in order to avoid confusion in their patrons' minds. They pointed out the dangers of a system in which prices fluctuated from night to night, with customers un (Continued on Page 4) BIG 4 RESUMES ACTIVITY ON FEATURES AND SHORTS Resumption of activity by Big 4, with a program of melodrama, westerns and 52 shorts, is announced by President John R. Freuler following conferences with independent distributors. Freuler returns west in a few days to work out details of the program. Joseph E. Cohen Plans Circuit in Philadelphia Philadelphia — A local circuit of several houses is planned by Joseph E. Cohen, former Stanley executive, who has acquired the Carman. He is putting both vaudeville and pictures in this house. Proxy Move Minimized A drive just launched by Max Goldberg, Salem, Mass., attorney and Warner stockholder, to obtain proxies for voting control in the firm was branded by Warners as another unwarranted move not likely to get far. Report of the referee in the Harry Koplar suit against Warners was cited as sufficient answer to Goldberg. Koplar's action was severely condemned. Selznick Has Pact Covering 1932-33 Season Although David Selznick's contract, which expired Oct. 28, has not yet been renewed, he has an agreement that will hold him to the end of the present production season, he told FILM DAILY yesterday. When asked whether his contract would be discussed during his interview with M. H. Alyesworth today, Selznick said: "I presume so, but I do not anticipate any question arising that will prevent my signing for another year." MAJESTIC WON'T ATTEMPT RKO, FOX CONSIDERING SMASH PIX AT HIGH COST Good program pictures at consistently reasonable cost, rather than aspiring to box-office smashes at smashing costs, will be the policy followed by Majestic Pictures on its program of 20 features this season, said Edward Eschmann at the close (Continued on Page 2) IN FIGHT ON EXCLUSIVES Basing his claim that exclusive runs are detrimental to the industr n s res of telegrams and lette' 'Voi exhibitors expressing gratitude for Columbia's stand against the practice, Jack Cohn told Film Daily yesterday that many exhibitors aire now carrying the "Not (Continued on Page 2) 5-DAY WEEK AT STUDIOS West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — RKO probably will follow Paramount's five-day week for studio labor, if it works out satisfactorily, says Sam Jaffe. Fox officials believe the matter will be taken up at the next meeting of the producers' labor committee. Paramount launched the move with the idea of distributing employment. 1932-33 Schedule Being Finished in February, Says Selznick RKO will make fewer pictures next year and will introduce, to a limited degree, the unit production system for part of the 1933-34 lineup, said David 0. Selznick, head of Radio Pictures production, on his arrival in New York yesterday. Claiming that a schedule of 40 or more productions is too much for any one man to supervise in a season, Selznick said that unit production would gradually be developed (Continued on Page 4) UNFAIR TACTICS CHARGED ON ERPI EQUIPMENT PARTS Wilmington, Del. — Charges that Erpi engineers in some cases arbitrarily condemned equipment parts manufactured by competitors, without first investigating for trouble, were made yesterday by Samuel E. Darby, Jr., counsel for Stanley Co., General Talking Pictures and (Continued on Page 2) Plan for Solving Problems May Result at Wash 'nMeet General Film Plans Branches in Key Spots Hiram S. Brown has gone to Virginia in connection with affairs if the recently-formed General Film Company, which plans to engage in both production and distribution. It is intended to open branches in the principal key cities. A plan embodying proposed solutions of several important industry problems, expected to be polished up at the conference in Washington today between Allied and M.P.T.O.A. leaders and Sidney R. Kent, may be submitted to the two coming exhibitor mass meetings for their consideration and adoption. Both sessions, one slated for Chicago, Nov. (Continued on Page 2) 300 INDIANA CLOSINGS BLAMED ON TAX BURDEN Indianapolis — Excessive tax burdens have been largely to blame for the closing of more than 300 Indiana theaters in the last four years, it was stated at the annual convention of the Associated Theater Owners of Indiana held here this week. Taxation was one of the major topics discussed. Twenty di(Continucd on Page 2) Twin Bills on Double Time No Go at Loew's New York An experiment with double features, playing the bill two days, instead of a different single bill each day, has been dropped after a brief experiment at Loew's New: York. The house had a daily drop — in (Continued on Page 2) Sidewalk Color A large, passionate plush carpet is spread on the sidewalk in front of the Capitol, where "Red Dust" is playing. The dust from the b.o. lines was so heavy we couldn't see the color. We asked the doorman to sweep off a corner. Believe it or not, the carpet was RED.