The Film Daily (1932)

Intimate in Character International in Scope Independent in Thought The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Now Fifteen Years Old VOL. IV, NO. 134 NEW yCCI\, TUtCSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1932 S CENTS Fox Starting Flexible Scales in Jan., Says Kent MPTOAipAILS ALLIED FOR 'HOPELESS PROGRAM' Borris Morros Takes Over Milton H. FelcTs Post Santa Claus ...Walt Disney, Agent = By Jack Alicoate ' LJOOPLA! We are five years younger. Sure, business is terrible, but what do we care? To hell with the depression! Our outlook on life is completely changed, and all because we have just seen old Santa Claus himself, brought to the screen as only that old maestro Walt Disney can present im, and as full of fun, good cheer and happiness as a Xmas morning on the old southern plantation of Col. Alicoate with all the kids blowing horns at the same time. Here is a gem of a Christmas short. Beyond doubt the finest we have ever seen. It is called "Santa's Workshop" and will be devoured by every kid from seven to seventy. Any mile of film that gets us to eat spinach and wash behind our ears must be pretty good. Good, hell! Here's a bundle of Christmas spirit that's perfect. • \A/ISH to goodness that PARAMOUNT ~" would change the theme MUSIC they use to OPEN their newsreel . . . We have had SEVERAL excellent film minds tell us "The Sign of the Cross" is the GREATEST picture ever made . . . 'ROXY' is still the daddy of 'em all over the RADIO . . . TRANS-LUX should fix that Broadway SCREEN so that you can see the picture from the side seats . . . There will be mors BIG name: on Broadway than at any time in its history during the early weeks of the RADIOCITY houses. rVEN the EXECUTIVES will have to pay ^~ for their tickets at the opening of the RADIOCITY theaters . . . SAM katz won't talk, but he's just about the BUSIEST man in or out of pictures . . . There's a BIG resignation in the air . . . "If I Had a Million" is swell entertainment . . . There's a BANG-UP battle going on WITHIN one of the major outfits . . . HARRY cohn sirzled when we SUGGESTED Columbia might merge with another company . . . Wonder what happens to mass-meeting-suggestors when they GROW UP. Will Have Charge of N. Y. Houses and Contact De Luxers Appointment of Borris Morros in charge of Publix New York theaters and home office contact for de luxe houses, succeeding Milton H. Feld, who resigned Monday, was announced yesterday by Sam Dembow, Jr., head of Publix operations. Help the Relief Fund! MAY TRY 1-YEAR PLAN FOR NAT'UPPEAL BOARD Operation of the national appeal board over a 1-year plan with object of testing its scope is likely to be tried, said M. A. Lightman, M. P. T. O. A. president, yesterday. Providing the set-up works out satisfactorily at the end of the year, the plan will be extended for two more years, making it comparable (Continued on Page 2) Have You Helped the Fund? Admission Tax Netted $1,509,708 in October Wa ' ington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Total tax collections for October, as released by the Internal Revenue Department, show $1,509,708.27 f r o m admissions, against $156,255.65, in October, 1931. Admissions ranked eleventh among the 52 tax incomes reported. How About It, Col. Cole? On Nov. 25 THE FILM DAILY published a dispatch from Dallas quoting Col. H. A. Cole, president of Allied Theater Owners of Texas, to the effect that his unit, in convention, had approved the proposed new contract. A few days later, at the Chicago mass meeting, Cole denied the Dallas story. Investigating the matter, FILM DAILY is informed by its Dallas correspondent that the statement published Nov. 25 was obtained direct from Cole. The correspondent further says Cole emphasized the fact that his unit's endorsement of the contract would prove a national bombshell. This is being put on record because it belongs there. NEW CONTRACT APPROVED BY WASHINGTON M.P.T.O. Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Executive committee of the M. P. T. O. of the District of Columbia, of which A. Julian Brylawski is president, has approved the proposed new exhibition contract. The organization is against federal legislation. Conferring With Unions On Marco's Legit. Plan Conferences now being held with President Frank Gillmore of Actors' Equity, William Elliott of the I.A.T.S.E., and Joseph N. Weber of the American Federation of Musicians wi'l determine whether Stage (Continued on Page 4) Kent Says Flexible Admissions Will Be Started by Fox in Jan. Zukor Spikes Rumor As a result of a published report, originating on the coast, of the periodical rumor about an impending Haramount-Warner merger, Adolph Zukor yesterday issued a formal statement branding the story as entirely unfounded. The and 1933 Film Daily Year Book will be Bigger Better than ever. — Advt. Fox will start its flexible admission plan functioning in January on a national scale, Sidney R. Kent told The Film Daily yesterday. The Fox president is enthusiastic about the policy, which he believes will work out advantageously for both exhibitor and distributor. First pictures to be sold under the plan will be "State Fair" and "Cavalcade." Sees No Chance of Relief Through Federal Intervention Assailing Allied for its federal regulation program, the M. P. T. 0. A. yesterday stressed the futility of prospects of industry relief from this quarter and asserted that "to continue a wild goose chase for such legislation is unfair and misleading to the independent exhibitor who wants relief here and now." "Well-informed opinion is unanimous that there is no hope for securing any sort of relief through changes in the anti-trust laws or innovations in the way of Federal control of a national industry for a long time to come in Congress," says the statement, embraced in a resume of the industry relief program negotiations which involved Allied (Continued on Page 4) Do Your Bit for Relief! PARA. WINS COURT RULING; NEW ACTIONJP MONDAY Paramount's contention that Relmar Holding Co., holder of some Paramount bonds, had no right to sue the company for a receiver for Film Producing Corp., Paramount subsidiay, and for an injunction to (Continued on Page A) Relief Fund Needs Your Aid! Brookhart Measure Is 75th on Calendar Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — No calendar business affecting motion picture industry has come up yet in the Senate. The Brookhart Bill is about seventyfifth on the calendar. Share What You Have Come on in, you fellows. Share what you have, no matter how small, with the chaps who are really up against it. Send SOMETHING in to the FILM DAILY RELIEF FUND. Right now. Before you put it off. Don't force us to turn away good fellows who apply for food and shelter. Without money the fund cannot function. It has never failed the unfortunates of this industry. It's up to you to keep it going. SEND YOUR BIT TODAY.