The Film Daily (1934)

Intimate in Character International in Scope Independent in Thought The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Now Sixteen Years Old VOL. LXVI. NO. 1 NEW yCCr, MONDAY, JULY 2, 1934 <5 CENTS Columbia Boosting Budget on New Lineup of 48 WIS. EXHIBS BOYCOTT MAJORS FORCING TRAILERS Kahane Orders Stricter Scrutiny or Film Material Cautions RKO Producers to Avoid Troublesome Material West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — With a view to elimiating the ipossibiiity of films containing anything that is considered objectionable, President B. B. Kahane of the RKO Studios has issued instructions to producers to give the strictest attention to this phase of production. Kahane's letter reads as follows : You are aware of the attacks being made against the motion pic (Continued on Pane 4) 150 IN ATTENDANCE AT COLUMBIA MEET Second-Run Cancellations Up for Ruling Cincinnati — Whether or not a second-run exhibitor is entitled to a 10 per cent cancellation privilege under the code when he is allowed to omit playing whatever pictures are shown by his first opposition at 30 cents or less will be determined under a complaint filed against Paramount with the local grievance board. Paramount has refused to allow the complainant to take the 10 per cent cancellation in addition to the other arrangement. Atlantic City — More than 150 Columbia executives and members of the sales force are here for the company's eastern sales convention, which opens today at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel here and runs through Wednesday, to be followed by a western meeting in Chicago on July 9. The first meeting at each conven (Continued on Page 19) General Satisfaction With Work of Boards General satisfaction with the workings of local grievance and toning and clearance boards is relorted by exhibitors contacted by The Film Daily in a checkup of ode operations since their incepion early this year. Independent (.Continued on Pane 3) Orders Open Meetings New Orleans— John C. Flinn. executive secretary of the Code Authority, has wired the code boards here that he understands the clearance and zoning board has been holding closed hearings and that it is the policy of the codo authority to hold open hearings except when decisions were reached. Flinn's wire is thought to have resulted from independents' protest to President Roosevelt. GRIFFITH CIRCUIT INVADES MIDWEST By BARNEY OLDFIELU FILM DAILY Staff Correspondent Omaha — A competitive battle embracing three states is about to break in this territory between J H. Cooper, New York interests, and the Griffith Brothers of Oklahoma City. The third state was added last week when representatives of the Griffith group picked up the State and Rialto here, taking possession today. Both outfits have holdings in Colorado and Oklahoma. Cooper, who has six houses here, arrived in town Friday. 15 ALREADY FINISHED ON NEW VITA. LINEUP High-speed production at the Brooklyn Vitaphone studio has resulted in the completion already of 15 Vitaphone shorts for release during the 1934-35 season, according to Sam Sax, production chief. By the time the new selling season gets under way officially in September Sax estimates that the Brooklyn studio will have completed a full (Continued on Page 4) Marks Bros. File Petition In Reorganization Move Chicag-o — Marks Bros. Theatrical Enterprises, the Paradise Theater Co., and the Riviera Theatre Building have filed petitions seeking reorganization, under the new bankruptcy law. Oscar Morgan Likely As Waite's Successor Appointment of a successor to the late Stanley B. Waite, Paramount divisional sales manager in charge of New England and the south, will be announced by George J. Schaefer following his return today from the coast. Speculation concerning the appointment prominently mentions Oscar Morgan, district manager in Atlanta, as a possibility. Higher Negative, More Stars Mark New Columbia Program By ARTHUR W. EDDY Atlantic City — An increase in production budget to the highest figure in the company's history and plans for a greater number of pictures built around star and director personalities designed for preferred playing time will be among the highlights presented at Columbia's three-day eastern sales convention which opens today at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. In the new lineup of 48 features, including eight Tim Mc Coy westerns, and supplemented by a shorts program of eight singlereelers and 26 two-reelers, the aim will be for more productions of the "Lady for a Day" and "It Happened One Night" type, the conventioneers will be told. Of the 40 feature stories for next season, 32 are already set by title, director and leading players. The remaining eight, not identified by titles, will permit selection of titles (Continued on Page 19) State wide Convention's Move Hits Producers Issuing Trailers Lake Geneva, Wis.— At a statewide convention of exhibitors held here the latter part of last week, under the auspices of Independent Theater Owners of Wisconsin, of which F. J. McWilliams is president, a resolution to boycott major companies who produce and distribute their own trailers was unanimously adopted. The resolution, aimed specifically at M-G-M and Warner-First National, reads as follows: "Whereas Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has informed or advised us through the trade journals that they are going to sell and distribute their own trailers, because this is an unjust, uncalled for and not needed departure from the present procedure and because it causes an additional (Continued on Page 3) MINN. COURT RULES ARBITRATION ILLEGAL By J. E. SMITH FILM DAILY Staff Correspondent Minneapolis — Contracts containing arbitration clauses are against public policy and illegal, the State Supreme Court has ruled. None of these provisions in contracts will be enforced by the courts, the ruling states. The opinion held here is (Continued an Page 3) Form Midohio Theaters To Acquire Two Houses Famous Theaters Corp. has formed Midohio Theaters Corp. with intention of taking over two independent houses, the Palace and Marion, both in Marion, Ohio. Cannon to Revive Bill Chicago — Speaking over the radio here, Representative Raymond J. Cannon said he intends to revive his bill making it a crime to transport "objectionable" pictures in interstate commerce.