The Film Daily (1934)

Intimate in Character International in Scope Independent in Thought The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Now Sixteen Years Old VCL. LXVI. NO. <57 new ycur, rcio/wy, in nmri 7, 1934 5 CENTS 5 Cent Boost in Admissions Urged by Schaefer H. B. SWOPE SUCCEEDS SARNOFF AS RKO CHAIRMAN Columbia Reports Second Biggest Profit in Its History Lond ondon . . . Merry-Go-Round 1= By JACK ALICOATE = I ONDON, Eng . . . England is definitely ™ out to capture the film markets of he world, including our grand old United .fates. For this, like the Indian who food in the way of the Overland Limited 0 stop its progress, one must admire its ourage if not its judgment. One does ot have to be here long to realize that hey are doing things in a big way and hat there seems to be unlimited backing or legitimate film prospecting. On every and we see the identical symptoms that id the American industry to the breaking disjoint of the big bubble and that finally ut it flat on its back. Producers going ild with enthusiasm and throwing prouction money in every direction. Theters going up everywhere. The real esate element playing its insidious part he country soon to be overseated. Major ircuits feverishly outbidding each other > add advantageous houses to their ciruits The inevitable result is obvious. (0 one is more blind than he who will it see. |*TUDIOS that last year produced at r 15,000 pounds a throw are now going at the rate of 35,000 pounds a pix. he so-called big fellow who was satised to make 50,000-pound pictures a few onths back is now in the twice-thatnount class. This move is manifestly Iculated on the basic economic prinple of capturing a part of the lucrative merican market. Well it might, for ley seem to know in what direction they e generally going. But. If for any ream it fails to click, someone is going to it hurt. There is no question of the ict that some of the pictures to come om this side will be definitely worth hile to the American market! Interitionalization of the art of the cinema is arrived. T T T A/E find the double feature situation W in the British isles most interesting, lose who know tell us that in 60 per {Continued on page 2) $1,008,834 Net in Year Is Equivalent to $5.69 a Share Showing the best profits of any year in its history with the exception of 1929, Columbia Pictures Corp. reports net earnings of $1,008,834.58 for the year ended June 30, equivalent to approximately $5.69 a share on 168,177 shares of common stock outstanding after deducting preferred dividends and provisions for federal income and (Continued on page 4) U. S. Record in Poland Warsaw — Of 166 pictures imported in the second quarter of this year, American films set a new record of 154. ALL-AMERICAN STAFF FOR GAUMONT-BRITISH In confirming appointment of George Weeks to an executive post whereby he will assist in carrying out the American distribution plans of Gaumont-British, Jeffrey Bernerd, general manager of G-B, yes(Continued on Page 7) Operator Unions Agree On Naming of Referee Agreement to appointment of a referee to obtain speedy trial of the injunction suit brought by Allied Motion Picture Operators' union to enjoin Local 306 and Local 1, stagehands union, from pick(Continued on Page 5) PARAMOUNT TO MAKE ONLY TEN FOREIGNS With the exception of dubbed versions, Paramount will confine its foreign language picture program this year to 10 features, comprising e'ght French pictures made in Paris and two Spanish features with Carlos Gardel made at the Eastern Service Studios, Long Island, it was stated by John W. Hicks, Jr., vice-president of Paramount International following his return to New York yesterday from a sevenweek trip through Europe. Three Paramount foreign execu(Continued on page 5) Oppose Reorganization Of Paramount Broadway A schedule of objections to the proposed Paramount Broadway reorganization plan put forward by the Paramount-Publix trustees was filed yesterday in Federal Court by Malcolm Sumner and Edwin L. Garvin, representing small bond(Continued on page 5) Schaefer Says Admission Boost Needed to Maintain Standards Political Trailer Boom Detroit — Use of trailers in political campaigning takes a big spurt this year, with eight films of this type just made by Simon's Film Service and an even larger number reported by Lloyd Hammond. A general admission price increase of five cents is necessary to allow theaters to show a profit and to assure exhibitors of a continuance of quality screen entertainment, George J. Schaefer, Paramount general manager, declared yesterday. Unlike every other industry, the {Continued on Page 7) New Officers Are Elected for RKO Theater Subsidiaries David Sarnoff yesterday resigned as chairman of the RKO board of directors. Herbert B. Swope was immediately named as Sarnoff's successor. The resignation was handed to the board at a meeting held in the RKO office yesterday afternoon. Sarnoff's action will bring about a unification of the K-A-O, Proctor and Orpheum circuit factions which have been, to a degree, working as separate corporations for the past six months. New officers of Keith-Albee-Or (Continued on Page 4) ASCAP BOARD VOTES TO PURSUE POLICY American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers will not change its policies or rates, present or proposed, as a result of the government's anti-trust suit, the board of directors of the Society decided at a meeting Tuesday, ac (Continued on Page 7) Salary, Raiding Clauses Are Definitely Suspended Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — General Johnson has suspended the provisions of the film code applying to excessive salaries and star raiding. The clauses were made inactive by President Roosevelt, when he signed the code, pending investigation. Sol A. Rosenblatt conducted the survey and recently made his report recommending the action just taken by Johnson. Sweden Plans 40 Films Stockholm — After months of inactivity, studios here announce plans for 40 productions in 1934-35. L