The Film Daily (1934)

DAILY Saturday, Sept. 8, 1934 SARNOFF UNAFFECTED IN RKO CIRCUIT SETUP (Continued from Page 1) man of the board of directors; L. E. Thompson, president, Keith-Albee-Orpheum; I. E. Lambert, vice-president and general counsel; Leon Goldberg-, vice-president and treasurer; A. E. Reoch, vice-president in charge of real estate; Nate Blumberg, vice-president in charge of theater operations; O. R. MacMahon. comptroller. J. R. McDonough, formerly president of Keith-Albee-Orpheum Corp., and other RKO theater companies, will devote his full time as president of RKO-Radio Pictures and associated companies, with headquarters in Hollywood. The above officers have also been elected in their respective positions in the B. F. Keith Corp., a subsidiary of Keith-Albee-Orpheum. The following have been elected as officers of the RKO Proctor Corp.. Stadium Theaters Corp. and the RKO Mid-West Corp.: L. E. Thompson, president ; I. E. Lambert, vice-president and general counsel ; Leon Goldberg, vice-president and treasurer; A. E. Reoch, vice-president in charge of real estate; Xate Blumberg, vice president in charge of theater operations; O. R. MacMahon, comptroller. L. E. Thompson and the above officers have also been elected to similar positions in the RKO Service Corporation. Aylesworth stated that the election of L. E. Thompson as president of the theater organizations of RKO, with his staff of operating executives, will result in full coordination in the various theater organizations under Major Thompson's direction. Concerning the election of Swope to the board chairmanship of Keith-Albee-Orpheum, Aylesworth said: •'Mr. Herbert B. Swope was Editor of the "New York World" during its most successful period, resigning two years before the paper was sold. He is a member of the RKO directorate, a member of the Committee of Unification negotiating with the city, and other directorates. He was sent by President Roosevelt with Professor Raymond B. Moley to the London Economic Conference and is also chairman of the New York State Racing Commission. "Mr. Swope has been active in business in this city for many years and is well acquainted with the activities of the Radio-KeithOrpheum Corp. as a member of its board of directors and the directorates of its various organizations. This close acquaintanceship fully qualifies him for the chairmanship of the Keith-Albee-Orpheum board." Amkino Distributing in S. A. Amkino is preparing to make arrangements for distribution of Sovietfilms in South America under the recent order from Moscow making Amkino the official Soviet film distributing organization for South America instead of the South American Amtorg office at Montevideo, Brazil. Darryl Zanuck After Rene Gair Paris — Darryl Zanuck is reported to have asked Rene Clair, French director, to come to Hollywood after completing his work with Alexander Korda in London. $480 Holdup in South Haven South Haven, Mich. — Herman Leverns, owner of the Center, and Henry Boughten, employe, were held up this week to the tune of $480. The bandits forced the two men into a car and released them several hours later in Chicago. Nick Schencks in Shorts Among new series of shorts which exhibitors won't have the privilege of showing are two one-reelers on the birthday party of Martha Schenck, aged 5 and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas M. Schenck. Little Miss Schenck's supporting cast in the pictures includes no less than her dad and "mum," two little sisters, Tom Meighan and a host of Martha's young friends. Circuits Buy Product While Indep'ts Delay (Continued from Page 1) brought the following circuit executives into New York during the past few days: John Friedl, L. J. Ludwig and Ted Bolnick, all of the Minnesota Amusement Co., Marty Mullen and Sam Pinanski, both of M. & P. Theaters, Boston; Nate and Sam Goldstein of the Goldstein circuit with headquarters in Springfield, Mass., and William Jenkins of Dallas. Detroit Notes Detroit — Harold Robinson of Detroit Film Truck Service is completing plans for entertaining the film carriers who convene here Oct. 1-4. R. C. (Bob) Gary has been made manager of the Broadway-Capitol, with G. Hawkins as assistant. House was opened this week by George W. Trendle with gala ceremonies. Charles R. Porter has been appointed manager of the Beacon, formerly the Ferry Field, by Burton London, owner. Joseph Urban has closed the Davidson, north end house. William London, circuit owner, is back from Miami. George Quesada, formerly assistant general manager to H. M. Richey of Allied Theaters of Michigan, has resigned and returned to Cincinnati. Charles Barron is now handling special exploitation for U. A. pictures here. First of the shorts in Shamrock Pictures' "Ye Olde Time Illustrated Songs" series has opened at the Adams. Seek to Settle Para. Claims Paramount-Publix trustees yesterday filed request with Special Master John E. Joyce for permission to accept an offer of $25,000 from the Saga Theater Corp., Paramount subsidiary, in payment of claims totaling $2,006,000 against the Olympia Theaters Corp., and the Olympia Operating Company, which operates a group of Paramount houses in Massachusetts. The claims against Olympia are principally future rent claims. Frank Gersten Dead Frank Gersten, who built and formerly operated the Prospect and Royal Theaters in the Bronx and some houses in New Jersey, died Thursday of a heart attack. He was 60 years old and had been in retirement for two years. Du World Gets Skelly Short DuWorld has acquired distribution rights to "The Chump," a two-reeler featuring the late Hal Skelly. Drop Price Restrictions Under New Zoning Rules (Continued from Page 1) classified theaters as first runs on the basis of their admission price scales. Under the new procedure, however, distributors will be freed from such interference and can sell first run to any house they desire. The set of basic principles will be further studied by the Authority when it meets Thursday. The memorandum will be made public following the meeting and copies sent to local clearance and zoning boards to guide them in drafting new schedules or revising existing See Many Reopenings Through Housing Act (Continued from Page 1) closed during the depression because they are in a state of disrepair or badly in need of modernizing or because their owners haven't had available money to finance improvements or purchase sound equipment. The same thing applies to neighborhood houses in the larger cities, the statement says. Urging theater owners to avail themselves of the Act's benefits, the statement says that the opening of only a fair proportion of the theaters now closed will have a most beneficial effect on the whole industry. Detroit Circuit Shifts Detroit — Shifts of managers being made by United Detroit Circuit, Paramount Publix group, include the return of Asher Shaw to the State from the Riviera, where he is succeeded by Russell Chapman, and the addition of Rex Minckley to the Publix fold. Hector Freeland of the Michigan Theater joins the circuit's publicity department. Opens New Frisco Exchange San Franicsco — Sid Blumenthal, formerly head of Amity exchanges in Dallas and El Paso, has opened the Liberty Film Exchange here to handle independent product. Tom Buckingham Dead West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Tom Buckingham, Warner writer, died yesterday following an operation in Queen of Angels Hospital. 5-Cents in New Orleans New Orleans — The Capitol, a United Theater, experimented with 5-cent admissions recently. Feature was "Gambling Sex" with major product shorts. "British Agent" Has Premiere Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Warner's "British Agent" has its world premiere at the Earle here Thursday night, with business exceeding "Dames." COURT DISMISSES ARRESTED PICKETS: Ignoring the recent Police Department ban on mass picketing, Magistrate Brofsky in West Side Court yesterday dismissed 31 members of Local 306 arrested last week for picketing in Times Square.! Magistrate Brodsky held that since the picketing was orderly and no violence occurred, the men wen guilty of no offense. Kansas City Holdup Kansas City — Two bandits held up Edgar B. Jones, manager of the Madrid, and got aWay with $100 a] few days ago. Leff Opens Bronx House Following complete alterations^ the Freeman Theater on Southern Blvd., the Bronx, formerly a Loev* house, was opened last night bj Abraham Leff. $1,500 Milwaukee Robbery Milwaukee — Burglars extractet $1,500 from the safe of the Egyp-; tian, Warner house, this week. Barrymore Sails for Europe John Barrymore sailed yesterdaj on the Berengaria to discuss mak ing a picture in Europe. He saic that negotiations have not been con eluded. r G) HOLLYWOOD PLAZA MOST CONVENIENT Hotel in Hollywood $2.50 up, Single $3.00 up. Double Special weekly and monthly rates The Plaza is near everything to see and do in Hollywood. Ideal for business or pleasure. Every room has private dressing room, bath and shower. Beds "built for rest." Every modern convenience. Fine foods at reasonable prices. Convenient parking for your car. Cbas. Danziger, Mgr. Eugene Stem, Pres. 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