The Film Daily (1935)

Intimate in Character International in Scope Independent in Thought FDAILY The Dail,,; Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Now Seventeen Years Old VOL. 68 NO. 90 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1935 TEN CENTS 40 Out of 130 Key City First-Runs on Dual Bills TESTIFY ST LOUIS BONDHOLDERS WARNED ON DEAL Tell About Development of Fortington Group in Para. Sabath Group Also Hears Details of Otterson's Election The development of the Fortington group which now controls Paramount and the steps leading to the election of John E. Otterson as president of Paramount were traced yesterday by H. A. Fortington, chairman of the Paramount executive committee, and Otterson at a hearing before the Sabath Congressional Committee investigating bond defaults. Fortington related that John D. Hertz of Lehman Bros, first suggested Otterson's name for the pres(Continued on Page 4) TELEVISION REMOTE, OTTERSON DECLARES How They Started Though declaring that the prospect of television is so remote there need be no concern about it, John E. Otterson, president of Paramount, said yesterday before the Sabath Congressional Committee that he expected Amer. Tel. & Tel. Co. to play (Continued on Page 9) Merian Cooper to Survey Color Production Abroad Merian C. Cooper, Pioneer Pictures executive vice-president, who arrives in New York today with his wife, Dorothy Jordan, on a trip abroad, will confer in England with producers and investigate the possibilities of making Technicolor films {Continued on Page 10) Today FILM DAILY presents John D. Clark, general manager of distribution for 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation, in the "How They Started" series. John Clark, who is known and liked from Coast to Coast, is a pioneer of pioneers in pictures. He broke in as a film salesman for Paramount in the old days, worked his way up to a high executive position and joined Fox Film as an aide to Sid Kent in 1932. "Col." Hap Hadley, no less, is the artist extraordinary Third of Key City First-Runs Are On Double Feature Policy Swope is First to Appear In Sirovich Patent Probe Gerard Swope, president of General Electric, and Dr. Frank B. Jewett, president of Bell Telephone Laboratories were the first witnesses yesterday before the Sirovich Congressional Committee which be(Continued on Page 10) Allied Production Plans Being Told at Penna. Meet Pittsburgh — First definite announcement of a new independent producing company which is being sponsored by Allied States Ass'n will be made at the annual convention of the M. P. T. 0. of W. Pa. at the Hotel Schenley here Oct. 2829 by Abram F. Myers, Allied coun (Continued on Page 9) More than one-third of first run houses in 28 major cities in the U. S. are now playing double features, with the policy gradually showing an increase, a checkup made by The Film Daily yesterday discloses. Only nine cities are free of duals, according to the survey, which shows that 40 out of 130 theaters are on the plan. Following is a breakdown of the figures: Indianapolis, singles, four, duals, one; Birmingham, no duals; Philadelphia, no duals; (Continued on Page 4) St. Louis Group Was Told Warners Held Film Franchises By DAVID BARRETT FILM DAILY Staff Correspondent St. Louis — Frederick H. Kreismann, ex-Mayor of St. Louis and now president of St. Louis Mutual Life Insurance Co. and a member of the bondholders' protective committee for the Ambassador, Missouri and New Grand Central theaters, testified before Federal Judge George H. Moore in the Government's case against Warners, et al., late yesterday afternoon, that on June 6, 1934, at a meeting of the (Continued on Page 9) 19 HOOSES OPENED IN PITTSBURGH AREA Pittsburgh — There were 19 theater openings and only two closings in this territory in the past month, according to the Film Board of Trade's monthly report. Four of the openings were in West Virginia and the other 15 in western Pennsylvania. First Two Productions Set by Mary Pickf ord First production to be made by Mary Pickford and Jesse L. Lasky for United Artists will be a modern French play acquired by Lasky while abroad, and this will be followed by "Casanova", Miss Pickford said yesterday in New York follow (Continued on Page 4) Film Financing Company Opens Hollywood Office West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Standard Capital Co., which will finance major and independent pictures, has opened an office here. President J. C. Cowdin states the firm is not affiliated with any laboratory. Cowdin was formerly with Blair & Co., which has done much film financing.