The Film Daily (1936)

H intimate in Character international in Scope independent in Thought The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Now Seventeen Years Old 69, NO. 1 NEW YORK, THURSDAY. JANUARY 2, 1936 TEN CENTS etterXmas Week Attendance Throughout Country FILM SHARES STAGED SHARP RECOVERY IN 1 935 French Motion Picture Industry Had a Bad Year in 1935 Attendance Is Lower But Production Totals 120 Features The year 1935 was an unprofitable one for the French motion picture industry, with attendance dropping off, finances hard to get and two major companies, Gaumont-Franco Film-Aubert and Pathe-Cinema being put up for sale, according to the annual summary prepared for The Film Daily Year Book by P. A. Harle, editor of "Cinematographie Francaise." Despite these unfavorable aspects, French studios turned out 120 features in the course of the (.Continued on Page 3) ALLIED BOARD MEETS FEB. 4-5 IN WASH'N ' Annual meeting of the Allied States Ass'n board of directors has j~ freen set for Feb. 4-5 in Washington. The eastern directors will meet Feb. 3 in Baltimore, and there will be a meeting of the Product Committee on Feb. 6 in Washington. Though the board meeting is supposed to be held in January, affiliated units have (Continued on Page 2) Butterfield Circuit Remodeling 3 More Detroit — Remodeling activities of the Butterfield circuit in 1936 will include the Ramsdell Theater, Manistee; Lyric, Alpena, and McGin, Cadillac. The circuit also is to build a new house in Grand Rapids, while the Orpheum in Ann Arbor is reopening after extensive improvements. t 5 RKO January Releases RKO has set five national releases for January. They include "Sylvia Scarlett," with Katharine Hepburn; "Chatterbox," with Anne Shirley and Phillips Holmes; "Mother Lode," with Richard Dix; "Two in the Dark." with Walter Abel and Margot Grahame, and "Green Shadows," with Preston Foster. "Ten Best" Revivals Headed for Record Judging by inquiries received from exhibitors who plan to book revivals of "Ten Best" pictures simultaneously with the release of the story on the winners in newspapers throughout the country, a record in repeat bookings of the "Best" pictures will be established this year. More theater owners this year seem anxious to take advantage of the vast amount of publicity given to the "Ten Best" by about 450 of the nation's motion picture critics who participate in making the selections. Philly M.P.T.O. Has Not Merged With I. E. P. A., Declares Pizor "Informer" is Picked By New York Critics RKO's "The Informer" has been picked by the New York Film Critics as their unanimous choice for the best film of 1935. The best performances of the year, according to this critics group, were by Charles (Continued on Page 4) Philadelphia — Tossing a bombshell in the direction of the recentlyreported "merger" between the M. P. T. 0. of Eastern Pa. and the I. E. P. A., Philadelphia theatermen's association, Lewen Pizor, president of the former organization, in a state-ment sent to exhibitors, declares that his unit is not involved in the I consolidation and explains that "a (Continued on Page 4) Test Case Looms on Warners Ascap Exit A test case to determine in effect whether the Warner music firms had the right to quit Ascap in view of the fact that nearly all popular songwriters represented in the Warner catalogues have designated Ascap as agent for licensing public performance rights is held imminent in music circles. Ascap has taken the position that it will not reduce license fees be (Continued on Page 3) Warners Not to Sue Theaters on Music Warners will not attempt to bring any copyright infringement suits against theaters where Warner music is used in released films, for the present at least, but intends to prosecute any copyright infringe ments such as the use of Warner music by a pit orchestra or in organ solos. Theaters Through U. S. Report Xmas Biz Ahead of Last Year Kincey Circuit Acquires 2 North Carolina Houses Charlotte, N. C— North Carolina Theaters, Inc., headed by H. F. Kincey, has acquired the Carolina and Granada theaters in Lexington, N. C, and M. S. Phillips, for years (Continued on Page 2) Though storms throughout the country cut theater attendance in the period from Christmas Day to Monday night and stronger attractions last year than currently affected the business of some circuits, box-office figures were higher this year than last, with Loew's and Warners leading the procession with (Continued on Pane 131 Increases Up to 145% in Market Value of Film Stocks Last Year Film company shares wound up the year on Tuesday with increased market values running as high as 145 per cent over the previous year. Leaders in the upturn were Warners, whose common stock, which closed in 1934 at 4%, more than doubled its value, while the same company's preferred stock bettered its 1934 closing of 21% by a rise of about 145 per cent. RKO, which started 1935 at 2%, also doubled that figure. Columbia Pictures, which declared a 50 per (Continued on Page 4) 143 RADIO STATIONS SIGN WARNER MUSIC Up to Tuesday afternoon 143 independent radio stations in the U. S. had signified their willingness to sign the new contract with the Music Publishers Holding Corp. offering them the right to use music published by the Warner firms, the Warner offices announced. Stations are as follows: WIBW, Topeka; WFHM. [ndianapolis ; (Continued on Page 3) Two Detroit Theaters Go Under Para. Banner Detroit— The Rosedale and Regent Theaters, Major Woodward Ave. houses, have been taken over by United Detroit Theaters, Paramount affiliate here. Both theaters had been operated by Mrs. Ida Klatt. "Pony Boy" for Cantor Eddie Cantor's seventh production tor Samuel Go'dwyn-United Artists will be "Pony Boy." with story by Harry Selby. The comedian gets back in New York today from the coast after finishing "Strike Me Pink " His next story is said to be a radical departure from the types in which he has appeared.