Motion Picture Daily (Jun-Aug 1931)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Tuesday, June 16, 1931 Marcus Loew Circuit Profit Jumps 140% Toronto — Is business poor in Canada? Thej did not say so at the annual meeting of shareholders of Marcus Loew's Theatres, Ltd. Announcement was made that net profits for the first five months of 1931 were $96,628. an increase of $56,266 over the corresponding period of 1930. This represents an increase of 140 per cent. For the last fiscal year, ending January 1 last, the net earnings of the Toronto company amounted to $115,947, while the net profits for 1930 were $52,298. Leopold Friedman of New York was elected to the board of directors to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Lawrence Solman of Toronto, for years an outstanding Canadian showman. During the past five months, three features have been held over at Toronto Loew's because of good business. No picture had been held over at this house for 14 years until "Whoopee" came along. Purely Personal Hollywood Listening As Money Talks (Continued from page \) cral large companies, and rumblings of further "cleaning-out" in the production end followed. The boys whose scribbled signatures on vouchers called for money are beginning to wonder if there really is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. And they're economizing. Those with tender sensibilities were tdld that "the bankers" had ordered tlic wholesale economies^ and they're beginning to pay heed — and all indications point to the jwssibility that l)r()ducti<^)n executives are entering an era of restraint as far as finances are concerned. And some are actually assuming an air of humility. No Drop in W. B.-F.N. Schedule of Seventy (Continued from page 1) reason for reduction in pictures now "shooting" is due to the "enlarged capacity of the studios and the efficient production methods recently instituted" which enabled the two companies to turn out feature pictures in considerably less time than was formerly the case. He adds rehearsals have reduced retakes as well. CII.VKLIK EIXFELD celebrated his fourth wedding anniversary yesterday. For lunch he had beef salad a la Astor, tea and pound cake ; in the evening a de luxe dinner with Mrs. E. by his side and then to "The Band Wagon." Pec; Foley is the latest of the Foley family to win a Film Board secretaryship. Her two sisters. Clare and Rowena. are secretaries at San Francisco and Buffalo, respectively. S.^^[ Morris has gonue in for yachting. Bought a new boat — a 50footer — hired a crew and over these week-ends at Neponsit goes in for the deep sea stufif. Monty Salmon, manager of the Fox in Brooklyn, is conducting a regular series of smokers. Says they help create better understanding with the staff. Maurice Doyle, treasurer of the Imperial Theatre. Toronto, for years., is a full-fledged manager, having been appointed to the Parkdale there. • Norman Moray takes over Max Milder's office at Warners when the latter sails to take over his new post in England. Harold F. Sliter, officer manager of the Fox Bufifalo division, is now a benedict. Mrs. S. was formerly Edna Kelly. Arthur B. Benson is now company manager of the Fanchon and Marco " North -South-EastWest" unit. William H. Moxon's new job is managing "Olympic Games," one of the F. and M. stage shows. George Witherspoon is now manager of the Fanchon and Marco "Tomorrow's Stars" Idea. Joe Plunkett. off to a good start last fall in golf, is hesitating and hesitating this year. David Sarnoff has turned over his office in the Palace Theatre building to Roxy. Dick Barthelmess is figuring on leaving for Hollywood tomorrow. Mystery Deepens in J. R, Neth Kidnaping Columbus, O. — Mystery deepens as detectives continue their search for the two men who recently kidnaped J. Real Neth, head of local theatre circuit, who was thrown from a machine 50 miles from here after having been beaten and robbed. Detective James J. Creedon, who says the man-hunt is expected to extend to other states, declares that Neth was "taken for a ride" for only one purpose, and it was not merely to rob him. The kidnapers planned to take his life, but abandoned the plan for a certain reason Creedon refuses to divulge. After being thrown from the machine Neth walked 11 miles before reaching Marion, it has been established. Milder Sails Tomorrow Max Milder sails for London tomorrow on the Leviathan to assume supervision of Warner-First National sales in England. Theatre Fall Fatal Omaha — Mrs. Xettic .\nn Wilson was fatally injured when she stumbled and fell into the orchestra pit of the Lake, suburban house. The theatre was dark at the time. Texas Open Sundays Dallas — Many exhibitors over the state have opened their theatres on -Sunday since the governor signed the bill legalizing .Sabbath shows. Wis, Meet Topic Is Status on Allied (Continued from page 1) the conduct of the M. P. T. O.. which is headed by Fred S. Meyer, Universal manager here. Application was made by the new unit for the .Mlied franchise, but this has not been acted upon. The banquet will be held at 7 tonight with A. C. Gutenberg, vicepresident of the M. P. T. O., giving the address of welcome. The response will be made by George Huebner of Oconomowoc. Addresses will include those of (ieorge Fischer, Milwaukee, convention chairman: Fred Metcalfe, president of the Milwaukee Motion Picture Commission, and Mrs. Agnes Charbonneau, only woman member of the state assembly. New Color Film Process London — Innovation of the SpicerDufay process marks the latest method of coloring films. Tiny colored s«)uares. each a seven hundred and fiftieth of an inch on a side, in orange, blue-violet and green^ are the colors. Members of the Royal Society were given a demonstration here. Marston Gambles on Femme Gambling F'or years now Dr. William B. Marston, objective psychologist and formerly of the Columbia University faculty, has been "pysching" women until today he thinks he knows pretty much all there is to know — about reactions, etc., etc. However, it seems that Marston has yet to figure out how they react to gambling. So— At the Warner projection room tomorrow he will produce 24 of the gentler sex — blondes, brunettes and redheads — show them gambling as it is done on the screen and watch what his galvinator reveals. The gambling background will be supplied by "Smart Money." The rest of the story is that the new Edward G, Robinson picture opens at the Winter Garden the following morn Profit Forecast Sends Educ'l Up 19% Points (Continued from page 1) circles to be traceable to anticipated earnings for the second quarter to June 30, which is also the first half of the company's fiscal year. Dover, Del.— Educational Talking Pictures Co., Ltd., has been organized here, listing no capitalization, but 65,000 shares of common stock. Earle W. Hammons told Motion Picture Daily yesterday that the new company was organized to handle production on the Coast. ''All Quiet" at Rialto ".All Quiet on the Western P'ront" g(jes into the Rialto today for a limited run under the new revival policy. New E. K. Home Film liastman Kodak has developed a new type film for home cameras, said to be capable of taking indoor pictures at night. Fire Ordinance Is Signed by Mayor Walker (Continued from page 1) as studios will be forced to close, eliminated. Prior to the signing of the ordinance Senator Henry J. Walters of RKO, who represented the M. P. P. D. A., stated that, as the new ordinance stands it represents a complete system of handling inflammable film. Heretofore there have been no laws covering studios, he said. He told the mayor that the ordinance under which theatres were operating was 20 vears old and permitted only 5,000 feet of film in booths. Today, he said, the average feature was in eight reels, thereby making it physically impossible to operate a theatre without vio-, lating the law. John J. Dorman, fire| commissioner, stated : "There is nothing on the books' which took care of the studios, and as the ordinance now reads everything is taken care of." Charles O'Reilly, president of the T. O. C. C, contended that picture shows average two and three-quarter hours and that houses today are using from 25 to 50 per cent more film to give the same type of show than they did previous to the advent of talkers. Hence, he said, it was impossible to operate without violation of the law. Mayor Walker asked O'Reilly how many theatres in the city have had fires since increasing the amount of footage in the booths. "The records are remarkable, although I don't know off hand," he replied. "In other words every studio, theatre and laboratory is violating the law," the mayor said. This was admitted. "Well, rather than make the unemployment situation any worse than it is. paralyze a great industry and deprive the public of a great entertainrnent, there is nothing else to do than sign the bill." He signed it and O'Reilly then grabbed the pen, which he says he will frame. The T. O. C. C. has been working 15 months on the new ordinance and sponsors anticipate that it will result in reduction in fire insurance rates. It eliminates the penalty clause in current form of insurance policies and wipes out various litigations Warners and Paramount are facing for violation at their local studios. In addition to O'Reilly and Walters representing the industry were Rudy Sanders, president of the Brooklyn theatre owners ; Leo Fleishman of Loew's, J. Gove of M-G-M, Nat Goldberg and James Murphy of Universal, John Hammel of Paramount and Sam Sonin, secretary of the T.O.C.C. Permit Sunday Shows To Aid Unemployed Kearney, N. J.— Donating 20 per cent of the gross to the unemployment fund, RKO's Regent and Lincoln were permitted to operate Sunday, marking the first Sunday shows here in two decades. The Hudson did not enter the compact and its manager, Ralph D. Reid, was arrested when he attempted to operate the house.