Motion Picture Daily (Jun-Aug 1931)

The Leading Daily Newspaper of the Motion Picture Industry MOTION PICTURE DAILY Formerly Exhibitors Daily Review and Motion Pictures Today Alert, Intelligent and Faithful Service to the Industry in All Branches ^OL. 30. NO. 57 NEW YORK, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 1931 TEN CENTS VI-G-M Would Buy Back N.J. Deal Contract Vitaphone 's 5th Anniversary 1 ODAY marks the fifth anniversary of that vast and fundamental development in motion picture entertainment which came with the introduction of sound. Reported Move to Pave Way for Warner Sale With a deal with Warners now apearing imminent, M-G-M is undertood trying to buy back the contract lade with Prudential Theatres in New ersey, which gives that firm the new eason product in five Jersey spots in pposition to Warners. William Scully, district manager for /[-G-M, says he has no knowledge of fforts to buy back the Prudential ontract, it is understood that Leon Rosenblatt, of the theatre firm, has ejected offers said to have been made lim in this connection. M-G-M closed iCjiitinucd on l^agc 2) "BUY RIGHT — BUT BUY NOW" Sang Films Hit by Police Association Schenectady — Gangster films A'hich "tend to glorify the criminal" were condemned in a resolution massed by the New York State Police Benevolent Association, which plans to take its protest direct to producers. k letter of protest is to be dispatched by the organization to producing firms. Gangsters should be shown up in their true light as public enemies, it {Continued on page 2) "BUY RIGHT — BUT BUY NOW" British Strides Shown in Profits London — Reflecting the forward strides made this year by British companies, British International Pictures reports a trading profit of |933,305 for the year ending March 31 compared with $890,000 for the same period of the preceding year. Dividend on the common will be eight per cent, the same as last year. Associated British Cinemas' profit for the same period is $2,157,255 comparing with $1,411,695 for the previous year. This firm also will pay dividend of eight per cent on the common. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" Companies Speed Up Producing Abroad London — American producers are speeding their plans for production of pictures here, with Warners the latest firm to consider British films. Paramount, which recently completed "These Charming People," at EUsiContinued on page 2) f IVE years ago this evening Warner Brothers presented at the Warner Theatre on Broadway, New York, their production of "Don Juan," proclaiming to the world the arrival of the audible screen. Like in the case of many another great development, its merits and far-reaching consequences w^ere not universally recognized. The usual skepticism attended the exhibition of the first production in sound. Many leading showmen limited their approval to carefully-guarded expressions w^hich did nothing more than recognize what they believed to be only the appearance of an interesting novelty. Others, more cynically inclined, thought that the technic of story-telling upon the screen had been hurt and not helped. I N the face of all of this there was no lessening whatsoever in the confidence of the Warner Brothers in the development w^hich they were the first in the industry to recognize and properly evaluate; there was no wavering in their determination to carry on. How^ w^ell justified was their confidence and how successful they were in furthering, artistically and commercially, the audible screen are now^ matters of common knowledge. i HIS five year anniversary must be also the occasion of much gratification to that vast scientific organization, the Western Electric Company, a subsidiary of one of the world's greatest businesses — The American Telephone auid Telegraph Company. The commercial use of sound and the spoken w^ord in motion picture entertainment w^as a realizatioii out of years of diligent, expert and expensive experiment in the laboratories of the Western Electric Company. The motion picture has benefitted tremendously from this development. To these enterprising pioneers who were responsible for its realization, the industry — and the public, as well — owes both gratitude and appropriate recognition. MARTIN QUIGLEY. Unit System Of Production Gains Impetus Goldstone and Bachmann Are Latest Recruits Unconcerned Over Musician Absence Indianapolis — While there has been no change in the deadlock existing between musicians and local theatres, the union expects to reach an agreement within a month to return musicians to the theatre. Meanwhile, however, showmen found business so good over the week-end that they are not concerned in the situation. The Lyric and Indiana dropped stage shows last (Continued on page 2) Steady Climb of Grosses Continues Grosses of 164 theatres in 28 cities for the week ending last Thursday and Friday totaled $2,044,696, which was an increase of $52,263 over the preceding week, a check-up of Motion Picture Daily box office estimates shows. The figures reflect the steady gain being made by theatres in these key cities during recent weeks. Last (Continued on page 2) Hollywood — Swing to unit production is gaining impetus, with a number of veteran producers declaring for the system and preparing to strike out on their own. The latest recruits are Phil Goldstone and Jack Bachmann, both of whom formerly were active in the independent field. Goldstone has relinquished his post as Tiffany production chief in order to strike out at the head of his own producing firm. Likewise, Bachmann has retired from Paramount, where he has been an assistant to Schulberg, for the purpose of producing six pictures on his {Continued on page 2) "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" Tiffany Set to Sail, Cook Says With its stories for the new year selected and most of the scripts completed or in preparation, Tiffany is set to resume production this week, states Grant L. Cook, executive vice president. Sam Bischoff, who resigned from Universal to become production chief for the studio, will start work on "X Marks the Spot" and "Branded" as his first efforts. Meanwhile, James Cruze is preparing production of "Racetrack," which will star Leo Carrillo. Already completed on the new line-up are "Wo (Continued on pane 2) "BUY RIGHT — BUT BUY NOW" Dismissal Denied In W. E. Patent Suit Judge Coleman, of the United States District Court, Southern District of New York, yesterday sustained Western Electric Corporation in denying the motions of General Talking Pictures to dismiss, for lack of jurisdiction the patent infringement suits brought by the Western Electric Company. Judge Coleman also denied General Talking Pictures' (Continued on pane 2) "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" John Considine May Remain on Fox Lot Lo.s Angeles — John Considine, Jr., may not be leaving Fox as previously reported, it is indicated bv his assignment to direct Victor McLaglen and Edmund Lowe in "Disorderly Conduct." Meanwhile he is planning to leave for New York.