Motion Picture Daily (Jun-Aug 1931)

Tuesday, August II, 1931 MOTION PICTURE DAILY N.J. Operator Break Looms Next Month (Contiitited from page 1) union. Contracts for all counties except Hudson, which terminates Sept. 1932, expire the beginning of next month. It has been hinted that a number of exhibitors may join the recently organized operators' union which is only demanding one man in the booth. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" Operators Stand Pat At Council Bluffs Council Bluffs, la.— W. H. (Bud) Lollier, assistant vice-president of FoxWest Coast Theatres failed to negotiate any change in the operators' contract at the Strand on a recent visit here. Howard Jackson, business manager of the Omaha Operators' union which covers Council Bluffs, wired Lollier after his departure that the operators would stand pat on their present contract which expires October 1. . At present the Strand has two operators in the booth. Lollier sought to reduce the staff to one man. In view of the Jyi'/c reduction over a period of 10 weeks which the Strand shared with all Omaha suburban theatres, Jackson stated that no further concessions could be made. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" Seek Anti-Non-Union Operator Writ at O. C, Oklahoma City — Application for an injunction to restrain the Isis Theater from the use of non-union operators has been filed in district court here by J. Marshall Shelton, president of the Oklahoma City Operators Union against F. M. Isley, P. R. Isley, M. Davis and D. G. Johnson, owners of the theater, one of the Mid-West Operating group. "BUY RIGHT — BUT BUY NCfW" Ben Leo Back With Fox Theatres In L, I, Ben Leo has returned to Fox Theatres as supervisor of Long Island theatres. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" Hughes Signs Band Hollywood — Gus Arnheim and his Cocoanut Grove orchestra have been signed by Howard Hughes to appear in "Scarface," the last of the gangster films, which Howard Hawks is directing with Paul Muni, Osgood Perkins and Karen Morley in the principal roles. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" Darrow Film Again Hit Atlanta — Battle lines were being drawn tonight on still another front in the Fundamentalist-Modernist controversy over showing of Clarence Darrow's picture, "The Mystery of Life." Already ministers in Dayton, Tennessee, scene of the Scopes evolution trial several years ago, have protested jointly proposed showing of the film there and now church leaders in Atlanta have moved to prevent exhibition of the picture at the Capitol theatre here. Purely Personal DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS, JR., star of "Chances," found his excursion into the legitimate field in Los Angeles so successful that he is now filled with the idea of repeating the experiment. Staging "The Man in Possession" at one of the Grauman legitimate theatres as a "flyer" young Fairbanks met with considerable success both professionally and financially, he being one of the backers of the enterprise. Vivian Duncan, the "Eva" of the Duncan Sisters, and wife of Nils Asther, has returned from a long stay in Europe, bringing with her her five months' old child. She had to get a special Swedish passport from the Swedish consul in Paris after much international discussion of the child's nationality, due to the father being Swedish, the mother American, and Germany being the place of birth. Marian Marsh, youthful Warner star who arrived in New York yesterday for a brief visit, will visit Philadelphia on Thursday, proceeding from there to Washington on Friday. On Saturday she will return to New York to remain until the middle of next week, at which time she must leave for Hollywood and her next picture assignment. Pat Campbell, western division sales manager of the Erpi educational department was in New York last week for semi-annual conferences with company officials. Pat will combine the visit with a vacation in New England. R. F. (Pete) Woodhull, veteran former president of the M.P.T.O.A., made his first personal appearance in many moons on Broadway recently. Pete has been living as a "retired farmer" at his Dover, N. J., home. The Four Marx Brothers are en route to New York to start preparations for a n^v stage production this fall. Their new picture, "Monkey Business," will reopen the first run policy at the Rialto. Polly Moran begins personal appearances shortly at the Capitol, New York, where "Politics," latest MoranDressler film, is goaling the natives. Edward G. Robinson, Warner star, opens soon at the RKO Palace, New York. He plans a brief vaudeville tour before returning to picture work. Gloria Swanson, recovered from her illness, is to arrive in New York Friday from Europe. Nancy Welford arrives in New York Friday after completing three pictures in London. Operators* Union Denies Merger Plan Empire State Motion Picture Operators Union is not contemplating any merger with any other union, declares President Arthur Farkash. It had been reported that negotiations were under way for a merger with Local 306 of the I.A.T.S.E., but this is denied by Farkash. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" Independent Union Of Ind. Operators Indianapolis — The Independent Union Motion Picture Operators of America, Delaware corporation, has been admitted into Indiana, according to an announcement made from the Secretary of State's office. There is no capital stock listed. Graydon Fox, Fort Wayne, Indiana, is listed as the Indiana agent. "BUY RIGHT — BUT BUY NOW" New 0. C. House Oklahoma City — The Sunset, a $35,000 suburban house, sound equipped, located in the city's southwest district will be opened early next month. "BUY RIGHT—BUT BUY NOW" Back From Honeymoon Hollywood — Mr. and Mrs. William Powell (Carole Lombard) have returned from their honeymoon in Hawaii. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" Laurel Changes Name Hollywood — Stan Laurel has had his name legalized changing it from Arthur Stanley Jefferson. Famous Players Gives Break to British Vancouver — J. R. Muir, district manager in Vancouver (B. C.) for Famous Players Canadian Corporation stated in a recent interview that bookings are now being made for a large number of British plays. On being questioned if British pictures are being given a fair show, he declared they had been booking as many as could be obtained, but found it hard to procure some of the best pictures when desired. He emphatically stated that no discrimination was being made by them against British productions. "The Speckled Band" has just finished a big run at the Dominion theatre. "BUY RIGHT — BUT BUY NOW" Lakeland to Witness Another 'Blue' Battle Lakeland, Fla. — Although this city won an election on Sunday films some time ago and has been enjoying them since, the opposition are out to stop them. A petition is now being circulated calling for a referendum vote on the question, and should they get the required number of registered voters to sign their names on the dotted line, another election will be called and the whole thing fought out again. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" United Film Ind. Meet Financial plans for exploitation and development of the Wolff-Heide process and color film patents will be discussed at a special meeting of stockholders of the United Film Industries, Inc. The confab is set for tomorrow at the Hotel Roosevelt. Schiller Sees Bright Future Due to Product {Continued from page 1) W. A. Finney, manager of the Midwestern division of which Cleveland was a part have been constantly increased so that his headquarters will be moved to Columbus, Schiller stated. Fred Desberg is remaining here in charge of the Loew interests and will have additional duties which will take him away from town from time to time. The Cleveland division will be headed by H. M. Addison, who has been supervisor of Loew houses in Pittsburgh. H. H. Maloney, who has been city supervisor here will be promoted to management of one of in the circuit's larger eastern theatres. "BUY RIGHT — BUT BUY NOW" Lichtman Confirms Peace Pact With Fox {Continued from page 1) tion protesting against alleged unfairness in the matter of rentals, a statement which drew fire from Harley L. Clarke, Fox president, who issued a sharp rejoinder criticising the pulling power of U. A. stars. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" Hoffberg Closes Deal Latin Productions, Ltd. of Hollywood has concluded a deal with the J. H. Hoffberg Co., Inc., for the world's distribution of all its Spanish dialogue pictures. The first picture completed is a feature "Campanas de Capistrano" and two two-reel comedies, "El Zapatero Feliz" and "Serenata." "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" German Exports Big Washington — With exports five times greater than imports, the most favorable trade balance is shown by German producers, according to advices to the Motion Picture Division of the Department of Commerce. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" Complete Merger Deal Plans for the merger of Columbia Gramaphone, Ltd., and the Columbia Graphaphone Co., Ltd., have been completed. British Favored Toronto — After putting up the bars against gangster pictures from the United States with complete effectiveness, Ontario Censors have apparently let down the bars to British pictures, it is claimed. There has been some talk in film trade circles in Toronto regarding the apparent laxity of the Ontario Censors in dealing with British films. "Uneasy Virtue," recently given first run at the Tivoli, is held up as an example of what "might pass" if — .