Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1933)

The Leading Daily Newspaper of the' Motion Picture Industry MOTION PICTURE DAILY Alert, Intelligent and Faithful Service to the Industry in All Branches VOL. 34. NO. 91 NEW YORK, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1933 TEN CENTS Goldsmith Is Renamed Head Of Engineers Election Marks Opening Of Chicago Session Chicago, Oct. 16.— Dr. Alfred N. Goldsmith was re-elected president of the Society of M. P. Engineers by a margin of one vote over L. A. Jones of Eastman Kodak Co., at the society's convention which opened here today. Other officers elected are : O. M. Glunt of the Bell Telephone Laboratories, and A. C. Hardy, vice-presidents ; J. H. Kurlander, re-elected secretary, and T. E. Shea of Bell Telephone, elected treasurer. W. B. Rayton of Bausch & Loinb was elected a director and Herbert (Continued on page 2) Franklin Returns; Will Remain Here Abandoning his original plan for a three weeks' visit in Hollywood, Harold B. Franklin, who resigned last week as head of RKO theatres, returned yesterday from a week-end vacation undecided on immediate future plans. "I need a rest," Franklin said yesterday. "I may spend two or three weeks here in New York just cleaning {Continued on page 2) Newman Forms New Circuit in the West Portland, Oct. 16. — The Empire Amusement Co. has been incorporated by Frank L. Newman, Sr., Al Rosenberg and Al Finklestein, with headquarters in Spokane, to operate a circuit of subsequent runs. This is understood to be one of the units which will operate under reorganized plans for Fox theatre units throughout the country. Newman vas in New York last week conferring with Spyros Skouras on theatre realignments. N. Y, Lawyers Buy Fox N, E. 1st Bonds Hartford, Oct. 16. — First mortgage bonds of the Fox New England Theatres, Inc., valued at $3,326,000, were sold at the Fox Capitol Theatre here today by Special Master Thomas J. Stellacy for $650,000. The purchasers were John A. McNaughton and W. B. F. Rogers, attorneys of 15 (Continued on Pafic 4) Theatre War Gets Hotter About Frisco Low-Priced Houses Fight Top Chargers for Lead San Francisco, Oct. 16. — A battle is raging on the theatre front here. Mobilization of all entertainment forces has been going on during the past few weeks, and it looks like a fight to the finish between the highpriced houses and the low-priced houses. Among the top chargers here (55 and 65 cents general admission) are the Warfield, Paramount and Golden Gate. Lining up on the other side are Orpheum (40 cents) ; United Artists (40 cents) ; Fox (25 cents) ; Embassy (40 cents), and St. Francis (40 cents). The Orpheum and Fox, biggest fighters of FWC, have started stage units. The former has F. & M. stage {Continued on page 2) NIRA Wins in First Wisconsin Decision Milwaukee, Oct. 16.^Labor won a preliminary victory here when Circuit Judge John J. Gregory granted an injunction restraining the Simplex Shoe Manufacturing Co. from interfering with attempts of its employes to unionize. In the first decision in the country bearing on the provisions of the national industrial recovery act, the judge held that the shoe firm had {Continued on page 4) Most of Cleveland Duals End by Vote Cleveland, Oct. 16. — Double features were reduced to one showing a week starting yesterday by vote of the Cleveland M. P. Exhibitors' Ass'n. Exceptions have been made in two instances. Downtown subsequent run houses will be allowed to continue to play duals. And in the outskirts, subsequents will be permitted to play two {Continued on pane 4) Detroit's Booking Suit Is Postponed Detroit, Oct. 16. — Hearing on the suit filed against Mid-States Theatres Corp. by Leon Krim and A. Ruttenberg, which was to have come up today, has been postponed 30 days, the temporary injunction continuing in force meanwhile. A meeting has been called for Wednesday to organize a local M.P.T.O. unit. No Finish Date Washington, Oct. 16. — "Howsoon in your opinion will the code be in the President's hands for signature," Deputy NRA Administrator Sol. A. Rosenblatt was asked today. "I have no idea," was his four-word reply. Allied Calls For Chicago Code Meeting Washington, Oct. 16. — Allied today issued a call for a general mass meeting of its members at the Congress Hotel in Chicago for Oct. 24, because its leaders "feel the gravity of the situation requires they present to independent theatre owners and other interested persons full details as to the procedure followed by Deputy NRA Administrator Sol A. Rosenblatt in preparing a code." The statement read further : "It was the consensus of opinion that while leaders who have been attending the conferences were fully {Continued on page 4) Coast Actors Wire President on Code Hollywood, Oct. 16. — Charges that any attempt to control actors' salaries would be contrary to the spirit of the NRA were made at a meeting of 1,500 actors at the El Capitan Sunday night. After a series of speeches by Eddie Cantor, who presided, and John Howard Lawson, Ralph Block, Fredric {Continued on page 4) Hearing on Indies' Analysis Expected A hearing in Washington on the independent group's code analysis will be held either late today or some time tomorrow, W. Ray Johnston, president of Monogram, stated yesterday. Johnston said that the independents who returned to New York {Continued on page 4) Warner Reports NRA Pay Up by $505,500 Hollywood, Oct. 16. — Jack L. Warner, chairman of the NRA, reports a $505,500.75 total payroll increase in {Continued on page 4) Pending Code Points Prove Troublesome Many Changes Coming, Rosenblatt Says By RED KANN Washington, Oct. 16. — While the code in its second revised form may be 85 per cent set as Deputy NRA Administrator Sol A. Rosenblatt declared last Tuesday, the final 15 per cent is proving troublesome, but a revised draft may be ready Tuesday. Today the deputy acknowledged that many changes were impending, "some of them important," and for that reason he refused to predict when the third and what is expected to be the final draft would be ready. Pressed for light on what source was insisting upon revisions, Rosenblatt merely replied : "Perhaps some on my part." The code in its present form lacks completion principally because of the delicate task of setting down the intent of various clauses in phraseology containing the points insisted upon by protesting groups. Semi and actually legal language used in many instances has resulted {Continued on page 4) Code Violation to Go to Trade Body Washington, Oct. 16. — Violations under the Code are heading for study and clearance through the Federal Trade Commission under the Admintration's plans. This is in keeping with the commission's present scope. The plan, as discussed here, would provide that violations are to be turned over to the Department of Justice for action, since the commission has no enforcement powers. Courts Open Washington, Oct. 16.— Nothing in the NIRA will prevent a disgruntled individual from suing through the courts, it became known today. Deputy NRA Administrator Sol. A. Rosenblatt so stated when he was asked what would be the procedure if an individual refused to abide by a decision of the code authority.