Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1933)

MO 1 ION PICTURE DAILY Thursday, October 19, 1933 McDonough Is Put in Posts Of Franklin (.Continued from pane I) of Keith-Albee-Orpheum, B. F. Keith iheatres Corp., and Radio City Theatres, Inc., and affiliated theatre companies, and vice chairman of RKO Radio Pictures. McDonough, a former RCA executive, went into RKO several months ago at Aylesworth's invitation. Prominently mentioned in connection with the RKO theatre operating post under McDonough are Nate Blumberg, Orpheum Circuit operator now in Chicago; Charles D. Koerner, RKO New England district manager, and Phil Reisman, who has been serving as assistant to Franklin for several months. Pix Will Test Some Demountables Here (Continued from page 1) year, John S. Clarke, president, said yesterday. The hrst of these will probably be established in a neighborhood section of New York, it was said. Pix will not only market the houses but will also maintain a film booking office and advertising department here as a servce to exhibitors operating the demountables. Included with the structures will be complete theatre equipment, such as seats, projection machines and sound equipment. The standard size demountable will be of 283 seats, with structures up to 600 seats planned for the future. The company's plans, Clarke said, are to replace obsolete houses with the demountables with their modern theatre equipment and design at a cost of less than $50 per seat. It is believed that a market for about 1,000 of them exists in rural and neighborhood sections. The structures can be transported to new locations if original ones prove unprofitable, Clarke said. Frank R. Wilson, former presideint of Principal Distributing Corp., is vice-president of Pix and J. M. Fassett is secretary-treasurer. Shifting St. Louis Orchestras Sought St. Louis, Oct. 18. — Alternating orchestras for the purpose of spreading employment is being sought by the musicians' union here. It is said that of 1,100 union musicians here about 5(XJ are out of work at present. The union leaders figure alternating orchestras would furnish part time work for 85 more men. The current scale is $75 per week. Cincinnati Men Form Variety Club Branch Ci.vciNXATi, Oct. 18. — A Variety Club, to be affiliated with the club at Pittsburgh, as well as the organizations at St. Louis and Columbus, was formed here this week with a representative charter membership of theatre, exchange and newspaper men. Bill Gehring, Fox manager, was appointed temporary president. Those Scribes Hollywood, Oct. 18. — An inter-office memorandum is floating around Fox Studios to the effect that one of the local scribes picked up an ash tray and standard on his way out after a studio preview and the corporation would appreciate any information leading to the apprehension of the culprit. Chase Film Moves Coming Up Friday (Continued from paae 1) Theatres securities, which were heavily written down, the exact amounts written off not being disclosed. However, it was asserted by W. W. Aidrich, president of the bank, that the securities today are worth more than the amount written off. Loew Midland Suit Goes Over 10 Days (Continued from pacie \) postponed 10 days in Circuit Court here today. That Loew's intends vigorously to resist the receivership action is indicated in the fact that James A. Keed, former United States senator, has been retained as counsel by Leopold Friedman, general counsel for Loew's. I. J. Ringolsky, chief counsel for the plaintiffs, denies reports that Shanberg and his associates are seekmg to obtain operating control of the Midland and the omce structure adjacent to it. The attorney asserts his clients seek only distribution ol accumulated dividends. He declares he knows nothing about the rumors that Loew's may relinquish interest in its properties here. Drawing Power Sets Salary, Says Beery Kansas City, Oct. 18. — Wallace Beery believes a star who is a boxoffice draw should receive a salary commensurate with his drawing power. He expressed that opinion on the interest taken by the Administration in salaries of front rank actors. "Perhaps there should be some control of salaries paid to juveniles," he said. "Some of the children have parents or guardians wise enough to put some of the money away in a safe place. For the benefit of those young actors who will not benefit from their earnings in the future, maybe some control should be established. "In my case, I have climbed from the lowest rung in the ladder to what I have now. I feel I have earned good fortune. My acting is something individual with me. If I invented something, I would expect returns proportionate to its value to the world." Science Film for M-G-M Hollywood, Oct. 18.— M-G-M is planning a short subject dealing with marvels of scientific research, which will go into production under the supervision of Jack Cummings. Demonstrations will be by Robert O. Ragsdale, formerly engaged in research for the Ford Motor Co. Trade Board Probe Of Salaries Begun Vv'ashingto.n, Oct. 18. — Investigation ot salaries paid executive otticers and directors ot corporations engaged m mterestate commerce, other than public utilities,^ having capital and assets of more than $1,00U,U0U in value, whose securities are listed on the New York stock or curb exchanges, IS being made by the Federal Trade i^onimission, acting under authority of a resolution passed at the last session of Congress. f^or purposes of investigation, salary will be held to include any compensation, fee, bonus, commission or other payment, direct or indirect, in money or otherwise, for personal services. A questionnaire asking for information as to salaries is being distributed among some 2,000 corporations listed on exchanges. Returns are to be in the hands of the commission by Oct. ZS, and a report will be made to the ienaie at the beginning of January. The questionnaire calls for the following information : total assets, net sales, net income, number of directors and executive officers and total compensation for the years 1928-32, inclusive; names and official positions of directors and executive officers and the compensation of each last year ; the cash value of all compensation other than salaries at the time compensation was paid or delivered to directors or executive officers last year ; description of special compensation to directors and executive ofcers ; rates of compensation of directors and executive officers in effect Sept. 1, last. Big Turnout Looked For in Ohio Tax Row Cincinnati, Oct. 18. — The entire membership of the newly-formed Ohio Valley Independent Exhibitors' League, an amalgamation of the Ohio Allied unit and the Greater Cincinnati M. P. Exhibitors' Ass'n., is planning to attend the statewide meeting at the Deshler-Wallick, Columbus, on Oct. 31, to devise ways and means of combatting the 10 per cent state admission tax, which became effective Sept. 1. Independent exhibitors throughout the state are cooperating, both through organizations and individually. Pending action by exhibitors, it is understood that Sam Lind, interested in several houses at Zanesville, O., proposes to make a test case of tax collections and reports. Exhibitors estimate that their business has decreased approximately 30 per cent by reason of the admission impost. To Lecture on "Mickey" Bi'I'FAlo, Oct. 18. — Exhibition of Walt Disney's original "Mickey Mouse" and "Silly Symphony" drawings in the Albright Art Gallery has aroused considerable controversy among Buffalo artists and art patrons. Director Gordon B. Washburn will give two lectures Oct. 20 on "The Art of Mickey Mouse," which has stirred up a lot of criticism, and been as warmly defended. All of which is not making Jack Kaplan, manager of the Buffalo United Artists exchange, feel bad. Says Latins Ask Quality, Bar Dubbing The demand in Latin America is lor "quality pictures" in English of American make, Monroe Isen, manager for Universal in South America, told Motion Picture Daily yesterday. "There is no market in South America for dubbed pictures," he asserted, adding that of all films screened in the theatres of the continent 90 per cent are produced in the United States. "First run houses," said Isen, "won't show dubs. Quality pictures in English meet with greater acceptance than dubbed pictures, even though the latter are in the native tongue." The popularity of American films among South Americans is ascribed by Isen to the fact that "they are becoming educated to our pictures." Their liking for the Hollywood product is such, according to him, that they have no appreciation for films made in South America in their native tongue. The reason for this, he indicated, was that the films turned out by native producers — amounting in all to not more than half a dozen a year — were regarded as totally inferior to those imported from the United States. Like Comedy Best, He Says Isen said that while all types of American pictures were popular among Latin Americans, comedies were primarily favored because comedy is best able to hurdle the barrier of languege, being easiest to understand. He declared "more pictures are released in South America in any given month than in any other part of the world." He gave the number as 30 a month on the average. Theatre attendance in South America dropped 30 to 50 per cent this year, Isen revealed. His explanation why poor theatre business had not been felt there sooner was that "the depression seems to have been slow in reaching South America." On his first visit to the United States in three and a half years, Isen plans to spent more than a month in New York before returning to his headquarters in Buenos Aires. He is lining up new Universal product for the South American market. "Angel" Passes Censors HoLLYWono, Oct. 18. — Paramount's furrowed brows, caused by anticipated action on the part of censor boards on the current Mae West picture, are smooth again. The censor boards of New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Kansas have passed on "I'm No .A-hgel'' without a single cut. The Ohio censor board cut one line. M-G-M Fire Injures Five Hollywood, Oct. 18. — Fire of unknown origin in the scene dock at M-G-M this morning slightly injured five workmen. Damage was estimated at $5,000. 20th Takes U.A. Lease Hollywood, Oct. 18. — Twentieth Century today closed a deal taking lease on United Artists studio property from Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford.