Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1934)

12 MOTION PICTURE DAILY Tuesday, January 2, 1934 Headlines Spotlight Highlights (.Continued from page 9) Nov. 11. — Code again delayed by cut in wage classification; Johnson order restricting their number to four revealed as stumbling block. Harley L. Clarke discusses stock deals of General Theatres Equipment before Senate investigating committee. Nov. 13. — Warners report net loss for year of $6,291,748, representing reduction of 55 per cent from preceding year's loss of $14,095,054. Nov. 14. — Prohibition repeal will create new jobs and increase purchasing power of nation, say industry observers who believe theatre business will be aided thereby. Others hold no noticeable effects will result. Nov. 15. — Motion Picture Daily learns code provisions covering secret talent negotiations may be suspended. Nov. 16. — Hitlerite censorship results in disappearance from American newsreels of German clips. Nov. 17. — M.P.T.O.A. code analysis sees all but three of organization's 37 original proposals included in final draft. Emil E. Shauer, vice president of Paramount International, dies suddenly. Harley L. Clarke, former head of General Theatres Equipment, tells Senate stock investigation committee, of $38,285,000 "mark up" of stock of theatre equipment companies acquired by G. T. E. in 1929. Nov. 18. — Administrator Johnson is "not satisfied yet" with code but offers no reasons. Nov. 20. — Joseph M. Schenck describes code as "only temporary." Nov. 21.— Report I.A.T.S.E. putting curb on local unions. Move said to be backed by A. F. of L. to end theatre violence. President to receive code next Friday. Nov. 22. — Administrator Johnson announces code is now in form he wants. U. S. Senate investigating committee delves into affairs of Fox Film. Nov. 23. — Deputy NRA Administrator says at Milwaukee code is creating 25,000 new jobs. Nov. 24. — William Fox, testifying before Senate committee, says he appealed to President Hoover and Louis B. Mayer to help him retain control of his company. Income tax refund of $7,276,394 to Paramount announced in Washington. Nov. 25. — Labor's help looked for by Kuykendall. who predicts union peace as result of code. Col. W. Robert Lea chosen to head new Code Authority committee. William Fox, testifying before the Senate investigating committee, charges $15,000,000 •disappeared." Nov. 27. — Signing of code by President expected momentarily as Adminstrator Johnson remains at Warm Springs. Nov. 28. — President Roosevelt signs code; names Marie Dressier, Eddie Cantor and Dr. A. Lawrence Lowell to Code Authority as government appointees. Other members of code authority not made public. President's Executive Order accompanying code exempts writers and dramatists from salary provisions for 90-day period, during which operation of code is being observed. President asks full report on excessive salaries and unfair trade practices within 90 days. John D. Hertz, former chairman of Paramount Publix finance committee, contends he saved company $23,000,000 in operating costs by economies in his regime, as bankruptcy testimony continues before Federal referee. Harley L. Clarke testifies at Washington G. T. E. paid dividend of $4,000,000 at time when company had deficit of $5,500,000. Nov. 29. — Motion Picture Daily obtains exclusive official announcement of Code Authority membership from Administrator Johnson at Atlanta, Ga. Board consists of H. M. Warner, Nicholas M. Schenck, Sidney R. Kent, George J. Schaefer, Merlin H. Aylesworth, R. H. Cochrane, W. Ray Johnston, Ed Kuykendall, Charles L, O'Reilly and Nathan Yamins, in addition to Presidential appointees named earlier. Two additional government representatives yet to be named. Code becomes effective Dec. 7. December Dec. 1. — Final code made public at Washington shows only insignificant changes made in third draft. Motion Picture Daily points out exclusively drastic significance of President's Executive Order accompanying code, revealing "it trims the powers of the code authority" to extent sufficient to transfer from it to the Administrator title of "supreme court of the industry." Suspension by Order of talent "raid" provisions (Article 5) seen influ enced by visits of Joseph M. Schenck and Eddie Cantor to Warm Springs. Suspension of penalty for payment of excessive salaries believed resulting from Attorney General's opinion holding provision unenforceable. Motion Picture Daily points out Marie Dressier and Eddie Cantor will vote only when Code Authority takes up talent problems, and that Dr. Lpwell, as government representative, will have no vote. Dec. 2.— First meeting of Code Authority expected at early date to organize and name 32 local boards. Dec. 4. — Ten per cent cancellation privilege offered under code to apply on old contracts. Existing clearance and zoning schedules for 1933-34 product not to be affected by local boards set up under code. Dec. 5. — Industry leaders voice objection to Executive Order at M.P.P.D.A. meeting. Code Authority may hold first meeting in New York in next few days. Twelve creditor banks had exclusive claim to $6,000,000 uncompleted negatives of Paramount Publix, John Hertz testifies. Dec. 6.— Industry self-control imperilled under code, asserts Martin Quigley. M.P.P.D.A. move to protest code fails to stir NRA officials. Dec. 7. — Code becomes law at 12:01 A.M. Last-minute attempt of producers to win delay meets with failure. Leaders plan to see President. Dec. 8.— Industry leaders discuss code at White House today; to tell President of objections to Executive Order. Deputy Administrator Sol A. Rosenblatt denounces criticism of code before it has been given a trial at meeting of Philadelphia exhibitors. Dec. 9. — Executive Order expected to stand pending trial following conference between industry leaders and President. Famous Theatres Corp. makes bid of $1,800,000 for Publix Enterprises. Dec. 11. — Self-regulation of industry assured. Industry leaders announce acceptance of code after White House conference. Executive Order stands with interpretations. Dec. 12. — Warners retain control of Warner Brothers with re-election of all directors at annual election at Wilmington. Dec. 13. — Rosenblatt's job of naming personnel of code boards begins. Code Authority holds initial meeting in New York Dec. 20. Dec. 14. — Names sought to help choice of personnel of code boards. Woman may be third government member of Code Authority. Dec. 15. — Federal film cartel viewed as possibility. Dec. 16.— Loew's stock sale held up by U. S. District Court as government moves to get anti-trust angles. Dec. 18. — Wages puzzle to non-union theatre code, employes being hazy about "prevailing" scales under pact. Third and final government representative on Code Authority to be definitely a woman. Dec. 19. — Dr. A. Lawrence Lowell reported planning to resign Code Authority post. Rotating head sought for Code Authority. Leaders favor plan as against permanent chairman. Court allows sale of Loew's stock. Dec. 20. — Will post names of personnel and invite criticism of code boards. Rosenblatt made head of new NRA division to deal with amusement codes. Film delivery men form national organization as National Film Carriers, Inc. Loew's stock acquired by noteholders. Dec. 21. — Code boards expected to start working soon. Nominations by Jan. 4. Winfield Sheehan again in command of Fox studio. Dec. 22. — Code groups get busy next week. Six committees to make plans ready before Jan. 4. Dr. A. Lawrence Lowell quits Code Authority; may reconsider. Court approves sale of 214 Publix Enterprises houses to Famous Theatres Corp. Dec. 23. — Dr. A. Lawrence Lowell announces he resigned from Code Authority because post carried no power and because he was opposed to block booking. Dec. 26. — Dry agitators, out of jobs, gunning for films. Harold Lloyd to release via Fox. Dec. 27. — New Film advertising copy drawing praise for its cleaner tone. Code compliance up to Rosenblatt at the start. Dec. 28. — Hollywood to get office under Code Authority. John C. Flinn gets secretaryship with office in New York. Music Hall, New York, ends first year with $3,970,706 gross. Dec. 29— RKO Center, formerly the Radio City Roxy, completes first year with total gross of $1,084,959. More theatre unions seen impending. Dec. 30 — Administrator Johnson hits men who sit on "sideline" in answer to A. Lawrence Lowell's stand on Code Authority. Harry Thomas made head of F.M.P.I. as successor to P. S. Harrison. i Purely Personal ► Reading Votes for Open Sunday Again Reading, Mass., Jan. 1.— Once more Reading has voted for Sunday shows. At the second special town meeting called to vote on a referendum, the vote for Sunday pictures was : Yes, 506; no, 404, thus increasing the former margin of some 43 votes to 192. Only 20 per cent of the town's vote was cast, due to stormy weather. The first special election voted to permit Sunday pictures. The second voted to ratify the action of the first. Selectmen say the permit will now be granted. The fee has not been set. Horowitz Back on Job Sam Horowitz, mid-west district manager for U. A. with headquarters in Kansas City, left yesterday for home after announcing his engagement to Sadie Feuerstein, Al Lichtman's secretary. The wedding will take place late this month and the couple will live in K. C. Monogram Seeks Player Hollywood, Jan. 1. — Monogram is looking for a new find for the leading role in "Jane Eyre." The plan is to get an actress with stock experience and the New York office is now searching the field. ANNA SYLVIA CURRAN, daughter of John Curran, press agent, started her vacation from Trinity College by walking into the Ford show and receiving an expensive radio at the gate. She was the l,750,OOOth person to enter. Travis Banton, Paramount studio stylist, arrived in New York from Hollywood New Year's Day for a three weeks' stay before leaving for Palm Beach where he will complete his vacation. Saul E. Rogers returns today from a holiday vacation trip which was scheduled to include some game hunting in the north. Leo Singer, producer of "White Horse Inn," has been confined to his hotel for the last eight days with an attack of lumbago. Charles D. Hilles, Paramount Publix trustee in bankruptcy, is recuperating at Doctors' Hospital from a recent illness. . Ben H. Atwell, Columbia executive, accompanied by his wife, has left on a brief vacation in the Bahamas. HENRI BRUNET plans to sail for Europe early this month to survey the foreign field for Columbia. Monckton Hoffe, English author under contract to M-G-M, is at the Warwick. Erik Charell, new Fox producer, is due in on the He de France tomorrow. Leslie Howard has left New York for Hollywood to begin work on "Of Human Bondage" at the Radio studio. Joseph Seidelman, foreign general sales manager for Columbia, has returned from a trip to Mexico. Mr. and Mrs. Lionel Atwill are at the Ritz-Carlton from Hollywood. Al Lichtman is back at his desk again, fully recovered from a bad cold. Elliott McManus has a new opera hat for some reason or other. Ad Schulberg returns to the coast Thursday after six weeks here. Sees Program Rush As Knell of Type (Continued from page 1) the program picture and the attraction will become so apparent as to render the former commercially unimportant. "The attraction, according to my definition, is the well considered balance of an interesting personality or personalities skillfully interpreting important roles in a picture with a story that possesses sincerity in entertainment, plus a certain showmanship." Boston Reformer Quits Boston, Jan. L — John C. L. Dowling, president of the Watch and Ward Society, whose activities resulted in the temporary suspension of the license of the Howard last summer, has quit his job. Rev. Charles S. Bodwell, executive secretary, denied there had been friction between Dowling and himself. Dowling was a former head of the Boston Finance Commission. Photographer Honored Hollywood, Jan. 1. — Ernest B. Bachrach, head of the still department at Radio, has been awarded a diploma for "achievement of exceptional graphic studies" by the artists and fellows of the Royal Photographic Society, based on exhibits on display at the Century of Progress, Chicago.