Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1934)

The Leading Daily Newspaper ; of the Motion Picture Industry MOTION PICTURE DAILY Alert, Intelligent and I f|%k Faithfiif j i Service<to the Industry in All Branches OL. 35. NO. 13 NEW YORK, TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1934 TEN CENTS duplications Theatre Grosses Jump in [n Code Board Five Key Spots for Week Lists Stopped fen More Are Published By the Authority ] Duplications of names suggested for ipointments on the 64 clearance and ming and grievance boards are being ispensed with for publicity purpose, ie Code Authority states. Only *mes which have not been sent in "eviously will get publicity, but each ill be added to the card index at ithority headquarters for official filing. This move has been taken beyiuse repeated suggestions of a man's ime will carry no weight with the ^ode Authority. Each man recomended will stand on his record, no (Continued on page 6) )ne Secretary for Each Board, Plan In line with the plan of the Code uthority to operate at a minimum rpense, one secretary, rather than to, for each of the 32 clearance and ■ning and grievance boards, will , ost likely be appointed. Each secrery will be paid according to a salary cided upon by the authority. In some key centers like New York, hicago and Los Angeles, assistants 1 ill be provided for the secretaries cause of the amount of work to be ■ne. . Although the various boards are ex (Continued on page 6) hibinsky Takes Row Up with Rosenblatt Kansas City, Jan. 15. — Ed Dubiny conferred with Division Adminrator Sol A. Rosenblatt this afteron about the code controversy in . Joseph and Kansas City. Dtibiny's trip east followed telegraphic ^changes with Rosenblatt, in which division administrator inquired pat the I. A. T. S. E. complaint that ibinsky was violating the code. Later in the day Rosenblatt conTed with a number of other exhibi" representatives from the middle tst. ode Assents Total Over 6,000 to Date To date more than 6,000 assents ve been received by Executive Sectary John C. Flinn. Among these (Continued on page 6) Business picked up sharply last week in a number of key spots. In Boston grosses topped average in every first run, continuing the fast pace which became evident some weeks ago. Chicago, which has been dull since the World's Fair ended, showed signs of returning life, the Chicago doing a big $55,000 with Mary Pickford on the stage and "Easy to Love" on the screen. Montreal had a religious holiday which stirred all theatres out of the recent doldrums. Los Angeles and Pittsburgh were also strong. Boston's total first run gross of $117,000 was $22,000 over normal. "Fog" on the screen and Amos 'n' Andy on the stage at the Boston made the best showing with $23,500, which is $7,500 over the usual take. "Flying Down to Rio" at Keith's, in its second week, was a close second with $21,000, up by $5,000. "Roman Scandals" sent Loew's State up to $22,000. At the Metropolitan, with "Mr. Skitch" on the screen and Mary McCormic on the stage, the $31,000 gross topped normal by $3,000. A double bill, "Havana Widows" and "Hell and High Water," garnered $9,500 at the Paramount. Los Angeles grosses took a decided jump last week with eight houses topping normal for a total first run take of $120,463. Average is $117,150. One of the outstanding pictures on the list was "Little Women," which took $19,250 at Grauman's Chinese. Another was "Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen," with Guy Lombardo and his orchestra (Continued on page 8) RKO-K-A-0 Plan Wins in Appeals Court A plan of settlement of RKO's claim of $2,094,665 against K-A-O, proposed by Irving Trust Co., RKO receiver, was upheld in a ruling handed down yesterday by the U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The plan had been objected to by Harrison Realty & Theatre Corp., an RKO creditor, when it was submitted to Federal Judge William Bondy in U. S. District court some time ago. Judge Bondy approved the plan and an appeal from his ruling was taken to the higher court by the creditor, resulting in yesterday's decision. Under the receiver's plan, Stadium Theatres, Inc., newly organized RKO subsidiary, takes over the $2,000,000 claim against K-A-O and issues its own stock to the RKO receiver in exchange. German Dual Ban May Hit U. S. Imports Washington, Jan. 15. — Further reduction of American film imports into Germany below the low point of 43 reached during the 1932-33 season may result from the abolition of double features in that country, according to reports from Trade Commissioner George R. Canty to the Motion Picture Division of the Specialties Division of the Department of Commerce. Original versions in English probably will have no market at all outside of Berlin, Canty indicates, and dubbed versions or features with superimposed titles will have to compete with a reduced market for the native product. On the other hand, it is pointed out, those pictures that are sold will probably bring a higher (Continued on page 6) World Total For Theatres Shows a Drop Government Estimate Is 60,347; Down 1,577 Washington, Jan. 15 — Total number of picture theatres throughout the world dropped off in 1933 as compared with 1932, but, of the aggregate number, thousands additional swung into the sound procession by a changeover from silent to talking film equipment. According to figures compiled annually by the Motion Picture Division of the Department of Commerce, world theatres last year were 60,347 as of Jan. 1, 1934. This compares with 61,924 in 1932. In the face of the shrinkage, however, 4,867 more theatres wired for sound to a total of 41,822 for 1933, as compared with 36,955 the year before. Latest statistics on the United States, according to this source, give the nation 19,000 theatres, a figure that will not match up with statistics compiled within the industry which place the list of active houses in the neighborhood of 14,000, while Code (Continued on page 4) Kentucky Bill Has Heavy Ticket Tax Frankfort, Ky., Jan. 15. — Included in Governor Laffoon's much discussed tax program which has just been presented to the Legislature is a ticket tax scaled at five cents for each 25 cents of ticket price or fraction thereof. It is designed to raise $1,400,000 from amusements. The size of the tax has come as (Continued on page 7) Coast Report About Stills Mystery Here Although coast reports have Monogram and Majestic cooperating with the Hays office on the coast in submitting stills, no official word to this effect has reached the Hays headquarters in the east or Monogram and Majestic home offices. Both independent companies state thev will submit their material to the advertising board of the Federation of the M. P. Industry. Cooper Sets Plans For 17 More at RKO Hollywood, Jan. 15. — Merian Cooper seemingly gave the lie today to reports of his intention to quit as Radio production head by announcing plans for 17 new productions to be completed within the next three months to bring to a close his studio's current program, involving an expenditure of $4,000,000. Included in the group are "Finishing School," "The (Continued on page 7) Dowling Named RKO Manager in Europe Ambrose Dowling has been named European manager of RKO with headquarters in London. Accompanied by Phil Reisman, general manager of foreign distribution, Dowling sails Saturday on the Conte di Savoia. Reisman will spend about two months abroad visiting all exchanges under his supervision. Prudential-Century Deal Meets Denial Reports were current yesterday that a merger or a working agreement was underway between Pruden(Continued on page 6)