Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1934)

10 MOTION PICTURE DAILY Thursday, January 18, 193' Coast Majors Agree to Aid M. P. Academy (Continued from page 1) Stone, Frank Capra, DeWitt Jennings, Waldemar Young, John Nickolaus, John Cromwell, Carl Dreher. A finance committee was named to take care of existing obligations. It includes : William Sistrom, George Irving and VanNest Polglase. Another committee, named to carry on actorproducer relations, includes : Jennings, Sistrom and Stone. Nickolaus and Dreher were named to confer with producers on a program for reviving technical research. Among those who attended and approved Howard Green's plea for new life for the Academv were: Thalberg, B. B. Kahane, Harry Cohn, Henry Henigson, Jack L. Warner and Henry Herzbrun. J. T. Reed was not present, and it is believed his lack of interest indicates he intends to resign, which will automatically make Green president. 'Fashions' Opens Tonight First National's much-ballyhooed "Fashions of 1934" will be given a formal opening at the Hollywood tonight. One of the features will be a broadcast over WOR at 7 :30 o'clock on the Pebeco toothpaste hour. This broadcast will be the first of a series of 13 on consecutive weeks over the same hour with WarnerFirst National attractions at the Strand and Hollywood getting plugs. Judge Bondy Critical of Para, Delay (Continued from page 1) lieved the size of the fees to be the result of the complaining attorney's numerous moves to contest the receivership proceedings last year and that the receivers and their counsel had done an "invaluable service" in meeting those moves. He agreed to withdraw from the hearing and assented to the selection of Judge John Knox, who will hear the receivers' petition in about three weeks. Declaring that he considered his withdrawal as a "reflection on the character of the bar rather than on that of the judge," the jurist clearly intimated that he believed the opposing attorneys themselves were accountable for the $250,000 cost of Paramount's brief receivership. The attorneys addressed yesterday by Judge Bondy were Victor House, Samuel Zirn and Saul E. Rogers, each of whom is counsel for a Paramount Publix bondholders' group. Zirn Opens Argument Zirn opened yesterday's skirmish with the court by asking Judge Bondy to withdraw from the hearing on the ground that the equity receivers, Charles D. Hilles and Adolph Zukor, whose petition for allowances was under consideration, had been appointed to their receivership posts by Judge Bondy in what Zirn described as a "friendly action." Rogers followed with the same re "Gallant Lady" is a great production headed for a great public reception! Excellent entertainment. Great cast, too. Russell teddy, Oriental Theatre, Milwaukee, Wis. Johnny Jones, Tower Theatre Milwaukee, Wis. quest, but preluded his remarks with the statement that "your honor and I have discussed this matter both in the court and outside it." Judge Bondy broke in with an explanation of Rogers's reference to discussing the case outside of court and, in revealing the subject of the out of court conversation, characterized Rogers' views voiced at the time as "ridiculous." Rogers bridled at the adjective employed by the court and told Judge Bondy that he "resented it" and that his "record before the bar did not warrant it." He asked that Judge Bondy withdraw from the cas£ because his "mind was closed on it" and he, Rogers, had been "prejudged." House, who declared that he had come into the court without any objections to the case being heard by Judge Bondy, declared that he believed the jurist's description of Rogers' views as being "ridiculous" disqualified him, and asked, too, that Judge Bondy withdraw. Both the receivers' petition and the court were defended in a reply by Elihu Root, Jr., of Root, Clark, Buckner & Ballantyne, counsel for the receivers. Later, when the opposing attorneys suggested that Federal Judge Patterson replace Judge Bondy in the hearing, Root said that that "would be embarrassing" to him, and explained that Judge Patterson was formerly associated with Root, Clark, Buckner & Ballantyne in the practice of law. Judge Knox was then agreed on by all the attorneys. The receivers' petition for allowances originally aggregated $296,000, but was reduced by approximately $45,000 on its submission several weeks ago to Referee Henry K. Davis. N. L. Nothanson Is 2nd Para. Advisor (Continued from page 1) with a renewal of his former active position in Paramount executive councils have been in circulation for months and implied an extension of his authority beyond that of his post as head of the company's Canadian theatres. The four additional members to complete the theatre operating advisory committee which will work with Ralph A. Kohn, head of the company's theatre department, are expected to be named within the next few weeks. They will probably include the operators of Paramount's principal theatre interests in the south, southwest and central west. Nathanson 1 of 4 Seeking N. Y. Roxy Toronto, Jan. 17. — N. L. Nathanson, president of Famous Players Canadian, is reported here as associated with Loew's in one of the four bids for reorganizing the Roxy in New York. He would would take an active interest in the management if the court approves such a deal. The rumored plan has it that Nathanson would place Jack Arthur of Toronto, now at the Imperial, in charge of stage presentations at the Roxy. Many of Arthur's graduates have made good in New York, including Florence Rogge and others of the original Roxy gang. ITOA Lifts Goldwyn Ban After Parley (Continued from page 1) plained the difficulties in turning out "Nana," how he spent a year and a half in getting Anna Sten ready for the screen and the scrapping of the initial negative of the picture. He said he had no fear of anyone's ban and anyone who liked could decide whether or not to buy his pictures. However, exhibitors told Goldwyn that his high cost of production is nothing compared to the $300,000,000 involved in over 400 local independent houses. The exhibitors were elated over the willingness of the producer to study each possibility before selling it. The organization feels that in accomplishing this it has made a constructive move in cementing the relationship between exhibitor and producer. Goldwyn closed his talk by saying an exhibitor is better off paying 40 to 50 per cent for a great picture than paying 15 per cent for a "turkey." He and Lichtman agreed to sit in on a round table conference with the exhibitors and make modifications in the selling policy. About 200 exhibitors atended. Detroit Man Fined On "Elysia" Stills Detroit, Jan. 17. — James Keough, manager of the Adams, has been found guilty in Ordinance Court of displaying obscene stills in his lobby during the showing of "Elysia, Valley of the Nude." Judge John J. Maher sentenced him to 90 days in the House of Correction and fined him $500. Sentence and fine were suspended and Keough placed on probation for one year. If he violates the city ordinance regulating censorship of films, he wilL be required to serve the sentence and pay the fine, the judge ruled. Immediately following the sentencing of Keough, W. H. Kinnear, charged with showing obsence stills at the Rivoli on "This Nude World," entered a plea of guilty and asked for leniency. Kinnear will be sentenced Saturday. In his written opinion, Judge Maher suggested that a board of censorship, composed of representatives of the police department, press, and Board of Education be created to supplant the present system of having all films censored by Lieut. Royal Baker. Change Booking Time Daily booking schedule at the Fox New York exchange has been revised and bookers are now taking dates onlv from 9 A. M. to 4 P. M. If the reported reorganization plan of Nathanson is accepted by the court, it would take at least six months before the house would change hands. This time is necessary because of the financial entanglements which first have to be straightened out. Other reorganization plans under consideration by the first mortgage bondholders include one from Herbert Lubin, Harry C. Arthur and another unnamed exhibitor, not Roxy.