Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1934)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Wednesday, February 14, 1934 No Harm in Radio Shows, Says Bowes (Continued from page 1) any difference as far as theatre attendance is concerned. Bowes, however, predicted that the policy of inviting free audiences will be shortlived inasmuch as unseen audiences are becoming annoyed at the dress shows put on for studio patronage and to which they are not a witness. Julius Tannen also lambasted studio invitations on the ground that the shows put on there are to satisfy the advertising men and not the outside listeners. He claimed that agencies were governed by responses from studio patronage rather than the multitude of listeners, which is not the way to judge a performer. Harry Hershfield said he recently stopped free watchers to his broadcasts because they did not distinguish between the good gags and the bad and laughed at all of them. Henry Hull declared the spoken stage will never be superseded by any machine developed by anybody and the personal contact between the actor and audience will never make way for radio or any other device. David Warfield spoke on the stage and Judge Samuel Levy on the children's court. Columbia Sends Out Men for "One Night Lou Goldberg, exploitation head for Columbia, is sending eight exploiteers on the road to campaign on "It Happened One Night." Les Kaufman will cover bookings on the picture in Cleveland, Dayton, Kansas City and Columbus; Harold Harris will handle dates at Washington, Cincinnati and Baltimore ; Jack Thoma, St. Paul, Cedar Rapids, Sioux Falls, Minneapolis, Des Moines, Davenport and Omaha; Fred Marshall, Providence, Springfield, Hartford, Boston and Lowell, Mass. ; Mike Newman, San Francisco and Seattle ; Ralph Gervers, Detroit and Rochester ; Ed Olmstead, Hartford, Buffalo and Springfield, Mass. ; Ted Toddy, New Orleans. FWC Ruling Today Hollywood, Feb. 13. — Ruling in the Fox West Coast hearing held this morning on arbitration of trustees' fees has been put off until tomorrow by Referee S. W. McNabb. MOTION PICTURE ALMANAC I9S4-35 NOW /A/ PMPA/IA T/OA/ WHERE THE WORLD LOOKS FOR MOTION PICTURE MUCE less fact* Cantor Favors Cuts For Benefit Funds Fixing a percentage of all benefit receipts that will be turned over to various actors' charities is favored by Eddie Cantor as a condition for participation by stage talent. Cantor says all benefits should be investigated before talent agrees to take part and a representative of the Actors' Betterment Ass'n., of which he is honorary president, should have access to box-offices and books. He also says a special board should be set up to handle the problem with representatives of the Actors' Fund, Equity, Jewish Theatrical Guild, Catholic Actors' Guild, Episcopal Actors' Guild, N. V. A. Saranac Fund and musicians', stagehands' and operators' unions. Sound Independents Forming New Group With the objective of uniting unlicensed, independent sound equipment manufacturers for their own protection and that of users of their products against pending and probable future litigation, a number of equipment manufacturers are organizing a Talking Picture Equipment Manufacturers' Division of the Entertainment Apparatus Mfrs. Ass'n. Leaders in the organizing movement are H. J. Maul, Leroy Sound Equipment Corp., Rochester ; E. Oliver, Oliver Mfg. Co., Cleveland; James E. Nestell, Weber Machine Co., New York, and J. A. Tanney, S. O. S. Corp., New York. B. & K. Scale Boost Sought in Chicago {Continued from page 1) "The Student Prince" is docketed as one of the early complaints to be presented to the local grievance board. Exhibitors, particularly those near the Uptown and Southtown, are finding the going too tough in the face of these elaborate stage shows at the current admission prices charged. Some are threatening to return to double features unless a more equitable admission scale is worked out. Recognize Ushers, Labor Board Says (Continued from page 1) NRA Regional Labor Board here, following a hearing of the local's charges of coercion of employes of the Paramount, Stapleton, S. I., who are now on strike. The Regional Board also recommended that the striking employes return to work. Paramount officials had both recommendations under consideration last night. Hepburn Returns to Air A deal is reported set whereby Katharine Hepburn will broadcast on the Hind's hour, heard over the NBC nationwide network, originating at station WEAF, for $5,000 per broadcast. The present contract calls for only one appearance, but it is rumored that the sponsors are planning a series starring Miss Hepburn, at a reduced salary figure, however. Flash Reviews "Spitfire" (Radio) Hollywood, Feb. 13. — Way off the beaten path The production is a triumph of Miss Hepburn's personality.... "Gambling Lady" ( W arners) Hollywood, Feb. 13. — A swell role for Barbara Stanwyck. . . .Satisfactory entertainment .... "Cat and the Fiddle" (M-G-M) Excellent entertainment Nicely staged and acted, and the music is pleasing. . . . "The Big Race" (Showmen's Pictures) An average story of the racetrack soaked with the atmosphere of the paddocks. . . . "Catherine, the Great," tonight's opener at the Astor, was reviewed Feb. 1. Radio Won't Reduce List, Says Depinet Hollywood, Feb. 13. — Merian Cooper's resignation will not affect the number of films announced for production at Radio at the beginning of the season, it was said today by Ned Depinet, who asserted the studio will deliver 44 as planned. To date 32 have been completed or are in work. Eleven more will follow. Announcement of personnel and future production plans will be forthcoming within a day or two following conferences between Depinet and other officials of the company. Expectations are that next season will see a similar number of films produced. Not Out of NRA Washington, Feb. 13. — Recent announcement that William P. Farnsworth had resigned as a member of the legitimate theatre code authority has resulted in rumors he also resigned as NRA deputy administrator, leading to issuance today by the Administration of a statement that his severance from the authority was in line with the policy of relieving deputy administrators from membership in code authorities wherever possible, but that he had not resigned from the Administration. K. C. Settlement Delayed Kansas City, Mo., Feb. 13.— Because of lack of definite agreement toward settlement of the ShanbergWoolf Federal Court actions, the Fox Rocky Mountain and Midland Theatre reorganization plan looked for on or about Feb. IS has been further delayed. It is now expected settlement of the litigation and the reorganization will be announced simultaneously early in March. Switch Producers Hollywood, Feb. 13. — Walter Wanger has been replaced as producer on M-G-M's "Operator 13" by Lucien Hubbard. The reason is said to be the dissatisfaction of Marion Davies and William Randolph Hearst over changes made in the story under Wanger's supervision. Cullman Complains On Mayfair Tickets Complaint that the Mayfair is distributing complimentary tickets in violation of the code has been made to Division Administrator Sol A. Rosenblatt by Howard S. Cullman, receiver for the Roxy. The letter sent to the division administrator follows : "May I bring to your attention one of the courtesy tickets which are being widely circulated bv the Mayfair theatre? "This is apparently a clear violation of the motion picture code relating to unfair practices involving exhibitors, as stated specifically in Article V, E, Part 3, Section 1, and it further seems to me that to print the NRA insignia on such a flagrant violation of the President's code is a piece of inexcusable effrontery." When questioned about the complaint, Walter Reade, operator of the Mayfair, replied in his usual polite fashion which, after considerable editing, ran something like this : "I don't know you and I don't knowAir. Cullman. As far as Cullman is concerned, he can go fly a kite. I'll run my business the way I want to and that's that." Rembusch Suit Gets Start in U. S. Court (Continued from page 1) before U. S. District Court Judge Alfred M. Coxe with the introduction of documentary evidence and brief testimony. The trial will resume today and is expected to continue for at least one month. Evidence introduced yesterday was historical in nature, coyering costs of distribution, maintenance and functions of Film Boards of Trade and the M.P.P.D.A., film contracts, rules of arbitration and of credit committees prior to their being outlawed, and definition of industry terms. Rembusch, a former Indianapolis exhibitor, charges the defendants with conspiracy and seeks damages aggregating in excess of $2,000,000. He is represented by the law firms of Graham & Reynolds and Weed & Candler. Max D. Steuer is attorney for the defendants. Erskine Beginning Today at Biograph The Biograph studio, renovated and modernized to meet the requirements of sound, starts its new career in up-to-date dress this morning when Chester Erskine begins work on "Frankie and Johnny" for All-Star Prod., Inc. Lined up for the cast are Helen Morgan, Lilyan Tashman, Florence Reed, Chester Morris, Cora Witherspoon, Walter Kingsford, Jack Hazzard, William Harrigan, Sam Wren, Barry McCollum, Victor Young and his orchestra and the Chester Hale girls. Erskine's picture is the first to be housed in the studio. Richard Wallace and Jess Smith are talking a newcompany with the same plant in view for one picture, at least. Neilan Coming Hollywood, Feb. 13. — Marshall Neilan is on his way east with two screen personalities to head a Broadway show which he plans to produce shortly.