Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1934)

The Leading |lewsB§e^ of the Motion|| Picture Industry MOTION PICTURE DAILY Alert, Intelligent Faith fut| i the Industry in All Branches >L. 35. NO. 39 NEW YORK, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1934 TEN CENTS lode Boards Confined to Total of 62 rsey, Jacksonville and Louisville Dropped >trict adherence to code provisions 1 keep the number of clearance and ling and grievance boards to 62, 31 zones, thereby eliminating the sibility of any part of New Jersey, any other distribution center which not a sales office of its own having rds to handle local problems. Northern New Jersey, Louisville . Jacksonville have been under coniration by Code Authority as prob■ points for additional boards, but plan has been dropped in view of fact that complaints originating m these sources can be handled hout difficulty by boards to be .blished at key centers from which v are sold. New Jersey exhibitors divide their complaints between New York and Philadelphia. (Continued on page 4) gents to Discuss Code's Provisions irectors of the National Ass'n. of i atrical Artists' Representatives ents) will hold a general meeting [he Astor tomorrow at 2 P.M., at :h time details of code provisions e heard by Code Authority today be outlined. irectors to attend are: Arthur ns, president ; Alex Gerber, viceident; M. S. Bentham, Leland ward, George Grossmitfa, Charles :s, Irving Cooper, Richard Pitt(Continued on page 4) 1 >senblatt Asks End If May fair Tickets I vision Administrator Soi A. RosP,itt has notified Howard S. Culll receiver for the Roxy, that he I king the Mayfair to discontinue C tesy tickets" and to comply with r sions of the code. Cullman re (Continued on page 4) New Monicker Billy Brandt says if unionang of theatre help, such as shers, doormen and the like, mtinnes, ushers are apt to called traffic engineers. Half Board Absent Five alternates will sit for Code Authority members at today's meeting. Neil Agnew will act for George J. Schaefer, who has gone to Miami; Jack Cohn will occupy R. H. Cochrane's chair, the Universal executive being ill with a cold; Leslie E. Thompson will sit for M. H. Aylesworth, now in Hollywood; J. Robert Rubin will represent Nicholas M. Schenck, who is due on the coast today; John D. Clark is slated to speak for S. R. Kent, vacationing in Miami. The other 50 per cent of the board will be there in person. K. C. Gathers Evidence for Code Boards Kansas City, Feb. 15. — Evidence of unfair competition in alleged violation of the code is being gathered by individual exhibitors here to serve as basis of complaints to the territorial grievance board when it is set up. If establishment of the board is unduly delayed, the evidence will be submitted direct to Sol A. Rosenblatt, division administrator, it is said. Alleged code violations pertain to (Continued on page 4) Unions Attempt to Line Up Re-Winders A determined effort by labor representatives to organize film re-winders and inspectors employed in exchanges (Continued on page 4) MOVE McDONOUGH, DEPINET UP LINE Theatres Tell Union No Pact Can Be Signed A polite defiance was delivered to Local 118, Building Service Employes Union, the new organization of ushers, doormen, cashiers, ticket takers and janitors, by repreentatives of what was said to be 95 per cent of the Greater New York theatres at a meeting with officers of the local at Loew's yesterday. The meeting advised Charles C. Levey, secretary-treasurer of the local, that it would refuse to make^ an exclusive contract with his organization, or any other, on the grounds that it might result in hardship for loyal employes who might be in line (Continued on page 4) Philadelphia Cut Rates Cause Worry Philadelphia, Feb. 15. — The low nrice legitimate theatre scale at the Erlanger and Broad Street Theatres, operated by Samuel F. Nixon-Nirdlinger, is looming as another competitive threat for the downtown picture houses. Beginning with the "pass-system," with the plentiful distribution of paper redeemable at the box-office with a 40c fee per person, both houses followed (Continued on page 11) Goldwyn 9s Star Pay Yarn In Magazine Stirs Coast Hollywood, Feb. 15. — Samuel Goldwyn's Saturday Evening Post article, "Do We Pay Our Picture Stars Too Much?" has stirred up plenty of excitement here. It is called a violation of the studio agreement not to publicize star salaries on the ground that it has a bad psychological effect throughout the country. Goldwyn's argument was that stars' earning power covers only about five years of their lives ; that they often spend years working up to stardom, and that their income should be prorated over their acting careers. They are entitled to what they get, he insisted, because their next picture may be their last, and two bad pictures are sufficient to ruin most careers. It is understood that several studios have protested to the Hays office that the article was a violation of production ethics. Former to Become Film Head — Cooper Induced To Retain Post Hollywood, Feb. 15. — That J. R. McDonough, general manager and vice-chairman of the board of directors of RKO, is to be elevated to the presidency of RKO Radio Pictures was announced by M. H. Aylesworth, president and chairman of the directorate of RKO, before departing for New York tonight. Plans are, according to Aylesworth, to have McDonough divide his time between New York and the coast. Other appointments, it is understood, will be made at the next board of directors meeting. B. B. Kahane, now president of RKO Radio Pictures, will be continued as president of the RKO Studios, subsidiary of RKO Radio Pictures, but will devote all his time to studio affairs and operations. Another change will find Ned Depinet as president of the RKO Distributing Corp. Merian Cooper, (Continued on page 9) Fox Midwest-Para. Deal Is About Set Kansas City, Feb. 15. — While somewhat delayed by differences over disposition of film contracts held for the houses, the deal whereby Fox Midwest takes over the Paramount theatres in Joplin and Springfield, Mo., will shortly be consummated, according to Ed Grubel, of Grubel Bros., the landlords. Grubel said the deal, which will (Continued on page 9) New Fox Met. Plan Ready Any Day Now Reorganization plans for Fox Metropolitan Playhouses will be presented to the court any day now, Ernest Niver, chairman of the committee, (Continued on page 9) Crowded Out Motion Picture Daily regrets lack of space made it necessary to reject nine columns of advertising offered yesterday for publication in this morning's edition.