Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1934)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Saturday, March 17, 193-4 MOTION PICTURE DAILY (Registered U. S. Patent Office) Vol. March 17, 1934 No. 63 Martin Quigley Editor-in-Chief and Publisher MAURICE KANN j^r Editor JAMES A. CRON Advertising Manager Published daily except Sunday and holidays by Motion Picture Daily, Inc., subsidiary of Uuigley Publications, Inc., Martin Quigley, President; Colvin Brown, Vice-President and Treasurer. Publication Office: 1790 Broadway, New York. Telephone CIcle 7-31UU. Cable address "Quigpubco, New York." All contents copyrighted 1934 by Motion Picture Daily, Inc. Address all correspondence to the .New York Office. Other Quigley publications: MOTION PICTURE HERALD, BETTER THEATRES, THE MOTION PICTURE ALMANAC and THE CHICAGOAN. Hollywood Bureau: Postal Union Life Building, Vine and Yucca Streets, Victor M. Shapiro, Manager; Chicago Bureau; 407 South Dearborn Street, Edwin S. Clifford, manager; London Bureau: 6 Brookland Close, Hampstead Garden Suburb, Bernard Charman, Representative; Berlin Bureau: Berlin Tempelhof , Kaiserin-Augustastrasse 28, Joachim K. Rutenberg, Representative; Paris Bureau: 19, Rue de la Cour-desNoues, Pierre Autre, Representative; Rome Bureau: Viale Gorizia, Vittorio Malpassuti, Representative; Sydney Bureau: 102 Sussex Street, Cliff Holt, Representative; Mexico City Bureau: Apartado 269, James Lockhart, Representative; Glasgow Bureau. 86 Dundrennan Road, G. Holmes, Representative; Budapest Bureau: 11 Olaaz Fasor 17, Endre Hevesi, Representative. Entered as second class matter January 4. 1926 at the Post Office at New York City, N Y., under Act of March 3, 1879. Subscription rates per year: $6 in the Americas, except Canada $15 and foreign $12. Single copies: 10 cents. Germany Puts a Ban On "Song of Songs" Berlin, March 16. — Paramount's "Song of Songs," with Marlene Dietrich, was banned throughout Germany today by order of the government without explanation. The Paramount foreign department said yesterday that it had not been advised yet of the reasons for the ban and that no action could be taken until it had been. Its Berlin representative expects to have the official reasons disclosed to him later. Australia and India banned the picture several months ago. Announcement was made in Berlin several days ago that Miss Dietrich had contributed to a welfare fund there. Miss Dietrich explained in Hollywood she had donated $500 to the winter fund for German poor children, and that it was not intended as a contribution to the Nazi party. Mayor Gets 306 Protest Mayor LaGuardia was asked yesterday by a delegation representing Local 306 and Rahman de Belal M. P. Operators' Post, American Legion, to refuse to attend the installation of officers of the I. T. O. A. at the Hotel Astor Monday night on the alleged ground the exhibitor organization has shown unfairness toward organized labor and has violated the code. Gulf States to Meet New Orleans, March 16. — Gulf States Theatre Owners Ass'n will hold a two-day convention at the Roosevelt April 10 and 11. Warners Set For 60 Again Next Season {Continued from page 1) Coast beginning in April. All others will be made in the East. Warners reached a high point in their output this year, he said, with the company completing 60 features in 12 months. The production season started May 18 last year. This is more than in any previous year and is the first time the company has delivered all that it had promised. In some previous years more had been promised, Warner said, but only 50 or 52 had actually been delivered. Theatres generally • are showing a 15 to 20 per cent increase over last year, Warner said, with the outlook favorable for continued improvement. Conditions are better everywhere, he asserted, except in California where industries are lagging. The NRA has increased costs 15 per cent, he said, but, he went on, "you pay out 15 per cent more and get back 40 per cent more. If it weren't for the NRA, where would we be at?" The Warner production head is chairman of the California state NRA. Commenting on the salary problem, Warner said he did not anticipate cuts in high salaries. "To get high quality you have to pay high salaries," he said. "Four musicals will be on the company's schedule next season, one of which will be with Jolson," he stated. There will also be an increase in the number of Spanish dialogue pictures for Latin countries, with Enrico Caruso, Jr., starred in one. Dinner for Dowling Philadelphia, March 16. — Eddie Dowling is to be guest of honor at a dinner to be given here on April 4 by a group of Democratic leaders. M. E. Comerford, Frank C. Walker, Postmaster General Farley and others are expected to attend. Dave Milgram a Father Philadelphia, March 16. — Dave Milgram is proud father of a seven and one-half pound boy named William. Mrs. Milgram is doing nicely. Para. Theatre Pool in South Said Brewing (Continued from page 1) zelle interests in Texas. A report that details of the plan would be discussed by the Paramount theatre mentors meeting Saturday at Bay St. Louis were answered at Saenger headquarters here with the statement that E. V. Richards, head of Saenger, is not expected back from a current business trip until next week and is too far away at this time to reach Bay St. Louis by tomorrow. Local strength is loaned to the report of the rumored combine, however, by the fact that Hoblitzelle's Interstate Circuit filed a Louisiana charter a year ago listing Marc A. Bane, James L. Champagne and Guth Anderson as incorporators. Saenger offices here are given as the addresses of all three. Richards' recent reorganization of the Peninsular Circuit. Florida, and his continued absence from the city are also cited by local theatre men as lending credence to the report. Confirmation is completely lacking. M. P. Club's New Bar To Be Ready April 1 The new bar for the lounge of the Motion Picture Club will be ready about April 1 for a dedication with appropriate ceremonies, club officers stated yesterday. Regular cocktail hours with dancing will be on the club's social calendar following the opening of the bar. Applications for membership continue to come in in large volume, it was said. The initiation fee is still suspended for those making application now but will be resumed after the reorganization period. Texas Walkathon Ban Up Austin, Tex., March 16. — A bill to ban walkathons has been passed by both branches of the legislature and is now awaiting the governor's signature. Universal Pfd. Up 2 on Big Board Columbia Pictures, vtc. Keith-Albee-Orpheum, pfd. Loew's, Inc Paramount Publix Pathe Exchange Pathe Exchange "A" RKO Universal Pictures, pfd Warner Bros Net High 27 Low Close Change Sales 2654 27 + 56 1,000 16« 16 16 — H 800 8954 8954 8954 +1 200 1554 1554 1554 -54 30 30 30 100 32?i 32 3254 + 56 5.500 554 5 554 4,700 354 354 354 + 54 2,600 1854 mi 1874 + y$ 1.100 m 354 3% + y& 2.500 35 35 35 +2 1.000 6% 644 1.300 Technicolor Off Vi on Curb High Low Close Technicolor 9 9 9 Trans Lux 256 256 256 Net Change Paramount Publix Bonds Up High General Theatre Equipment 6s '40 1054 General Theatre Equipment 6s '40, ctf 954 Keith's B. F. 6s '46 64 Loew's 6s '41, ww deb rights 9854 Paramount F. L. 6s '47 49 Paramount Publix 554s '50 50 Pathe 7s '37, ww 9354 Warner Bros. 6s '39, wd 5654 Low 1056 95-6 64 4954 9354 56 Close 1056 954 64 9856 49 50 9354 5654 2 Net Change -56 54 + 54 Sales 100 100 Sales 31 6 1 4 12 6 4 18 4 Purely Personal i NAT SPINGOLD, Abe Montagu? Bill Jaffe, Howard Dietz. Moi Spring, Leo Lubin, Eugene Zvko< George Weltner, John Flinn, Lou; Phillips, Harry Brandt, Lou: Blumenthal, William Small, Jaci Shapiro and Joe Vergesslici among the noon-day diners at the M P. Club yesterday. Joseph Quittner, Edward Mad den and Max Rudnick are plannin; to reopen the Central on a burlesqu policy about March 24 under the narr. of the Columbia. Richard Hall of the Warwick wi be host at a St. Patrick's Day cock tail party for stage and screen bigwig this afternoon with Eddie Dowlin officiating as master of ceremonies. Warner, Wehrenberg Confer on St. Loui (Continued from page 1) tion with Warners in return for sirr ilar cooperation from the circuit on erators. Wehrenberg came on from Wasl ington after conferring with Divisk Administrator Sol A. Rosenblatt. B< fore returning to St. Louis yeste day, the head of the Eastern Missou and Southern Illinois exhibitor un also talked to Harry C. Arthur, wl expects to acquire the Missouri, An! bassador and Grand Central in 5 Louis about August 1. Portland Groups to Enter Theatre Fiel Portland, March 16. — The Por land Council of Churches, Parer Teachers Ass'n. and various womer organizations have organized a M tion Picture Council for the purpo of opening a downtown theatre whe only approved films will be show The new organization claims the is need of films suitable for juven entertainment. How other theatres will view t new competition and what attitu distributors will take toward furnis ing film has not been learned as y Hornig Named Heat Of Maryland MPT Baltimore, March 16. — New o cers were elected and installed vest< day by the M. P. T. O. of Maiylai Frank A. Hornig was named pre dent ; Arthur B. Price, vice-presidei J. Harry Gruver, treasurer : He Connelly, secretary. Louis Gaertn Walter Pacy. Herman A. Blum, S; Soltz, Thomas D. Goldberg, J. Lo Rome were named to the directors County directors were elected as f lows: Philip Miller, Annapolis, M' Earle Burkins, Belair, Md. Beecher Goes to Coast Milton Beecher of the M-G publicity department left yesterday the coast to confer with How; Strickling. He will stop off at Louis and Denver. Accompany him is Fred Wilcox, assistant dir tor. Beecher will be gone abou' month.