Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1934)

The Leading Daily Newspaper Motioniy Picture Industry MOTION PICTURE DAILY Alert, Intelligent the Industry in All Branches VOL. 35. NO. 74 NEW YORK, FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 1934 TEN CENTS Contend Code Fails to End Malpractices Review Board Testimony Attacks "Big Eight" Washington, March 29. — The code has done nothing to deal with problems of malpractice and discrimination which have wracked the industry for years, witnesses produced by Lowell Mason, attorney for the National Recovery Review Board, before that government body in its resumed hearing today were designed to demonstrate. Protection, prices and other policies of the so-called "Big Eight" distributors came under virulent attack. The parade of witnesses testifying to their inability to obtain product (Continued on page 6) Copyright Measure Given New Hearing Washington, March 29. — A bill providing for the entry of the United States into the International Copyright Union, which would give scenario writers and authors in this country automatic protection for their work in 53 other nations, was before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today for further hearings. A similar bill, but which provided also for thorough revision of the American copyright laws, sponsored by Rep. Sirovich, has been introduced on two previous occasions without success. Consolidated Going Into More Financing Hollywood, March 29. — Consolidated is making plans to dip deeper into the financing of independent producers. This is the purpose of the trip east of Ben Goetz, vice-president of the company, who left for New York last night. Herbert J. Yates, president of Consolidated, who has been in Hollywood, returns to New York todav. Nazi-Dollfuss Deal Bans Jewish Actors Berlin, March 29. — Under an exchange agreement between the Nazi and Dollfuss governments, films with Jewish actors will not be shown in Germany and a plan created under which the Austrian government, in the future, agrees not to permit its producers to use Jewish actors in pic(Continued on page 10) NRA's 10% Cancellation Rule Slated to Prevail Fox-Hearst Newsreel Deal Seen Over; Latter On Own The joint newsreel deal to which Fox Movietone News and Hearst Metrotone News have been parties for the last five years is reliably understood to have been cancelled by the latter. William Randolph Hearst will continue on his own in that field and, for that purpose, it is understood a new company, to be owned by the newspaper publisher and M-G-M, is in formation. This company will produce the reel for release twice a week through M-G-M. Efforts to reach Truman H. Talley, general manager of Fox Movietone News, and Edgar B. Hatrick, general manager of the Hearst film interests, were unavailing yesterday. A spokesman for the latter, however, declared last night the situation was "unchanged," referring to negotiations on a contract renewal which have been under way for about a week. Otto H. Kahn Dead; Factor In Para. Plan Otto H. Kahn, patron of the arts and senior partner in Kuhn, Loeb & Co., international bankers, died suddenly yesterday. He was 67 years old. Prominently identified with the major financing of Paramount Publix during the years of its greatest expansion, company executive opinion was divided last night on whether or (Continued on page 8) Paramount to Study Outside Short Ideas Hollywood, March 29. — Before leaving for the east, Lou Diamond said that present plans call for Paramount to produce all its own shorts this year, but the company is still open for any novel ideas outside producers may present. Price-Fixing Held Allowed In Kansas Law Kansas City, March 29. — New Kansas legislation bringing state laws in line with NRA provisions is held by Kansas City distributors to legalize film contracts, which had been voided by the Kansas Supreme Court on the ground of illegal price fixing. The distributors have discovered that an act suspending the state anti(Continued on page 10) KMT A May Resume MPTOA Affiliation Kansas City, March 29. — A movement may get under way soon to afliate the Kansas-Missouri Theatre Ass'n. with the M. P. T. O. A. Some of the exhibitor leaders here believe it was a mistake to have broken away (Continued on page 10) British Films a Stimulus! To Hollywood — Giannini Los Angeles, March 29. — Great Britain's two recent film successes — "The Private Life of Henry VIII" and "Catherine the Great"-— ought to prove a stimulus to Hollywood, says Dr. A. H. Giannini in the first two of a series of three articles on the financial pages of the Herald and Examiner. After discussing the varying reactions in England to its new found (Continued on page 8) Dec. 7 Date StandsRosenblatt Pushed Adoption Issue The 10 per cent cancellation ruling retroactive to Dec. 7 stands. By a vote of eight to two yesterday, Campi accepted the interpretation of Division Administrator Sol A. Rosenblatt and instructed all grievance boards to hear applications made by exhibitors asking for the cancellation privilege. This will hold only for theatre owners in good standing. Exhibitors who have not lived up to contracts, owe exchanges money or can be proven to be delinquents will not be qualified, it is understood. It is understood the authority has received many letters from exhibitors asking for a showdown on the cancellation question, the theatre men in general complaining that exchange managers would not accept the decision of Rosenblatt and the interpretation and ruling of the NRA legal department in Washington. Rosenblatt is said to have insisted upon acceptance of the ruling. The matter was put to a vote yes(Continued on page 8) Predict Code Will Be Handled Easily Cherokee^ la., March 29. — That the film code may be the most easily enforced of any industry was the belief expressed at the district meeting of the M.P.T.O. here, with 20 towns represented. The code members will have control over the industry through exchanges, it was stated, and if an exhibitor fails to obey the code after official notification exchanges will be notified to stop (Continued on page 8) Boards Back Again; More Shifts Made Following a nine-hour session of Campi yesterday, boards for New York and Philadelphia were sent back to the selection committee for revamping. Code Authority instructed the committee to set up a clearance and zoning program for New York which would provide for a main board of six and three advisory committees, one for each exchange zone. The plan {Continued on page 8)