Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1934)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Who? What? When? Who are the appointees on code boards announced by Code Authority in New York? More thumbnail sketches, gathered by Motion Picture Daily correspondents, furnish the answer: New York 6 Industry May Join Fight on New City Tax (Continued from page 1) tax, would feel the new emergency city levy the most. Indications are that the local industry will muster a group of spokesmen to voice the New York theatre and film trade's opposition to the proposed measure at public hearings on the mayor's bill to be held at City Hall this afternoon. A few industry spokesmen, however, deprecated the effect of the proposed gross receipts tax on the local industry, pointing out that it is expected to yield only an approximate $8,000,000 to the city from all sources. On this basis, they contended, the local film industry probablv would not bear more than $400,000 to $500,000 as its proportion. If the proposed tax is enacted, returns must be filed by Aug. 1, at which time the tax is due. Reade Looks for No Ban on Hitler Film (Continued from page 1) the state censor board, other than a possible recommendation for a change of title, Walter Reade, Mayfair operator, said yesterday. The censor board withheld a permit for the Hitler picture and Reade now plans to open it as a newsreel compilation under the provisions exempting newsreels from licensing by the censor board. Reade said he anticipated a possible recommendation for a change of title to the simple "Hitler's Reign," as was done by the Chicago censor board in connection with the showings of the film in that city. Other than that, he said he anticipated no interference, but indicated he would apply for an injunction restraining the censor board from banning the exhibition in the event an attempt was made .to do so. Seeks Cut with Princess Suit for $100,000 damages has been filed in the Supreme Court against Princess Irena Youssoupoff, who was recently awarded $125,000 damages against M-G-M by an English court for alleged damage done her character in the film "Rasputin," by Serge Ury Shiskin, charging that she had failed to carry out an agreement signed with him to aid her in her suit against M-G-M. He declared his agreement with the Princess, signed in Nice, France, before the American Consul, entitled him to 50 per cent of all moneys she collected as a result of her suit against the producers of "Rasputin." L. A. Gets Going Monday Los Angeles, April 26. — With headquarters established, the local grievance board will swing into action Monday morning with three cases on schedule. The zoning board is laying plans of operation, with Minnie Kopple, who resigned as joint secretary Saturday, being induced by John C. Flinn, executive secretary of Code Authority, to change her mind. Clearance and Zoning Board Robert S. Wolff, distributor with theatre affiliation, was born July 25, 1896, in New York City. He entered the business at the age of 20. He graduated from P. S. 44 in the 1910 class, and also high school and attended a commercial school in Brooklyn. Wolff -left the commercial school in 1914 to become manager of the Orient Theatre in New York. After three years as a theatre manager, Wolff joined George Kleine of the K. E. S. Exchange, where he remained for one year and then joined the marines. In 1919 he rejoined Kleine as salesman, the K. E. S. firm having consolidated with General Film Co. He continued with the company until it dissolved and then he identified himself with the World Film Co. in a sales capacity. He left the firm to join National Screen Service as special sales representative for Connecticut and Pennsylvania. In 1921, Wolff joined W. W. Hodkinson and after a year was elevated from salesman to branch manager at New Haven. Another promotion followed a year later when he was named assistant sales manager for the New York branch. In 1926 he was appointed branch manager of the Pathe New Jersey exchange. The company was then taken over by Radio and shortly after he was named sales manager for the New York exchange, a post he holds today. He is married, a member of the M. P. Charity Fund, the M. P. Club, the NVA committee, was president of the New York Film Board in 1933 and is now chairman of the executive board of that organization. Leo Abrams, distributor without theatre affiliation, was born April 16, 1895, in Granville, N. Y. He is a graduate of Granville High School and attended N. Y. U. He has been with one film company, Universal, 18 years and that is the only company he has worked for since he left college. In March, 1916, he joined Bluebird Pictures as salesman in New York and then covered several other territories in the metronolitan area until 1926, when he was appointed short subject sales manager for Big U. Later in that year he was named Brooklyn and Long Island branch manager for the company and in 1927 was transferred to New Haven as exchange head. A year later he was designated manager of the St. Louis exchange and shortly after was transferred to Kansas City in the same capacity. In 1929 he was shifted to New York to succeed Dave Miller as general sales manager of the local Universal exchange. Miller was switched to the managership of the Buffalo office. Abrams continues as general sales head of the local exchange. He married his secretary, Hannah Pettit, the Christmas of 1931. He has no children and is not affiliated with any social or political organizations. David Loew, representing affiliated theatres, was born in October, 1897, in New York City. He is a graduate of Public School 165, the Hamilton Institute and also attended N. Y. U. His entrance into the film business was as an office boy for Loew's, Inc., of which his father was head, and later he was placed in charge of the real estate department. Shortly after he took on booking duties. He still holds both posts in addition to being vice-president of Loew's. He is a member of the Quakeridge Golf Club in Mamaroneck, the M. P. Club, the Pi Lambda Phi, the last a fraternity organization of N. Y. U. Harry Shiffman, independent first run exhibitor, has virtually been brought up in the exhibition field, having started at the age of 14 when he joined his uncle, the late Sol Brill, as assistant projectionist in a penny arcade, which Brill operated above a nickelodeon at 700 Broadway. Shiffman was born December 6, 1891, in New York City and at the age of 13 started to work for Brill in the latter's cloth sponging factory. From this point on Shiffman was identified with Brill until the latter's death in 1931. He saw William Fox become Brill's partner in 1907 and together the two exhibitors opened three houses in Brooklyn, all nickelodeons. The first was at 900 Broadway, the second at 1,100 Broadway, which was followed a year later by the acquisition of the Comedy. With the latter take-over, Shiffman dropped mechanical work to become attached to the office, handling minor detail work. About 1910, the partnership between Fox and Brill was ended and the houses sold. Shiffman continued in the employ of Brill when the latter entered business for himself, taking over the Globe, Central and Sumner in Brooklyn. In 1911, Shiffman was made film buyer. Then followed a partnership between Brill and B. S. Moss and the office was moved to New York. Under this arrangement the Washington theatre on Washington Heights, the Jefferson on 14th Street, and the Hamilton on 146th Street and Broadway were added to the circuit. In 1914, the Moss-Brill tie was broken and still Shiffman continued with Brill, who then began organizing his own circuit, building the Strand, Far Rockaway, and the Meserole, Brooklyn. Shiffman was then appointed general manager of Brill's theatres. Several years later, Brill built the Inwood on Dykman Street, which was sold to Loew's, but continued operating his other houses until 1928, when Charles Moses and Irwin Johnson, better known as Moses & Johnson, became his partners. A year following, Brill bought out his associates' interest in six Staten Island houses, the Ritz, Stadium, Liberty, Capitol, Strand and New Dorp. 1930 found Brill building his last (Continu-ed on page 7) Friday, April 27, 1934 Ask Rentals, Ads as Basis Of Clearance (Continued from page 1) the suburbans with bringing about the first run conditions they complained of, by refusing to eliminate price cutting, double bills and giveaways and by repeatedly rejecting offers of the affiliated first runs to arrive at a solution. The complaint in the hands of the clearance and zoning board asking immediate revision of protection takes in Kansas City, Mo. ; Kansas City, Kan., and North Kansas City, Mo. The petitioners seek to reopen the entire question with a view to revision all the way in the light of changed competitive prices and policies. The protest is signed by exhibitors representing 16 theatres, a minority of the subsequents in the area affected. The Independent Theatre Owners are behind the protest. All complainants are members of the organization. Loew Labor Checkup To Be Ended Today (Continued from page 1) tive of the Department of Labor, assigned to investigate the union's membership claims. A similar checkup of RKO theatres' service employes will be begun immediately afterward and may be completed by Monday or Tuesday. The checkup is to determine whether or not metropolitan theatres must recognize the service union and negotiate new wage scales with it, and is dependent upon substantiation of the union's claims that it represents a majority of service employes in the larger circuits. St. Louis Fees Are Set St. Louis, April 26. — Circuit Judge Henry Hamilton has allowed fees of $6,000 each to Jesse W. Barrett and Walter H. Nohl who served as circuit court receivers for Skouras Brothers Enterprises, Inc., from December 2, 1931, to November 6, 1933. Previously they had received $2,000 each. Harry S. Rooks, who served as attorney for the receivers, was allowed a fee of $10,000 in full payment. Delay Grievance Session Because Milt Kusell, New York state district manager for Paramount, does not expect to return from Chicago by Tuesday, the New York grievance board has postponed its next session from May 2 to May 3. Kusell left for Chicago late yesterday to attend the two-day Paramount district managers' meeting which starts tomorrow. Buffalo Board to Meet Buffalo, April 26. — First official meeting of the local zoning and clearance board will be held next Monday. No cases were considered at the grievance board session this week. Film Board Meets Today The executive committee of the local Film Board of Trade will meet today at the M. P. Club to discuss general affairs.