Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1934)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Wednesday. May 9, 1934 K. C. Promulgates New Clearance Plan (Continued from page 1) exhibited by subsequents on dual bills until double the effective clearance over subsequents shall have elapsed. Theatres have been reclassified according to admission price, with first run scales set as the clearance basis. The board without a dissenting vote reduced protection ranging from 28 to 49 days for first runs charging 25 cents down to 14 days, while for first runs charging over 25 cents protection was cut from 28 to seven days over Kansas City, Kan., first runs equally priced. Twenty-five cent first runs get only prior protection over suburbans charging 30 cents or more. Protection has been reduced to 21 days over North Kansas City, Mo., 20-centers. First run protection over 10-centers, now ranging from about 70 to 80 days, has been extended to 135 days after the 25-cent first runs and to 233 days following the 60-centers. Suburbans charging 25 cents and 20 cents gain an advantage following 25-cent first runs, while suburbans charging less are set back. The schedule sets the period of availability to subsequents in accordance with the first run admission price for adults after 6 P.M. The first run price is considered reduced with commensurate lowering of protection if a first run offers premiums of any sort or otherwise reduces prices. Frisco Board Hands Down First Decision San Francisco, May 8. — The local grievance board today handed down its first decision in favor of J. McCauley, Cameo Theatre, complainant against George Naify, Victoria Theatre. The former alleged the latter lowered his admission price by allowing patrons to purchase 15-cent tickets and occupy 20-cent seats. The practice was ordered stopped. The Davies Theatre, of which M. L. Markowitz is manager, has filed a complaint against the Casino, managed by Irving C. Ackerman, alleging lowering of prices through cash prizes. Canadians Set Back Score Charge Move Toronto, May 8. — No meeting of the M. P. Distributors' Ass'n. to consider an application of Ontario associated and affiliated independents for cancellation of score charges starting July 1 was held today, as anticipated, and no date seems to have been set for the session. In the meantime exhibitors are organizing to press their demand and a promise has been made that if the matter is not dealt with by the association it will be taken up by the Federal government. N. O. Board Adjourns New Orleans, May 8. — The local grievance board adjourned to Monday after a brief meeting today. Some members suggested spectators be allowed to sit in. The secretary was instructed to write to John C. Flinn, executive secretary of Campi, asking what information could be given to managers, exchange men and especially trade papers, and inquiring if spectators could attend meetings. Looking 9Em Over (Continued from page 17) it is possible for a persons with practically no knowledge of French to follow the story. Its faults lie in the fact that it runs for two hours and seven minutes, and the only important feminine role is done by Annie Ducaux, who never relaxes from an almost hysterical tenseness throughout. The story revolves around a plot of a group of retired Napoleonic soldiers against King Louis XVIII. They want to put Napoleon's son on the throne. They go to their deaths in full uniform in a gripping scene. The story was adapted and directed by Marcel Pagnol. Pierre Renoir, Constand Remy and Annie Ducaux are featured. "Twin Husbands" {Chesterfield) Invincible has turned out in "Twin Husbands" a comedy that stacks up well for neighborhood audiences. It is alive and clever with firstrate acting. Shirley Grey, intent on keeping her irresponsible husband, from whom she is separated, from going through the remainder of his inheritance, joins with his secretary (Monroe Owsley) in a plot to get hold of $200,000 in bonds belonging to him. The difference is that Owsley's motive is dishonest. They kidnap John Miljan, who is the image of her husband, and arrange to have him receive the bonds from the administrator of the prodigal's estate. The plot takes an ironical twist when Miljan turns out to be a safe-opener. When the bonds are found missing Miljan is suspected, but through cleverness he escapes arrest and reveals the real thief. In the end Miss Grey and Miljan are in each other's arms. This follows upon the discovery that the woman's husband is dead. Frank Strayer directed. {< The Blue Light (Gil Boag-Mayfair Associates) As a demonstration of what can be achieved with the camera in the way of sheer breath-taking beauty this film is in a class by itself. It seems to have been done on panchromatic stock and the cameramen must have waited weeks to secure some of the cloud and light effects on mountain peaks, the sides of cliffs and at the base of a waterfall. The pictorial composition is marvelous. The film is also interesting from another angle. It shows what can be done in the way of telling a simple story with an absolute minimum of dialogue. Dramatic values are not lacking and a musical score is used freely. Selling angles for mass audiences are lacking, but for class audiences interested in art values this is a natural. The picture was produced in the Italian Dolomites. Its story is based on a legend. A beautiful girl, sister of a young shepherd, is the only person who can reach a dizzy peak which shines with a blue light under a full moon. Men who try to follow her disappear. A visiting artist succeeds in doing it and finds a valuable crystal deposit to which' he leads the villagers. When the girl returns to her eerie perch she finds it gone and loses her hold on a crag because there is no blue light to guide her. The artist, who has fallen in love with her, finds her body. The screen story was written, directed and acted by Leni Riefenstahl, who is extremely attractive. The Lost Jungle" (Mascot) With Clyde Beatty and the HagenbeckWallace circus animals as its chief draw, "The Lost Jungle" has good exploitation values and should attracts adults as well as children. It moves at a fast pace and was directed by Armand Schaefer and David Howard with a keen eye towards Beatty's showmanship with his charges. The story is woven around Beatty as the star of the Maitland circus and his love for Cecelia Parker, daughter of Edward Le Saint, a sea captain. More intent on his charges than on his girl friend, Beatty lets her sail with her father's ship to the South Seas in search of the lost island of Kalmos, the last link between Asia and Africa, and inhabited by the jungle beasts of both continents. The ship is wrecked on the lost island and Beatty joins the dirigible rescue party hoping to capture more animals for his act while recapturing the love of Miss Parker. Demolished by a storm, the airship falls on Kalmos and Beatty rescues those of the original party who have survived the man-eating beasts, finds the lost city and its treasure, captures lions and tigers and wins the girl. Among other capable members of the cast of this feature, fashioned from the more thrilling episodes of the serial of the same name, are Syd Saylor, Warner Richmond, Harry Holman and Mickey Rooney. i Purely Personal ► LOUISE FAZENDA is definitely due in town from the coast today or tomorrow to join her husband. Hal B. Wallis, associate executive in charge of production for Warners, with whom she leaves Saturday aboard the Conte di Savoia on a two-month European tour. Howard Dietz's musical long in work with Howard Lindsay and Arthur Schwartz as co-conspirators, is definitely set for fall stage production. Dwight Deere WimanwUI be the impresario. Morris Schlesinger, long active in the legitimate over in Newark, and Gus, for years Warner sales manager in Central Europe, will stage-produce "Tourists Accommodated" in September. Armand Denis will be the principal speaker at the Ampa luncheon tomorrow, at which Paul Gulick will preside. Jack Lait, the writer, and Guy Robertson, stage player, will be other guests. Lilian Ellis, Viennese musical comedy star, who has been signed to a long-termer by Hal Roach, leaves Cherbourg on the Paris today for New York on her way to the coast. Al Selig, U. A. exploiteer, goes up to Boston today to work on "House of Rothschild." Mike Kavanagh has gone to Providence for the same reason. Leo Abrams, Universal New York exchange manager, was operated on at the Mount Sinai Monday night and is recovering nicely. He will be out in two weeks. James Cagney expects to make a trip to New York to attend the opening of "He Was Her Man," in which he appears, at the Strand next Wednesday. Richard Barthelmess, accompanied by his wife and children, heads for New York the end of this month enroute to Europe. Tom Gerety has dropped short subject publicity at M-G-M and is now devoting his time to newspaper campaigns on features. Sid Weiss has taken over publicity of the Roosevelt Hotel, including the Reggie Childs orchestra, which opens the summer gardens May 21. Charles Laughton arrives tomorrow on the Berengaria on his way to the coast to start work in "The Barretts of Wimpole Street" for M-G-M. Joseph Hazen, Warner legal representative in Europe, and Cliff Edwards are among the passengers on the Champlain due in today. Arthur Loew and the Richard Arlens return from abroad aboard the Conte di Savoia tomorrow. Ira Epstein, formerly of Loew's, is now with Rugoff & Becker, managing the Sheepshead, Brooklyn. A. H. Schwartz returned last night from Asheville, N. C, where he spent a short vacation. Archie Mayo is on his way back to the coast after several weeks here. Ralph Poucher will week-end at Shelter Island this year, as usual.