Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1934)

The Leading Daily ^ Ipewspajiei^ %A0m w Motion Picture Industry MOTION PICTURE DAILY Alert, Intelligent Faithful Servi^e^lhsr the Industry in All Branches VOL. 35. NO. 116 NEW YORK, FRIDAY, MAY 18, 1934 TEN CENTS Theatre Union Calls Strike OnLoew,RKO Move Made in Effort to Force Recognition Service employes were called out of 21 Loew's and RKO houses in the metropolitan area by Local 118, Theatre & Amusement Employes' Union, yesterday and last night as the strike, threatened against the circuits for refusal to recognize the union, was put into effect. Charles C. Levey, secretary of the local, said that the strike would be extended to additional houses during the next few days. He expressed {Continued on page 17) Services for Shea Saturday Morning Buffalo, May 17. — Funeral services for "Mike" Shea, pioneer exhibitor who died suddenly here yesterday, will be held at his home on Delaware Ave. at 9:15 Saturday morning. Final rites will follow at 10 A. M. in St. Joseph's Cathedral. {Continued, on page 18) Schulberg to Radio Report Heard Again Hollywood, May 17. — Reports are afloat again that B. P. Schulberg, who has five more to deliver under his Paramount contract, will go to Radio. The producer today had no comment to make regarding the report. Paramount's option on renewal of the Schulberg series does not come up before September. No question about exercising it at this time, therefore, has had any occasion to develop, according to Emanuel Cohen. Cowan Will Produce; A Brace Set at Fox Hollywood, May 17. — A new company organized as Artists Prod., Inc., has been incorporated here with Lester Cowan as president. It begins (Continued on page 15) Duals at 5 Cents New Orleans, May 17. — Something new in double billing developed here when the Plaza offered two features for five cents. Open to all. Russians to Make English Versions for U. S. Market Russia's bid for film playing time in America next season will be made primarily with English versions of Soviet produced comedies, musicals and travelogues, V. A. Usievich, head of the foreign trade division of the Soviet film trust, stated yesterday. Usievich arrived from Russia earlier in the week. During his month's visit he will confer with production and (Continued on page 15) G-B Theatres Go to Owners As Operators Samuel and Nathan E. Goldstein, former owners of the G. B. Circuit, operating in Massachusetts, resume management of the properties as operating partners for Paramount as a result of the approval by Referee Oscar W. Ehrhorn yesterday of a plan of reorganization for a $1,050,000 mortgage bond issue of the circuit. The bulk of the mortgage bonds is held by the Goldsteins. Under the plan the mortgage will be foreclosed and a new company organized for the purpose will acquire the G. B. properties, approximately 17 theatres in all. (Continued on page 24) W anger Is Set Free Of M-G-M Contract Hollywood, May 17. — Walter Wanger today secured his release from his contract as associate producer with M-G-M after an 18 months' association with the company. Campi Member Gov't Names Mrs. Brokaw To Authority Administrator Hugh S. Johnson yesterday named Mrs. Clare Boothe Brokaw as second government representative on Code Authority. Division Administrator Sol A. Rosenblatt is the first, and a third is yet to be appointed. Mrs. Brokaw was given the appointment yesterday over the telephone from Washington and said she had heard some talk of it before being officially named. Born in New York City, Mrs. Brokaw has been educated in this city and Europe. For four years she (Continued on page 16) Blames Failure to Reduce Output onMen in Theatres By RED KANN Hollywood — "They'll make them and make them until their money runs out and then they'll end up by falling on their gluteals. They'll keep on making them because there is no leadership in the theatre end of the business. Because there isn't, Hollywood keeps on turning out pictures and most of them will continue to be terrible." Describing himself as a "little fellow because I only make three or four a year," Sam Goldwyn maintains there are many evils in the film structure as it stands today and places the (Continued on page 17) Campi Wants Early Filing Of All Cases Hopes to Clear Dockets For New Season With machinery for disposition of grievances and requests for changes in clearance and zoning schedules functioning in all key cities, Campi is urging exhibitors who are contemplating filing complaints to do so now. Immediate consideration will be given all cases so that calendars will not be clogged. Code Authority members hope disposition of pending cases will enable distributors to start the new selling season with a clean slate. It isipointed out some 4,000 exhibitors have already paid their first half year's assessments and 400 exhibitors, distributors and impartial men are ready to hear complaints, whether they be for overbuying, on clearance (Continued on page 16) Campi to Consider Releasing Problem Highlighting this morning's session of Campi will be discussions centering around the setting of general release dates of pictures after the first showings in kej' cities. The question of determining a general release date of a picture after it has been shown came up at the last meeting of Code Authority, but was put over for further discussion until today. R. H. Cochrane will be chairman. Walter Vincent will alternate for Ed Kuykendall and Neil Agnew for George J. Schaefer. Rosenblatt's Trip For Minor Matters Washington', May 17. — Division Administrator Sol A. Rosenblatt's forthcoming trip to Hollywood was described today as not necessitated by the existence of important code difficulties on the West Coast, but for the purpose of looking over the situation and straightening out more or less minor difficulties. Chatterton Dickers Hollywood, May 17. — Irving Thalberg is negotiating with Ruth Chatterton for a longterm contract. The deal may be closed shortly with M-G-M.