Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1934)

Friday, May 18, 1934 MOTION PICTURE DAILY 17 Quigley Publications Open Their Own Bureau in London London, May 17. — Quigley Publications have opened their own British bureau at Remo House, with Bruce Allan, one of the most experienced journalists in British film field in charge. The growing importance of English production in an international sense was a determining factor in Martin Quigley's decision to arrange that Motion Picture Herald, Better Theatres, Motion Picture Almanac and Motion Picture Daily have extended representation in London. Arrangements made insure a full service of news regarding production activities in London studios and of all other happenings in the British field. A full range of Quigley Publications will be carried at Remo House, for the convenience of the British trade, and the bureau will also organize an information bureau for the use of British producers and others wishing to break into the American market As London representative, Allan will bring to the service of the Quigley organization an almost lifelong experience of motion pictures, covering production and distribution as well as film journalism in all its branches. Editor of The Kinematograph Weekly in 1926, he was previously director of publicity for Goldwyn, Ltd., F. B. O., Ltd., and for Rex Ingram's unit at Nice. Blames Failure to Reduce Output onMen in Theatres Theatre Union Calls Strike OnLoew,RKO (Continued from page 1) "gratification" over the manner in which, he said, the public was responding to picketing, asserting that as few as 25 to 50 admissions were sold in some of the picketed houses yesterday. Loew's moved at once to deal with the strike. Managers were instructed to arrange for extra police protection at houses affected and were ordered to remain at their theatres day and night if necessary. Houses known to be affected up to late yesterday included Loew's State, Metropolitan, Melba, King's, Pitkin and Premier ; RKO's Albee, Orpheum, Kenmore, Franklin, 125th St. and 58th St. No estimate was available from the circuits as to the number of employes taking part in the strike. Local 118 estimated the number last night at 200. Circuits were replacing the strikers from employment waiting lists. Board in St. Louis Decides Alton Case St. Louis, May 17. — In its first decision, the St. Louis clearance and zoning board ruled that, in the new buying season, the Princess and Grand, Alton, 111., operated by Publix, shall have seven days' clearance over S. E. Pertle's Orpheum Theatre in Jerseyville, 111. Heretofore, various film companies have granted the Publix houses from seven to 14 days over the Jerseyville house. The board has asked advice from New York as to whether St. Louis or Chicago has jurisdiction over border line towns in central Illinois that obtain some of their films in St. Louis and others in Chicago. Two such cases are now pending before the board. Trouble Brews Over New Orleans Boards New Orleans, May 17. — Trouble is still brewing over code boards which have been accused of laxity in meeting and getting down to business. According to Henry Lazarus, owner of the two Canal St. theatres and one suburban house, New Orleans will make history for a square deal for the independents, even if the matter has to be carried direct to President Roosevelt. Saal Will Produce Under Select Name William Saal, formerly with Tiffany, plans a series of 12 pictures under the brand name of Select Prod. The group will be made at the recently remodeled Biograph studio in the Bronx. Consolidated is understood to be Saal's financial backer. Demonstrates Sound A demonstration of "High Fidelity" sound reproducing equipment developments was given yesterday morning at 9:45 o'clock at the Palace before a group of exhibitors by RCA Victor. (Continued f burden for what's wrong on the "big guys'' in theatres. "You can't blame the independents for this lack of leadership," he continued. "We have a right to expect that that should come from the men who call themselves the leaders of the business." Because he insists the industry is making too many pictures, the big companies are slaves to release dates, because of his well known and oftdefined theory that no studio can turn out 30 or 40 and up pictures a. year, Goldwyn, whose record as a producer of quality pictures, few in number, has long since been established, thinks the time has come when the fittest will survive and all others pass out by the roadside. "It may take one, two or three years," he predicts. He deplores "copy cat" methods, efforts by competitors to crash in on lines newly hewn by those who have the nerve, plus the ability, to do so, and sums up that angle of his analysis by one remark which ties in Independents Back To Discuss Rentals Independent exhibitor leaders from as far west as the Mississippi meet today at the M. P. Club to discuss rentals and preferred playing time in connection with new season's sales. This is the second meeting on the subject. The first was held at the same place about 10 days ago. Drops Emanuel Plaint Philadelphia, May 17. — The complaint of the Grand Jackson Theatre against the Venice charging double featuring was dismissed today by the grievance board on the ground the case was outside the province of the code. Jay Emanuel, operator of the house, may appeal to Campi in New York. The ruling will not alter the plans of the independent exhibitors here to institute civil action to test the right of major distributors to forbid double featuring in contracts. rom page 1) with the swing toward costume pictures : "The business will do what it always does. It will make them and make them until they run the cycle into the ground, then turn around in an attempt to find something new." Goldwyn insists he is through with trade organizations. "I'm going to run my business in my own way from now on. I resigned from the Hays organization for a lot of reasons, but we won't go into that." Immediately thereafter came a couple of pungent remarks on honesty and dishonesty of men at large and, in particular, of some of those in the picture business. Goldwyn put over his point with no amplification required. Regardless of what happens elsewhere along the Hollywood front, he proposes to stick to his policy of few pictures a season in the belief he cannot make any more and make them well. Advisory Decisions Reach Zoning Board The New York clearance and zoning main board met yesterday and passed on recommendations of three advisory committees in connection with protests on present schedules. Because all members of the board had not signed the decisions, they will not be released for publication until today. Cooper Signs Soon as Unit RKO Producer Hollywood, May 17. — A contract with Cooper is expected to be signed in a day or two whereby he will become a unit producer for Radio, making four to six pictures a year. The rest of the setup at the studio will remain as is, with Pandro Berman remaining in charge of general production. Elkhart Ushers Are Ordered Reinstated Washington, May 17. — Reinstatement by the Elkhart Amusement Co. of nine ushers discharged last December from its Warner and Bucklen theatres, Elkhart, Ind., because of membership in a union was ordered today by the National Labor Board on the basis of testimony given at a hearing on the case last month. In its decision the board referred to a contract prepared by the company last August, under which the ushers agreed to withdraw their application for a charter in the American Federation of Labor and form a house union for each of the theatres, and declared that "whether or not coercion was used to induce the ushers to sign it, it is clear that the employer sought to discourage the ushers from joining an outside union." TAXES! TAXES! What'd you give to know the exact status of your theatre, accounting'wise, when the tax man comes around. There's only one way to be sure that you don't overpay — only one way to prove your return — That's day by day accounting. MOTION PICTURE THEATRE ACCOUNTING Costs $3 — Lasts a Year • QUIGLEY BOOKSHOP 1 7 90 Broadway, New York