Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1934)

The Leading (Newspaper^* of the \.p Motion Picture Industry MOTION PICTURE DAILY Alert. Intelligent and , Faith fut, f^ Service to the Industry in All Branches VOL. 36. NO. 37 NEW YORK, TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1934 TEN CENTS Warners Tip Film Budget $5,000,000 Business Will Improve, Jack L. Predicts Hollywood, Aug. 13. — Warners' production budget will be $5,000,000 higher for the 1934-35 season than last year. Jack L. Warner stated today. "Warner Brothers are confident that the nation and the rest of the world are headed for greatly improved business conditions during the coming year and we know that the motion picture industry is going to benefit in the general improvement," Warner stated. "Our budget for the new season (Continued on page 4) Production Gains; 38 Features Going Hollywood, Au^. 13. — Production continues on the incline with 38 features and nine shorts before the cameras as compared to 36 and seven for the previous week. In addition to this there are 25 features and nine shorts in the final stages of preparation promising to start within the fortnight and 43 features and 22 shorts in the cutting rooms. Warners continue to lead the field (Continued on page 4) Fox Midwest Sessions to Start Today Two-Day Meeting Draws 100 Theatre Heads TopEKA, Aug. 13. — Showmanship methods to be employed in this year's fall campaign will feature plans for the new theatre season under discussion at the two-day convention of Fox Midwest Theatres in Topeka Tuesday and Wednesday. More than 100 managers, district managers and executives will attend, representing the entire Midwest division of Fox West Coast, which embraces Kansas, Missouri, southern Illinois and Iowa. Convening on the roof of the Jayhawk Hotel with Lon Cox, St. Louis (Continued on page 4) U, A, Suit to Await An Official Decision United Artists will not file suit against Campi for interpretation of the cancellation clause until Code Authority hands down an official order of the decision in the Albion, Albion, Ind., case. The opinion of Campi's legal committee will be approved Aug. 23. This is the case where an exhibitor is said to have bought all the pictures offered by the distributor, but was refused a cancellation on a $12.50 film. An appeal committee and Campi both unanimously voted in favor of the exhibitor. Jersey Dual Moves Wait for Circuits Elimination of duals in New Jersey now depends on what action major circuits take on the plan. Skouras, Loew, RKO and Paramount, already committed to drop twins starting Sept. 3, haven't actually signed yet. Allied of New Jersey, which is espousing the idea, has signatures of 55 theatres and will deliver the rest of its membership when the circuits come through. A meeting of AUied's committee, comprising Harry Kridel, chairman; Julius Charnow, Nathan Myers, Jack Pinelis and Benjamin Berkowitz, will be held today to further discuss the matter. Tomorrow Deadline On Code Compliance • Exhibitors who have not signed code assents have until tomorrow night to send in compliances. Hundreds of nonassentors already have taken advantage of the extension recently granted by the NRA, and Campi is anxious (Coittinued on page 4) Nebraska, Iowa Men May Return to Code Omaha, Aug. 13.— Return of about 200 exhibitors in Nebraska and Iowa to observance of the code and a reconciliation with code boards is regarded as possible here following a conference which Calvin Bard had with Division Administrator Sol A. Rosenblatt at the railroad station. Bard met Rosenblatt with Mrs. MoUie Rosenblatt, the division administrator's mother, who lives here. He would not give details of his conversation with Rosenblatt, but indicated his optimism. Film Auto Theft New Orleans, Aug. 13. — Police here owe a vote of thanks to the Harcol Film Co. for helping them arrest two men who, it is alleged, stole an auto parked before a negro convention hall here. The company made a film of the meeting and when it was viewed the negro whose car was stolen had the rare opportunity of seeing just how it was done in the movies. Police, called in, recognized the thieves and arrested them shortly after. MPTOA Directors to Delay Their Session Because several members are away on vacations, the quarterly meeting of M. P. T. O. A. directors, slated for (Continued on page 4) Quickies Bad For Business, Mayer Asserts By BRUCE ALLAN London, Aug. 13 {By Mail.) — Ten thousand dollar quickies are nails in the coffin of trade, asserts Louis B. Mayer. He admits M-G-M has been handling that sort of quota film here, but says it is because the company has had no direct tieup with any British firm for production. Talks are in progress with London Films whereby M-G-M may use floor space for British production, and a program of from eight to 15 features is mentioned. At the moment, however, it is impossible to say definitely (Continued on page 2) New Fox Met. Plan Before Court Today Both Stockholders and Bondholders Want It With Fox Metropolitan preferred and common stockholders in accord with the reorganization plan recently submitted by the bondholders' committee, Federal Judge Julian W. Mack today will decide whether or not the circuit can be reorganized under section 77-B of the fiew bankruptcy laws. A meeting, slated for yesterday, was postponed until today. Fox Theatres, which controls the stock, is understood anxious to see the reorganization plan go through as submitted by the bondholders since it will receive some kind of a settlement, it is said. All properties are (Continued on page 4) Philadelphia Floor Shows Are Stopping Philadelphia, Aug. 13. — That floor shows have been stopped in many taprooms here and in other cities of the state is indicated in a report on this source of competition presented at a meeting today of the Independent Exhibitors' Protective Assn. The state has allowed taprooms until Sept. 1 to pay a $500 license fee where entertainment is provided. A penalty of half the license fee is levied (Continued on page 4) Means for StapeVs Buying Delay Idea Kansas City, Aug. 13. — Endorsing the proposal for a four-week "buying strike" urged on Kansas-Western Missouri exhibitors by John C. Stapel, president of the K. M. T. A., in a move to force 1934-35 film rentals down. Jay Means, president of the I. T. O. of Greater Kansas (Continued on page 4) Briefs Ordered in Para. Bonds Suit In reply to Samuel Zirn's application, on behalf of Paramount bondholders, to examine officers of creditor banks and officials, past and present, of Paramount Publix, as well as William Paley, president of CBS, and Sir William Wiseman and Gilbert Kahn, of Kuhn, Loeb Co. Justice H. J. Roseman in the Supreme Court (Continued on page 4) Columbus Payrolls Show Gain in July Columbus, Aug. 13. — Industrial employment here showed a gain of 5.4 per cent in July as compared with the June figures, while the increase was 21.5 per cent greater than July, 1933, according to a survey by the Ohio State University Bureau of Business Research. Other major key cities experienced a slight decline, the statewide decrease being 3.9 per cent for July, although employment was 15.1 per cent greater than for the same month last year. Purchase of Marcus Holdings Approved Salt Lake City, Aug. 13. — Referee John E. Joyce will recommend to the court that Paramount Theatres Corp. be permitted to buy out the interests of Mayor Louis Marcus in 14 Publix houses in Utah and Idaho. He held a hearing here late last week. A final decision is expected shortly.