Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1934)

The Leading Daily^ ^^ Newspaper^ of the Motion Picture Industry MOTION PICTURE DAILY Alert, Intelligent and -^;?f% Faithful! ^ Service to the Industry in Alt Branches VOL. 36. NO. 40 NEW YORK. FRIDAY. AUGUST 17. 1934 TEN CENTS Chad>dck Sees Reach Accord Agreement on Purity Seals ^lies to Coast Hoping For Early Peace On 'Lab' Code; S16 Minimum Confident tliat dinerencei between ndependent producers and the Hays iffice on the puritx seal will be traightened out to the satisfaction of ill. I. E. Chadwick left yesterday iftemoon for the coast by plane to atend a meeting of his group today in Hollywood. Chadwick has been here for about I week acting on behalf of indepenients against the dual penalt> clause n clearance and zoning schedules. The ight wa< won last week when Campi {.Contimfd Of totjr 11) Johnston Refuses Breen Peace Offer Hollywood. Aug. 16. — Joseph I. Breen held out the olive branch to he independent producers yesterday )y suggesting that the facilities of his )ffice were open for all who want to )btain purit> seals, but W. Ray Tohniton. head of Monogram, turned it iside. The indies will have naught to do \-ith the Hays office, Johnston reiterited. If there is going to be a morals (Continued on foi/e' 11) Griffith, Falls Will Take in 103 Houses \Vit::i:: the "ex: few n:c::ths R. E. jriffith and Horace R. Falls of the jriflkh Amusement Co., R. E. Grifith Theatres. Inc.. and Consolidated rheatres. Inc.. plan to increase the nrcuit from 97 to 103. The circuit operates in 50 towns in Oklahoma. Texas and New Mexico. During the last two weeks. Griffith ind Falls have opened the New Linday. Lubbock. Texas. 1.500 seats: New iCominttcj on fooe 11* Makeup of Authority Is Being Worked Out Washington. Aug. lo. — Agreement ' on the laboratory code was reached | today after several days of conferences. Abandonment of the ettort to establish minimum prices was decided upon after members of the industry i were im'ormed that an NR.\ office or | der gave the Administration full au ' thorit> to deal with emergencies re I suiting from destructive price-cutting. ' The code will probably include some provision to prevent cut-throat price competition and the industr> (.CjKtinmcd on fage 6) Tracy Off Comedy Holl>-»ood. Aug. 16. — Lee Tracy has agreed to quit trying to be funny with Baby LeRoy. Baby has his own ideas of comedy and they're not Tracy's. Production has been held up since Tracy made a face at the baby last Saturday. Every time Tracy has looked at the child since, the baby has burst into tears. Loew's Ready To Join Deal For Dual Ban Des Moines Ban Put On All Free Shows Des Moines. Aug. lo. — Free shows, declared to be widespread in this territory-, have been ordered stopped by the grie%-ance board. The resolution read : ■•.\11 distributors of motion pictures are ordered to cease and desist immediately from supphnng to any person or persons or association film that is to be exhibited primarily for entertainment purposes, either indoors or outdoors, to the general public when admission is free." The prohibition covers an area of 25 miles. Duals Ruling Called Aid to Little Fellow Washington. .\ug. lo. — E^■idence of the protection afforded small enterprises under the film code is foimd in the decision of Code Authorit>-. which prevents any discrimination against exhibitors playing double features, the National Recovery Administration declared today. "The Milwaukee clearance and zoning board, one of the self governing units of Code Authority, had drafted a zoning schedule to penalize exhibitors plaring double features." it was asserted. "The schedule proposed to defer the a^-ailable date of a picture to be shown as part of a double feature bill, thus discriminating against theatres ordinarily in similar zones and which showed only single features. "Independent producers and exhib lEPA, MPTO in Move For Harmony in Pa. Philadelphia. Aug. 16. — Wreaths ' jf peace hover over the heads of the [ndependent Exhibitors' Protective Assn and the M. P. T. O. of Eastern Pennsylvania, but nobody is admitting it. A preliminar> meeting, looking toward a burial of the hatchet has been beld and a consolidation of the rival exhibitor imits is anything but remote. Court mil Sign Fox Met Bankruptcy Order Today I Sale of any Fox Met. houses to Warners or any other bidder I will be eliminated as a possibility today, it is believed, when Federal Judge Julian W. Mack signs an order putting the circuit into bankruptcy under the terms of the new Federal statute. L nder provisions of the new bankruptcy law there will be no foreclosure sale and a reorganization plan ultimately will be effected. Abel Carey Thomas. Warner attorney, recently intimated to the court that he would put in a bid for the IS theatres in New Jersey, if and when, there is a foreclosure. An order will be signed this morning by Federal Judge Julian W. Mack placing Fox Metropolitan Playhouses in bankruptc\" under Section 7"-B of the new bankruptcj" laws. The motion will be entered in the judge's chambers with principal interests attending. Up to this time the circuit has been in equity receivership. Ir\-ing Trust, receivers, will be appointed temporan, trustee today and counsel for the receivers will be continued under the bankruptcy. Judge i Mack indicated yesterday. With the circuit going into bankruptcy. Judge Mack suggested that representatives of Fox Metropolitan, iContinaed on page 10) Awaits Move in Jersey, A\ Y. Campaigns Loew's is willing to drop duals in New York and New Jersey pro^^ded all other theatres eliminate twin bills, Charles C. Moskowitz states. Both Allied of New Jersey and the I. T. O. A. are anxious to end twin programs, provided circuits will cooperate. Moskowitz says he has not been approached by the New York independent group within the last fewweeks, although Harry Brandt told his members that Loew's had been visited on the matter. Brandt also stated that a meeting of major circuits was to have been held last week to decide on eliminating duals, but (Ci.ynt:nue'd on /M<7e' 10) Mexico to Impose Film Import Duty By JAMES LOCKHART Mexicv> City. Aug. lo. — Film import duties on a pound basis are to be imposed immediately upon orders from President Rodriguez. The announced reason is for the purpose of encouraging Mexican production. Unexposed negative will pay 13 cents per two and two-tenths pounds : unexposed positive up to 36 milimeters. S2 per two and two-tenth poimds : wider widths, from S3.60 to $4.68 on the same poundage basis : exposed (Continued on pa^e 10) Lloyd to Continue Single Film Deals Harold Lloyd will continue to negotiate indi%-idual distribution deals for his pictures, he states. Although he hasn't given any thought to his next storj-, Lloyd said he could not tell at this time whether Fox would distribute his new film or not. Fox is handling "The Cat's Paw." which (Continued on patie 11) Stanley Units Will Discuss Merger Here Wilmington. Del.. .\ug. 16. — The Stanley Co. of .America. Stanley-Fabian Corp. and Stanley-Crandall Co. of Washington, all three Delaware corporations, will hold special meetings in New York Cit>-. Aug. 23, to consider and vote for the adoption or (Continued on paae 10)