Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1934)

18 MOTION PICTURE DAILY Friday. October 5. 1934 Third Hearing Set On L. A. Schedules {Continued from page 1) been listening to arguments of exhibitors, attorneys and distributors on the schedule. Yesterday's session opened at 10 A. M. and adjourned shortly after noon because members of the committee had made previous appointments. The meeting will be continued this morning with the same committee. Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton schedules were up for an airing at an afternoon hearing at Campi by another appeal committee. Won't Bring Agency Hearings to Coast Los Angeles, Oct. 4. — Division Administrator Sol A. Rosenblatt today blasted the Academy's hopes that hearings on the agency code might be transferred to the coast when he declared as he was about to board a plane for San Francisco, where he addresses the American Federation of Labor convention tomorrow, that they would be held in Washington as previously scheduled. The Academy had wired Rosenblatt at the Beverly-Wilshire here last night requesting the hearings be held in the west as the leaders of the various branches of the organization could not gc to Washington because of the time and money involved. While it believes it unjust to have the hearings held 3,000 miles away when the whole document primarily concerns those here, the Academy is proceeding to publish and distribute the text of the agency code. It is claimed the local NRA headquarters have only 100 copies of the document for distribution, a quantity held insufficient to fill the demand. Rosenblatt would not say whether he would return here or not, but he had a round-trip ticket with him. It is possible he may return tomorrow after his address at the A. F. of L. meeting. Code Probe by U. S. Asked by Wis. Allied {Continued from page 1) similar to those passed by Allied of New Jersey at its recent convention at Atlantic City. The meeting voted to wire John C. Flinn, executive secretary of Campi, asking why the local clearance board has not yet set up a zoning plan for Milwaukee and Wisconsin. It will be pointed out that exhibitors cannot buy until the schedule has been adopted. The annual convention of Wisconsin Allied is slated for early in January, at which time new officers will be elected. Denver Council Acts To Allow Giveaways {Continued from page 1) board, and appeals have been handed down, confirming the decisions. The city ordered all giveaways stopped when it was found they were forbidden by ordinance. Following that, the local grievance board ordered Huffman to stop the auto giveaways. His appeal has not Looking 'Em Over "Power" (Gaumont British) Gaumont British has shrewdly capitalized on the current interest in the German attitude toward the Jews in presenting the film version of Leon Feuchtwanger's novel, "Jew Suss," but whether it has turned out a piece of popular entertainment remains to be seen. Unlike the Disraeli of Arliss, whose struggle for power is ennobled by an abiding patriotism and an altruistic desire to better the lot of his people, the central character in this picture is driven by an unrelenting fate in the person of a mysterious rabbinical figure to save the life of a condemned Jew. The same fate sends him publicly to visit his mother and to give a grudging recognition to his daughter. Conrad Veidt gives a splendid performance in a difficult role. He insinuates himself into the life of a dissolute duke, Frank Vosper, and pushes him to heights of power. In doing it, however, he turns the one love of his life, Benita Hume, over to the duke; he almost lets an innocent man die as a matter of policy. His retribution comes when his daughter commits suicide to escape the duke's attentions. In the last reel of the picture he gets a Machiavellian revenge and dies on the gallows seeking peace of spirit. The picture is beautifully photographed and splendidly staged, but seems episodic until the closing sequences, where Veidt seeks something beyond his personal aggrandisement. Cedric Hardwicke gives a sharply etched performance as the mysterious rabbi. Lothar Mendes directed. Production code seal No. 149. Running time, 105 minutes. "The Scotland Yard Mystery" (B. I. P.) A mystery yarn which holds the interest despite the fact that the designing villain is known to the audience all the time. It is typically an English picture in regard to accent and names. Not one of the cast is known in this country, but nevertheless all turn in capable performances. The story is that of a hard medical man at Scotland Yard who perfects a formula which, injected into the victim makes him appear dead. With the aid of an anti-toxin, the subject comes back to life none the worse for his experience. By this method the medical chief lines up five persons, insures them, and after giving them his treatment has them declared dead to collect insurance money. Sir Gerald Du Maurier, in whose employ the medical man carries on without suspicion, is called in on the case when his future son-in-law, a doctor for the insurance firm, is accused of dirty work after he has passed the men as physically fit. Du Maurier works on the job alone and after a series of clues gets on the trail of his man and finally nails him. In the cast are George Curzon, Grete Natzler, Belle Crystal, Leslie Perrins, Walter Patch, Henry Victor, Herbert Cameron and Frederick Paisley. Thomas Bentley directed. Running time, 72 minutes. "Freedom of the Seas" (B.I. P.) An entertaining bit of humor and drama combined in a nicely balanced story. The picture starts off in a comedy vein and about midway goes straight drama. The players, with the exception of two, have decided Cockney accents. On the whole, it is amusing and enjoyable. Clifford Mollison, a sheepish clerk in the office of Wendy Barrie's father, makes a mess of his advances to Miss Barrie and is fired. A friend of his father comes to Mollison's aid, advises him to join the naval reserve and prove to the girl and her father his capabilities. After three years in the service he is assigned to a freighter. Shortly after his arrival on the cargo boat, Mollison learns that Miss Barrie, her father and Zelma O'Neill, a chorine, are on it, having been rescued from another ship which has been torpedoed by a U-boat. Also on the freighter is a German spy, who has bribed the radio operator to send messages to a U-boat. The hero learns what is transpiring, and, playing a lone hand, kills the spy and sinks the U-boat, saving the day tor all concerned. Mollinson wins the girl and also praise from her father for his fine work. Running time, 77 minutes. been decided. In his appeal Huffman under the guise of code or otherwise, claimed that anyone who interfered would be liable for any damages inunlawfully with a business, whether curred because of the interference. Says Columbia Not To Produce Abroad (Continued from page 1) of the foreign personnel and no new offices have been opened recently, Seidelman added. Business in England is very good and other countries are progressing and improving every month, he said. Seidelman is holding conferences with Jack Cohn. Within the next 60 days "One Night of Love" will be shown day and date in 12 important cities of Europe. RKO Vaude Renews Rochester Activity Rochester, Oct. 4. — With all downtown theatres except one in the hands of Comerford, competition that had been lax for the best part of a year burst out again here today with the RKO Palace opening vaudeville and first run film shows to combat Loew's Rochester. Loew's, which started the ball rolling last week by jumping suddenly into double bill shows and almost as suddenly quitting them, is keeping its eye peeled on the RKO experiment. The Rochester, which has the largest stage here, tried vaude several times before and gave it up. The Palace, Regent, Century and Capitol now are controlled by Comerford, who also is bidding against Schine to buy the Fennyvessy houses, Monroe and Madison, two biggest neighborhoods in the city. The Palace has boosted its payroll to 75 men, has hired Russ Kahn as orchestra leader, and has recalled Charles Cole as stage manager and Tom Grierson as organist. Powers to Conduct Vigorous Campaign William T. Powers, who was recently nominated as the Republican candidate for attorney general of New York State, is preparing a vigorous campaign for the coming election. Powers is well known in film circles, having been associated with Fox West Coast in Los Angeles for a number of years. He recently was transferred to New York to handle code matters in connection with F.W.C. He makes his offices at the Fox home office, which is also eastern headquarters for F.W.C. Johnson in Store Talk General Hugh S. Johnson will speak at Hearn's department store this morning at the conclusion of the celebration of its 107th anniversary' The former NRA administrator's talk, which will last a half hour, will be broadcast over a nationwide hookup. Kuykendall Off Today Ed Kuykendall leaves for Memphis today. He was delayed yesterday by the Los Angeles clearance and zoning hearing. The M. P. T. O. A. head was one of the three members of the appeal committee hearing, which took two days. Fox Signs Composers Hollywood, Oct. 4.— Fox has signed Ray Henderson, composer, and Ted Koehler, lyricist, to join the music department.