Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1934)

The Leading Daily jNewspapeim MotionM Picture Industry MOTION PICTURE DAILY Alert, Intelligent and Faithfutt Service to' the Indistry in All Branches VOL. 36. NO. 90 NEW YORK, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1934 TEN CENTS Eastern Code Approvals Up To 150 Total 7 Features and 19 Shorts Latest to Be O.K.'d One hundred and fifty pictures, catalogued in all divisions, have been approved under the reinforced Production Code Administration in the east since the new system went into effect on July 15. This is the official tally at the close of business on Oct. 10. In the latest batch are embraced seven features and 19 shorts. Of the seven features, five were made abroad, while one, "A Tango in Broadway," is a Spanish-language feature made here by Paramount for distribution principally overseas. The seventh is "Woman in the Dark,-' produced by Select and acquired for domestic distribution by RKO. Vincent G. Hart, (Continued on paqe 7) Schlesinger to Make "Melodies" in Color Leon Schlesinger will make the entire lineup of 13 Merrie Melodies shorts in Technicolor, he stated yesterday. Warner home office executives viewed the first subject and were so well satisfied that Schlesinger has decided to add color to the remaining dozen. The Looney Tunes series of 13 will be made in black and white, the short subject producer said. Schlesinger leaves by plane for Hollywood either Thursday or Friday. Episcopal Clergyman Wants Legion Drive Atlantic City, Oct. 15. — A Legion of Decency for the Episcopal church was proposed here today by Rev. Arthur Lee Kinsolving of Boston at the 51st triennial convention. Dr. Kinsolving introduced a resolution calling for the formation of such a league and praised the Roman Catholic offensive against the "debauching effects" of films. He urged the church to get behind a similar campaign. Allied Men to Hold Special Meet Here A special meeting of a number of Allied directors will be held at the Warwick tomorrow and Thursday, by way of a follow up of a meeting of eastern unit heads in Boston yesterday rid in advance of a full meeting of the Vectors in December. Expected are (Continued on paqe 8) Court Allows $40,000 of Fox Met Receivers' Fees An application for interim allowances for services rendered during the receivership of Fox Metropolitan Playhouses aggregating $285,000 was allowed in the amount of $40,000 by Federal Judge Julian W. Mack in U. S. District Court here yesterday. Fees applied for included §75,000 for Irving Trust Co., receiver ; $70,000 for Walter Littlefield, receiver's counsel; $80,000 for Beekman, Bogue & Clark, counsel for Fox Met. bondholders' committee, and an aggregate of $60,000 for Hanover Bank & Trust Co., trustee under the Fox Met. indenture. Following objections made by Archibald Palmer, attorney for an independent group of Fox Met. bondholders, Judge Mack disallowed the petitions of Beekman, Bogue & Clark (Continued on paqe 7) Quittner Suit Deal Calls for $10,000 The $5,100,000 Quittner anti-trust suit against Paramount was settled for $10,000, it was learned yesterday. The settlement negotiations were concluded last Friday, with contracts being exchanged on Saturday. Counsel for the Paramount Publix trustees are now preparing a petition embodying the settlement which will be presented to the Federal district court here for approval when completed. Paramount is also negotiating settlements of two other anti-trust suits pending against it ; those of A. B. Momand, Oklahoma, and E. M. Loew, Boston, asking aggregate damages of approximately $10,000,000. Blumenthal Working On Producing Plans A. C. Blumenthal is still working on his plans to produce about five pictures a year, he asserted yesterday. He is being held here because of the Fox Theatre situation. Blumenthal says he is working with the receivers of the circuit on reorganization plans and will know where he stands in about a week. He plans to leave for Hollywood sometime next week to complete arrangements on production and distribution of the features he intends to make on both coasts. Oklahoma Exhibitors Vote to Join MPTOA Oklahoma City, Oct. 15. — Following an address by Ed Kuykendall, president of the M. P. T. O. A., more (Continued on paqe 8) 6,000 a Day New Orleans, Oct. 15.— The St. Charles played to over 6,000 persons in one day, setting a record, and just showing what can be done when the church sets out to support a film. It was the first example of organized boosting by the Catholic church in this country. Agency Hearing Is Delayed to Oct. 31 Washington, Oct. 15. — Postponement of the agency hearing from Oct. 17 to Oct. 31 was announced today by the NRA, but no reason was given. Protests from California may have been the cause. A strong effort is being made by the Academy and the Writers' Guild to have the hearings transferred there, but NRA officials have declared that this could be done only if the California interests would agree to pay for the cost of having a transcript of the testimony made. Production Shows A Sharp Decline FIollywood, Oct. 15. — Production activity for the week ending Sunday showed a sharp decline over the preceding week with a total of 38 features and six shorts before the cameras as compared to 43 and six for the previous week. In addition, there are 15 features and 16 shorts in preparation ready to start work within the fortnight with (Continued on paqe 7) Mexican Tax Put Up To the Legislature By JAMES LOCKHART Mexico City, Oct. 15. — Acting upon instructions of President Abelardo Rodriguez, the National Legislature is considering ways and means of amending the Federal constitution in order to define definite regulations concerning imports of film materials. Rules for production in Mexico will also be considered, the idea being to give governmental aid to struggling producers. Action is expected by the end of the month. Campi Vote on Lease Clause Stands at 6-4 Opponents Will Carry Battle to NRA Although Charles L. O'Reilly, Nathan Yamins, Walter Vincent and Edward Golden objected to the resolution, Campi at its last meeting adopted the plan to remove the leasing clause from the code. Vincent represented Ed Kuykendall, president of the M.P.T.O.A. In favor of dropping the clause were T"elix Jenkins of Fox, Robert Youngman of RKO, Neil Agnew of Paramount, J. Robert Rubin of M-G-M, Harold S. Bareford of Warners and Willard McKay of Universal. The resolution was sent to Division Administrator Sol A. Rosenblatt for approval, following which the code will be amended in accordance with its terms. Major distributors in the past few weeks have held that the clause had no teeth in it and decisions on leases (Continued on paqe 7) Bareford and Kent Talk on Code Costs Long distance telephone conferences are on between S. R. Kent, who is vacationing in White Sulphur Springs, and Harold S. Bareford, to revise the recently rejected producer-distributor assessment schedule. Code officials hope that the redrafted plan will be ready by the end of the week and sent back to the NRA Division of Research and Planning, which last week turned it down for a second time. Recommendations have been made by the Division of Research and Planning to guide the code finance committee in revising the assessment allocation. All major forces approved the second plan as well as a majority of independents. Chicago Selling on Old Clearance Plan With Campi turning back the Chicago clearance and zoning schedule, selling in the Windy City will continue under the present clearance plan. Code Authority members do not anticipate a new revised schedule, but Chicago exhibitors assert they may go into sesion in about three weeks and draft a new schedule. Campi has refused to pass on an appeal by the Premier Theatre Corp., operating the Empire, against the (Continued on paqe 7)