Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1934)

Tuesday. October 16, 1934 MOTION PICTURE DAILY 7 Court Allows $40,000 of Fox Met Receivers' Fees Campi Vote on Lease Clause Stands at 6-4 (Continued from page 1) by Campi could not be enforced by the NRA. This being the case, they held that the clause should come out. Independent forces are of the opinion that the clause was put into the code to protect the small exhibitor from having his theatre taken away during the last few months of a lease. Whether or not Rosenblatt will accede to the 6-4 vote has not yet been determined, but it is understood independent members of Code Authority will fight the resolution in Washington. No date has been set for a public hearing. Chicago Selling on Old Clearance Plan (Continued from page 1) schedule on the ground the plan submitted is void. Jack Miller and Edward Silverman of the Essaness circuit return today to Chicago after a week here conferring with distributors and Code Authority members. Individual protests against clearance and zoning schedules will be heard by an appeal code committee today with a Texas case highlighting the session. Tomorrow the San Francisco schedule comes up and on Thursday the Detroit plan will be argued. Disney Loses Writ Plea in High Court Washington, Oct. IS. — Walt Disney was refused a writ of mandamus today by the U. S. Supreme Court. He had sought the writ to require Judge Harry A. Holzer to vacate an order referring to a special master for hearing the infringement suit brought by RCA Photophone, Inc., against the Disney Film Recording Co., Ltd., Walter Disney Productions, Ltd., and Walter Disney charging the use of machines infringing on Photophone patents. Disney had opposed having the case heard before a special master because of an overcrowded calendar, on the ground that it imposed an unusual burden of expense upon him and would result in his companies being fined as well as assessed damages if they should lose. Three Held in Hartford Hartford, Oct. 15. — "One Night of Love" has been held over for a fourth week at Loew's here. "Barretts of Wimpole Street," which played to capacity at Poli's, has been moved to the Palace, the Poli B house here, for a second week. Mae West's "Belle of the Nineties" was held over for a second week at the Allyn. Poli's, incidentally, inaugurated festival week with a big lobby display, including a bar for free cider, etc. Mayor J. Watson Beach issued a proclamation expressing his commendation of the type of picture the managers are trying to show. On Humor Jack Hulbert, G-B comedian, neatly disposed of the legend that the English have no sense of humor at the luncheon to Nova Pilbeam yesterday when he said: "You have to have a sense of humor to live in England today." Walter Huston told the story of a team playing London. One vaudevillian sent his partner down to see the turn ahead of them and get a slant on what the Britishers like in their comedy. He came back and said: "The fellow wore three foot shoes, a hat four feet high and a six-inch nose. But that wasn't the worst of it. He was only the straight man for his partner." G-B Officials Give Lunch for Pilbeam Gaumont British officials, as well as newspaper and trade paper critics and representatives, turned out en masse yesterday for a luncheon given by the company at which Nova Pilbeam, child player, was introduced and her picture, "Little Friend," previewed. With Mark Ostrer as toastmaster, several hundred attended, among them Jeffrey Bernerd, general manager of G-B ; Michael Balcon, in charge of production; Arthur A. Lee, vice-president ; Sam Smith, and A. P. Waxman, advertising counsel. At the dais were Walter Huston and his wife, Berthold Viertel, director of the picture, which was screened; Mrs. Arnold Pilbeam, Jack Hulbert, a G-B star ; Robert Flaherty, producer of "The Man of Aran,'" which opens at the Criterion Thursday ; Howard S. Cullman of the Roxy ; Louis Wiley, business manager of the Neiv York Times; Edgar B. Hatrick, general manager of Hearst Aletrotone News, Jack Alicoate and Martin Quigley. Speakers included Nova, Hulbert, Viertel, and Huston. Flaherty, Balcon and Bernerd satisfied themselves with bows. Starr with G-B, Detroit Detroit, Oct. IS. — George W. Weeks, general sales manager of Gaumont British, has appointed Harlan Starr local manager here for his company. Starr was formerly manager of the Educational exchange here. Weeks left Sunday night for Chicago. Cincinnati, Oct. 15. — George W. Weeks, sales manager of Gaumont British, has appointed Rudolph Knoepfle Cincinnati manager of the company. The territory covers southern Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and Indiana. Lowenberg in Hospital Milwaukee, Oct. 15. — C h a r 1 e s Lowenberg, state supervisor of Fox theatres, is at Mount Sinai with a heart ailment. (Continued from page 1) and Central Hanover and reduced the Irving Trust allowance from $75,000 to $25,000 and the Littlefield allowance from $70,000 to $15,000. The fees cover the 10-month period preceding the Fox Met. petition for reorganization last August. Skouras and Randforce, operators of Fox Met., are understood to have had presented to them yesterday by the bondholders' committee a proposal involving sale of the circuit to Hayden, Stone & Co. for $4,500,000, contingent upon the acceptance by Skouras and Randforce of new short term operating contracts with cancellation clauses which could be exercised by the bondholders' committee in the event the Hayden, Stone deal is not consummated within 60 days after reorganization of the circuit. Skouras and Randforce are reported to have the proposal under consideration and are expected to give the committee their answer within the next few days. Production Shows A Sharp Decline (Continued from page 1) the cutting rooms continuing to be congested with a total of 46 features and 17 shorts in the final editing stages. Warners continue to lead with seven features in work, one preparing and nine cutting; M-G-M has six, one and ten; Paramount six, three and three; Radio five, three and six; Fox four, four and four; Universal three, two and one; Roach one, zero and zero; 20th Century one, zero and zero ; Columbia one, one and seven while the smaller independent group aggregates four, two and six. In the short subject division, Columbia reports one working, one preparing and none in the cutting rooms. M-G-M reports zero, four and four; Universal zero, one and one; Radio zero, three and six, while the independent group shows five, six and four. Cunningham Elected By Group in Indiana Indianapolis, Oct. 15. — Earl Cunningham, manager of the local Fountain Square, was named head of Associated Theatre Owners at its state convention at the Claypool here today. Other officers are: Maurice Ruben, Michigan City, vice-president; Harry Markun, Indianapolis, treasurer ; Helen B. Keller, Indianapolis, secretary; Charles R. Metzger, counsel. The following were elected directors : A. E. Bennett and Leonard Sowar, Muncie; Roy Harrold, Rushville; Alex Manta, Indiana Harbor; V. U. Young, Gary; Walter Easley, Greensburg; Ross Earber, Terre Haute; Oscar Fine, Evansville; James Fushaneas, South Bend; Robert Scherer, Linton; Frank Carey, Lebanon; Robert Hudson, Richmond; H. P. Vonderschmitt, Bloomington; R. R. Bair, A. C. Varing and John Servaas, Indianapolis. The Legion of Decency was pledged the association's support. Other topics discussed were the music license taxes and the National Housing Act. Eastern Code Approvals Up To 150 Total (Continued from page 1) assistant to the code director, Joseph I. Breen, is in charge of the work on this coast. The latest list follows : Columbia (Shorts) "Life's Last Laughs," No. 2. Educational (Shorts) "Domestic Bliss," "Black Sheep." Fox (Shorts) "On Foreign Service." Gaumont British (Features) "Jack Ahoy," "Power," "Little Friend." Mundus (Features) "That's a Good Boy." Paramount (Features) "A Tango in Broadway" (Spanish). (Shorts) "Keeping Time," "Betty Boop's Prize Show," "Saddle Champs." RKO (Features) "Woman in the Dark." (Shorts) "Parrotville Fire Department," "Dumb Bell Letters" Nos. 5 and 6, "Pathe Topics" No. 1, "A Little Bird Told Me." United Artists (Features) "Frivate Life of Don Juan." Universal (Shorts) "At the Mike," "Well, by George." Vitaphone (Shorts) "Man of a Thousand Hits," Don Redmond and His Orchestra. Roasted and Toasted, But Cohen Liked It Hollywood, Oct. 15. — For what was probably the first time in Hollywood's history, studio workers, as paying guests, banqueted their chief when Emanuel Cohen was toasted and roasted at a dinner the other night to celebrate his three years of service as production head of Paramount. The keynote speech was made by Cecil B. De Mille who said : "Cohen has accomplished in three years what it usually takes 25 in other industries." Cohen, in his response, paid tribute tc his co-workers. A. M. Botsford revealed to those in attendance what New York has long known : that he is one of the wittiest after dinner speakers in the industry. Mae West extolled Cohen "as a great man" while other speakers included Al Hall foi the directors, Victor Milner for the back lots, Arthur Hornblow for the producers. A scroll presentation was made by the president of the Paramount Studio Club. The stage show concluded with a pictureless newsreel. Cunningham discussed exploitation and Harry Martin reported on his recent trip to New York, where he represented the small theatres before Code Authority. Metzger presided.