Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1934)

The Leading MOTION PICTURE DAILY VOL. 36. NO. 124 NEW YORK, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1934 TEN CENTS Broadway Sees Rosy Holiday WeekLooming Past 7 Days Dull Except At the Music Hall Prospects for business along Broadway next week are the best in weeks, what with strong attractions opening yesterday and Thanksgiving to boot. Last week main stem box-office takes were anaemic and suffered with the exception of the Music Hall, which garnered $94,000 on the first week of "The Gay Divorcee." The Capitol vesterday opened with "The Merry Widow" for the first time at popular prices, and indications are that the gross will border around the $50,000 mark. Last week, with "Evelyn Prentice" for a second week, the take was $28,900. Opening day's gross on "Imitation of Life" at the Roxy was big and the final tally for the week is due to figure at $40,000. "Evensong," which bowed out Thursday night, was fair at $25,000. The management wanted to put on five shows yesterday, but because the picture runs 111 minutes this was found (.Continued on page 3) Para. Foreign Net In 3 Mos. $538,000 Net earnings of approximately $538,000 are reported by the domestic and foreign film subsidiaries of Paramount Publix for the quarter ended Sept. 30. This compares with earnings of $918,000 by these companies for the same quarter last year. Of the $538,000 earnings for the 1934 quarter, however, $473,000 was realized in the month of September, as compared with $445,000 for September a year ago. Net operating earnings of the picture and foreign groups for the first (Continued on page 3) Para. B'way Stock Unchanged in Plan The old stock of Paramount Broadway will remain undisturbed and full cash payment will be made to creditors of the company, other than bondholders, as a result of changes just made in the Paramount Broadway plan of reorganization and embodied in the latest draft of the Paramount Publix plan. An additional change in the Paramount Broadway plan stipulates that renewal of the lease on the Para (Continued on page 3) Rosenblatt to Rush West To Avert Code Breakdown Washington, Nov. 23. — Fear of a code breakdown in the relations between actors and writers with the studios is behind Compliance Director Sol A. Rosenblatt's decision to hurry to the coast next week. Producer-actor groups on the fivefive-five studio relations committee have been deadlocked for some time as a result of the rejection by producers of the actors' proposals. Now the writers find themselves in the same situation. They appealed jointly for Rosenblatt's help through officers of the Actors' and Writers' Guilds. Rosenblatt will leave by plane on Tuesday and will arrive in Los Angeles on the morning of Nov. 28. He is prepared to spend the remainder of the week in an effort to straighten out the situation. The two guilds were advised to this effect today, and the producers (Continued on page 3) Operator Wage Scale Awaits Confabs Here Washington, Nov. 23. — Members of the exhibitor labor committee appointed by Compliance Director Sol A. Rosenblatt in September to investigate operators' wage scales in metropolitan New York with a view of developing a standard pay and hour schedule today advised him that they had gone as far as they could and were anxious that he meet with them to discuss the situation. Rosenblatt advised the committee that he would go to New York as soon as possible after his return from Los Angeles, probably the latter part of the week of Dec. 3, prepared to spend an entire day in consideration of the problem. He will give the matter the earliest possible attention in view of a statement by the committee in its telegram that "certain conditions" have arisen which might make the problem more difficult if delayed. In order that the matter might be expedited, Rosenblatt today asked the committee to have all proposals reduced to writing before the meeting. The Show must go on time — Ship Via National Film Carriers, Inc. — Advt. More 1st Division Offices Open Soon Al Friedlander, vice-president of First Division, leaves for Detroit tomorrow to open a branch office in the auto city. This will make 14 for the company. Within the next two weeks Friedlander will go to the coast and open offices in the west. Before Jan. 1 it is expected First Division will be represented in 20 key centers. Harry H. Thomas returns from Atlanta on Monday. Monopoly in Fore.in Suit Over Doubles Philadelphia, Nov. 23. — Resumption of testimony in the Harry Perelman double feature suit against major distributors today gave added indication that monopoly and restraint of trade testimony would dominate the duals angle in the interest of the local industry. The action is for an injunction against restrictions on duals in contracts for the new season and is being heard before Judge George A. Walsh in Federal court here. Charles Stiefel, South Philadelphia exhibitor, and Samuel Waldman, an official of the Garden Amusement Co., both of whom testified at the opening of the hearing yesterday, were on the stand again today as witnesses for the plaintiff. Steifel continued his recital of his asserted difficulty in getting product. . Waldman testified he had to close the Walnut because of the lack of first run major product. Another witness was Columbus Stamper, who said he was unable to get sufficient product for his Tower. Morris Wolf, attorney for the de(Contimied on page 3) Rockefellers Get 3 On Music Hall Board Rockefeller interests are represented by three of the five directors comprising the board of the new Radio City Music Hall Corp., while RCA's half interest will be represented by M. H. Aylesworth, chairman of the new board, and David Sarnoff, RCA president. The other members of the board are: W. G. Van Schmus, who continues as managing director of the (Continued on page 3) Actor-Writer Rift Goes Up To Code Heads Groups Now Demanding Deadlock Be Ended Hollywood, Nov. 23. — Compliance Director Sol A. Rosenblatt and Executive Secretary John C. Flinn arrive here by plane early next week to settle the rift between producers, writers and actors in connection with the code. Flinn leaves New York by plane Monday, Rosenblatt from Washington on Tuesday. A wire, signed by Robert Montgomery, vice-president of the Actors' Guild, and Ralph Block, head of the Writers' Guild, was sent to Rosenblatt late Thursday night following a meeting of the actors' and writers' five-five representatives on the code. Five producer representatives, appointed by Campi, to sit in with five representatives of both actors and writers groups, refused to accept a set of resolutions prepared by t.-,e two groups. When this developed, Rosenblatt was notified, but nothing was done. Actors and writers now demand action and have thrown the entire matter into the lap of Rosenblatt, who has (Continued on page 3) Hearing Likely for Vaude Code Changes Washington, Nov. 23. — A public hearing on amendments to the vaudeville provisions of the code is expected to be approved by the NRA early next week. The date will probably be in about three weeks. Deputy Administrator William P. Farnsworth tonight returned to Washington from New York bearing proposals for amendments to deal with rehearsal pay, waiting time and similar questions. While Compliance Director Sol. A. Rosenblatt has not yet had time to (Continued on page 3) Standard OiVs Show Plan Hit by Warner Washington, Nov. 23. — Plans of Standard Oil to send a two and onehalf hour stage show on a tour of all the eastern cities at a cost to it of $15,000 a week, the public admitted to performances free, were today protested by Harry M. Warner in a telegram to Compliance Director Sol A. Rosenblatt. Warner pointed out that the show would constitute unfair competition (Continued on page 3)