Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1934)

Group of Four ToRunRKO's British Sales MOTION PICTURE DAILY Looking 'Em Over {Continued from page 1) in the Royal Flying Corps during the war and port representative in London for the U. S. Shipping Board for two years. Leishman was with Universal for approximately 12 years, his various posts there including that of assistant to the treasurer, chief auditor of exchanges, assistant to the general sales manager, the manager of American exchange operations and home office representative in Europe. Latterly, he has been representing Radio in the Far East and as general European representative for that company. Ralph Hanbury has been sales manager for Radio in England for several years. He will be in active charge under the new setup, but Leishman will be the final word on British activities. Frank Tilley, was one-time editor of Kinemato graph Weekly of London. Since holding that post, he has been identified with production, but more particularly with publicity and advertising, Currently, he is publicity director for British Radio. Dawson is secretary of the English distributing company. "The Secret Bride" {Warners) wiS nirelv iV* With,a P°Htical ba<*ground. It moves rapidly, vvith a nicely balanced cast and some fine photography. ft t,, F?lfd el°Pes with the attorney general of the tnl t^lTtl^ ham)-Jhey rCtUrn after a J'ustice of th^ Peace wedthaf a man wfc^ b er>?0r ^ ™Peachment because it has b4en learned mat a man whom he has pardoned has committed suicide after his secretary has deposited $10,000 to the governor's private account thif^L ^ 15 convinced her father has been framed. Acting on this theory she gets her husband to retain an incriminating letter found m the dead man's files. The plot complications develop rap id Tas nT tnV /0"fi^,al investigator (Douglas Dumbrille) is murdered FarrelD ' ^ he ^ WiIHam'S Secretary <G^a • At thltria! ?f ^i.ss Farrell> who is accused of murder, the secret marriage is bared by Miss Stanwyck, who comes to the girl's defense A?the governor is about to be impeached Grant Mitchell, icretary "o the dead man, who had been pardoned, confesses he is the killer of DumbriUe Sd is in on a plot to ruin the governor K J,hC ltuations are developed for all the suspense there is in them Better than average entertainment. Production Code Seal No 384' Running time, 65 minutes. "G." Denies Predicting Television on Jan, 1 "I have made no such statement to radio dealers at the Pennsylvania nor to anyone else," declared David Sarnoff yesterday in denying the report published in Motion Picture Daily on Tuesday that home television sets will be ready for installation beginning Jan. 1. Sarnoff stands by his comment on television made in his annual report to RCA stockholders on Feb. 24 of this year when he declared: "It has been the policy of the management to refrain from definite prediction as to the time when television might be brought from the research laboratory and offered on a commercial _ basis _ to the American public. While it is impossible to anticipate the exact time when this development can be introduced on an industrial basis, it may nevertheless be said that the progress made by the corporation's laboratories and engineers, especially during the year under review (1933), has brought us much nearer the goal,' when transmission of sight will sup plement transmission of sound." "Life in the Congo (Kinematrade) Another of the African adventure films. This one furnishes little that ™, F°r most part it is the record of a safari into the gorilla country of the K1VU Mountains of Darkest Africa. The climax of the picture, which was made by the Ben Burbridge expedition Ta^nS hunt in which several young specimens are captured aliv and ano her of huge proportions is slain. dnumer This portion of the film contains the only really exciting scenes to be found in the entire footage. S De What precedes is simply a collection of routine shots of wild beasts native life and customs and the long, arduous trek through the iunSe with a couple of animal combats thrown in for good measure The gorilla scenes come too near the close of the picture to retrieve' "Life in the Congo from mediocrity. The picture further suffers from poor photography and recording that is equally bad. The production has been provided' with a mentary that might have been better. s No code seal. Running time, 60 minutes. "G." Saturday, December I, 1934 "Happiness" At $33,000, Boston High Boston, Nov. 30. — "Pursuit of Happiness" at the Metropolitan was high for the week, taking in $33,000, or $5,000 above average, while Keith's went to $9,500, or $3,500 above its usual take, with "Great Expectations." Loew's State was $3,000 above par $16,000, with "We Live Again." ' Total first run business was $108 500 Average is $94,000. Estimated takings for the week ending Nov. 22 : "GAMBLING" (Fox) BOSTOX-(2,900), 25c-S0c, 7 days. Vaude. Gross: $18,000. (Average, $16,000) "365 NIGHTS IN HOLLVWOOD" (Fox) FIREBIRD" (Warners) ; &m^VfkY~Q'm)J^3Sc' 7 tey*. Gross: $10,000. (Average, $9,000 ) "GREAJ EXPECTATIONS" (Unhr.) $19,300. (Average, $16,000.) "WE . LIVE AGAIN" (U A.) rL°E^'nS^TATE-(3-70°) 35c-»c. 7 day,. Gross: $19,000. (Average, $16,000 ) "PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS" (Para.) METROPOLITAN (4,350), 30c-65c, J £7™ A?atoIe's Affairs of 1935." Gross: $33,000. (Average, $28,000.) '365 NIGHTS IN HOLLYWOOD" (Fox) "THE FIREBIRD" (Warners) rARAMOUNT-(l,800), aOoSfcTV days. Gross: $9,000. (Average, $9,000.) Delays Pickford Ruling Decision was reserved yesterday by Frederal Judge Robert P. Patterson on the motion of Arthur F. Driscoll Mary Pickford's attorney, for a writ to restrain Edward Hemmer from offering purportedly scandalous evidence to back his $250,000 suit for services (( he claims he rendered the actress "as her manager and advisor from 1913 to 1920." Goodrow to 1st Division New Orleans, Nov. 30.— F. F. Goodrow, who for sometime past has been operating Goodrow Attractions, has been appointed exchange manager for First Division in this territory. | Canada Legion Move Spreads to the West (Continued from page 1) diocese to sign pledges and to act accordingly. Churchmen of other denominations have also become agitated and have drawn up a slightly different form of pledge. In the Maritime Provinces, however, the statement has been issued from a church source that the Legion of Decency will not be organized there "because there is no need for it." Premier M. F. Hepburn of Ontario showed distinct signs of wrath when lists of films were published for the guidance of the faithful, one group being tagged "not appropriate." "If the Legion of Decency wants to advertise a picture, let them advise people not to see it," the Provincial premier exclaimed hotly. "That's the best way to get people to go and see it." Hepburn declared he had had no communication from the legion regarding his plans. "All I know about it is what I have read in the papers." Regarding censorship in Ontario, he asserted that the new board had given complete satisfaction. "So far, we have had no call whatever to interfere with the judgment of the board itself " he added. Chicago Publicity Men Join an Ass'n. Chicago, Nov. 30.— Publicity representatives from various branches of the amusement field have virtually completed formation of a new organization, the Chicago Amusement Publicists Ass'n, or CAPA as it hopes to become known. The need for such an organization resulted from the recent Film Relief Dinner Dance when the film folks received exceptional cooperation from newspapers and other agencies. Among the purposes set forth in a proposed charter are the followingTo establish a higher standard of conception and subsequent publication of publicity material; to exchange ideas for the betterment of the amusement field; to foster publicizing of legitimate and meritorious events to foster closer contact between allied amusement publicists; to cooperate in every way to publicize the City of Chicago as the leading amusement center. Members so far include Duke Hickey, Universal; Herb Elisburg A,,S-arieSS^,Theatres; Lou Abramson! Allied Theatres of Illinois; Larry Stein, Warner Theatres ; Fritz Blocki Jones, Linick & Schaefer; Fred Bartow, M-G-M; Ted Weber, Daily Admitted to Federal Bar in Philadelphia Philadelphia, Nov. 30.— An interesting sidelight at the Harry Perelman double features case before Judge George A. Welsh in Federal court, was the admittance of Mrs. Jeanette Cohen to practice law in the Federal court here. The ceremony was a complete surprise to Mrs. Cohen, who practices law under her maiden name of Jeanette Willensky. As private counsel for the ( Independent M. P. Exhibitors Assn, which is vitally interested in the Perelman case, she was sitting in the courtroom as spectator when Benjamin M. Golder, attorney for the plaintiffs in the case, suddenly moved that the Court permit her to be enrolled as an attorney in the Federal courts. Judge Welsh acquiesced and administered the oath. She was formerly Golder's secretarv when he was a member of Congress. Mrs. Cohen, or Miss Willensky, as she is known in legal circles, is the wife of Dr. David J. Cohen, of Overbrook, and is the mother of a three and a half year old daughter. Pathe Gets Refund Washington, Nov. 30.— A refund to Pathe Exchange, Inc., of New York, of $89,945 on its 1924 tax return has been ordered by the Internal Revenue Bureau. Tunes; Sam Clark, Warners ; Al Sobler, Medinah Michigan Ave. Club; Oscar Schenk, Chicago American; Al Fuller, Palmer House ; Dan Goldberg Variety; Nat Green, Billboard; John Joseph, RKO ; Joe McKeown, Schoenstadt Theatres; Cal Hermer, Box Office; William K. Hollander, B. & K.; Harry Holmquist, Motion Picture Daily, and others. Headquarters have been established at the Congress Hotel. _