Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1934)

A MOTION PICTURE DAILY Monday, December 3, 1934 Variety Club Chatter PHOTOPHONE OFFERS: • Unfailing Sound Satisfaction • A Sound Box Office Attraction • Complete Ownership • A Self-Liquidating Investment PHOTOPHONE DIVISION RCA VICTOR COMPANY, Inc. Camden, N. J. A Radio Corporation of America Subsidiary Cincinnati Cincinnati, Dec. 2. — Elmer Dressman and A. M. Thompson, connected with local radio station WCKY, which is owned and operated by Barker L. B. Wilson, were the kings for a day last week, providing outstanding talent of the ether lanes. Levitt Bugie has joined the local Fox office as sales representative. George Smith has shaken the Cincinnati dust for his new assignment as Paramount manager at San Francisco, taking with him the well wishes of his friends here. Cleveland Cleveland, Dec. 2. — The local Variety Club has discontinued its weekly king for a day luncheons. Instead, there will be a business meeting luncheon the first Monday of the month. And also once a month, the date to be designated by the president, there will be a king luncheon with special entertainment. (Continued from page 1) organization for administering it has not been fully developed. "Little sympathy will go to the man who is able to pay," says Brock. "Every petitioner who seeks to use the act is required to furnish a full financial statement of his income, assets and liabilities, and, in addition, is to be thoroughly investigated. Ten regional offices centrally located throughout the state will be set up and levelheaded men with good judgment will be placed in charge of them." After hearing both sides of the case Brock will attempt to secure an amicable adjustment between creditors and debtors. Courts are still open to dissatisfied creditors, but if they lose they have to pay court costs. A prominent credit man here says debtors will hesitate to use the act because it might injure credit standing. Its provisions do not apply to debts owed to the state or the Federal Government. Allied Men to Hold Des Moines Meeting Des Moines, Dec. 2. — An estimated attendance of 1,800 midwest exhibitors is expected at a meeting called here during the second week of January by Allied Theatre Owners of Iowa and Nebraska. Code problems will be the principal topic of discussion, according to Lester F. Martin. A dinner and screening of new pictures will be part of the program. Nassers, Marcus Here George and James Nasser, San Francisco neighborhood theatre operators, are in New York. At the St. Moritz. Louis Marcus, former Publix partner in Salt Lake, is also visiting. At the Waldorf. Detroit Detroit, Dec. 2.— The Detroit Variety Club was entertained at its weekly luncheon by Willie and Eugene Howard. Kings for a day were : Mannie Gottleib, David Idzsl, Frank Downey, Carl Shalit and H. M. Richey. Election of officers will take place Dec. 3 in the club rooms. In addition, an amendment to the club's constitution, creating a board of trustees, composed of all past presidents and the current president, for the purpose of supervising expenditures will be voted upon. Washington Washington, Dec. 2. — Variety Club will hold its first smoker on the evening of Dec. 3 with Barkers Wolf and Makover in charge of the festivities as kings for a day. There will be no noon luncheon on that day. Para. Bonus Suit Move Coming Soon (Continued from paqe 1) and three per cent to Kohn. Schulberg received a 1929 bonus of §130,000. The payments to Zukor and Lasky aggregated $757,000 each ; to Katz and Kent, $606,000, and to Kohn, $303,000. For the first quarter of 1930 the bonuses were paid mostly in stock, except to Schulberg, who received cash. Bonuses for the last three quarters of 1930 were waived by those entitled to them under the agreements. In 1931 no bonuses were paid and the agreements were abrogated in 1932 while still having a year to run. Consolidated earnings of Paramount in 1929 were $15,544,544, or approximately $4.82 per share on the common stock outstanding. In 1930 earnings were $18,381,178. Leave to file the suit will be sought of the Federal district court here by the trustees today or tomorrow. Work on Plan for Para, in Final Rush (Continued from page 1) Charles D. Hilles, Eugene W. Leake and Charles E. Richardson, will continue in administrative charge of the company's assets until such time as the plan has been accepted by the court. At that time a court order is issued discharging them from their duties. Presentation of the plan to the court, today or tomorrow, will be on behalf of the new board of Paramount Publix with that board's recommendation for its acceptance by the court. The reorganization will not result in a change of name for Paramount Publix. New National Theatre Group j Being Talked (Continued from pane 1) done, but it is understood Allied is in \ favor of it. Allied for some time has been advising members to contact con ] gressmen on legislative matters. Connecticut and Pennsylvania units are next to be contacted. No name has been set for the proposed organization. 1 For the present, the sponsors are call I ing it "League of Forgotten Men." Tax Rule Given on Sound Installation j (Continued from page 1) years, even though the Commissioner 1 of Internal Revenue has determined I that it has a useful life of 10 years. J The companv entered into contracts j in 1928 and 1929 with Erpi and RCAi Photophone for the installation and j use of sound equipment in theatres op I erated by three of its affiliates, under M which the company was required to I pay the cost of transportation and in-B stallation. Deductions for those charges ■ were disallowed by the commissioner. I But the board held that "considering the contracts in their entirety it appears that under them petitioner acquired a license, the cost of which may be said to be the amount expended in the installation of the equipment it was licensed to use." Equipment Firms to Test U. S. Sales Levy (Continued from page 1) will be inaugurated by a group of 15 manufacturers who met Saturday to devise a program of opposition to thej levy, J. A. Tanney, head of the S. O. S. Corp., in whose offices the meeting was held, stated. Samuel Edelstein was retained as attorney in the action and Morris Levison of Simonoff , Peyser and Citron, as accountant. Assessments will be levied against the 15 manufacturers of' theatre sound equipment and public address systems represented at the meeting to finance the Federal court I action and these will probably be j passed on to the exhibitors using their equipment, it was stated. Names of the manufacturers were withheld. The : meeting also voted to forward a protest against the tax to the Internal ! Revenue Department. W. A. Johnston Now On Monogram Staff Hollywood, Dec. 2. — William A Johnston, pioneer trade paper mar* and founder of Motion Picture News has joined the Monogram writing staff to work on "The Mystery Man' script. Ray McCarey will direct. Another Monogram assignment ha; Jefferson Parker assigned to do added dialogue on "The Great Goo Gold," which Arthur Lubin will direct See Mayer-Breen Truce Hollywood, Dec. 2. — An amicable settlement of the dispute betweer Louis B. Mayer and Joseph I. Breer over cuts sought in M-G-M's "Forsaking All Others" was expected ovei the week-end. Louisiana Two -Year Debt Law Has Many Limitations