Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1934)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Thursday, December 6, 193* MOTION PICTURE DAILY (Registered U. S. Patent Office) Vol. 36 December 6, 1934 No. 133 Martin Quigley Editor-in-Chief and Publisher MAURICE KANN Editor JAMES A. CRON Advertising Manager Published daily except Sunday and holidays by Motion Picture Daily, Inc., subsidiary of Quigley Publications, Inc., Martin Quigley, President; Colvin Brown, Vice-President and Treasurer. Publication Office: 1790 Broadway, New York. Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address "Quigpubco, New York." All contents copyrighted 1934 by Motion Picture Daily, Inc. Address all correspondence to the New York Office. Other Quigley publications: MOTION PICTURE HERALD, BETTER THEATRES, THE MOTION PICTURE ALMANAC and THE CHICAGOAN. Hollywood Bureau: Postal Union Life Building, Vine and Yucca Streets, Victor M. Shapiro, Manager; Chicago Bureau: 407 South Dearborn Street, Edwin S. Clifford, Manager; London Bureau: Remo House, 310 Regent St., London, W. 1, Bruce Allan, Representative. Cable address: "Quigpubco, London"; Berlin Bureau: Berlin Tempelhof , Kaiserin Augustastrasse 28, Joachim K. Rutenberg, Representative; Paris Bureau: 19, Rue de la Cour-desNoues, Pierre Autre, Representative; Rome Bureau: Viale Gorizia, Vittorio Malpassuti, Representative; Sydney Bureau: 102 Sussex Street, Cliff Holt, Representative; Mexico City Bureau: Apartado 269, James Lockhart, Representative; Glasgow Bureau: 86 Dundrennan Road, G. Holmes, Representative; Budapest Bureau: 3, Kaplar-u, Budapest, II, Endre Hevesi, Representative; Moscow Bureau: Civtzev Vrazhek, N. 25, Apart. 146, Moscow, U. S. S. R., Bella Kashin, Representative. Cable address: "Samrod, Moscow." Entered as second class matter, January 4, 1926, at the Post Office at New York City, N. Y., under Act of March 3, 1879. Subscription rates per year: $6 in the Americas, except Canada $15 and foreign $12. Single copies: 10 cents. Use of Technicolor Gains in New Films Hollywood, Dec. 5. — A checkup among the major studios indicates an increase in the use of the Technicolor three-color process for features. Radio's production, "Becky Sharp," will be entirely in color. Two Warner productions, "Gold Diggers of 1935," and "In Caliente," will have color sequences and Jesse L. Lasky's next for Fox, "Redheads on Parade," will have one reel in color. Jack Cohn Outlines Foreign Situation Hollywood, Dec. 5. — Jack Cohn is here to talk over foreign production angles with Columbia studio heads from data picked up during his recent sojourn in Europe, the executive told Motion Picture Daily today. Cohn expects to return to New York with a print of the Edward G. Robinson picture, "A Passport to Fame." RKO Cut to Widen Price War in K. C, {Continued from page 1) scale will be cut to IS cents matinees and 25 cents nights, with the 40-cent admission for orchestra seats at night retained. This will meet the Loew's Midland prices. Whether RKO will go back to the present scale before Christmas will depend on the Midland's action, it is understood. The Mainstreet will also drop stage shows for two weeks. Edward A. Home Dead Edward A. Home, manager of the print and negative department of RKO, died yesterday of a heart ail ment at his home in Manhattan. He was 42 years old and had been associated with RKO and F.B.O. for the past 15 years. He is survived by his widow, Catharine, and one daughter Funeral arrangements had not been completed up to late yesterday. Chicagoans in Town Barney and John Balaban are in New York from Chicago. The former returns home today. Leo Spitz, former power in Para mount during the Sam Katz regime, is also visiting, en route to Florida, Jack Miller, head of the Chicago Exhibitors' Ass'n, and Aaron Saper stein, his rival in Allied of Illinois, also are here. Screen Drivers' Faults Driving faults which cause most of the accidents are shown in a cartoon comedy called "Once Upon a Time." produced recently by Audio Prod, and now sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety. Massachusetts houses are cooperating with Lieut. Colonel Paul G. Kirk, commissioner, in showing the film. Extra Columbia Dividend Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc., has declared a quarterly cash dividend of fifty cents a share, plus a special cash dividend of $1 a share, on the Class A and Class B stock. The dividends do not apply to the fifty per cent stock dividend previous ly declared. Millet Heads Empire Jack Millet has been elected presi dent of the Empire State M. P. Op erators' Union to succeed Arthur Farkash. Another new officer is James Addessa, former vice-president, who replaces Joseph Blatt as business agent. Trouble Ahead The Jewish Theatrical Guild met at the Ritz Theatre over the week-end. George Jessel, first vice-president, spoke, and in the course of his talk made the prediction that the Jews, particularly those of America, were heading for trouble with Italy, since Eddie Cantor was on his way to Genoa — to try and get Italians to drink that particular brand of coffee. Selznick Is Silent on New Company Report Hollywood, Dec. 5. — David O. Selznick refuses to discuss reports that he and his brother, Myron, are planning to form Lewis J. Selznick Prod., a new company, as a memorial to their father. The reports were to the effect that Myron would retire largely from the agency business to devote his time to the new company. Sees Foreign Gains From Film Cleanup] Hollywood's response to the cleat picture demand crystallized in the Legion of Decency movement is making American films better international! merchandise in the opinion of J. Hi Barker, Jr., managing director oi Western Electric Co., Australia3 Ltd., who is in New York from Sydnej I "The reaction of the motion picture industry of Australia and related ter-l ritories has been most favorable," re-p marks Barker. "It is perhaps no realized here how close the motioT picture industry is to the governmen in Australia and how readily com plaints aimed at quota restrictions am the like can get hearing in importan places. Material not adjusted to ths standards of conduct and viewpoint of the whole public can all too easih afford talking points that can grov into commercial obstacles and prob lems. "Australia now expects, and doubt less is to get, a flow of product whicl will be found much more general); acceptable and which will conduce t< vastly better business." Taylor on Buck Film Van Beuren Prod, yesterday signed Ray Taylor to direct the next Frank Buck feature, tentatively titled "Fang and Claw." Buck sails on the Berengaria tomorrow for Singapore, his base. Taylor's last picture was "The Return of Chandu" for Sol Lesser. Attend Albany Dinner Max B. Blackman, president, and Jules Levey, vice-president of the national Warner Club, last night accompanied Harold Rodner to Schenectady where the Albany unit held its second annual dinner and dance at the Palo rama Club. Schine Circuit Signed Jack Schlaifer, special sales repre sentative of Gaumont British, has closed a deal with the Schine Theatri cal Enterprises, Inc., for the entire product of his company. Schlaifer left last night on a tour of mid-west key cities. Most on Big Board Advance Net High Low Close Change Columbia Pictures, vtc 4044 4054 4054 — 44 Consolidated Film Industries 4*5 4 444+54 Consolidated Film Industries, pfd 19*5 18*i 19*5 +1*4 Eastman Kodak 11354 113 11344. +154 Eastman Kodak, pfd 141*5 141*5 141*5 +3 Fox Film "A" 14*4 13% 14 Loew's, Inc 36% 3654 36*4 — 54 Loew's, Inc., pfd 10444 10444 10444 +44 Paramount Publix 344 3*5 3*5 — 54 Pathe Exchange 1*4 1*8 1*8 Pathe Exchange "A" 14 13*5 14 + 54 RKO 2*| 144 2 +54 Warner Bros 5*8 V/% 5 +54 Warner Bros., pfd 2444 22 23 + *5 Curb Issues Remain Unchanged Net High Low Close Change Technicolor 13% 1344 13% Trans Lux 2*4 2 2 RKO Bonds Jump 3V2 Points Net High Low Close Change General Theatre Equipment 6s '40 8% 8*4 8% +44 General Theatre Equipment 6s '40, ctf 844 8 8 — 54 Loew's 6s '41, ww deb rights .....105 10444 10444 + 54 Paramount Broadway 5*5s '51 44*5 44*5 44*5 + 54 Paramount F. L. 6s '47 61*4 60 6154 +1*4 Paramount Publix 5*5s '50 61*5 60 6144 + % Pathe 7s '37, ww r. 99*5 99*5 99*5 RKO 6s '41, pp 36*4 34 36*4 +3*5 Warner Bros. 6s '39, wd 61 60 60% + % Sales 1.400 2,400 6,200 300 2,000 2.000 15,400 500 7,000 800 600 124 9.800 39,000 Sales 1,000 300 Sales 47 45 Plan Wis. Indie Group Milwaukee, Dec. 5. — Plans for strictly independent state-wide exhib itors' association without national af filiation will be laid by a committe of the Wisconsin M. P. T. O. an Allied members at a meeting here tc morrow. New Press Book Policy Under a new policy Warner-Fir National press books will be issu€ four weeks ahead of release dates, or coming off the presses every Frida; The first book issued under the ne arrangement is that on "Sweet Ad< line." Warners Sign Donat Hollywood, Dec. 5. — Robert Dons now in London, has been signed Warners to a long term contract. H: first will be "Captain Hood." Tl actor arrives from England abo) April 1. Sells Product in Cuba R. K. Hawkinson, LatiiT-Americ Division Manager for RKO, h closed a deal with the Cuban-Amer can Film Co. for Cuban distributic of the entire Radio lineup for 1934-1 Hawkinson arrived here yesterday. Bamberger Now Managt Leon J. Bamberger, who has be, connected with sales promotion f RKO Distributing Corp., has be given the title of promotion sales ma ager by Ned E. Depinet, president the corporation. Drive Nets $120,315 Hollywood, Dec. 5. — The first t\ weeks of the Community Chest Dri have netted $120,315, or 53 per ce of quota, from the film division, a cording to the Producers' Ass'n. Lila Lee Is Married Lila Lee was married yesterday Harrison, N. Y., to Jack R. Peii son of a clothing manufacturer Chicago and brother of Virginia Pi of the films. J