Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1934)

The Leading Motio Picture Industry MOTION PICTURE DAILY Alert, Intelligent the In in All Branches VOL. 36. NO. 150 NEW YORK, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1934 TEN CENTS Outlook Good On Para* Plan; Few Opposed Hearing Set for Today Before Judge Coxe A minimum of creditor opposition jto the Paramount Publix reorganization plan is in evidence for the Federal court hearing before Judge Alfred C. Coxe this morning, indicating the possibility of the plan being accepted with little delay. No additional names have been added to the board of directors of the new company beyond the nine agreed upon and the three temporary members of the board, Austin Keough, Walter B. Cokell and Max D. Howell. Creditors' committees decided to restrict the present board to the 12 named until such time as the plan has ■been accepted and the Paramount trustees have been relieved of their posts. At that time the new board will take ■jver administration of the company, (Continued on page 7) Para. Studies Plan To Telephoto News Newsreel shots by telephoto so that they can be shown in territories surrounding 24 key spots approximately two hours after they occur may develop from experiments now being conducted by Paramount News. A private engineering firm is reported to have been working on the experiments for Paramount for the (Continues on page 7) Action, Music Big Overseas: Reisman Action pictures and musicals are most in demand abroad, Phil Reisman, head 3f RKO-Radio's foreign department, stated yesterday, having returned last week from a five weeks' trip to England and France. Audiences in foreign countries do not care for pictures in which the (Continued on page 7) N. E. Allied Men to Meet in Boston Soon Boston. Dec. 26.— Independent Exhibitors of Mass., Inc., will be hosts to other Allied units in New England at a joint meeting to be held here (Continued on page 11) Dependable film delivery by members of National Film Carriers, Inc. — Adv. Oil Poured on "UV Ruffled Studio Waters Laemmle, Sr., Jr., Agree; Production Picks Up Hollywood. Dec. 26. — Internal troubles on the Universal lot have been ironed out and the studio is now oiling the ways for its next cycle, which will include several of its promised big attractions. Carl Laemmle, Jr., is back from an extended stay in New York, sans any European trip, and will devote his time to six pictures a year, although the title of general manager of production will continue his. His father, working in close association with his (Continued on page 11) Coast Production Drops for Holiday Hollywood, Dec. 26. — Due to the holiday production registered a decided decrease with a total of 33 features and five shorts before the cameras as compared to 41 and four the preceding (Continued on page 11) Fitzgerald to Sing Boston, Dec. 26. — A smart local tieup for the opening of "Sweet Adeline" here is the securing of former Mayor John F. Fitzgerald to sing the song of the same name at the Paramount Wednesday night. He is as well known for the piece here as Al Smith is for "East Side, West Side" in New York. Campi Ruling Is Due Today On Clearance Decision, formally ruled and noted, on whether clearance and zoning schedules are to be discarded in favor of individual protests is expected to be made by Campi today at its regular meeting, which will be attended by Compliance Director Sol A. Rosenblatt. Official records of Code Authority show that, within the past seven months, 637 clearance and zoning (Continued on page 7) Showmanship and Product Count, Say Warner, Clark By JOHN D. CLARK General Manager, Distribution, Fox Theatre grosses throughout the country have been showing steady increases lately and there is every reason to suppose that they will continue to do so in 1935, provided, of course, that general business conditions improve. The public is buying entertainment, and as long as the quality of pictures continues upward as it has in the past several months no one in the motion picture business need fear the future. A clearer and sounder basis of comparison with the past has been formulated, and next year should find our business advancing steadily. r By ALBERT WARNER Vice-President, Warners The prosperity of the industry during 193S lies in the hands of the industry itself. There are no obstacles ahead that wise, progressive showmanship cannot \ ( Jw*" gtt surmount. L e g i t i mate competition is necessary and desirable, but there are problems that can only be solved by cooperation. One of these is the problem of the double feature. The team spirit, applied in the interest of all of us, is the only way in which this evil will ever be done away with. The average quality of motion pictures today is higher than ever be (Continued on page 2) Deal Reached On Operators9 Basic Scales Said to Call for Cuts; Hearing on Jan. 10 After four successive meetings at Campi headquarters. Compliance Director Sol A. Rosenblatt's fact finding committee yesterday reached a temporary agreement for setting up a basic wage scale for operators in New York. It is understood reductions are provided all along the line. Rosenblatt, who has been attending the meetings of the committee, has set Jan. 10 for a public hearing in Washington, when objections to the agreement will be heard. If none are voiced, it is likely the temporary schedule will be made permanent. George Browne, president of the I.A.T.S.E., did not attend yesterday's session. He is in Chicago, his home town, for the holidays. Louis Krouse, his assistant, was present, and is understood to have approved the temporary plan for Local 306, which is being supervised by the international since Harry Sherman resigned some months ago. Rosenblatt, spokesman for the fact finding committee, could not be reached last night at his home for a statement, but it is understood an official release from Washington will be made on or before Saturday. Film Lettering in Kansas City Starts Kansas City, Dtec. 26— Classification of films in advertising, adopted by Fox Midwest at its managers' convention last summer, has made its appearance here. "The Affairs of Cellini," this week's attraction at the Fox Apollo, a suburban house, is given an "adult" label in newspaper ads. The idea is conveyed in the form of a seal informing the reader the picture is "a selected movie," approved by Better Films Council for adults. Original plans (Continued on page 7) Chicago Suit Ends; Product Split Seen Indicating a product split-up among Chicago's Loop theatres which would make first run pictures for major companies available to McVickers, that theatre yesterday withdrew its antitrust suit preliminary motion at a (Continued on page 2)