Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1935)

Monday, January 28, 1935 MOTION PICTURE DAILY Coast Men to Hear From Justice Dept. (Continued from page 1) Assistant Attorney General Harold M. Stephens. Department officials were silent about its contents, but the impression prevails here that a sympathetic stand has been taken toward the coast complaints, one of which is that F.W.C. has violated the consent decree of 1930. Whether attempts at prosecution will develop is something that cannot v be foretold at present. If the department starts prosecutions, it was said, they may be either in the form of charges of violation of the consent decree or an action similar to that started in St. Louis. Cummings to Reopen Paramount in Omaha Omaha, Jan. 27. — Everett R. Cummings, district manager for A. H. Blank, is supervising the reopening planned for Feb. 8 of the Paramount. The house, which has 2,800 seats, has been closed for some time. A vaudeville policy with a single feature for week-ends and double features for the rest of the week will be inaugurated with the exception of the first week when the opening revue will be held for the full week. Cummings said negotiations with stagehands and musicians plus the fact that ground rental has been substantially reduced assured the reopening of what has been considered a jinx house. Special Showing on Rex First Division will hold a special showing of "Hei Tiki" on board the Rex Thursday evening. The picture was produced on the Isle of Ghosts off New Zealand by Alexander Markey. Wall Street Warner Pfd. Up l3/4 on Big Board Net High Low Close Change Columbia Pictures vtc (cl) 363^ 36M 3654 + % Consolidated Film, pfd. VAv) 21^ 2154 21H — % Eastman 114 114 114 Fox "A" 11J4 11 11 Loew's Inc. (la) . . 33J4 32J4 33 + 54 Paramount 4J4 354 VA + ¥t Pathe VA VA l'A + Vs Pathe "A" 1554 15*£ 15?4 + J4 RKO 2A ■ 2% 2Vt + Vs Warner '. VA 4 4Ji + J4 Warner, pfd 24^ 22^ 2334 Technicolor Gains % on Curb Net High Low Close Change Technicolor 12 12 12 + 54 Trans-Lux 3 3 3 Paramount Bond Issues Advance Net High Low Close Change General Theatre, 6S '40 &y2 &a s'A Paramount Broadway S'As '51 43H 43y& 435$ + % Paramount F. L., 6s '47 67y2 65 67 +2'/2 Paramount Publix, 5'As, '50 67?4 6554 67'A +2J4 Pathe 7s '37 ww. 102 102 102 Warner Bros., 6s, '39 wd 58 56 57^ +2A (a) Plus cash extras, (c) Plus stock extras, (v) Defaulted in principal but not in interest. (Quotations at close of Jan. 26) Theatres of the World Reach Total of 60,918 (Continued from page 1) States are heading for speculation in the industry. The division declares there are only 10,143 theatres in the country and bases its calculation on the Bureau of Census survey which was completed in December. It sharply alters the division's early data, as is evidenced by the 19,000 total set down for 1933 and the 19,042 listed for 1932. By the inclusion of all halls and other places of exhibition in Russia, the total for Europe takes a pronounced rise. The government compilers declare there were 39,547 houses on that continent as the dawn of 1935 broke, comparing with 29,693 in 1933 and 30,623 in 1932. Latin America, with a total of 5,002 houses, shows a shrinkage of 268 from the 5,270 total given it in 1933 and a more emphatic deflation under 1932 when the division credited that territory with 5,546 houses. The Far East is credited with a 40,869 Talk Washington, Jan. 27. — World theatres equipped for sound totaled 40,869 at the beginning of the year, according to annual statistics prepared by the Motion Picture Division of the Department of Commerce. This compares with the division's own figures of 41,822 for 1933 and 36,955 for 1932. gain, its combined total running to 4,718 houses for 1934 as compared with 4,639 for 1933, although this is 204 under the 4,922 total for 1932. Without explanation, the division this year has cut Canada's fixed total of 1,100 in 1932 and 1933 to 823 for 1934, while the Far East is up 40 to a total of 685 comparing with 645 in 1933 and 691 in 1932. Theatres Throughout World Grand Total Grand Total Territory 1934 1933 Europe 39,547 29,693 United States 10,143f 19,000 Latin-America 5,002 5,270 Far East 4,718 4,639 Canada 823 1,100 Africa and Near East 689 645 Grand Total 1932 30,623 19,042 5,546 4,922 1,100 691 60,918 60,347 61,924 ■ urvey, December, 1934. Europe Theatres Theatres Theatres 1934 1933 1932 9,987 2,000 3,200 5,100 5,100 5,071 4,897 4,672 4,950 4,000 3,900 3,300 3,794 2,500 2,500 3,252 2,600 2,600 1,955 2,024 1,900 '850 850 850 843 1,100 1,100 728 759 900 750 650 750 380 633 505 380 350 400 340 350 300 320 310 325 319 338 300 308 255 253 250 250 400 241 220 235 232 220 220 128 145 145 122 100 100 107 107 80 100 80 80 94 93 82 60 80 77 10 10 39,547 29,693 30.623 Country England France Italy Spain Czechoslovakia Austria Sweden Poland Belgium Hungary Roumania Denmark Switzerland . . Yugoslavia . . . Netherlands . . Portugal Norway Finland Bulgaria Greece Latvia Turkey Esthonia Lithuania .... Albania 'Includes all halls, converted churches and other local places of exhibition. Latin-America Theatres Theatres Country 1934 1933 Argentina 1,604 1,634 Brazil 1,200 1,125 Theatres 1932 1,608 1,600 (Continued on page 12) Production Drops Slightly on Coast Hollywood, Jan. 27. — Production receded last week from the high level of the preceding week, but remained several points above normal. During the past week a total of 40 features and five shorts were before the cameras as compared to 44 and seven for the previous week. In addition, a total of 28 features and 13 shorts are in the final stages of preparation, while 35 features and 20 shorts were in the cutting rooms. _ Paramount continued to lead with eight features before the cameras, three preparing and two editing. Warners had seven, three and seven; M-G-M, five, one and nine; Radio, four, five and three; Fox, three, seven and three; Century, three, one and zero; Universal, three, two and one; Columbia, two, zero and five; Goldwyn, one, zero and zero; while the independents registered a total of four, six and five. In the short subject division Roach had one before the cameras, one preparing and three editing; Columbia had one, zero and three; M-G-M, zero, five and five; Universal, zero! one and one ; Warners, zero, zero and one; Radio, zero, two and two, while the independents have a total of three, four and five. Culkin in Potman* s Mantle on Booking Washington, Jan. 27.— Introduction in Congress by Representative Culkin of New York of the block booking bill that has long borne the name of Representative Patman of Texas is seen in Washington as an effort of the former to don the mantle dropped by the Texas member this year that he might devote himself to bonus legislation. Representative Culkin has already introduced a bill to create a film commission. In taking up the Patman bill prohibiting block booking he is running in competition with Representative Celler of New York, who has long had such a measure in the House. Also interested in film legislation is Representative Sirovich, a third New Yorker, who, however, has kept aloof from the block booking fight. Submission of the bill has been expected for some time, but it is not likely that any action will be taken on it in the near future. It is the Patman bill which long has_ been familiar to the industry, prohibiting compulsory block booking, compelling the furnishing of accurate synopses before release and making the Clayton Act apply to license agreements and sales. Two Labor Measures Approved by Lehman Albany, Jan. 27. — Promises to join or not to join a labor union, company or otherwise, are void under the terms of a bill just approved by Governor Herbert Lehman. The measure was introduced by Senator McNaboe as an amendment to the civil rights law. Another labor bill introduced by Assemblyman Wojtkowiak specifically declares that the labor of human beings cannot be held a commodity or article of commerce. Governor Lehman also approved this bill.